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
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
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
is the seat of all the senses except the touch which indeed is spread all over the body so that the principal part of the body is put here for the whole God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life viz. into his body the breath of life Because life seemes to be seated in the nostrils Nares Externum Respirationis organum breath the necessary consequent of life hence God is said to breath into his nostrils because it is the part by which we breath and live Quest 9. verse 8. Why the Lord planted the Garden of Eden for the use of man when he knew that man would not continue in his primitive state and so by consequence be cast out of Paradise God would deale with man not according Resp 1 to his own foreknowledge of what he would be but according to that state he was in for the present God placed him in Paradise that he might know by woful experience of how much good he was deprived by transgressing of the command of God Gods dispensation herein towards man was like that other dispensation of his towards the Devils they were first placed in heaven though God knew that afterwards for their sinne they should be cast out of heaven Quest 10. verse 8. It is said That there viz. in Paradice God put the man whom he had formed Now the question is whether there were any other creatures in Paradise besides man Affir For these Reasons Resp 1. Because man while he was in Paradise had dominion over all the creatures 2. If Eve had neither seen the Serpent nor any other creature before the temptation it is likely she would have been startled with the sight of the Serpent and not easily have treated with it 3. If the beasts had not been in Paradise man would have been deprived of that great pleasure that he might be partaker of from the sight of the variety of creatures over which he had dominion 4. Because man gave names to the creatures in Paradise verse 20. Quest. 11. verse 9. Why one of the trees that was planted by God in the midst of Paradise was called the tree of life Some conceive that it was called so effectivè Resp 1 because the fruit of it had a special quality and efficacie with it to preserve Adam immortal Others conceive with whom I rather close that it was called so significative because it was a sacramental signe annexed to the Covenant of works assuring life and immortality upon condition of perfect obedience But it seemes that the fruit of the tree Object of life should have made man immortal for it is said And the Lord said Behold the man is become like one of us to know good and evil Gen. 3.22 now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life therefore the Lord sent him forth from the garden of Eden c. I suppose this is an Ironical expression Resp as when the Lord said Behold the man is become like one of us to know good and evil this was spoken ironically and the meaning was they were become most unlike him so in these words ironically he upbraids him after the same manner Lest saith the Lord he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever not that there was any danger of his living for ever but in derision of any such hope or expectation Quest 12. verse 9. Whether the tree of life in Paradise was a type of Christ Neg. For the clearing of this consider Resp 1. That we should be very wary of Allegorizing any part of the Scriptures The Libertines of our times are so daring as to turne all the Scriptures into an Allegory as the Gnosticks of old made abstinence from adultery forbidden in the seventh Commandment a type of our spiritual chastity it is the designe of some frothy wits to typisie and allegorize Gods Commandments out of the Law and his truths out of the Gospel 2. That it is an unwary Assertion that the tree of life in Paradise was a type of Christ although the tree of life and sundry other things in Paradise are made similitudes to set forth Jesus Christ yet it is agross mistake to make every metaphor or similitude and allusion to be a type The Husbandmans sowing of the seed is a similitude of preaching the Word yet it is no type of it The head the members of mans body are similitudes of Christ the head and the Church his members but will any affirme these were types of Christ Just thus was the tree of life a similitude to which the holy Ghost alludes in making mention of Christ but not a type and the reason is because the Covenant of works by which Adam was to live is directly contrary to the Covenant of grace by faith in Christ Adam therefore was not capable of any types then to reveale Christ to him of whom the first Covenant cannot speak and of whom Adam stood in no need But though Adam stood in no need of Object Christ as a Redeemer yet as a Confirmer of him in that state and why may we not conceive That if Adam had not sinned Christ should have beene incarnate and that then he should have beene head of mankinde as now the head of Angels and if so the tree of life might be a type of Christ If the tree of life was a type of mans Resp 1 Confirmation by Christ then there would have beene a type of Christ which never should have beene fulfilled I conceive it a dangerous assertion to say Christ would have beene incarnated if Adam had not sinned because the Scripture nameth this to be the principal end of Christs coming into the world to save that which was lost Ultra Scripturam sapere est insanire May not a man say the tree of life was a type of Christ by Anticipation Object This is as much as to say it was not a type Resp then which is the thing we contend for Quest 13. verse 9. Why was the other tree called the tree of knowledge of good and evil Not Effectivè because the fruit thereof Resp 1 had any such quality or vertue that being eaten it would work and encrease knowledge or quicknesse of wit indeed the Socinians border upon this opinion and they say Adam and Eve were created simple and weak in knowledge and that this tree was to beget it and encrease it But significativè because it was another sacramental sign annexed to the Covenant of works sealing death and damnation in case of disobedience and it did signifie that upon the eating thereof they should experimentally know good and evil viz. the worth of good by the want of it and the presence of evil by the sense of it But it is said Man is become like one of Object us knowing good and evil now God cannot be said to know the worth of good by the want of it or the presence of evil by the
sense of it The Lord speaketh those words Ironically Resp as before Quest 14. verse 15. It is said God put the man into the garden of Eden to dresse it and yet afterwards it is pronounced as a curse In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eate thy bread Gen. 3.16 Man should have laboured if he had continued Resp in his first estate but those irksome concomitants of labour paine sweat wearisomeness spending of the strength and spirits are the product of sinne Quest 15. verse 16 17. Here the Lord gives a Law to man Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eate but of the tree of the knowledge of good ond evil thou shalt not eate and yet the Apostle saies The Law is not made for the 1 Tim. 1.9 righteous The Law is not made to the righteous Resp 1 person so as he should be under the vindicative or punishing part of it he continuing in his righteousnesse and in this sense it may be applied to man in innocency man in innocency might be under the directive part of the Law though not under the vindicative part of it The Apostle speaks of Gospel-times when man was in another state his meaning is the law is not made to the beleever so as he should abide under the cursing condemning power of it the godly are under the desert of the curse of the Law but not the actual curse and condemnation thereof nor doth it follow as a Reverend Author very well observes that there is no Law because it doth not curse It is a good rule in Divinity A remotione actûs secundi in subjecto impediti non valet argumentum ad remotionem actûs primi From the removal of an act or operation the argument doth not hold to the removing of the thing it self As it doth not follow The fire did not burne the three Worthies therefore there was no fire God did hinder the act And if that could be in natural agents which work naturally how much rather in moral such as the Law is of condemnation which works according to the appointment of God Quest 16. verse 16 17. Why would God give man a positive 〈…〉 â—esides that natural Law that was 〈…〉 his heart 〈…〉 thereby Gods dominion and powâ—◠〈◊〉 man might be the more acknowâ—â—â—ged man might have submitted to the â—oral Law of God not so much in order â—o the command as because it was suitable to that principle which was within him for the Moral Law at first was written in mans heart Even as the Heathens do abstaine from many sinnes not because forbidden by God but as dissonant to their natural reason therefore God gives him a positive Law Ut nulla alia causa esset obedientiae nisi obedientia So that the forbidding to eat was not from any sinne in the action but from the will of the Law-giver As if a man forbid another to touch such an herb because it is poison this herb is contrary to a mans health whether it be forbidden or not and therefore he may abstaine from it not because of the command but because it is contrary to his health but to forbid the eating of something that is wholsome to the body and delightful to the taste here indeed is a triall of obedience Quest 17. verse 16 17. Whether sensitive creatures be capable of being under the obligation of a Law Neg. Inter bruta silent Leges for Resp 1. There can be no satisfaction to justice in inflicting an evil upon them no satisfaction to be had from such things as are not apprehensive of punishment Seneca Quà m stultum est his irasci quae iram nostram nec meruerunt nec sentiunt 2. A punishment inflicted upon them hath no power to mend brutes or to give an example to others amongst them 3. Nec turpe nec honestum among them no duty nor obedience to be expected from them no praise nor dispraise due to them no punishment nor reward to be distributed among them Levit. 20. 15. I a man lie with a beast Object he shall surely be put to death and ye shall slay the beast The meaning of that place is not this Resp that the beast was guilty of a crime or had violated a Law and therefore was to be condemned and put to death but it was in order to the happinesse and welfare of man bestia cum homine concumbens was to be stoned 1. Because it was the occasion of so foul a fact and so fatall punishment unto man 2. That the sight and presence of the object might not repeat so prodigious a crime in the thoughts of men Exo. 21. 28. If an Oxe gore a man or a Object woman that they dye then the Oxe shall be stoned This was ad poenam exigendam à domino Resp the putting of that to death was a punishment to the owner for not looking to it better Quest 18. verse 17. It is said In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye what is meant by death in that place Spirituall temporal eternal death 1. Spiritual death this is comprehended Resp in the very nature of sinne spiritual death is nothing else but a separation of God from the soule now the nearer the correspondence is between the soule and sinne the further the distance is between the soul and God 2. Temporal death for so the Spirit of God expounds his meaning afterwards In the Gen. 3.19 sweat of thy browes shalt thou eat thy bread dusl thou art and to dust shalt thou returne 3. Eternall death this is cleared by the Apostle Paul when he saies The wages of sinne is death and that he principally Rom 6.23 intends eternall death in that place is clear by the life to which it is opposed The gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Quest 19. verse 17. Whether Adam was created mortal or Whether Adam was mortall before his eating of the forbidden fruit Neg. As appears by the threat pronounced Resp against him In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death 'T is said of God Who onely hath immortality Object 1 Tim. 6.16 A thing may be said to be immortall severall Resp wayes 1. Simply and independently immortall omni modo in every respect and so is that Scripture to be understood Who onely hath immortality 2. Immortal secundùm substantiam in regard of its substance there are some beings that are segregated from matter and corporeity and are not è potentiâ Materiae Educti as the Learned phrase it as Angels and rationall soules now these though they are not immortall simply and independently yet they are so as I may phrase it substantially 3. Immortal by the power and mercy of God or immortal by the power and justice of God the power and justice of God given immortality to the bodies of the damned in hel and the power and goodnes of God gives immortality to the bodies of the Saints in
Resp carelesse letting go their hold from that word which God gave our first parents to observe and keep Quest 13. verse 6. It is said that the woman did eat and gave also unto her husband the question is whether she spake something when she tendered the forbidden fruit to her husband 'T is likely she did and that she told him Resp he should be like unto God if he would eat of that fruit As appears by the holy jeere if I may speak it with reverence that God puts upon the man Behold the man is Gen. 3.22 become as one of us God would not have said this concerning man if being as God had never come into his thoughts Quod Deus loquitur cum risu tu legas cum fletu Quest 14. verse 6. Whether Adams or Eves sinne was greater There are some that set themselves to Resp extenuate Adams sin as if he did eat the forbidden fruit not that he would be like unto God but purely upon the Account of gratifying his wife But I conceive it dangerous to go about such a work as this is if you handle nettles gently they will sting so much the sorer But for the solution of this question consider there was something that aggravated Adams sin and something that aggravated Eves Adams sin was greater then Eves in this respect because he was her head and governour and truly this consideration accents sinne and makes it exceeding sinfull Eves sinne was greater then Adams because she was first in the transgression Propter quod aliquid est tale id est magis tale c. And truly I conceive it would not have been an easy matter to have determined whose sin had been greater had not God done it as it were to our hands by inflicting a greater punishment on Eve then on Adam Quest 15. verse 6. How man created after Gods Image in righteousnesse and true Holinesse could fall into sin or how Adams understanding being in vigore viridi could be entangled in such a snare and deluded with such a miserable fallacy For the answering of this perplexing Resp question consider 1. There is no created good per essentiam but per participationem and therefore may possibly fall from its goodnesse God is essentiall holinesse essentiall goodnesse A man may be a man and yet unholy because holinesse is a quality in man and not his essence But goodnesse and holinesse in God is his very nature and therefore if you deny the holinesse or goodnesse of God as much as in you lyes you put God out of the world Aug. Cujus participatione justi sunt ejus comparatione nec justi sunt Man who is justby participation from God is not just in comparison with God 2. Sinne is an irregular act and it is possible for any agent to act beside the rule unlesse the will of the agent be the rule according to which it acts And therefore all intelligent beings consider them as to their natures may sinne except God himselfe because his will alone is the rule of his own actions The reason why the Artificer sometimes works irregularly is because his hand is one thing and his rule is another but if it were possible for his hand to be his rule he could not work amisse 3. Though our first parents were created holy yet they were created mutable and although they had not an inclination to sin for that pronitaâ— ad malum non fluit ex principilis naturae integrae it would be too injurious to the God of nature to imagine he should frame evil yet they had a power to sin if they would 4. The Learned conclude that the understanding of Adam was defective in its office by a negligent non attendency and so sinned against God yet so as that this negligence did not go before the first sin but was part of it Quest 16. vers 6. In this verse you read that Adam and Eve both sinned and yet the Apostle tells us that by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom 5.19 The Apostle speaks of one man because they two are one flesh Resp 1 Adam being the superiour and one that should have ruled and guided his wife and not his wife him the breach of the Law is attributed unto the man Quest 17. verse 6. Whether the Church militant be alwayes visible Neg. From this very text when Adam Resp and Eve were excommunicated from the presence of God and cut off from the Ordinances where was then the Church visible You may as well say the invisible Object Church was cut off Neg. The Angels belonged to the invisible Resp Church But Adam and Eve were not a Church Object two cannot make a Church Neg. Paul calls a family a Church as Resp Greet the Church that is in their house Salute Rom. 16.5 the brethren which are in Laodicea and Col. 3.15 Nymphas and the Church which is in his house Now we know two viz. a man and his wife may constitute a family Quest 18. verse 7. It is said that the eyes of them both were opened and they knew they were naked Did not they know they were naked before Yes questionlesse they both saw and Resp knew they were naked before they had sinned else why is it said The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed Gen. 2.25 but now they saw it with shame which they did not before sin and shame are twins and came into the world together As there was no palenesse to be seene in the state of innocency no tremblings no shiverings no tears no sighs no blushes so not the least tincture of shame Paradise had so much of the Lilly that it had nothing of the Rose the nakednesse of creation needed no Covering nakednesse was then an Ornament man was richly attired when he had no garments Quest 19. verse 7. Why our first parents made themselves aprons of figge-leaves rather then of the leaves of any other Tree Some conceive that the tree of knowledge Resp 1 was a figge-tree and that he took the leaves of this Tree to cover his nakednesse but it seems to be unlikely that when by wofull experience they had contracted and brought upon themselves so much mischeife by eating of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge that they should repaire to the same tree for leaves to make themselves aprons They sewed figge-leaves together because they were fit for that purpose for which they intended them the leaves of that Tree being broad in our own Countrey and questionlesse in the East especially in Paradise broader then ours Quest 20. verse 8. How are we to understand that passage And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden We have often mention in the Scripture Resp of the voice of God The thunder is called the voice of God The voice of the Lord is upon the waters Psal 29.3 the God of Glory thundereth Sometimes the Word of God though it be
delivered by a man is called the voice of God Samuel also said unto Saul The Lord sent me to anoint 1 Sa. 15.1 thee to be King over his people now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. The Learned conceive that the voice of God in this place is not to be taken for a sound or a noyse but for an articulate voice but now whether this voice was formed in the aire As at the time of the Baptisme and transfiguration of our Saviour or whether it was formed in some body God at that time assuming the visible shape of a man is not very cleare yet the latter seems to be probable 1. He deals with man by way of judiciall processe as a man first he calls him to an account for the crime he had committed and then pronounces sentence against him 2. Ye read of the Lord God walking in the garden which seems as it were to point toward this opinion Quest. 21. verse 8. 'T is said They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden and yet it is said in Jeremiah that the Lord filleth heaven and earth Jer. 23.24 The Divine essence fills heaven and Resp earth and yet that visible forme whereby God manifests his presence may be circumscribed to a place and so it was in this Case Quest 22. verse 8. It is said they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord and yet the Psalmist Ps 139.7 8. sayes Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence c. 'T is true we cannot hide our selves from Gods presence yet we may from that visible Resp forme that God appears in for the present and possibly this may be the meaning in this place c. In vaine doth the sinner endeavour to run away from God and the terrours of Conscience This is just as if the wounded Deere should go about to run from the deadly Arrow that sticks in his side this is like the fish which swimmeth to the length of the Line with the Hooke in its mouth The best way to run from God is to run to God viz. from his wrath to his mercy To close and get in avoids the blow when a storme arises the Mariner puts forth to sea Quest 23. verse 9. God calls man Adam where art thou and yet in Jeremiah Mine eyes are upon all their wayes neither is there iniquity hid Jer. 16.17 from mine eyes Non interogat ut ipse sciat sed ut hominem Resp 1 scire et agnoscere faciat God doth not propound this question to Adam that he might know but that man might know that he did know Non est vox ignorantis sed ad judicium citantis It is not the voice of one that desired to be informed but of a Judge calling man to an account for the transgression of the Command Quest 24. verse 9. Why doth not God call Eve by her name as well as Adam they having both sinned Some say to note it concernes the husband Resp to take heed not onely of what is done by himselfe but also by his wife or family he may be called to an account for it Quest 25. vers 10. It is said I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid did not Adam feare God before Yes but he feared him before with a Resp sonne-like filial feare now with a base unworthy servile feare He feared him before because of his goodnesse now he fears him because of his vengeance so when the image of God is repaired The people of God have not a slavish wiredrawen and compelled affection towards God but their affections freely melt and drop towards God as the honey drops out of the Comb feare and love must be mixed and tempered together indeed they do not well asunder as if a man would make the most perfect beautifull colour he would temper the purest white and the fairest red together such is that for which the spouse giveth her beloved the Commendation that he was candidus et rubicundus white and ruddy feare without love would set us in the forlorne hope and precipitate us into despaire and love without fear would make us wanton and secure therefore there is not onely magnitude but pulchritude in God he is not onely great to cause us to feare him but he is good to cause us to love him Quest 26. verse 12. The man said The woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat And yet the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 2. 14. That Adam was not deceived but the woman The Apostle may speake of the manner Resp 1 of the seduction of our first parents Adam was not deceived viz. by the Serpent but the woman The Serpent deceived Eve but Eve could not in propriety of speech be said to deceive Adam for that person may be said properly to deceive who perswades to something false and injurious animo fallendi with an intention to wrong another and in this sense the Serpent may be said to deceive Eve But Eve had no thoughts of over-reaching her husband therefore Adam was not deceived but the woman Quest 27. vâ—rse 14. Why the Serpent was not examined by God as well as the man or woman The examination of the man and woman Resp was in order to their repentance and so by Consequence in order to their salvation but God would shew no mercy to the Serpent Quest 28. verse 14. Upon whom this curse was pronounced upon the Serpent or Satan or Satan and the Serpent Some would have it onely spoken of the Resp 1 brute Serpent and the Jews are very zealous in the maintaining of this assertion But if this were a truth then it would follow that the brute creature that Satan made use of should be punished but Satan himselfe who was the principall actor in tempting our first parents to sinne should escape unpunished Some would have it onely spoken of the spirituall Serpent the Devill because the brute was onely passive and abused by the Devil for the calling on of his sinfull designes But neither can this be for if this curse had not beene pronounced upon a true Serpent why should this Serpent be reckoned amongst the beasts of the field And why doth not Moses make mention of Satan in this whole Chapter Some would divide the controversie applying the first part of the curse in the 14. verse to the brute Serpent and the latter in the 15. verse to the Devil the spiritual Serpent But neither can this be for 1. The subject the Spirit of God speakes of is not changed but the same in the 14. and 15. verses ver 14. The Lord said to the Serpent Thou art cursed above all cattel And verse 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman c 2. It is cleare that the words in the 15. ver without any straining are applicable to the brute Serpent viz.
onely earthly punishments as ver 11 12 Because wicked men are not so greatly Resp feared with the punishments of the life to come as carefull to avoid calamities for the present and indeed herein man becomes like the beasts that perish which are carried with an hurry to things present and sensible Quest 19. vers 13. Whether that saying of Cain be well translated My punishment is greater then I can beare Some say it should be rendred my sin Resp is greater then can be forgiven but the context seemes to favour our translation for in the following words he speakes not of his sinne but of his punishment vers 14. Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face c. here sinne is taken for the punishment of sin as in severall other places of Scripture The greatnesse of Cains punishment will appeare if you compare it with Adams 1. God did not curse Adam but the earth was cursed for Adams sake but God sayes to Cain vers 11. And now thou art cursed from the earth 2. That which is included in Adams curse viz. That though he should labour and sweat yet he should have bread for it In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread is denyed to Cain for saith the Lord vers 12. When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength 3. Though Adam was expelled out of Paradise yet there was a commodious place assigned him by God where he and his family might reside and till the earth but the Lord saies of Cain that he should be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth ver 12. Oh have a care of blood What hast thou Gen. 4.7 done the voice of thy brothers blood crieth to mefrom the ground God will give a tongue to the earth speechlesse creatures shall speake rather then blood shall be concealed It is an excellent observation of a learned Author upon that text of Scripture When he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth them Saith he doth not the Psal 7.12 Lord make inquisition for all sin Or is there any sin that God doth not enquire after Surely no but when it is said God makes inquisition for blood it argues the greatnesse of that sinne We finde not the like expression about any other particular sin in all the whole book of God Though God makes inquisition for all sin yet as if he would let all other sinnes past unsought and uniquired after it is said onely of this sinne that he makes inquisition for it Quest. 20. vers 14. Cain sayes From thy face I shall be hid and yet the Psalmist saith Psal 139.7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence God is present every where in regard of Resp his essence and therefore the Psalmist saith Whither shall I flee from thy presence We may run from God as our friend but we cannot escape him as an enemy A man pursued in an Island when he runnes from one end to the other runs from sea to sea if you should flee from one end of the earth unto the other you would run from God unto God The meaning then of this phrase I shall be hid from thy face is this I shall be deprived of communion with God in his Ordinances Though Cain was a wicked man yet he was taught by his parents that there was no way of enjoying God in this world but in and by his Ordinances And he speakes this not from a principle of love to God or his Ordinances but upon the account of education Learne from hence The condition of a person excommunicated is very sad Christ tells us we cannot serve God and Mammon and therefore when we are cast outof Gods service we are said to be delivered into the hands of Satan Hymeneus and Alexander excommunicated persons are 1 Tim. 1. 20. said to be delivered up unto Satan Learne also If the casting out of the Church a particular member though it be in order to cure and repentance be so dreadfull what a black day would that be when the Ordinances of Jesus Christ should as it were be excommunicated and cast out of the Church of Christ Quest 21. vers 14. Cain saith It shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall slay me The question is who those were whom Cain feared that if they met him they would slay him Some think that Cain speakes this Resp 1 meerely upon the account of terrours of conscience for say they there were none but his Father and Mother living and was it likely they would be his executioners and yet Cain imagines multitudes to meet him and slay him Every one that findeth me shall slay me Prov. 28.1 The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth onely his owne guilt pursues him and makes him flee But this opinion hath not the savour of truth in it for Cain doth not onely suppose a considerable number of persons to live at that time in the world but God himselfe as appeares by what the Lord said unto Cain vers 15. Whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold Some are of opinion that this is to be expounded of the beasts every one that findeth me shall slay me that is say they I shall be torne in pieces by every beast I meet But this cannot be the meaning of the words as appeares by that which followes for it is said The Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should kill him which cannot with any shew of reason be applied to the beasts Others hold that Cain in these words had respect to those that should afterwards be borne But neither can this be for what needed there a present law for those who as yet were not in being Another sort are of opinion that these words are to be applied to the Daughters of Adam and Eve for that Adam had Daughters at that time is more then probable from that which followes for it is said Cain had a wife which must needs be his sister and that she was come to yeares appeares because it is said ver 17. that Cain knew his wife From the whole I conceive we may more then probably conclude that Adam and Eve at the time when Cain spake these words had many Sonnes and Daughters although the Spirit of God doth not make mention of them the History mainly referring to Cain and Abel And to me it seemes very unlikely that Adam and Eve should have no more children after Cain and Abel till they came to yeares of discretion when at the beginning we finde God did make especiall provision for the encrease of the world as appeares by Gods sparing Cains life and his dispensation of his marriage with his sister However we may take notice of the terrours of Cains conscience for those that were in the world were either his parents brethren sisters or neere kindred
Scripture of any truly holy that are branded for this sinne Once Noah was overtaken with the love of Wine never with the Love of the world Lot was twice incestuous never covetous once David was besotted with the flesh never bewitched with the world Peter denyed his Master but it was not the love of the world but the feare of the world that caused him to fall into that sin Zaccheus had been a covetous person but no sooner doth he take Christ by the hand but the first thing he doth is to shake hands with covetousness Halfe my goods I give to the poore Qest 27. vers 19. From this Scripture where it is said That Lamech tooke unto him two wives it may be demanded whether Polygamy was a sinne in the time of the Law or not This question hath more perplexities Resp twining about it then at first I thought it might have I shall give you the opinion of learned men concerning it 1. Some conceive that Polygamy was not a sinne in the time of the Law the reasons they render are these Because we finde a Law made by God as touching those who had more wives then Arg. 1 one as in that text If a man have two wives one beloved and another hated and they have borne Deut. 21 15 16. him children both the beloved and the hated and if the first borne sonne be hers that was hated then it shall be when he maketh his sonnes to inherit that which he hath that he may not make the sonne of the beloved first-borne before the sonne of the hated who is indeed the first-borne Now if the Lord makes a Law concerning those who had more wives then one how could it then be a sin This is a non sequitur we finde Laws Resp in Scripture concerning things sinfull as If a man strive and hurt a woman so that her Ex 21.22 23. fruit depart from her and yet no mischiefe follow he shall be surely punished c. And if any mischief follow thou shalt give life for life So concerning theft He that stealeth a man Exo. 21.16 and selleth him he shall be surely put to death So concerning the price of an harlot Thou shalt not bring the hire of an whore Deut. 23. 18. or the price of a dogge into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow Arg. 2 They urge those words of the Lord to David Thus saith the Lord I anointed thee 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into thy bosome this the Lord reckons as one of the mercies he had bestowed on David and therefore it was not a sin That phrase say some I gave thy Masters Resp wives into thy bosome is not to be understood of Gods giving them in a way of marriage unto David but of giving them into his power To clear this consider 1. This phrase of giving into a mans bosome in Scripture doth not alwayes signifie a marriage-union Render unto Psal 1 our neighbour seven-fold into their bosome So in Esay Your iniquities and the iniquiâ— of your fathers together saith the Lord which have burnt incense upon the mountaines and blâ—sphemed me upon the Hills therefore will I measure their former worke into their bosome 2. David had married Sauls Daughter Miâ—hol so that Sauls wives were Mothers in Law to David now you have an expresse Law Thou shalt not uncover the Lev. 18. 15. nakednesse of thy Daughter in Law Now if a father ought not to uncover the nakednesse of his Daughter in Law then certainly a Sonne ought not to uncover the nakednesse of his Mother in Law 2. Others conceive that Polygamy was a sinne perswaded thereunto by these reasons From the institution of marriage in Paradise Argu. 1 Therefore shall a man leave his Father and Mother and shall cleave to his wife and Gen. 2. 24. they shall be one flesh 'T is not said they two shall be one flâ—sh Object the word two is not found in the Hebrew text Though it be not explicitely yet 't is Resp implicitely in the text and therefore see how our Saviour renders the words when he urges them Have ye not read that he Mat 19.4 5. that made them at the beginning made them male and female and said For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they twaine shall be one flesh The word two or twaine doth not Object exclude plurality as you may see in other Scriptures At the mouth of two witnesses Deu. 17.6 or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death So in Matthew saith Christ Mat. 18. 19. If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven The word two or twaine is taken in Resp Scripture inclusively or exclusively in those places urged it is taken inclusively but here exclusively By those words two shall be one flesh Object is onely noted unto us the entire love that should be between man and wife that a man should love his wife as his own flesh But this doth not exclude plurality of wives A man may love his neighbour as himselfe and yet may love many neighbours There may be conjunctio animorum many Resp may be united in regard of their spirits but in marriage there is not onely conjunctio animorum sed corporum an union of spirits but of bodies God commends this unto us as that Object which is well pleasing to him that an Husband should have but one wife but he doth not command it Neg. For Matthew 19. 5. The Resp question was asked Is it lawfull for a man to put away his wife for every cause Christ urges in answer to this question Gen. 2.24 Lamech primus Polygamus Polygamy had Argu. 2 its rise from Cains wicked race therefore likely sinfull and displeasing to God 3. There is a third opinion which I finde some learned persons inclinable to close with viz. That though Polygamy was a sin under the Law that is to say to Lamech and to the rest of Cains wicked progeny yet it was not a sinne to the Patriarchs and that though there was a law from the beginning that one man should have but one wife as Gen. 2.24 yet as to the obligation of it God gave a dispensation to the Patriarchs The reasons that encline them to this opinion are such as these If there were a Law whereby plurality Argu. 1 of wives were forbidden either it was known to the Patriarchs or not If it were known to them then they lived and died in a known sinne without Repentance as far as we can gather from the Scriptures If any say it was not known to them then this will follow that holy men from one generation to another lived and died
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
Virgin Mary says unto Jesus Son why hast thou dealt thus Luc. 2.48 with us thy Father and I have sought thee sorrowing thy Father viz. thy supposed Father as he is elsewhere called So Christ calls Judas friend for he was so accounted though indeed he was but a face-friend and an heart-enemy So the Pharisees are stiled by the Holy Ghost righteous just persons such as need no repentance because they were so in the conceit of the world 21. Rule Prophâ—sies in Scripture are shaped into severall formes 1. Some Prophecies are delivered formâ optandi by way of wish or desire Gen. 49. 18. I have waited for thy salvation Oh Lord. Quo ipso non optat solùm sed prophetat He doth not onely wish that his salvation might come but prophecies that his salvation should come So the Psalmist Psal 14.7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people Jacob shall rejoyce and Israell shall be glad 2. Some Prophecies are delivered formâ imperandi by way of command So Come Esay 47.1 downe and sit in the dust Oh virgin daughter of Babylon sit on the ground there is no throne Oh daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate So ver 5. Sit thou silent and get thee vers 5 into darknesse Oh daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called the Lady of Kingdomes 3. Some Prophecies are delivered formà imprecandi by way of imprecation so the Psâ—lmist Poure out thy wrath upon the Heathen Psal 79 6. that have not known thee and upon the Kingdomes that have not called upon thy vers 12. Name So vers 12. Render unto our neighbours seven-fold into their bosome the reproch wherewith they have reproached thee Oh Lord. 22. Rule In reading of the Evangelists we should take notice what things are specified by one Evangelist what by two what by three and what by all the foure For instance Some of Christs workes are specified onely by one Evangelist as his turning of water into wine as his healing the sick man at the poole of Bethesda his healing that blind man John 9. Some of them are specified by two Evangelists as the History of Christs birth by Matthew and Luke Some things are recorded by three of them as the institution of the Sacrament of the Supper Some things by all foure as Christs death and passion Onely two write the History of his birth all foure the History of his death possibly to teach us that though all Christs workes and actions are to be seriously minded meditated upon and remembred yet none so espcially as his death and sufferings 23. Rule Although we should finde the holy Penmen of God differ from each other in things of a lesser import or consideration we should not from hence in the least scruple the divine authority of the Scripture For instance in the History of Christs temptations Matthew for the second temptation Mat. 4 5. puts the devills taking Christ up into the holy City and setting him one a pinacle of the temple now the Evangelist Saint Luke seemes to invert the order and for the second temptation puts the devills taking Luc. 4.5 Christ into an high mountaine and shewing him all the Kingdomes of the world in a moment of time Now if the question be how these Evangelists must be reconciled Answer may be made if there be an harmony as to the temptations that are written by the Evangelists it is enough though they differ as to the order of the temptations We do not use to accuse a man of a falshood who tells us many things that be true though they be something out of order unlesse he promise that he will not onely tell us the things that were done but also the order of the doing of them So then if Matthew speaks of that temptation in the second place which Luke doth in the third place as long as they differ not about the maine as to the temptations concerning which they write there is an harmony still between Matthew and Luke Yea some think that this is a good argument to prove the divine authority of the Scriptures viz. that the Holy Penmen did not lay their heads together about the framing of the Gospels nor did transcribe one anothers coppies they agreeing in the maine and yet differing in things of a lesser consideration 24. Rule When the Evangelists urge a Scripture out of the Old Testament many times they referre not to the words in themselves considered but to the scope and aime of the Spirit of God in that place to which they relate For instance He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which Mat. 2.23 was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazaren which saying cannot be found in terminis in any of the Prophets and therefore the Evangelist referres to those Scriptures were the Spirit of God speaks to the same purpose though he makes not use of the same words So Saint Luke Now that the dead are raised even Moses Luke 20. 37 38. sheweth at the bush when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob for he is not a God of the dead but of the living Moses shewed not that the dead are raised in terminis but indeed this is inferred from what he said by consequence for he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and he is not the God of the dead but of the living And from hence let us be established in this truth that necessary consequences from Scripture do proove a jus divinum a divine right yea our Lord Jesus calleth consequence from Scripture Scripture He Joh. 7.38 that believeth on me as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water Now these words strictly taken are not to be found in the whole booke of God excepting this place where they are urged the place of Scripture neerest to this that I know of is in Esay I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the Isa 44. 3. dry ground And indeed if this should be denied we should fall into grosse ab surdities A Learned Author observes that all kinds of unlawfull and forbidden marriages are not expressely mentioned in the Law but divers of them to be collected by consequence that is either by parity or greater strength of reason For instance The nakednesse of thy sonnes daughter or of Lev. 18. â—0 thy daughters daughter even their nakednesse thou shalt not uncover Now from this text it is collected à fortiori that much lesse a man may uncover the nakednesse of his owne daughter Which yet is not expressely forbidden by the Law but left to be thus collected by necessary consequence from this very text How can
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