Generatio Physica Metaphysica Hyperphysica first a physicall generation secondly a metaphysicall and thirdly an hyperphysicall physicall generation is this when a mortall man begetteth a sonne and this is done in time metaphysicall generation is this when the mind begetteth a word and this is alwayes done in time but hyperphysicall generation is that eternall generation and this is done before all time and Divinity sheweth reason how shee misapplyeth her physicall and metaphysicall generation to this eternall generation Whether is such a proposition true in Divinity Quest and false in reason the Sonne of God begotten from all eternity true in Divinity the Sonne of God begotten from all eternity false in the court of reason So Mary the Virgin bare a Sonne true in Divinity Mary the Virgin bare a Sonne false in the court of reason That which is true in one Science Answ is not false in another In Israel there was a judicatorie of seventy who judged of matters of greatest weight and there was an inferior judicatory consisting of three and these judged of goods and matters of least moment that which was truly concluded in the highest judicatory was not false in this inferior judicatory although they could not judge of a false Prophet as the great Synedrion did yet they held it not false in the lowest judicatory when the great Synedrion concluded such a one to be a false Prophet So that which is true in Divinity is not false in reason but onely above her reach and if any thing were true in one Science and false in another then verum non esset reciproca affectio entis that is that which hath a being should not bee true and that which is true should not have a being these two propositions should not be converted Veritas supra rationem juxta rationem rationem There is a verity that is above reason and there is a verity which is agreeable to reason and there is a verity that is under reason the first is of things taken up by faith the second is of things taken up by reason the third is of things taken up by sense but there is no verity contrary to reason it is not against reason to beleeve that a Virgin conceived and bare a Sonne but it is above reason What use reason hath in Divinity Wee must not seclude reason altogether from Divinity Christ himselfe used the helpe of reason against the Sadduces and Paul against the Iewes Heb. 7.17 Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek This is revealed by God himselfe that Christ is the King of peace and righteousnesse yet to prove this and to make it manifest to the misbeleeving Iewes he borroweth a helpe of a logicall notation saying which is by interpretation the King of righteousnesse the King of peace Heb. 7.2 So Christ useth reason against the Sadduces God is the God of Abraham Isaack and Iacob hence he inferferreth this consequent that they must live Object But they say that Christ and Paul were immediatly directed by God that they could not erre in their Midsts and conclusions as we doe Ans If Pauls extraordinary calling had given him power to use reason then they had spoken to the purpose but he useth reason as common to him and to all other men whether Apostles or not Apostles But they say Object that Christs authority and Pauls was greater than ours is This wee grant Answ they disputed against those who acknowledged not their authority but yeelded onely to them in respect of the force of the arguments is it not lawfull for us to doe the same against our adversaries which Christ did against the Sadduces and Paul against the Iewes But whatsoever was pronounced by Christ against the Sadduces or by Paul against the Iewes Object it became by and by holy Scripture which we cannot say of our conclusions Although arguments used by Christ and his Apostles became by and by the Word of God Answ yet it will not follow that we may not use these midsts brought forth by reason although they become not Scripture but then that would follow if wee brought forth these principles of reason to make them the object of our saving faith Whether were the Sadduces bound to beleeve this argument of Christs as an article of their faith Quest or not By the force of this consequence as it were the worke of reason they were not bound to beleeve it Ans but as it was proved to them out of the Scriptures they were bound to beleeve it Seeing humane midsts have no force to binde of themselves why are they used in proofe against men Quest This is done for the infirmity of man who is hard to beleeve Answ and the Divine midsts will not serve to refute the naturall man Simile These who have good and perfect sight need no other midst to see by but the light but a man who is of a weake sight and purblind useth Spectacles as a helpe to his sight so the perverse heriticks make us to bring in these humane midsts whereas the midsts taken out of the Word of God should serve by themselves to convince When Christ rose againe Thomas doubted of the resurrection and thought that his body had beene but a Spirit but Christ bearing with his infirmity by this humane midst proveth that hee is flesh because hee may bee touched and felt Observe againe that in Divinity some propositions are merely Divine and some are mixtly Divine These that are merely Divine reason can doe little thing here it can but joyne the tearmes together but it cannot take up these great mysteries example if I were disputing against the Monothelites who denyed that there were two natures in Christ and should reason thus Where there are two natures there are two wils but in Christ there are two natures therefore two wils That in Christ there are two wils this is a proposition merely Divine reason can never take up this yet reason sheweth this much where there are two natures there must bee two wills and it judgeth onely of the connexion of these two but it cannot judge of the verity of this whether there be two wills in Christ or not Quest Yee will say then what doth reason in the verity of these propositions which are merely Divine Ans Reason in a regenerate man concludeth not that to be false which is above her reach but onely admireth and resteth in this great mystery and reformed reason enlightened by the Word of God goeth this farre on that she beleeveth these things to be possible with God which shee cannot comprehend but reason in a corrupt man will scorne and mocke these things which shee cannot comprehend as the Stoicke called Paul a babler Act. 17.18 when hee disputed against them for the resurrection and called it a new doctrine In these propositions againe which are mixtly Divine reason hath a further hand example No naturall body can be in moe places at
judaizing in this point Commandement IIII. EXERCITAT XIX Of the Passeover Levit. 23.5 In the fourteenth day of the first moneth is the Lords passover How the Passeover pertaineth to the fourth Commandement THe passeover as it was a sacrifice and a sacrament it is an appendix of the second Commandement but the time of it set downe here is an appendix of the fourth Commandement The word Passeover taken diversly This word Passeover is taken sundry wayes in the Scripture First for passing over because the Angell passed over the houses of the Israelites and destroyed them not Exod. 12.11 It is the Lords passeover Secondly Passeover is taken for those actions which were done about the passeover as killing the lambe sprinkling of the blood eating of it and such Matth. 26.17 Thirdly for the feast which was annexed to the Passeover 2 Chro. 35.11 They killed the Passeover and the Priests sprinkled the blood c. This was for the feast of the Passeover Fourthly for the Lambe killed at the Passeover Matth. 26.19 And they made ready the Passeover That is the Lambe which was killed at the Passeover so Marc. 14.12 They killed the Passeover Lastly for the time of the Passeover as Luc. 22.1 They had in this Passeover unleavened bread a Lamb bitter herbes and a cup in which they did drinke First they had unleavened bread The unleavened bread called the poores bread this unleavened bread was panis pauperum the poores bread Deut. 13.6 Yet the Lord taketh this unleavned bread for the Sacrament it was a great change Why they had unleavened bread in the Passeover when Moses rod which was the shepheards rod was made the rod of the Lord so this was a great change when he tooke the poores bread and made it this bread of his Sacrament they were commanded to eate the bread in remembrance of their hastening out of Egypt when they had no leisure to ferment it but Christ changed it to another sort of remembrance to be a memorall of his death in the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11 24. Doe this in remembrance of me It must be unleavened bread for leavened bread signified either Hypocrisie or malice David calleth a wicked man A leavened person Psal 71.4 So a leavened heart Psal 73.21 So Matt. 16.6 Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and 1 Cor. 5.7 Purge out the old leaven Then they eate it with bitter herbes Why eaten with sowre herbes to put them in remembrance of their affliction in Egypt and Ieremiah seemeth to allude to this Lament 3.15 Allusion He hath filled me with bitternesse he hath made me drunken with worme wood Quest Whether was the cup in the paschall supper a Sacramentall Cup or not Answ Not Whether the Cup in the Passeover was a Sacramentall Cup or not for there is no mention made of it in the institution the Lord commandeth to take a Lambe unleavened bread and bitter herbes but not a word of the Cup wherefore this cup was but their common Cup in which they used to drinke It may be said Obj. that the Master of the familie blessed this Cup. Answ This was not constitutiva sanctificatio but invocativa Sanctificatio Constitutio Invocatio it is constitutiva invocatio that maketh it a Sacrament accedat verbum ad elementum et fiet Sacramentum saith Augustine and when it wanteth the word of institution then it cannot be a Sacrament it is true that Christ transferred this cup Many things that are common changed to a holy use and made it Sacramentall under the Gospell but it was not sacramentall under the Law it was onely a common cup the water which they dranke out of the Rocke was a Sacrament to them 1 Cor. 10.4 and it was also common water for their beasts drunke of it So this was but a common Cup to them but Christ made it Sacramentall somethings againe which were Sacramentall to them were common at Christs Supper as the eating of bitter herbes Last it was not a Sacramentall Cup for the blood of the Paschall Lamb signified the blood of Christ there are not two things appointed in the Sacrament to signifie one thing What things were proper to the Passeover in Egypt and what proper to it in Canaan Things proper to the Passeover in Egypt were first they eate the Passeover in their severall houses when they were in Egypt but afterwards they were bound to eate it in Ierusalem onely Deut. 16.5.6 2 Chro. 35. Secondly in Egypt the blood was sprinkled upon the Lintels of the doores but afterwards it was sprinkled upon the Altar 2 Chro. 35. and then the Master of the house caused to bring backe the Lamb to his house and eate it with his family Luc. 22.7.8 Thirdly in Egypt they stood when they eat the Paschall Lambe with their loines girt and their staves in their hands to signifie that they were to make haste away Allusion and Esay alludeth to this Esay 52.12 For yee shall not goe out with haste nor goe by flight but when they came to Canaan they sate when they eate the Passeover Quest Their sitting at the Passeover was not a significative Ceremony Whether was their sitting a significative ceremony or not when they eate the Passeover in Canaan Answ Seven memorable Passeovers Not it was onely after the custome of men when they sit to eate meat There were sundry memorable Passeovers The first in Egypt the second in the Wildernesse the third in the dayes of Ioshua Cap. 5.10 the forth in the dayes of Hezekiah 2 Chro. 30. the fift in the dayes of Iosiah where there was not such a Passeover holden from the dayes of the Iudges that judged Israel nor in all the dayes of the Kings of Israel 2 King 23.22 The Sixt after they returned from the captivity Ezra 6.9 The last Passeover was that which Iesus kept with his Disciples Luc. 22. where he put an end to the Passeover and instituted his owne Supper in the place of it Quest Whether was the Lambe which was killed at the Passeover a Sacrament or a sacrifice Answ The most hold that it was not a sacrifice and their reasons are these Reas 1 First it might be killed by others than by the Priest therefore it was not a Sacrament Reas 2 Secondly Exod. 8.26 It was abhomination for the Israelites to sacrifice in Egypt but the paschall Lambe was eaten in Egypt therefore the paschall Lambe was not a sacrifice Reas 3 Thirdly a Sacrament differeth from a sacrifice for in a sacrifice we offer to God and in a Sacrament wee receive from God the Paschall Lambe was a Sacrament therefore it could not be a sacrifice Reas 4 Fourthly that which was eaten of the sacrifice was eaten onely in the Temple but the Paschall lambe was eaten out of the Temple therefore it was not a sacrifice Answ Now for answer to the first after that they came out of Egypt and the priesthood was setled the
Priests onely killed the sacrifice and sprinkled the blood and the Lambe was then caried home Secondly It was abhomination to sacrifice in Egypt Maimone in Corban Peshang cap. 1. ◠it was an abhomination to the Egyptians to see beasts killed there because they worshiped beasts as their Gods but it was not abhomination before the Lord for feare of the Egyptians they would not sacrifice there they might have sacrificed there as well as they killed the Paschall Lambe there it was a thing lawfull in it selfe We must distinguish two things in the paschal Lamb it was both a Sacrament and a sacrifice the sprinkling of the blood in the Temple was a sacrifice the eating of the Lambe at home in their severall houses was a Sacrament and so as it was a sacrifice they offered and as it was a Sacrament they received Reasons proving that the Paschall Lambe was a sacrifice Reasons proving that it was a sacrifice are these Reas 1 First 2 Chro. 30.1 Hezekiah gave Commandement that all the people should come to the house of the Lord at Ierusalem to keepe the Passeover Wherefore should he have commanded them to come to the house of the Lord to eat it if it had not been a sacrifice if it had been onely a Sacrament it had beene enough to have bidden come to Ierusalem to eate it Reas 2 Secondly 2 Chro. 35.11 And they killed the Passeover and they sprinkled the blood it was the blood of the sacrifice that the Priest sprinkled Reas 3 Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 6. cap. 45. Iosephus writeth that Cestus Florus when he would shew to the Emperor the multitude of the Iewes that were in Ierusalem at the Passeover he desired the Priests that they might get the number of the people and how did the Priests find out the number of the people he saith by the number of the Lambes which they killed at the Passeover and then they reckoned how many were in every familie at the eating of a Lamb and so they found out the number of the people it was the Priest then that killed those Lambes and none else The Paschall Lambe a figure of Christ The Paschall Lambe was a figure of Iesus Christ the Paschall Lambe was taken the tenth day and separated untill the fourteenth at the evening of the fourteenth it was killed Iesus Christ the true Paschall Lambe Came sixe dayes before the Passeover to Bethania Ioh. 12.1 and the morrow after he went to Ierusalem where they met him with branches of palme trees and this was five dayes before the Passeover then he stayed foure dayes in Ierusalem and was killed in the day of the Passeover at night and thus he accomplished the ceremonies of the Law Quest Whether did the Iewes and Christ eate the Passeover upon the same day or not Answ Christ observed the true day Whether Christ kept the Passeover that same day which the Iewes kept in the end of the fourteenth day and the beginning of the fifteenth he eate it betwixt two evenings but the Iewes transferred the day and eate it in the end of the fifteenth day and beginning of the sixteenth and therefore when Christ eate the Passeover it was the day of the Preparation to the Iewish Passeover although indeed it was the true Passeover Iohn 17.62 When the Passeover preceded the Sabbath they used to transferre the holy actions of that day to the Sabbath that two feasts may not fall together and they did their common worke upon that day which should have been done upon the Passeover and reserved the holy actions to the Sabbath following and it was upon this day that they crucified Christ They kept this translation of feasts Why they transferred their feasts to the Sabbath lest the feast of Lots should have fallen 2 4 7. Lest the feast of the Passeover should have fallen 2 4 6. Lest the feast of the Pentecost should have fallen 3 5 7. Lest the beginning of the new yeare should have fallen 1 4 6. Lest the day of expiation should have fallen 1 3 6. They observed this translation of the feasts because they had certaine feasts which fell upon these dayes that two feasts should not fall together as the three feasts of Dedication the foure fasts mentioned in Zachariah and the feast of Lots When the divers keeping of the Passeover began This diversity was not kept so long as the first Temple stood whence arose it then it seemeth to have taken the beginning from the divers beginning of the moneth for when they reckoned their moneth from the apparition which was doubtfull and uncertaine hence it came to passe that the beginning of the moneth was not alwayes at the selfe-same period for the last day of Adar might fall out so that it should be the beginning of Nisan and therefore the Sanhedrin appointed that the full Moone should be the thirteenth day which according to the verity was the fourteenth this diversitie arose of this because of the divers apparitions of the Moone so they kept the preparation to the Pascha diversly Great dissention betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches for keeping of the Passeover When the Apostles have so clearely determined that matter that no man should bee condemned or judged for not keeping these dayes yet Satan came and did sow his Cockle and his Darnell and raised dissentions in the Churches betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches about the keeping of the Passeover the Easterne Churches alledged that Iohn and Philip celebrated the Passeover in memory of Christs Supper for they kept diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fourteenth day of the Moneth but the Westerne Churches alledged that Peter and Paul kept the Passeover upon the first Lords day after the fourteenth day of the moneth upon which day they kept diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pius Bishop of Rome ordained the Passeover to be kept on the Lords day Pius Bishop of Rome in the yeere of God 147. gave out an Edict that the Pascha should be celebrated by all upon the Lords day yet those in Asia cared not much for this Edict and there arose hot contentions on both the sides Polycarpus Iohns Disciple came into Rome to settle this contention and he appointed that every one should celebrate the Pascha as they were wont yet this contention was not buried for the Easterne and Westerne Churches left not off one to write against another Victor the Bishop of Rome in a Synode holden there Victor his Statute concerning the Passeover ordayned that the Pascha should be celebrated there upon the Lords day from the fourteenth day of March untill the twenty one of that moneth Those of Caesarea Palestina Pontus and Achaia embraced this Edict yet others stood out against it and said they would keepe it according to Iohns tradition wherefore Victor excommunicated all the Bishops in Asia Yet Irenaeus Bishop of Lions Polycarpus Schollar setled the
out of the Sanctuary Ezek. 44.17 and so by their meates putting a distinction betwixt clean and uncleane and so by their houses when he commanded the Law to be written upon the posts of their doores and by the Battlements to be put about their new houses and so by their husbandry when he commanded them not to plow with an Oxe and an Asse and not to sow their fields ' with divers sorts of seede So by their flocks to offer their first borne of them to him and here when they were walking in the fields if a birds nest were before them in the way either in a tree or upon the ground they were commanded to spare the damme to teach them reverence to their Parents wheresoever they lookt they had some instruction before them He forbiddeth them to kill the Damme and the yong ones together Why God would not have the Iewes to kill the Damme with the yong ones he commanded them to eate flesh after the flood but here he would restraine their appetite that they should not kill both the Damme and the yong ones and which is more the Lord forbiddeth when they are about to sacrifice that they kill not the Cow or the Ewe and their young ones both in one day Levit. 22.27 So the Iewes say that they might not kill the damme upon the young ones although it were for cleansed of the Leprosie Lev. 14.4 And if he will not have this done for his owne worship farre lesse will he have men do it for their own private use God will have mercy and not sacrifice Matth. 9.13 he forbiddeth them to kil the Dam but they might take the young ones he will not have them like the Pythagoreans who thought it unlawfull to kill any beast or fowle neither will he have them like Barbarians who kill all without respect but he will have them kill the young ones and spare the old to teach them reverence towards their parents No creature but man may make use of it there is no creature but man may make some use of it either to make it the object of his pity or else to imitate it as the Storke the Crane and Swallowes Who know their times Iere. 8.7 yea the Lord sendeth the sluggard to the pismire to learne Prov 6.6 Honour thy father and thy mother is the greatest Commandement in the second table and it hath this promise annexed unto it that they who honour their parents shall live a long life and here the Lord joyneth it to the meanest of all the Commandements which the Iewes call Praeceptum leve the Lord set the ceremonies Sejag Latorah as a hedge about the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as the hedge is a fence to keepe out beasts so were these ceremonies set as a hedge to keepe the Iewes that they should not breake in to violate the morall This law to spare the Damme upon the yong ones binds us not now If a man should find a bird fitting in this land upon her yong ones he is not bound by this Law to spare her more then he is bound when he reapeth his field to leave the gleanings ungathered yet he is bound by the Morall Law to shew pity to his beast and so upon the foule neither could he promise to himselfe longer life if he should doe so but onely he must looke to the morall precept which obligeth man still when these ceremonies are abolished Object It may be said where the reason or the promise annexed to the Law is perpetuall there the law is perpetuall but this promise is perpetuall long life to the obedient child therefore it might seeme that this law is perpetuall How the promise is annexed to this ceremoniall precept and to the morall precept Simile Answ The promise is properly annexed to the morall Law and but accidentally to the ceremoniall Law a father hath a child whom he mindeth to make his heire he biddeth his child doe such and such things which are but trifles and then he promiseth unto him the inheritance there are more weighty conditions included in this promise but for the childs nonage and because as yet he is not capable of the greater conditions therefore his father setteth downe those meaner conditions unto him the inheritance is promised unto him especially if he observe the maine conditions but the meaner are set downe for the present to him so dealleth the Lord with the Iewes here The keeping of the whole Commandements hath this promise of long life annexed unto it Prov. 3.1.2 my sonne forget not my law but let thine heart keepe my Commandements for length of dayes and long life and peace shall they adde unto thee so Deut. 8.1 and 30.16 But it is more particulary annexed to this Commandement and it is called the first Commandement with promise Ephes 6.2 Commandement VI. EXERCITAT XXVI That the Jewes might eat no blood A ceremoniall appendix of Command 6. Deut. 12.24 Thou shalt not eate it thou shalt powre it upon the earth as water The blood is not the forme to the body THe Lord forbiddeth the Iewes his people to eate blood because the life is in the blood the blood is not the forme to the living body because one body cannot be the forme to another neither is it a part of the body for it nourisheth the rest of the body and one part nourisheth not another and it is more excellent than milke melancholly or marrow for they have their residence in some particular parts of the body but the blood is dispersed through the whole body and none of those are profitable to the body unlesse they be mixed with blood Why the life is said to be in the blood The life is said to be in the blood because the naturall heat is preserved in the body by blood the blood it selfe is a thing naturally cold and it is the heat of the spirits which commeth from the heart that heateth the body and the blood but keepeth in the heat as a mans cloathes doe quae non calefaciunt sed recalefaciunt it but keepeth in the spirits which are in the heart but when the blood is let out then the spirits faile and the blood is congealed Although the soule be said to be in the blood The blood is not the seat of the soule yet we must not thinke that the blood is the seat of the soule because the seat of the soule is some principall member of the bodie but the blood is not a member of the body the seat of the soule is a firme and a permament thing and it hath sense especially the Touch but the blood in it selfe hath no sense wherefore it is not the seat of the soule but the common instrument and Vehiculum which carieth the spirits The life is in the blood The passions shew themselves in the blood all the passions of man shew themselves in the blood as the blood is hote with
is said there that they buried him in Timnath-herah but Iudg. 2.9 they buried him in Timnath-heres Here 's is called the Citie of the Sunne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sol. and they changed the name of the Towne because Ioshua was buried there whose sepulchre had the picture of the Sun drawne upon it as the Iewes write and the sepulchre of Elisha was knowne by it selfe in the fields 2 King 13.21 Fourthly they were at great charges in burying of their dead it was so great that many times their friends refused to bury them therefore Gamaliel who was a man of power and credit amongst them restrained this Nicodemus sent for an huÌ„dreth pound weight of Myrrhe and Aloes to embalme Christ Ioh. 19.39 and Christ alloweth the fact of Marie Mat. 26.10 when she poured the boxe of precious oyntment upon his head Why trouble ye the woman for she hath wrought a good worke upon me and Gamaliel ordained that none should be wrapped in silke but all in linnen and no gold put upon them Cicero lib. 2. de ll So amongst the Romans they were glad to diminish these charges tria si velit recinia vincula purpurea decem tibicines plus ne adhibeto Lastly They comforted the living after the dead were buried after the buriall was ended they used to comfort the living after this manner first sit consolatio tua in Caelis secondly quis audet deo dicere quid fecisti thirdly they repeated these words of Esay chap. 25.8 he will swallow up death in victorie and wipe away all teares from their faces and Psal 72.16 they shall flourish and spring againe as the grasse on the earth they bâ—leeved the resurrection of the bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domus viventium therefore they called the Church-yard Beth chaijm domus viventium and as our soules lodge but a while in the bodie as in a tabernacle 2 Cor. 5.1 so our bodies lodge but a while in â—he graue as in a tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my flesh resteth in hope as in a tabernacle and then they cryed Zacor ki gnapher anachun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominus penset jacturam tuam remember that we are but dust and they conclude with this of Iob 1. the Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. When their little children died they used not many speeches of consolation but onely said the Lord recompence thy losse Iob hath a notable saying I came naked out of my mothers wombe and I shall goe naked thither againe How shall I goe thither againe it is not taken for the same place but for the same condition hence it is that the inferior parts of the earth are called both the mothers wombe and the graue Psal 139.15 I was curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth that is in my mothers wombe Ephes 4.9 Christ is said to descend into the lower parts of the earth that is into his mothers wombe and see the affinitie betwixt the belly and the graue Christ joyneth them together Mat. 12. As Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the belly of the Whale so shall the sonne of man be in the heart of the earth and Salomon Prov. 30. joyneth them together there are three things that are not satisfied the graue and the barren wombe c. Conclusion The conclusion of this is let us remember Iob 30.23 that the graue is domus constitutionis omni vivo that is the house in which we are all appointed to meet and it is domus saeculi the house of our age in which we dwell a long time therefore we should often thinke of it and not put the evill day farre from us and make a covenant with death Of the IEVVES Oeconomicks Of the time of their Repast THey had but two times of their Repast Dinner and Supper they had no breakfast Peter had eaten nothing at the sixt houre Act. 10.10 and Act. 2.15 those are not drunke as yee suppose seeing it is but the third houre of the day But it may seeme Object that they used to breake their fast in the morning for Ioh. 21.4 it is said that when the morning was come Iesus stood on the shoare and said children haue yee any meat The reason of this was Answ because they had fished all the night and being wearie they refreshed themselues in the morning but we reade not that they used ordinarily to breake their fast in the morning Eccles 10.16 Woe to thee O land when thy Princes eate in the morning they did not eat in the morning because it was the fittest time for judging and deciding Controversies and therefore the Whores of old were called Nonariae Persius Satyr 1. because they came not out to commit their villany till after the ninth houre when men had ended their businesses and the Lord biddeth them execute judgement in the morning Iere. 21.12 The time of Dinner was the time when they refreshed themselues first Ioh. 21.12 Iesus said unto them come and dine so Luk. 11.37 And as he spake a certaine Pharisie besought him to dine with him and the second refreshment was at the time of Supper this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they spent a longer time at Supper than at Dinner All Banquets called Suppers sometimes and therefore afterward they put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dinner and they called all Banquets Suppers in what time soever of the day they were although they were not in the Evening and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permutantur the one is put for the other as that which Matthew calleth a Dinner cap. 22.4 Luke calleth a Supper 14.16 The Greekes fed more sumptuously The Greekes had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prandium secondly they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a refreshment betwixt Dinner and Supper which is called Merenda a beaver or afternoons drinke and they called this Caenae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thirdly they had their Supper and then they had Banquets after Supper and this the Greekes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latinè comessatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keepe a Banquet with whores and Paul alludeth to this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Moabitarum Rom. 13.13 Let us walke honestly as in the day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse And because the Iewes used to travaile so farre before the heat of the day therefore they called this space which they travailed diaetam terrae Gen. 35.16 This sheweth their moderate dyet They were sparing at Dinner and they fed more freely at Supper the Lord gaue them bread in the morning and but Quailes at night Exod. 16.12 They measured the houres by their shadow They went to Supper at the ninth houre after the Evening Sacrifice and before the setting of the Sunne they ended
carnis a pound of flesh is a glutton and he who drinketh logum vini an English quart of wine is a drunkard but we must not restraine it so here for Iudea being a hot Countrey a little flesh served them but in those cold Countries where the cold driveth in the heat mens stomackes digest the meat better and therefore a man cannot be accounted a glutton although he exceed this measure but he is called a glutton who delighteth in nothing but in eating and drinking Seneca saith turpe est mensuram stomachi sui non nosse The Glutton made a god of his backe and his bellie He fared sumptuously every day He sacrificed to his backe and his belly to make a god of the belly what a base god is that the belly of the beast was not sacrificed but cast out Some make a god of their braine and sacrifice to their owne net or yarne as Habakuk saith cap. 1.16 as Ahitophel Some make a god of their armes and strength as Goliah and some of their feete as Hasael trusted in his feet but the most base and filthy god of all is to make a god of their panch the Lord calleth Idols Deos stercoreos The bellie a base god gods of dung to make a god of the belâ—y is Deus stercoreus a god of dung if the Lord should bring in man and let him see the Idolatry of his heart as he let Ezechiel see what vile Idolatry the Iewes were committing in the Temple Ezech. 8. he should see more vile abhomination and Idolatry in his heart than ever Ezechiel saw some sacrificing to this beastly lust or that some making a god of their wealth and some making a god of their belly but God will destroy both the meat and the belly 1 Cor. 6.13 Let us be content then with sober fare all a mans travaile is for his mouth Eccles 6.7 the mouth is but a little hole it should teach us to be contented with little Man should learne to be content with little but the gluttons appetite is such that he thinketh he could swallow up Iordan nature is content with little but grace will be content with lesse The Israelites when they gaue way unto their appetite they cryed for flesh for Garlicke Onyons and for Pepons nothing would content them Lazarus could not get the crummes that fell from his Table a man hath a double use of his riches A double use of a mans goods a naturall use and a spirituall use there is a sowing to the flesh and a sowing to the spirit Gal. 6.8 the naturall use is to maintaine our selues and our families the spirituall use is to giue to the poore Nabal knew not this use 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh which I haue killed for my shearers and giue it to men whom I know not whence they be Here he knew the naturall use how to provide for himselfe and his familie his shearers but he knew not the spirituall use to giue to David and his men in their neccessitie So the rich glutton here knew nor the spirituall use of his riches to feede poore Lazarus with them it is this which the Lord will lay to the charge of the wicked at the last day I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meat Mat. 25.42 The poore in necessitie are Lords of the rich mens goods The poore in their necessitie are Lords of the rich mens goods Prov. 3.27 and the rich men are but Stewards and dispensators to them in that case the Fathers call the money given to the poore Trajectitiam pecuniam for as he that goeth a farre journey taketh a bill of exchange with him and carrieth not his money along with him for feare of robbing so the children of God they lay out their money to the poore they take Gods bill of exchange for it and then it meeteth them in the world to come and so their money receiveth them into eternall tabernacles that is it testifieth that they are to be received into eternall tabernacles The miseries of Lazarus Let us consider Lazarus his miseries first hee was poore then he was sore he had none in the same case with him he seeth the rich glutton that Epicure to prosper and himselfe in such a hard case hee might haue beene here overtaken with Davids temptation Psal 73.13 Verily I haue cleansed my heart in vaine and washed mine hands in innocencie for all the day I am plagued and chastened every morning A comparison betwixt Iob and Lazarus Let us compare Iob and Lazarus together Lazarus lay at the gate Iob on the dunghill Lazarus had no friends but the dogges but Iob was in a worse case for his friends vexed him and were miserable comforters to him Iob 16.2 Iob was once rich and then poore Lazarus was ever poore solatium aliquando nunquam fuisse foelicem A comparison betwixt the rich glutton and Lazarus Compare the rich glutton with poore Lazarus Lazarus full of sores the glutton sound and whole Lazarus was hungry he was full and fared sumptuously every day Lazarus was cloathed in ragges the glutton in purple and fine linnen Lazarus lay at the gate but he sate in his Palace Lazarus could not get the crums that fell from his table but he had good store of dainties Lazarus had no others to attend him but the dogs onely but hee had many gallant men to wait upon him Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores The creatures are in league with the children of God all the creatures are in league with the children of God but they are enemies to the wicked The Ravens that fed Eliah pull out the eyes of those that are disobedient to their parents Prov 30.17 The Serpents stung the rebellious Israelites in the wildernesse yet the Viper upon Pauls hand hurt him not Act. 28.5 The Lyons that touched not Daniel devoured his accusers Dan. 6.24 And the dogges that licked Lazarus sores eate the flesh of Iezabel And the reason of this is the dominion which the Lord gaue to man over the creatures at the beginning and the image of God in man maketh them to acknowledge him as their Lord. But yee will say Object may not a beast hurt a child of God now They may and the reason is Answ because this Image of God is not fully repaired in them againe Why the beasts stand in awe of the children of God When Adam was in his innocencie he was like unto a Herauld that hath his coat of Armes upon him all stand in feare of him because he carrieth the Kings coat of Armes but pull this coat off him no man respecteth him so man when he was cloathed with this Image of God the beasts stood in awe of him Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall Historie recordeth that the Persecutors tooke the Christians and set them naked before the Lyons yet the Lyons durst not touch them they
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
the Kingdomes of the Countries But these words cannot be understood of the bookes of Samuel for wee reade not in these bookes what David did abroad in these Countries therefore some other bookes must be understood here written by Gad and Nathan which are not extant Ans Not onely the things which David did in Israel are set downe in the booke of Samuels but also the things which he did abroad in other Countries as against Zoba King of Hadadezzar Hierom. in Esa 13. against the Moabites and against Tobh King of Hemath And where it is sayd over all the kingdomes of the countries it is the manner of the Scripture as Hierome marketh by the whole Countries to understand the next adjacent countries whereof it speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore in the originall it is Haaratzoth Of that carth Ob. 2 Chro. 33 19. The prayer of Manasseh and how God was intreated of him and all his sinne and his trespasse and the places wherein he built high places and set up groves and graven images before he was humbled behold they are written among the saying of the Seers or Hosai But in the whole booke of the Kings there is no mention made of his affliction or of the cause which mooved him to repent or of his prayers which he made to God in time of his affliction then this booke of the prophet is not now extant So the acts of Baasha Zimri and Omri are they not written in the Bookes of the Chronicles of Israel 1 Kings 16.5 27. But nothing concerning their actes are found in the bookes of the Kings or in the Chronicles therefore those bookes are perished when the Scriptures remit us to those bookes it giveth us to understand that these bookes are worthy to be trusted as written by the Seers of God neyther doth the Scripture cite them as it doth some short sentences out of the Heathen Poets The Apostle saith of those Poets that they sayd the truth Tit. 1.13 But the Spirit of God remitteth us to these bookes that we may be fully instructed by them in the whole truth of the Acts of those Kings Answ First we must know that there were many Prophets who prophesied whose prophesies were never written as the prophesies of the children of the Prophets Some prophesies of the Prophets were not written and the prophesies of those who prophesied from the dayes of Eli to David as some of Asaph Heman and Ieduthun Secondly all the things which were written by the Seers were not written by them as Seers Salomon wrote many things which he wrote not as a Prophet and so did David Thirdly Something 's written by the Prophets profitable for the Church then but not profitable now many things which they wrote then as Seers and were profitable to the Church for that time were not profitable for the Church now and the Spirit of God remitted them then to the civill records and to some prophesies which were then extant but are perished now because now they were not necessary for the Church but all these things which the Lord endited to them by his Spirit and which he thought to be necessary for his Church to be the Canon and rule of our faith all those the Lords watchfull eye hath kept and preserved that none of them are perished The Conclusion of this is Conclusion The bookes of Emperours and Kings are lost yet the Lord hath kept the register of the little Kings of Iuda and Israel both in whole and in parts although they were but Shepherds and banished men And the Church would rather spend her best blood then shee would part with that pretious Iewell or any part of it therefore they called those who delivered the booke of God to the persecuting Tyrants Traditores EXERCITAT XIIII That the points were not originally with the Letters from the beginning Neh. 8.8 So they read in the Booke the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading of the Law WE have showne that the Scriptures are not corrupt and that no essentiall or integrall part is wanting in the holy Scriptures Now it resteth to show that the Points the accidentall ornaments were not from the beginning The Iewes who are faithfull keepers but bad interpreters of the Scriptures interpret these words Nehe. 8.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after this manner vaijkren bassepher betorath They read in the booke of the Law this they expound to be the litterall sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Ezra gave Mephorash distinctly that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adding the Points and distinctions Veshom Shâ—cel Appenentes intellectum and gave the sense that is he added the Targum or paraphrase to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vajabhinu bammikra and caused them to understand the reading of the Law that is he added the Kabbala But this is a false Glosse Ezra read the Law to them gave them not onely the grammaticall sense but also the spirituall and true meaning of the words he neither added points nor Targum or Kabbala to it The points were not then from the beginning as may be seene by these reasons following Reason 5 The first reason is taken from the Samaritan Character The Iewes acknowledge that the letters of the law which they have now are not the ancient Characters in which Moyses wrote the Law But to these ancient Characters there is no vowell subjoyned as we may see in the forme of the Shekell set downe by Arias Montanus Beza and Villalpand upon Ezekiel Reason 2 The second reason is taken from the first exemplar of the Iewes which they kept in their Synagogues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they have most exactly written and rouled up this booke which is the cheefe booke in their estimation and whereof they account more then of any other Hebrew Bible yet there is neyther Poynt nor Accent in this booke but onely Consonants This may be seene also in their ancient billes of divorce wherein are neyther Points nor Accents Therefore the Points were not from the beginning Reason 3 The third reason is taken from the names of the Points and Accents which are Chaldee names therefore they were imposed after the captivity Object But they who maintaine that the Poynts were from the beginning say that this reason holdeth not for the names of the Moneths are Chaldee names imposed after the captivity and yet the Moneths were from the beginning So the Points may be from the beginning although the Chaldee names were given to them after the captivitie Answ As the Moneths were from the beginning and had Chaldee names given unto them after the captivity so the value of the Points were from the beginning but the figures and the names of the Points were set downe a long time afterwards Reason 4 The fourth reason is taken from the translation of the Seventy for when the Seventy read the Hebrew Text wanting the