may be Object expounded thus God did actually purpose to sanctifie it after the giving of the Law If to sanctifie the seventh day be only Resp to purpose to sanctifie it then the Sabbath was no more sanctified since the creation then ab aeterno for then God purposed it should be sanctified c. For the further clearing of this truth I shall give you the Arguments of some learned persons why they conceive that the Sabbath was not instituted till the giving of the Law on mount Sinai Adam in innocency should not have Arg. 1 needed a Sabbath not his soul for every day was a Sabbath to that nor his body because his body was not then subject to wearinesse neither could it be appointed for the ease of servants because then no such thing as servitude in the world The Sabbath was instituted not for Resp 1 common rest or rest from natural wearinesse principally but for holy rest that the soul might have more immediate communion with God Returne to thy rest O my soule saith the Psalmist The rest of the soule is not a ceasing from all operation for that cannot stand with the nature of a spirit hence the soul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an act because it is still in action a spirit cannot be and not act but when the soule centers on God then it is said to rest Bodies rest in their proper places and souls rest in the enjoying of their proper objects Now Adam in innocency thogh his body was not subject to wearinesse might stand in need of such a rest as this is Adam was to serve God in a particular calling God took the man put him into the garden of Eden that he might dresse it keep Gen. 2. 5. it now Luther professeth It followes from hence saith he that if Adam had stood in his innocency yet he should have kept the seventh day holy viz. on that day he should have taught his children what was the Word of God wherein his worship did consist and wholly have sequestred himself to his service on other days he should have dressed and kept the garden though every day was to be spent in holinesse mediately in seeing God in the creatures and meeting with God in his labour yet it was not unsuitable for that estate to have one day in the week for more immediate and special converse with God and though it was no paine to him to dresse the garden yet this must needs take up his thoughts while he was about it The Saints and Angels in Heaven have Object had no set Sabbath and why man in innocency The state of innocency on earth should Resp not have been in all things alike to the state of glory in heaven and particularly in this there should have been marriage dressing of the garden day and night in Paradise but no such thing in Heaven We do not read that there was any other Arg. 2 positive precept or law given to our first parents in the state of innocency but only this that they should not eat of the forbidden fruit Now the command of God for the observation of the Sabbath is a positive command and that appears because although the worship of God do belong to the Law natural viz. founded in the Law of nature yet the circumstance of time when God in an especial manner is to be worshipped that we should keep an holy rest unto the Lord every seventh day this is a positive precept and was never determined by the Law of nature That Adam had from the creation at Resp least that which amounted to a positive Law for the observance of the Sabbath is plaine It is said God sanctified the seventh day Now though this word is variously taken in the Scripture yet in this place the seventh day must be said to be sanctified one of these two wayes Either by infusion of holinesse or sanctification into it now the circumstance of a seventh day is not capable of sanctification in this sense only rational creatures Angels and men may be said thus to be sanctified By separation of it from common use and dedication of it to an holy use as the Temple and Tabernacle were which had no inherent holinesse in them Now if the Sabbath were thus sanctified it must either be for the use of God or man either God must impose upon himself the observation of every seventh day to keep it holy which is absurd or else it was dedicated and consecrated for mans sake and use and if so man had that which amounted to a positive Law for the observation of the Sabbath When Moses makes repetition of the Arg. 3 Law of God Deut. 5. 15. he laies downe this as a ground of the observation of the seventh day as a Sabbath the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt therefore the Sabbath was not instituted from the creation This that is urged is placed by God by Resp way of preface and motive as an argument for the observation of all the Commandments yet who will say that none of them were in force till the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt This was one reason why the Sabbath Resp 2 should be sanctified but not the only reason therefore Exod. 20. 6. the reason that is rendered there why the seventh day is the Sabbath is this for in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth c. The Jewes were to observe the Sabbath not only upon the ground of its first institution but upon reasons proper and peculiar to that Nation It is likely their deliverance out of Egypt was on the Sabbath day and therefore urged by Moses as a ground of their observation of it We finde not any expresse mention Arg. 4 that the Patriarchs before Moses time did sanctifie a Sabbath We may as well argue it was not kept Resp all the time of the Judges and Samuel because no expresse mention made in those Books of any such thing No doubt but they observed it because Object it was published on mount Sinai The like may we say of the Patriarchs Resp 1 before the promulgation of the Law on mount Sinai because it was sanctified from the Creation Abraham is commended for keeping Gods Commandments and the Sabbath is one of Gen. 26.5 them We may as well argue that the Patriarchs for two thousand five hundred yeares together observed not any day at all for the worship and service of God for there is in Scripture as much mention of a Sabbath as any other day yea It is plaine in the Scripture that the Jewes did keep the Sabbath before the Law was given This is that which the Lord hath said To morrow is the rest of the holy Exo 16.23 Sabhath unto the Lord c. I might adde that it is not improbable but the sacrifices of Cain and Abel were upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day the usual stated time for such services If a time had not beene set apart even in Adams
God as well as the man but now consider them as to their sex or as to their relations of man and wife so man is her superiour and in regard of that authority that the man hath over the woman the man is said to be the image of God and the woman the glory of her husband and well may she be called the glory of man for it was a far greater honour for man to have dominion over one of his own kind then over all the beasts Quest. 15. verse 27. 'T is said both man and woman were created the sixth day male and female created he them and yet after the six days were over it is said The Lord caused a deep sleep Gen. 2.21 22. to fall upon Adam and he slept and of one of his ribs he made a woman These Scriptures are easily reconciled In the first chapter the Spirit of God tells Resp us what God did the sixth day viz. he created the man and woman male and female In the second chapter he tels us Gods manner of doing it Quest. 16. verse 28. 'T is said God blessed them and said Be fruitful and multiply and yet our Saviour saies Luke 23. 29. Behold the days are coming when they shall say Blessed are the barren c. and so in another place Woe to them that are with child in those dayes Mat. 24.19 To have children to be fruitful in its self considered is a mercie and to be preferred Resp before barrennesse but yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in some respect barrennesse is to be preferred before it As when enemies are approaching and a place is like to be destroyed with the sword women with childe are not able to flie and shift for themselves and therefore Woe to women with childe in those dayes And 't is better to have no children then to see them butchered and massacred before our eyes And this shewes the singular difference between spiritual mercies and temporal spiritual mercies are alwayes desirable and never out of season Quest 17. verse 29. Whether the eating of flesh or fish was allowed by God to our forefathers before the flood for after the flood we finde this liberty was given Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you but in this Gen 9.3 chapter when God speaks of the provision made for man he only speaks of Trees and Herbs and Vegetables I humbly conceive the Affirmative enclined Resp thereunto by these reasons 1. God did not forbid them eating of flesh therfore left them to their liberty 2. What use could there be made of fish and many other creatures if they had not been allowed for meat 3. They offered up Sacrifices of their cattel Abel brought of the firstlings of his Gen. 4.4 flock Now it was a thing received and taken for granted among the Jews that they might eat of their Sacrifices 4. They wore the skins of beasts and therefore it is likely they ate also the flesh Unto Adam also and unto his wife did the Gen. 3.21 Lord God make coats of skins But after the flood God expressely permitted the eating of flesh and therefore he Object did not permit it before Negativa non probant By the same reason Resp 1 it would follow that because the Rainbowe was not mentioned before the flood the Rainbowe was not before the flood which we have no cause to beleeve for Positâ causâ ponitur effectus Now the Rainbowe is caused by the Sun shining upon a watery cloud It is true it was not the token of Gods Covenant till after the flood but it was before God did not after the flood give man a right to that which he had not before the flood but only reinvested him with those possessions and priviledges which he had been cast out of by reason of his sinne Notes on the second Chapter Quest 1. verse 1 2. HOw is it said that God ended his work the seventh day when God is totus actus and besides John 5. 17 our Saviour saith My Father worketh hitherto and I work Cessavit ab actu creationis non ab actu Resp 1 Moses doth not say simply he rested from all his work but from all his work which he had made viz. from the works of creation and therefore that of our Saviour my Father worketh hitherto and I work must be understood of the works of providence But the souls of all the men and women Object in the world from the beginning have been created to this very day God rested from the creation of species Resp or kinds not from the creation of individuals But the earth afterwards brought forth Object briars and thorns therefore new kinds were created Gen. 3.17 18. I know no inconvenience will follow Resp if we affirme that briars and thornes were created the first six dayes it is true they should not in the least have been prejudicial either to man or to the fruits of the earth if man had not sinned and therefore it is likely if man had continued in his primitive state of integrity briars and thornes should have growen in their place and the fruits of the earth in their place this blending and mixing of briars and thornes amongst the fruits of the earth is the product of the sin of man But there are several things in the world Object the creation whereof we read not the first six dayes as wine milk c. Some things were created in their perfection Resp some things in their principles though wine was not created the grape was though milk was not created the brest was Quest 2. verse 3. Whether God did from the first creation appoint that the seventh day should be kept as an holy Sabbath or whether this be spoken by way of Prolepsis or Anticipation viz. because God rested from his work upon the seventh day therefore he did afterwards at the time of the giving of the Law ordaine that every seventh day of the week should be kept holy as a Sabbath of rest unto the Lord. The Sabbath was appointed from the Resp creation 't is true It cannot be denied but that it is an usuall thing in Scripture to set down things in way of Prolepsis or Anticipation as they call it to set down things aforehand in the History which happened many years afterward but there is no such Prolepsis here as if the meaning should be that he did this two thousand five hundred years after the creation It is observable that throughout the whole Scripture we shall not finde one Prolepsis but that the History is evidently and apparently false unlesse we do acknowledge a Prolepsis and Anticipation to be in the History the necessity of establishing the truth of the History only can establish the truth of a Prolepsis in the History but in this place alledged can any say that the story is apparently false unlesse we imagine the Sabbath to be first sanctified on mount Sinai But Gods sanctifying the Sabbath
Deut. 18. 14. Esay 44. 25. Esay 47. 13. Jer. 10. 1 2. 2. They are unreasonable if there were any certainty in the Astrological Art it would appeare in those Predictions that concerne the weather which is the proper subject of the Planets operation but how false and uncertaine those are I shall leave to any to judge that will read them without prejudice 'T is the observation of a learned Author that the weather may be guessed by the heavens when the time is near and natural causes have begun to work As in the Evening we may guesse of the weather the next day and in the Morning of the weather in the Afternoone that a cloud will bring a shower and South-winde heat according to that of our Saviour When a cloud Luke 12. 54 55. ariseth out of the West straightway ye say There cometh a shower and when ye see the South-winde blow ye say There will be heat but long before to declare these things is impossible To this purpose is that of Ambrose saith he when raine was desired of all and one said the new Moone will bring raine although we were desirous of raine it did me good no raine fell till it came at the prayers of the Church that it might appear it came not by the influence of the moon but by the providence of God A man can no more tell what God will do by looking upon the Stars and Heavens then one can tell the counsels and determinations of a Prince by looking on his Palace 'T is sad to think how apt we are to run into extreams some are so bold as to ascribe the knowledge of future contingencies unto man some so disingenuous as to deny it to God have a care of both the one is Scylla the other Charybdis things are contingent to us which are not so to God In a Syllogisme if the major be necessary yet if the minor be contingent the conclusion is contingent the first cause is certaine the second causes fluctuating and wavering hence flowes contingencie We use to say Omne quod est quando est necesse est esse God sees things in termino in periodo hence they are certain to God we see things in motu in itinere hence they are contingent to us those things which are contingent in regard of their own natures are certaine in regard of Gods fore-knowledge and in subordination to his decree Quest 8. verse 14. Why the Lord made the light and dayes and nights as also the earth to yeeld her encrease before the Sun and Stars were created That the Lord might teach us though Resp he commonly makes use of means for the preservation of the creatures yet he is not tied to means He hath bound us to them but he hath not bound himself He hath made the Sun to give us light yet he is able to give light without the Sun God with all the creatures that he hath made is no more then God without any of the creatures that he hath made Quest. 9. verse 24. It is said Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kinde cattell and creeping things Now the question is whether in the beginning every creeping thing was created Neg. Augustine was of opinion that Resp creatures that were generated of dead bodies were not created at first and Vallesius in his book de sacra Philosophia renders the reason of it Frustrà fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora God saw that these would be produced by generation alone and therefore what need was there of creation Quest 10. verse 25. It is said God made the beasts of the earth the sixth day Now the question is why the beasts were created with man rather then with fishes or fowles The reason may be this man was not Resp made to swim with fishes in the Sea or to flie with fowles in the aire but to live and move with beasts upon the earth therefore on the same day whereon man was made the beasts were made Quest 11. verse 25. Whether those kindes of creatures which are brought forth by a mixt generation as the Mule by the mixture of the Asse and the Mare were created Neg. Saith the judicious Willet for Resp these Reasons 1. Because these are not distinct kindes of creatures from others but the first kinds made in the creation mixed and conjoyned together 2. Because we finde it directly expressed that Anah found the Mules in the Gen. 36. 24 Wildernesse as he fed the Asses of Zibeon his father this is set down as strange and therefore they were not created ab initio Quest 12. verse 26. Wherefore God said Let us make man in our Image and not Let there be man as he said Let there be a firmament Let there be light Let the earth bring forth the living thing The Scripture herein speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resp after the manner of men and would commend unto us the excellent workmanship of God in the Creation of man a work farre more choice then the light heaven and all the rest of the creatures men of wisdome when they are to handle matters of importance enter into consultation and take the greater care in the performance of them Quest. 13. verse 26. God said Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the fowles of the aire and the cattel but the question is whether if man had not fallen one man had had power over another Superiority and inferiority dominion Resp and subjection were not incompatible with the state of Innocencie the authoritative power that a father hath over his childe and an husband over his wife is founded in the light of nature and therefore not inconsistent with our primitive state Divines therefore distinguish betweene natural subjection and civil natural subjection should have continued in the state of integrity but as for civil subjection there had beene no such thing in the world if man had continued to serve God he needed none to serve him service come in by sinne and the encrease of it by the encrease of sinne We see when Canaan was so vile as to forget the duty of a sonne he is set in the lowest condition of a servant Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto Gen. 9. 5. his brethren viz. the lowest and most abject servant As God of gods the greatest God the Lord of lords the highest Lord so servant of servants the lowest and basest servant Quest 14. verse 27. God is said to create man after his owne image and Paul saies that the man is the image and glory of God but the woman is the 1 Cor. 11. 7. glory of the man the question is whether the woman was not made after Gods image as well as the man We may consider man and woman two Resp manner of wayes either as they were both rational creatures and so without question the woman was made after the image of
dayes for Divine service how improbable is it that Cain and Abel should concurre at the same time in bringing their offerings unto the Lord and if not at the same time how could Cain discerne that Abels offering was respected and accepted of God when his was Gen. 4.3 not and besides it is said In processe of time it came to passe that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. In the processe of time or at the end of days as it is in the margin of your Bibles and as the original will bear it viz. on the Sabbath-day when there is an end of the dayes of the week and they begin again I might adde that it is not improbable but that Noah and his family kept the Sabbath in the Ark for it is said that he stayed Gen. 8. 10 12. other seven dayes and sent forth the Dove out of the Ark and verse 12. He stayed other seven dayes and sent forth the Dove why did Noah this on the seventh day It was likely that then Noah and his family were at prayer and engaged in the worship and service of God and at such times it is good to make experiments of Gods fatherly care of us and providence over us Quest. 3. verse 4. In the first Chapter it is said that God made the heavens and the earth in six dayes and in this verse it is said These are the generations of the heaven and the earth in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens From this place some would gather that Resp 1 all the world was made in one day and that Moses doth divide the creation into six dayes propter captum that it might be the better understood Others conceive that Moses relates to that first matter or substance of which all things were created now this was made in one day Others think with whom I close that Moses doth not speak strictly here but indefinitely in the day the Lord made the earth that is to say in the time the Lord made the earth so it is taken in other places of Scripture To day if you will hear Psal 95.7 his voice c. Quest. 4. verse 5. How God could be said to create every plant of the field before it was in the earth Either the meaning is that they were Resp 1 created potentialiter in the first masse and so created before they were in the earth Or else the meaning is this God created every plant of the field before it was in the earth viz. there was not a plant in the earth before God created it Quest 5. verse 7. It is said God formed man of the dust of the earth How can man be said to be made of dust or earth when he is made of the four elements earth fire aire water Moses saies God formed man of the dust Resp 1 of the earth but not only of the dust of the earth Moses loquitur de terra ut de causa partiali non totali Moses speaks of the dust but as part of that matter of which man was made But he expresses the one and therefore Object by consequence denies the other This is just as if a man by calling one his Resp fathers sonne should deny him to be his mothers Quest 6. verse 7. Why doth the Lord speak distinctly in this verse concerning mans body and soul We shall finde God speaks of other creatures in the bulk body and soul together Let the waters bring forth abandantly the moving creature that hath life and so verse Gen. 1. 20 24 24. Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kinde c. To note the spirituality and immateriality Resp 1 of the soul the soul of man non educitur ex potentiâ materiae as the Learned phrase it but the body was made of one kind of substance and the soul of another for Consider 1. The condition and nature of its object speaks this truth Seneca could say Hoc habet argumentum anima suae divinitatis quòd illam divina delectant This argument of its spirituality hath the soul of man in its own essence that it is delighted with things divine and spiritual If the soul were material we could not reach to the knowledge of any thing but that which is material and we might as well see Angels with our eyes as understand them with our mindes We say Receptio fit per modum recipientis you cannot fill a chest with vertue 2. It s independence on the body it is able of it self to performe its own actions without the help and concurrence of the outward man It seeth when the eys beshut and sometimes seeth not when the eyes be open It travelleth while the body resteth resteth when the body travelleth Rev. 1. 10. When John saw his glorious revelation he is said to be in the spirit when Paul had his revelations and saw things unutterable he knew not whether he were in the body or out of the body for beleevers to know that there are laid up for the Saints such joyes which eye hath not seene nor eare heard what is this but to leave sense behinde us and out-run our bodies 3. Time that wears out all corporeal things addes perfection to the souls and understandings of men old men who have the weakest bodies have the most lively and vigorous souls yea we may observe that men who have the most admirable soul-accomplishments have usually the weakest bodies and are not of the longest lives 'T is a remarkable passage that of Saint John to Gaius I wish saith he that thy body prospered even as thy soul prospers Here is a clear text against the Atheists of these dayes that question whether there be a soul or not the truth is a man cannot doubt of it without it as a man cannot prove Logick to be unnecessary but by Logick as a man cannot say he is dumb without speaking Quest 7. verse 7. In what sense these words are to be understood He breathed into his face the breath of life for the Manichees from hence held that the soul was part of Gods Essence as the breath is part of a mans substance It is true in mans breath there is part of Resp his substance but these words are not spoken of God properly but metaphorically if Moses should have said Jehovah by the power of his Spirit without making use of any elementary matter breathed into man a vital soul An horrid blasphemy to think the Essence of God should be subject to change ignorance sinne c. as the soul is Quest. 8. verse 7. Why is God said to breath into his nostrils or face the breath of life rather then into any other part of the body Because the operations of the soul discover themselves in no part of the body Resp 1 more then in the face hence a living man is usually pictured smiling or reading c. And besides the face and head
David I will give him her said Saul that she may be a snare to him snares are tied fast 1 Sam. 18. 2â— with a false lovers knot motions of a wife either to good or evil are very taking on an husbands heart To enhance the sinfulnesse of Eves sin if the Serpent had tempted Adam and Adam Eve more might have been said by her by way of excuse As Adam said The woman thou gavest me she gave me of the tree and I did eat so might Eve have said The man thou gavest me to be my head my governour gave me c. Quest 8. verse 3. Whether the woman sinned in saying neither shall ye touch it Some conceive she did say they Resp 1 1. She endeavours to cast a reproach upon the wayes of God as if they were too severe and strict as if a woman were forbidden by her husband to go out of the house and she being angry therewith when questioned about it should say that her husband would not suffer her to stirre out of her chamber 2. She adds to the command of God God saies Ye shall not eat and she saies Ye shall not touch Others conceive she did not sin and that she did only explaine the precept that God had given them then the meaning is this thou shalt not eat of the fruit yea thou shalt not take the fruit into thy hand with a purpose to eat thereof the least motion and tendency to sin is sinfull Nemo repentè fit turpissimus As for that which is spoken on the other side it doth not as I conceive presse much upon the reason and understanding of a man For the first it is but said not proved and for the second to explaine a precept is not to adde thereunto Quest 9. vers 3. Whether Eve spake doubtingly concerning the threatening and the fulfilling thereof when she said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die Resp It is the Opinion of those vry Learned that from this pharase it cannot clearly be demonstrated that Eve doubted concerning the threatening for 1. The Septuagint turne the words absolutely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pen doth not alwaies note dubitation as I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day where there is Isa 27. 3. not implied the least doubt whether the Lord would keep it or not And truly I conceive hitherto Eve cannot be blamed Quest. 10. verse 5. The Serpent sayes to the woman Ye shall be as gods which words imply that Ambition was a main ingredient in the sin of our first parents now the question is how the desire of being like unto God could be a sin when God created man in his own likenesse For the answer of this question we must Resp consider that God hath two kind of Attributes his Communicable and his Incommunicable Wicked men strive to be like him in his incommunicable attributes as worship honour and glory and to be loved and feared above all in self-dependance c. Good men strive to be like him in his communicable attributes holiness mercy love patience The image of God after which man was created did certainly consist in the participation of those attributes which are communicable Good bad strive to be like God the one will be like God in power and glory sicut altissimus the other in holinesse and righteousnesse sicut sanctissimus Quest 11. verse 6. Whether the woman sinned before the eating of the forbidden fruit Aff And that appears by ver 6. And Resp when the woman saw the Tree was good for food and a tree to be desired to make one wise she saw the tree before but now she saw it to be good for food which clearly shewes her judgement to be tainted How many thousand soules have died of the wound of the eye Quest 12. verse 6. What was the first sin Some conceive as the Popish Writers Resp 1 that pride was the first sin certainly it was a poysonous ingredient in the transgression of our first parents Others as Protestant Writers that unbeliefe was the first sin by unbeliefe they understand a defection or a putting off from the command of God Reasons given by us for our judgement herein are such as these 1. The sacred History favours us in it first the Devil solicites the woman to doubt of the truth of Gods Word Ye shall not surely dye and then to pride for God doth knâ—w that in the day you eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil 2. It is impossible for the soul to rise up against that command which at present it peremptorily and resolvedly purposes to observe pride and obedience â— diametro pugnant therefore pride could not in order of Time be before disobedience to the command 3. Faith is the grace by which first of all we are united unto God and so probably unbeliefe the first sin by which we departed from God Rom. 5. 19. The first sin of man is called disobedience For as by one mans disobedience Object many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous now if the first sin were unbeliefe neither truly nor properly did the Apostle call it disobedience Verè et propriè Truly and properly Resp 1 ought not to be confounded many things are not said properly which notwithstanding may be said truly Unbeliefe is comprehended under disobedience certainly a slacking of the bent of the spirits of our first parents to that which is good a departure from the Word of Gods Command as to the inward man may be called without impropriety of speech disobedience We say the end is first in intention and Object last in execution we think of the end before we resolve upon the means therefore it first came into Adams thoughts to be like unto God and afterwards he resolved upon a departure from the command as the means tending thereunto We are to distinguish between election Resp and seduction between a choice that is made by a man from the dictate of his own spirit and a choice made from the perswasion of another indeed in election we first think of the end before we resolve upon the means but in seduction or choice upon perswasion we first set upon the means without consideration of the end as a man may first be perswaded to take a convenient delightful walk and afterwards may be told whither it will bring him as Isaac was perswaded by his father to go along with him did readily assent though he did not know what his fathers ends might be in perswading him thereunto as Isaac had high thoughts of his father and what he said so Eve of the Serpent But you will say According to this account Object in cogitancy or inconfiderateness was the first sin Incogitancy is a part of unbeliefe viz. a
snout so is a fair woman without discretion Certainly there is a vast difference between a swine and between a woman between a Jewell of Gold in a swines snout and the beauty of a foolish woman Yet the similitude is apt enough for that for which it was urged viz. as a Jewell in a swines snout is rather hurtfull then profitable so is beauty to a foolish woman In the Canticles it is said of Christ that Can. 5. â—3 his lips were like lillies now if the comparison be not marked rightly here we may be deceived for to make Christs lips as white as a lilly were impertinent therefore the comparison is in odore non in colore in regard of the smell not of the colour 16. Rule In Scripture sometimes a number certain is put for a number uncertain numerus finitus ubi intelligi debet infinitus and e contrâ— sometimes a number uncertain is put for a number certain numerus infinitus ubi intelligi debet numerus finitus for instance 1. A number certaine is put for a number uncertain Prov. 24.16 A just man falleth seven times a day viz. many times So. Psa 24.16 Psal 119. 164. David Psal 119. 164. seven times a day do I praise thee viz. crebrô ofttimes do I Esay 4.1 praise thee So the Prophet Esay In that day seven women shall lay hold of one man viz. many women and some times you have more numbers then one in a Scripture when you have this very thing intended by the Spirit of God For instance Psal 91.7 A Psal 91 7. thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee A thousand and ten thousand viz. very many So Mat. 18.21 22. Peter came to Christ and said Lord how oft shall my brother Mat. 18.21 sinne against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee till seven times but untill seventy times seven viz. as oft as thy brother sinnes against thee 2. A number uncertaine is put for a number certaine So the Lord speaking of the Passeover You shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations you shall keepe Ex. 12.14 it a feast by an Ordinance for ever viz. as long as these Ceremoniall rites are in force So it is said of Hannah that she said unto her husband I will not go up untill the 1 Sam. 1. 22. child be weaned and then I will bring him that he may appeare before the Lord and there abide for ever And yet we shall finde Numb 8. 24.25 that the Levites were to wait upon the service of the Tabernacle of the congregation but from twenty five yeares old to Deut. 25. 15 16 17. the age of fifty So in Deuteronomy If thy servant shall say unto thee I will not go away from thee because he loveth thee and thy house because he is well with thee then thou shalt take an Aule and thrust through his eare unto the doore and he shall be thy servant for ever viz as long as he lives 17. Rule In computation of times the Spirit of God frequently speakes by a synecdoche of the whole for the part or the part for the whole For instance When Matthew speakes of the transfiguration Mat. 17.1 2. he speakes of six dayes After six dayes Jesus taketh Peter James and John his brother and bringeth them up into an high mountaine apart and was transfigured before them But now Saint Luke speakes of eight dayes And it came to passe about eight dayes after these sayings he tooke Peter Luc. 9.28 and James and John and went up into a mountaine to pray c. For the reconciling of these places we must know that Saint Luke speakes of part of the first and the last dayes as two dayes and so he reckons upon eight dayes Saint Matthew omits them being but part of two dayes and so reckons but upon six So we say Christ was raised the third day after his crucifixion whereas he lay but one whole day in the grave but per synecdochen part of friday and part of the Lords day are reckoned for two dayes 18. Rule There are some propositions unto which a note of universality is affixed and yet ought not to be accounted altogether universall So Adam called his wives name Eve because she was the mother of all living viz. viventis hominis Gen. 3.20 non bruti of every living man not of every living creature So the Lord Jesus If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all Joh. 12.32 men unto me viz. all beleevers unto me So All seeke their owne not the things which are Jesus Christs all viz. many So I Phil. 2.21 will poure out my Spirit on all flesh which Joel 2.28 is spoken of beleevers as appeares Act. 2. 17. Now this ought to be heedfully observed that notes of universality in Scripture whether affirmative or negative ought to be restrained or limitted to that subject matter of which the Spirit of God speakes in the context For instance â—auâ— spake not any thing that day viz. concerning David that day 1 Sam. 20. 26. For certainly the King spake concerning other things So in John But ye have an unction from the Holy one and ye know all 1 John 2. 26. things viz. all points necessary to salvation of which Saint John formerly treated So Paul Who gave himselfe a ransome 1 Tim. 2. 6. for all viz. Some of all sorts quaties and conditions and this appeares by the context For in the first and second verses Paul speakes of Kings and all that are in authority and vers 7. he speakes of the Gentiles I am ordained saith Paul a Preacher and an Apostle a teacher of the verse 7. Gentiles in faith and in verity So then the meaning is Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all viz. Kings as well as subjects Gentiles as well as Jewes 19. Rule In Scripture the species is not rarely Lev i9 36 put for the genus For instance A just Ephah and a just Hin shall ye have Where you have one certaine kinde of measure put for every measure So againe Whosoever he be of the children Lev. 20.2 of Israel or of the strangers that sojourne in Israel that giveth any of his seed unto Moloch he shall surely be put to death unto Moloch viz. unto that or any other kinde of Idol 20. Rule Many things are spoken in Scriputre rather ex vulgi opinione according to the common opinion of men then as the things are in themselves considered For instance it is said And God made Gen. 1.16 two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night meaning the Sun and the Moone whereas the Moone is the least of all the planets onely thought to be one of the greatest by most people So the
it be proved that women are to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but by consequence That any one particular Church is a true Church but by consequence that fasting daies and thanksgiving-daies may be observed upon occasion but by consequence And here you have the great vapour of the Anabaptists spending it selfe and coming to nothing viz. where do you finde it expressely said in any place of Scripture that infants are to be baptized if we have it by necessary consequence it is sufficient 25. Rule It is usuall for the Spirit of God to expresse both the duties and the priviledges of the people of God under the New Testament by phrases taken from the Oeconomy and Administration of the Old To instance 1. For the duties of the New Testament to offer sacrifice is a phrase proper to the administration under the Old Testament and yet this is pressed as a dutie under the New So Paul I beseech you therefore brethren Rom. i2 i. by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service 2. For the priviledges of the New Testament for instance It shall come to passe Esay 2.21 in the last dayes that the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountaines and shall be exalted above the hils and al Nations shall flow unto it The meaning is not that there should be another temple raised like that at Jerusalem but it is to be expounded of the spreading of the Gospel New Testament-priviledges set out by an expression taken from an Old Testament-administration So I will poure Joel 2.28 29. out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dreame dreames your young men shall see visions The meaning of this Scripture is not that God in the time of the Gospel would discover himselfe unto his people by dreames and visions but that God would give a greater measure of light and bestow a greater measure of his Spirit on those that should live under the Gospel then those that lived under the Law and that this is the meaning of it is cleare by the Apostle Peters quotation of it Acts 2.17 26. Rule When the Scripture makes mention of â—lthy actions either naturall or sinâ—ull it expresses them in comley termes 1. When it speakes of naturall actions as Judg. 3.24 't is said of Ehud that he covered his feet in the Summer-chamber Judg. 3.24 viz. he was easing of nature for they had long coates which covered their feet when they eased nature 2. When it speakes of sinful uncleannesse So stollen waters are sweet viz. adultery is sweet So see how incest is described saith Jacob to Reuben Thou wentest up to thy Gen. 49 4â— fathers bed And yet this is very observable that the Scripture when it speakes of Idolatry and spirituall whoredome maketh use of plain termes marke how the phrase is altered when God speakes of Idolatry Thou hast Ezek. 16. 2â— built thy high place at every head of the way and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred and hast opened thy feet to every one that passeth by and multiplied thy whoredomes A Learned Author gives this account of it Idolatry is such a subtill thing that we are not sensible of its defilement as we are of bodily whoredome and therefore the Lord expresses it in plain termes that we may hate it the more 27. Rule The circumstance of time with relation to the person or thing that is spoken of in the Scripture must heedfully be observed Hence was that saying of Augustine Distribue tempora concordabit Scriptura Distinguish concerning the time and then Scriptures will agree For instance we read concerning Jotham the Son of Vâ—â—iah 2 King 15 33 that he reigned sixteene yeares in Jerusalem and yet in the same Chapter mention is made of the twentieth yeare of Jotham now distribue tempora concordabit Scriptura 2 King 15. 30 distinguish concerning the time and you will reconcile these Scriptures For Jotham reigned alone onely sixteene yeares but he reigned with his Father Vâ—â—iah who being smitten with Leprosy could not manage the affaires of the Kingdome foure yeares in all twenty yeares 28. Rule We are to consider in the perusall of Scripture what speeches are proper and what speeches are figurative The Scriptures have a proper and literall sense and they have an allegoricall and figurative sense Now it is a dangerous thing when the words are properly to be taken to understand them figuratively or to take them figuratively when they are to be understood properly For instance 1. 'T is dangerous to understand those places of Scripture properly which are to be taken figuratively as in the Prophet Malachi Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and Mal. 4.5 dreadfull day of the Lord. The Jewes expound this properly of Elias Tishbites when the Prophet meant them figuratively of John the Baptist who came with the gifts of Elias for so you have John called But I say unto you â—aith our Saviour unto his disciples that Elias is come already and Mat. 17. 12 13. they knew him not but have done unto him whatsoever they listed c. Then the Disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist Another instance you have Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees Mat. 16.6 The Disciples understood it properly when Christ meant figuratively So Except a man be borne againe he cannot enter into Joh. 3.3 the Kingdome of God That which Christ meant figuratively of regeneration Nicodemus understands literally 2. 'T is dangerous to understand those places figuratively which should be taken properly thus the Familists turne all the history of Christ into an Allegory Heaven and Hell into an allegory and without repentance their salvation also Such an one was he who reading that place of Scripture where it is said of Judas that having received the sop he went immediately out erat nox and it was night puts both together as spoken of Judas He saith he was the night that went out as Christ was the Sun that gave knowledge to his Disciples who were day So Judas was the night who gave knowledge to the Jewes who were darknesse A senselesse conceit but I mention it to shew you the danger of allegorizing the Scriptures Origen was very faulty this way in turning all Scripture almost into an allegory And it is observable that he who was so much for allegories understood that literally which was to be taken mystically There are some Eunuchs which were so borne Mat. 19.12 from their mothers wombe and there are Eunuchs which were made so of men and there be Eunuchs which have made themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdome of heavens sake And truly I think there was the finger of God plainly to be seene in this providence his punishment