A TREATISE OF THE FOVRE DEGENERATE SONNES VIZ. the ATHEIST the MAGICIAN the IDOLATER and the JEW Wherein are handled many profitable questions concerning Atheisme Witchcraft Idolatry and Iudaisme and sundry places of Scripture cleared out of the Originall Tongues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 7.6 Quaerite invenietis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est Non laboravi inveni ne credito Laboravi non inveni ne credito Laboravi inveni credito Seneca Lectio varia delectat certa prodest Being the fourth Volume of the Workes of Mr. IOH. WEEMSE of Lathocker in Scotland and Prebend of Dunelm LONDON Printed by Thomas Cotes and are to be sold by Iohn Bellamie dwelling at the three golden Lyons in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1636. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD WILLIAM Lord Bishop of London and Lord High Treasurer of England c. Right Honourable THe Church of God in the Scriptures is not unfitly compared unto a Kingdome and unto a family And first unto a Kingdome wherein there are filij regis Kings sonnes who succeede to their Father as heires of the Kingdome secondly filij regni the children of the Kingdome who sometimes mendaciter se subijciunt regi Psal 18. Thirdly exteri who doe not acknowledge the King nor he them for his subjects So in the Church there are filij regis who are the true children of God and heires of eternall inheritance and filij regni who make a shew and profession of Religion yet many of them may be cast out of the Kingdome into utter darkenesse Mat. 8.12 Lastly there are exteri who live altogether without the Church and hate her those doth God abhorre Secondly she is compared to a family wherein there are some who are begotten of the same father borne of the same mother and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sucking one milke and those are said to be borne at home or home borne Levit. 18.9 Jer. 2.14 Those were heires succeeding to their fathers inheritance Secondly there were those who were borne of the same mother but not begotten of the same father and those were called foris nati Levit. 18.9 because familia matris as the Hebrewes say non est familia and thirdly those who are cast out of the family and belong not to it as bastards such a one was Jepthe Judg. 11.5 who got no possession with his brethren in his fathers inheritance So it is in the spirituall familie the Church those who are begotten of the immortall seede of the VVord by God their Father and borne in the Church their mother and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nursed upon the sincere milke 1 Pet 2.2 those are borne at home or homeborne There are others who are borne of the same mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mothers children but not begotten by one father and many of them are foris nati when they are members of the visible Church onely who if they be not begotten of the immortall seed of the word and are not members of the invisible Church also the Lord reckons them not as his children The Church their mother bestowes some outward favours upon them but yet they are not those true children who shall be partakers of the inheritance and those mothers children onely oftentimes persecute their brethren Cant. 1.6 My mothers children were angry with me but the third sort are those who are altogether out of the Church and those the Church acknowledgeth not as her children Such are those foure degenerate sonnes the Atheist the Magician the Jdolater and the Jew whom the Lord acknowledgeth not for his children but will have them cast out like Hagars brats Those foure doe hate the true Church most persecute her and detest her and the Church to them is like a speckled bird or Owle Ier. 12.9 who all set themselves against the Church these foure are mightily increased now in the world they are the bane both of the Church Commonwealth seeking like the Boare in the Forrest to roote out the Lords Vineyard but the Lord hath put a hedge about his Vineyard to save it from them and hee hath set up a watch-tower within her to discover those enemies he hath set the magistrate about her as a wall to defend her and the Pastors as watchmen to observe them and it is a blessed thing when these two agree for the safetie of the Church then Moses and Aaron meete together and kisse one another Exod. 4.16 there is a great relation betwixt these two the Church and Commonwealth and they have not beene unfitly compared to Hippocrates twinnes when the one laughed so did the other and when the one wept so did the other so when the Church of God prospereth so doth the Commonwealth and when the Commonwealth decayeth so doth the Church but when the care of both these is matched in one worthy person that is an happie union then they are like the two eyes in the head which although they be two yet they looke both one way and although they be two yet the radij visuales draw both to one object Your Lordship hath an interest in both you are a chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Church an under rower under our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and in the Commonwealth another Eliakim in whose hands much of the governement is committed Esay 22.21 and the key of the house of the Kingdome is layd upon your shoulder verse 22. and upon whom all sorts of vessells great and small doe hang ver 24. I have endeavoured my Lord to discribe those foure sonnes according to that gift which God hath bestowed upon me that men may abhorre those vile sonnes and learne to become Christians And I have done here as the Painters doe when they draw their draughts they draw first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some darke lineaments and afterward they adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and last they superinduce the vive colours and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have drawne the first draughts and lineaments of those foure leud sonnes but if any would be pleased to adde to those first draughts the vively colours he shall doe a good worke and profitable to the Church of God I have taken the boldnesse to Dedicate these my travels to your Lordship desiring that you would be pleased to accept of them remembring that Apologue of the Iewes Cholin folio 92. 1. the Vine grapes of Babylon upon a time sent to the Vine trees of Judea and beg'd some of their leaves to cover their grapes for if there were not leaves to cover them the grapes would quickely perish If such as your Lordship doe not favour our poore grapes they will suddenly goe to decay accept therefore my Lord of these my travels and looke upon them with a favourable eye and when I shall see that they shall profit any thing the Church of God and be approved by your
Lordship then I have obteined my end Your Lordships in all Duty IOHN WEEMSE An Alphabeticall Table wherein are contained the chiefe matters and principle heads of the whole Treatise together with the Hebrew and Greeke Words A Aaron made the golden calfe 189. he sinned not of ignorance ib. the greatnes of his sin ib. Aarons Idolatry teacheth the infirmity of the Leveticall Priesthood 190. how the Lord spared Aaron though he was an Idolater Abel what it signifieth 203 Abraham an idolater 179 he left his father and Country for Gods cause 181 Abimelech what judgement befell him for robbing of his idoll 228 Achab how wicked a King he was 256 Acharon by the Hebrew is called an Atheist 3 Accursed what it is to bee accursed 322 Achaz playes the Politician 283. A comparison betwixt Achazaz and Amaziah and what proverb the Hebrewes apply to them 284 Adder how the deafe Adder is said to stop her eares 42 Adjectivum perpetuum and adjectivum distinctionis what 176 Adoption a difference betwixt Gods adoption and mans 298 Adorare what 265 Age to dye in a good old age what it signifieth 225 Alexander why he is called hircus caprarum 114 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 7 Angels never call themselves men in the Scripture 37. the Angels in working of miracles are not coworking causes 96 how good Angels differ from bad angels in hurting 107 how they take up things 117. they have a threefold motion 136. Angels refuse divine worship 168. the difference betwixt angelus mali and angelus malus 107. what Angel buffeted Saint Paul ibid Apollo why he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 22 Apostles how they are sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Christ 97 Apparitions how true apparitions are distinguished from false 39 Aramite why he is put for an idolater by the Syriacke 177 Archimedes his quickenesse of wit 106 Arke how long it was in Gilgal Shilo Nob and Gibeon 249. Arke called ariel lyon of God 257 Articles some articles of faith proved and beleeved some beleeved onely 10 Asa a comparison betwixt David Iosias and Asa 277. betwixt Amazziah Vzziah and Asa 278 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 7 Astrologie of judiciall astrologie and the divers names of it 43. Astrologie proceeded first from idolatry 54. it takes away Gods providence 55. it takes away liberty of will in civill things from man and that which he hath by grace 58. it is subordinate to no other science 61 how judiciall astrologie borroweth from other sciences and hath nothing of its owne 61. whether it be a science or not 62 Asuphim or collecti who 298 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 59 Atheisme the causes which leade men to Atheisme 3. Atheisme the â—enter of all sinne 16 Atheist the word Atheist diversly taken 5. how many sorts of Atheists there are ibid. they deny in their jollity that there is a God 8. when we dispute against Atheists although we use naturall middles yet we conclude not as Physitians but as Divines 10. a comparison betwixt a Christian a Devill and an Atheist 14. So betwixt Baalam and the Atheist ibid. So betwixt the Atheist and the Saduce 15. So betwixt the Epicure and the Atheist ibid. So betwixt the Devill and the Atheist ibid. The Atheist should be put to death 16. B. Baal whether he was a Prophet or not 128. why his house was turned to a Privie 195 the Lord would not be called Baal 215 three sorts of people diversely affected towards Baal 220 Baalberith what 227 Baalim a common name to all idols 214 what it signifieth ibid. Baragar what 133 Barbarisme whence it is derived Before to be before the Lord what it signifieth in the scripture 114 Beresheth what the Hebrewes call opus beresheth 92 Beth signifieth sometimes contra and not in ib. Borne what were the priviledges of the first borne 295 Bowing Cajetan makes two sorts of bowing 270 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 7 Bukera sacla what it signifieth 297 Buriall Moses buriall most honourable 209 C 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it is 59 Caph giminatum quid valet apud Hebraeos 279 caph by the Hebrewes is taken three wayes 279 Captivitie the difference betwixt the Iewes former captivity and the captivity now 332 Cemarim what they were 289 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 79 Chiun what it signifieth 200 Christ as hee was man wrought no miracles 97. the difference betwixt Christ and his Apostles in working of miracles ibid. how often the Devill tempted Christ 150. a threefold errour concerning Christ 304. Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us reasons proving that Christ is come 306 Church was first in a family then in a nation then scattered abroad 178. three sorts of gifts bestowed upon the Church 156. two sorts of effects in a Church 180. how the Iewish Church was divided 190 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 133 Circumcision a defence against witchcraft 153 circumcision a seale of the covenant of the Iewes 302 Cohen and Cumar how they differ 235 Conscience what it is called in the Syriack 9. how an erronious conscience bindeth 229. foure priviledges of a good conscience when it stipulates with God 227. foure sorts of consciences 272 Consecrate who did consecrate when the Priesthood was in the wrong line 234. Idolatrous Priests could not consecrate ibid. Contingency three sorts of contingencie 119 Covenant we must not covenant with hell the devill the world and death 26. the indirect covenant with the devill 42. what they doe who enter into the direct covenant with him 30 Conception twofold in the scripture 106 Corpus purum impurum and non purum how they differ 73 Craft of the Devill 131 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 88 Cruelty Of the cruelty of the Devill 141 D Dan committed idolatry 243. how long idolatry continued in the Tribe of Dan ibid Darts why they are called firy darts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 3 Devill a great sinne to lye with the Devill 32. how many wayes he appeares to men 34. why the Devils are called hoary ones 34. the word devil taken three wayes in the scripture 88 of the power of the devill 90. of the knowledge of the devills 111 foure things makes him to have great knowledge 112. whence the devils had knowledge to foretell things to come 122. there are not devils more milder than others 146 diverse names given to the devill 151. the devils when they assume bodies they are not affected as our bodies are 154. he tempted the woman first in her irascible faculty 20. in her intelligible concupiscible faculty 21. how he corrupts our understanding 22. how he worketh in and upon a body 101. how he assumes bodies 102. The Divell cannot beget a child and why 106 hee can transport bodies and how 104. what knowledge the devill hath of the Scripture 123. hee flatters when he foretels things to come 124. his responses were doubtfull 125. how
he strikes the bodies with diseases 107. he cannot move the will 110. he seeth the effects in the cause 116. his great imployment breeds him great knowledg 117 he pursueth the weakest first 138. he observes our predominant sinne 139. our age 140. what are the meanes to resist the devill 152. why he is called diabolus 148 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it is 109 Diseases how to discerne diseases that come from God those that come from the devill or naturall causes 108. the Iewes ascribe dâ—seases to evill spirits 110 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 150 Divine to divine by the intralls of beasts is unlawfull 87 Doctrine errours of the Church in doctrine threefold 180. Dreames are of foure sorts 63. divine dreames of two sorts 66. what the breaking of a dreame signified 66. how Salomon could aske any thing in a dreame 67. why the Lord revealed himselfe to heathen Kings in a dreame 67. how we shall know dreames to be from God 69. how we shall know dreames to be from the devill 72. whether all impure dreames are diabolicall or not 70 E Eare the Lord takes great paines about the eare 149 Egypt the encrease of idolatrie when the Church was in Egypt 185. the Lord reckons up ten times this benefit of bringing his people out of Egypt 186. In what sense it was forbidden that the people should goe backe to Egypt ibid. many plagues they got out of Egypt 188. what league it was when the Church gave her hand to Egypt 280. why the Egyptians put the Elephant in their colours 280 Elders how the 70 elders of Israel were chosen 79 Eliah what care the Lord had to preserve him from dearth and famine 263 Elisha his answere to Hazael whether it was doubtfull or not 127 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how they differ 45 Ephod three sorts of Ephods 235 Erasistrates the Physician his skill 119 Errour conditions what 320 Etzrephennum what 221 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 59 Exorcising a temperate gift bestowed upon the Church 156 Extasis what it is 72 Ezekias what things he did for the removing of Idolatry 284 F Faith The Devill tempts us in our faith 149 Faithfull parents who have badde children get comfort by looking upwards to their godly parents of whom they are descended 240 Fast why Christ tooke the defence of his Disciples when they fasted not 158 Fire the fire in the second temple was humano divinus 262. the Iewes are uncertaine concerning the fire of the second Temple 262. Foote what is meant by a firmented foote 145 Fowles of divination of foules 83. what things foules can foretell 89. they cannot compare things distinctly as men doe ibid. what things we may learne from foules 85. to take up contingent events by foules is devillish ibid when this divination by foules ceased 87 G. Gentilisme when the Iewes turned from Gentilisme to Christianity how they were called 301 Gentiles three sorts of Gentiles were out of the covenant 337 Generation three things concurre in generation 102 Gergasites fell from the Iewish Religion to the heathenish 302 Gibeah a filthy fact committed in Gibeah 81 Gideon whether he tempted God in asking a signe or not 222. whether he set up an Ephod to make an Idoll thereof 225. what is meant when it is sayd that the Jdoll became a snare to Gideon 226 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 3 Gnalma what it signifieth 303 Gnal panai what 171 Gnarum taken in a good sense and in a bad 132 God reasons proving that there is a God 10. 11. 12. 13. what are the priviledges of God in working 70. he useth artificiall meanes in curing of diseases 48. how God Nature and Art worketh 89. he onely worketh miracles 91. a twofold worke of God 92 whether God concurres as a mediate or immediate cause the very effect 93. God worketh according to nature besides nature but not contrary to nature 95. God although he useth instruments in working of miracles yet it is he who doth the worke 96. God in working exceedes Art Nature and the Devill 101. men fanized Gods according to their severall inclinations 165. God can make Satan an instrument for the good of his Saints 113. God reserveth three things to himselfe which he will communicate to no creature 166. A threefold taking up of God 173. God chooseth some to himselfe out of all places except hell 182. New Gods what 221. a judgement upon those who rob the true God 230. how the word God is taken in the story of Micah's Idolatry 232 he teacheth his people by silly creatures 204. Groves why they are called Ashera H. Heart what is a sincere heart 276. how one is sayd to have a heart and a heart ibid. In what respects a man is sayd to have a sincere heart 277. Humor Satan observes the humour of the body in tempting him 132 I Iamlicus Proclus his divination by soules 86 Iacob how Idolatry tooke increase in the family of Iacob 183. how it is said that the Lord brought Iacob out of Egypt seeing he dyed there 208 Idolatry whence it had the beginning 163. how great a sinne it is 167. the effects of Idolatry 175. how Epiphanius divideth Idolatry 177. how vile a sinne it is 245. Of Idolatry in the time of the Kings 247. the Lord punisheth the Idolatry of the Father upon the children 255. the Iewish Idolatry was buried in the captivity 292 Idolaters choose the most vilest things to worship 167. how the Lord mocked Idolaters 169. a twofold Idolater 174. Idolaters pretend the example of Saints for their Idolatry 218. Idolaters should not rob their Idols 228. Idolaters carried their children about the fire and then passing through it burnt them in the fire 281 Idoll how they honoured their Idols 166. Idols are nothing 176. Idols a dangerous treasure 183 the Lord will not communicate with Idols in any thing 216. to whom it is sacriledge to rob an Idoll 229 Whether it be lawfull to be present at Idoll service or not 170. Popish Idolls is a let of the Iewes conversion 350 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 7 Ieroboam changed foure things in the worshâ—p of God 213 Ierusalem anagogicè what it signifieth and things without Ierusalem catagogice what they signifie 290 Iewes of the threefold estate of the Iewes 297. Iewes ruled by judges patriarches and Kings 178. Iewes who worshipped Idols were of three sorts 221. they prayed with their heads covered 264. they turned their faces towards the temple when they worshipped publickely 265. they lifted their eyes to idols 266. they kissed their idols ibidum they praysed God three manner of wayes ibid. they held up their hands to their idols 267. they stood barefooted before their idols 268. they leaned downe before their idols 270. they bowed their knees to them 167. what dignities the Iewes lost when they were not his people 300. they hate the Samaritans above all Apostates 302. they know not the time of their
the world to bee created as they did must acknowledge also that hee hath power to dissolve it SECT 2. Of the diverse wayes how the word Atheist is taken and of the sundrie sort of Atheists FIrst this word Atheist is taken for him who worships not the true God Ephes 2.12 Having no hope How many wayes this word atheist is taken and without God in the world Secondly those who worships the true God and false gods are Atheists as the Samaritans Thirdly those who worships the true God by false meanes are Atheists as the Iewes and Turkes But those properly are Atheists who hath no God at all and there are sundry sorts of them First some Atheists who denyes altogether that there is a God as Diagoras Secondly others doubted whether there was a God or not as Protagoras Who said Si Deus est unde prodeunt mala si non est unde bona That is if there be a God whence commeth evill and if there be not a God whence commeth good things Thirdly those who granted that there was a God but denyed that he had any care of things below here But enjoyed himselfe quietly in the Heavens Such was Epicurus Fourthly Democratus and Leueippus and those who held that all things were ruled by a fatall necessity The contradicting Atheist Those Atheists againe are divided into the contradicting Atheist who denies God and all religion The second is the scepticke Atheist The scepticke atheist The physicall atheist The stupide atheist disputing by way of Probleme whether there be a God or not The third is the Physicall Atheist who measures all things by the law of nature The last is the stupide or blockish Atheist The first sort of Atheist denying God altogether are directly opposite to the Christian and in part onely to the Physicall Atheist The Physicall Atheist and contradicting Atheist are semiantipodes halfe opposite but the Christian is directly opposite to him and they are very antipodes The second Atheist is the disputing Atheist or scepticke he propones whether there be a God or not and while he hanges in aequilibrio betweene the two yet he inclines more to the negative than to the affirmative part and him we call dubitabundum Atheum the doubting Atheist and he is in the middest as it were betwixt the contradicting Atheist and the Physicall Atheist The third is the Physicall Atheist who is so taken up with those things which he perceives by sense that hee never lifts up his minde to those things which savours of metaphysicks and far lesse to those things which savours of divinitie and he is so drowned in natura naturata that he never thinks of natura naturans that is he is so drowned in nature below here that he never lookes up to God who is the God of nature And the common saying may be applied well to him Where there is three Physitians there are two Atheists And as those who are borne in the bordering Country ye can hardly discerne by their language what country men they are So it is hard to tell whether this Physicall Atheist comes neerer to the scepticke or contradicting Atheist The fourth is the stupid Atheist who by stupidity and blockishnesse quenches that light of nature which is inbred in all men And if it fall out at any time which seldome happeneth that he stirre up this inbred light then it befalleth him as it doth those who hath some Lucida intervalla that is some cleare intermissions in the midst of their madnesse but afterward they are more madde then they were before So those Atheists after they have quenched those sparkes of light they are more stupide then ever they were This Atheist is a midst as it were betwixt the disputing Atheist and the Physicall Atheist Men are most discerned by their tongue The atheists are descerned by their language what country men they are and whence they fetch their pedegrees The Christian man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who speakes the language of Canaan who prayses God and worships him and the Atheist is opposite to him who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of a strange language Although the Atheists be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter se of one language amongst themselves The contradicting Atheist is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who setteth his mouth against the Heavens Psal 73.9 Such as was that beast Diagoras The second is the Physicall Atheist who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive impeditae linguae who lispes sometimes and stammers that there is not a God The third is the scepticke Atheist and he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disputing pro contra on both sides The fourth is the Stupide Atheist who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scarce having a tongue and dumbe when hee should praise God By what arguments atheists are to be reluted onely by reason All these Atheists which we have reckoned up must be refuted by the principles of nature onely for all other arguments they scorne When we dispute against a Turke we may bring the Alkoron against him when we dispute against a Iew we may bring the old Testament and the Thalmud against him when we dispute against a Saducee or a Samaritane wee may bring the five bookes of Moses against them When we dispute against a Pagan we may bring the wise sayings of the heathen against him But nothing will serve against the Atheist but onely to bring him to the barre of Reason and God hath left this reason within him to convince him and make him inexcusable How Atheists denies the first principle that there is a God Object But wee cannot dispute against him who denies the first principles the Atheist denies the first principle that there is a God Therefore we cannot dispute against him Answ The Atheist denies this first principle onely in his Iollity and wantonnesse But when he is put to it in distresse and God beginnes to frowne upon him then he is forced to confesse that there is a God The foole saith in his heart that there is not a God Psal 14.1 The heart is taken three wayes in the Scriptures first for the reasonable faculty of the soule The Lord is said to give Salamon a heart like the sand of the sea 1 King 4.29 that is a heart that could understand and apprehend all things the foole labours to obscure this principle in his understanding Secondly the heart is taken for the will and affections Psal 119.36 Incline mine heart to thy law and not to covetousnesse that is my will and affections So 2 Cor. 6.11 My heart is enlarged to you Corinthians that is my will and affections And in this sense the foole wishes in his heart that there were not a God to punish him and to take order with him for his offences Thirdly the heart is taken for the conscience Davids heart is said to smite him 1 Sam. 24.5 that is his conscience smote him The foole can never get this principle
they lay upon the skins of the beasts which they had sacrificed and sleeped there Sathan blasted them to belch forth their oracles Therefore Virgil saith Pellibus incubuit stratis somnosque petivit God himself is said to speak by Vrim and Thummim and yet it was the Priests who gave the answers so Gen. 41.16 God shall give Pharoah an answer how gave he him an answer by Ioseph so 1 Tim. 1.17 false doctrine is called the doctrine of devils when as the devil himselfe speake not but onely the false apostles by the devill Thirdly he appeared to his confederates when he spake out of the bellies of the Pithonies and Witches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly he appeares to his confederates per inexistentiam as when hee spake to Eva out of the serpent These in the Scripture are called obhoth Levit. 20. as you would say bottles or bladders because their bellies were extended like bladders and the seventy translate them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ventriloqui because the devil spak out of their bellies and in the Syriack spiritus tumoris Act. 16.16 because hee gave his answer out of the bellies of those Pythones which were swelled up Here let us marke a difference betwixt these who were blasted by the devill A difference betwixt the Prophets of God when they prophesied and those who were blasted by the devill when they prophesied and the Prophets of God when they prophesied the Prophets of God when they prophesied fuerunt in spiritu Rev. they were altogether taken up by the spirit neither were they any wayes distracted or out of their wits when they prophesied they were sometimes weakened in body at the sight of the vision as Daniel and Ezechiel were but still they were setled in minde and free from these passions which might perturbe the minde at that time but when the devil blasted his prophets as Bar Iesus Syriace Bar Shuma-filius inflamationis they were mad and distracted they foamed at the mouth Hos invasit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their neckes wried about and oftentimes they gave their answers out of those parts of the body which modestie wills us to conceale Therfore the Hebrewes saith that spiritus ascendebat per zacuro per necebhah per zacuro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oraculum delphicum edidit responsa per pudenda puellae They differed from the true Prophets in the manner of their speech by that part which shewes us to be men per nekebhah by that part which shewes a woman to be a woman Secondly they differed from the true Prophets in forma vocis in the forme of their voyce for the unclean spirit when he gave his answers hee peeped out of the earth Esay 8.19 and whispered out of the earth whereas the Prophets of God lifted up their voyce like a trumpet Esay 58.1 and spake distinctly when they prophesied Qu. How are true apparitions distinguished from false Answ Gershon in his booke intituled De probatione spirituum of the triall of the spirits saith How are true apparitions distinguished from false that no transfiguration is to be admitted but where Moses and Elias are present where he alludes to the transfiguration of Christ upon the mount where Moses and Elias were present When the disciples saw Christ walking upon the sea they tooke him to be a spirit Matth. 14.26 but when hee spake to them and said I am he then they were no more afraid It is the word that distinguishes the true apparitions from the false Man is very ready to be deceived by these revelations When the Lord spake to Samuel and called him once twise he tooke it to be the voyce of Eli and not of God 1 Sam. 3.5 So 1 King 13. the young Prophet was deceived by the old Prophet What marvell is it then if these impure spirits deceive When Satan by his suggestions would have perswaded Augustine to seeke some signe from God Aug. lib. 2. confessionum de vera religione because he saw many deluded that way by false apparitions therefore he often warned us that we should not trust such follies or delusions And Gershon in his Booke De probatione spirituum of the triall of spirits tells how Satan upon a time appeared to a holy man in a most glorious manner professing himselfe to be Christ and because the man was a religious man and worthy to be respected above manie others therefore he appeared unto him But what answered the old man unto him I desire not to see my Saviour here in this desert it shall suffice me to see him in the heavens and he said Sit in alio soeculo non in hoc visio tua merces mea O Lord let thy fight be my reward in another life and not in this SECT 5. What is Magicke and who are Magitians A Magitian is he who useth midses which are onely proper to God either in curing of diseases or working other strange effects These are magicians who usurpes any of Gods priviledges in curing or acting of their fates Things appropriate to God are first to worke by his word onely Secondly to cure by number Thirdly by order Fourthly he workes sometimes onely by the situation of the body Fiftly he workes sometimes by figure and character Gods sixt priviledge is to use one midse to cure all diseases Gods seventh priviledge is to use naturall meanes which notwithstanding hath no force in working of the miracle Gods eight priviledge is when he useth one midse to produce contrary effects so he useth artificiall midses as the brasen serpent Pauls girdle Gods first priviledge to cure by word First God useth sometimes onely words when hee restoreth the sicke to their health as when he said to the man sicke of the palsie arise and take up thy bed Iohn 5.8 When the Magitian useth words onely to cure the sicke this is Magicke usurping that prerogative which onely belongs to the Lord. Object It may be said that Satan useth the words of the Scripture in curing of diseases as when one is troubled with the tooth-ach they bring these words of Scripture a bone of him shall not be broken Answ It is well said by one in nomine domini fit omne malum that is they abuse the name of God when they are about their Magicke trickes the Scripture useth these words to another sense and therefore it is but a wreasting of the Scripture fraus dicitur fieri contra legem vel ipsi legi Against the Law when they doe a thing which is forbidden in the Law and studies not to hide the fact with any colour but fraus dicitur fieri legi when they doe a thing contrary to the meaning of the Law and yet seemes not directly to doe against the Law when Magitians use words of the Law they use them to another sense than the Spirit of God meanes then faciunt fraudem legi Quest When the devill hath the chiefe hand in working these strange
this is Magicke This is also one of the singular priviledges of God when he useth one meanes to cure all diseases Gods sixt priviledge to use one meanes to cure all diseases Ioh. 5. Whosoever entred into the poole after the water was troubled by the Angel he was cured of whatsoever disease he had This was Gods panaceum or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cure all diseases When sorcerers and witches useth one remedie for all diseases this is plaine magicke and an usurpation of the priviledge which is due onely to God Gods seaventh priviledge in working of miracles Gods seventh priviledge when he useth meanes to cure which hath no force in them is when hee used salt spittle meale oyle dust these midses had no force in working these miracles and they were not as the Schoolemen speakes media operantia sed deferentia and God did not here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he wrought by these meanes but not in these meanes When a Fisher is fishing he catches upon the hooke the crimpe fish the crimpe fish-transmits a benumdnesse first to the hooke then to the line then to the goad and last it benumes the fishers arme now because the line and the goad are not capable of benumdnesse therefore they are but media deferentia And these mides were of three sorts which the Lord used first he used some midses as seemed to have some naturall force in them yet had none Secondly hee used midses which had no power in them and seemed to have no power And thirdly he used midses which had a contrary power in them First he used midses which seemed to have a naturall power in them Why God useth meanes which hath no power in them nor seemes to have no power yet had none at all 2 King 4.34 And he went up into the bed and stretched himselfe upon the child and laied his mouth to his mouth and his eyes to his eyes so that the flesh of the child began to grow warme he did this non aliquo ritu sed affectus vehementia and so Paul fell upon Eutichus Againe he went up and downe the house now this way now that way and went up the second time and stretched himselfe upon the child and the child neesed seven times The heat of the Prophets bodie here might have seemed to have had some naturall cause to have made the childs flesh warme and to have brought life to him againe but there was no naturall cause here to helpe the child to live but onely the power of God So when the Lord commanded to lay a lumpe of figges to Ezekias his sore Esay 38. Figges of themselves would matured the boyle One would have thought that there were some naturall power in the midse here to produce this effect to make the boyle ripe but there was no force at all in the midse here when it was applied to the sore but the hand of the Lord did it onely Quest. Ye will say then why used God these meanes if they had no force at all to produce the effect Answ God used such meanes to obscure his power a little in working of the miracle he cast a vaile over his miracle covering it as it were with nature and by his example taught us that we should not neglect the second causes and ordinary meanes Why God useth meanes which hath no power in them nor seemes to have no power Therefore Christ having wrought the miracle of the loaves he cōmanded to gather up the broken meat Mark 8.8 Secondly the Lord used means which had no power at al to effectuate these miracles neither seemed they to have any power in them as the staffe of Elisha 2 King 4.29 the girdle of Paul and Peters shadow Act. 15.15 And the Lord used such meanes as these that his glory might appeare the more and that we should no sticke too much to the second causes as Asa did to the Physitians Thirdly Why God useth means which have a contrary power in them God useth meanes sometimes which have a contrary effect and these means he useth that his glorie might most appeare And in these miracles the Hebrewes saith that there was miraculum in medio miraculi that is there was a miracle within a miracle 2 King 2. To make the bitter waters sweet was a miracle but to make them sweet by salt that was a miracle within a miracle So Num. 17. Aarons rod brought forth first leaves and then it blossomed to bring forth leaves was a miracle but then to blossome was a miracle within a miracle for all stonefruites blossomes first and then brings forth leaves So to restore the sight to the blinde was a miracle Ioh. 9. but to cure him by puting clay to his eyes this was a miracle within a miracle So 1 King 18.35 to send a fire from the heaven to burne the burnt offering was a miracle but that the burnt offering should burne when water was powred upon it and the ditch round about the altar powred full of water then for the sacrifice to burne that was a miracle within a miracle when the sorcerer or witch useth such meanes in which there is no power to heale this is Magicke and an usurpation of Gods prerogative Therefore the Hebrewes saith In quocunque est aliquid de medicina in eo nihil est de via Ammoreorum Lev. 18.3 That there is no witchcraft where we see naturall reason or physicke to appeare when witches useth meanes to cure which hath no naturall helpe in them this is magicke usurping one of Gods priviledges God useth sometime one meanes to produce contrarie effects Gods eight priviledge when hee useth one meanes to procure contrary effects as the bitter waters made the guiltie womans bellie to rot and consume but it made the honest woman to conceive Num. 5.28 When witches useth one meanes to produce contrary effects it is the usurpation of Gods priviledge and then it is witchcraft God useth artificiall meanes in curing of diseases God useth also artificiall meanes in curing of diseases as the brasen Serpent Pauls girdle and here the Hebrewes saith Deus aufert noxam per eum qui noxam infert as the looking upon the brasen serpent cured these who were stung with serpents Num. 31.9 In naturall things it is the forme that workes more than the mater in artificiall things it is the mater that workes more than the forme but here neither the mater nor the forme workes The Magitians useth sometimes artificiall meanes in working strange things as Giges made himselfe invisible by his ring Signes are of foure sorts The Magitians also observe signes Signes are of foure sorts first there are divine signes secondly there are naturall signes thirdly superstitious signes and fourthly diabolicall signes Divine signes First divine signes Ezech. 37.16 Sonne of man take thee one sticke and write upon it for Iudah and for the children of Israel his companions Then take another
Starres bowed downe unto him wee must not think that Ioseph had the interpretation of these dreames as he had of the Butlers and Bakers but when he was exalted in Egypt and saw the event then he remembered the dreame Secondly sometimes the Lord revealed the dreame to one and the exposition of the dreame to another as the dreame was revealed to Pharaoh and the interpretation of it to Ioseph so he revealed the dreame to the Midianite and the interpretation of it to his fellow Iudg. 7.13.14 And this interpretation of the dreame is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 15. fractura somnii the breaking of the dreame a speech borrowed from the breaking of a nut for unlesse the shell be broken we cannot come to the kernell so unlesse the dreame be interpreted Dreames without the interpretation to no use wee cannot understand it But Daniel exceeded all in dreames and in the interpretation of dreames therfore Ezechiel calls him wise Daniel Ezec. 28.3 who told Nebuchadnezar both his dreame when he forgot it and the interpretation of it It was a great skill in Apelles when they were enquiring for a malefactor who was fugitive and could not know him Apelles having seene him once before drew him so vively although he had no examplar before him that so soone as they saw the picture they found out the malefactor but for Daniel to finde out this dreame which he never dreamed of before nor thought of this was the Spirit of the most high God who taught him Quest. It is said 1 King 3.6 How the Lord bade Salomon aske any thing when he was dreaming that the Lord appeared to Salomon in a dreame and said unto him Aske of me and I shall give thee How could Salomon aske any thing of God in his sleepe or pray to him seeing oratio est actus humanus cuius principium est ratio libera prayer is an action of man which hath the beginning from reason and not from phansie for it is the Spirit of God who moves our reasonable facultie to call upon him and not our phansie Answ Some answer that it was before his sleepe when hee was offering sacrifices that then he sought this and that after that hee awoke againe he begged for this wisedome Others answer that he verily prayed in his sleepe because of the earnest desire that hee had for wisedome made him to thinke of it in his sleepe and it was actus rationis ratione causae Tom. 2.2 qu. 95. art 6. Quest What was the reason that the Lord revealed himselfe in dreames to heathen Kings and Princes as to Pharoah and to Nebuchadnezar Answ There may be three reasons given of this first for his owne glory hee did this to shew that his providence did reach as well to the highest as to the lowest not onely in the Church but also without the Church And this was the reason why he sent his Prophets sometimes even to the heathen as Ezechiel to Babylon and Ionah to Nineveh and all to shew them that all their good came from him if they feared him but if they did not then they should feele his punishing hand Secondly the Lord did this both for their temporall and eternall good for the Lord delights in the conversion of sinners wherefore hee doth not onely make his Sunne to shine upon the good and upon the bad and calls them that wayes to repentance but oftentimes by his word and by dreames and his other benefites he invited them to repentance And thirdly he revealed himselfe thus to the heathen for the good of his Church Psal 105.14 He reproved kings for their sake And thus he revealed himselfe in a dreame to Pharaoh and to Nebuchadnezer for the Churches good So Dan. 2.30 But as for me this secret is not revealed to me for any wisedome that I have more than any living but for their sake that shall make the interpretation knowne to the King that is both for the Iewes and the whole Churches cause who by their prayers obtained from the Lord to me the interpretation of this dreame so that the dreame and the interpretation of the dreame were both given for the Churches cause So he revealed himselfe to Pilats wife in a dreame for Christs cause So the Lord sent a Prophet to wicked Ahab promising him victory against the Aramites for the comfort of his Church So Elisha prophecied to Iehoram for Iosaphats sake 2 King 3.14 Whether Pilates Wife her dream was a divine dreame or not Quest. What are we to Iudge of this dreame of Pilates wife Answ This dreame came from the Lord to admonish her and her husband Pilate Some dreames are from the spirit of God but not with the spirit of sanctification as Pharaoh his dreame and the dreame of Pilates Wife Secondly some dreames are both from the spirit and with the spirit as Iosephs dreame Thirdly some dreames are with the spirit but not from the spirit As a common dreame of the child of God comes not from the spirit of God but from the complection of his body or from the multitude of businesses and yet it may be with the spirit of sanctification Fourthly some dreames are neither from the spirit of God nor with the spirit of God as diabolicall dreames How shall we know whether our dreames be of God or not Quest How shall we know whether our dreames be from the Lord or not Answ We must not take them to be from God because we have often dreamed them Secondly we must not try them by the event because they fall out as we have dreamed For God often tryeth us this wayes Deut. 13. Neither must we take them to be from God because the mind is more setled after the dreame then before For Satan can transforme himselfe into an angell of light But the dreames which are from God have some markes to discerne them if so be that they are from him for there is some internall instinct whereby men are stirred up to enquire what these dreames meane as Pharaoh did and it is the part of the children of God to pray earnestly to the Lord to reveale to them those things which hath beene showne to them in a dreame for God openeth the eares of men in a dreame and sealeth their instruction that hee might withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man Iob 33.15 God giveth warning to his children somtimes of those things which are to befal them Such was that dreame which Theodosius dreamed that the Bishop set a Crowne upon his head when as he never thought of that businesse before Theodoret. ecclesiastica historia lib. 5. cap. 6. So that dreame of Policarp who dreamed that the pillow under his head was burning which foretold him of his martyrdome Of devillish dreames The fourth sort of dreames are devillish dreames when Satan moves men to superstitious and false things Ier. 23.25 I heare what those prophets sayes who prophesie in
of all cookes the most unskilfull Archimedes his skill farre surpasseth Croesus his dulnesse so the wit of the devill farre surpasseth man The Angles knoweth not this by this as wee doe when the doores was sprinkled with the bloud they reason not after this manner as we doe this is the signe therefore such a man dwelleth here but the bloud was sprinkled upon the doores for to assure the Israelites that none of their houses should be killed Object But ye will say How the Angels take up things if the Angels compone not things but apprehend onely simple things they have the basest sort of knowledge for children apprehend first simple things then they compone things and thirdly they reason and thus they proceed from the imperfect to the more perfect posteriora origine sunt dignitate prima and these things which are last taken up are most excellent now the Angels taking up things onely simply they seeme to have the basest sort of knowledge Answ The Angels by their simple essence know things and not by passion as wee apprehend in our minde Secondly the Angels when they apprehend simple things it is without any kinde of imperfection as it is when we apprehend them eminenter includunt perfectionem compositionis discursus Secondly The long life of the devill makes him to have great skill their long life makes them to have great skill Satan is an old Serpent therefore his skill must be very great Let a man live but Nestors days and have good wit together with long experience he cannot choose but to be wise Satan saw from the creation of the world and shall see to the last Iudgement he saw the first world drowned with water and shall see the second destroyed with fire therefore he must understand much It is a long time ere a man come to knowledge and he spends a great time in folly and if he live long he forgets as fast and faster than ever he learned But Satan Nescit quid sit oblivisci and therefore great must be his knowledge Thirdly The great imployment of Satan breeds him kill the great imploiment of Satan hath bred him great knowledge he saw the rising the height and the fall of the foure Monarchies hee had a hand in them all quorum pars magna fuit He was at the consultations of all the tyrants against the Church and no wicked deede was ever atchieved but Satan was at the plotting-of it and therefore great must be his skill Fourthly his great intelligence that he hath abroad makes him to understand much His great imployment abroad makes him to have skill for the evill spirits from all parts give intelligence one to another and as the Cherubims were painted in the temple with their faces one to another signifying that their is a correspondencie amongst the good Angels for the propagating of the Kingdome of God so the devills agree one with another to give mutuall intelligence for the upholding of their kingdome Regnum non est divisum Mat. 12.25 The Lord knowes onely the secrets of the heart God onely knoweth the secrets of the heart as when Sarah laughed within her selfe Gen. 18.12 and the Pharisees reasoned within themselves Luk. 6.8 2. King 8.26 Ioh. 2.25 Heb. 4. all things are naked before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech borrowed from the Priests under the Law who when they killed the beast all things that were within the beast were layed naked before the Priest and he saw what was found and whâ—t was corrupted so all our thoughts are naked before the Lord he knoweth which are good and which are bad and therfore the Arabians say Tu solus domine nosti substantiam pectoris and thus they call upon him O thou who knowest the thoughts of men when they hold their peace that knowledge is the most excellent knowledge which we attaine to by knowing the cause but God knoweth all things as they are in their causes originally but our thoughts are in the heart as causes and therefore it is most fit that God should know them who is rather said to understand intelligible things then visible because they come nearer to his nature magis sunt in actu ille est purus actus This knowledge of the heart Satan hath not but onely by effects Satan knoweth what is in the heart onely by the effects and here he knoweth this of this and this after this because hee hath no knowledge of the cause but by the effect here he conjectures what is in the heart as the Physitians by the pulse can tell the disease Valerius lib. 7. Erasistratus the Physitian was much commended who perceived by the countenance of Antiochus King of Seleucia his sonne that he was taken in love with his mother in law if a Physitian by the beating of the pulse and countenance can take up this much more can the devill doe and if the Fisher by stirring of the corke knoweth that there are fishes in the net much more may the devill know what is in the heart by signes The Lord knoweth the thoughts of our heart a farre off which the devill doth not The Lord knowes the thoughts of our heart a farre off Psal 139.17 and as the Gardiner in the Winter foretels that this roote will bring forth such an hearbe and this tree such a fruite long before the Spring So the Lord seeth the thoughts of the wicked a farre off When the Prophet foretold Hazael that he should be King of Israel and foretold also what cruelty hee should exercise upon their women and children that he should rippe up the bellies of the women with child what man or Angell could have foreseene this When it was told Hazael hee wept and said Am I a dogge 2 King 8.13 that I should prove such a cruell monster but yet he proved such a monster as the Lord foretold because from the wicked comes wickednesse 1 Sam. 24.13 The Lord can foretell contingent things The Lord onely can foretell contingent things There are three sort of contingent things Contingens natum There are three sorts of contingent things as the Schoolemen observes the first is contingens natum the second is contingens rarum the third is contingens indefinitum Contingens natum they make to be that which usually falleth out as a man when hee is old to have white haires Contingens rarum Secondly there is contingens rarum which falleth out very seldome as when a man is digging the ground hee findeth a treasure Satan can hardly foretell this because he knoweth not perhaps where the treasure is hidden no more than he knew where the body of Moses was buried Deut. 34.6 Thirdly there is contingens indefinitum Contingens indefinitum as whether Peter will runne the morrow or not This Satan cannot fortell These contingent things God onely can foretell Tell us what is to come that we may
know that yee are gods that is if yee can foretell things contingent Therefore Iames Chap. 4. because all contingent events depend upon the Lord willeth us to say wee will doe such and such things if the Lord will A man and a maid are married together to foretell that they will have children this is easie to doe because it is contingens natum for usually young folkes beget children but to foretell how many children they will have whether ten or twelve The devill more hardely can foretell this because it is contingens rarum But lastly whether they will prove wise men or fooles that is contingens indefinitum Salomon himselfe could not foretell that Eccles 2.19 and the devill himselfe cannot foretell this The Prophets understood things past present and to come 1 Sam. 1.9 The Prophets illuminate by the Spirit of God understood things past present and to come for hee revealeth his secrets to his servants Amos 3. therefore the Prophets were called Chozin videntes The Prophets understood things past Satan may understand things well enough ab exordâ—o temporis from the beginning of time and remember them very well But he cannot know exordium rerum the beginning of things for God hath them onely written in his booke Satan can understand things ab exordio temporis but not ab exordiâ— rerum Psal 139.16 In thy book are all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them So hee hath the booke of life in the which mens names were written before the foundation of the world Rev. 3.5 and these whose names are written in this booke he revealeth to his servants the Prophets Phil. 4.3 I intreate you to helpe these my fellow labourers whose names are in the booke of life but all this knowledge is hidde from Satan Secondly the Prophets know things present How the Prophets knew things present when they were absent although they were absent from those places where they were done 2 King 5.26 Was not my Spirit with thee when the man in his charet turned to meete thee So Elisha knew well enough the secrets of the King of Syria and what was done in his secret chamber 2 King 6.12 although he was absent So Paul although he was at Ephesus in Asia yet his spirit informed him what was done a farre off in Corinth 1 Cor. 5.3 yet the Prophets could not foretell such things Prophecie is not habitus sed actus transiens when the Lord revealed not himself unto them as 2 King 4.27 Her soule is vexed within her and the Lord hath hid it from me for prophesie was not habitus sed actus transiens and as the lute ceaseth to give a sound when hee that playeth ceaseth to play so they could not prophesie when the Lord illuminate them not But Satan and his sorcerers cannot foretell things when they are absent unlesse they be informed by other spirits or see the effects in the cause as Satan can foretell that the river of Nilus will overflow when he seeth the raine in Ethiopia like to fall Thirdly The Prophets foretold things that were alwayes hidden from man the Prophets being illuminate by the spirit of God foretold things that were alwayes hidden and which no wayes depended upon any naturall cause such as was the incarnation of Christ and his resurrection and such like which mysteries the Angels themselves desire to looke into 1 Pet. 1.12 But they understood them not before they were revealed to them farre lesse could the devills understand them So the Prophet foretold three hundred yeares before the birth of Iosias 1 King 13.2 that he should offer upon the altar the bones of the Priests that burnt incense at Bethel And Elias foretold the death of Ioram and what disease hee should die of to wit of a disease in his bowells 2 Chron. 21. These things Satan and his sorcerers could not foretell How did the prophets foretell things which never tooke effect Object But the Prophets of God foretold many things which never tooke effect Esaias foretold Ezekias that he should shortly die and yet he lived fifteene yeares So Ionah foretold the Ninevites that within fortie dayes Nineveh should be destroyed and yet Nineveh was not destroyed as Ionah foretold Two sorts of prophecies Independens absoluta prophetia Ans There were two sorts of prophesies the first was independens absoluta prophetia which was called the prophesie of prescience and this alwayes tooke effect Comminationis prophetia The second sort of prophesie was the prophecie of commination or threatning which was conditional and respected alwayes the second causes and this tooke not alwayes effect If this sort of prophecie be considered in the second causes it may be said to take effect as Set thy house in order for thou shalt die if ye will respect the disease it selfe or the constitution of Ezekias body Ezekias shall die but looke into the first cause to Gods will who appointed to prolong Ezekias his life he shall not die Quest Whence hath the devils this their knowledge to foretell things to come Ans They have not this knowledge by experience and observation of naturall things only but they learne also many things from the Scriptures for although the Scriptures be a sealed booke to them in respect of the spirituall knowledge of it The devils have the knowledge of the Scripture but not the spirituall yet they have a literall knowledge of the Scripture The good Angels learne from the Church daily Eph. 3.6 and they desire to looke to the mysterie of the incarnation with our stretched neckes 1 Pet. 1.12 they grow daily in the spirituall knowledge But the devills who are bound in chaines of darkenesse Iud. 6. are more and more darkened in spirituall knowledge dayly when a man comes out of a great light into a darke place that weakens his sight much but take him out of a darke place and put him in a cleare place againe then it will make him quite blind Dionysius the Tyrant of Sicily above his prison built a very lyghtsome and white chamber which he whitened over with lyme and when hee had a long time detained his prisoners in a darke dungeon he suddenly brought them into this bright place wherein instantly they became blind because their eyes were not able to beare so sudden a change The devills are more and more blinded in spirituall knowledge So the Devills were in a place of great light in the Heavens then they were cast down into the low helles and there they were fettered with the chaines of darkenesse But when the light of the Gospel was revealed It made them more more blinde that they have eyes now and sees none and they have no spirituall understanding of the mysteries of the Gospel But when they see the Scriptures they may have the literall knowledge of them well enough and foretell things to come
by them and many things which should befall to the Church they might foreknow the rising and the falling of the mornarchies out of Daniel and they might foretell the nativitie of Christ by searching the Scriptures and many things which should befall the Church in their latter times by observing the booke of the Revelation The Oracle of Delphos gave this answer to Alexander Invictus eris Alexander This was easie for the devill to foretell because Daniel foretold the fall of the Medes and Persians by the Greekes So the Oracle of Delphos foretold to Craesus that his Kingdome in the fift generation should perish This the Devill might easily learne out of the Scriptures for God visits the sinnes of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation and the children filling up the measure of their fathers iniquitie then his Kingdome was shortly to come to an end A man murthers another and escapeth It is easie for Satan to foretell what death he should die out of the Scriptures he who killes by the sword shall be killed by the sword and sometimes the Lord useth the devill as his executioner and hangman It was easie for the devill to say to Saul to morrow thou shall bee with me because the Lord used him as his executioner in this Iudgement Satan when he foretelles things to come he speakes with a low voyce and out of the ground and he pipes as chickins doe when they are new hatched Isa 8.19 sometimes hee flatters the partie who expects the revelation of him and therefore Demosthenes said that the Oracle of Apollo did but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is flatter Philip of Macedon So when Alexander came into the temple of Iupiter Hammon the priest called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in vita Alexandri faire child which Alexander tooke to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter his sonne But when the Devill was doubtfull of the events of his prophesies then hee gave his answers doubtfullie that they might admit a double sense Such was those answers which he gave by his false Prophets to Ahab King of Israel when hee was going to besiege Ramoth Gilead They demanded of him who should prevaile He answered the King should prevaile but he telles not which King whether Syria or Israel 2 Cro. 18.11 Satans responses were very doubtfull His responses were so doubtfull that the wisest amongst the heathen could not tell what to make of them All his responses were doubtfull therefore hee was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apollo Satan is a great Sophister in his answers Hee being asked how the gods should bee worshipped gave this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mittite capita Iovi hominem vero Saturno The falacie lay here in the accent for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being accented accentu gravi signifieth a man but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being accented accentu circumflexo signifieth a torch or a light but they mistaking the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they sacrificed a number of men to him in stead of setting of lights before him When the plague was verie hot at Athens Plutarch de Ei apud delphos they asked the Oracle of Apollo how it might bee remedied the Oracle answered and bade them duplare aram which neither Plato nor Aristotle understood Plato by Geometrie went about to finde out how the Altar might be doubled But the Oracle meant that they should double their sacrifices to the gods and then the plague should cease Example the third Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere posse the words imply a double sense heere either that the Romans might overcome or that they might overcome the Romans Some hold that by the placing of the negative particle the devill deceived Eve as when he laid unto her non moriendo morieris for they say when the negative with the Hebrewes is placed before the finite and the infinite verbe then it neither certainely affirmeth nor denyeth but leaves the matter in doubt This say they is the affirmative Moriendo morieris This is the Negative Moriendo non morieris This is the doubtfull Non moriendo morieris perhaps ye may die and perhaps not Vide grammaticum â—unij Thus Satan deceived Eve say they when he saw her beginne to doubt perhaps we shall not die But this rule holds not for non being set before the finite and the infinite doth flatly denie Psal 49.7 Non redimendo redimet fratremsuum that is he can no waies redeeme his brother from death And so when this particle non is set betwixt the finite and the infinite it denieth only in part Ier. 46.28 I will chastise thee in Iudgement Sed evacuando non evacuabo te that is I will chastise thee in judgement but not destroy thee here the particle non being set betwixt the finite and the infinite denieth not flatlie but onely in part yet being placed here before the finite and the infinite it is altogether negative wherefore non moriendo morieris flatlie denieth here and not doutfully Hee hath likewise deceived some by doubling the negative particle when Manfredus did contend with Charles about the Kingdome of Naples he got this answere from the devill Non non gallus superabit Fiftly he manifested his deceit by the similitude of words Such was the Oracle which Thusidides makes mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they could hardly discerne whether to prepare themselves against the warre or to use remedies against the sicknesse Sixtlie the deceit lay in the words themselves which suffer a double interpretation Gen. 3. That day that ye shall eate of this fruit your eyes shall be opened and ye shall know good and evill Wee know good and evill two manner of waies first in theorie and then by miserable experience they knew good and evill in the first sense before their fall but by miserable experience when they did eate of the forbidden fruit Vide Morne ê‘lcsse pag. 389. These Oracles hath very often deceived men Therefore Oenomaus the Phylosopher wrote a booke against them which had this inscription De oraculorum falsitate As Plutarch wrote a booke de oraculorum defectu And Porphyre testifieth when as the Oracle of Delphos could not divine by the starres what should befall them the Oracle desired them that they would aske him nothing at all and hee told them that if they ceased not to aske him he would tell them lies Object But the Lord seemeth by the Prophet Elisha to give a doubtfull answer to Hazael 2 King 8.10 To whom Elisha said go tell him that he shall not recover at al for the Lord hath told me that he shal certainly die The words seeme also to carry another sense Go tell him that hee shall recover although the Lord said that he shall die Hee shall recover because the sicknesse of it selfe is not deadly hee shall
not recover because Hazael dipped a cloath in water and layed it on his face that he died There is but one sense in the prophets answere to Hazael Answ There is but one meaning of the Prophet here answering to Hazael but the Critickes amongst the Iewes found out another sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non reading in the margine Lo ei for Lo non So they would show a diverse reading of the prophets words Ob. Ezekiel 12.14 The Lord threatened Zedekiah with a Iudgment which might seeme to be given out very doubtully I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans and yet he shal never see it although he die there Answ Because this perfidious King Why the Lord gave a doubtfull answer to Zedekias would not beleeve the Prophets of God who told him so plaine that hee should bee carried to Babel therefore the Lord tells him this closelie which soone after he understood when his eyes were pickt out of his head at Riblah and he carried to Babell Quest. What are we to thinke of Balaam Whether Balaam was a Prophet of God or Diviner whether was he a Prophet of God or a Diviner only Answ First he was a Diviner onely but afterward the Lord put a parable in his mouth Moses Gerundensis 162.2 Balaam primum divinus postea prophetes deinde rediit ad primum ponere sermonem in illis 2 Cor. 15.19 caryeth a notable Emphasis with it whereby is signified that the Lord ruled their tongues directed them what they should speake and sanctified them So the Lord guided the tongue of Balaam and opened his eyes to Prophesie Thus farre the Lord put this parable in his mouth but he sanctified him not for he following the wages of iniquity returned to bee a diviner againe And the Iewes applyeth this proverb to him Camelus cornua quaerens aures amisit That is Baalam hunting for honour and seeking after riches lost the gift of Prophecie and amongst the rest who were killed in the battell it is said that Baalam the Diviner was killed Ios 13. This gift which Baalam had was onely from the spirit of illumination And there was a great difference betwixt him and the holy Prophets of God A difference betwixt these the Lord appeared to Balaam and the word of the Lord was to Ieremie Luke 1.70 and the Hebrewes observe when it is said the Lord appeared to Laban to Balaam and to Abimelech there is lesse meant here then when it is said the word of the Lord was unto Isay to Ieremie to Ezekiel for that implyed that the oracles of God were concredit to them as to faithfull witnesses but he did not concredit his word this way to Baalam hee was but like a trunke through the which the Lord spake Quest How differ the predictions of the Prophets from the Predictions of Satan and his instruments The differences betweene the predictions of the Prophets and the predictions of Satan and his instruments Answ The predictions of the Prophets were for the most part of spirituall things and they prophesied but of temporarie things in the second place but the predictions of the devils were never of spiritual things Secondly whē the Prophets of God foretold good things they added alwaies conditionem crucis that is some temporarie crosses to be added to them they shall receive a hundred fold but with persecutions Marke 10. 30. but the false Prophets prophesied alwaies placentia pleasant things Thirdly when the Prophets foretold Iudgements to come this condition was alwaies reserved if the people repented not this Iudgement shall come but the false prophets foretold all things to fall out by a fatall necessity Fourthly when the Prophets foretold Iudgements to come although they tooke not effect yet they were not holden for false Prophets such was the Prophesie of Ionah to the Ninevites and of Isaiah to Ezekias for God is mercifull when men repent But the false Prophets when they prophecied good things to come and they came not to passe then they were holden for false prophets So Ieremiah convinced Hananiah that he was a false Prophet Ier. 28. when hee promised to Icconiah his returne out of Babell The Prophets had certaine signes by which they demonstrated to the people what should befall them as when the Prophet Isay went naked and bare-footed This was called Siman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this was a note to discerne the Prophets by but it was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the false Prophets used also these signes as Zedekiah made him hornes of iron and said thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Aramites 1 King 22.11 The Prophets of God were distinguished from the false Prophets for the false Prophets wrought sometimes marvellous things before the people but they could not work miracles These miracles in show were called ostenta mopheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were miracles in show but they were not true miracles If there arise a Prophet amongst you and give you a signe or a wonder Deut. 13.1 These were but lying wonders but the Prophets of God they gave Oath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venit a true signe 2 King 20.9 this signe shalt thou have of the Lord This Oath comes from atha venit As I am a true Prophet this shall verilie come to passe So Moses confirmed himselfe to be a Prophet by his true miracles which he wrought before Pharaoh And last the true Prophets alwaies prophecied according to the law and never against it Isa 8.20 If they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them The knowledg of the devill serves onely to the dishonour of God to hurt poore man The Apostle 1 Cor. 13.1 sheweth if a man could speake with the tongue of men and Angels and have the gift of prophecie and understand all mysteries and had all knowledge faith so that he could remove mountaines and have not charity it profiteth nothing Although Satan speake all languages foretell things to come have the knowledg of all mysteries and could remove mountaines yet this is all nothing because he wants charity All this his skill he imployes onely to the destruction of man Therfore his knowledge serves but as a barrell of pitch to cause him to burne the faster in hell fyre his knowledge wants charity and nothing which hee knowes is profitable to man untill he reveale it unto him he is compared unto Stellio which every yeare casts the skin of it as Aristotle and Plinie testifieth this skin being drunke in a little wine is a soveraigne remedie against the falling sicknes but this envious creature presently eates it up againe least man should reape any benifit by it so the envious devill hides from man all that can profit him Satans knowledge is most hurtfull to us When a
cattle horses and sheepe when they cannot hurt the men themselves So he envies our good name The devill in the Syriacke Vide Buxtor in radice gnug Math. 4. is called A kal Kartza commedens accusationes and the reason of the name was this because they gave these Sycophantes and accusers pasties baked with honie that they might accuse and caluminat the more freely It was hee who objected to the Chrians Thiestaeas caenas incestus Oedipodeas promiscuas libidines conjurationes in principes And therfore he is a most impudent accuser Satan stood at the right hand of Ioshua to accuse him Zach. 3.1 for the accusers stood at the right hand of him whom they accused Ps 106 The devil is Ptyas Tertul quiquid publice utilitati infamis erat that spitting serpent Psa 144 who spits his venome a far off Tam absentes laedit quam praesentes pungit And therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rimâ—nator criminatio non sit sine veâ—bis sed Satan adâ—ersotur verbis factis a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies traijcere because with his venemous dart he peirces the children of God he is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Susurro who whispers privately against the children of God but he is an open calumniator who markes the wants and defects of the children of God when Ioshua stood with soule cloaths before the Lord Satan was ready to accuse him Zach. 3.3 when he was new come out of the Captivity like a firebrand new taken out of the fire Satan hath no pitty on him but he is then ready to accuse him if Ioshua's cloathes be sulled he is ready to marke that so he watches for our halting Ier. 20.10 and is glad when he sees us halt Psal 35.15 and if there be a hole in our coate he will say we are ragged and if we halt but a little he will say wee are creeples Therefore we had neede to pray Psalme 120.2 Deliver my soule O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitfull tongue So he envies our life in the policie an evill spirit of discention came betwixt Abimelech and the men of Sechem Iudge 9.23 But above all he envies our spirituall life Satan above all envies our Spirituall life Therefore it was that hee let Saint Paul that he might not come to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2.18 for he knew well that where there is no vision the people are naked Pro. 29.18 and this was the reason why he was a lying spirit in the mouthes of the false Prophets And when the pastors are present with their flockes and sowing their good seede Satan comes in and pickes up the good seede which is sowne Math. 13.19 and when they have sowne their good seede then the wicked one comes and sowes his kockell and his darnell and when the seede hath taken roote Satan leaves not off here he sought to winnow Peters faith Luke 22.31 so he labours to corrupt the pastors to teach hereticall doctrine and this is called a doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. Satan envies our spirituall life as our hearing of the Word he possesseth a man with a deafe devill Marke 9.25 The Lord takes the greatest paines about our eares more than any of the rest of all our senses to open our eare Esay 50.5 to uncover our eare Iob 33.16 To circumcise our eare Ierem. 6.10 To unstop the eare Esay 35.5 To boare our eare Psal 40.6 So stillare in aurem to drope into our eare Ezeck 21.2 Deut. 32. Hence it is that so often it is repeated in the Scripture He that hath eares to heare let him heare But the Devill shutes the eare he possessed a man with a deafe devill Marke 9.25 The eare is Ianua vitae the gate of life Faith commeth by hearing he stoppeth this sense that he might not heare and so get faith He temptes us in our faith 1 Thes 3.5 I sent to know your faith least by some meanes the tempter should have tempted you Sometimes he drawes us to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we have no faith when hee pickes up the seede when it is new sowne Math. 13. here there can be no faith sometimes he drawes us ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to little faith O thou of little faith Math. 14.31 and sometimes hee drawes us ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wavering when the ballance goes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up and downe and keepes not an equall measure when Peter said to Christ Math. 26.35 If all should leave thee yet would not I here the ballance goes up and when he denied him at the voice of a Damsell Math. 26.69 here the ballance goes downe So when he said to Christ Iohn 13.6 Thou shalt never wash my feete here the ballance goes downe and when he said unto him wash head feete and all Iohn 13.9 here the ballance goes up So when he said Master bid mee come to thee on the water Math. 14.28 here the ballance goes up but when he said I sinke Master Math. 14.30 here the ballance goes downe But he suffers few to come to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great faith Christ gives that commendation but to two and they were both strangers to the Cananitish woman Math. 15.28 and to the Centurion Math. 8.10 And how earnest he is against our spirituall life we may see it by his often tempting of Christ He left him for a season Luke 4.13 Yet he tempted him againe by the Pharisees and Saduces and by Peter Math. 16.23 And when Christ was about to offer himselfe a sacrifice to God his Father then came the Prince of this world to discourage him Iohn 14.13 actantius in Alen. So Satan hates the Christians and the Christian religion above all religion Lactantius saith when the heathen were sacrificing to their gods if a Christian had beene present they facrificed not Hence was that saying brought in into their mysteries exeant Christiani let the Christians goe forth he hated so the Christians that he could not abide them nor their religion The Scripture gives Satan many strange and terrible names first he is called Satan The Scripture gives Satan many terrible names because intestino odio homines prosequitur he hates man with a deadly hatred he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hater of men but we have to oppose to him Christ who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of men Secondly he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accuser of the brethten Revel 12.10 This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not any sort of accuser but such an accuser who accuses before a King In the Revel 12.10 hee is called the accuser before the Lord So he accused Ioshua before the Lord Zach. 3.3 and opposite to him we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who interceeds with the King for us Christ is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or
warmed himselfe and of another peece of the tree hee made a God and worshipped and so the heathen mocked these worshippers of Idols Seneca Quid inquit brutalius est quam statuis sacrifices statuarium vero mensa tua excludas apud statuam genua tua flectis pictorem aperto capite coram te stantem despicis negligis what is more senslesse and brutish saith Seneca then for thee to sacrifice to an Idoll and yet thou will not suffer him who made the Image to come to thy table thou bowest thy knee before the Image and yet thou suffers him who made the Image to stand baâ—â—â—ded before thee and him thou despisest and â—â—gâ—â—cts So Diagoras jested at the Idolls of old and when he saw the Image of Hercules he pulled it downe and threw it into the fire and said this shall be the thirteenth labour of Hercules Thus we see every man a beast in his owne knowledge No sinne hath so many shifts for it as Idolatry hath Ier. 10.14 There is no sinne that hath so many shiftes for it selfe as this sinne hath as the whore wiped her mouth and said she did it not Prov. 30.20 So they denie extenuate and cover this sinne therefore it is that the Lord when he describes this spirituall whoredome Why the Lord describes Idolatry in such plaine tearmes hee describes it in more plaine and open termes then he doth bodily whoredome Ezech. 16.15 Thou powrest out thy fornications upon every one that passeth by his it was and verse 25. Thou hast opened thy feete to every one that passeth by and verse 26. Thou hast committed fornications with thy neighbour great of flesh and Chap. 23.30 Shee doted upon their paramoures whose flesh is as the flesh of asses and whose Issue is as the issue of horses but when the Lord speakes of bodily adultery he speakes in more covered termes as Prov. 9.17 Stolen waters are sweet So hee describeth by eating She eateth and wipeth her mouth Prov. 30.20 and the reason is because men are more sensselesse in taking up this spirituall adultery and they use moe shifts to hide it and therefore the Lord sets it downe in such plaine termes The Lord saith What signifies to set up an image before God Yee shall not make to thy selfe any graven image gnal pani before me gnal panai signifieth either continuance of time or noteth a place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First continuance of time that so long as I am So long as the Lord lives no image must set up before him ye shall not choose another god Num. 3.4 And Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the Priests office in the sight of Aaron their father gnal peni Aharon vivente adhuc Aarone So 1 Sam. 31 1. and the child Samuel ministred unto the Lord before Eli lipne gneli ante Eli that is while Eli was alive Deut. 21.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee may not make the sonne of the beloved first borne before the sonne of the hated gnal peni ben juxta faciem filij exosae that is so long as the sonne of the hated liveth So Exod. 20. Ye shall have no other Gods before me gnal panai ante seu coram me that is so long as I live So it is taken for a place In no place an image must be set up before him ye shall neither set up an Idoll before me either privately or publickely for Gods face is every where privately the Lord forbiddeth them Deut. 27.15 Neither privately Cursed be he that maketh any graven or molten image an abhomination of the Lord the worke of the hand of the craftsman and putteth it in a secret place So the Lord abhored the chamber of their imagerie Ezek. 8.12 Neither publickely and he forbids them publickely to commit that Idolatry in the visible Church Cain fled from the face of the Lord Genes 4.16 That is from the visible Church So the propitiatorie in the Church of Ierusalem was called the face of God Exod. 25. they were called panes facierum because they stood before the propitiatory the face of the Lord therefore the Lord forbids to set up an Idol before him It was a great malapertnesse in the Iewes to set up their Idoles in mount Olivet just under the Lords nose therefore it was called 2 Kings 23.23 not mens Oliverum hamishka unctionis but chamishceth perditionis Elegans paranomafia God never looked out of the holiest of all but he saw this vile Idolatry to set up this image of jealousie in the sight of the Lord was a vile abhomination Ezek. 18. Before my face the lawes of men at the first commanded if the husband should apprehend the adulterer with his wife then he should kill them both as Solon and Draco his Lawes ordained Plutarch in the life of Solon Codice titulo l. Gracchus Covaruvius de matrimonio 2. p. c. 7 7. but the Law of the twelve tables mitigates this afterward Maechum in adulterio deprehensum necato si vilis est the husband might kill the adulterer with the adulteresse if he was a base person So when the Lord apprehends his Church committing abhomination with these Idols and apprehends her in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may he not justly kill the adultresse Before my face the Schoolemen have a good axiome Bonum nisi ex causa integra maluÌ„ vero ex quocunque defectu pessimum vero ex defectu maximo Circumstances doe much exaggerat a sin for as in man it is not enough that the body have all the compleate parts to make up the perfection of it but there is requisite likewise proportion colour situation of partes and if any of these be wanting then a man is thought an uncomely man Bonum hic ex integra causa nascitur but if any thing bee wanting then that breedes defect but the greatest defect ariseth of the greatest want and which is farthest from the good It was a great sinne in Absalon to lye with his fathers concubines in any place but to lye with them in the sight of the sunne before all the people this was a double sinne and a deformitie 2 Sam. 16.23 So for Cozbi and Zimri to commit their wickednesse in any place was a great sinne but to commit this sinne in the sight of Moses and of all the congregation when all the people were weeping before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Num. 25.6 this was a fearefull sinne So to commit this Idolatry in a private place was a great sinne but for the Israelites to have committed this sinne before the Lord in the sight of the whole Congregation this was a sinne committed with a high hand against the Lord. SECT 3. Of the division of Idolaters AN Idolater is either a formall Idolater A formall Idolater and a materiall Idolater or a materiall Idolater the formall Idolater is he who hath a false conception of God and worshippes him falsely The conception of God
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
Egypt ye shall not doe The next increase of Idolatry in the Wildernesse The next increase of Idolatry in the wildernesse was when they set up a golden calf to worship there because they saw the oxe worshipped in Egypt Ezec. 23.19 Yet she multiplyed her whoredomes in calling to remembrance the dayes of her youth wherein she played the harlot in the Land of Egypt The Idolatry of Egypt was a baser sort of Idolatry then the Idolatry of the Assirians Many were the plagues which they got out of Egypt first they brought out of Egypt the filthy leprosie or scab which lasted so long amongst them in the land of Canaan Secondly they forgat their circumcision for fourty yeares in the wildernesse and this they learned from the Egyptians who circumcised not Therefore when they came to Gilgall and were circumcised the Lord said Ios 3.9 this day have Irolled away the reproach of the Egyptians from you Thirdly the blasphemer who cursed the Lord Levit. 24. his mother was an Egyptian Fourthly the greatest part of that Miscellanea turba of whom they learned to speake with open mouth against the Lord came out of Egypt Exod 12.38 Fiftly they gate the patterne of this golden calfe out of Egypt and the second time Ieroboam brought the patterne of the golden calfes which he fet up out of Egypt and Sheshak King of Egypt was the first who robbed the temple of God 1 King 14.26 The Lord objects to his people Ier. 2.18 what hast thou to doe in the way of Egypt to drinke the waters of Sihor Sihor was a river in Egypt and to drinke the water of Sihor was to commit whoredome and spirituall Adulterie So Salomon calles bodily Adultery water stolen waters are sweete Prov. 9.7 and they say Abstine ab aqua aliena This water was called Sihor which signifieth blackenesse when they dranke this water they committed a baser sort of Idolatrie The Idolatrie of Egypt was a baser sort of Idolatry then the Idolatry of the Assirians then when they dranke the water of the river Euphrates for when they followed the Idolatrie of the Egyptians they worshipped oxen but when they dranke of the river Euphrates and followed their Idolatrie they worshiped the Sunne the Moone and the starres The Egyptians were the basest Idolaters and Sihor was the blackest water Therefore the Lord abhors Egypt and calles it the land of Cham Psal 105. C ham was accursed so was the land of Egypt Now let us consider who made this Idoll secondly whereof they made it And thirdly how great a sinne this was in setting up this Idoll to worship it First it was Aaron who made the calfe Aaron made the golden calfe It was neither ignorance nor complsiō that moved him to make this calfe but feare onely Metus gravis say they potest cadere in virum constantem a great feare may overtake a couragious man But Aaron heere was overtaken with a small feare Aaron saw not the people stonning him therefore his feare arose onely upon his owne apprehension Aaron was the man who committed this sinne Aaron sinned not of ignorance the high Priests lippes should preserve knowledge Mal. 2.7 he had knowledge enough to resist the sinne the servant that knowes his masters will and doth it not is worthie of many stripes Mat. 12. When a Prince doth against Iustice who should maintaine Iustice there is a speciall repugnancie betwixt his act and his calling So when Aaron to whom was concredit the puritie of Gods worship committed Idolatrie then there was a speciall repugnancie betwixt him and his profession how scandalous then was Aarons fall to the whole people In exemplum culpa vehementer extenditur quando pro reverentia peccator honoratur The fault is much agravated by the example when the sinner is much respected and honored The greatnesse of Aarons sinne may be taken up by the greatnesse of the sacrifice of the high Priest which was to expiate the sin Againe consider the greatnesse of Aarons sinne by the greatnesse of the sacrifice of the High Priest Moses Lev. 4. distinguishes sinnes according to the difference of persons if a common man sinned hee was to bring for one oblation a Kid of the goates a female without blemish ver 28. but if a Prince of the people sinned he shall bring a Kid of the goates a male without blemish ver 23. and if the whole congregation sinned then they shall bring a young bullocke for their sinne ver 14. and if the Priest who was annoynted sinne that is the high Priest for none was annoynted after the first institution as the high Priest was but he alone hee was to bring a young bullocke here the sacrifice of the Priest was as great as the sacrifice of the whole people If the eye be evill the whole body is full of darkenesse Matth. 6.23 and such Priests such people By Aarons committing this sinne wee are taught the infirmities of the Leviticall Priesthood Aaron made the calfe hence wee may learne what infirmitie was in the legall ceremonies that they could bring nothing to perfection Heb. 9.9 And this we may see in the ingresse progresse and ending of the Priesthood Aaron when the Priesthood was first instituted hee committed Idolatrie and Vrias in the progresse of the Priesthood hee committs Idolatrie And Cajaphas about the ending of the priesthood hee condemnes the Lord Iesus therefore Iesus Christ is our onely High Priest that must expiate our sinnes Secondly consider whereof this Idoll was made the people brought their Iewells and earings to Aaron Exod. 32.3 and of these the Idoll was made Idolaters are very profuse in the bestowing upon their Idoles all sort of cost Idolaters are very prodigall in bestowing things of great cost upon the Idoles Ier. 10.9 they brought the most pretious gold from Vphaz or Ophir to make their images of so from Tarshis they brought their most excellent silver they spared noe cost Nabuchadnezzer set up an Imag of gold Da. 3.1 whose hight was threescore cubits and the breadth therof sixe cubits And that is it which the Lord layes to the charge of the whorish Church Israel Ezech. 16.34 other whoores take gifts but thou givest gifts The three ages of the Church of the Iewes the golden are the silver age and the yron age In the Church of Israel there were three ages the golden age the silver age and the iron age The golden age they make to be that time when David gathered all materialles for the building of the temple and when Salomon built it The silver age they hold begunne in Iohash his tyme 2 King 12. when he repaired the temple howbeit there was not made for the house of the Lord boules of silver Snuffers Bassens Trumpets or vesselles of gold or vesselles of silver that was brought into the house of the Lord this was but a silver age in respect of the former golden age and now they had but
shieldes of brasse in the temple whereas in the first age they had shields of gold 1 King 14.27 The third age was the yron age when they stole out of the house of God the sieling sieled their own houses with it Ier. 22.14 so when they dwelt in houses of Cedar but the Lords house lay wast Hagg. 1.4 and when they robbed him of his tithes Mal. 3.8 wee live now under this yron age If any man bestow any cost now for the maintenance of the worship of God misers cry out with Iudas Marke 14.4 what needes this wast and they thinke it like bread cast upon the waters Eccles 11.1 But the Lord meetes with those who robs his Church for when they have sowne much they find but little encrease because they defraud him Rabbi Alsack writing upon Malachi telles us of a certaine man who had a peece of ground which brought forth yearely a thousand measures of graine and when the time of paying his tythe to the Priests came he payed but nintie bushels where he ought to have payed a hundred The next yeare his increase was not so great wherefore hee withdrew so much from the Priests at last his increase came but to an hundreth which was the first tenth that he was bound to pay the Priests an old man by chance meeting with him said unto him that he was glad of the late dignity that was befallen to his house how that God had gotten the increase and he became the Priest of his familie to get the tenths Idolatrie is a great sin because it is committed immediately against God at which words he was ashamed and repented him of his former sacriledge The greatnesse of this sinne of Idolatry which they committed heere may be considered by the worthines of the person against whom it is committed for as in bodily diseases those are most hurtfull that doe annoy the originall of our life most as the heart so in sinnes those are the greatest which are committed against God the fountaine of life There are some carnall sins and some spirituall sinnes Againe we may know the greatnesse of this sinne by the nature of the sinne it selfe There are some sinnes that are carnall sinnes and some spirituall Ephes 6.12 and these are greater then carnall sinnes Idolatrie is a spirituall sinne and adulterie is a carnall sinne The spirit being delighted with Idolatrie is a greater sinne then when the flesh is delighted with Adultery and there is a greater aversion from God in Idolatry Where there is a greater motive to sinne the sinne is the lesse then the conversion and adhaering to sinne in Adulterie Againe where there is a greater motive to sinne the sin is the lesse But these carnall sinnes hath Concupiscence which drawes them away and moves them to sinne but in spirituall wickednesse there is no such concupiscence to draw men to sinne their sinne resembles the sin of the devill more who is not led with lust or concupiscence to sin He that killes a man in passion he sinnes not so fearefull as hee who killes him in cold blood therefore those sinnes must bee the greatest which men are not led to by Concupiscence Notwithstanding Aaron committed Idolatrie in setting up this calfe yet the Lord spared him alwaies shewed great tokens of his mercy to the tribe of Levi as to Aaron Deut. 9.29 to the posterity of Corah Numb 26.11 and to Abiathar 1. King 2.26 and so Iosias when the Priests had committed Idolatrie in sacrificing in the high places hee did not kill them as hee did the Idolatrous Priests who were not called by the Lord 1 King 23.20 but onely commanded that they should eate of the unleavened bread amongst their brethren 2 King 23.9 which was injoyned to those that had any blemish in their bodie and they were forbidden to eate the bread of their God Levit. 21.17 They worshipped the calfe The oxe was a signe of plenty where the oxe is wanting the cribbe is emptie but much increase is by the strength of the oxe Prov. 4.4 Ioseph who provided corne in the time of famine is called Gods oxe Deut. 33.17 Lib. 1. Sacrae scripturae chap. 15. which booke is holden to be Augustines His glorie is like the firstling of a bullocke because he provided for the Egyptians and for his fathers family in the time of famine therefore it is said that the Egyptians placed the similitude of an oxe hard by Iosephes buriall place Whether the Idoll which they worshipped was a calfe or an oxe It may be asked whether this Idol which was set up was made in the forme of a calfe or an oxe And the reason of the doubt is because somtimes this Idol is called an oxe Ps 106.20 And they changed their glorie into the similitude of an oxe that eateth grasse And sometimes it is called a calfe vers 14. they made a calfe in Horeb. Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word gnegel vitulus with the Hebrewes signifies either vitulum subrumum that is a sucking calfe or it signifies vitulam tertiam Ier. 48.34 when it is three yeares old and then it is called indifferently Shor or gnegel bos or vitulus but when it is seven yeare old then it is onely called Shor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not gnegel that is an oxe and not a calfe Iudg. 6.4.6 Againe it may be asked whether it was a cow calfe or an oxe calfe which they worshipped The reason of the doubt is because Hos 10.5 he calls them gnegloth in the feminine gender which they worshipped in Dan and Bethel and they were made after the forme of this calfe which they worshipped in the wildernesse Answ David Esal 106.20 calls this calfe Shor an oxe calfe which they worshipped and the 70. convertes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an oxe calfe and they plowed with oxen and not with kine And whereas Hos 10.5 puts them in the feminine gender calling them gnegloth this was spoken per Ligragnon per contemptum as the Iewes speak that is in contempt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Tob. 1.5 this calfe is put in the feminine gender sacrificantes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrificing to the Cow it should not be reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu potestati for what power is in an Idoll In contempt this calfe is called a cow calfe and not an oxe So Rom. 9.5 I have reserved to me 7000. men who have not bowed their knee to Baal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the feminine gender and he understands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noting the infirmitie of the sexe So Virgil in his 9. booke when hee exprobrates to the Trojans their cowardlinesse he calls them not Phryges but Phrygias So Homer calls them not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie how farre degenerate and effeminate they were Whether it was the head of a calfe which they worshipped or not Thirdly it may be asked whether they worshipped the
head of the calfe here or the whole calfe and the reason of the doubt is because S. Cyprian in his book De bona conscientia sub finem S. Ambrose Epist. 6. Lactantius lib. 4.10 S. Augustine in Psal 73. hold that it was not an oxe but caput bubuli which they worshipped But this seemes not to be probable seeing the Scripture every where calles it a calfe and hee resembleth him to an oxe eating grasse Psal 106.20 The head of an oxe alone cannot eate grasse and they resembled an oxe as neare as they could This oxe which they worshipped in Egypt was marked with strange spots Bos inquit in Egypto numinis vice colitur Apin vocant insigne ei in dextro latere candicans macula similis cornibus Lunae crescere incipientis nodus sub lingua quem cantbarum appellant There is an oxe in Egypt which is worshipped as a God and they call him Apis he hath upon his right side a white spot which is like the hornes of the Moone when shee beginneth to grow and he hath under his tongue a knot which they call Cantharus By what slight the devill continued this Idolatry in Egypt to worship the calfe And S. Augustine holdes that the devill whereby this Idolatrie might be continued in Egypt used this slight Phantasiam talis tauri vaccae concipienti ostendere ut libido ejus attraheret quod in ejus faetujam corporaliter appareret that is he presented before the Cow when she was ingendering and in her heat August de civit dei lib. 18. cap. 5. a Bull marked after the same manner that the oxe of Egypt was which markes the Cow apprehending in her phantasie transmitted to the calfe and by that meanes the calfe was marked after the same manner that the oxe was and so the divill by his slight and cunning continued this Idolatry in Egypt But marke the foolishnesse of these Idolaters this oxe which they worshipped when hee grew old they used to drowne him in some lake or poole and then they lamented for his death in mourning apparel knocking upon their breasts and renting their cloathes but when they had found annother marked after the same manner then they rejoyced exceedingly this was great madnesse Peucerus de divinatione pag. 223. One jested at the gods of Egypt when he saw them lament for their gods Si dii sunt cur plangitis si mortui cur adoratis if they be gods what neede you to lament if they be dead why doe you worship them The decrease of this Idolatrie This Idolatrous worship decreased when Moses caused the calfe to be beaten to powder and given to the people to drinke Exod. 32.20 thus hee would let them see when this Idoll was turned to excrements It was but a god of dung Lev. 26.30 Deut. 29.17 and because these Idolls were but gods of dung therefore the Lord commanded that Baals house should be turned into a privie 2 King 10.27 and so when the Levites consecrated their hands to kill their neighbours and brethren Exod. 32.29 that were Idolaters their hands were consecrated with the bloud of their brethren as that day when they were ordained priestes and the bloud of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the thumbe of their right hand Exod. 29.20 and this was as acceptable a consecration to the Lord as that day when they were consecrated priests unto him The second increase of Idolatrie in the wildernesse The second increase of Idolatrie in the wildernes was when God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven as it is written in the booke of the Prophets O ye house of Israel have ye offered unto me slaine beasts and sacrifices by the space of fortie yeares in the wildernesse yea yee tooke up the tabernacle of Moloch and the starre of your god Rempham figures which yee made to worship them How are the Israelites charged by Amos and by Stephen to have worshipped the host of heaven in the wildernesse when there is no mention made of this by Moses Here first wee are to enquire how the Israelites are charged by the Prophet Amos Chap. 5. vers 25. and by Stephen Acts 7. that they worshipped the host of heaven in the wildernesse when as the Lord never charged them with this sort of Idolatry in the bookes of Moses Secondly how they are said never to have sacrificed all the time that they were in the wildernesse when as they sacrificed to the Lord in the wildernesse Exo. 24.5 and Levit. 8.21 and 9.2 Thirdly what these Idolls were which they worshipped and sacrificed to in the wildernesse As to the first How can they be said by the Prophet and by Stephen to offer to the host of heaven seeing the Lord blames them not for that and we read nothing in the historie of Moses of it An. Rabbi Salomon reades it in the future tense portabitis ye shall beare as though the Lord were threatning a judgement against them for the time to come but this is neither the meaning of the Prophet nor of S. Stephen for they charged the Israelites with that Idolatry which they cōmitted whiles they were in the wildernes Beza upon the 7. Act. holds that the Israelites committed not this Idolatrie while they were in the wildernesse but the Prophet blames them that they worshipped God but hypocritically and not sincerely in the wildernesse and so David blames them Psal 95. and Psal 106. and therefore the Lord gave them up afterward to this open Idolatrie to worship the host of heaven But the Prophet Amos expresly saith Amos 5.25 that they worshipped the host of heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a particular wildernesse the wildernesse of Arabian where they wandered fortie yeares Object But if it be said that there is no mention of this Idolatrie in the history of Exodus neither are they charged with it as with other Idolatrie I answer that the Scripture The Scripture sets downe in some places that which is omitted in others and that makes up the full sense of the Scriptures sometimes sets downe in one place that which is omitted in another Example it is set downe in Exodus how the Magitians were called who resisted Moses and yet the Apostle calls them Iannes and Iambres 2 Tim. 3.8 So the strife which was betwixt the devill and Michael about the body of Moses the Apostle Iude sets it downe ver 9. So it is set not downe in the history of Genesis that Ioseph when he was in prison his feete were put into the stockes and Iron entred into his soule and yet David sets it downe Psal 105.18 So the Israelites worshipping of the Hoste of heaven in the wildernesse although it be not mentioned by Moses yet it is set downe by Amos and by Saint Stephen Act. 7. and many things are omitted in some places of Scriptures which are clearely set downe in other places which being conferred together makes up the full sense of
the Scripture The second thing to be required here is In what sense the Israelites are said not to have sacrificed to the Lord all the time they were in the wildernesse how it can be said that they sacrificed not 40 yeares in the wildernesse seeing they sacrificed at mount Sinai Exod. 24.4.5 and Levit. 8.21 and 9.2 Answ The scripture when it speakes of numbers sometimes expresseth the full number after the manner of men although there be moe or lesse then is set down as Iudg. 16.27 they were about 3000 on the roofe of the Temple So Iohn 6.10 there sate downe about 5000 upon the grasse and Act. 1.15 there was about 120 that is few more or lesse Secondly although there be some wanting in the number yet the Scripture expresseth the full number and this is called rotundatio numeri as Gen. Eederech ketzera 35.26 these are the 12 children that were borne to Iacob in Padan Aram that is almost 12 children for Benjamin was not borne there but in the way as they returned from Syria So Gen. 42.13 we are the 12 sonnes of Iacob that is almost 12 sonnes for they thought Ioseph had bin dead then So Iudg. 9.5 Abimeleth killed the 70 brethren they were not all killed for Iothan escaped So Numb 14.34 ye shall carrie your iniquities 40 yeares in the wildernesse that is almost 40 yeares for this judgement was pronounced against them the second yeare that they came out of Egypt and 1 Cor. 15.5 Christ appeared to the 12 that is almost to 12 for Iudas was hanged then So 2 Sam. 5.5 David raigned over Iudah 7 yeares and sixe monethes and in Ierusalem 33 yeares he raigned but 32 yeares and 6 months yet to make the number round it is said that hee did raigne 33 yeares Thirdly the Scripture sometimes sets downe the greater number and leaves out the lesser ob rotundationē numeri as Iudg. 20.46 all those that fel that day of Benjamin were 25 thousand the whole number that fell were 25 thousand and one hundred but when the Scripture sums them up it sets downe the greater number and leaves out the hundreth so 2 Sam. 5.4 David raigned 40 yeares he raigned 40 yeares and sixe moneths but to make the number round the 6 moneths are left out Fourthly when the thing numbred comes farre short of the number then the Scripture draweth it not that aed rotundationem numeri but acknowledgeth it in effect to be nothing because it hath bin so seldome done as ye sacrificed not unto me 40 yeares in the wildernes because they sacrificed so seldome unto him in the wildernes therfore the Scripture saith ye sacrificed not to me in the wildernes Some reckons this time that they sacrificed not in the wildernesse to be from the time that the spyes returned from the searching of the Land of Canaan and all that time they sacrificed not as Theodoret and Ribera upon Amos affirme The third thing to bee inquired here is this what these Idols were which they worshipped in the wildernesse Amos 5.26 But ye have borne the Tabernacle of your Moloch and Chium your images the starre of your god which you made to your selves ver 27. Therefore I will cause you to goe into captivity beyond Damascus saith the Lord. But Acts 7.42 Yea ye tooke up the Tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Remphan figures which ye made to worship them and I will carry you beyond Babylon First it is to be considered that the Lord gave them up to worship the Hoste of heaven Secondly what they worshipped Thirdly the punishment they shall be carried beyond Babylon for their Idolatry First the Lord gave them up to worship the Hoste of heaven that is as they turned to the Idolatry of Egypt so the Lord turned to give them up to serve the Hoste of heaven Their Idolatry Ye have borne the Tabernacle of your Moloch or Regis vestri of your King The Israelites at this time had no earthly King but by King here is meant the sunne which those in the East called Bagnal and in the Syriack Begnel and Beel Bel their Lord Seldon de dijs Syriis and their Melech King or Molech and Amos saith Regis vestri Luke reades it Moloch and Succoth he turnes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabernaculum because they carried their Gods about with them in a tent or Tabernacle Succoth is Tabernaculum and Succoth was the proper name of the Idoll these he calls imagines vestras figures which ye made to worship them because they carried about with them in a Tabernacle their Succoth or Moloch the image of the heaven in the which the Sunne or Moloch that great King over all the starres and having dominion over all sublunary things was placed in his Tabernacle The Lord hath set a Tabernacle for the sunne in the heavens Psal 19.4 So they carried Moloch the sunne in a Tabernacle For Chiun Saint Luke reades it the starre of your god Remphan all grant Remphan to be put for Chiun or Chevan but what this Remphan was here is the doubt Lodovicus de deiu shewes us learnedly out of Acts the 7 that this Cheven was Saturnus where hee reckons up the names of the planets ex lexico Arabico this Saturnus was Moloch also therefore they sacrificed men both to Saturne and to Moloch and therefore Moloch and Chiun Saturnus are fitly joyned together by Amos. And next he shewes why Saturnus is called Chiun from Cunstabilire disponere and Keina quae a Syris natura dicitur quae vivificat omnia which is called by the Syrians nature it selfe that quickneth all things Then he addes Remphan or Rephan which in the Egyptian tongue signifieth that which we cal Saturne and this he saith Claudius Salmatius did first cleare unto him that in the Egyptian tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Saturne and for proofe of this he brought forth the Egyptiacke Alphabet sent from Rome to him where the Planets are set downe after this manner the first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saturnus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter sic de caeteris The seventy when they Translated the Bible into Greeke they made choise of a knowne word to the Egyptians Rephan in place of Chiun a word which was not knowne to them he addes the starre of your god stella Saturni idest Saturnus as Fluvius Euphratis id est Euphrates Stephen addes figures which they made to themselves the Lord made them not but they made them to themselves God was onely the God of Iacob and he chooseth Israel onely for his inheritance but so soone as they choosed gods to themselves and set up the golden Calfe to worship it Exod. 32.9 He will be their God no more Then he said to Moses thy people have corrupted themselves they are no more my people neither will I be their God any more Their punishment followeth
Amos 5.27 Therefore I will cause you to goe into captivity beyond Damascus and Stephan addes beyond Babylon for here he is speaking of the tenne Tribes which were carried captive by Salmanazar beyond Babylon into Media and the reason which mooved Amos to say beyond Damascus was because Hasael the King of Damascus had plagued Israel or the tenne tribes fearefully many of them hee killed many of them he carried captives away to Syria and yet the stiffe necked people were never a whit the better and therefore he threatens that shortly after they shall be carried a great way beyond Damascus even to Babylon when they were transported to Media and Armenia and so Saint Stephen expressed that clearely which the Prophet aimed at The third increase of Idolatry in the wildernesse was The third increase of Idolatry in the wildernesse when Balaam perswaded Balack to take the daughters of the Madianites and set them before the Israelites first they committed whoredome with them And then they committed a trespasse against the Lord in the matter of Peor Num. 31.16 2 Pet. 5.15 He cast a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel to eate and to sacrifice Rev. 2.14 Psal 106.28 The Israelites beholding the Madianitish women with their adulterous eyes they committed fornication with them The eyes have beene well resembled to the moone and the heart to the sunne and as in an ecclipse when the moone is interposed betwixt our sight and the sunne then there is an ecclipse in the sunne So when the Adulterous eye is interposed betwixt the heart and us that makes the ecclipse of the heart Secondly they stumbled in eating these things which were sacrificed to Baal Peor Heere we may learne how easie a thing it is for men to fall from bodily whoredome to spirituall and what great affinity is betwixt these two It is an easie thing for men to fall from spirituall adultery to corporall contra the breaking of the seventh Commandement by bodily adultery and the second by spirituall adultery When a man commits sin saith Saint Gregory he breakes all the commands Iam. 2.10 But there is some more affinitie betwixt the breach of some commands then of others And he illustrates the matter by this comparison As he who playes upon a Lute when he touches one of the strings all the rest tremble but that string onely which is upon the same note gives the sound with the string which is touched So every sinne touches as it were all the commandements and makes them to tremble but these who stand upon the same concord sinne toucheth them most and men fall easily from Idolatry to whoredome and from whoredome to Idolatry Romans 1.24 because Idolaters changed the glory of God into corruptible things Therefore the Lord gave them up to uncleannesse and to the lusts of their owne heart and to defile their bodies here bodily whoredome is the punishment of Idolatry which is spiritual whoredome Great is the affinity betwixt these two sorts of whoredomes and therefore it is that Antichrists seate Rev. 11.8 is called spirituall Sodome and because of the resemblance betwixt these two sins Ezechiel compared Idolaters of Israel Ezeh 23.2.3.5 to a woman inflamed with love to a godly young man on whom she had cast her eyes and fixed her affections upon and forgetting all modesty sendeth messengers for him ver 16. and bringeth him unto her ver 17. into the bed of Love ver 18. And abstinence from Idolatry is called virginity Rev. 14.4 and not defiling themselves with women The Lord by the Prophet Micah willes the people to remember Mic. 6.5 what Balack the king of Moab consulted against them and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shitim to Gilgall that they might know the righteousnes of the Lord The meaning of the place is that Baalam endeavoured by all meanes when the people of God were travelling through the wildernesse to corrupt them therefore he strove first to corrupt them and he prevailed with them at Shittim when they committed whoredome with the daughters of Moab Num. 25.1 and there the Lord plagued them for their offence then they repented wept bitterly for their offence at Abel Shittim Abell is called mourning then they came to Gilgal where the Lord renewed the covenant with them last to Canaan This pilgrimage of theirs through the wildernesse is a lively type of a poore Christians pilgrimage through the world first hee is baptized The Israelites pilgrimage through the wildernesse fitly resembles the estate of a Christian mans life here then hee is at the red sea with the Israelites 1 Cor. 10. They were baptized in the red sea then through the tentations of the devill he falles and is whipt and chastised for his offences then hee is in Shittim with the Israelites Thirdly hee laments and weepes for his offences and then hee is in Abell Shittim a place of mourning with the Israelites Fourthly hee renues the covenant with God and then he is in Gilgall with the Israelites and at the last he is brought to heaven and then hee is in Canaan with the Israelites The decrease When the Lord commanded the Israelites to revenge themselves on the Madianites Num. 30.2.3 and they slew all the males and the Kings of Midian and Baalam also the sonne of Peor slew they with the sword vers 8. and they killed all the males amongst the litle ones and all the women that had knowne a man and thus the Idolatrie of worshiping of Baal Peor decreased amongst the people The fourth increase of Idolatry in the wildernesse The fourth increase of Idolatrie in the wildernesse was when the devill would have set up the bodie of Moses to have beene worshipped Iude 9. Some hold that this strife which was betwixt Michael and the devill about the bodie of Moses was about the ceremoniall law Iunius upon Iude. which they call Moses his bodie But that place Deut. 34.4.6 shewes that the strife was about Moses naturall bodie for Moses the servant of the Lord died in the land of the Moabites according to the appointment of the Lord he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab in a place where no man knowes unto this day After that Moses died before he was buried the devill would have taken his body and made an Idoll of it But Michael resisted him and would not suffer his body to be made an Idoll Doctrine Great hath beene the strife alwaies about religion Great hath beene the strife alwaies about religion the first strife that ever was in the world was about religion as betwixt Cain and Abel Gen. 4. so betwixt Ierubbaal and the men of Sechem for casting downe Baals altar Iud. 6.28 and betwixt Michael and the devill for the worshiping of Moses his body so betwixt Christ and the devill about Gods worship Mat. 4. So betwixt the image of the beast which was wounded by the sword by
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
Idolatry The decrease of this Idolatrie Iud. 3.15 then they cryed to the Lord The decrease and the Lord sent Ehud a man left handed to deliver them In the originall it is Ittar Iad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shut of the right hand It is not well translated Ambidexter a man who could use both the hands he was not like those who could hurle stones both with the right hand and with the left 1 Chron. 12.2 he had the use of the left hand onely but he was lame in his right hand or his right hand was shut together and hee only used his left hand the strok whereof is most dangerous God in delivering of his owne chooseth often times weake meanes that his glory may appeare the more as heere when Gideon was to fight against the Madianites he cashired two and twenty thousand and then there remained ten thousand and they were too many therefore hee made onely choise of three hundreth and the Lord said I will trie them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iud. 7.4 Hebraice constabo eos that is I will separate the drosse from the gold that is the weake from the strong and I will choose the drosse that al the glory may returne to me in the victorie for the fewer there was in number the greater was the Lords glory So when hee delivered his Church by Gideon that barley cake and when hee overthrew the enemie by Samgars oxe goad Iudg. 3.31 by Deborah a woman when there was neither speare nor shield seene in Israel Iudg. 5.8 and when there was no smith in Israel to make sword or speare yet they overthrew the Philistines who were in number like the sand of the sea 1. Sam. 13.5 The third increase of Idolatrie was in Deborah her time Iud. 5.8 when they chose new gods The third increase of Idolatry A difference betweene nest gods and strange gods that is strange gods So new tongues are called strange tongues Mar. 16.17 Acts 2.4 They may be called strange gods which are not new gods for the Idoles which their fathers worshipped cannot be called new gods yet they were strange gods what ever god they fained to themselves that was a strange god The Iewes who worshipped Idoles were of three sorts The Iewes who worshipped Idols were of three sorts First those who worshipped Iebovah by their Idods First those who worshipped Iehovah the true God by the Idoles Iudg. 17.13 Then said Micha now know I that the Lord will doe me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest so 2 King 17.28 One of the Priests whom they carried out of Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should feare the Lord That is how to worship the calfe whom they thought represented the Lord. So when they set up the calfe in the wildernes they said to morrow shall be afeast to the Lord Exod. 32.5 they thought they worshipped the Lord by that calfe The second were those who worshipped strange Gods but not the gods of their fathers The second sort of Idolaters amongst the Iewes were those who worshipped strange gods but not the gods of their fathers Deut. 32.17 they sacrificed to new gods whom their fathers knew not Thirdly those who willingly chose new gods and not by the perswasion of others The third sort were those who willingly made choise of new gods they were worse than those who choose new gods by the perswasion of others as Amaziaâ— who tooke the gods of the King of Edom and worshipped them after he had come from the killing of the Edomites and carried away their gods 2 Chron. 25.14 he did this freely and of his owne choise but Salomon when he fell to Idolatrie he did it by the perswasion of others 1 King 9.48 Chron. 25.4 Whether those sinned more who worshâ—pped the true God by false meanes or those who worshipped false gods by false meanes Quest. Whether sinned they more who worshipped the true God Iehovah by false meanes then those who worshipped the false gods by false meanes Ans In one respect they sinned more who worshipped the true God by false meanes because they had a greater knowledge of the true God that made their sinne the greater but in those againe who worshipped false gods by false meanes there was a double sinne first in respect of the object because they worshipped a false god Secondly in respect of the meanes because they chose false meanes to worship their God by Quest If one man should sweare a falsehood by the true God and another should sweare a truth by a false God which of these two sinnes were the greater Answ The sin of him who sweares a truth by the false god is greater than his sin who sweares a falsehood by the true God the reason is because Idolatrie is a greater sin than perjurie The sinne of him who sweare a truth by a false god is greater than his sinne who sweares a falsehood by the true god Perjurie is but a sin against the third command and Idolatry is a sin against the second commandement which is greater than perjurie He that sweares a falsehood by the true God denieth but the verity of God but he that sweares the truth by false gods he doth wrong to the very essence of God for he gives to a creature that which is true only to God The Lord objects to his people Ier. 5. that they sweare by false Gods they that sweare by false gods professe that their Idols know all things and cannot be deceived which is onely proper to God if we respect perjurie it is a greater evill to sweare a falsehood by the true God then to sweare a truth by the false gods But Idolatrie is alwayes a greater sinne then perjury therefore to sweare the truth by a false god must be a greatter sin then to sweare a falsehood by the true God The decrease The decrease of this Idolatry When the children of Israel cried unto the Lord for the oppression of Iabin King of Canaan the Lord sent Deborah and Baracke to deliver them Iudg. 4. The fourth increase of Idolatry under the Iudges The fourth increase of Idolatry was when the children of Israel did evill in the sight of the Lord Iudg. 6. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven yeares The decrease The decrease ver 7. And it came to passe when the children of Israel cryed unto the Lord because of the Midianites that the Lord sent the Prophet Gideon to the children of Israel to deliver them Gideon cast down Baals altar and sets up an altar to the Lord and calls it Iehovah Shalom that is the Lord send peace Iudg. 7. â—4 He would not suffer the altar of peace to stand with the alter of strife no more than the Lord would suffer Dagon to stand with the arke of God what communion hath light with darknesse and what communion hath the temple of God
him and untill he bee devested of those usurped titles his edicts have strength to bind the subjects so long as the tyrant stands they are to obey him and implicitâ— he hath the approbation of the subjects that is they wish that hee may doe Iustice so long as he rules The Romans subdued the Iewes and made them their captives and the Iewes by their tacite consent acknowledged them as their Lords and masters therefore Christ bidds them gave tribute to Caesar Mat. 22. So when they were carried captives to Babylon the Lord bidds them pray for the peace of Babylon Ier. 29.7 the people gave there tacite consent to the Babylonians and although they led them captive yet they were to pray for them as there superiors so the Priests although they sinned in usurpation of the priesthood as not being descended of Aaron yet durante tali statu so long as they continued their consecration was valide and they had gotten the tacite consent of the people by prescription of tyme. Quest 3. Who consecrated the high Priest after his fathers death Answ An inferiour Priest did consecrate him see Exod. 29.29 Num. 20.26.28 Quest 4. When the Idolatrous Priests hand was filled and a peece of flesh put therein whether had bee right to sacrifice and consecrate or not Answ None at â—ll for out of the Church there is no consecration therfore Ionathan in his 〈◊〉 Paraphrase calles him not Cohen but Cumer that is No consecration 〈◊〉 of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a heathen then Priest Iud. 18.30 the same phrase of sitting of the hand is used in consecrating of Ieroboams Priests a Chro. 13.9 and yet Ieroboam had no power to consecrate them the water which came out of the rocke 3 Cor. 10. was a sacrament to the Israelites when they dranke of it but when the beasts dranke of it it was no Sacrament to them so this consecration was no consecration to them who were out of the true Church And as Ishmael although hee was truly circumcised by Abraham yet to his posteritie who left the true Church and used circumcision still it was no Sacrament So this consecration out of the Church was no consecration to them and they had no more right to it then the theefe hath to the true mans purse when he takes it The third irregularitie in this consecration was this that he made an Ephod for his sonne to serve this Idoll with There were three sorts of Ephods the first was a religious Ephod such was the Ephod of the Priests Three sorts of Ephod The second sort of Ephod was a politicke or civill Ephod which David wore when he danced before the arke and that which Gidâ—on made and left at Ophrah The third was an Idolatrous Ephod which is joyned here with Teraphim and not with Vriâ—â— and Thaâ—â—â—â—â—â— as the Lords Ephod was The fourth irregularitie was this when hee were consecrate he sacrificed in a private place his fathers house and not in Shilo in the place where the worship of God was performed at that time and this was as badde as if hee had sacrificed in the high places or in the groves Then it was added they did this because there was no king in Israel Kingly governement of the best governement Observe here first that Kingly governement is the best governement and a King here is put for a best magistrate because the Lord was to bring in this kingly governement amongst them Therefore they were called Kings before the institution of Kings as Moses is called a King Gen. 36.31 Deut. 33.5 And because Kingly governement was the most excellent governement therfore it is that sundry things take their denomination from a King at the King lawes Iam. 2.8 so the Kings highway Num. 20.17 so the shout of a King Num. 23.22 that is a joyfull shout as when they were choosing a King A magistrate must have a care both for maintenance of religion and Iustice They committed this Idolatrie because there was no King in Israel so they abused the Levites wife because there was no King in Israel Iudg. 19.1 Here wee see thâ—â— the magistrate is custos utrinsque tabulae and it belongs to him to vindicate the worship of God Idolatrie is iniquitâ—s Iudicum Iob 31.28 That is it is to bee punished by the Iudge and to punish wrongs done by men to men there are two pillars strong like Iakin and Bagâ—as 1 King 7.21 Iustice and religion when these two faile then the landâ—elts Psal 75.3 the Hebrewes say the world is upholden by three things Super lege super cultusacro super retributione benificiorum when these three faile then the world goes to decoy Now Micah will have another Priest then his sonne a Levite of Iudah to be his Priest Quest How could he be a Levite and of Iudah for the Levites were not of the tribe of Iudah Answ Hee hath beene of the tribe of Levi by his mother for women of one tribe might marie with men of another tribe providing that they were not heretickes then they were alwaies bound to marrie within their owne tribe to keepe the inheritance distinct Micah chused this Levit to sacrifice but the Levites might not sacrifice nor inquire any thing of the Lord The Levites might not sacrifice but by the priests When the Tabernacle was to be taken up or set downe no stranger might come neare it here all are called strangers who are not priests or Levites Num. 1.51 But when they were to sacrifice no stranger might sacrifice that is neither Israelite nor Levite Num. 3.10 Therfore when he chose a Levite to sacrifice here there was a great irregularitie their callings were two distinct callings The calling of the Levites and the priests were two distinct callings the Levites did some things which the priests might not doe as to carry the Arke therefore Vzza was killed who touched the Arke being a priest and the Levites might not sacrifice under the paine of death Num. 3.10 This wandering Levite was redacted to great miserie and he was content with a poore portion It was a great curse upon the posterity of Eli when they should come and crouch for a peece of silver and a morsell of bread and should say Put me I pray thee into one of the priests offices that I may eate a peece of bread 1 Sam. 2.36 So when this base Levite sought to be a priest and was content with ten shekells of silver a yeare and a suite of apparell and his victuals Iudg. 17.10 then he came and crouched downe for a peece of silver and a morsell of bread None that served in the temple or tabernacle in the basest office did it for nought as they that shut the doores and kindled the fire Mal. 1.10 or the Nethinims Iosh 9.27 who hewed the wood for the sacrifices and drew water for the temple or the Levites that flead the beasts or the Priests that offered the
necke and his sonnes were kilâ—ed Idolaters thinke that they have all happinesse and prosperity by their Idols Ier. 44.18 Since wee left off to burne incense to the queene of heaven wee have wanted all things But marke what the Lord sayes of these Idols and makes the Israelites confesse the same Ier. 3.24 Shame hath devoured the labour of your fathers from your youth that is from your Idols their flockes and their heards their sonnes and their daughters Micah when he set up his Idols flattered himselfe Iudg. 17.13 Now I know that the Lord will doe me good But the Lord sayes Deut. 27.15 Cursed bee the man that maketh any graven or molten Image an abomination unto the Lord and all the people shall say Amen But happie is the Church when she sayes Hos 2. I will goe and returne to my first husband for then it was better with me then now At this time there fell out a filthy fact in Gibeah in the tribe of Beniamin A filthy fact committed in Gibeah at this time for there the men of Gibeah abused the Levites concubine so that she died by the violence done unto her there the ten tribes made warre against the Beniamites The Beniamines prevaile against the Israelites because of their Idolatrie although Beniamin were the children of iniquitie yet they prevailed against the ten tribes because the ten tribes at this time were infected with Micha his Idolatrie Idolatrie is a viler sin then the sin of Gibeah Ho. 10.9 Idolatry exceedes the sinne of Gibeah and the sinne of Sodom and matcheth bestialitie It is a viler sin then the sin of Sodome Eze 16.46 It is a sin like unto beastialitie when a man lyes with a beast Eze. 23.20 what sinne then can be greater then Idolatrie And thus they committed Idolatry from age to age while the Iudges ruled them untill God was wroth and greatlie abhorred Israel Psal 78. In Samuels dayes they worshipped Baal Of the increase of Idolatry under Somuel and Ashta 1. Sam. 7. The decrease of this Idolatry was 1 Sam. 7.6 when the people gathered themselves together to Mizpeh and drew water and powred it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there What is signified by powring out water before the Lord. we have sinned against the Lord to powre out water in the Scripture signifies to powre out a thing abundantly Deut. 12.16 ye shall not eate the blood but powre it out upon the ground like water So Gen. 49. Reuben is powred forth lik water that is he hath given himselfe over altogether to lust And the Scripture expresseth this their repentance by powring out of water rather then by powring out of any other liquor for although ye should powre out oyle or honey out of a vessel yet some of the liquor would still remaine in the vessell the smell also But when water is powred out of a vessell nothing remaines no not the smell By this powring out of water they signifie that they would altogether renounce their Idolatrie and that not so much as the tangue or smell of it should remaine among them Samuel reprooves them for choosing of a King then they are terrified with thunder in the time of the wheate harvest Lastly hee diswades them from Idolatrie 1 Sam. 12.12 and 17.21 Hee rebukes them for choosing of a King Kingly government was the government which God was minded to erect amongst them they had three commandements given to them when they were to enter into Canaan first to cast out the Canaanites the second to choose a King and the third to build the temple The Lord was minded then to give them a King but hee was angry with them because they would have had a King such as the nations had Againe hee was angry with them because they were weary of Samuels governement and likewise for anticipating the time the Iewes said of them comederunt immaturum avam they eate the grape before it was ripe He terrifies the people calling upon the Lord to send thunder in the wheate harvest when it was the most cleare and faire season of the whole yeare at the Pentecost or about the Pentecost therefore it is called festum messis If it had beene in the time of the Barley harvest at the Pascha it had not seemed so strange a thing to the people to have heard thunder for then the clouds abounded more and Iordan did over flow the bankes thereof by the melting of the snow upon the mountaines The Lord caused it to thunder God hath two sorts of voyces by which he speakes to men The first by his voyce in the thunder Psal 29. secondly by his voyce in the Temple Psal 26.9 The first is an inarticulate voyce the other is articulate sometimes he both thundred and spake at once and when they came together then his articulate voyce was called hath col filia vocis He gave his law with thunder Exod. 19. and in sundry of the Revelations shewen to Iohn with the voyce there was thunder Chapter 4.5 and 6.1 and 10.3 therefore we reade Iohn 12.18 when there came a voyce from heaven the people who stood by some of them said it thundereth and others of them said an Angel speaketh unto him the reason of this was because the Lord usually spake to them in the thunder but here when the people were terrified hee spoke not to them in the thunder but terrified them and comforted them by Samuel Lastly he prayeth for the people diswadeth them to turne aside for then they should goe after vaine things which cannot profit nor deliver 1 Sam. 12.21 This Idolatrie spread more in the time of the Kings then it did under the Iudges all the Kings of Iudah committed Idolatrie or else by their oversight tolerated it All the Kings of Iudah sinned except three Syrac 49. David Ezekias and Iosias There were three kings of Iudah most excellent Kings that is all committed Idolatrie or did tollerate it except these three Iehosaphat he did not tollerate Idolatrie yet because he made affinitie with Ahab 2 Chro. 18.2 and joyned himselfe with Ahaziah King of Israel who did verie wickedly 2 Chron. 20.36 because he did these things hee is not reckoned amongst the first three of the Lords worthies amongst the Kings of Iudah David was most zealous for the glorie of God and is set downe as a paterne to other Kings 2 Chron. 29.2 Ezekias did uprightly as his father David did therefore Ecclesiasticus 47.2 David is compared to the fatt of the peace offerings All the peace offerings was the Lords but the fat was his after a speciall manner because it was wholly burnt to him So David exceeded all the rest of the Kings in zeale Therfore the zeale of Gods house did eate him up Ps 69.9 Amongst the Kings of Egypt or Pharaohes some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minime mali they favoured the people of God A collation betwixt
the Kings of Egypt the kings of Israel and the kings of Iudah as Abrahams Pharaoh Iacobs Pharaoh and Iosephes Pharaoh Others of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 badde as Pharaoh Ophrah Ier. 44. and Pharaoh Neco Ier. 46. and some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Moses his Pharaoh Among the Kings of Israel there were none good they were either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were either bad or very bad none of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not evill They suckt the milke of Idolatrous superstition in the daies of Ieroboam whereunto they were addicted alwaies so long as the common wealth indured even the reigne of ninteene Kings But amongst the Kings of Iudah some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 optimi as David Ezekias and Iosias some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boni as Iehosaphat Asa and Manasseh Manasseh is reckoned amongst the good kings because his end was good Eze. 18. Some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Vzziah was who began well but his heart was lifted up and he fell away from the Lord afterward and some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most wicked as Ammon and Ahaz but there were none of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minime mali Object But it may be said of Iosias that the remnants of Baal were not taken away in his tyme Zepha 1.4 why then should he be reckoned amongst the best Kings Answ He studies to cut away the remnants of Baal which he could not finde out at the first because Idolaters are very subject to cover their Idolatry The first increase of Idolatry under the Kings was in Salomons dayes 1 Kings 11.5 The first increase of Idolatry amongst the kings was in Salomon time When Salomon went after Ashtaroth the goddesse of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites The Lord gave Salomon wisedome above any he exceelled the wisedome of the East country What great blessings the Lord bestowed upon Salomon before hee fell and all the wisedome of Egypt in naturall wisedome The Lord gave him a heart as large as the sand of the sea 1 Kin. 4.29 the Lord loved him and called his name Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 The Lord appeared twice to him 1 King 9.10 The Lord made choise of him to be one of his secretaries to write a part of the holy scriptures It was hee who builded the temple and bestowed infinite charges upon building of it It was he who consecrated the Temple It was he who offered when the Temple was consecrated â—0000 oxen 1 King 8.63 and 120000. sheepe It was he who prayed for the people and blessed them 1. King 8.55 It was hee who was a speciall type of Christ It was hee who fell not away untill his old age and although the Lord threatned him that hee would rent his Kingdome for this his Idolatrie yet hee continued still in it 1 King 9.11 and was not a whit bettered by the threatnings of the prophet and herein he seemes to be worse then his foolish sonne Rehoboam for when the Prophet Semajah came to diswade him for to fight against Ieroboam hee left off his purpose and went backe againe but Salomon lay long in a Lethargie before he awoke who would have thought that the dragon with his taile could have pulled downe so farre this shining starre and when we see such a great Cedar of Lebanon as this to have fallen Let us with feare and reverence worke out our salvation The decrease of this Idolatry when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes The decrease of this Idolatry was when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes in a publike testimony of his repentance Salomon wrote three bookes the first is his Proverbes and it is intituled The Proverbs of Salomon the sonne of David King of Israel a fit booke of morall instructions for a King to write to his subjects then he wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes to the Church after his fall when he was gathered to the Church againe Coheâ—eth from Cabal congregare and he beginnes this booke thus Vanity of vanities and by vanities here he meanes especially Idolatrie for Idolls are the Gentiles vanities Ionah 2. and 〈◊〉 Act. 14.15 and he shuts up this booke thus feare God and keepe his commandements which shewes that Salomon renounced the vanities of those Idols And the last booke which he wrote was the Song of Songs which is the most excellent of all songs yea and of all Salomons Songs wherein his heart is elevated in describing this spirituall conjunction betweene Christ and his Church under the termes of a marriage made with his queene when he married Pharaos daughter Reasons proving that Salomon wrote this booke after his repentance It is cleare that Salomon wrote his booke after his repentance and after that hee had tried all sorts of vanities and not before his fall for in this booke hee describes his wisedome his power the buildings and the glory of his house which answers to that which is spoken of him 1 King 7.9 10. at the least he spent twentie yeares before all these things were done then he spent thirteene yeares in building of his house then adde to these five or sixe in repairing the citie and in building of the cities in the desert so that by this time hee had beene fortie or fiftie yeares old and adde to these the sending of the ships to Ophir which hee sent to fetch home gold Eccles 2. then hee tells how much hee was given to women J found a woman more bitter than death Eccles 7.26 and of a thousand wives and concubines which he had there was not one which he could trust Eccles 7 and these all he found but vanities Hee could not doe all those things and have experience of all these vanities but in a long time Bellarmine goes about to prove out of the text that this booke was written before Salomons fall because he saith my wisedome remained with me Eccles 2.9 but his wisedome could not remaine with him when he fell so filthily therefore saith hee this booke was written before his fall Answ The wisedome which remained with him so long as he went astray from the Lord was his carnall wisedome and his spirituall wisedome was buried all this while untill the time that he repented The reasons in particular which shewes Salomon his repentance are those First Salomon was a Prophet of God Salomon was a holy Prophet of God therefore he was not a reprobate and a Pen man of holy Scriptures now all the Prophets of God were holy men Luke 1.70 therefore Salomon was a holy man although he was overtaken with those vanities for a while The second reason is taken from the promise of God The second reason that hee was not a reprobate is taken from the promise of God made to him 2 Sam. 7.14 I will be his father saith the Lord and hee shall be my sonne if he
commit iniquitie I will chastise him with the rods of men and with the stripes of the children of men that is with stripes that men are able to beare but 〈◊〉 mercy shall not depart away from him The third reason because Salomon is set down for an example of imitation and he is commended who followed him as I tooke it from Saul whom I put away before thee The third reason Salomon is set downe for an example of imitation and he is commended who followeth him Rehoboam walked in the way of David and Salomon the first three yeares 2 Chro. 11.17 Hence it followeth that Salomon hath repented him of his former vanities and died a sonne reconciled to his God and as the evill beginning of Manasseh shewes the bad end of Ammon So the good beginnings of Rehoboam shewes the good end of Salomon What things are to be observed when the Kings of Israel and Iudah are set downe for examples When the Kings of Iudah and Israel are set downe for examples these things are to be observed First if the wicked sonne follow his fathers wicked footesteppes without repentance then both perish 2. King 15.9 Secondly if the wicked king repent him of his sinne and his sonne be said to follow his fathers footsteppes then he is said to follow his fathers footsteppes onely in the time of his vanities It is said of Ammon 2 King 21.21 that he followed his father and he worshipped those Idols which his father worshipped This is to be understood that hee followed his father in his badde dayes and not in his last dayes when he repented him of his sinnes Thirdly when the King repents him of his former leud life and his son is commended for following his fathers footsteppes then it is to be understood that the sonne followed his fathers footsteppes in the end of his life and not in his former wicked dayes and thus Rehoboam is said to have walked in the wayes of David and Salomon 2 Chron. 11.17 that is he followed Salomon his father in his last yeares when he repented Fourthly if the King carrie himselfe well in the beginning of his reigne and fall afterward then his sonne is said not to follow his footsteppes and the reason of this is given Ezech. 16.24 The second in crease of Idolatry The second increase of Idolatrie under the Kings was after the dayes of Salomon when the tenne tribes fell away from the house of David and Ieroboam erected golden calves to be worshipped in Dan and Bethel After that the ten tribes separated themselves from the house of David The tenne tribes are called the house of Israel and those that cleaved to David are called the house of Iudah So the ten tribes are called Ephraim and Ioseph they are called Ephraim Psal 80.2 because their first king was of Ephraim Ieroboam changed foure things in the worship of God at this time and therefore it is said Ieroboam changed foure things in the worship of God he drove away Israel from the Lord and made them to sinne a great sinne 2 Kin. 17.21 or fecit Ieroboam Israel avolare a domino he made them to flie away from the Lord. He changed first the place The text reading and the marginall reading 2 Chron. 7.16 1 King 12.14 Hee placed those calves in Bethel and Dan. The name of this Bethel because the Idoll was erected there was changed and it was called Bethhaven the house of vanitie and not â—â—thel the house of God 1 Kin. 12.30 And this thing became a sinne for the people went to worship before the one even to Dan Ieroboam pretended the ease of the people when hee set up those calves he would not have them to goe up to Ierusalem to worship Therefore he set up one Idol in Bethel in the South side of the country and an other in Dan in the North side of the countrie that they might goe there the more commodiously to worship yet notwithstanding they were carried after their Idols as with a whirlewinde 1 Cor. 12.2 that they would runne from the South to the North for the worshipping of those Idolls and would not be content with their Idoll which they had neare hand in Bethel but they would runne to Dan also and worship Secondly He changed the signe of Gods presence Ieroboam changed the signes of Gods presence and put in two golden calves in their place Thirdly hee changed the time of Gods worship He changed the time of Gods worship 1 King 12.32 he offered on the altar which hee made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eight moneth which he had devised of his owne heart He made the basest of the people priests Fourthly hee made the basest of the people priests 1 King 12.31 And Iosephus holds that Ieroboam himselfe played the part of the highpriest 1 King 12.33 It is said in the originall that he went up upon the Altar sacrificing to the calves that he had made Whether the sinne of the ten tribes or the sinne of Iudah was greater Quest Whether was the sinne of the ten tribes or the sinne of Iudah greater when they committed Idolatrie Answ The Idolatry of the tenne tribes was greater extensive It was further extended and dured longer than the Idolatry of Judah but intensive Iudah his Idolatry was greater The sinne of Judah was written with a pen of iron and with a point of a diamond it was graven upon the table of their heart â—nd upon the hornes of their altar Ier. 17.1 and Ierusalem Aholibah was more corrupted in her fornications than Aholah or Samaria Ezech 23.11 The promise of the Messias was made more clearely to Iudah than to Israel Iudah had some verie good Kings who were types of Christ Israel had none Judah had the temple which Israel had not at all Iudah had many prophets Israel few Iudah saw Israel carried away and plagued for their Idolatrie and yet Iudah repented not therefore Iudah's sinne was greater than Israels shee exceeded Samaria and Sodome in her filthinesse Ezechiel chapter 16. verse 46. Whether the Kings of Israel or the Kings of Iudah who were Idolaters were the viler The Kings of Israel were viler than the Kings of Iudah Therefore when the wicked Kings of Iudah are blamed they are said to walke in the wayes of the Kings of Israel 2 King 16.1 â— 3. The Kings of Israel were worse than the Kings of Iudah because all of them were badde and some of them as bad or badder than any of the Kings of Iudah as wicked Ahab The pride of the ten tribes was greater than the pride of Iudah they compare themselves to the Cedar of Lebanon and they compare Iudah but to the thistle 2 King 14.9 Object But God gave an expresse commandment to the tenne tribes that they would separate themselves from Iudah Answ But hee never commanded them to separate themselves from the worship of Iudah Because Ieroboam drew away the
people to this fearefull Idolatry therefore the Lord threatens that none of his posterity shall succeede The Lord punisheth the Idolatry of the fathers upon the children There is a personall sinne The Lord punishes the Idolatry of the fathers upon the children in haereditarie sinnes but not in personall and there is an haereditary sinne A personall sinne is that which the father is onely guilty of and not the sonne an haereditary sinne is that which both the father and the children are guilty of but in a personall sinne the posterity followes not the father it is said of Zelophehad Num. 27 3. That he dyed in his owne sinne that is in a sinne which his posterity was not guilty of it was not that common sinne in murmuring against God through misbeleefe for the which none of them entered into Canaan but it was a peculiar sinne of his owne which his posterity was not guilty of but if they doe follow the foote steppes of their wicked fathers then it is an haereditary sinne and it is imputed to them If the Idolatrous sonne follow the Idolatrous father then he is guilty of his fathers sin as Ammon was guilty of Manasseh his sinne So if they follow the footesteppes of their Idolatrous mother then they are guilry of her Idolatry when the mother 's baked the cakes to the Queene of heaven Ier. 7.18 The children gathered the stickes to kindle the fire here they were guilty of their mothers Idolatry it is a terrible imprecation of David Psal 109.14 Let the iniquitie of his father be remembred and let not the sinne of his mother be blotted out when the Idolaters have to answere both for their fathers Idolatry and for their mothers this is a fearefull case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then they receive Kephalaiim Esay 40. double for all their sinnes that is both for their owne sinnes and for the sinnes of their parents Although the Idolater repent him of his Idolatry yet his sonne may be punished for it And it is to be marked that although the Idolater repent him of his Idolatry yet the Lord may charge his posterity with that sinne Manasseh was a great Idolater and shed innocent blood these sinnes were pardoned in Manasseh yet his posterity were punished according to all that he did that is both for his Idolatry and for shedding of innocent blood and these sinnes were not pardoned in his posterity There was never any decrease of Idolatry in the ten tribes but it overspread all their Kings as a Leprosie The Kings of Israel all of them successively for nineteene generations were Idolaters yet amongst them all there was none like Ahab who did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord 1 King chap. 21. ver 25 Of the sinnes of Ahab the wickedest King in Israel This Ahab persecuted the Prophets of God and killed them Secondly hee threw downe the Altars of the Lord. Thirdly hee intertained foure hundred Priests of Baal at his table and fourthly he worshipped Baal Ahab persecuted the Prophets and killed them First he persecuted the Prophets of God and killed them Those who are most deare to the Lord whom the Lord expresly forbad to meddle with Psal 105 15. Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme And they that touched them touched the Aple of his eye Zach. 2.8 He that receiveth a Prophet saith Christ Math. 10.41 in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward Then Ahab who killed the Prophets knowing that they were Prophets what reward got he The Prophets of God most resemble the great Prophet the Lord Iesus Christ who did two things for us first the things which he did from God to us in revealing Gods will to us The second is which he did from us to god interceding at his hands for us So the Prophets of God first they revealed the will of God to us and secondly they interceded for us Gen. 20.7 He is a Prophet and he will pray for thee therefore the Prophets were called the strength and the Chariots of Israel 2 King 13.14 and where prophecie was wanting there the people were naked Prov. 20.12 Secondly Ahab threw downe the Altars of God 1 King 19.10 Quest What Altars of God were in Israel at this time Answ 1 King 18.30 And Elijah repaired the Altar of the Lord that was broken downe which Altar Elijah erected in Carmell There were many that were injurious to the Lords Altars Ahab threw downe the Lords Altar Whosoever medled with the Altar of the Lord the Lord plagued them Achaz caused to remove the Lords Altar Vzziah went about to offer incense at the Lords golden Altar Vriah the high priest offered upon the Altar of Damascus in place of the Altar of the Lord Nadab and Abihu that brought strange fire to the Lords Altar and there was never one of these who medled with the Lords Altar but the Lord plagued them for it The Altar of God was called Arriel Ezch. 43.15 the Lyon of god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whosoever medled with this Lyon he devoured them when Esaiah was called to be a Prophet Esay 6. there came an Angell flying from the Altar with a paire of tongs in his hand and a living coale in it and touched the lippes of the Prophet and sanctified him But when God was wroth with those for medling with his Altar there came a messenger of Gods wrath from the altar and plagued them as the leprosie came flying from the Altar and smote Vzzia and fire came from the Altar and burnt Nadab and Abihu and so upon the rest who medled with this Altar who ever threw it downe or polluted it Ahaz medled with the brasen Altar a type of Christs death and Vzziah medled with the golden Altar a type of Christs intercession therefore God poured out his wrath upon them plagued them both Marke a difference betwixt the Prophets of the Lord and Baals Priests A difference betwixt the Lords Prophets and the Priests of Baal if ye will respect their number they are eight hundreth and fifty The prophets of the Lord were but few in respect of them Obadiah tooke an hundreth Prophets and hidde them by fifties in a cave 1 King 18.4 If yee will respect their fare there was a great difference also the poore Prophets were fed onely with bread and water but the Priests of the groves were fed at the court 1 King 18.19 Thirdly if ye will respect their apparell and the places where they lived yee shall see great difference the Prophets of God went in sheepe skinnes and goate skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the world was not worthy of they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in dennes and caves of the earth Heb. 11.37.38 But Baals priests lived daintily in all plenty But if wee shall looke to their end and how they were miserably killed and how the Prophets of God were delivered
how they were separate for the day of slaughter and all killed in one day then wee would make choise rather with Moses to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Heb. 11.25 and with David rather to be a doorekeeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse Psal 84.10 Fourthly Achab worshiped Baall In the scripture wee reade of three sorts that were diversly affected to Baal Three sorts that were diversly affected towards Baal first those who pleaded against Baal as Gideon called Ierubaal of Ierubashâ—th 2 Sam. 9.23 and Elijah secondly those who stoop for Baal as Ahab and Iezebell and the Priests of Baal And thirdly those who halted betwixt God Baal in the politickes they were said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Dion said of Cicero because he now clave to the people and now to the Senate and Homer called such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he who cleaves to this point and now to that and this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the mind is carried now this way now that way Quest Which of those two was worst An Those who halted betwixt God Baal therfore the Lord sayes Reve. 3. I would thou wert hot or cold but because thou art lukewarme I wil spue thee out of my mouth lukewarmenes here is not the midst betwixt hotte and cold as it is in Physicall things but it is farthest from the vertue heate the Lord detests more the lukewarme then the cold The Phylosopher Ethic. 7. markes foure sorts of men the first is continens temperans The worst sort of all were those who halted betwixt God and Baal the second is incontinens intemperans the third is temperans incontinens the fourth is continens intemperans Continens temperans is hee who bridles his passions suffers them not to burst forth into action Incontinens inteÌ„perans is he who rules not his passions but suffers them to burst forth into action Incontinens teÌ„perans is he who rules not his passion but yet suffers not his passion to burst forth into action as hee that suffers not the sun to goe down upon his wrath Psal 4. Be angry but sin not as if hee should say when ye are angry for to this passion of anger all men are prone sin not that is execut not this your anger with a deliberate purpose the fourth is continens intemperans and he refraines his passion and bridles it yet executes it in action as he who killes in cold blood Quest Which of these foure sorts are worst Answ A man would thinke that hee were worst who were both incontinent and temperate but yet it is not so for hee that is continent and bridles his passions and intemperate and refraines not from the action hee is the worst sort of men for hee does deliberately sinne and not miscarried by his passion so hee that is luke-warme in the service of God is farther from the vertue then he that is cold and hee that halts betwixt God and Baal is by the Lord more abhorred then he who directly stands for Baal The people that were brought from strange nations to Samaria they are said to have feared the Lord and worshipped their owne Gods 2 King 17.33 yet because they worshipped both it is said ver 34. that they feared not the Lord for the Lord detests those most of all so those lukewarme people are most hated of him and as the stomacke cannot brooke lukewarme things so well as it does hot or cold for hot or cold things do contract the stomack and make it keepe things the better but lukewarme things delates the stomacke and makes it spew them out so the Lord spewes out these lukewarme people and cannot brooke them by any people Elijah reproved Ahab to his face Now Elijah who opposeth himselfe to Baal and to Ahab the maintainer of Baal comes and reprooves Ahab to his face and says that it was hee that troubled Israel So Paul came and withstood Peter to his face These are called the faithfull woundes of a friend The Physitians call the woundes opposit to these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfaithfull Those that are given behind a mans backe as detraction or backbiting are most dangerous wounds Elijah contesteth with the Pristes of Baal for the worship of God The second thing which Elijah did here was his conteste with the Priests of Baal There was a great dispute heere about Religion and to end the controversie they will try it this way that the Lord would be pleased to send downe a fire from heaven to burne their sacrifices who were accepted of him but not upon theirs who were not excepted By this signe of sending down fire upon the sacrifices The people knew that God accepted of their sacrifices when he sent downe fire from heaven to burne them the people of God knew when their sacrifices were accepted it is said Gen. 4. that the Lord looked upon Abel and upon his sacrifice Aquila translates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee set it on fire so when the tabernacle was erected the Lord sent downe a fire upon their sacrifices and when the temple was erected he sent down a fire upon their sacrifices and ordinarily when there sacrifices were burnt to ashes then they knew that God accepted of them Psal 20.3 Remember all thy offerings and turne to ashes thy burnt sacrifice There came downe a fire burnt Elijah his sacrifice The fire came downe foure times upon the Altar to burne the sacrifices this fire came downe foure times from heaven upon their sacrifices First upon Abel his sacrifice secondly upon the sacrifice of the Tabernacle when they had sacrificed seven dayes Le. 8.33 Then the glory of the Lord appeared on the eight day and the fire came down upon their sacrifice Levit. 9.23 24. Thirdly the fire came down upon their sacrifice when the Temple was erected and fourthly the fire came downe upon Elijah his sacrifice But the fire came not downe in the second Temple to burne the sacrifices Quest. How was their sacrifices then accepted in the second Temple The Hebrewes hold that the fire in the tabernable went up to heaven againe from whence it came downe 2 Chro. 7.1 seeing the fire came not downe from heaven to burne them Answ The Prophets and the Preists consecrated this fire in the second Temple and then it was an heavenly fire and whosoever brought any other fire into the altar that was strange fire The fire in the first temple was divinohumanus ignis How the fire in the second temple was accepted when it came not downe from heaven that is it came from heaven but it was maintained by wood as our fire is but the fire in the second temple was humanodivinus that is it was at the first but humane fire which came not from heaven but being
consecrate by the prophets and the Priests it became heavenlie fire The Iewes are uncertaine concerning the fire of the second temple for some say 2 Mac. 1.19 that the Priests hidde the fire of the first temple in a pit and that it was kindled againe in the second temple after the captivity R. David Hag. 1.8 But others of them hold that there were five things wanting in the second temple which were in the first the Arke Vrim Thummim the holy fire and Shechina the majestie of God who dwelt betweene the Cherubines Because this fire came from heaven therefore when they wanted it they studied by rubbing the stones of the altar one upon another to kindle the fire againe 2 Mac. 10.3 and the vest all virgins imitating them when their holy fire went out they kindled it againe with the beames of the sunne contracted into a christall glasse The third thing which Elijah did was this He caused all the Priests of Baal to bee kild this was Opimum Sacrificium Deo when the Levites consecrated their hands to kill their neighbours and brethren that were Idolaters Exod. 32.29 their hands were consecrate with their blood of the brethren as that day when they were ordained Priests the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the thumbe of their right hand Exod. 29.20 And this was as acceptable a consecration to the Lord as that day when they were consecrate priests unto him so the shedding of the blood of these Idolatrous Priests was as acceptable a sacrifice to the Lord as any could be Elijah for his good service done to God in that great famine the Lord preserves him wonderfully first by Ravens at the river Cherith who brought him bread and flesh twice in the day secondlie by the widow of Zarepta who had but a little meale which shee was to dresse and then to die 1 King 17.12 Chrysostome considering the fact of this widow Homil 19. 2. Cor. markes the great charitie of this widow that she gives not out of her povertie to helpe the prophet but out of her meere necessitie when both she and her child were like to starve neither having any hope to be helped by her neighbours and here hee compares Abraham his fact and her fact when Abraham intertained the strangers and hee preferres her charitie to Abrahams shee ranne not to the flocke as Abraham 〈…〉 â—nely to her poore handfull of meale which was reserved for her and her sonne Wee are bound to give of things that are profitable for us to helpe our neighboures necessitie as the Samaritan tooke his oyle and his wine and powred it into the hurt mans wounds So hee who hath two coates should impart to him that hath none Luke 3.11 but this poore widow gaver her one coate consumsit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 15.13 to save the Prophets life thirdly he was fed by the Angell The bowed their knees to Baal The Idolaters in Ahabs time bowed their knees to Baal The Hebrewes have foure words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which they expresse the signes of bodily worship The first is Barach the bowing of the knee The second is Cadad the bowing of the head from the necke upward The third is Carang the bowing downe of the head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the bulke of the bodie and the fourth is hishtahave to cast downe the whole body before them The Apostle Rom. 6.13 wills us that we should make all our members instruments of righteousnesse to God but the Idolaters made all their members the instruments of sinne to worship their Idols The steod with their heads uncovered before their Idols First their head they prayed before their Idols with their heads covered because the people of the East worshipped their great men with their heads covered therefore they prayed after the same manner and honoured their Idols standing before them with their heads covered Mishna Tom. 1. l. 2. Maymonides saith that religious outward worship should be given after the same manner as they worshipped great men and he addes nisi forte sit mos illius loci ut quis stet coram magnatibus aperto capite that is unlesse it be the manner of men in that place to stand bareheaded when they doe reverence to great men where wee see that the gesture and the manner of praying is to be accommodated to the custome of the place where one lives and they should testifie their outward reverence bâ— such signes as men testifie their reverence to greâ—◠〈…〉 This manner of worship varies in sundry parts Maymonides wrote his Mishna in Egypt and amongst the Mahumetans who uncover not their heads before great men but bow only their head before them and therefore when they pray they uncover not their head So the Iewes both the priests and people uncover not the head in time of divine service The priests had such bonnets upon their heads which could not easily be taken off and put on as ours and when they came abroad they never uncovered their heades but when they made great lamentation they uncovered their heads and cast ashes upon them But the Christians in the West when they doe reverence to their superiours they alwayes uncover their heads and therefore it is the fittest gesture for us to uncover our heads when we pray The Iewes who live here in Europe when they are in their synagogues they never uncover their heads which is altogether contrary to the custome of Europe They salute great men here uncovering their heads and so should they pray according to the canon of Maimonides but they do this in despight of the Christians The Apostle 1 Cor. 11. wills men to be uncovered and women to be covered when they pray because that was the usuall forme amongst the Grecians for the men did uncover their heads when they did any reverence to their superiours and the women had vailes which covered their heads and faces when they came abroad therefore he would not have them uncovered in time of prayer Secondly They worshipped their Idolls turning their faces to them they worshipped their Idolls by turning their faces to them and this is properly adorare ad os orare So the Lord commands his people that they should not turne their backes to him but their faces Ier. 2.27 And the Iewes say that it was not lawfull for anie when they came to the temple to worship if they entered in at the East gate to goe out at the same gate againe but to goe out at the North gate least they should turne their backs upon the Lord. The Iewes were commanded when they worshipped the Lord to turne their faces towards the temple when they were without it 1 King 8. This was to be understood only in their publique worship then they were bound to turne their faces towards the temple and so when they worshipped in their synagogues they turned their faces alwaies towards the temple and Daniel
The Iewes when they worshipped God publiquely turned their faces towards the temple which they did not in their private prayers when he was in captivitie opened his window and looked towards the temple when he worshipped but when they worshipped privately in their chambers they did not this as when Ezekias turned his face towards the wall and prayed to the Lord So David in his secret chamber prayed to the Lord and watered his couch with teares and Manasseh when he was prisoner in Babylon repented and prayed to the Lord we cannot thinke that he did this they turned not their faces towards the temple then They lifted up their eyes to their Idols Si dederis mihi cor oculos suos meus eris dicit dominum Occulus corsunt proxinetae peccati Thirdly they lifted up their eyes to their Idols Eze. 18.15 neither hath lifted up his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel The eye is the messenger of the minde when the eye is lifted up to the Idols it testifies that it hath a directon from the minde The Lord forbiddes them to goe a whoring after their owne eyes Num. 15.39 When David testifies that he worshipped God sincerely be saith unto thee I lift up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Ps 123.1 Our eyes then should waite upon the Lord as the eyes of the servants looke unto the hands of their masters and as the eye of the handmaind unto the hand of her mistrisse Psal 123. They honoured their Idols with their mouth kissing the Idoll Fourthly they kissed their Idols 1 King 19.18 Hos 13.2 they kissed the calves This kissing was an usuall thing in worshipping of their Idolls and they used to kisse either the mouth of the Idoll or their owne hand for when they could not reach to kisse the Idoll they kissed their owne hand in signe of homage to their Idoll and Iob purged himselfe of this kinde of Idolatry neither kissed I my hand Iob 31. They gave this kisse to their Idols which is due onely to Christ Kisse the sonne Psal 2. So to eate before the Idolls this is called eating upon the mountaines Ezech. 22.9 and this is Idolatrie They praysed God three manner of wayes Fiftly they praised their gods and that three manner of wayes first they called upon them with a loud voyce as they did to Baal 1 King 18.16 they called upon him from the morning to the noonetide of the day and then they were vocales Secondly they played upon instruments before their Idols Dan. 3.15 and then they had vocem femivocalem Thirdly they called upon their Idolls secretly within themselves and then they were muti this they called favere linguis in their Liturgie So the Church of God had these three sorts of wroship which they gave to the true God First they had ther publique prayers to the Lord and there they were vocales Secondly they offered the burnt offerings and played upon all sorts of instruments then they were semivocales 2 Chron. 29.27 28. And lastly they prayed within themselves for so long as the incense was in offering all the people prayed privately by themselves and all this while there was no voyce heard Luke 1.10 then they were muti and Iohn Revel 8. seemes to allude to this custome when he saith there was silence in the heavens for halfe an houre Sixtly they carried their Idols upon their shoulders Ier. 10.5 Acts 7.43 Bajulastis in humeris vestris even as the Levites carried the Arke of the covenant upon their shoulders 1 Kin. 2.26 So they carried their Idols Seventhly they held up their hands to their Idols The hand is instrumentum instrumentorum They held up their hands to their Iodols by it saith Fabius pollicemur we promise vocamus we call in vocamus we incal dimittimus we dismis Minamur we threaten supplicania we intreate timemus we feare interrogamus we aske negamus we deny by the hand we shew our sadnes our confession and our repentance we speake by the hand Prov. 6.13 He reacheth by his fingers and he promiseth by his hand we sweare holding up our hand or laying on the hand other parts of the body helpe a man to speake but a hand seemes to speake for it selfe we stretch out the hand to that which we would most earnestly apprehend Psal 119.47 Mine hands also will I lâ—ft up to thy Commandements whom I have loved that is to the Commandements which I desire most earnestly to embrace and lay hold on So Lament 3.41 We lift up our heart with our hands to thee Lord Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands to God Psal 68.31 but the Idolaters lifted their hand to their Idols Eightly they bowed their knees to them that is They bowed their knees to their Idols 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 17.14 they that came to sute for any thing they tooke their Lord by the knees because the knees was a signe of mercy power and life and therefore the knees were dedicated to mercy Servius Aenead 3. Dixerat genua amplexus genibusque volutans Haerebat He saith that the gods had sundry parts of the body dedicated to them as the eare was dedicated to memory the forehead was dedicated to Genius and the knees to mercie therefore when they begged for any thing they tooke them by the knees of whom they begged in our knees lyeth our abilitie to goe they are a signe of strength Esay 35.3 Strengthen our weake knees and when the Lord threatens a judgement that their strength shall faile them then he saith All knees shall be weake like water Ezeck 7.17 And as to bow the knee is a signe of weakenesse and indigencie so to bow the knee is a signe of dignity and power And therefore the Egyptians made choise to put the Elephant in their colours which was a signe of their Kingly power that bowed not his knee nor needed not to supplicate or begge any thing from another therefore when the Idolaters bowed their knees before Baal and touched his knee they acknowledged his power that he had knees like the Elephant that could not bow and also their owne weakenesse falling downe and bowing the knee to him to seeke his helpe Contrary to this bowing before the Idoll is the bowing of the knee to the Lord Iesus Christ Philip. 3. To whom all knees in heaven and earth should bow Act. 20.36 2 Chron. 6.13 All bowed their knees in the Temple of Ierusalem or stood but none sate but the King onely 2 Sam. 7.18 Psal 135.2 They stood barefooted before their Idols Ninthly they stood barefooted before their Idols The people of God when they came before the Lord he commanded them to reverence his sanctuary and the Iewes inferre from this that they stoode bare-footed in the Temple Exod. 3.7 Take off thy shooes because the place where thou standest is holy So the Temple is a holy place therefore they inferre that they stood bare-footed in
Christian doubted in conscience whether hee might eate of that part of the flesh which was sold in the shambles or not seeing the other parts had beene offered to the Idoll heere hee doubts whether he might eate or not eate and yet hee inclines more not to eate but with some feare to the opposite parts A scrupulous conscience A scrupulous conscience is that which cleaves onlie to one part yet so cleaves to it that it troubles the mind A superstitious minde although it bee setled in that superstion yet that conscience is never free without some scruple Now to apply this to the question in hand the prophet had not to doe heere with a man that had a good conscience as yet neither had hee to doe with a man that had a badde conscience neither with a man that had a scrupulous conscience but with a man of a doubtfull conscience doubting which way he should incline but yet hee inclined more to goe with the King to the house of Rimmon as he used to doe before The Prophet had to deale with a man who had a doubtfull conscience as yet rather then not to goe Now if the Prophet should have answered him this way Goe in peace that is goe there for civill worship and reserve your spirituall worship to God were not this to daube with untempered morter Eze. 13.10 he could not doe both civill worship and spirituall worship at once and at one act Naaman sought two things of the Prophet that hee might have so much of that earth to carry with him that he might build an Altar within his owne countrie Now apply the Prophets answere goe in peace to this Goe in peace is not concedentis but optantis would the Prophet grant that to him to erect an Altar to the worship of God by himselfe It cannot bee concedentis heere granting to him that which he seekes but it is onely optantis The Lord grant you peace in minde and trouble not your selves with these things that might breede greater trouble in your conscience The Prophet sometimes sayes Lech be Shalom abi in pace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes Lech le shalom vade ad pacem Exo. 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are optantis pacem If the Prophet had approved that deede of his The martyres of God would not communicate with Idols in the least peece of service wee marvell and that justlie why the martyrs have suffered such cruell torments rather then they would communicate with the Idolles in the least peece of service The Iewes would not so much as cast one stone to the Idoll Mercurius Vide in lexico Iuris quid mercalis dicitur cuius cullos fie bat hoc modo The which the heathen used in token of homage The primitive Church held them who burnt but three graines of frankincense to an Idoll to bee apostates Suidas in Auxentio There was a fountaine very curiously built in the time of Licinius the Emperour in the midest of the Kings court and the Image of Bacchus placed above it and a vine tree had spread her branches round about the court It was a fit place to walke in the shadow in the time of heate Licinius the Emperour comes in into the court attended with a great number amongst the rest was Auxentius a Christian Licinius perceiving a branch laden with a cluster of grapes hee biddes Auxentius cut it downe which he doth presently Secondly he biddes Auxentius set that branch at the feet of Bacchus what answers Auxentius God forbidde Emperour that I should doe this for I am a Christian Then Licinius sayes unto him either doe this or get you gone and serve me no more and he presently loosing his militarie girdle went his way Those who studdie to be holy will neither eate the swines flesh nor keepe the broth in their vessels Isa 55.4 In this new convert Naaman there was many infirmities yet first he refuseth the meane which the Prophet commanded him to use to wash him seven times in Iordan then hee prescribes meanes which he would have the prophet to use in curing of him The Lord beares with this new convert although there were many infirmities in him Thirdly he thinkes that the place of Gods worship may be changed yet notwithstanding the Lord will not quench this smoaking flax and as in weighing of things wee grant something to supply the defect of the thing weighed so the Lord favours his owne although many things be wanting in them When a man beholds his face in a round glasse like a boule his face seemes much lesse then it is but when a man beholds his face in speculo concavo in a hollow glasse then it seemes more then it is but when hee beholds it in a plaine glasse it seemes just as it is neither more nor lesse so when God lookes upon the sinnes of his children either he sees them not at all or they seeme very little in his sight hee lookes upon them as in a round glasse but when Satan lookes upon the sinnes of the children of God they appeare to him in a hollow glasse and they seeme more to him then they are but when God lookes upon the sinnes of the wicked he sees them in a plaine glasse just as they are Although Iehu did destroy Baals priests There was no decrease of Idolatry in Iehu his time and overthrew his altars yet there was no decrease of Idolatry all this while for he out of a blind devotion blessed himselfe in his evill faining that he was high in Gods favour and should have peace although he walked in the obstinacie of his owne heart Deut. 20.19 and because hee was innocent therefore Gods wrath should turne from him Ier. 2.35 For he followed no Idolls what ever men say Ier. 2.23 but he sweares the Lord liveth Ier. 5.2 and hee will show by his workes the zeale that hee had for the Lord against Idolaters 2 King 10.16 hee will bring his sacrifices and his tithes Amos 4.5 proclaime free offerings yea willing he is to please the Lord although it should cost him thousands of rammes or ten thousand rivers of oyle and to give his first borne the fruite of his body for the sinne of his soule Micah 6.7 and though he burne incense unto Baal yet will he come and stand before God in the house whereupon his name is called and say I am delivered Ier. 7.9.10 he will leane upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord with me no evill shall come upon mee neither shall the plague come unto me neither shall I see the famine Ier. 5.12 Iehu all this time flattered himselfe as zealous for the Lord and he clave still to the sinnes of Ieroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin and never said there is a lie in my right hand Es 4◠10.29 Leaving the Kings of Israel let us now proceed to the Kings of Iudah The first increase
of Idolatry in Iudah The first increase of Idolatry in Iudah after the separation of the ten tribes after the division of the tenne tribes was in the dayes of Rehoboam 1 King 14.22 And Iudah did evill in the sight of the Lord and they provoked him to jealousie with their sinnes which they had committed above all that their fathers had done for they also built high places and Images and groves on every high hill and under every greene tree The decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Asa 1 King 15.11 The decrease Hee did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord as did David his father Hee tooke away the Idols and destroyed them and burnt thm by the brooke Kidron and his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes vers 14. Quest How could his heart be said to be a perfect heart seeing hee is taxed with so many grosse sinnes First the high places were not removed in his time 2 Chron. 15.7 Then he was wroth with the Seer and put him in prison because he reproved him 2 Chron. 16. he oppressed the people at that same time vers 10. and in his disease hee sought not the Lord but to the Physitians vers 12. how could his heart then be a perfect heart with the Lord all his dayes An. A perfect heart is cald in the scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sincerum non fucatum cor and it is composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the brightnesse of the Sunne and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because in brightnesse it studieth to follow the Sun The Sunne may sometimes be overclouded What is a sincere heart but yet appeares in his brightnesse againe So a sincere and a perfect heart although sometimes it be overclouded with sinne yet it strives to recover its brightnesse againe Every sinne makes not a heart cease to be a perfect heart but a man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a double minde or having cor divisum a divided heart Hos 10.2 or a heart and a heart Psalm 12.2 hee cannot be said to have a perfect heart The Lord saith Deut. 25.13 Thou shalt not have in thy bagge a stone and a stone that is a false weight So vers 15. Thou shalt not have an Ephah and an Ephah that is as false measure so thou shalt not have a heart and a heart that is a false heart Those the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.10 calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double tongued The Philosopher proves that a creature is to be judged to be one or moe by the heart and not by the braine for if the heart be one then the creature is but one but if there be two hearts then the creatures are two There have beene men who have had two heads but one heart such a one was but one man although he had two heads and having but one heart his motion was but one and his imagination one Duo corda exposcunt duo capita non contra Serpens qui habet â—â—â—â—dam linguam habet â—â—â—plicem gustum reste Aristot So he that haâ—â— two hearts c. But if one have two hearts of a necessitie he must have two heads Animal est unum per unam animam So it is in the spirituall life of a man if a man have a heart and a heart then he cannot be said to have a perfect heart then he makes two men one for God and another for the devill and he hath two sorts of motion and imagination Salomon calls such a man perversus duarum viarum Prov. 28.6 and Syrac 2. Vae peccatori ingredienti duas vias A tree if the roote and the stocke be one although the grafts be diverse yet it is but one tree So the heart if it be one although it bring forth some good and some bad fruit yet it may be a perfect heart The heart The heart so long as it falles not to Idolatrie may be a sinceere heart although it be blotted with the sinnes against the second table as David was in the matter of Vriah yet if it be not tainted with Idolatry it may be a perfect heart still Secondly a perfect heart may come short in the internall duties of the first table through incredulitie and misbeleefe as Asa put too much trust in the Physitians in his disease yet his heart was a perfect heart Thirdly a man may have a perfect heart notwithstanding that sinnes of omission be found in him in the worship of God but not sinnes of commission as Asa tooke not away the high places yet his heart was perfect with the Lord. Let us make a comparison betwixt David Iosiah A comparison betwixt David Iosias and Asa and Asa David when he brought the Arke from Baal of Iudah to the house of Obed Edom he brought it upon a new cart 2 Sam. 6.3 The Philistines carried the Arke of the Lord upon a cart It should have beene carried upon the Levites shoulders David tooke away the Philistines Emrods and Mice which they put with the Arke but he left the cart Iosiah tooke not away the remnants of Baal Zephan 1.4 and Asa left the high places unremoved A comparison betwixt Amaziah Vzziah and Asa Secondly let us compare these three Kings together Amaziah Vzziah and Asa Amaziah did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25.2 the Lord liked of his worke but not of his heart he did bonum opus sed non bene sed Deus magis delectatur adverbiis quam nominibus as the Schoolemen speake Secondly Vzziah hee sought the Lord and prospered 2 Chron. 26.5 hee had some beginnings of Grace in him this was more than Amaziah had yet his heart was lifted up and hee fell away from the Lord vers 16. but Asa his heart was a perfect heart with the Lord all the dayes of his life These three Kings have beene not unfitly compared to the three sort of fruite which the vine brings forth The first is called Samadar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uva minutula a little berrie but very imperfect which appeares first when the floure falls away and it withereth and decaieth with the least cold or frost The second fruit of the vine is called Bozer Omphax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omphax librusca which is a soure grape but draweth neare to the nature of the ripe grape yet when it ripens not it sets mens teeth on edge and the third is gnanabh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uva matura the ripe grape and they say that Amaziah was but uva minutula and that Vzziah was Omphax and Asa was uva matura Whether did Asa sinne when he made a league with Benhabad or not Quest Did not Asa sinne when he made a league with Benhadad King of Syria he being an Idolater 1 King 15.19 Answ All leagues with Idolaters are not unlawfull Abraham made a league with Eshcol and
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
to Moloch The second thing which Ahaz is blamed for is this that hee caused to bring the paterne of the altar of Damascus and to make the like and set it up at Ierusalem We must add nothing to the worship of God Ahaz is blamed heere for adding to Gods worship In measuring of things the Lord commands that there be a just measure and that the thing sold bee sufficient in quantity and qualitie a thing may be sufficient in quantitie but not in qualitie As when they mixed their wine with water and their silver with drosse Isa 1. heere they sold enough in quantitie but the qualitie was badde So when they sold that which was good but not enough of it with a Leane measure as the Prophet calles it The Lord requires the full measure heere and hee would have it to runne over Luke 6.38 But hee that had any thing superfluous in his body could not bee a Priest to the Lord Lev. 21.18 So no beast that had any superfluous part might be offered to the Lord Lev. 21.18 That is that which the Lord himselfe forbiddes Deut. 4.2 The worship of God must be kept in puncto mathematico Yee shall neither adde nor pare from my Law Prov. 30.16 put nothing to his words least hee reprove thee and thou be found a lyer They say that morall vertues admitt Latitudinem quandam But Gods worship must be observed in puncto mathematico there must nothing be added to it or taken from it Ahaz removed the Altar of God and put the altar of Damascus in place of it Ahaz caused the Altar to be removed hee tooke away the Altar and put the Altar of Damascus in the place of the altar which was the speciall place of Gods worship therfore the Lord appropriates it to himself and calles it his altar Mal. 1.10 as they are called his Priests and Prophets Psal 105.15 The Altar was the place that sanctified the sacrifice and not the sacrifice the Altar Mat. 23.19 The Altar was the place where God shewed signes of his mercy Jsa 6.6 and there slew one of the Seraphimes unto mee having a live coale in his hand which hee had taken with the tonges from off the altar and layed it upon my mouth and said Loe this hath touched thy lippes and thy iniquitie is taken away and thy sinne purged heere the altar was a type of Iesus Christ of whom we get all sanctifying graces This was done in the dayes of Ahaz Isa 6.10 and yet Ahaz nothing respects the Altar The altar was the place of refuge to save poore men yet Ahaz was not afraid to meddle with it He reserved the Lords altar to his owne private uses 2 King 16.15 But Mica reserved the altar of Damascus for all the sacrifices both of the King and of the people Ahaz plaies the politician making religion to serve policie onely this is a just paterne of politickes who make religion but a handmaid to them they will use it how and where they list he will keepe the brasen altar still but it was of no great request with him hee will not thrust it out of dores least he might seeme altogether to dsepise the religion of his fathers yet he preferres the altar of Damascus to it as being more glorious in show and for friendship with the King of Damascus The third thing which Ahaz is blamed for is this Ahaz offered to the gods of Damascus who smote him that hee offered to the gods of Damascus who smote him 2 Chron. 28.23 This is that Ahaz verse 22. kimhi writing upon the 119 Psal notes when This is set before some names in Scripture it signifies some great Apostasie and defection as Gen. 36.49 This is Esau the father of the Edomites So Num. 26.9 This is Dathan So 2 Chron. 28.22 This is Ahaz The Hebrewes compare Ahaz and Amaziha together which points that he was a notable Idolater and the Hebrewes compare Ahaz and Amaziah together and they apply that proverbe to these two Kings We have weeped unto you and yee have not mourned wee have piped unto you and yee have not danced I was angry with Ahaz and gave him into the hand of the King of Damascus yet he went and worshipped his gods there was all the mourning which I got for my weeping Then I piped to Amaziah and gave him that was King of Edom captive into his hands yet hee went and worshipped his gods when he had taken them captive and there was all the dancing which I got for my piping The decrease The decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Ezekias 2 King 18.4 He removed the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groves c. Why God deferres the judgements of wicked men Ezekias succeeded Ahaz Moses Gerundensis commenting upon Deut. 7. saith that God deferres to punish wicked men in this life for three causes First hee gives them this way leasure to repent them of their sinnes Secondly he deferres their judgements because of some act which they have to doe as the Iudge spareth the malefactor with child untill she have brought forth her birth Agricola non excidit spinam prius quam inde asparagum procerpserit And thirdly because some good men are to come of them And so he deferred the punishment of Ahaz because Ezekias was to come of him and of Shimei because Mordecai was to come of him Ezekias did foure things in reformation of religion There are foure things recorded of Ezekias his zeale First this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he brake the brasen serpent because the people worshipped it although it was a type of Iesus Christ who was the serpent lift up in the wildernesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nun diminuit in fine Ioh. 3.14 and calls it in contempt Nehushtan that little peece of brasse for the Hebrewes when they forme their diminitives they adde Nun to them as Ieshurun Deut. 33.5 Et fuit Rex apud rectulum So Ishon pupilla Sabbaton Sabbatulum The second thing which Ezekias did was when he took away the booke which Salomon wrote of Hearbs and Physicke which was affixed on the gates of the Temple Ezekias pulled it downe Vide Suidam in Ezekia because the people neglected the Lord to seeke their health of him and did trust too much in this booke The third thing which Ezekias did was that he shut the gates of the temple that the King of Ashur might not enter into them The fourth thing which he did was quod traxerat ossa patris sui super lecto funium he caused a bed of cords to be made and drew his fathers bones up and downe in it he did this in detestation of his fathers Idolatry he would not burne his bones as he did the bones of the Idolatrous Kings Ier. 8.1 Nor let them lye unburied but this much he did to them and then buried them againe this
is set downe in the Thalmud of him The next increase of Idolatry was under Manasseh 2 King 21.2 And hee did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord after the abhominations of the heathen The increase of Idololatry under Manasseh whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel for he built up againe the high places which Ezekias his father had destroyed and he reared up Altars to Baal and made a grove as did Ahab King of Israel and worshipped all the host of heaven and served them And he built Altars in the house of the Lord of which the Lord said in Ierusalem will I put my name and he built Altars for all the Host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord and he made his sonne passe through the fire and observed times and used inchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizzards he wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger and hee set a graven Image of the grove which he had made in the house of which the Lord said to David and Salomon his sonne In this house and in Ierusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel will I put my name for ever There are three speciall sinnes marked in Manasseh Three sinnes especially marked in Manasses first that hee built altars for all the host of heaven into the two courts of the house of the Lord Secondly that hee worshiped the Sunne the Moone and the starres And thirdly that he worshipped the devilles First he set up Idolls both in the court of the people and the court of the Priests The Hebrewes observe divers degrees of holinesse which they kept in the land of Canaan first the land it selfe is called holy Zach. 2.16 and the land of Iehovah Hos 3. and the land of Immanuel Isa 8.8 All other lands were called a polluted land Amos 7.17 The second degree of holinesse within the land of Canaan they observe to be within the walled townes for they suffered no leaper to bee within them neither buried they their dead within them therefore they counted them more holie then the rest of the land The third degree they make to be in Ierusalem there were some things which they might eate in Ierusalem but not in the rest of the Land they were holie things but not holy in the highest kinde which they might eate there as the Paschall lambe and the tythes of the third yeare These they eate in Ierusalem but not in the temple The fourth degree of holinesse that they make to bee in the temple was that it was lawfull for no stranger to come within the court of the Israelites And their were keepers appointed who suffered them not to come in there 1 Cor. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And these were called â—agnale pekudoth domini prafectura they suffered no strangers to come in here neither in Israelite if he were uncleane this was a holier place then the court of the Gentiles and if an Israelite were uncleane he behoved to wash himself and he was uncleane till the evening Levi. 15.16 The fift degree of holinesse was that no Israelite might come within the court of the Priests which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sixt degree of holinesse was betwixt the porch and the altar where Zacharie was stoned no Priest might enter heere if he had a blemish in his body or whose head was uncovered or if his cloathes were torne The seventh degree of holinesse was the holy place it selfe where the golden altar stood no Priest might enter in heere unlesse his feete and hands were washed By these degrees wee may understand how abhominable a thing it was for the Kings of Israel and Iudah to have defiled his land with their Idols Ier. 16.18 and first I will recompence their sin and their iniquity double because they have defiled my land they have filled mine inheritance with the carcasses of the detestable and abominable things And then Manasseh his Idolatry exceeded who set up Idoles both in the court of the people and in the court of the priests Manasseh also sacrificed to all the host of heaven Amongst the rest of Gods names hee is called in the Scripture Gueliion supreme or high Lord and the greek is framed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from this And they worshipped the sun which they called the queene of heaven they called her the queene because Shemesh the sunne is in the faeminine gender The heavens are the Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 115.16 but he hath given the earth to the sonnes of men Man hath a commandement in the earth and the Lord hath put under his feet all the beasts of the field and the fishes of the sea Psal 8. These corruptible things the Lord hath made subject to man and hee hath power over them and may use them as their Lord for his service and maintenance but hee hath not granted such dominion to man over the Sunne the Moone and the Starrs He is but heere Vsuarius hee is partaker of the heate and light of the sunne he who hinders him from that doth him wrong Thus farre the sunne serves him and therefore the sunne is called Shemesh from Shamesh ministrare but yet man hath absolute dominion over the Sun the Moone therefore Christ Matth. 5. saith that God causeth his Sun so rise upon the good and the bad the dominion over the sunne belongs only to God These are groser Idolaters who worships beasts then those who worships the Sunne and the Moone Hence it followes that they are grosser Idolaters who worship those bodies over which they have dominion then those who worships the Sun and the Moone They are full Lords of the first but they are usuarij Tenents who hath the use onely of the second These Idolaters had Images for the Sunne Isa 17.8 which they call Chammanim And Beniamin in Itinerario describes them after this manner there is a people in the land of Cush which much beholds the starres and worships the Sunne as their God having many altars built without the towne of great stones and earlie in the morning they goe out of the towne to see the Sun and they have Images consecrate to the Sunne upon every altar made round like the Sun built by magick The manner how they worshipped the Sunne and when the Sun riseth these round circles seeme to burne and they make a great noyse and every one both man woman hath a censere in his hand offers some incense to the Sun they have horses also dedicate to the Sun after the manner of the Persians Iosias tooke away these horses dedicate to the Sun 2 King 23.11 they used to ride upon these horses when they went to worship the Sunne The Lord promises Ier. 13. that he would breake down the image of Beth Shemesh which was the house of the sunne and the Egyptians met yearely to
worship the Sun in the temple which was dedicated to the Sunne What partes man hath from the starres according to the opinion of some of the Physitians So they worshipped the starres in Manasses time they worshiped the starres first because of their great light and beauty Secondly because of their influxe into the bodies below heere and Thirdly because they thought them living creatures and some Physitians held that man was opus siderum and that in his conception and generation he got his spirit from the Sun his body from the Moone and his concupiscence from Venus and his witt from Mercurie and his desire from Iupiter and his blood from Mars and his humours from Saturne Worshipers of the starres Gnobh de Kohabhim umasaloth cultores stellarum planetarum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of old they called all the gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buxtor de abreviat pag. 134. who had no knowledge of the true God and now they appropriate this name to those Christians who worship Idoles Lastly Manasses worshiped the infernall spirits and herein he exceeded all the rest of the Idolaters The decrease of this Idolatry was when Manasses repented hartily before his death The decrease when he lay fettered in Babell 2 Chron. 33. and being restored to the Kingdome tooke away the strange Gods and Altars and Images which hee had made and restored in Iudah Gods true religion except onely that the people sacrificed in the high places So the decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Iosias Iosias did sundry things for the purging of this Idolatry 1 King 23. first he put downe the Idolatrous Priests their Chemarim who were blacke with the smoake of their sacrifices secondly he polluted Tophet that is hee appointed it for a place to cast out all their filth and their dead carkasses that so the people should commit no more Idolatrie there Hee polluted that place that is hee appointed it for pollution What it is to pollute a place see Lev. 13. the Priest shall pollute him that is he shall judge him to be polluted so Deut. 20.6 He that hath planted a vineyard and hath not prophaned it that is who hath not turned it to a prophane use for the fruit trees when they were planted in Israel the first three yeares none might eate of them for they were holden uncleane and the fourth yeare they were holy for the Priest to eate of them and then the fift yeare they were common and prophane that the people might eate of them Ier. 31.5 they shall plant vine trees upon the mountaines of Samaria and shall eate them as prophane things Iosias polluted this Tophet It was called before Vallis Hinuom afterward it was called Gehenna there was in it Esh tamid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a continuall fire to burne the bones and the fith which was cast there and because of the cruell torments which was used in it A resemblance betwixt Tophet and Hell therefore Gehenna is called hell and Christ alludes to this Mat. 5.22 He is worthie of the fire of Gehenna so Isa 66.24 seemes to allude to the punishment of hell taken from the punishment of those whose bodies were burnt there And they shall goe forth and looke upon the Carkasses of the men that have transgressed against mee for there worme shall not die neither shall the fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh The carkasses of those that were cast into the valley of Tophet were full of wormes and the fire never died out there so the fire of hell burnes continually and the worme of one evill conscience shall gnaw them continually Ierusalem signifieth Heaven and the places without Ierusalem signified Hell The valley of Tophet was called Gehenna It is usuall in the scripture to compare Ierusalem Anagogice to the Church Gal. 4.26 So those places that are without Ierusalem are compared to hell and to the torments thereof catagogice as the lake of Sodom which burnt with fire and brimstone Rev. 19.20 was a type of hell so Gehenna Mat. 5. So the winepresse of the wrath of God was without the citie Rev. 14.20 so Mat. 8.12 he shall be cast into utter darkenesse utter darkenesse is an allusion to the darke prison which Peter was put in without the city Act. 12.10 And therefore the wicked are said to be excluded out of the holy citie new Ierusalem Le. 20. secondly hee polluted the graves of the Idolatrous Kings Princes and Priests Ier. 8.1 hee caused to take out the bones of the Idolatrous Kings of Iudah of the Princes and of the Priests and spread them before the sunne and the moone and all the host of heaven whom they loved they shall not be gathered nor buried but lie like dung upon the field Thirdly he brake to peeces the images and cut down the groves and filled their places with the bones of men 2 King 25.14 Fourthly he caused to take the bones of the Priests out of the sepulchers burne them upon the altars 1. Kin. 23.18 but the sepulcher of the man of God who proclaimed these things which Iosias did against the altar of Bethel he touched not Iosias made a reformation here of the whole land as well of Ierusalem as of Bethell Iosias did uprightly as his father David had done and trembled at Gods lawes and Iudgements 2 Chron. 34.2 yet the people would not heare the words of the prophets Ier. 25.3.4 calling them from their Idolatrie They sought not the Lord but worshipped the host of heaven Zeph. 1.5 remaining frozen in their dregges ve 12. and shewed themselves to be a nation not worthy to be beloved Zeph. 2.1 The rest of the Kings of Iudah untill the captivity set forward this Idolatrie more or lesse The rest of the Kings of Iudah untill the captivity set forward this Idolatry Lyke a leprosie it overspread them all Pro. 24.30 I went by the field of the sloathful by the vineyard of the man void of understanding loe it was all growne over with thornes and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe The Docters of the Iewes by way of Allegorie apply this to the Kingdome of Iudah and to the Kings of it And they say Ahaz was the slothfull man and Manasses was the foolish man Ammon and Iehoiakim planted the nettles and the thornes and last the house it selfe the temple was destroyed in the dayes of Zedekias then the stone was broken downe Now when the Church waxed old in her adulteries God said now shall she and her fornications come to an end Ezechiel 23.43 Now all these things are written for ensamples and they are written for our admonitions upon whom the endes of the world are come 1 Cor. 10.11 that we should not be Jdolaters as they 1 Cor. 10.6.7 This Idolatrie was buried in the captivity and never revived againe At last this Idolatrie was
buried in the captivitie and never revived againe amongst the Iewes The three children of Israel could not bee drawne by any meanes to bow before the golden image which Nabuchadnazor set up neither could the Iewes in Babylon be any wayes moved to doe any worshippe to Belus And Mordecai in the captivity refused to give religious honour to Haman so after the captivity of Vespatian they detested Idoles Peter in his Epistle salutes the Iewes dispersed through Pontus Bithynia Capadocia which hee would not have done if they had beene Idolaters and they gloried most in this that they detested Idolls Rom. 2.23 thou who abhorres Idoles he is speaking here to the Iewes And as often as they remember of the great judgements that have befallen them they burst forth in these words Non accidit tibi O Israel ulla ultio in qua non sit uncia de iniquitate vituli that is there is no judgement which hath befallen thee O Israel in which there is not an ounce weight of the sinne of the golden calfe and they call the temples wherein Idoles are worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth haturphan domum turpitudinis the house of filthinesse and when they see the shaven popish priests they call them Kumarim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these Cemarim were the Priests who sacrificed to the host of heaven all in blacke or soiled with the smoake of the sacrifices The Iewes abhorres now all sorts of Idolles and they count them but like the heathen Priests and Camilli The Iewes when they detest a thing they call it Pesall from Pesall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth an Idoll When Pilate and Petronius were presidents of Iudea they tryed by all meanes to set up the images of Caligula and Tiberias in the temple but the Iewes withstood them Iosephus lib. 18. cap. 4. 10. And the Iewes at this day will not suffer in their Kalenders not so much as these three markes ☉ ☾ âš¹ As this Idolatry of the Jewes was buried in the captivitie so wee hope that the Idolatrie which is now shall bee buried and quite abolished before the second comming of Christ OF The fourth degenerate Son the JEW who killed his Father HE that was the first born in Israel had sundry priviledges and dignities conferred upon him before the Law above the rest of his brethren the first priviledge was this that he had the princely power and dominion over his brethren Gen. 27.29 Be Lord over thy brethren Secondly they were Priests in their fathers family untill the Levites succeeded in their place Thirdly they had the double portion of all their fathers goods Deut. 21.17 Fourthly the first borne were redeemed with five shekels which the rest were not as especially consecrate to the Lord. Fiftly they had a peculiar sort of apparrell whereby they were distinguished from the rest of their brethren Such was Esau his goodly raiment which Rebecca put upon Iacob Gen. 27.15 which had a goodly smell as the smell of a field which the Lord had blessed Sixtly they had the dignity to sit first at the Table Gen. 43.33 Iob 1.13 And last the first borne were blessed after a singular manner by their father in his death Reuben Iacobs first borne by committing of incest and defiling his fathers bed he lost all these dignities Iudah got the Princely dignity Levi got the Priesthood Ioseph the double portion and after that his brethren reverenced him not and he lost all the rest of his priviledges none of his posteritie came unto any dignitie or preferment and they were more obscure than dull Issachar Issachar was asinus ossium had strong bones to labour and to carrie burdens But Reuben was like water spilt Issachar was valiant in battle against Sisera Iudg. 5.14 but nothing is spoken of Reuben his posteritie never Iudge came of him neither souldier came of him all feeble and weake Issachar was given to study and knowledge 1 Chron. 12.32 but no learned men came of Reuben and all this befell him because hee dishonoured his father in defiling his bed So the Iewes the Lords first borne Exod. 4.22 had all these dignities conferred upon them but for murthering the Lord of life they were spoyled of them all first they were a Kingdome of Priests Exod. 19.6 that is they were Kings and Priests to the Lord but for murthering of the Lord of life this dignitie was tranferred to the Gentiles 1 Pet. 2.9 Then they had the double portion the Lord was their portion Psal 23. this was a worthy portion or a double portion but now they have lost this portion he redeemed them before by a great price not with five shekels but now he sels them for nought and their price is not increased Psal 44.12 Then he cloathed them with broydered worke shod them with Badgers skinnes Ezeck 16.10 but now the Lord hath stript them naked and bare v. 39. They sate first at the Lords Table and some Gentiles like whelpes eate but the crummes under the Table but now they that are first shall be last and they that are last shall be first and shall sit downe with Iacob in the Kingdome of God Luke 13.29 Last the Lord hath cursed these wilfull murtherers of him in his death what could the Lord have done more to his first borne but this degenerate sonne optimi vini pessimum acetum hath despised him he counted all the world but dogges in respect â—f them Math. 15.27 but they like dogges turned againe and rent him Psal 22. And this his first begotten sonne is now become bukera sakla primo genitus stultus qui non fert nomen patris sui he is become that foolish first borne that cannot abide the name of his father SECT 1. Of the threefold estate of the Iewes and first when they were gnammi my people THe Iewes are to be considered in a threefold estate first as they were gnammi my people Secondly as they were lo gnammi not my people and thirdly as they are Ruchama to be pittied When they were gnammi his people then he carried them as a girdle about his loynes Gnammi Ier. 13. then he had them graven upon the palmes of his hands The great dignities of the Israelites when they were his people Then he loved them as the aple of his eye Psal 17.8 and he reckoned them as his peculium 1 Pet. 2.3 Then they were the head and not the taile Deut. 28.37 In this estate he made choise of them to be his sonnes Foure sorts of sonnes The Lawyers make foure sorts of sonnes first naturall and Legittimate Secondly Legittimate but not naturall Thirdly naturall but not Legitimate Fourthly neither naturall nor Legitimate Naturall and Legitimate sonnes are those who are begotten in honourable marriage And those the Hebrewes call Cashirim rectos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to those they oppose pesulim who are not begotten in lawfull marriage Legitimate but not naturall they call
asuphim collectos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those were called Collecti by the Hebrewes who were cast out by their parents but yet others tooke them up when their father and their mother left them Psal 27.10 my father and mother have left me but the Lord hath gathered me up Those by the Greekes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast out by their mothers and projecti Psal 71.9 Cast me not off Thirdly naturall and not Legitimate sonnes were those who were not begotten in lawfull marriage yet the mother contented her selfe with one and was not common to many And those children were called beni neker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 144. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filii extranei The fourth were those who were neither naturall nor Legitimate Spurius filius non filius Ben Syra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were borne of common harlots Such a one the Hebrewes called mamzer from mum zer aliena labes and the Latines called them incertos and filios vulgi and varit Quia ex vario semine and from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia nihil divinum in illis The Lord adopted them When God chose them to be his sonnes he adopted them Adoption was found out for the comfort of those who had not children 2 Sam. 21.8 Barren Micoll had five sonnes that is five legall or adopted sonnes So the daughter of Pharaoh adopted Moses Act. 7. But God although he had a naturall sonne of his owne yet he adopted the Iewes for his sonnes When men adopt children it is for want but Gods adoption of his children comes of abundance of his grace As the Lord adopted them so hee would have them brought up under his law as under a tutor Gal. 4. He taught them And as a man teacheth his sonne so the Lord taught them Deut. 5.5 And as Pharaoh his daughter when she adopted Moses to be her sonne Act. 7. caused him to bee brought up in all the sciences of Egypt So the Lord when he adopted the Iewes for his children he taught them by his Law When they were his people many were converted from Gentilsme to Judaisme and they were called Proselytes This they thought to be the greatest honour to be made members of the Church the Queene of the South came from a farre Country to see the wisedome of Salomon and the order of his house and of his servants 2 Chron. 9.4 So the proselytes came from farre Countries to heare the wisedome of God and to see the order of his house and the comelinesse thereof David thought the swallow and the sparrow happie that built their nests neare the Altar of God Psal 84.3 might not they then thinke themselves happie who came so neare to the house of God as to heare his Law expounded unto them and to have these mysteries of salvation revealed unto them which the Gentiles knew not of The proselytes were those The Proselytes that came to the Iewish Church of the Madianites Iethro of the Huzzites Iob of the Syrians Naaman the Syrian of the Iebusites Arauna the Iebusite of the Hittites Vriah the Hittite of the Gittites Ittai 2 Sam. 18.2 of the Canaanites the woman of Canaan of the Ethiopians Ebedmelech the Blacke-moore and the Eunuch of the Queene of Candaces an Ethiopian Act. 8.27 of the Philistines David had the Cherethites for his guard 2 Sam. 15. of the Moabites Ruth of the Samaritanes the tenth man of the Lepers Luke 17. and the Samaritane woman Iohn 4. of the Idumeans Herod and of the Gibeonites the Nethinim who hewed the wood and drew the water for the Temple Iohn 9.21 And at the birth of Christ the three wise men that came from the East to worship Math. 2.11 And the Grecians from the West Iohn 12 20. of the Romans Cornelius the centurion and from Antioch Nicolas a proselyte Act. 6.5 and on Kelos the sisters sonne of Titus who pharaphrased in Chaldee the prophets Women proselytes So the women proselytes as Hagar the hand-maid of Sara Ashuer the wife of Ioseph Zipporah Moses his wife Siphrah and Puah the two mid-wives of Egypt so the daughter of Pharaoh Rachab Ruth Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite Now the whelps beganne to eate of the crummes which fell from the childrens table but it was a miserable case when the children refused the meate which was set upon the Table and began onely to gnaw the bones as Ierome speakes of them SECT 2. The second estate of the Iewes when they are lognammi not my people Lognammi What dignities they lost when they were not his people WHen they are lognammi now they are the tayle and not the head Deut. 28.37 now the crowne is fallen from their head Lam. 5.16 and now the Lord hath made them a by word amongst the heathen and a shaking of the head amongst the people Psal 44.14 when the Iewes of old used to imprecate any thing they used their imprecations wishing that such things might befall them as befell most miserable men Ier. 29.22 and of them shall bee taken up a curse by all the captivitie of Iudah which are in Babylon saying The Lord make thee like unto Zedekiah and like unto Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire because they committed villanie in Israel and adultery with their neighbours wives So the Iewes now are become a parable and a hissing to all nations and when they wish any misery to a man they wish that hee may be like a miserable Iew and the name is now in detestation to all the world When they were his people the Lord forbade them to marrie with the heathen but now no man will marrie with them no not the Turkes Of old they detested the Publicans as most vile sinners but now they are the onely Publicans who serve under the Turkes no man will trust them now they are so perfidious and their faith is punica fides and they carrie the markes of gods vengeance When men turne from darkenesse to light A bappie change when men turne from darkenesse to light this is a happie change as when they turned from Paganisme to Iudaisme and then they were called prosylites So when they turned from Iudaisme to Christianitie they were called fratres Iudaei Act. 15. and beleevers of the circumcision Act 10.45 So when they turned from Gentilisme to Christianitie they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.6 But when men fall from light to darkenesse that is A miserable change when men fall from light to darkenesse a miserable change as when they fell from the Iewish religion to Paganisme so when they fell from the Iewish religion to the Samaritans So when they fell from the Iewish religion to Saducisme so when they fell from Christian religion to Iudaisme Iosephus lib. 13. tit cap. 18. To fall from the Iewish religion to Paganisme so when they fell from Christianitie to Turkisme and lastly when
in the firmament as Ioshua did This error conditionis joyned with the two former errors is deadly They deny that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh then they hate the Lord Iesus Christ deadlie and they expect still a worldly King therefore miserable are they Cursed is he that loves not the Lord Iesus Christ saith Paul 1. Cor. 16.22 Let him bee Anathema maranatha The Apostle curses them here in two languages to show that this is a peremptorie curse to bee divulgat through the world And as the Lord would have Christs death knowne through the world therefore the inscription over his head when he hang upon the crosse was written in Hebrew Greeke and Latine to signifie that the Lord would have his death knowne through the world so the Lord would have this curse written in Hebrew and Greeke to signifie that hee would have this curse knowne through the world To be accursed as to be separate and set apart or appointed to evill so that these Iewes who love not the Lord Iesus Christ are separate and set apart that no man should meddle with them and as the Saints are set apart that no man might hurt them so are they set apart that no man may doe them good Isaac said of Iacob Gen. 28.35 Iacob have I blessed and he shall bee blessed so the Lord sayes of the Iewes the Iewes have I cursed and they shall be cursed SECT 5. Of the horrible crueltie of the Jewes in killing the Lord of Life THe Prophet Amos cap. 1. before hee comes to denounce the Iudgements of God against Israel for their sinnes hee sets downe first foure horrible sinnes of the countries about for the which the Lord denyes that he will pardon them and he sayes for three sinnes and for foure I will not pardon which is like unto that of Salomon Praescriptum numerum corigit auget scriptura Pro. 30.18 There be three things hid from me yea foure things which I knew not so v. 21. for three things the earth is moved yea for foure it cannot sustaine it selfe so Pro. 6.16 Sixe things doth the Lord hate yea his soule abhorreth seven that is hee most detests the seventh so Psal 18.1 The Lord delivered him out of the hands of Saul and the hard of all his enemies that is especialie out of the hands of Saul So search the land and Iericho Ios 2.1 that is especially Iericho so tell the Disciples and Peter Mar. 16.10 that is especially Peter because hee had fallen from the Lord this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So for three transgressions and for foure that is especially for the fourth when many transgressions concurre together and the last is the greatest then he will not spare The sinne of Damascus was this The cruelty of Damascus against Gilead That they threshed Gilead with instruments of Iron Amos 1.3 and this they did when Hazael smote the land of Gilead 2 King 10.33 and they threshed them with instruments of Iron as they had beene beating out the corne and cutting the straw with their wheeles made with teeth of Iron This was the cruelty of Damascus to Gilead their neighbours Then he comes to the sinne of Gaza The cruelty of Gaza which was one of the five Cantones of the Philistines v. 6. Their sinne was that they carried away the whole captivitie that is they left none uncaptivated whether this be understood of Israel or of Iudah it is not expressed but they sold them to their barbarous enemies the Edomites It was a cruel thing to carry away people captive and to carry them all captive but most of all to sell them to their enemies the Edomites The third was the sinne of Tyrus vers 9. because they delivered the whole captivitie to Edom The sinne of Tyrus and remembred not the brotherly covenant There was no brotherly covenant betwixt them of the captivitie and Gaza when they led them captive but there was a covenant betwixt them and Tyrus for Salomon and Hiram made a covenant together 1 Kings 9.13 So the sinne of Tyrus exceeded the sinne of Gaza The fourth is the sinne of Edom The sinne of Edom surpassed the sinne of Tyrus his sin surpassed the sinne of Tyrus for he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pitty and his anger did teare perpetually and he did keepe his wrath for ever v. 11. Edom was Israel his brother because their predecessors were one yet hee cast off all naturall affection as Esau hated Iacob so did Edom his posterity hate the Israelites Esau hated Iacob and thought to have killed him returning out of Mesopotamia So when he desired liberty to goe through Edom his Countrie hee withstood him So 2 Chron. 28.27 And his anger did teare perpetually Then he comes to the cruelty of the sinnes of Ammon verse 13. Who did rippe up the women with child of Gilead The cruelty of Ammon exceeded the cruelty of Edom. that they might inlarge their borders that they might possesse a land voyde of people that they might revenge that cruelty This cruelty of the children of Ammon exceeded the cruelty of Edom for they killed the women and they killed their posterity The Lord forbiddes to kill the dame sitting upon the egges to take both the young and the old It was a cruelty in Rechab who killed Ishbosheth in his owne house lying upon his bed 2 Sam. 4.6 To kill a man in his owne house which should be a place of refuge to him is a great sinne but to kill him in his bed that is a greater cruelty but to kill the children in their Mothers belly being in their first Mansion and at rest there that is the greatest crueltie of all and then to kill them that they might possesse and inlarge their inheritance then occiderunt possiderunt So that their sinne was greater than the sinne of Edom Then he comes to the sinne of Moah chap. 2. verse 1. because he burnt the bones of the King of Edomes sonne into lime The sinne of Moab exceeded the sinne of Ammon this was a greater cruelty than the cruelty of the sonnes of Ammon first hee burnt the bones then the bones of a Kings sonne and then burnt them into Lime while they were turned into ashes and as the Hebrewes say they sparged the walls with them Then he comes to the sinne of Iudah The sinne of Iudah is greater than the sinne of Moab ver 4. Because they kept not the Commandements of the Lord and their lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers have walked They kept not the Commandement he seemes to say lesse here than he spake before but it is not so for the Hebrewes use by denying a thing to affirme the contrary the more strongly as they say Exod. 20. He will not hold him guilt lesse that taketh his name in vaine that is he will punish them severely So riches not well gotten profit not
fall on them nor their posteritie nor upon their very houses and therefore they built battlements about their houses that they might not bring bloud upon them Deut. 22.8 David prayed Psalm 51. To free him from blouds The guilt of bloud is not easily washed out The guilt of bloud is not easily washed out when David shed Vriah his innocent bloud the Lord said that the sword should never depart from his house that bloud continued still to the ending of the Kings of Iudah If the guilt of Vriah his bloud did cleave to so many what marvell then that the guilt of our Lords bloud lie so long upon these wretches And if all the bloud that was shed from Abel to Zacharie seized upon them who killed Zacharie much more may the guilt of Christs bloud seize upon their sinfull posteritie It was a miserable leagacy which David pronounced that Ioab should leave to his posteritie 2 Sam. 3.28 that some of them should have an issue and that some of them should be a leper that some of them should leane on a staffe and some of them should die by the sword and some should begge their bread but this was a more fearefull legacie which the Iewes left to their posteritie when they left the guilt of Christs bloud upon them First this curse was upon their soules secondly The killing of Christ left a curse upon their soules bodies personâ— goods and lands upon their bodies thirdly upon their persons and fourthly upon their land First upon their soules The curse entered into shew bowels like water and like oyle into their bones The curse upon their soules Psal 109.18 And as the bitter water made the guiltie womans bellie to rotte and confume so doth this curse of God seize upon them so that their hearts are fat and grosse and past feeling There is no judgement greater than this to have a fat heart and not sensible Esay pronounced this judgement upon them when their hearts beganne to grow fat Esa 6.10 and Christ applies this prophecie of Esay to them when their hearts were growne fatter Matth. 13.15 and last it was fulfilled in S. Pauls time altogether upon them Act. 28.17 Now since they killed the Lord of glorie and shed his innocent bloud Since they killed Christ they are given up to a reprobate sense and become savage Wolves Calius Redoginus pag. 173. ex Dione they are given up unto a reprobate sense and now they are become of all men most savage and cruell I will set downe but one example of their savagenesse and crueltie Dion writes that in the last dayes of Traian the Emperour the Iewes who dwelt in Cyrene Andreas being their Captaine did indifferently so barbarously kill both the Romanes and the Greekes and would set downe their flesh prepared on the tables to be eaten neither would this content them but they pulled out their bloudy intralles and girded themselves about with them as though they had beene girdles and they used their skinnes for cloathes and manie of them they cut in peeces and some of them they threw to the beasts and others they compelled to fight and kill one another and this way they killed moe than 200000. This their barbaritie they exercised also in Egypt and Cyprus Arteinon being their Captaine and they killed above 400000. and therefore afterward it was established by a law that if a Iew upon any occasion came into the I le of Cyprus that he should be presently executed The Lord gave them over to this reprobate sense that they became like Wolves and not men because they shed the bloud of our Lord and for this cruell murther of Christ see how the Lord payes them home againe in the destruction of Ierusalem by Titus and Vaspasian the sword the famine and the pestilence These three great souldiers of the Lord entred into Ierusalem and they strove which of them three should most severely revenge their cruelty Reade but the history of Iosephus of the destruction of Ierusalem and thine eyes wil faile with teares and thy bowels will be troubled within thee for the destruction of poore Ierusalem The judgement upon their bodies The second judgement was the judgement upon their bodies as the Lord set a marke upon Cain Gen. 4.15 and smote his enemies the Philistines in the hinder part Psal 78.56 and the posteritie of Gehezi with a leprosie So it is holden by many that the Iewes have a loathsome and stinking smell and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stinking breath When Marcus the Prince was going to Egypt as he past through Canaan he was much troubled with a loathsome smell and stinke of the Iewes as Marcellinus calls it and being much wearied amongst them Caelius lib. 5. cap 9. he cried out O Marcomannt O guad O Sarmati tandem alios vobis inertiores comperi O yee Marcomanni O yee Guadi O ye Sarmatians at last I have found out a more loathsome people than any of you The judgement upon their persons The third judgement is the judgement upon their persons that they are miserable catiâ—es and slaves now through the world compare but this captivitie now and their former captivities and this shall be evident First A difference betwixt this captivitie and their former captivitives in all their other captivities the Lord hath set downe a time for their deliverance That in Egypt they should be 400. yeares in Babylon 70. yeares under Antiochus three yeares and ten dayes Dan. 7.25 but the Lord hath set downe no time now when this their captivitie shall end Secondly in their other captivities there were alwayes some Iewes in favour with the heathen Princes as Ioseph with Pharaob in Egypt Daniel in Babylon and Mordecai in Susan but now they have none to speake favourably for them at the hands of Princes Thirdly in their other captivities there were Prophets sent from the Lord to comfort them as Moses and Aaron were sent to Egypt Ezekiel and Daniel were sent to Babylon And Saint Peter writes to the dispersed Iewes in Pontus and Bithynia but now the Sunne is gone downe over their prophets and the day is darke over them Mica 3.6 Fourthly in their other captivities they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rosh hagalloth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prince of the captivitie who ruled and guided them and they had one of them in Babylon which was the chiefe citie of the East 1 Pet. 5.15 And another who dwelt at Alexandria in Egypt but now they have none to rule them Fiftly although they were under the dominion of the Romanes yet they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had power to judge in matters of their owne religion as we see in the Iewes of Damascus and others else where Act. 18.15 in matters of religion they were subject to the high-priest and they had power to apprehend and to whip Act. 5 4. Hence is that saying of Pilat Goe yee and judge according to your Law but
Although there be some good sayings in the Talmud which may serve us to cleare some places of Scripture yet they should not dote up on it and neglect the holy Scriptures R. Eleazer said well Calefacias te ad ignem sapientum sed cave a prunis earum ne forte adâ—raris warme thy selfe at the fire of wise men but take heede that thou be not burnt with the coales so malegranatum invenisti meditullio ejus vescere at putameâ— secerne thou hast found a pomgranate eate the kernell but take heede of the shell The seventh impediment is this The seventh let of the conversion of the Iewes they will not suffer their children to be brought up in humane learning and humane sciences but they accurst him qui â—luerit suâ—m aut didicerit sapientiam Graecorum Vide secundam prefationem Eliâ— in Mazoreth that is who feedes a Sow and learnes the artes and sciences which the Greekes professe and therefore Omnis exotica lingua est illis Barbara all other tongues are barbarous to them and they accurse him as Anathema descendit ad inferâ—s qui docet discipulum quem non deberet that is who teaches a schollar who is a Gentile Elias Levita was greatly hated amongst his countrie men because he taught the Cardinall of Viterbia and some other Italians the Hebrew tongue Reasons proceeding from others which let the Iewes conversion There are other lets hindering the conversion of the Iewes which proceede not from themselves but from others As first the prophane conversation of the Christians is a great let to their conversion The Lord objected to the Iewes that his name was evill spoken of amongst the Gentiles for their cause so the Lord may justly now object to the Christians that they make his name to be evill spoken of amongst the Iewes The second reason of hindering their conversion is the Idolatrie of the Christians when they see Images set up and worshipped in their temples they call their temples Beth turphan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domum turpitudinis and when they see the Popish priests they call them heathenish priests or Camilli The heathen brought in the abomination of desolation in the temple Cassiodorus in chronico suo of purpose to offend the Iewes So Elias Hadrianus the Emperour when he built Ierusalem againe and called it Elium that he might offend the Iewes the more hee set in the frontispice of the temple a sow graven out in marbell stone Lastly the Papists offend the Iewes when they paint Moses with hornes as wee see him painted so in some of their Popish churches the reason why they paint him so was the mistaking of the word Keren which signifieth both a horne and splendor or brightnesse SECT 8. Of the third estate of the Jewes when they shall be Ruchama and first of their calling againe THings that are impossible with men are possible with God Ruchama Matth. 19.26 When the children of Israel were in captivitie in Babylon who would have thought that ever they should have returned out of it againe It seemed like a dreame unto themselves and yet by that we may be led to consider the estate of the captivitie of the Iewes now Types shewing to the Iewes their restitution from the captivitie of Babylon When the Iewes were to goe to the captivitie of Babylon there was little hope of their returne out of the captivitie and farre lesse when they lay so long in the captivitie yet the Lord did shew them their restitution by sundry types First by Ieremie The type shewne to Ieremie when they were to goe to the captivitie Ieremie bought a field in Anathoth from his Vncles sonne Hananeel Ier. 32. because the right of the inheritance was his and the redemption of the land he subscribed the evidences he sealed them and tooke witnesses weighed to him the mony in ballances he took also the evidences of the purchase both that which was sealed according to the Law and custome and that which was open first he tooke that which was sealed according to the Law that is the letters in the which the commandement of God given to the Prophet was set down and a particular description of all the cautions which concerned the right then there was an open contract which was confirmed by the Magistrate Then he gave the evidents of the purchases to Baruch the son of Merajah in the sight of Hananeel his Vncles sonne and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the booke of purchase and before all the Iewes that sate in the court of the prison after that he charged Baruch before them all in the name of the Lord of Hostes and put them in an earthen vessell that they might continue for many dayes Now when they had remained long in the captivity and Ieremie and Hananeel his Vncles son were dead the Iewes who sate in the court of the prison who would ever have thought that any should have come home to have possessed the land of Anathoth againe but yet the contract was extant which was kept in an earthen vessell all this time and some of Ieremies posterity came home and inherited that peece of ground in Anathoth So although the Iewes now have lien long under the captivity and Abraham Isaac and Iacob with many thousands of men are all gone yet because the covenant stands and the contract of purchase therefore they shall be restored to be spirituall heires of the covenant for Gods mercy extends it selfe to a thousand generations The second type shewed to Ieremiah The second type whereby the Lord shewed to the Iewes that they were to be called backe againe from the captivity of Babylon was Ier. 24. the two baskets of figges which the Lord shewed unto him the good figges and the badde figges the good figges signified the Iewes that were to be called home againe from Babylon and the evill figges that could not be eaten signified Zedekiah king of Iudah and his princes and the residue of Ierusalem which remained in the land and these that dwelt in Egypt whom the Lord was to deliver to bee removed from all the kingdomes of the earth for their hurt to bee a reproach and a proverbe a taunt and a curse in all places as the Lord had badde figges then that were to bee destroyed so the Lord hath of this captivity now many whom he hath destroyed and made of them a proverbe a taunt and a curse amongst the nations But as all the figges of the first captivity were not badde but some were very good figges like the figges that are first ripe so in this captivity now the Lord hath reserved himselfe whom he mindes to build and not to pull downe againe and to plant and not to pull up The third type of the calling of the Iewes from the captivity of Babylon was shewne to Ezekiel The third type shewed to Ezekiel chap. 37. a field full of dead bones
Reason 4 The fourth reason when the most ancient people of the world were captivate and destroyed Of their calling yet the people of the Iewes in all those changes and alterations remained a people distinguished from all other people by their profession a people dwelling by themselves Num. 23. and having no medling with other people whom the Lord would not have slaine but scattered Psal 59.11 This shewes the wonderfull providence of God over them and that they are reserved for their time of calling againe In the last dayes there shall bee a full conversion of Reason 5 the Iewes Of their calling Apocal. 7. when the foure Angels were forbidden to hurt the earth and the sea till those 144000. bee sealed in their foreheads of all the tribes of Israel of the tribe of Iudah were sealed 12000. and of the rest of the tribes as many which prophecie according to the letter is to bee understood of the calling of the Iewes because the Israelites there marked in the forehead are expreslie distinguished from the Gentiles who are marked and from other languages verse 9. The sixt reason Hos 3.4 The children of Israel shall Reason 6 remaine many dayes without a King and an Ephod Of their calling and without a Teraphim afterward shall the children of Israel returne and seeke the Lord their God and David their King Here are foure estates and conditions of the Iewes set downe first when they had their Ephod and religiously worshipped the Lord secondly when they had their Teraphim and were Idolaters thirdly in their estate now when they want both their Ephod and their Teraphim that is they are neither true worshipers of God now neither are they Idolaters now for they hate Idoles fourthly when they shall returne to seeke the Lord and David their King then they shall bee Ruchama Saint Paul wishes to be accursed for his brethren the Iewes this desire came from the holy spirit therefore Reason 7 it must not bee frustrate Of their calling for God and nature does nothing in vaine Ob. But ye will say can a man wish his owne damnation for the glory of God and safety of his Church Answ Wee have a naturall life and wee have a spirituall life wee should preferre our naturall life to another mans naturall life A man is rather bound to preserve his owne life then another mans of equall condition A man is bound to preserve his owne life rather then another mans of that same degree when onely hee considers his life as his life but when there comes in another respect as for honesty vertue or fidelity one man might give his life for another Iohn 15.13 greater love then this hath no man when one bestoweth his life for his friend The two Pythagoreans are much commended for their mutuall friendship one to another the one of them gave himselfe a pledge for the other that if he should not returne at such a day to the Emperor then hee should die for him the day comming and hee not appearing his friend who lay in pledge for him was adjudged to die for him and when they were leading him out to execution his friend came and redeemed him and entred in his place to be executed for him the tyrant seeing these two such constant friends he quite them both and wished earnestly that they would take him in to bee the hird friend to them Lactantius lib. 5. de institia cap. 18. Lactantius inferre upon this that if it be a glorious thing to die for a friend how much more glorious is it to die for Christ A man is bound to lay downe his naturall life for the safety of his superiors Secondly a man is bound to lay downe his naturall life for the safety of those who are his superiours And they put this case If the King and the subject were in one ship or the father and the sonne the shippe breakes and there is but one planke which cannot serve two to swimme out upon In this case the subject is bound to quite the planke for the safety of his prince and so is the sonne to quite the plancke for the safety of his father Indignus est vitâ qui vitae suae authorem negligit hee is not worthy of life A man is bound to lay downe his temporarie life for the spirituall life of his brother who contemnes him who hath been the author of his life Thirdly a man is bound to quite his temporarie life for the spirituall life of his brother as Christ did 1 Ioh. 3.16 Hereby we may perceive the great love of God who was pleased to lay downe his life for us ought not wee then to lay downe our lives for our brethren and vers 23. This is his Commandement that we love one another as he gave commandement This was his commandement Ioh. 15. That yee love one another as I have loved you And the reason of this is because wee are members of one body Ephes 4. and 1 Thes 2.8 so being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not onely the Gospell of God but also our owne soules because ye were deare unto us In the naturall body one member hazards it selfe for another as the hand for the head so should the members in the mysticall body doe Fourthly in the defence of the Church a man may lay downe his naturall life as Sampson did and we have an example of this 1 Mach. 6.43 of one Eleazar surnamed Savaran who perceiving an Elephant greater than all the rest and supposing that the King was upon him vers 46. he crept under the Elephant and thrust him in the bellie and slew him whereupon the Elephant fell downe upon him and killed him The fathers doe not condemne this act of Eleazar Ambros li. 1. de of ficiis but they commend him much for it in that he layes downe his naturall life for the safetie of the Church Lastly wee are to lay downe our temporarie life above all for Christs sake as the martyres did We are to lay downe our temporall life for Christ this farre wee see how we may lay downe our naturall life for others but to lay downe our spirituall life for others that wee cannot doe a man may desire at some times the deferring of the injoying of the spirituall life for a while for the good of the Church Phil. 1.24 but hee cannot absolutely wish himselfe to be Anathema for the good of the Church Paul in a supposition wishes rather that he may be cursed In a speech joyntly taken both the partes may be true which being separate the one is true and the other is false then the Iewes condemned but hee wishes not this absolutely In a speech jointly taken both the parts may be true which being separate the one is true and the other false as Elias saith to Ahab The Lord hath not spoken by me if thou returne in peace from the
said that the Pharisees and Iohns disciples fasted but not Christs disciples the meaning is they fasted not usually as Iohns disciples and the Pharisees did but yet they fasted The third weapon to beate the devill is the sword of the spirit Ephes 6.16 take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Cant. 2.8 It is called the sword of the spirit because it is directed immediately by the spirit and because this sword pierceth to the heart This sword differeth from the magistrates sword this sword proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord Rev. 1.10 and it is called the rod of his mouth Esay 11. but the magistrate carries his sword onely in his hand Thirdly this sword is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a two edged sword it can both kill and save The Magistrates sword can onely kill but never quicken to restore a man to life Sauls sword never returned emptie from the bloud of the slaine 2 Sam. 1.20 It alwayes killed but it could never quicken but this sword can doe both therefore it hath not beene unfitly compared to the bitter waters when the woman that was guiltie of adulterie dranke them her thigh rotted and she died but if shee had beene an honest woman then having dranke of these bitter waters she conceived and brought forth a child so this sword both killeth and quickneth This sword divides betwixt the soule and the spirit but the Magistrates sword divides onely the head from the body This sword is of greatest force against the devils tentations It was by this sword that Christ beat Satan and all his tentations Mat. 4. when the disciples returned backe from the preaching of the Gospel then Christ saith Luke 10.18 I saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven the preaching of the Gospel is the speciall meane to make Satan fall when David gat the sword of Goliah in his hand having experience of it before he said there is no sword like that 1 Sam. 21.10 so there is no sword like this sword in the spirituall combate against the devill Quest What if the Lord should suffer Satan to appeare to us in a visible shape whether might wee use the sword of the word against him or not Answ We may not Satan is a very subtill enemie and can easily circumvent us therefore wee should not reason with him did hee not deceive Eva in her best estate when she reasoned with him how shall wee be able then to resist him Our part onely then in such a case is this to turne about our faces to the Lord and weepe upon him and desire the Lord to rebuke him Object If it be said why may wee not use this sword against Satan if he should visilby appeare to us as wel as when wee are commanded to use it against his tentations Answ His tentations are not so subtill when hee tempts us as when hee appeares visibly to us face to face for his tentations are mixed with our corruptions which are not as subtill as Satan himselfe is and therefore it is easier to resist these tentations by the word than to resist Satan himselfe SECT 16. That Sorcerers and Witches should be put to death THere are three sorts of people whom Satan tempts first those whom he tempts contrary to their will as those who were possessed in the primitive Church called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those should not be put to death those they pittied and placed inter Catechumenos amongst those who were catechized in the Church The second sort are those who enter in an indirect covenant with the devill those were not put to death sed admonebantur tantum they were onely admonished Those who enter in direct covenant with the devill should die the death The third sort were those who entred into the direct covenant with the devill and those were to die the death Deut. 18.11 For all that doe these things are abomination to the Lord. So Lev. 20.27 The Iewes in their thirteene rules of expounding of the Scripture this is the eight rule when a precept is set downe it is not set downe ut doceat de se non exivit sed ut docrat de toto universâ— exivit Their meaning is if a thing be spoken generally elsewhere and then be explained more plainely this clearer explanation is to be referred to the generall Example the Magitians indefinitely are commanded to die the death Exo. 22.18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live But Lev. 20.27 A man also or a woman that had a familiar spirit or that is a wizzard shall be surely put to death they shall stone them with stones and their bloud shall be upon them Hence they conclude that all sort of Magitians should die the death The diviners they hold should not die the death first they say that Kesem who is a diviner and who takes upon him onely to foretell things to come hee should not die the death but be admonished onely Secondly they say that Menaches Maimonides hujusmodi artium sectatores vel lapidibus obruendi erunt ut lidgnom Bagnal Oâ—h Mekasheph vel mitiori poena mulctandi ut Cosem Menaches Megnonan who markes the flying of the foules ought not to die the death hee is to be admonished and other wayes censured Thirdly incantator the charmer is not to die the death non facit opus peccatoris as they say in phesikta that is they doe not any thing that deserves death Fourthly Hamegronen qui observat nubes he is not to die the death and they say of him Non moritur est liber etiam a plagis that is hee should not die and he is free from stripes And lastly they say Qui perstringit â—oâ—lâ—s who deceives the sight as Inglers non moritur sed admonetur he is not to die the death but onely to be admonished But these three were alwayes to be put to death first Mekasheph malefitus or pharmacus they are called veneficae Exod. 22.18 Secondly Obh those who had a familiar spirit Thirdly Iidgnoni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui multa novit praedicit Targum translates him Ariolus these were alwayes put to death as in Sauls dayes he cut off the wizzards and those who had familiar spirits 1 Sam. 28.9 and Iosias tooke away the workers with familiar spirits and wizzards 2 King 23.24 Saul who caused before familiar spirits and wizzards to be taken away now because he falls to consult with them againe therefore justly he falls into the hands of the Philistines and is killed When Tiberius was Emperor hee caused to hang up those sorcerers and put them to death ad sacros lucos suspendebantur Magitians should lose their temporary estate As the Magitians should be put to death so should they lose their temporall estate and inheritance the Canaanites for their same was cast out of Canaan Deut. 18.12 Because of these abhominations the Lord thy God did drive out the
Canaanites before thee Although children should not be put to death for their fathers offences 2 King 14.6 yet they may be other wayes punished for their fathers offences as to be forfeited and to lose their fathers inheritance Lessius pag. 53. not 66. as the imperiall lawes have ordained the Casuists adde that if a Magitian should find a treasure hid in the ground whereas a third part of it should fall to the finder yet neither the Magitian nor his children should have any part of it ea pars quae inventoris fuit adjudicatur fisco that is that part which should have befallen to the finder is adjudged to the common treasure and besides all these temporary evils Sorcerers and Witches should not enter within the holy city Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wayes enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abhominationâ— the greatest abhomination that God abhorred Magitians are excluded from the kingdome of God is witchcraft Dâ—â—t 18.12 therefore they shall never enter within the holy citie Of the third degenerate Son the IDOLATER IT is not knowne whence the river Nilus springs all condescend upon this that this river springs first out of the hills called montes Lunae but out of what spring it aryseth first no man can tell But yet we see that out of these small beginnings it aryseth to a great river and runnes through Ethiopia turning the course now this way now that way and then runneth into Egypt at last it divides it selfe into seven branches and runnes into the Mediterranean sea And soe we may judge of the beginning of Idolatrie and progresse thereof This we know in generall that Idolatrie is a worke of the flesh Whence Idolatrie tooke the beginning Gal. 5.20 and it comes from a mind obscured with darkenesse Iohn 4.24 and from a corrupt understanding Hose 13.2 and they made them Idolles according to their owne understanding and from a will corrupted therefore it is called will worship Col. 2.23 and from the senses corrupted and especially from the sight therefore we are forbidden to goe a whoring after our owne eyes Num. 15.35 But in particular to tell who invented this Idolatrie first or where it was invented that we cannot doe for while men slept the enemie came and sowed tares Mat. 13.25 But as men know that Nilus tooke the beginning from a small originall and peece and peece increaseth unto a great river Such is the beginning and progresse of Idolatrie that it hath now overspread the most part of the world SECT 1. Of the beginning of Idolatry IT is most probable that this Idolatrie tooke the beginning from the love which men carie to their dead parents to set up images and statues to them in remembrance of them which Satan afterward moved them to worship and then they began to say to the stocke thou art my father Ier. 2.27 and to the stone that thou hast brought mee forth Men set up first images in remembrance of their fathers and afterward fell to worship them and hence it was that they were commanded to forget their fathers house when they were to leave Idolatrie Psal 45.10 That is the religion which they had from their parents and which was continued amongst them in remembrance of their fathers And those Idolaters are more blamed who chose new Gods which their fathers knew not Deut. 32.17 The devill made them beleeve that images were sent downe from God Secondly the subtill devill deluded people and made them beleeve that the gods sent downe images from Heaven which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming downe from Iupiter Act. 19.35 So hee made them beleeve that gods came downe to them in the likenesse of men The devill made men beleeve that images made with mens hands had some divine power assisting them Act. 14.11 and so they worshipped them Thirdly hee made them beleeve that those images which were made with mens hands had some divine power assisting them and that they were not lyke other workes of mens hands Acts 19.26 It is naturall for all men to have some god or other and men according to their severall inclinations found gods to themselves some one way and some another Men fained gods to themselves according to their severall inclinations Those who were inclined to warre made Mars for their God and the Scythians a belicouse people worshipped their sword and those who inclined to filthinesse or lust made Venus for their godesse And the Iewes worshipped Tammuz Ezech. 8.14 with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from hence sprang all their fabulous theologie as Varro calles it of the incests adulteries and rapts of their Gods So men inclining to coveteousnesse made their gods accordingly as the Philistines made Dagon a fish their god because they lay neare the sea coast and used fishing So some worshipped a sheepe as the Syrians worshiped gnashtoroth a sheepe So in Egypt they worshiped an oxe an oxe was a signe to them of plenie of corne Pro. 14.4 where no oxen are the crib is cleane but much increase is by the strength of the oxe and those who were given to drunkennesse made Bacchus their god Vide Amianum dego es de rebus ethiopicis lib. 3 And even as the Ethiopians because they are blacke themselves paint the good Angels blacke like themselves and the devills white So did men imagine of their gods and made them like unto themselves and that which they affected most foolish man imagine that God is like unto him Psal 50. because I held my peace thou thoughtest I was like unto thee When men beheld the starres first they observed the influx of the starres and that bred Physicke secondly they observed the course of the starres and that bred Astronomie Thirdly they used predictions by the starres and that bred Astrologie Fourthly they worshipped the starres and that was Idolatry They worshipped their gods of gold silver yron wood and stone Dan. 5.4 they represented Iupiter by gold Venus or Diana by silver they made silver shrines to Diana They represented Caeres by wood and Pluto and the infernall gods by stone To these Idols they gave all honour which was due to God they called them their husbandes Hos 2.7 they called them their kings Zeph. 1.5 and their gods and their kings and their great men tooke names from those Idoles as Nebuchadnezer and Nebuch palassar tooke their names from their Idoll Nebo Isa 46.1 So Balthasar Hanniball Hasdruball tooke their names from Baal so the King of the Sidonians was called Ethbaal 1 Sam. 6.31 and others tooke their names from Bell which is the contraction of Baal So they bestowed their goods upon their Idoles they sacrificed their children unto them and powred out all their affections upon them and they held that all which they did possesse they possessed it by their Idols Iud. 11.24 SECT 2. How great a sinne this sinne of Idolatrie is GOd who is the