into his world wherefore I vow to giue Almes for him that for this his soule may be bound vp in the bundle of life with the soule of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Sarah and Rebecca Rahel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which be in the garden of Eden Amen The Lord remember the soule of Mris N. the Daughter of N. who is gone to her world Therefore I vow c. as in the other before Amen The Lord remember the soule of my father and my mother of my grandfathers and grandmothers of my vncles and aunts of my brethren and sisters of my cosens and cosenesses whether of my fathers side or mothers side who are gone into their world Wherefore I vow c. Amen The Lord remember the soule of N. the sonne of N. and the soules of all my cosens and cosenesses whether on my fathers or mothers side who were put to death or slaine or stabd or burnt or drowned or hanged for the sanctifying of the name of God Therefore I will giue Almes for the memory of their soules and for this let their soules bee bound vp in the bundle of life with the soule of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Sarah and Rebecca Rahel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which are in the garden of Eden Amen Then the Priest pronounceth a blessing vpon the man that is thus charitable as it followeth there in these words Hee that blessed our father Abraham Isaac and Iacob Moses and Aaron Dauid and Salomon he blesse Rabbi N. the sonne of N. because he hath vowed Almes for the soules whom he hath mentioned for the honour of God and for the honour of the law and for the honour of the day for this the Lord keepe him and deliuer him from all affliction and trouble and from euery plague and sickenesse and write him and seale him for a happy life in the day of Iudgement and send a blessing and prosper him in euery worke of his hands and all Israel his brethren and let vs say Amen Thus courteous Reader hast thou seene a Popish Iew interceding for the dead haue but the like patience a while and thou shalt see how they are Popish almost entirely in claiming the merits of the dead to intercede for them for thus tendeth a prayer which they vse in the booke called Sepher Min hagim shel col Hammedinoth c. which I haue also here turned into English Do for thy praises sake Do for their sakes that loued thee that now dwell in dust For Abraham Isaac and Iacobs sake Do for Moses and Aarons sake Doe for Dauid and Salomons sake Doe for Ierusalem thy holy Cities sake Doe for Sion the habitation of thy glories sake Do for the desolation of thy Temples sake Do for the treading down of thine Altars sake Do for their sakes who were slaine for thy holy Name Do for their sakes who haue bene massacred for thy sake Do for their sakes who haue gone to fire or water for the hallowing of thy Name Do for sucking childrens sakes who haue not sinned Doe for weaned childrens sakes who haue not offended Do for infants sakes who are of the house of our Doctors Do for thine owne sake if not for ours Do for thine owne sake and saue vs. Tel me gentle reader 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. whether doth the Iew Romanize or the Roman Iudaize in his deuotions This interceding by others is a shrewd signe they haue both reiected the right Mediator betweene God and man Christ Iesus The prophane Heathen might haue read both Iew and Papist a lecture in his Contemno minutos istos Deos modo Iouem propitium habeam which I thinke a Christian may well English let go all Diminutiue Diuinities so that I may haue the great Iesus Christ to propitiate for me CAP. XLI Of the Latine translation of Mat. 6.1 ALmes in Rabbin Hebrew are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsedhakah righteousnesse which word the Syrian Translator vseth Mat. 6.1 Act. 10.2 and in other places From this custome of speech the Roman vulgar Translateth Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis One English old manuscript Testament is in Lichfield Librarie which hath it thus after the Latine Takith hede that you do not your rigtwisnes before men to be seyne of hem ellis ye shullen haue no mede at your fadir that is in heuenes Other English Translation I neuer saw any to this sense nor any Greeke coppie It seemes the Papist will rather Iudaize for his owne aduantage then follow the true Greeke The Septuagint in some places of the old TestameÌ„t haue turned Tsedhakah Righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almesdeeds to little or to no sense As the Papists haue in this place of the new Testament turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almesdeeds by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse to as little purpose In the Hebrew indeed one word is vsed for both Tsedhakah for Almesdeeds which properly signifies Righteousnesse vpon what ground I know not vnlesse it be to shew that Almes must be giuen of rightly gotten good or else they are no riâ—hteousnesse or they are called zadkatha in Syrian Hu ger Zadek lemehwo they are called righteousnesse because it is right they should be giuen and giuen rightly The Fathers of the Councell of Trent speake much of the merit of Almes whom one may answer in the very words of their vulgar Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis Take heed you do not make them your Iustification CAP. XLII An Embleme A Wall in Rome had this picture A man painted naked with a whip in one hand and foure leaues of a booke in the other and in euery leafe a word written In the first Plango I mourne In the second Dico I tell In the third volo I will and in the fourth facio I do Such a one in the true repentant He is naked because he would haue his most secret sinnes laid open to God He is whipped because his sinnes do sting himselfe His booke is his repentance His foure words are his actions In the first hee mournes in the second he confesses in the third hee resolues and in the fourth hee performes his resolution Plango I mourne there is sight of sinne and sorrow Dico I tell there is contrition for sinne and confession Volo I will there is amending resolution Facio I do there is performing satisfaction CAP. XLIII Mahhanaijm Gen. 32.2 ANd Iacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him And Iacob said when he saw them This is the Host of the Lord and he called the name of the place Mahanaim The word is duall and tels of two armies and no more what these two armies were the Iewes according to their vsuall veine do finde strange expositions To omit them all this seemes to me to be the truth and reason of the name There was one companie with Iacob which afterwards he
beleeued him not 4. Hee kept not the rest and estate wherein God had set him 5. He dishonoured his father which was in heauen therefore his dayes were not long in that land which the Lord his God had giuen him 6. Hee massacred himselfe and all his posteritie 7. From Eue he was a Virgin but in eyes and minde he committed spirituall fornication 8. Hee stole that like Achan which God had set aside not to bee medled with this his stealth is that which troubles all Israel the whole world 9. Hee bare witnesse against God when he beleeued the witnesse of the Deuill aboue him 10. Hee coueted an ill coueteousnesse like Amnon which cost him his life and all his progeny What a nest of euills here were committed at one blow The pride of heart and desire of more knowledge like Hamans ambition ouerthrew vs. This sinne was hatched in heauen by the wicked Angels but throwne out with them and neuer will come in there againe Hence is this sinne so lofty because it affects its first nest It is not for nothing that Blessed are the poore in spirit are the first words in Christs Sermon Mat. 5.3 but because the proud in spirit were the first sinners CAP. LVII Of the Law giuen at Sinai WHen Israel is got from the hard seruice of Egypt God bindes them apprentise to a new Master himselfe Their Indentures he drawes vpon mount Sinai a place where Moses before had kept a flocke of sheepe now he keepes a troupe of men In the Deliuerie of the Law there if you will stand with Israel in your place you may consider many passages CAP. LVIII Why the Law was published then and not before AT Sinai was deliuered no new thing the Law in some kinde was knowne before Sacrifice was vsed by Adam in the garden when the body of the beasts went for an offering for his soule and the skinnes for a couering for his body Cain and Abel learne this part of worship from their father The diuision of cleane and vncleane beasts is knowne to Noah when they come to him for their liues as they had done to Adam for their names Abraham when God made a couenant with him Genesis 15. Diuides and diuides not his beasts and fowles iust as God commands Leu. 1.6.17 and so of the rest Fathers could teach their children these things as they themselues had learned them of their fathers But when men began to multiplie and multitude to be more wicked then would they not be so easily bridled by a Law whose author they knew no more of but their fathers And when men liued but a short time in comparison of the first men and so could not see the full setling of the Law in their houses And when God had fetched him a people out of Egypt and laid the foundation of a glorious Church with signes and wonders then hee thought it fit for their restriction as also for their distinction from the Heathen to giue the Law from his owne mouth the more to procure reuerence to him For heauen and earth must needs hearken when the Lord speaketh Isa. 1.2 And thus did the Heathen faine they receiued their lawes from a Deity that was neuer seene and yet their lawes were the better obserued for that reason CAP. LIX Of the place where it was giuen and manner GOD gaue the Law in Arabia so wicked Mahomet gaue his law in Arabia A worse and a better thing no one countrey euer affoorded God gaue his Law in Sinai a bushy place as it seemes by the name agreeable to the giuing of so perplexing a matter Carry along with thee gentle Reader as thou readest the Scripture thus much care at my request as to marke that the Law of Moses was giuen in two places Sâ—nai and the Tabernacle as also to consider that some part of this Law did onely concerne the Iewes and some part did also concerne all the world The Ceremoniall Law that concerned onely the Iewes it was giuen to Moses in priuate in the Tabernacle and fell with the Tabernacle when the vaile rent in twaine The Morall Law concernes the whole world and it was guien in sight of the whole world on the top of a mountaine and must endure as long as any mountaine standeth The Iudiciall Law which is more indifferent and may stand or fall as seemes best for the good of a common wealth was giuen neither to publike as the one nor so priuate as the other but in a meane betweene both The Law on Sinai was with fire and trumpets so shall Christ come with fire and trumpet at the latter day to take an account how men haue kept this fiery Law as it is called Deut. 33.2 Fiery because giuen out of the fire as the Ierusalem and Babilonian Targums hold though I think there is more meant by the words then so for it is Esh dath which may bee rendred the fire of a Law CAP. LX. Of the effects of the Law THe letter of the Law is death but the spirit giueth life The Iewes stand vpon the letter and thinke to gaine life by the works of it but them the Apostle frequently confuteth And I take the aime of Christs Parable Mat. 20. about the penny to extend to no lesse Some came into the vineyard at the Dawning of the Day or the Age before the flood and some at the third houre or in the time before the Law and some at the sixth and ninth houre or vnder the heat and burden of the Iewish Law and some at the last vnder the Gospell Those vnder the Law plead for merit we haue borne the heat and burden of the day that is costly sacrifices sore ceremonies c. To whom the Master answers that his penny is his owne and if he giue it it is not for their merit but his good will S. Paul calls the law a Schoole-master and so it is indeed and such a Schoolemaster as that that Liuy and Florus speake of in Italy who brought forth his children that were trusted with him to Hannibal who if he had not beene more mercyfull then otherwise they had all perished So they that rely vpon the works of the Law are in fine constrained by the Law to come to Christ who more mercifull then the Law does deliuers them And if you well weigh it you shall find that as the whole Law so euery part from one to another brings vs to Christ. The Morall Law shewes vs what wee should do and with the same sight we find that we cannot do it This makes vs to seeke to the Ceremoniall for some sacrifice or ceremonie to answer for our not doing it There wee see that burning a dead beast is but poore satisfaction for the sinnes of men liuing and that outward purifyings of mens selues can auaile but little to the cleansing of a soiled soule this then deliuers vs to the Iudiciall Law and by it we see what we
the thought of onâ— â—â—ely God the Persians thought hee â—â—uld not be comprehended in a Temâ—â—e and Numas thought he could not 〈◊〉 represented by an image and for â—â—is saith Clem. Alex. hee was helâ—ed by Moses yet came all these farre â—ort of the knowledge of God Naâ—â—re when shee had brought them â—â—us farre was come to a non vltra â—â—d could go no further Happy then 〈◊〉 wee if wee could but right-prize â—ur happinesse to whom the day spring â—â—om an high hath risen and the Sonne of â—â—ghteousnesse with healing in his wings â—â—on whom the noone-tide of the Gosâ—ell shineth and the knowledge of God 〈◊〉 its strength Euen so O Lord let it be â—ill told in Gath and published in the â—â—reets of Ascalon to the rankor and sorâ—ow of the vncircumcised that God is â—nowne in Brittaine and his Name is â—reat in England CAP. II. Of the Names of GOD vsed by Iewes and Gentiles NO Nation so barbarous saith Tullâ— that hath not some tincture of knoâ—ledge that there is a Deity And yet many nay most People of the world faâ—â— short of the right apprehension oâ— God through three reasons First when they cannot carry their minde further then their senses and so thinkâ— God hath a body as they haue that iâ— coloured c. Secondly when theâ— measure God by themselues so makâ— him passionate like man For men noâ— able to conceiue what God is what his nature what his power c. fall into such opinions that they frame Gods of themselues and as is their owne humane nature so they attribute to God the like for his will actions intentions saith Arnobius Thirdly when they mount aboue nature and sense and yet not right feigning that God begat himselfe c. Hence came the multitude and diuersitie of Deities among the Heathen minting thousands of gods to finde the right and yet they could not Hence their many names and many fames made by them that it seemes thought it as lawfull to make gods as it was for God to make them At first they worshipped these their deities without any representation onâ—y by their names Caelites Inferi Heroes â—umani Sangui and thousands others â—he naming of which is more like conâ—uring then otherwise Nature it selfe â—aught men there was something they â—ust acknowledge for supreame superâ—â—tendent of all things This light of â—ature lead them to worshippe â—â—mething but it could not bring â—â—em to worship aright Hence some â—dored bruit beasts some trees some â—â—rres some men some Deuils Some 〈◊〉 images some without some in Temples some without Thus was Gedeons fleece the heathen peece of the world all dry set in the darkenesse of the shadow of Death But in Iury was God knowne and his Name great in Israel By his name Iehouah he exprest himselfe when he brought them from Aegypt and his glory hee pitched among them They knew him by his names and titles of Elohim Adonai El Shaddai Elion and his great name Iehouah as the Iewes do call it There the Scriptures of the Law and Prophets did teach them yet they thus neerely acquainted with the true God forsooke him so that wrath came vpon Israel The Rabbinicall Iewes beside Scripture words haue diuerse Phrases to expresse God by in their writings As frequently they cal him Hakkadhosh baruchhu the holy blessed he in short with foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometime they vse El iithbarech the Lord who is or be blessed Sometimes Shamaiim Heauen by a Metonomy because there hee dwelleth The like Phrase is in the Gospell Father I haue sinned against heauen Luk. 15.18 The like Phrase is frequent in England The heauens keepe you Shekinah they vse for a title of God but more especially for the Holy Ghost So saith Elias leuita in Tishbi Our Rabbins of happy memorie call the Holy Ghost Shekinah gnal shew shehu shaken gnal hannebhiim because he dwells vpon the Prophets Accordingly saith our Nicene Creed I beleeue in the Holy Ghost who spake by the Prophets Shem a name or the name they vse for a name of God and Makom a place they place â—or the same because hee comprehendeth all things and nothing compreâ—endeth him Gebhurah Strength is in â—he same vse They are nice in the vtâ—erance of the name Iehouah but vse â—iuerse Periphrases for it as Shem shel â—bang the name of foure letters Shem â—aminhhadh the proper name and oâ—â—ers One in Eusebius hath eloquently expressed it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seuen sounding letters ring the praise of me Th' immortall God th' Almighty Deity The Father of all that cannot weary be I am th' eternall violl of all things Whereby the melody so sweetly rings Of Heauens musicke which so sweetly sings What these seuen letters are that do thus expresse God is easie to guesse that they be the letters of the name Iehouah which indeed consisteth but of foure letters but the vowels must make vp the number Of the exposition of this name Iehouah thus saith Rabbi Salomon vpon these words I appeared to them by the name of God omnipotent but by my name Iehouah I was not knowne to them Exod. 6.3 Hee saith vnto him saith the Rabbin I am Iehouah faithfull in rendering a good reward to those that walke before me and I haue not sent thee for nothing but for the establishing of my words which I spake to their fathers And in this sense we finde thâ— word Iehouah expounded in sundry places I am Iehouah faithfull in auenging when he speakes of punishing as and if thou profane the name of thy God I am Iehouah And so when hee speaketh of the performing of the Commandements as And you shall keepe my commandements and do them I am Iehouah faithfull to giue to you a good reward thus farre the Rabbin The Alchymisticall Cabalists or Cabalisticall Alchymists haue extracted the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or number whether you will out of the word Iehouah after a strange manner This is their way to do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which great mystery is in English thus Ten times ten is an hundred fiue times fiue is twenty fiue behold 125. Six times six is thirtie six behold 161. and fiue times fiue is twenty fiue behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 186. Thus runneth their senselesse multiplication multiplying numberlesse lesse follies in their foolish numbers making conjectures like Sybills leaues that when they come to blast of triall prooue but winde Irenaeus hath such a mysticall stirre about the name Iesu which I must needs confesse I can make nothing at all of yet will I set downe his words that the reader may skan what I cannot Nomen Iesu saith he secundum propriam Hebraeorum linguam c. The name Iesu according to the proper speech of the Hebrewes consisteth of two letters and an halfe as
paines to prooue the text vncorrupt against a gaine saying Papist For they haue summed vp all the letters in the Bible to shew that one haire of that sacred head is not perished Eight â—undred eight and fourty marginall â—otes are obserued and preserued for the more facility of the text The middle verse of euery booke noted the number of the verses in euery booke reckoned and as I said before not a vowell that misseth ordinary Grammar which is not marked So that if we had no other surety for the truth of the old Testament text these mens paines me thinks should be enough to stop the mouth of a daring Papist CAP. XIIII Of the marginall readings THat the margin should so often helpe the text as I may so say as in 848. places may seeme to taxe the text of so many errours But the learned can find a reason why it is so I hope I may satisfie my selfe without any hurt with this reason till mâ— learning will affoord mee a better Namely that when they tooke iâ— hand to reuiew the Bible after the captiuity as all hold Ezra did that they did it by more coppies then one which when they thus varied they would not forsake either because they were loath to add or diminish therefore they tooke euen their varying one in the text and the other in the margin Yet doe I not thinke it was done onely thus without some more speciall matter in some places for the writing of Nagnarah so often Nagnar does make mee thinke if I had nothing els to perswade me that these marginals are not only humane corrections CAP. XV. Ex Kimchio in Ionah 1. KImchi questioning why the book of Ionah should bee Canonicall c. giues one most comfortable reason which vpon reading I could not but muse on His words are obseruable and they are these It is questionable why this Prophecie is written among the holy Scriptures since it is all against Niniueh which was Heathennish and in it there is no remembrance or mention of Israel and among all the Prophets besides this there is not the like But we may expound it that it is written to be a checke to Israel for loe a strange People which were not of Israel was ready to repent and euen the first time that a Prophet reproued them they turned wholly from their euill But Israel whom the Prophets reproued early and late yet they returned not from their euill Againe this booke was written to shew the great miracle that the blessed God did with the Prophet who was three dayes and three nights in the belly of the fish and yet liued and the fish cast him vp againe Againe to teach vs that the blessed God sheweth mercy to the repentant of what nation soeuer and pardons them though they bee many Haec Kimchi Vpon whose last words I cannot but enter into these thoughts Could wee looke for a truth from a Iew or comfort from a Spaniard And yet here the Spanish Iew affoords vs both comfortable truth and true comfort God will pardon the Repentant there is a comfortable truth and hee will pardon them of what nation soeuer if they repent there is most true comfort When a Iew thus preaches repentance I cannot but hearken and helpe him a little out with his Sermon That as God is ready to forgiue the Repentant of what Nation soeuer so for what sinnes soeuer if they be truly repented Here I except the impardonable sinne the sinne against the Holy Ghost which what it is the Scripture conceales in close words partly because we should not despaire if wee fall our selues and partly because wee should not censure damnably of our brethren if they fall into a sinne that is nigh this so that not into it To maintaine the Iewes words and mine owne for pardon of Nations and of finnes I haue as large a field as all the Countries and all the sinnes of the world to looke ouer I will onely for Countries confine my selfe to Niniueh and for sinnes to Mary Magdalen Niniueh a heathen towne built by a wicked brood inhabited by a wicked crew yet repenting Niniueh is pardoned Mary Magdalen a manifold sinner a customary sinner a most deadly sinner yet repenting Mary Magdalen is forgiuen The Iew brings me into two christian meditations about Niniueh or into two wholesome Passions Feare and Hope God sees the sinnes of Niniueh then I know mine are not hid this breeds in me feare of punishment But God forgiues the sinnes of Niniueh then I hope mine are not vnpardonable this breeds hope of forgiuenesse Col debhaurau she amar lehareang libhne Adam saith the Rabbin bithnai im lo jashubhu All the euills that God threatens to men are threatned with this condition if they doe not repent As before the Iew spake comfort and truth so here hee linkes comfort and terrour God threatens euill there is terrour but it is with condition there is comfort Niniueh finds both in the story Fourty dayes and Niniueh shall be destroyed there is a threatned terrour But the Lord repented of the euill that hee spake to doe vnto them and did it not there is a comforting condition So that as Dauid does so will I hopefully and yet fearefully sing of mercy and judgement First mercy then iudgement Mercy vpon my repentance lest I bee cast downe and Iudgement vpon my sinnes lest I be lifted vp Mercy in Iudgement and Iudgement in mercy Is there any one that desperatly reiects Niniuehs exhibited mercy let him feare Niniuehs threatned iudgment or is there any that trembles at Niniuehs threatned Iudgement let him comfort himselfe by Niniuehs obtaining mercy But in the mouth of two witnesses let the mercy bee confirmed Let mee take Mary Magdalen with Niniueh and as I see in it the forgiuenesse of a multitude of sinners so I may see in her of a multitude of sinnes Those many sinners pardoned as one man those many sinnes made as none at all Saint Bernard speaking of her washing of Christs feet saies shee came thither a sinner but shee went thence a Saint She came thither an Aethiope and a leopard but shee went thence with changed skin and cancelled spots But how was this done She fell at the feet of Christ and with sighs from her heart she vomited the sinnes from her soule Prosternere tu anima mea as saith the same Bernard And cast thou thy selfe downe oh my soule before the feet of Christ wipe them with thine haires wash them with thy teares which teares washing his feet may also purge thy soule Wash his feet and wash thy selfe with Mary Magdalen till hee say to thee as hee did to Marie Magdalen thy sinnes are forgiuen CAP. XVI Of sacrifice SAcrifice is within a little as old as sinne and sinne not much younger then the world Adam on the day of his creation as is most probable sinneth and sacrificeth and on the next day after meditates on that wherunto his sacrifice aimeth
light heart but where the guiltinesse grones heauy too the gold is worth nothing At last the murderers conscience accuseth and condemnes him like both witnesse and Iudge for his bloudy fact His heart and eyes are both cast downe the one as farre as hell whither the fact had sunke and the other to the earth whither the bloud He is now wearie of his owne life as ere-while he was of anothers He ties his purse of gold which had hired him to kill the other about his necke and offers it to euery one he meets as his reward if he would kill him At last hee is paid in his owne coine and hires his owne murderer with that price wherewith he himselfe was hired And so perish all such whose feet are swift to shed bloud and he that strikes with an vnlawfull sword be strucken with a lawfull againe This mans case makes mee to thinke of Cain the old grandsire of all murderers Of his heauy doome and misery and burden and banishment Dauid once groaned vnder the burden of blood-guiltinesse but God at his repenting eased him Psal. 51. Iudas takes a worse course then euen Cain did to bee released of the sting of bloudshed Mat. 27. God grant I neuer know what it is to bee guilty of shedding of bloud but onely by reading CAP. XVIII Of the name of the Red Sea IN Hebrew it is called Suph the sea of weeds Because saith Kimchi there grew abundance of weeds vpon the sides of it In Greeke Latine and English and other Westerne tongues it is commonly called the Red Sea Diuerse reasons are giuen by diuerse persons why it is so called the best seemes to me to be from the rednesse of the ground about it And so Herodotus speakes of a place thereabout called Erythrobolus or the red soile It is thought our country tooke the name of Albion from the like occasion but not like colour As from the white rocks or clifts vpon the sea side The Iewes hold that Whale that swallowed Ionah brought him into the Red Sea and there shewed him the way that Israel passed through it for his eyes were as two windowes to Ionah that he looked out and saw all the sea as he went A whetstone yet they will needs haue some reason for this loudly and this is it because Ionah in Cap. 2.5 saith Suph hhabhush leroshi which is the weeds were wrapped about my head which they construe the Red Sea was wrapped about my head And to helpe the Whale thither Rabbi Iaphet saith that the Red Sea meets with the sea of Iapho or the Mediterranean vnlesse the Rabbin meanes that they meet vnder ground guesse what a Geographer he was and if hee find a way vnder ground guesse what a deepe scholler A long iourney it was for the Whale to go vp to Hercules pillars into the Ocean and from thence to the Red Sea in three dayes and nights but the fabling Iewes must find some sleight to maintaine their owne inuentions CAP. XIX Of the word Raca Mat. 5.22 WHosoeuer shall say vnto his brother Raca shall be worthy to bee punished by the Councell The word is a Iewish nick-name and so vsed in the Talmud for a despitefull title to a despised man as Our Rabbins shew a thing done with a religious man that was praying in the high way by comes a great man and giues him the time of the day but he saluted him not againe He stayed for him till he had finished his prayer after he had done his prayer he said to him Reka is it not written in your law that you shall take heed to your selues Had I strucke off thy head with my sword who should haue required thy bloud c. And so goes the angry man on Irenaeus hath a Phrase nigh to the signification of this word qui expuit cerebrum a man that hath no braines and so Raka signifies a man emptie whether of vnderstanding or goodnesse so the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is frequently taken CAP. XX. Wit stollen by Iewes out of the Gospell Gospell OVR Sauiour saith to His Disciples the haruest truly is great but the labourers are few Matth. 9.38 Whosoeuer heareth these sayings and doth them I will liken him to a man that built his house vpon a rock And the raine descended and flouds came c. And euery one that heareth these sayings and doth them not shal be likened to a foolish man that built his house vpon the sand Mat. 7.24 25. c. Of euery idle word that men speake they shall giue account therof at the day of Iudgement Mat. 12.36 With what measure you mete it shall be measured to you againe Mat. 7.2 Iewes RAbbi Simeon saith today is the haruest and the worke is much and the labourers idle and the reward great and the Master of the house vrgent Pirk Abhoth Per. 2. He that learneth the law and doth many good works is like a man that built his house the foundatiō of stone and the rest of bricke and the waters beate and the stone stood c. But hee that learneth the law and doth not many good workes is like a man that built his house the foundation of brick and the rest of stone c. and the brick wasted c. Abhoth Rabbi Nathan The very same words almost in Orehhoth hhajmi Rabbi Mair saith with the measure that a man measureth they measure to him againe Sanhedrin The whole Lords Prayer might almost be picked out of their workes for they deny not the words though they contradict the force of it The first words of it they vse frequently as Our father which art in heauen in their common prayer booke fol. 5. and Humble your hearts before your father which is in heauen in Rosh hashaua But they haue as much deuotion toward the Father while they denie the Sonne as the Heathens had which could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our father Iupiter and worshipped an vnknowne god Act. 17. They pray almost in euery other prayer Thy kingdome come and that Bimherah bejamenu quickly euen in our dayes but it is for an earthly kingdome they thus looke and pray They pray lead me not into temptation fol. 4. liturg while they tempt him that lead them in the wildernesse as did their father Psal. 95. By this Gospell which they thus filch they must be judged CAP. XXI Saint Cyprians nicety about the last Petition in the Lords Prayer SAint Cyprian it seemeth is so fearefull of making God the Author of euill that he will not thinke that God leadeth any man into temptation The Petition he readeth thus Ne nos patiaris induci in tentationem suffer vs not to be lead into temptation but deliuer vs from euill leauing the ordinanary current and truth of the Prayer because hee will not bee accessary to imagine that God should lead man into temptation whereas all men as well as he do thinke that God doth not leade man into euill
vpon his threatning to giue them repentance Other kind of entertainment then Ionah had had he that came from Gregorie Bishop of Rome to preach to our Realme of England The passage of which story our countriman Bede hath fully related That when Austen had preached the Gospell to the King and dehorted him from his irreligious religion your words saith the King are good but I haue beene trained vp so in the religion I now follow that I cannot forsake it to change for a new This argument too many superstitious soules ground vpon in these dayes choosing rather to erre with Plato then to follow the truth with another Desiring rather to be and being as they desire of a false religion then to forsake the profession of their Parents and Predecessors Not refusing like good fellowes to go to hell for company rather then to heauen alone Such a boon companion was Rochardus king of the Phrisons of whom it is recorded that whereas a Bishop had perswaded him so farre towards Christianity as that he had got him into the water to baptize him the king there questions which way his forefathers went which died vnbaptized whether to heauen or hell The Bishop answers that most certainely they were gone to hell Then will I go the same way with them saith the wicked king and pulls backe his foot out of the water and would not bee baptized at all Hoc animus meminisse horret luctuque refugit CAP. XXVI Of the Iewes Sacraments Circumcision and Passeouer BOth these Sacraments of the Iewes were with bloud both in figure the one to carrie the memorie of Christ till he came and the other the passion of him being come Abraham receiued the signe of Circumcision the seale of the righteousnesse of faith which he had when he was vncircumcised Rom. 4. The Israelites receiued the institution of the Passeouer in Aegypt Exod. 12. I will not stand to allegorize these matters of the time and manner of receiuing these two but onely of the things themselues Circumcision giuen in such a place is not for nothing but in the place of generation it is giuen Abraham as a seale of his faith that he should be the father of all those that beleeue Rom. 4. And especially a seale to him of Christs comming from those loines neere to which his circumcision was And appertaining to this I take to be the oath that Abraham giues his seruant and that Iacob giues Ioseph with their hands put vnder their thighes not to sweare by their circumcision but by Christ that should come from those thighes Circumcision was also vsed for distinction of an Israelite at the first and hence were they distinguished but in time Ismael had taught his race so much and Aegyptians Phaenicians Arabians and the countries about them grew circumcised So was Pythagoras circumcised that he might haue accesse to the recluse misteries of the Aegyptians religion Circumcision was also vsed with the Iewes as Baptisme with vs for admission into the Church of Israel And it was Gods expresse command that the child on the eight day should be circumcised And on that day more then any other saith Saint Austen to signifie Christs resurrection who rested the weekes end in the graue and rose on the eight day And if Aristotle say true one may giue a reason why not before the eight day because a child for the seuen dayes is most dangerous for weakenesse A stranger was so admitted to their congregation Exod. 2.48 And of this does Rabbi Eliezer fantastically expound that verse in Ionah 1.16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifice whereupon the wandring Iew saith thus As soone as the mariners saw when they drew neere to Niniueh all the wonders that the blessed God did to Ionah they stood and cast euery one his gods into the sea They returned to Ioppa and went vp to Ierusalem and circumcised the flesh of their fore-skin as it is said And the men feared the Lord exceedingly and sacrificed sacrifices what sacrifice but this bloud of the circumcision which is as the blood of a sacrifice And they vowed to bring euery one his wife and children and all that he had to feare the Lord God of Ionah and they vowed and performed This was indeed the way to admit proselytes by circumcision but in Salomons time when they became Proselytes by thousands they admitted them by Bapâ—â—sme or washing as â—ome Iewes doe witnesse Whether the neglect of Circumcision as I may so tearme it in the wildernesse were meerely politicke because of their more fitnesse for any moments remoouall and march or whether some mysterie were in it I will not decide Nor need I relate how the Iewes vse to circumcise their children for the great Buxtorfius hath punctually done it Nor can I relate how highly the Iewes prize their Circumcision for one might gather volumes out of them vpon this subiect For they consider not that he is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Iew which is one within and the circumcision is of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God CAP. XXVII Of the Passeouer THe Passeouer was a full representation of Christs passion though to the Iewes the Passeouer was more then a meere shadow To run through the parts of it might bee more then copious A word and away At the Passeouer the begining of the yeare is changed So At Christs Passouer the beginning of the week is changed The Passeouer was either of a lamb to signifie Christs innocencie or of a Kid to signifie his likenesse to sinfull flesh as Lyranus The Lambe or Kid was taken vp and kept foure dayes to see whether he were spotlesse and it may be to scoure and cleanse himselfe from his grasse The Passeouer slaine at euen So Christ slaine at euen His bloud to be sprinkled with a bunch of hysope CHRISTS bloud sprinkled And of this I thinke Dauid may bee vnderstood Psal. 51. Cleanse me with Hysope That is besprinkle mee with the bloud of the true Paschall Lambe Iesus Christ. He was to bee rosted with fire So Christ tried with fire of affliction These parts were to be roasted His Head So was CHRIST tortured His head with thornes His legs His hands feet with nails His inward parts His inwards with a speare Their eating of him as it concerned the Israelites in their estate so may it instruct Christians for the eating of the true Passeouer the Lords Supper The Passeouer eaten Without leauen So the Sacrament of the supper to bee eaten Without leauen of malice With bitter herbs With bitter repentance With loins girt With resolution of amendment With feet shod With preparation to walke better With staf in hand Leaâ—ing on the staff of true faith In hast Hasting to leaue this worldly Aegipt Thus was the Passeouer first eaten in Aegypt after which all