those which are praeter fundamentum and a man ought not to leave a Church for these Secondly there are errours in doctrine 2 Circa fundamentum circa fundamentum which weakens the foundation although they overthrow it not and for these men should not leave a Church 3 Contra fundamentum Thirdly there are errors contra fundamentum and raseth the foundation for these a man shold not leave a Church if the Church be not wholly infected with them totally There were amongst the Galathians some who maintained the doctrin of Iustification by works but because all maintained it not therefore they were not to leave the Church for that error So in the Church of Corinth there were who maintained that there was no resurrection from the dead but because this was not holden by all therefore the Church was not to be left for this So there were in the Church of Pergamus who held the doctrine of Balaam yet all held it not therefore the Church was not to be left for that The whole head may be sicke and the whole heart faint Esay 1.5 and yet may recover againe as the Church of Thyatira was ready to die yet the Lord exhorts her to repent and to watch Rev. 3.3 and to strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to die but when once shee is dead and no life to be found in her then men are to separate themselves from her Hence it was that the Priests and Levites in this case left Israel and came to Iudah 2 Cor. 11.13 because shee was a dead Church and not a decaying Therefore the Lords soule hath no delight in those who separate themselves from the Church and make a rent finding but small blemish in her Quest But was not this against nature for Abraham to leave his countrey and old parents Answ This is onely against corrupt nature Abraham left his father and countrey for Gods cause Primum vinculum est fortius secundo which preferreth it selfe to God but hee that loves father or mother better than God is not worthy of him The nearest conjunction of all is betwixt God and man and therefore he should leave all for God It is said of Levi Deut. 33.9 That he said unto his father and to his mother I have not seene him neither did hee acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children for they have observed thy word and kept thy covenant So the disciples Matth. 4.23 When Christ called them left their fathers and the ship and followed Christ When Hanna wept because shee had no children her husband comforted her saying Am I not better to thee than ten sonnes 1 Sam. 1.8 A man should love his wife better nor his father or his mother yea than tenne sonnes what love then should we carrie to God who should be deater to us than tenne fathers tenne wives twentie sonnes and all the world God can chuse out of any societie some to himselfe except out of hell He called him from the Idolaters there is no societie so bad but the Lord can choose out some from amongst them except onely out of hell As in Nero's court hee had some Phil. 4.22 Salute them of Cesars house And in Creete although they were slow bellies and wilde beasts there yet the Lord planted a Church there and in Ahabs house he had Obadiah who feared the Lord greatly 1 King 18.3 And amongst the Pharisees the Lord had Nicodemus and in superstitious Athens he had Dionisius Areopagita and Damaris Act. 17.34 By this we may see that the Lord reignes even amongst the midst of his enemies Psal 110.2 He called Abraham and Sarai out of Chaldea when they were Idolaters When God would teach his people thankfulnesse he wills them to looke backe first to their naturall estate Iosh 24.2 The Lord when hee would teach his people thankefulnesse bids them looke backe to their former estate first how hee multiplied them out of a drie stocke Esa 51.2 Looke unto Abraham your father and to Sarai who bare you and hee called him alone and blessed him and encreased him Looke to the rocke whence ye are hewen and to the hole of the pit whence yee are digged Secondly to their poore estate So he willeth them to looke backe to their poore estate that they may be thankefull to pay their first fruites Deut. 26.4 And the Priest shall take the basket out of thine hand and set it downe before the altar of the Lord thy God and thou shalt speake and say before the Lorh thy God Iacob was called a Syrian not that he was borne there but because he dwelt there with Laban So Christ is called a Nazaret because he dwelt there I professe this day unto the Lord a Syrian ready to perish was my father Syrus perditionis non Syrus perdens meaning Iacob that served in Syria under Laban and then he brought him downe to Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a mighty and a great people for this the Lord would have him to be thankefull And thirdly to remember their Idolatry And lastly hee calls them backe to remember their Idolatrie how their fathers were Idolaters and served Idols beyond the flood Ios 24.2 So the Apostle wills the Corinthians to looke backe to their former estate how they were Idolaters 1 Cor. 12.2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto dumbe Idols even as ye were led SECT 6. Of the increase and decrease of Idolatrie in the family of Jacob. THis Idolatry tooke increase in the family of Iacob The increase when Rachel stole her fathers Idolls Gen. 31.19 and in his retinue was polluted with these strange gods the Idolls that shee brought from her father Labans house shee was not free of Idolatry yet neither was her sister Leah and her handmaid Zilpah free of that Idolatrie Gen. 30.11 Bagad is read two wayes first bagad venit turma vel exercitus Secondly it is reade conjunctim bagad i.e. fortuna vel fortunate and Rabbi Salomon reades it Venit sidus bonum seu planeta bonus and she acknowledged this her child fortunae influentis donum a good gift from fortune Esa â—5 11 gad they interpret fortunam and the Arabians as Abenezra witnesseth cald God Gad or Mars hence come this word God and Leah called this her sonne Gad or good fortune because in Labans family they worshipped Gad or Fortune as a God Rachel brought these Idols from her father Labans house Idols are a dangerous treasure to carrie about which was a dangerous treasure for her to carrie about with her Saint Iohn saith in his first Epistle Chap. 5. vers 21. Little children keepe your selves from Idolls they are soone insnared with them and as children delights much to play with puppets so Idolaters are much delighted with their Idols Q. But did she not wel in taking away her fathers Idols Answ She was but a private woman and had no
translated the Bible was excommunicate and cast out of the Church It hath beene condemned by the decrees of Emperours As Cornelius Tacitus witnesseth lib. 17. they banished them out of Italy SECT 8. Of divination of things on Earth and first of dreames THere are foure sorts of dreames The first is a naturall or a Physicall dreame The second is a morall dreame The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dreame sent from God The fourth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a devillish dreame A naturall dreame is that which ariseth from a naturall cause What is a naturall dreame as these who dreame that they are eating sweete things they may gather by this that they are subject to Pituit or fleame Those againe who dreame of fire chollor abounds most in them And those who dreame of darkenesse melancholy abounds most in them and their dreames are sometimes praesagientia foretelling things to come as Galen in his prognostickes tels that a man dreamed that his thigh was broken and was turned into a stone and shortly afterward he was taken with a dead palsy So he tels of another who dreamed that he was wallowing in a cesterne of blood He gathered that this man abounded in blood But if a Physition leaning to such prognostickes should open a veine and let blood hee should be holden for an rash and unskilfull Physition for hee should use such cures not by dreames but by the symtome of the disease The second sort of dreames are morall dreames which ariseth from the multitude of cares and businesses Eccles 5.3 What is a moral dreame Gregorie Nissen de opificio hominis and Gregorie Nissen hath a fit comparison to expresse the nature of these dreames like as hee that plaieth upon an instrument after that he ceaseth to play yet the strings trembleth for a while So our actions in the day time leaves some motions behind them when we are a sleepe These sort of dreames wee are to make little use of them for in the multitude of dreames are diverse vanities Eccles 5.7 but if wee often dreame of one thing wee may gather by this what is our predominant sinne When we dreame often of one and the selfesame thing wee may know by it what is our predominate sin for that sinne recurres oftenest unto us which wee are most given to and shewes it selfe more in our sleepe than when wee are awake for when we are awake our reason watches more over our corruption and restraineth it that it burst not forth and this Plutarch illustrates by a fit comparison A Schoolemaster as long as he is present with his schollers then they seeme to keepe good order but if he withdraw himselfe a little to trie how they will carrie themselves then they beginne to play the wagges So when reason watches our passions they seeme to be more setled and quiet but if reason withdraw her selfe a little as she doth in our sleepe then our passions beginnes to be more unruly What is a divine dreame The third sort of dreames are divine dreames and these comes onely from the Lord Ioseph by his brethren is called bagnal hachalmoth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 37.19 which some interprets Dominus somniorum the Lord of dreames but they interpret not rightly this Hebraisme as though Ioseph were Lord of dreames God is onely Lord of dreames for God himselfe is onely Lord of dreames therefore dominus somniorum here is a man who dreames often or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the 70. interprets it A difference of Gods revelation by dreames and by vision There is a difference when God reveales himselfe to men in a dreame when he spake to them in a vision and when he spake to them in prophecie when he revealed himselfe to them in a dreame he revealed himselfe to their phantasie when he revealed himselfe to them in a vision he revealed himselfe to their sight and then prophesie was more intellectuall When he revealed himselfe to their phantasie and not to their understanding Sometimes God revealeth himselfe to the phantasie but not to the understanding to his children he revealeth himselfe in both that was an imperfect sort of revelation so he revealed himselfe to Pharaoh he saw the vision in his dreame but he understood it not but when he revealed himselfe to his children he revealed himselfe both to their phantasie and to their understanding and he makes them to understand their dreame Iob 33.15 In a dreame in a vision in the night when a deepe sleepe falleth upon men in a slumbering upon the bed then he openeth the eares of men and sealeth their instruction So likewise he revealeth himself in vision to their sight but this vision came sometime to the sight onely but not the understanding So Balthasar when he was awake saw a hand writing upon the wall before him but he understood not what it meant but Ieremie when he saw the vision of the seething pot and the mouth of it towards the North Ier. 1.13 he understood the meaning of the vision that the armie of the King of Babel should come against the citie of Ierusalem and burne it So when Peter saw a sheete let downe from heaven with cleane and uncleane beasts in it the Lord revealed the meaning of the dreame to him Thirdly The highest degree of revelation was to their understanding when God revealed himselfe to the understanding of the Prophets it was more intellectuall and the most perfect sort of prophecie and as vision was a more perfect sort of revelation than dreames Ioel 2.28 Your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames so this intellectuall prophesie is a higher degree than vision when God speakes to our eare by his Word in this life and by his Sacraments to our senses this is not the perfectest sort of revelation but that is reserved to us in the heavens which shall be more intellectuall and divine As these divine dreames was from the Lord so the interpretation of these dreames was from the Lord Dan. 2.28 and some of them were harder to be interpreted than others and were like aenigmata or ridles which had neede of much unfolding Divine dreames were either allegoricall or theorematicall The divine dreames sometimes they were allegorica and sometimes they were theorematica these were called allegorical dreames which were not to be interpreted literally but had some mysticall signification in them as Pharaoh his dreame and Ioseph his dreame and Philo holds that Abraham was the first who expounded these allegoricall dreames Theorematicall dreames were these when things fall out plainely without any allegorie as they were foretold in the dreame as when Ioseph was bidden in a dreame to flie to Egypt Sometime the dreame was from the Lord but not the exposition of the dreame as when Ioseph dreamed that his brethrens sheaves fell downe and worshipped his so when hee dreamed that the Sunne the Moone and the
reckons up twentie heresies which were before Christs comming in the flesh Lib. 1. panariae Epiphanius reduces the periods of Idolatry into foure which hee reduceth unto foure heads Barbarisme Schythisme Hellenisme and Samaritanisme First Barbarisme which comes from Bar and in the Syriack signifieth extra but being doubled makes barbar as if yee would say those who are altogether without the Church and at this period of tyme there were but few gathered into the Church How long Barbarisme indured Hee makes Barbarisme to have lasted from the creation of the world to the dayes of Noah for ten generations This first period of Idolatrie was before the flood then they beganne to prophane the name of the Lord Gen. 6.5 but seeing this time is tempus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of Barbarisme and Schythisme See Col. 3.2 and 2.11 and few things are set downe by Moses of the progresse of the Church at this time and the heathen historie beginnes long after this time therefore we will rest here and enquire no further of it How long Scythisme indured Secondly he makes Schythisme to have indured from Noah to the building of the tower of Babell Thirdly How long Hellenisme indured Why the Syriackes put alwaies an Aramite for an Idolater he makes Hellenisme to have indured from Abraham to the carring away of the ten tribes This Grecian by the Syriack is called an Aramite Col. 3.11 and so elsewhere an Aramite is put for a gentile or an Idolater still in the Syriack and the reason why they were so called is this because the first Idolaters who are named in the scripture were Syrians or Aramites as Terah the father of Abraham was a Syrian and Baalam was a Syrian Deut. 25.5 and Naaman was a Syrian all these were Idolaters How long Samaritanisme indured Fourthly hee makes Samaritanisme to have indured from the captivity of the ten Tribes unto the dayes of Christ The pure worship of God so long as this Grecisme or Aramites Idolatrous worshippe lasted was in the family of Abraham Melchisedecke and a few others The Church was first in a familie The Church hath beene divided first as shee lived in a familie and then shee is called an oeconomicall Church Secondly dispersed through a nation Secondly when she was dispersed through a nation and then shee was called a nationall Church And thirdly when shee was scattered through the world Thirdly scattered through the world and then shee was called the Catholike Church When the Church was in a family First the Church was in a familie as in Abrahams family Isaackes familie secondly in a nation as when the Church was spread through Iudea The Church when shee was in Egypt she was not a nationall Church because the Church lived then but in a part of Egypt So when she was in the wildernesse she was not a nationall Church but when the Church came to Canaan and expelled the Cananites then she was a nationall Church The people of God were ruled three waies The people of God were ruled three wayes by Patriarches by Iudges and by Kings first wee will consider how Idolatrie increased or decreased under the Patriarkes Secondly under the Iudges and Thirdly under the Kings When Idolatrie spreads it selfe over the face of the earth then it pleased the Lord to have pittie upon Abraham and Sara who lived in Chaldea and worshipped the Moone the Sunne and the starres to call them out of Caldea to Charran and there hee taught them the true worship of God They were first Idolaters as well as Terah was Nahor Therfore Iosua saith Iosua 24.2 Your father 's dwelt beyond the flood of old time even Terah the father of Abraham and of Nahor and they served other Gods Amos 2.4 Their lies caused them to erre after the which their fathers have walked that is the Idols which their fathers worshipped Abraham was an Idolater as well as Terah was and as Nahor therefore Rom. 4.5 when the Lord justified him he found him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ungodly man and Rembam testifies Lib. 1. Halach 4. cap. 1. that first he was a worshipper of the starres Abraham left not his Idolatrie when he was in Mesopotamia when he dwelt in Vr of the Chaldeans but when he came to Carran therefore the Lord brought him out of Mesopotamia that he might leave that Idoll service but as concerning Terah and Nahor they retained something of their old Idolatrie as Rachel did afterward who although she was taught by her husband to renounce Idolatrie yet she stoll her fathers Idols so there was some of this leaven of Idolatry in Iacobs family which he caused to be purged out Ge. 15.2 Terah and Nahor got some knowledge of the truth and they acknowledged Iehovah to be the true God but they retained with all their Idolls and worshipped him in their Idolls And Abraham when hee was to provide a wife for his sonne of the best that he could finde abhorring the Canaanites altogether hee made choise to send to his kinred of Nahors house who although hee was not free altogether of this Idolatry and superstition yet he reckons him not as an infidell and rather wills his sonne to marrie with him than with the vile Canaanites It is said Gen. 11.31 that Terah the father of Abraham went out of Vr of the Chaldees to goe unto the land of Canaan and they came to Haran and dwelt there and yet it is said Gen. 12.1 Now the Lord said to Abraham Get thee out of thy countrey and from thy kinred into a land that I shall shew thee but God commanded this before Terah went out of Vr to Haran as it is cleare out of Act. 7.4 The rule of the Hebrewes holds here Non esse prius posterius in Scriptura So Gen. 1.27 Male and female created he them and Gen. 2.22 The rib which the Lord had taken from man made he a woman He called Abraham and Sarai out of Chaldea that Idolatrous countrie and commanded his people to flee out of Babylon lest they should have beene partakers of her punishments Ier. 51.6 Rev. 18.4 Quest For what sinnes should we leave a Church Two sorts of defects in a Church defects in manners and defects in doctrine We are not to leave a Church for corruption of manners Answ There are two sorts of defects in a Church The first is defects in manners The second in doctrine for corruption of manners a man should not separate himselfe from a Church for then they might have left the Church of Ephesus the Church of Pergamus the Church of Thyatira the Church of Laodicea for the Lord laid something to the charge of all these Churches But in this case men should separate themselves from their corruptions and not defile their garments but walke in white Rev. 3.4 As for errors in doctrine they are three-fold Errors of doctrine are 1 Praeter fundamentum first
revived againe and the saints who would not take the marke of the beast neither in their hand nor in their forehead Rev. 13. This strife about religion will set the fathers against the children and the children against the parents Satan would have set up Moses his body to have made an Idoll of it The bodies of the saints may bee made Idols both living and dead The bodies of the saints may bee made Idoles both when they are dead as heere of the body of Moses when they are alive as when Cornelius fell downe at Peters feete and worshipped him Peter refused that worship Act. 10.26 27. and said stand up for I my selfe am a man Peter refused this worship because it was divine worship or inclining too farre to it So when the Priests would have sacrificed to the Apostles Act. 14. they rent their cloathes and ran in amongst the people crying and saying why doe ye these things we are men of like passions with you preaching to you that yee should turne from these vanities They would have made the Apostles to bee in the number of these Idoll vanities when they would have given him divine worship Satan goes from an exteâ—mitie to another Againe yee may observe heere how Satan goes from one extremitie to another when Moses was alive how often moved he the people to have stoned him but now when he is dead hee would have him to make an Idoll of his body so the Iewes in die Palmarum did sing Hosanna to Christ and the next day they cried Crucifige So when the viper lept on Pauls hand they said he was a murtherer but when he shooke it off and it hurt him not they said he was a God and those are unstable in all their waies Iam. 1.8 He would have set up Moses his body to have beene worshipped if the Lord had suffered this body to have remained in the Church how would the devill afterward have made up a ground for the continuance of Idolatrie in the Church then hee would have said If all sort of worship be denied to the bodies of the saints why would the Lord have suffered the body of Moses the man of God to stand this way in the Church as a stocke without all honour to be given to it would hee not rather have throwne it downe as hee did the Idoll Dagon The Lord forbad onely this divine worship to be given to the heathen gods as to Iupiter Mars Venus But it was never his minde that the divine worship should not bee given to the bodies of the saints departed and if Moses himselfe were redivivus hee would explaine himselfe in this point that it was forbidden onely to give this worship to heathen Idoles but not to saints which is forbidden in the Law for hee communicating so many dignities with the saints would not refuse to communicate with them a part of his honour Michael resisted the devill and would not suffer him to take the bodie of Moses and make an Idoll thereof The Apostle Iude 5. borrows from the Apocripha book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libro 3. cap. 2. Pethirath moshe dimissio mosis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This strife which was betwixt Michael and the devill about the body of Moses What duties wee are bound to perfore to the dead Quest. What duties are wee bound to performe to the bodies of the Saints when they are dead Answ We are to use them with comlinesse Acts 9.37 they washed the bodie of Dorcas and layed her in an upper chamber and to wrap them in linnen as Christs bodie was and to bury them in an honest buriall place we ought to esteeme reverendly of their bodies because they are the members of Christs mysticall bodie and they waite for the blessed resurection and to suffer them to rest in peace in their graves 2 Kin. 22.20 But we are never to worship them or their reliques if we follow the example of Michael who would not suffer Moses his body to bee worshipped The decrease of this Idolatrie The decrease of this Idolatry was when Michaell buried the body of Moses where no man knew Great is the care which the Lord hath over his children in their infancie in their old age in their death and after they are dead and as the eyes of the Lord was upon Canaan from the beginning of the yeare to the end Deut. 11.12 so are the eyes of the Lord upon his children from their infancie to their old age from their old age to their death and after they are dead and first from their infancie to their old age Esay 46.3 Heare O house of Iacob and the remnant of the house of Israel which are borne by me from the wombe and brought up with me from the birth therefore untill thy old age I the same even I will carrie you to your hoarie heades the Prophet points at these two times of our life especially because these two periods are most weake in all our life our infancie and decrepit age then the death of his Saints is precious in the fight of the Lord Psal 116.18 and then after they are dead the Lord hath a singular care of them What a care had the Lord of Moses in his birth when hee was cast out to be drowned The Lord preserved him and drew him out of many waters therefore he was called Moshe from Masha extrahere and David alludes to this Psal 18.16 Thou hast drawne me out of many waters Hence the Poets from this faine that some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne in the waters because Moses was drawne out of the waters and in his death the Lord shewes his singular love to * It is said of Moses Dâ—ut 34.7 that he dyed ad osculum oris dei which Salomon Iarchi paraphraseth at a kisse of the mouth of God Death was a kisse of the mouth of God to him him and here after he is dead the Lord suffers not his body to be made an Idoll of Good King Iosias when hee was killed in the battell a man might have thought that the Lord had little respect unto him who made him fall before his enemies but see what respect the Lord carried unto him when he saith Thou shalt be gathered in peace to thy fathers 2 King 22.20 Who would have thought that the Lord had such a care of him and yet his soule was bound up in the bundell of life and he was gathered in peace to his fathers So he had a great care of the body of Iacob he promised to goe downe to Egypt with him and to bring him backe again Gen. 46.4 But how is it said that he brought him backe againe then seeing he died in Egypt The Lord attended his very corpes when he brought it backe and saw it buried in Machpelah in the place which Abraham bought for a buriall place Gen. 50.13 The Lord buried Moses his body It is
the same sacrifice 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils When the whore would intice the young maâ— to commit folly with her Prov. 7.14 she saies I have peace offerings with me and this day have I payed my vowes In the peace offerings God got a part the Priest got a part and the offerer got a part and to this part of the offering which belonged to her she invites this fooâ—e the whore and the whoremonger shall they have a part of Gods peace offerings the Lord will not have a share in such a sacrifice So the Lord will not have a share in a sacrifice where this spirituall adultery is committed Fourthly he will not be served with the same Priests The Lord would never accept of the Levites that went backe from the Lord when Israel went astray after their Idols to slay the burnt offerings and sacrifice for the people but onely to keepe the gates of his house and minister in these base offices Ezech. 44.10 And as Ioshua when he fought against the Cananites Iosh 11.6 tooke their horses and did hough them that they might not serve the enemie for warre any more yet they might serve for baser uses as to carry loades So the Lord would not have those Priests who had dishonoured him in serving Idolls to serve at his altar any more but to serve in base offices as to keep the gates in the house of God So they served the Groves Iudges 3.7 they are called there Ashera because they thought themselves happie Why the groves are called Ashera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they worshipped their Idols there but the groves may bee called happie per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they were unhappie who worshipped there So it is called Lucus quod minime Luceat So Iob 39. Struthio camelus is called Chasida per antiphrasin because she hatches not her egges as other foules doe but leave them in the sand It is said they served the groves that is their Idoles in the groves There was a tree also amongst the midest of the trees of the grove which they worshipped Isa 66.17 they that sanctifie and purifie themselves in the garden behind one tree in the midst This tree in the midst they worshipped as they did the other Idoles and they esteemed it as the tree of knowledg of good and evill that was in the midst of the garden They planted groves for their Idoles These Idolaters alleadged Abrahams example Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba and worshiped there Gen. 21.33 So when they would sacrifice their children to Molech they alledged the example of Abraham The Idolaters pretended the example of the saints for their Idolatrie who would have offered his sonne Isaake to the Lord So when Ieroboam set up his Idoll at Bethel he alledged the example of Iacob who worshiped in Bethel So when the Prophet rebuked the prophane musicke of the Iewes Amos 6.5 they alledged the example of David why might not they play on instruments as well as David These vile Idolaters did still pretend the example of the saints of God and laboured to shelter themselves under them They planted groves that they might worship their Idoles there Deut. 16.21 Iudg. 6.25 The Rabbines tell us in Zonorenna that Salomones throne of Ivorie was gilded P. Shophet and had sixe steppes by the which hee ascended into it as we see 1 King 10.9 And when the King stood in the lowest steppe the Herauld cried unto him Iudicium ne inclinato wrest not iudgement when hee stood upon the second steppe hee cryed unto him accept not persons in Iudgement when hee stood upon the third step he cryed unto him take no gifts when hee ascended to the fourth steppe hee said unto him Noli plantare Lucum plant no groves for Idols and when he stood upon the fift steppe he cryed unto him Noli erigere statuam erect not any piller to an Idoll and when hee stood upon the highest steppe hee said unto him noli mactare bovem that is take not the priests part upon thee to offer sacrifice And so the King was admonished heere both to have a care of Iustice and Religion and these may be fitly called admonitiones graduum as they were called Psalmes of degrees which the Priests sang when they ascended by staires into the Temple The decrease of this Idolatry the children of Israel cryed to the Lord The decrease of this Idolatry then the spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel and he delivered them Judg. 3.10 So the spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon Iudg. 6.34 so 2 Chro. 24. the spirit of the Lord came upon Zachariah and we say indifferently either he put on the spirit Act. 1.8 or the spirit came upon him So hee put on Iustice or the spirit of Iustice came upon him This spirit which came upon him was the spirit of Iudgement and the spirit of strength the spirit of Iudgement Iudge the people aright and the spirit of strength to defend them Because those Iudges were but extraordinarie and for a time therefore the Lord sent his spirit upon them in a singular manner for the deliverance of his people The spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel Five illapses of the spirit There are foure illapses of the spirit noted in the scripture which hath fallen upon men The first is illapsus spiritus roboris the illaps of the spirit of strength So the spirit came upon the Iudges and upon Amasa Davids chiefe captaine 1 Chro. 12.18 The second is illapsus spiritus regiminis illaps of the spirit of governement which came upon Saul and David when they became to be Kings 1 Sam. 16.13 The third illapse is spiritus illuminationis of the spirit of illumination as the spirit of the Lord came upon Baalam when his eyes were shut were opened Num. 24.3 And the fourth is illapsus spiritus sanctificationis illuminationis the illapse of sanctification and illumination as when the spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah the sonne of Iehoiada the priest when he said unto the people Why transgresse ye the commandement of the Lord 2 Chro. 24.20 When the spirit came upon them then they were said to be cloathed with the spirit 1 Chron. 12.18 The spirit of the Lord cloathed Amasai so Christ bids his Disciples stay at Ierusalem donec induamini virtute ex alto Luke 24.49 Tarry yee at Ierusalem till ye bee indued with power from on high or untill ye bee cloathed from on high The second increase of Idolatrie The second increase of Idolatry under the Iudges was Iudg. 3.12 And the children Israel committed evill againe in the sight of the Lord. It is not specified in particular what Idolatrie they committed at this time but onely it is sayd that they committed evill which is meant of Idolatrie for in a speciall manner it is called evill So Ieroboam caused Israel to sinne that is to commit
him Now their Idolatry was mightily increased when they served the gods of all the nations round about them It is a question in the Ethickes whether a man may keepe intire and true friendship with many or not So we may aske what 〈◊〉 of worship could the Iewes performe to all these gods They served Baalim and Ashtaroth When the Hebrewes joynes the masculine and the faeminine together then they signifie many it is usuall wâ—â—â— the Hebrewes when they joyne the masculine and the faeminine together to comprehend the whole oâ— very many of the kind which they speake of as Gen. 5.7 He begat sonnes and daughters that is many children So Eccles 2.8 I got me men fingers and women fingers than is diverse sorts of Musitians So they worshipped Baal and Ashtaroth that is sundry sorts of Idols They served gnashteroth the gods of Syria 1 King 9.5 and they are put in the faeminine gender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they fained to themselves as well women gods as men gods diverse feâ—â—s are onely for preservation of mortall kindes but they held their gods to be immortall why then should they imagine male and female amongst them Yet the Platonickes held that there were male and female amongst them and Trismogish 〈…〉 faeminiâ—â—â— They worshipped the gods of Syria There were many gods in Syria according to the severall divisions of it There were many of the gods of Syria according as it was diversly divided Syria interamâ—â—â— or Mesopotamia So Syria Seba and Syria Macha and Syria Damascena These had all sundry gods 2 Chro. 23. They worshipped the gods of the Philistines and of the Ammonites and yet the Ammonites and Philistines oppressed them eighteene yeares Iudges 10.8 Marke a difference betwixt the true religion and the false A difference betweene the true religion and the false when they came to serve the gods of the Philistines and the Ammonites they were their deadly enemies but when they turned from the false religion to the true then they cherished and loved them When men came from Gentilisme to Judaisme they were called proselytes and the Iewes shewed them all the favours that they did to any Iew So when they were converted from Iudaisme to Christianitie they called them fratres Iudai Act. 15. accounted of them as their brethren So when men were converted from Gentilisme to Christianitie then they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.6 and they cherished them as young plants therefore the Lord saith to Ieremie 15.19 Goe not thou to them but let them come to thee When they cryed unto the Lord in this trespasse the Lord answered them with a bitter tant Iudges 10.14 Goe and cry unto your Gods whom ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation Bernard saith well Quod deus dicit cum risu tu debes audire cum luctu The decrease The decrease Iudges 10.15 when the children of Israel said unto the Lord We have sinned doe thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee onely deliver us we pray thee this day and ver 16. And they put away the strange gods from amongst them and served the Lord and his soule was grived for the misery of Israel In the originall it is Anima ejus fuit contracta and opposit to this is 2 Cor. 6.11 Our heart is inlarged Verbum kum contiâ—â—â— alteri verbo absque copula praemissum agilitatem expeditionem notat atta takum Heere is the nature of our gratious God showne to us who is slow to anger and soone pacified and at whatsoever time a sinner repents him hee will put away all his sinnes out of his minde then the Lord arose and had mercie upon Sion Psal 102.13 The seventh increase The seventh increase of Idolatry Iudg. 17.4 when Micah sets up molten gods and graven gods to be worshipped Rabbi David observes that this word God in all this part of Scripture which entreates of Micah his Idolatry is alwayes prophanum nomen a prophane name taken for Idols except onely in two places The first in these words all the time that the house of the Lord was in Shilo The second is Iudges 18.10 The Lord hath given the Land into your hands Micah consecrated one of his sonnes to be a Priest to him Many irregularities in this when Micah consecrated his sonne to be a Priest verse 5. Here concurres many irregularities contrary to the Law in the consecration of this his sonne The first irregularity is in him who consecrates The second in him who was consecrated The third in making an Ephod to him to serve who was consecrate The fourth in the place where he served after he was consecrated and that was in a private house The first irregularitie was this The first irregularitie that hee tooke upon him to consecrate his sonne No man takes this honour upon him but he that is called of God as Aaron Que. How could Moses consecrate Aaron and his sons Levit. 8.12 13. seeing he was not of the sonnes of Aaron Moses was first a Priest and consecrated the Priestes to the Lord. The common Answere here is this that he did it at the commandment of God extraordinarily at the first establishing of the Priesthood But there is more in it then this for Moses was a Priest of God Psal 99.6 Moses and Aaron amongst the Priests Heere David tearmes Moses a Priest as well as Aaron and Moses Gerundensis saith that he was a Priest and therfore offered incense first and the Hebrewes call him Sacerdotem Sacerdotum the greatest Priest and that Moses offered a burnt offering on the Altar it is cleare Lev. 8.28 and Hiscuini saith that all the seven dayes Moses offered and in the eight day he said to Aaron from henceforth come thou and serve in this ministrie after that Moses had consecrated Aaron and his sonnes Moses children are not reckoned amongst the Priests but amongst the Levites 1 Chron. 23.14 Quâ—st 1. Aaron and his sonnes were those who consecrate who was it then that consecrate when the Priesthood was out of the right line from the time of Eli who descended from Ithamar and not from Eleazar â— Chron. 24.3 to the time of Sadock who was restored by Salomon to the Priesthood The Priesthood in the wrong line in Eli his time in Ahitob his time in Ahiâ—â— his time and his brother Abimelech his time in Abiather his time and the restored to the right line in Sadock The Priests who came of Ithamar and did consecrate being in the wrong line peccarunt usurpatione tituli yet there consecration was valid Answ These Priests although they were not in the right line when they entered into the preisthood and although there entrie was by usurpation yet being entred their consecration was lawfull for even as a tyrant Peccat usurpatione tituli yet he sinnes not in Iudging and giving out sentence and the subjects are bound to obey
sacrifices all had plenty enough there was bread enough in their fathers house but this miserable man contents himselfe in his Idoll service with a sute of apparell his victualls and tenne peeces of silver Hee desires to be a priest that he might eate bread 1 Sam. 2.26 When they desired to be in this holy calling onely to eate and not to serve God in it then they were mercenaries The Moralists observe that some games and recreations are honest when men use them onely for recreation as to fish and to hunt but if a man doe fish onely for gaine or goe a hunting onely to make profit by it then it becomes ignoble questus est sordidus it is base gaine much more if a man turne this high calling to gaine it becomes a base calling When these greedy dogges Esay 56.11 cannot be satisfied and when they seeke the peoples goods but not themselves 2 Cor. 13.14 and fleece the flocke but feede it not Ezech. 34.3 tunc mercantur animas they sell the foules of men 2 Pet. 2.3 and sell the soules of the people for handfulls of barley and peeces of bread Ezech. 13.19 then they feed the flocke for filthy lucre 1 Pet. 5.2 The eight increase The eight increase of Idolatry when the whole tribe of Dan fell to Idolatry Iudg. 18. and went a whoring after those Teraphims Ionathan who was a priest to a poore family before now he becomes a priest to the whole family of Dan. This Ionathan was the grand child of Moses Moses begat Gershon and Gershon begat Manasseh and Manasseh begat Ionathan Iudg. 18.30 This Menasseth was the father of Ionathan but because he and his son Ionathan were so unlike to Moses therefore they write him in the text Manasseh but in the margine they write him Moshe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manasses studio imitatione impietatis Mosis silius prosapia elevating the Nun they write him Manasseth because they held him to be an Idolater like Manasseh and they write him in the margine Moshe because hee was naturally descended of Moses This might seeme strange that Moses who was such a faithfull servant in all the house of God Heb. 3.5 and alwayes hated Idolatrie should have a grandchild who is such an apostate and open Idolater this a man might thinke should breed great discouragement in the hearts of faithfull men when they see their posteritie so degenerate from the truth The faithfull who are within the covenant must comfort themselves by looking up to their good predecessors and not to their bad posterity but men who are faithfull and stand within the covenant must comfort themselves not by looking downe to those who come of them but by looking up and marking their antecessors of whom they are descended And even as in the right succession of the inheritance in Israel they reckoned upward alwayes So must we doe in the spirituall covenant The Iewes saith if a man died and had no children then the inheritance came to the father both the inheritance of the male and the female unlesse there came in one who married his brothers wife after his death and they make the dead father as though he were alive that the right order of succession might be known and so the male children succeeded and if there were no males then the females succeeded and if they failed then the inheritance ascended to the grandfather and to his other children if he had any moe and they ascended still up to Adam therefore the Iewes say that there is not a man in Israel who wants an heire but he may reckon it up to Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Esau Levi Dina a daughter Noah Gershon Merari Ccohebed a daughter Amram Izzar Hebron Vzziel Moses Aaron Miriam a daughter Now in this genealogie Amram dying the question is who shall be his heire If Moses and Aaron be alive first Vide Sheldan de sucsuccessione haebreorum Moses succeeds and if he die Aaron and if both die then Miram but if all the three die without posteritie then from him it descends to the sonnes of Amram Izzar Hebron and Vzziel and so at last ascends to Abraham So here in this spirituall reckoning we must ascend upward although Manasseh be an Idolater and his sonne Ionathan Iudg. 18.30 yet Moses will not want an heire Let him looke to his faithfull predecessors they are his heires and hee may reckon up to them This will minister great comfort to the faithfull parents Verna domus quid who have bad children that they are descended of godly parents This was Davids comfort who had leud children Psal 86.16 Have mercy upon me and give strength unto thy servant and save the sonne of thy handmaid The children of the handmaid were their masters and David alludes to this This was his comfort that he was the sonne of the Lords handmaid for they that were the children of the handmaides were their masters Exod. 21.4 and they were said to be home borne Ier. 2.14 So David being borne within the Church of the Lords handmaid rejoyceth that hee is Gods child and although these pedegrees in our ascending be often broken off yet the covenant is valid and of force still in respect of the first promise Esay 64.3 Thou art our father although Abraham hath forgotten us and Israel doth not know us that is although we have broken the covenant and have not followed the footsteeps of our faithfull predecessors Abram and Isaac who if they were alive would not acknowledge us for their children neither doe we thinke ourselves worthy so to be reckoned we leane only on the free promise of God in Christ Iesus which we know to be most sure as God himselfe is constant Ianathan descending of Moses fell to Idolatry All fathers transmit to their children originall sinne Gen. 5. Fathers transmits to their children originall sinne onely It is said of Adam that he begat a sonne to his owne Image that is to his corrupt Image but other things parents cannot trasmit to their children as a seeing father sometimes begets a blind sonne Iohn 9. neither can he transmit those things which hee hath acquired by Art to his child as a Musitian begets not a Musitian So he cannot transmit his infused gifts to his child as Salomon could not transmit his wisedome to his foolish sonne Rehoboam far lesse can he transmit grace unto his posterity as Abraham could not transmit grace to Ishmael neither could Moses to his grandchild Ionathan but God only can beget children to his owne Image Therefore the Lord saith Be ye holy as your heavenly Father is holy 1 Pet. 1.16 In this last increase of Idolatry under the Iudges it is to be considered that first the Danites commit sin in taking away Micahs Idols and by seducing his Priest Secondly that Ionathan and his sonnes become Priests to the tribe And lastly how long this Idoll remained in Dan. First they take away Micah his
Aner Gen. 13.18 So with Abimelech and Phicol Genes 21.24 So Isaac with Abimelech Gen. 26.28 So Iacob with Laban and David with the King of Ammon 2 Sam. 10.1 and Asa with Benhadad Object Deut. 17.3 Ye shall not make a league with those nations Answ That is with the Canaanites whom they were commanded to destroy Secondly the Lord commands Exod. 22.32 Ye shall not make a covenant with them and their gods if their gods came within the covenant then it was not lawfull to covenant with them for they would have alwayes worship given to their gods Asa is reprooved 2 Chron. 16.2.7 for distrusting the Lord and trusting in the King of Syria Asa sinned trusting more in Benhaded than in the Lord. So he is blamed for putting his trust too much in the Physitians in his sickenesse and not in the Lord it was no more unlawfull for Asa to make a covenant with Benhadad the King of Syria no more than it was unlawfull for him to send for the Physitians in his sicknesse But to distrust the Lord and trust too much in the King of Syria that was Asa his fault It was never lawfull to make a league offensive or defensive with Idolaters It was never lawfull to make a league offensive or defensive with Idolaters Such was the league which was made betwixt Iehosaphat and Ahab King of Israel when Iehosaphat said to Ahab 1 King 22.4 I am as thou art and my people as thy people When the Hebrewes compare two things Quid valet sicut geminatum apud haebreos and would signifie a paritie betwixt them then they double the particle Sicut and the first signifies the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the second the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gen. 44.18 Sicut tu sicut Pharaoh that is Pharaoh is like thee and thou art like Pharaoh So Deut. 1.17 Ye shall respect no persons in Iudgement sed sicut parvum Sicut magnum judicato that is have no more respect to the one then to the other So Gen. 13.10 Sicut hortus domini sicut terra Egypti that is Egypt was like Canaan and Canaan was like Egypt So Esay 24.2 Sicut sacerdos sicut populus that is the Priest was like the people and the people were like the priest So 1 King 22.4 I am as thou art and my people as thy people that is thy cause shall be my cause and my cause shall be thy cause This league offensiue and defensive was not lawfull and Iehosaphat his league which he made with Ahaziah 1 King 22.29 seemes to be more than a league of peace for first he refuseth to joyne with Ahaziah but afterward he yeelded and joyned with him and when he was about to send his shippes to the sea 2 Chron. 2.25 Eleazer the Prophet prophesied against him saying Because thou hast joyned thy self with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy works that they were not able to goe to Tarshis Quest What sort of confederacie was this when the Church gave her hand to Egypt Lament 5.6 Dare manum quid significat aliquando est mendicantis signum vel subiectionis Answ It was not the hand of confederacie or a league that they made with Egypt here but they held out their hand here to begge of the Egyptians or they gave their hand that is they acknowledged them to be subject to the Egyptians Ter. 50.15 So they gave their hand to Ashur and begged to be satisfied with bread from him vers 6. The second increase of Idolatry in Iudah after the division of the tribes The second increase of Idolatrie under the Kings of Iudah was under Ahaz 2 King 16.3 He walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel and made his sonne to passe through the fire Of the sinnes of Ahaz There are three things especially layed to the charge of Ahaz first that he made his sonnes passe through the fire Secondly that he brought the paterne of the altar from Damascus and caused them to make the like and set it up in Ierusalem Thirdly that he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who smote him 2 Chron. 28.23 He caused his children to passe through the fire First hee caused his children to passe through the fire according to the abominations of the Gentiles The Gentiles used first to carrie their children round about the fire and these were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly they caused their children to passe through the fire and this was called Lustratio Thirdly some of them cruelly murthered and offered their children to Moloch Psal 130.4 Praestat deos non credere quam crudeles opinari sanguinarios The Lord complained Ezech. 16.21 that they slew his children and caused them to passe through the fire They offered the Lords children to Baal hee cals them his children that is the first borne who opened the wombe who belonged to the Lord They did not onely offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the child who was first borne But also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first begotten childe 2 Kings 1.23 they were not onely content to offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea if they had but one sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would have offered him to Moloch Abraham had but one sonne who was his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom he begat in his old age and him he would have offered to the Lord So they neither spared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Carthaginians sacrificed their children to Moloch and those who had no children of their owne they would goe and buy the poore children as though they had beene Lambes and the mother stood by not weeping or crying and if they cryed there was a fine set upon their head and there was nothing heard in the meane time but beating of drummes and sounding of instruments that they might not heare the screaches of the poore infants Plutarch de superstitione this was just after the manner of the Iewes who burnt their children in Tophet and beate upon drummes and sounded instruments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should not heare their cries and therefore the place was called Tophet from Taphath pulsare When the father offered one of the children to Moloch When the father offered one of his children to Moloch he thought all the rest should be saved but God threatens the subversion of all for that sinne he beleeved that for the offering of this one child God would blesse all the rest But see what the Lord sayes against this abhomination Levit. 20.5 I will set my face against that man and against his familie The Lord threatens not onely to cut him off that wrought such abomination but his family also The Lord threatned Ier. 7.32 that Tophet should no more be called so but Aceldama 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vallis occisorum because the Idolatrous Kings were killed there who offered their children
whom the Law of God commands to be taken away And this opinion brings a blot upon Christian Iudicatories both Ecclesiasticall and civill accusing them both of ignorance and rashnesse as though they could not discerne what were done indeede and what by imagination and to accuse them of cruelty and injustice as though they should condemne harmelesse and innocent persons to death for such things which they never committed but onely being deluded by Satan they seeme onely to have done such things yet in judging of other crimes there we presume there is no delusion when they have the guilty persons confessing their faults if they be in their right wits and stand to their confessions made before Moreover these also may be put to death who are deluded by Satan in their sleepe for when they were awake they made the covenant with the devill as also because they desire most earnestly these things to be done which they seeme to doe in their dreames and they are most glad when they see these things performed Secondly Satan can strike the bodies of men with divers diseases the devill can strike the bodies of men with diverse diseases hee can strike them both vitijs creationis and vitijs accidentis Vitia creationis are such which men have from their conception as to be crooke backed So with such diseases as befall men after they are borne which are called vitia accidentis so he strooke Iob with botches and boyles so he bowed downe a daughter of Abrahams eighteene yeares and we reade in the Gospel of a dumbe devill Mat. 8.23 So of a deafe devill Mar. 9.25 and of a blinde devill Matt. 12.22 Hee may hurt all the senses and the tongue Here we must put a difference betweene the hurting of the good Angels and the bad How the good Angels differ from the badde Angels in hurting The good Angels doth hurt the wicked and preserveth the godly the good Angels were sent to Egypt to kill the Egyptians but to save the Israelites but the evill Angels doe hurt the godlie as the devill hurt the body of Iob and the Angel of satan buffeted Saint Paul Ob. But it may be said that David called the Angels who hurt the Egyptians evill Angels Psal 78.49 and he sent evill Angels amongst them Ans We must put a difference betwixt Angelus mali 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angelus mali in regimine They were Angels of evill but not evill Angels who smote the Egyptians and saved the Israelites and angelus malus they were Angels of evill but not evill Angels they were Angels of evill because they inflicted punishments upon the Egyptians but they were good Angels protecting and sparing the Israelites Quest What Angel was that which buffeted Saint Paul Answ Some hold that it was concupiscence and lust against the which Saint Paul strove Others hold that it was some great enemie of Saint Pauls such as was Alexander the Coper-smith And some that it was a disease in his body which vexed him But it seemes more probable that Saint Paul was beaten and buffeted by some Angel of the Devill for Saint Paul describes here such a sort of affliction that might diminish something of that pride and high conceit which he had with the many revelations made unto him by God This pricke was given him in the flesh to diminish those high conceits Now neither the calumnies of the adversaries nor the diseases of the body were fit to do this and least of all concupiscence was fit to diminish those high conceits for one vice cannot be cured by another S. Paul glories in this infirmitie therefore it was not a vice and if there was such a power granted to the devill over the body of Christ that he might transport it here and there why might not the devill have power over the body of Saint Paul to buffet it seeing he had such power over the body of Iob to strike it with botches and sores Quest How are those diseases which are sent from God discerned from those which proceede from the Devill or from naturall causes How we are to discerne those diseases that come from God from those that come from the Devill and from naturall causes Answ It is more easie to discerne those which are sent from God then those which are from the Devill at Gods permission When diseases are sent upon men in the very time of their sinning then wee may thinke that the disease proceeds from no naturall cause 2 Cron. 26.19 When Vzziah had his censer in his hand to offer incense and was stricken with a Leprosie in the meane time there was nothing naturall in this Leprosie So when the Kings hand dryed up upon a sudden when he stretched it out to take the Prophet this was a punishment inflicted immediately from God So wee may know by the long indurance of the plague that it is from God As when the Iewes carried the Leprosie out of Egypt with them to the Desert and to Canan it might be known also by the colour that it was not naturall sometimes it appeared red Levit. 14.36 sometimes halfe red sometimes greene and sometimes in the flesh of man and in their cloathes and in the walls of their houses This variety of colours shewes that it hath been from God immediately Last it was remitted to the Priest to try this disease and not to the Physitians which argues that it was sent from God and not from nature So when he smote the Egyptians in their hinder parts to their perpetuall shame Psal 78.66 this disease came not from nature but immediatly from God But sometimes the Lord inflicts a disease which proceeds from a naturall cause As when he smote Iehoram with an incurable disease in his bowels 2 Cron. 21.18 This disease the Physitians call Diarrhaea when the Liver and the Lungues rottes and are disolved peece and peece and so are evacuate This disease had a naturall cause and a morall Valesius de sacrae Phil. pag. 238. The naturall cause of it was evill dyet which corrupted both the Liver and the Lungues therefore the text saith his bowels fell out by reason of the sicknesse day by day for this disease peece and peece consumes the Liver and the Lungues and ver 19. it was two yeares before he died of this disease The Morall cause of his disease was this because hee made Iudah to goe a whoring after Idols ver 13. if he had not committed those sinnes he had not so erred in his dyet neither would it have hurt him so for it is the Lord that woundes and the Lord that heales Gods will is the first cause preceeding all other causes yet it takes not away naturall and subordinate causes But those diseases which are inflicted by satan at the permission of God it is hard to know them All the Physitians could not tell what it was that bowed down the daughter of Abraham eighteene yeares Luke 13.11 Therefore in such cases
when the diseases are not knowne whence they proceede wee should ever looke up to the first cause When Iob was robbed of his goods by the Chaldaeans he looked up to the first cause and he said the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken So no doubt when satan strook him with such sores he said The Lord woundeth and the Lord healeth people commonly when they are stricken with some diseases they say some witch hath done this but they never looke up to the first cause the hand of God but the greatest witch that bewitches them is their owne infidelitie The Iewes markes two sorts of spirits which hurts men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Iewes for the most part ascribes all sudden diseases to evill spirits and they make two sorts of spirits one sort that killes in the night And this they call Debher And another which killes in the day time and this they call Ketebh and all the ground which they have for this is that which they take out of Psal 91.6 hee will deliver thee from the pestilence which walkes in the darknesse and from the destruction which wastes in the day time And the Targum following the Iewes opinion Paraphraseth it thus A caetu daemonum perdentium in meridie that is from the company of the devills who destroyeth in the noonetyme of the day aâ—d the 70. translates i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daemonio meridiano that is from a devill that flies in the day tyme. As Satan can hurt the bodies of men so hee can hurt the soule Satan can hurt the soule when it is in the bodie To strike the soule with madnesse when it is in the bodie as the evill spirit of the Lord came upon Saul and strooke him with madnes and this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and opposite to this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mar. 5.15 So hee can strike the heart with blindnesse and hardnesse but for the will of man it is moved by no externall cause but only by God himselfe The Lord perswaded Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9.27 It is the Lord onely who can peswade the will Satan cannot perswade the will God onely doth this satan propounds and suggests tentations to the will but cannot enforce the will Hence it followeth that the devill cannot be said to be the cause of sinne directlie moving the will as God moveth the will to good the will is a free working cause and determinates it selfe to sinne therefore the Devill cannot necessitate the will to sinne unlesse the will give its owne consent non cogendo sed suadendo nocet non extorquet consensum sed petit Therfore it is that the scripture so often exhorts us to resist the devill Ephes 6. and Iames 4. Resist the devill and he will flie from you And if the devill should draw men necessarily to sinne then it should bee the devills sinne onely and not mans when as all sinne is willingly committed Therefore he is but indirectly the cause of sin Satan is indirectly the cause of sinne by the will propounding and suggesting such objects which may affect the senses and draw the will at last to give consent willingly to the sinne When the soule is out of the bodie the devill can doe nothing to the soules of the children of God What Satan can doe to the soule when it is out of the bodie for they are bound up in the bundell of life 1. Sam. 25. but hee can punish the soules of the wicked according to that power which is granted unto him and so much the more as the soule is the more immateriall then the bodie So the punishments of the soule are more fearefull then the punishments of the bodie and although the bodies bee more passible then the soule yet the spirit hath more understanding and when there is more understanding there the paine and the griefe is the greater And there is the greater harmony betwixt spirits and their delights then betwixt the senses and their pleasures and consequently there is more griefe in the soule then in the body Reasons moving us to acknowledge the power of the Devill If wee would consider either the number strength order or agreement of the devills amongst themselves we must acknowledge their great power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The order of the devils First there order There is Belzebub the prince of the divels there are also inferiour divels as Rev. 12. the DragoÌ„ fought his Angels and Ashmodeus Lucifer princeps daemonioruÌ„ Augustinus Nyphus in his book de daemonibus cap. 17. saith Omnis multitudo dictat ordinem maxime in perpetuis substantijs Every multitude requireth order but especially those immortall substances for as it is ordained saith he that men may live the more quietlie and peaceably that there be superiors to rule and inferiors to obey So amongst the devills that they may hurt annoy man the more there are some superiors and others inferiors which power and superioritie of theirs shal cease when they can hinder no more the salvation of man And as all principalities shall bee given up then 1 Cor. 15. So shall also saith hee this principalitie of the devill cease then When wee consider their number If we consider then there nuÌ„ber we may see what great power they have A Legion possessed one poore man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are called Gibborim potestatés Thirdly consider that they are called Gibborim potestates strong ones Psal 78.25 hee fed them with the bread of the strong ones that is with the bread of Angells There agreement And lastly consider their agreement It is not Regnum divisum a divided kingdome they all conspire together for the overthrow of man by all this wee may understand what power the devill hath to trouble and molest poore man Now to conclude this point concerning the power of the devils this is our comfort that there power is a limitate power and that they can goe no further then God permits them 1 Sam. 18.10 It is said that the evill spirit from God came upon Saul why is hee called the evill spirit that came from God because hee was sent by him and restrained by him at his pleasure The Lord can rule the devills at his pleasure he cannot only restraine them that they hurt us not but can make them instruments to serve for the good of his Saints 1 Cor. 5. the Lord biddes deliver the incestuous Corinthian over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh that his spirit might bee saved in the day of the Lord Iesus The Lord makes the devill here his instrument for the mortifying of the corruption of the incestuous Corinthian 1 Cor. 5.5 So hee used the messenger of Satan to buffet Paul that hee might humble him 2 Cor. 12.7 The Lord can make Satan an instrument for the good of his Saints The planets the nearer that they are