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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73378	An exposition of the lawes of Moses Viz. Morall. Ceremoniall. Iudiciall. The second volume. Containing an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof. Wherein also are opened divers ancient rites & customes of the Iewes, and also of the Gentiles, as they haue relation to the Iewish. Together with an explication of sundry difficult texts of Scripture, which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the Commandements, as also upon the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes. Which texts are set downe in the tables before each particular booke. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, the Hebrew and Greeke, and out of the distinctions of the schoolemen and cases of the casuists. / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods Word.; Works. v. 3	Weemes, John, 1579?-1636.	1632 (1632)	STC 25207.5; ESTC S112662	524,931	1,326

of the soule they answered That it might be well with them in this life we professe the immortality of the soule why study we not then to keepe the Law that it may goe well with us in the time to come Augustine said if he were perswaded that the soule were mortall then of all religions he would chuse to be the Epicure or Sadduce but seeing the soule is an immortall substance Let us detest these bruit beasts who imagine that death is the end both of soule and body the soule liveth for ever then the body must live for ever either in weale or woe Let us study therefore to feed the soule with that immortall food of the Word of God and not say with the rich man in the Gospell Luc. 12.19 Soule thou hast enough if we would have that happy conjunction betwixt the soule and the body againe Moses said if a man dye having no children Quest The question may be asked here how Moses could command such a thing for incest is condemned in the morall law and forbidden in the seventh Commandement Ans We must distinguish betwixt these lawes which are morall positive lawes and those which are divine positive lawes Morale positivum divinu● positivum Morall positive lawes are such as the very light of nature commandeth Divine positive are those which are accessory commandements added to the first Example this is a morall positive law that a man should not lye with his mother nor with his mother in law for this is a fornication that is not named amongst the Gentiles 1 Cor. 5.1 And it was for this sort of incest that the Canaanites were cast out of Canaan So this is primarium jus naturae or morale positivum that a man should not lye with his daughter nor his daughters daughter descendendo descending downeward but this againe is divinum positivum or secundarium jus naturae in the collaterall line that a man should not lye with his sister or his brothers wife No marriage in the collaterall line was forbidden at the first by the law of nature or morall positive law but it was forbidden afterwards by the divine positive law Levit. 18.16 When Lot lay with his daughters this was incest in the highest degree because it was contrary to Ius naturale the morall positive law but when Amram married Iochabed Dodatho his fathers sister Exod. 6 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amita It should not be translated Patrue●is cozin-german but his fathers sister see Num. 26.59 This was not against the morall positive or naturall part of the law because it was not in the right line but in the collaterall although in the neerest degree it was against the divine positive law and that the Church might be replenished with people God over-saw this sort of marriage at the first but God doth more here hee commanded the brother to raise up seede to his brother First This Commandement was not against the morall positive Law this is not contra primarium jus naturae because it was not in the right line Secondly it is an exception from secundarium ius naturae for when God commanded to doe this hee willed them not to doe this to satisfie lust for that were against primarium jus naturae the morall positive law but onely that the elder brother might be a tipe of Iesus CHRIST who should never want a seede in the Church If he dye having no children In the originall it is having no seede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not be translated sonnes here for daughters succeeded likewise to the inheritance when the fathers had no sonnes therefore it should be translated haeving no children The women raised up seed to their parents which comprehends both the males and femals the women raised up seede to their parents as well as the males marrying within their owne tribe therefore that saying in the Talmud was not true qui masculam prolem non habuit etsi filias habuerit plurimas in eo genus est consummatum His brother shall marry his wife and raise up seede to him What brother had this priviledge The eldest brother was bound to raise up seed onely he that was the eldest brother and therefore Deut. 25.5 If brethren dwell together and one of them dye one of them Numerus Cardinali● pro ordinali that is the eldest of them Gen. 1.5 and the evening and the morning were one day that is the first day this is cardinalis numeru● pro ordinali if the third brother had raised up seede to the second brother then it had beene incest He that was the first borne in Israel What things the first borne did to the rest he was bound to do three things to his brethren kinsmen first he was bound to revenge his blood their was vindex sanguinis Secondly he was Goel and redeemed the morgaged lands of his neere kinsman and thirdly it was he that delivered him out of prison all these three he was bound to doe to him jure propinquitatis because hee was his neerest kinsman What things due to the eldest brother There were three things againe which were due to him First hee had a double portion of his fathers goods Secondly he had the whole inheritance and thirdly if he dyed without children his brother was to raise up seed unto him Christ our Goel revengeth our blood upon his enemies Now let us apply these to Christ First Christ is our Goel or vindex sanguinis the revenger of our blood upon that red Dragon who thristeth for the blood of man and upon all the enemies who thirst for the blood of his children the revenger of blood or Goel Deut. 19.6 when he pursued the killer his heart waxed hote in the pursuite Iesus Christ our Goel when hee doth see the blood of the Saints shed his heart waxeth hote and he furbisheth the sword to make it drunke with the blood of his enemies Iere. 51.35 The violence done to me to my flesh be upon thee Babylon shall Sion say and my blood be upon the Chaldeans shall Ierusalem say now marke what is said in the chapter preceding Iere. 30.50 How teares are said to offend Thy Goel or redeemer is strong and I will pleade thy cause See how the revenger of the blood makes Babylon and Chaldea answer for all Iob saith Cap. 17. My teares ascend before the Lord Teares naturally descend but as the Sunne drawes up the exhalations and they fall downe againe so the wrongs that are done to the Saints they come up before their Goel and then fall downe againe upon the enemies heads they shall answer for all the blood shed from Abel to Zachary and all this innocent blood which is shed now the Lord will require it at their hand Secondly he redeemed the morgaged land Ruth 4.4 and Ier. 32.7 when Hanameel the sonne of Shallum had morgaged his field that was in Anathoth the right of redemption belonged

returned were marked 150. when they went to the warres 156. their Generall 162 their marching 163. who were discharged from the warres 164. 165. how they comforted the Souldiers before they joyned battaile 167. their Colours 162. their Ensignes and Motto's ibid. what they did when they were at the shock of the battell 167. Whipping a punishment amongst the Iewes 138. the manner of their whipping 139. not whipt thrice for one fault ibid. it was not a disgrace amongst the Iewes 140. the spirituall use of it ibid Widow why called emptie and dumbe 81. of the Prophets widow ibid. Oppression of the widow a grievous sinne 83. Witnesses the chiefe part in Iudgement depended on them 75. not to proceede without witnesses 76. a faithfull witnesse what ibid. Wiues not to be multiplied 26. the Iewes restraint in multiplying wiues ibid Y Yere divided into foure seasons 89. Leap-yeare what 101. AN EXPLICATION OF THE IVDICIALL LAWES OF MOSES As they are annexed to the Morall and Ceremoniall Lawes Of the Iudiciall Lawes in generall SALOMON the Preacher Eccles 4.12 saith that a threefold Cord is not quickly broken The LORD gaue his people three sorts of Lawes as three Cords to binde them and to keepe them in obedience God gaue his Morall Iudiciall and Ceremoniall Law to his people as a threefold Cord. The first was his morall Law which was properly called his Law Deut. 6.1 Secondly he gaue them his Ceremoniall Lawes which are called his Statutes and Decrees Exod. 12.24 And thirdly his Iudgements which were the Iudiciall Lawes Mal. 4.4 Deut. 24.17 These Iudiciall Lawes were Determinations of the Morall Law The Iudiciall Law what A Determination is either Iuris divini or Humani these Determinations in Moses judiciall Lawes are divini juris Determinatio Iuris divini Iuris humani therefore they had greater force to binde the Iewes than any municipall Law hath to binde the Subjects now in respect they were given by God himselfe and these Lawes of men which draw nearest to them in equitie are most perfect although particularly they cannot be fitted to every Nation no more than a shooe of one measure can serue for every foote The second sort of Determination is Iuris humani when men determinate where there is no expresse commandement of God as concerning circumstances time places persons and such God commandeth in his law that they should pay their first fruits but he determineth not how much they should pay of their first fruits then the Priests come in with their humane determination that the most shall giue no more than one of fiftie and the least shall giue no lesse than one of sixtie Simile When the Israelites were travelling in the Wildernesse they had the Cloud to direct them by day and the pillar of fire to direct them by night yet they desired Iethro to be eyes to them Num. 10.31 What neede had they of Iethro to be eyes to them seeing they had the Cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night Iethro was a guide to them to shew them the particular places and wayes in the Wildernesse as the Cloud and the pillar were their guide to direct them to Canaan So humane Determinations and Lawes are but guides in particular circumstances A comparison betwixt Humane Lawes and Moses Iudiciall Lawes Humane Lawes they command they forbid and sometimes they permit and lastly they punish so yee shall see all these foure in Moses Iudiciall Law First his Iudiciall Lawes doe command but they command the outward man onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iguca lex and here Moses speaketh to them but as a Iudge and they differ from that fierie Law the morall Law that searcheth and peirceth into the heart Deut. 33.2 Secondly Humane Lawes doe prohibite and forbid so doe these Iudiciall Lawes and there are moe of them which are Negatiues than Affirmatiues to shew us the perverse nature of man Thirdly Why Moses Iudiciall Lawes permit many things Humane Lawes giue way and permit something for the eschewing of greater evill so doth Moses Iudiciall Law Levit. 27.10 When a man offered a Beast vnto the Lord which he had vowed he might not change a good for a bad or a bad for a good this was commanded onely for eschewing of greater evill for if it had beene lawfull to change once a good in place of a bad one then they would haue come quickly to this to haue changed a bad for a good So this Law permitted divorcement for the hardnesse of the peoples hearts and for the eschewing of greater inconvenience least hard-hearted men should haue killed their wiues Fourthly The punishments of the Iudiciall Law alterable the punishments inflicted by humane lawes are alterable so were the punishments in Moses Iudiciall Law therefore the Iewes say of them ascendunt descendunt which they vnderstand not of the greatest and highest transgressions but of the middle sort of transgressions which praecepta media their middle Precepts did forbid Example Ex. 22. If a man kept a pushing Oxe knowing that he were wont to push if he kill a man then the Law ordaineth that the man shall die or else to redeeme himselfe with a summe of money here the Law ascended or descended but if a man had wilfully killed a man that was praeceptum grave the punishment neither ascended nor descended but he was to die the death The Scripture compareth the morall Law to a prison Gal. 3.22 the Ceremoniall Law to a second Ward and these Iudiciall Lawes to a Iailor to keepe the transgressors in close prison that none of them breake out CHAPTER I. That Kingly Government is the best Government IVDG 17.6 In those dayes there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was good in his owne eyes IN government there are fiue things to be considered first potestas secondly ordo thirdly modus fourthly titulus and fiftly vsus Fiue things in Government First there must be a power to exercise government secondly order that some command and some obey some to be superiors and some to be inferiors thirdly the manner whether the governement be Monarchicall by one or Aristocraticall by moe fourthly the title whether it be by Succession or Election and last the vse how they exercise this Authoritie What things essentiall and what accidentall in Government That there should be a power and order in Government these two are essentiall in all Governments no Government can stand without these two but the manner whether it be by one or by moe and the title whether it be by Succession or Election and the vse whether they governe well or not these three are but accidentall in Government Monarchicall the best Government Of these two sorts of Government Monarchicall is the best Their reasons who hold Aristocraticall Government to be the best Levi ben Gerson vpon the 1 Sam. 8. holdeth that Aristocraticall Government is best and to be

marrie with a stranger what is that with a stranger That is with one who is not of the familie of him who is dead And first she was bound to marrie with the naturall brother who was not a stranger and if there had not beene a naturall brother then with the next of the kinsmen who was not a stranger Wherfore ijbbam and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are understood first of the naturall brother and then of the next kinsman Object But it is promised under the Law as a great blessing that he should leaue a posteritie behind him and that his name should not be blotted out in Israel But if the brother married his brothers wife then his children were not called his children but his eldest brothers children and so his name was blotted out in Israel and so he might haue set up a pillar as Absalon did for continuance of his name because he had no children of his owne Answ But to haue the name of Iesus Christ continued is a greater blessing Psal 72.19 To be the father of Iesus Christ according to the flesh a greater blessing to the second brother then to haue children of his owne coram sole filiabitur nomen ejus per successionem filiorum we see what befell Onan because he refused to doe this dutie hee said the seede should not be his therefore the Lord slew him Gen. 38.9.10 Object But God expresly forbad in his Law that a man should lie with his wives sister and by the same Law it is forbidden that a man should lie with his brothers wife this might seeme to bee incest and confusion Answ God indeed forbad in his law that a man should lie with his brothers wife but God who gaue that law God hath many exceptions from his owne Law hath given this law also And as the Iewes say qui observare jussit Sabbatum is etiam jussit profanare Sabbatum So the Lord who forbad a man to lie with his brothers wife hath reserved this priviledge to himselfe to make an exceptiō from the law The Lord commanded in his Law Deut 24.4 If a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans wife he may not take her againe to wife yet the Lord tooke his Church againe Ier. 3.1 he hath reserved sundry priviledges to himselfe and exceptions from the Law Morale positivum Divinum positivum Secondly we must distinguish here betwixt these lawes which are morall positiue lawes and these which are divine positiue lawes We must distinguish betwixt the morall positiue part of the Law and the divine positiue part Morall positiue lawes are such which the very light of nature commaundeth Divine positiue lawes are these which are accessory commaundements added to the first Example This is a morall positiue law that a man should not lie with his mother nor with his mother in-law for this is a fornication that is not named amongst the Gentils 1 Cor. 5.1 And it was for this sort of incest that the Cananites were cast out of Canaan So this is primarium jus naturae or morale positivum that a man should not lie with his daughter nor his daughters daughter descendendo descending downward What is primarium and what is secundarium ius naturae But this againe is divinum positivum or secundariū jus naturae in the collaterall line that a man should not lie with his sister or his brothers wife no marriage in the collaterall line was forbidden at the first by the law of nature or morall positiue law but it was forbidden afterwards by the divine positiue law Levit. 18.16 When Iuda lay with his daughter in-law this was incest in the highest degree because it was contrary to jus naturale or morale positivum So when the Corinthian lay with his mother in-law it was against morale positivum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amita it should not be translated Patruclis his cousin german but his fathers sister See Num. 26.59 or jus naturale But when Amram married Iochabed his fathers sister Exod. 6.20 this was not against the morall positiue or naturall part of the Law because it was not in the right line but in the collaterall although in the neerest degree it was against the divine positiue law And for to replenish his Church with people God oversaw this sort of marriage at the first But God doth more here he commandeth the brother to raise up seed to his brother First this is not contra primarium jus naturae because it was not in the right line Secondly it is an exception from secundarium jus naturae for when God willed them to doe this he willed them not to doe this to satisfie lust for that was contrary to primarium jus naturae but onely that the elder brother might bee a type of Iesus Christ who should neuer want a seed in his Church If a woman were barren the Lord could not command another man to goe in unto her and beget children upon her for that were contra primarium jus naturae the Lord will not suffer now that a brother should marrie a sister as he did in the beginning of the world neither if a brother now should marrie his eldest brothers wife were it lawfull for now the eldest brother is not a type of Christ and it should not bee an exception from the Law but contra secundarium jus naturae Conclusion The conclusion of this is God who giveth the Law maketh not a Law to himselfe but he hath reserved to himselfe exception from the Law when and where it pleaseth him CHAPTER XXXV Of their prisons and places of punishment GEN. 39.20 And Iosephs Master tooke him and put him into the prison a place where the Kings prisoners were bound THey had sundry sorts of Prisons first they had Warding Of their place of punishment as Shimei was confined not to come over the brooke Kedron and Abiather in Anathoth and he who killed casually was confined in the Citie of Refuge Three sorts of Prisons among the Iewes this was a free sort of Prison at the first Carcer non erat pars paenae the Prison was not a part of the punishment Secondly they had another sort of Prison in which they were more restrained than in the Ward they were kept in Prison but others had accesse to them as when Iohn was in Prison his Disciples had accesse to him so Paul was in bonds but yet he begot Onesimus in his bonds Phil. 1. Thirdly they had a more straite Prison called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Custodia a close Prison And fourthly they had a deepe or a low pit the Greekes called it Barathrum in Athens and at Rome it was called Tullianum such was that Prison in which Ieremie was let downe with cords in a Dungeon where was no water but myre Allusion Iere. 38.6 And Zacharie alludeth to this Zach. 9.11 As for thee also by the bloud of thy Covenant I

Divine light to direct him in things above Grace doth not extinguish reason but rectifieth it these two lights the one of them doth not extinguish the other but onely diminish it and maketh it fall downe and give place and then rectifieth and exalteth it Esa 42.15 I will make the rivers ylands and I will dry up the pooles The rivers come from the fountaines but yet when the light of grace commeth in then the rivers are diminished and they decrease that the dry land may appeare reason is not taken away here but it falleth downe and giveth way to grace but the pooles shall be dryed up that is grace taketh away schismes and herisies and drieth them up but when reason submitteth her selfe to Divinity and is rectified shee hath good use in Divinity And even as a Dwarfe set upon a Gyants shoulders seeth much further than hee did before so doth reason when it is rectified by Divinity and so grace doth not extinguish reason but perfecteth it and therefore Iustine Martyr called religion true philosophie and then he saith he became a Philosopher when he became a Christian Things that reason is not able to do in Divinity and matters of Faith Let us consider first what is above the reach of reason in Divinity First reason cannot bee a judge in matters Divine for reason can never judge of the object of supernaturall verity Reason sheweth this much to a man when it seeth the antecedent and the consequent that this followeth rightly upon that but reason never judgeth of the object of supernaturall verity but Divinity enlighteneth the mind and maketh the spirituall man to judge of this A Carpenter when he is working Simile doth see by his eye when he applieth the square to the wood whether it be streight or not but yet his eye without the which he cannot see is not the judge to try whether the tree be streight or not but onely the square is the judge So reason in man without the which he could not judge is not the square to try what is right or what is wrong but the Word it selfe is onely the rule and square reason cannot consider how faith justifieth a man or whether works bee an effect of faith or not but reason can conclude onely ex concessis of things granted if faith be the cause and works the effect then they must necessarily goe together and reason goeth no higher Secondly no midst taken from philosophy can make up a Divine conclusion neyther would it beget faith in a man Example God is not the efficient cause of sinne the efficient cause is a terme attributed to God here if a Divine should goe about to prove eyther by logicke or grounds of metaphysicke this conclusion were not a Divine conclusion whereupon a mans faith might rest as if he should reason this wayes No efficient cause can produce a defect but an effect God is an efficient cause and sinne is a defect therefore God cannot produce sinne this were but an humane conclusion and could not beget faith .. So if he should reason from the grounds of metaphysicke this wayes God is ens entium and the properties of ens are vnum verum bonum therefore God who is ens entium cannot produce sinne because hee is goodnesse it selfe the conclusion were but an humane conclusion and could not beget faith but if a Divine should prove the same by a midst taken out of the Scriptures and should reason thus 1 Ioh. 2.16 All that which is in the world is eyther the concupiscence of the flesh or the lust of the eye or the pride of life not from the Father this midst will make up a Divine conclusion which will beget faith in a man and then the Christian man may say to the Philosopher as the Samaritans said unto the woman of Samaria I beleeve not now for thy reason but for the authority of God which is the ground of my faith Thirdly Philosophy doth not inlighten the minde with spirituall knowledge it inlightneth the minde onely with a generall knowledge whereof Iohn speaketh Iohn 1.9 Rom. 1. when he beleeveth his reason at the first is mere passive therefore this speech of Clemens Alexandrinus would be very warily taken Lib. 1. Strom. Philosophiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat as though philosophy made an introduction to saving faith And this speech of some Divines is harshly spoken lumen naturae accendit lumen gratiae and Basils comparison must not be stretched over farre as Dyers before they bring on the most perfect dye they dye first with the baser colour to make it the more fitte to receive the more bright colour So humane learning may be a preparation to grace But the comparison is too farre stretched here humane learning is a preparation to make a man understand the axiomes syllogismes and logical part in Divinity but a heathen philosopher having the helpe of nature is no sooner converted to the truth A learned Philosopher converted to the faith Certitudo evidentiae adhaerentiae may have a greater certainty of evidence than a laicke and may know the literall sense better but hee hath no greater certainety of adherence as wee see oftentimes when it commeth to the poynt of suffering But seeing zeale is not alwayes according to knowledge therefore knowledge of humane Sciences is a great helpe to the knowledge of faith once bred when it is sanctified Reason must not transcend her bounds Philosophie must not transcend her bounds and commit Saltum as they speake in the Schooles when shee taketh midsts which are mere philosophicall to prove any thing in Divinity this was the fault of most of the Schoolemen but when shee doth keepe herselfe within her bounds then she hath good use in Divinity Matth. 22. the Sadduces reason this way concerning the resurrection If there were a resurrection then there should follow a great absurdity that seven men should have one wife at the day of judgement but this is absurd therefore c. But Divinity telleth reason that here she goeth without her bounds measuring the estate of the life to come by the estate of this life and borroweth midsts which are not Divine to prove this conclusion for in the life to come wee shall be like Angels who neyther marry nor give in marriage and neede not to propagate their kind by generation Another example Nicodemus reasoned this wayes He that is borne againe must enter into his mothers womb Ioh. 3.4 no man can enter againe into his mothers womb therefore no man can be borne againe but Divinity teacheth reason that she transcendeth her bounds here and useth a midst which is mere naturall to prove a supernaturall conclusion A third example Arrius reasoneth this wayes hee that is begotten is not eternall Christ is begotten therefore he is not eternall here Divinity telleth reason that shee is out of her bounds and applyeth her midsts falsly There is a threefold generation

once Christs body is a naturall body therefore it cannot be in moe places at once this is mixtly Divine for the properties of a naturall body sheweth us that it cannot be in moe places at once and the Scripture also sheweth us that Christs body is a naturall body Quest But is not this a mixture of Divinity and humane reason together when wee borrow a midst out of the Scriptures and then confirme the selfe same thing by reason Answ This maketh not a mixture of Divinity and philosophie but maketh onely philosophie to serve Divinity When we use reason to helpe our weaknesse we doe not ground our faith upon reason or upon the light of nature but upon that supernaturall light and the light of nature commeth in Simile but as in the second roome to confirme our weaknesse and as we ascribe not the price of the Ring or the worthinesse of it to the Hammer which beateth it out but to the Gold it selfe so our faith is not grounded upon humane reason or the light of nature but upon the Word of God it selfe How can reason serve in Divinity seeing the naturall man perceiveth not the things of God Quest and the greater Philosophers the greater enemies of grace Ans Wee must distinguish inter concretum abstractum betwixt philosophie and the Philosopher many of the Philosophers oppugned the mysteries of Divinity by their corrupt and naturall reason but true philosophie impugneth it not and the greater light extinguisheth not the lesser and verity doth not contradict it selfe and truth in philosophie is but the footestep of that truth which is in God by way of excellency Conclusi The conclusion of this is contra rationem nemo sobrius dicit contra scripturam nemo christianus contra ecclesiam nemo pacificus we must learne then to give every one of these their owne place and not to reject reason altogether from Divinity but to captivate her and make her a handmaid to Divinity EXERCITAT III That the end of Divinity here consisteth rather in practise than in contemplation Luke 11.28 Blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keepe it THe end of our Divinity here consisteth in doing rather than contemplation If we speake properly doing is not in the understanding but in the will when reason divideth The understanding is speculative and setteth the will on worke compoundeth or frameth any proposition within it selfe then the understanding is not sayd properly to doe but contenting it selfe within it selfe then it is speculative but when the understanding setteth the will on worke then the will doth the understanding but directeth the will and when the understanding reasoneth within it selfe Actus elicitus imperatus they call this actus elicitus but when the understanding setteth the will on worke they call this actus imperatus A proposition in Divinity commandeth practise virtually or formally A proposition in Divinity commandeth us eyther virtually to practise or else formally Virtually it commandeth us to practise example This is life eternall to know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Christ Ioh. 17.3.11 This is a proposition which virtually includeth in it practise for as the Hebrewes say verba notitiae includunt verba affectus Words of knowledge include words of affection if it be life eternall for us to know God then it is life eternall also for us to love God This proposition againe in Divinity Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mind Matth. 22.37 and thy neighbour as thy selfe vers 39. commandeth practise formally Secondly a proposition in Divinity urgeth practise eyther mediatly or immediately mediatly A proposition in Divinity commandeth practise mediately or immediately as God is summum bonum the chiefe good out of this mediate proposition we gather an immediate therefore we are to love him above all things Thirdly these conclusions in Divinity which conclude for practise If the conclusions be practicke the propositions must be practicke the propositions out of which they are drawne must also be for practise and not for contemplation nam nihil agit extra genus suum as they say in the Schooles as we cannot gather grapes of thornes or figgs of thistels Matth. 7.16 So new wine cannot be the cause why the Apostles spake with divers tongues Act. 2. So we cannot gather conclusions of practise from speculative propositions Fourthly these rules which serve to direct men to practise may be called rules of practise as the Carpenters line in his hand is a line of practise The word of God is a line and rule of practise because it leadeth him to practise So the Word of God is the line by the which wee should walke therefore it is a rule of practise Gal. 6.6 As many as walke according to this rule peace be unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to worke by rule or line 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word is the rule of our working therefore it teacheth us practise But it may be said Object that contemplation is the end of Divinity in heaven to see God face to face therefore is the end of our Divinity here upon earth Answ Contemplation in heaven leadeth us alwayes to practise and they can never be separate for as below here those Sciences which we call inspectrices as the mathematicks physicke and such whose end consisteth not in doing are the parents of morall philosophie and of doing for by these we take up the nature of things the goodnesse and the truth of them and then we begin to esteeme of them and love them when wee know them so that contemplation bringeth forth alwayes practise The glorified Saints in heaven comming nearer to the first cause esteeme more highly of him and therefore they love him more sincerely and returne all praise to him Object But it may seeme that contemplation is more excellent than practise for Mary is preferred unto Martha Mary for her contemplation to Martha for her action Answ When Mary and Martha are compared together they resemble not the contemplative and the active life but the naturall and spirituall life Mary careth for the spirituall life and Martha for the naturall Did not Mary care for practise as well as Martha sate shee not at Christs feete that shee might learne practise that she might wash them with her teares and wipe them with her haire And because practise is joyned alwayes with knowledge therefore the wisedome which is proper to the understanding is ascribed sometimes to the will Iob. 28.28 to depart from evill is understanding and therefore it is that justice and judgement are joyned together in the Scripture and they are called fooles who doe not according to their knowledge And Salomon saith Eccle. 10.2 The heart of a wise man is at his right hand because his heart teacheth his hand to put things in practise The end of