representative is imputed to us 85 CHAP. VI. 1. ORiginall sinne is propagated unto us Originall sinne properly is not in the flesh before the union with the soul 90 2. Bishop Bilson Mollerus Kemnitius and Luther in an errour Bishop Bilsons arguments answered Conception taken strictly by Physicians c. We are not conceived in originall sinne if we respect this conception Conception taken largely by Divines Thus we were conceived in sinne 92 3. A Physicall Tractate of conception clearing the point 97 4. A Discourse touching aborsives and abortives Balthasar Bambach answered The Hebrew vowels not written at first when the consonants were Never any wrote till God had written the Two Tables 98 5. The manner how the soul contracteth originall sinne pointed at Bodily things may work upon the soul 103 6. Righteous men have unrighteous children The contagion of originall sinne is quickly spread 106 7. No sinne or sinnes of any of our parents immediate or mediate do hurt the souls of their children but onely one and that the first sinne of Adam 109 CHAP. VII 1. A Review of the last point Zanchius not against it Bucer and Martyr are but faint and rather negative then positive 112 2. Bucer and Martyr make the state of the question to be voluble not fixt and setled Their objections answered The place of Exodus 20.5 examined 113 3. S. Augustine appealed unto and defended 116 4. God justly may and doth punish with any temperall punishment any children like or unlike unto their parents for their parents personall sinnes 118 5. God doth and may justly punish some children eternally and all temporally for originall sinne whether they be like their parents in actuall aversion yea or no. 121 6. God justly punisheth even eternally wicked children if they resemble wicked parents ibid. 7. God oftentimes punisheth one sinne with another ibid. 8. The personall holinesse of the parent never conveyed grace or salvation to the sonne ibid. 9. God never punished eternally the reall iniquities of the fathers upon their children if the children were holy ibid. 10. No personall sinnes can be communicated The point handled at large against the errour of Bucer and Martyr 123 11. The arguments or authorities for my opinion The new Writers not to be overvalued Zanchius himself is against Bucer and Martyr 133 CHAP. VIII 1. ORiginall sinne came not by the law of Moses but was before it in the world 138 2. God hath good reason and justice to punish us for our originall sinne in Adam Gods actions defended by the like actions of men 139 3. Husbands represent their wives The men of Israel represented the women Concerning the first-born of men and beasts The primogeniture and redemption of the first-born 140 4. The whole bodie is punished for the murder committed by one hand Corporations represent whole cities and towns and Parliaments the bodie of the Realm Their acts binde the whole Kingdome Battelling champions and duellists ingage posteritie 144 5. S. Peter represented the Apostles The Apostles represent sometimes the Bishops sometimes the whole Clergie The Ministers of the Convocation represent the whole Church of England The authoritie of Generall Councels Nationall Synods must be obeyed 147 6. Private spirits censured Interpretation of Scripture not promiscuously permitted An Anabaptisticall woman displayed 149 7. Another woman reproved for her new-fangled book in print Scriptures not to be expounded by anagrams in Hebrew much lesse in English but with reverence How farre the people are to beleeve their Pastours 152 8. Saul represented an entire armie Joshua and the Princes binde the Kingdome of Israel for long time after 183 9. Christ represented us Christ and Adam like in some things in others unlike Christ did and doth more good for us then Adam did harm 184 The Contents of the second book CHAPTER I. Sect. 1. THe question propounded and explained Fol. 1. 2. Armenius or rather his sonne Zoroaster dead and revived ibid. 3. Antillus dead and living again because the messenger of death mistook him in stead of Nicandas Nicandas died in his stead 2 4. A carelesse Christian died and recovered life lived an Anchorite twelve yeares died religiously ibid. CHAP. II. 1. A Division of such as have been raised They all died 3 2. The widow of Zarephath her sonne raised yet died again supposed to be Jonas the Prophet The Shunammites sonne raised not to an eternall but to a temporary resurrection A good and a better resurrection 4 3. Christ the first who rose not to die again 5 4. The man raised in the sepulchre of Elisha arose not to immortalitie ibid. CHAP. III. 1. WHilest Christ lived none raised any dead save himself onely 6 2. The rulers daughter raised by Christ died again ibid. 3. So did the young man whom Christ recalled to life 7 4. Many miracles in that miracle of Lazarus his resurrection ibid. 5. Christ gave perfect health to those whom he healed or raised 8 6. Lazarus his holy life and his second death 9 CHAP. IIII. 1. TAbitha died again 9 2. So did Eutychus 10 3. They who were raised about the Passion of Christ died not again as many ancient and late Writers do imagine Mr. Montague is more reserved ibid. CHAP. V. 1. VVHo were supposed to be the Saints which were raised by such as maintain that they accompanied Christ into heaven 12 2. A strange storie out of the Gospel of the Nazarens ibid. 3. Adams soul was saved Adams bodie was raised about Christs Passion saith Pineda out of diverse Fathers Thus farre Pineda hath truth by him That the sepulchre of Adam was on mount Calvarie so say Athanasius Origen Cyprian Ambrose Basil Epiphanius Chrysostom Augustine Euthymius Anastasius Sinaita Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople ibid. 4. It was applauded in the Church in Hieromes time 13 5. Theophylact thought Adam buried in Calvarie Drusius unadvisedly taxeth the Fathers Tertullian consenteth with other Fathers and Nonnus who is defended against Heinsius 14 6. At Jerusalem they now shew the place where Adams head was found Moses Barcepha saith that Sem after the floud buried the head of Adam 17 7. The Romane storie of Tolus and Capitolium much resembling the storie of Adam ibid. CHAP. VI. 1. HIerom saith Adam was not buried on mount Calvarie Both Hierom Adrichomius and Zimenes say he was buried in Hebron Hierom censured for doubling in this point by Bellarmine 19 2. Hieroms arguments answered 20 3. The Originall defended against Hierom in Josh 14.15 ADAM there is not a proper name but an appellative Arba is there is a proper name of a man Adrichomius erreth in Kiriath-Arbee and the words signifie not Civitas quatuor virorum The citie of foure men New expositions of Kiriath-Arbee ibid. 4. It may signifie as well Civitas quatuor rerum The citie of foure things as Quatuor hominum Of foure men The memorable monuments about Hebron 22 5. It may be interpreted Civitas quadrata quadrilatera quadrimembris quadricollis A citie fouresquare of foure sides
and involved in originall sinne which they either knew not or considered not Lastly when I had taken these pains to frame this chapter in defence of a point which I never held to be questioned it grieved me to heare my ingenious friend so much to defend the new Writers and to dance after the new pipe Candid and favourable expositions I shall love while I live and both use towards others and desire to be used towards me but violent forced farre-fetched interpretations as this hath been I can no way allow For since reformation hath been so sharp-sighted as to finde fault in all things to esteem the Schoolmen as dunses though they are thought dunses that so censure them to account the Fathers as silly old men or as children though they are but babes that admire them not to disregard Provinciall Councels yea Generall Councels as the acts of weak and sinfull men though they are the chiefest the highest earthly-living-breathing Judges of Scriptures controversed which cavils against former times I have heard belched forth by the brain-sick zealous ignorants of our times since we have hissed out the Papists and think they speak against their own consciences when they maintain the infallibilitie and inerrabilitie of the Pope May not Bucer and Martyr erre Must all new opinions needs be true and defended with might and main with wrested part-taking over-charitable defenses rather then a small errour shall be acknowledged If such milde dealing had been used against times precedent we could not have found as some now have done about two thousand errours of the Papists But thus much if not too much shall suffice concerning these men and this matter with this cloze That Zanchius himself in the place above cited saith thus against that new-fangled opinion t Neque enim aliud peccatum in posteros transfusum est quà m quod ipsius quoque fuit Adami fuit enim inobedientia cum privatione justitiae originalis totius naturae corruptione Deinde etiam non propter aliud peccatum nos sumus adjudicati morti quà m propter illud propter quod Adamus Ejusdem enim peccati stipendium fuit mors Illi autem fuit dictum Morte Morieris propter inobedientiam c. For no other sinne was transfused to posteritie then that which also was Adams for it was disobedience with a privation of originall justice and corruption of the whole nature Besides we are sentenced to death for no other sinne then for that for which Adam also was for death was the wages of the same sinne Now it was said to him THOU SHALT DIE THE DEATH for disobedience c. Now let them say if they can that Adam was sentenced to death for any sinne of predecessour or successour or any other sinne of himself but one onely I have maintained and do resolve Death was inflicted for his first sinne onely Therefore by Zanchius his true Divinitie against Bucer and Martyr and their peremptorie defenders Not all not many sinnes of all of many of any of our predecessours but the first sinne onely of Adam is transfused to posteritie nor are they guiltie or condemnable for any other preceding actuall sinne or sinnes of others whosoever O Father of consolation O God of mercies who knowest that every one of us have sinnes personall more then enow to condemne us lay not I beseech thee the sinnes of our fathers or fore-fathers or our own if it be thy holy will to our charge to punish us in this life present or our originall sinne in and by Adam or our own actuall misdeeds to trouble our consciences by despair or to damne us in the world to come but have mercy upon us have mercy upon us according to thy great mercy in Christ Jesus our alone Lord and Saviour Amen CHAP. VIII 1. Original sinne came not by the Law of Moses but was before it in the World 2. God hath good reason and justice to punish us for our original sinne in Adam Gods actions defended by the like actions of men 3. Husbands represent their wives The men of Israel represented the women Concerning the first-born of men and beasts The primogeniture and redemption of the first-born 4. The whole bodie is punished for the murder committed by one hand Corporations represent whole cities and towns and Parliaments the bodie of the Realm Their acts binde the whole Kingdome Battelling champions and duellists ingage posteritie 5. S. Peter represented the Apostles The Apostles represent sometimes the Bishops sometimes the whole Clergie The Ministers of the Convocation represent the whole Church of England The authoritie of Generall Councels National Synods must be obeyed 6. Private spirits censured Interpretation of Scripture not promiscuously permitted An Anabaptisticall woman displayed 7. An other woman reproved for her new-fangled book in print Scriptures not to be expounded by anagrams in Hebrew much lesse in English but with reverence How farre the people are to beleeve their Pastours 8. Saul represented an entire armie Joshua and the Princes binde the Kingdome of Israel for long time after 9. Christ represented us Christ and Adam like in some things in others unlike Christ did and doth more good for us then Adam did harm IT hath been plentifully evidenced that death entred into the world by sinne and that both Adam and we were sentenced to die for one sinne the first sinne onely of Adam onely and not for any other sinne or sinnes of him or any other our remote propinque or immediate parents and that death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Rom. 5.14 I adde Death shall live fight and prevail though not reigne from Moses unto the end of the world For when this mortall shall have put on immortality then then and not till then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory 1. Cor. 15.54 and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death 1. Cor. 15.26 Aquine on Roman 5. lect 4. thus Because corporall death reigned from Adam by whom originall sinne came into the world unto Moses under whom the Law was given and death is the effect of sinne especially originall sinne it appeareth there was originall sinne in the world before the Law and lest we might say they died for actuall sinnes the Apostle saith Death reigned even over those who sinned not proprio actu as children So he 2. The things themselves then being unquestionable and before elucidated to the full That death is inflicted for originall sinne and that we all and every of us except Christ have contracted originall sinne it followeth justly by the judgement of God that death is appointed unto us for this sinne Tertullian lib. 1. contra Marcion a Homo damnatur in mortem ob unius arbusculi delibationem pereunt jam omnes quì nullum Paradisi cespitem nôrunt Man is condemned to death for tasting of a small
unbridled Circumcellions to choose their own wayes which is the guise of Separatists and to be their own judges and judges of whatsoever their Pastours preach which is the practice of ill taught zelots in our Church and by necessary consequence judges of things of Faith of Controversies and of Scripture it self And so the supreamest Tribunall for interpretation of matters religious to be the conscience of an unlearned brain But thou O Man of God flee these extreams and O blessed God and man O Saviour of mankinde Jesu Christ keep us in the mean and bring us by holinesse to the truth and by thy truth unto thy glory So be it Lord Jesu so be it The word of God is a sea saith p Epist 44. ad Constanâ—num S. Ambrose having in it deep senses and height of propheticall riddles But in these dayes of Libertinisme the simplest presume they can sound these deeps and finde out the riddle though they plow not with Samsons heifer Hence are these innumerable springs of errours which Luther even in his own time seeing to overflow Germany in his first book against Zwinglius and Oecolampadius saith If the world continue it will be again necessary by reason of the divers interpretations of Scripture that now are if we will keep the unity of the faith that we receive the decrees of Councels and flee to them The place of Augustine is common and in every mans mouth q Ego Evangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae authoritas commoveret I would not beleeve the Gospel unlesse the authority of the Catholick Church moved â—â—e How should we know that such and such things are Sâ—â—â—â—ure and not such or such but by the Church as by the fâ—â—â—â—â—â—roductary means or why should not the unlearned people as well trust their Pastours for the exposition of Scripture as they have done and do and must do for the translation For be ye not deceived O over-inspired brethren neither Moses nor the Prophets nor Christ nor the Evangelists or Apostles ever wrote or penned your English Scripture They wrote in Hebrew Chaldee Syriack and Greek but they were your Pastours who translated the word of God into our mother tongue and some translations are more imperfect then other and no one absolutely perfect And will you silly ignaroes who cannot know whether the words be true or false well or ill translated be every one of you your judges of the meaning thereof which in deep points is harder then translating and usurp the power of interpretation I may take up the complaint of Michael Piccart in his epigram before Balthasar Bambach his tractates Et tractare quidem quisnam est qui sacra veretur Imberbes pueri jam quoque sacra crepant But I am loath to adde as he doth O pecus Arcadicum linguas priùs imbibe sanctas Et sacra ex ipso fonte deinde pete Yea I have an intent to have a bout with the learned Daniel Heinsius for maintaining in the preface to his Aristarchus Sacer upon Nonnus That no man can rightly interpret the Scriptures but he that is skilled in Eastern languages Hebrew Chaldee Syriack and Greek both sacred and profane Hellenistical and the pure which is all one in effect with the Jewish-Greek and the Heathen-Greek Some of his words pag. 53. are these r Multum resert scire Hebraea Hellenistes Graecè expresserit an Syra Hebraeum item textum an interpretationes respiciat Graecorum Quae nisi omnia distinguat operam necesse est interpres ludat Nos autem ut exiguae scientiae it à nullius ut loquuntur vulgò conscientiae existimamus qui transferre Sacra audet nec de istis cogitavit It is very materiall to know whether it be Hebrew or Syriack which the Hellenist expresseth in Greek also whether he hath respect to the Hebrew Text or to the Greek translations of it All which unlesse the expositour distinctly considereth he must needs lose his labour And we think him to be a man as of little skill so of no conscience that dares translate the Scriptures without any consideration of these things Both these were eminent professours and men singular among thousands the first in High-Germany the other in the Netherlands from whence some of them brag and some of us rejoyce that we have received the reformation of religion I will onely humbly propound to your religious considerations these things First that the difficulties of the Hebrew Chaldee and Aramean languages in the Old Testament and of the Greek in the New especially where it reflecteth up to the Syriack are above common capacities even of the learned I might adde that words of divers other languages are part of the sacred Text. The Egyptian Abrech Genes 41.43 the Arabick Lehhem Job 6.7 and Totaphoth Exod. 13.16 a compound of Egyptian and African languages and the like Yea one verse and one onely was written by Jeremy in the Chaldee language viz. Jeremy 10.11 which every captive Jew was commanded to cast in the teeth of the Babylonians Moreover Daniel 5.25 Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin was written in the Chaldee with the Samaritan letters so that the Chaldeans themselves could not reade their own language I would tell you of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finall being placed in the middle of a word of the Text and of divers other difficulties which in part I passe over and in part thus contract in the observations following Secondly that Hebrew words without points may have foure or five significations according to the diversity of vowels affixed to them and have no certain meaning but as it is guided by antecedents and consequents And yet you shall have an ignorant mechanick or talkative woman as confident of the Genevean Translation and notes as if God himself did speak or write the same words as he did once the law on Horeb. Thirdly that in the Hebrew many words are written with fewer letters then they are pronounced Fourthly that many are written with more letters then they are pronounced Fifthly that divers words are written in the sacred Text which are not pronounced at all but others are read in their stead Å¿ Sunt octo voces quae sâ—riptae sunt in Textu sed non leguntur quas adducit Masora Ruth 3.12 There are eight words written in the Text but not read which the Masora alledgeth Ruth 3.12 Sixthly that the Jews have most severely and strictly forbidden that any Rabbin should teach Christians the true sense of the Talmuds which as they boast no labour and endeavour can attain unto without such a guide Elias Levita in Masâ—oreth-Hammassoreth complaineth that the Jews were wonderfully offended with him because he instructed Christians in the Hebrew And though some tax him for singing placentia to sooth flatter his patron Aegidius and call him a turn-coat because he came forth of the Jewish synagogue to pray with us in our temples yet that odious name ought to have been spared
countrey if upon imposed crimes by an appellant the defendant shall yeeld or be overcome in battell b Vâ—imo supplicio punietur cum poena gravi vel graviori secundum criminis qualitatem cum exhaeredatione haeredum suorum omnium bonorum amissione He shall be put to death with a grievous or more grievous pain according to the qualitie of the crime with the disinheriting of his heirs and losse of all his goods Furthermore though he were slain yet the formality of the Common-law proceeding adjudgeth him to capitall punishment that thereby his posterity may suffer the grievous concomitancy of his deserved infamy saith that most learned M. Selden my most courteous and loving friend in his Duello or Single Combat pag. 30. 5. But let us come from the sword where things are cut out with more rigour if not crucltie unto matters Ecclesiasticall and so more civil and peaceable Did not S. Peter stand in stead of all the Apostles when Christ said to him Joh. 21.15 16. Feed my lambes Feed my sheep And again Feed my sheep vers 17. Likewise when Christ said to him Matth. 16.19 I will give unto thee the keyes of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And when this promise to Peter was promised to the rest of the Apostles also Matth. 18.18 and when both these promises were fulfilled and accomplished as they were after Christs resurrection and not before and authoritie given and by a solemne ceremony exhibited by Christ not onely to S. Peter but to all and every of the Apostles saying Joh. 20.21 c. As my Father hath sent me even so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sinnes ye retain they are retained Did not the Apostles represent the whole body of the Ministery unlesse you will fable that in the Apostles dayes they had more need of remission of sinnes then we have now or that Christ loveth not his Church now nor affordeth the like means of pardon and reconciliation as he did in those times But by the same deceitfulnesse of cavillation you may say as well that when Christ brake bread and gave it to his Disciples and said Take eat this is my body and gave the cup to them saying Drink ye all of it none but they might eat or drink the Supper of the Lord. But it is undeniable that when Christ said to his twelve Apostles Luk. 22.19 This is my body which is given for you Do this in remembrance of me he spake it to them as representours of the whole Priesthood onely who onely have power to consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord. Indeed Hierome saith c Quid facit Episcopus exceptâ Ordinatione quod Presbyter non facitâ— Epist 85. ad Euag. What doth a Bishop except Ordination which a Priest doth not as if the Apostles represented the Bishops in that point onley and the Centuriatours acknowledge that the first Bishops after the Apostles were made Bishops by the Apostles and they say no more then is confirmed 1. Timothy 5.22 and Titus 1.5 Act. 20.28 But other Fathers extend the comparison between the Apostles and Bishops to other matters appropriating to the Bishops above the Presbyters the power of Confirmation and divers other things All which though we grant yet no man will deny but for preaching baptizing and especially for consecrating of the Eucharist and Sacerdotall Absolution or Ministeriall Remission of sinnes the Apostles represented not the people in any wise nor the Bishops onely but the universall body of Christs Ministers And do not among us the Right Reverend Arch-bishops and Bishops and the Clergy assembled in the Convocation represent the whole Church of England are not they our Nationall Councel do not their Articles of Religion binde in conscience all and every one of the Church of England as much if not more then Civill laws Nor is there the like humane authority on earth for the setling of our consciences in matters of Scripture or Scriptures controverted or to be controverted as the externall publick breathing voice of a true Oecumenical Councel of the Patriarchs Bishops and choice Divines of the Christian world The essentiall universall Church of Christ is and we must beleeve it is the house of God the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 It never erred it cannot erre its iudgement is infallible The Spirit leadeth this Church into all truth Joh. 16.13 Of the Church of God consisting of the faithfull in any one age or time I dare say it never did erre damnably or persisted in smaller errours obstinately but alwayes some truly maintained things necessary to salvation and unto this fluctuant militant part of the Church Christ hath promised to be with it to the end of the world Matt. 28.20 The whole visible Church at no time can fall into heresie but some seek after the truth and embrace it and professe it Subject it is to nesciency of some things and perhaps to some kinde of ignorance but it cannot erre in things necessary nor in lesse matters schismatically with obdurate pertinacy Of the representative Church of Christ in Councels this may be said truly and safely viz. Of the first six Generall Oecumenicall Councels not one de facto erred in any definition of matters of faith Of other lawfull general Councels that may hereafter be called though I will not deny but they may possibly be deceived as they are men and therefore are not free from errability but if such Councels may erre or pronounce amisse cannot coblers yet there is least likelihood of their erring Such Oecumenical Councels have the supremest publick externall definitive judgement in matters of Religion if any oppose them they may not onely silence them but censure them with great censures and reduce them into order Private spirits must sit down and rest in their determinations else do the Councels lose operam oleum What S. Ambrose Epist 32. said of one general Councell d Sequor tractatum Niceni Concilii à quo me 〈◊〉 mors nec gladius 〈◊〉 separare I follow the decision of the Nicene Councel from which neither death nor sword shall be able to separate me I say of all true and generall Councels and of the major part of them who binde the rest without which issue the gathering of Councels yea and of Parliaments also would be ridiculous For though it were a true and just complaint of Andreas Duditius Quinquecclesiensis Episcopus That in the Conventicle of Trent the voices were rather numbred then well weighed yet he doth not he cannot finde fault with that course in a just and lawfull Generall Councel but directeth his complaint against the tyrannicall power of the Pope
Charles the fifth his Edicts n Nè quis de Sacra Scriptura maximè de rebus dubiis difficilibus privatim aut publicè disputet aut ejus interpretationem sibi sumat nisi sit Theologus qui probatae alicujus Academiae testimonium habeat Let no man take upon him to dispute publickly or privately of the sacred Scripture especially of doubtfull and hard points or to interpret it except he be a Divine that hath the testimonie of some approved Vniversitie It was an holy Edict breeding reverence to the sacred word of God and I could wish it were in practise with us though I must needs confesse the breach of the edict was too severely punished for the men were to be beheaded and the women to be buried alive though they desisted from their errour but if they were obstinate they were to be burned and their goods confiscated Yet the rebellions of the Anabaptists in Germanie may be some cloke for that cruell sentence which rebellions also forsooth were moved by the Spirit of God if for example sake you wil give credit to Thom. Muncer his oration unto the armed rebellious clowns o Constat nobis auspicatum esse me hanc actionem non meâ quadam autoritate privatâ sed jussu divino We are sure saith he that I began not this action by any private authoritie of mine but by a divine injunction c. And again p Videbitis ipsi manifestum Dei auxilium Ye your selves shall see the manifest help of God And he had Scripture to confirm it Scripture in word not in sense Scripture misapplied things falling out contrary to his propheticall Spirit for they were overcome and he beheaded Likewise Sleiden Comment 30. fol. 28. saith of the Anabaptists q Cum Deo colloquium sibi esse mandatum se habere aiebant ut impiis omnibus interfectis novum constituerent mundum in quo pii solùm innocentes viverent They said they had conference with God and a mandate from him to kill all the wicked and then to frame a new world wherein none but the godly and innocent should live This I will say of mine own knowledge that when that man of happy memory the late right Reverend now most blessed Saint Arthur Lake Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells appointed Doctour Sclater now also a Saint of heaven then my most learned loving friend and sometime fellow-Collegian in the two royall Colledges at Eaton and Cambridge with my self to conferre with an Anabaptisticall woman we heard her determine great depths of Divinitie as confidently as ever S. Paul did though he was taught by Christ himself and as nimbly as ever an ape crackt nuts yet so ignorantly and with such non-sense that we both wondred at her incredible boldnesse The Revelation she had at her fingers ends she thought that she understood it better then S. John himself and defined in a few houres conference more depths of Divinitie then six Generall Councels would in a long time Mysteries were no mysteries to her if an Angel of earth or one from heaven instruct her contrary to her frantick prepossest imagination she would conclude Because the Spirit bloweth where it listeth that the Spirit instructed her in the right way A fit consequence for such a pseudo-prophetissa 7. But what do I speak of her self-conceit when of late an other of her sex hath printed a book of her phantasticall crudities and by English anagrams expoundeth Scripture A new kinde of interpretation never thought of fit for a woman to be the inventour of She teacheth Daniel to reveal himself after a new fashion and such things which were he alive and racked he must say he never thought of She thinks she untieth knots and gives light to prophesies but indeed misapplieth things past and perhaps future contingents to present times and while she gathereth many excellent strains of words and sentences out of the divine Writ in coupling them together she maketh such a roaring hotch-potch as if she had vowed to write full-mouthed non-sense in loftie terms others not knowing nor perhaps herself what she aimeth at Take a taste of her anagrams DANIEL I END AL. Yet did not he end all prophesies nor all things MEDES AND PERSIANS SEND MEE SPANIARDS What would she do with them It was feared that they would have come too soon for her and others too THE ROUGH GOATE THE GOTH ROAGUE Like you this you shall have more as bad as void of wit PRINCE OF PERSIA I CAN POPE FRIERS If Friers should come and prevail they would teach her to be more humble DARIUS THE MED I DREAMED THUS Awake dreamer no sense is in thy dreams much lesse religion Was ever Scripture made such a nose of wax did ever any religious heart think such could be the meaning of those words Let me but touch at her obscene exposition of the end of Christs Circumcision pag. 5 and consider her fanaticall imagination that the Spirit of God by Michael understood King James pag. 50 And the warre in heaven with Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels is thus expounded by her pag. 55. The fray is fought by seconds by Michael is meant King James the Dragon is the Pope whom Michael overcame by the bloud of the Lambe and by the testimonie of so many Bishops and other faithfull crowned with the glory of Martyrdome whereas King James had never a Bishop so crowned and never a Bishop was so crowned since he was born Holy peaceable and harmlesse King James who would scarce hurt a worm is now interpreted to be the greatest fighter among the celestiall host I could wish she would repent for her blasphemy pag. 70 where she writeth That the person of the sonne of God not made was turned into a lump of clay and for her pointing out the day of judgement For though she confesseth pag. 90 Of the day houre no man knoweth no not the Angels that are in heaven nor the Sonne but the Father yet she addeth The account of this book of note is by centuries of yeares Suppose it were so as it is not could not Christ and his Angels know the day by the computation of centuries as well as she but she by a new account hath found out as she imagineth what Christ and the good Angels were ignorant of namely the exact day of doom For thus she determineth pag. 100 There is nineteen yeares and a half to the day of judgement July the twenty eighth one thousand six hundred twenty five Had not this woman been better never to have seen Scripture then thus to profane it and take Gods word in vain You think you have the Spirit of God as you write in the last page but I am sure if you repent not betimes for your wire-drawing of Gods word and intruding into hidden and unsearchable depths of Divinitie you are in a desperate case and all the Separatists and Enthusiasts of
be proved Therefore the other answer may stand good that there is no necessitie of making the word Sheshach to be the proper name of King City or Idol it may rather be an appellative For Jeremy 25.26 Rex Sheshach bibet post eos which as I said you may interpret Rex diem festum celebrans bibet post eos The King celebrating a festivall day shall drink after them though Tremell hath it thus Rex Babyloniae festa habentis bibet c. I cannot deny but if there were such an idol among them as was termed Sheshach which is our main enquiry yet unproved it might as well as Bel Merodach and Melcom signifie the people which worshipped it Till that point be evidenced I will say with Tremellius that the forbearing to name the King or veiling the name of the city and describing him or it by what was prophesied they should be doing or acting as indeed it fell out is to be referred ad r De qua Hermog Tom. 4. de inventione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orationis to the gravitie and weight of the speech wherein the Scripture keepeth its majestie and neither with bitter invective nor harsh exprobration but with composed gravitie and eloquent solemnitie designeth the King or Babylon out not expressely by his or her name but by their actions as Nabals name was applied by his own wife to signifie his churlish nature 1. Sam. 25.25 Nabal is his name and folly is with him and Jerusalem is called the holy city for the holy things there done there contained I conclude thus If anagrammes from the Hebrew Chaldee Syriack or Greek languages in which the words of holy Scripture were writ may not be admitted as indeed they may not much lesse may we expound the sacred Originall by English anagrammes the flashes and fire-works of luxuriant brains Hearty reverence and a kinde of ceremonious civill adoration beseemeth the word of God It is not much prating or pridy-self-love that makes the good expositour The silence of swannes is not overcome by the noise of swallows but when the swallows are grown hoarse the swannes shall sing saith Nazianzen The application is easy Josephus in his second book against Apion saith of the Jewish high priest He shall judge of doubtfull matters and punish those that are convinced by the law Whosoever obeyeth not him shall undergo punishment as he that behaves himself impiously against God The great dubious perplexed scruples difficulties were not left to the judicature of private fancies Artificum est judicare de arte It belongs to artificers to judge of the art is a maxime of infallible truth Hierome upon these words Eccles. 3.7 A time to keep silence and a time to speak thus s Omnes artes absque dectore non discimus solae haec tam vilis facilis est ut non indigeat praeceptore We learn no art without a teacher onely this is so mean and so easie that it needeth no teacher and he speaketh by Ironie of those who are rath-ripe in religion Aristotle Ethic. 1. Every one judgeth aright of those things which he knows and this is a good judge And this is called by Ockam our countryman t Judicium certae veridicae cognitionis the judgement of certain and veridicall knowledge Luther divinely u Non licet Angelis nedum hominibus verba Dei pro arbitrio interpretari It is not lawfull for Angels much lesse for men to interpret Gods words as they list much lesse for women say I. Tertullian in his time styled them hereticall women that dared to teach and contend in argument and nothing truer then this that x Imperitia considentiam eruditio timorem creat Ignorance breeds confidence learning fear and distrust Who is more bold then blinde bayard To the word of God we must adde nothing contrarie or forein saith Aquin. No prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation 2. Pet. 1.20 Know this first saith the Apostle there Or is Daniel no Prophet and his writing not propheticall If the wit of men or Angels from heaven should make a law a written law by which people should be ruled or judged as for example concerning theevery and appoint no living judge to determine who offend against the law and who are punishable or not punishable but leave every one to judge himself by this written law and every one to interpret the law to his pleasure were it not a foolish law a mock-law and indeed a no-law And shall God give us a law concerning our souls and permit the interpretation of it to every one The living judge in matters of Faith and Religion in every Kingdome of Christian government is the Nationall Councel thereof till there be found that panchrestum medicamentum that medicine good for all diseases for the Universall Church of Christ a true and free generall Councel from which is no appeal it being the supremest externall judge on earth Yea but the Bereans received the word with all readines of minde and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Acts 17.11 Shall they examine the very Apostles doctrine and not we the doctrine of our Pastours I answer first These Bereans were learned and eminent men But every unlearned skullion now that hath skill onely in the English originall will contest with the profoundest Clerks Secondly these Bereans were unbeleevers before the examination of those things for immediately it followeth Therefore many of them beleeved and many honourable Greek women and men Art thou an unbeleever Do thou then as those unbeleevers did If thou beleevest shew me one passage of Scripture where ever the unlearned people did call the doctrine of their learned Pastours into triall I confesse that the judgement of the Scripture and Creed is onely authentick and perfectly decisive And if we could exactly hit on the true meaning all differences were quickly at an end Nor do I monopolize learning to the Clergy when I confine and restrain the judgement of learning to the learned Many there are among the people who in all literature humane and divine exceed many Priests and I wish they were more in number and that way more abundantly qualified With the Churchmen it would be better since y Scientia neminem habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Learning hath no enemy but the ignorant There are sonnes of wisdome and sonnes of knowledge As Wisdome is justified of her children Matth. 11.19 so learning is not to be judged by the unlearned but by her children I acknowledge that all and every one of the people are to answer for their thoughts words and deeds and that God hath given them a judgement of discretion in things which they know but in matters above their knowledge and transcending their capacitie they have neither judgement to discern nor discretion to judge Nè sutor ultra crepidam Shall blinde men judge of colours Sus Minervam Phormio Hannibalem Asinus
unlesse he kept still a Jewish heart within him which certainly he did if Balthasar Bambach saith truly of him t Praecipua mysteria reticuit nibil arcani revelavit He concealed the chief mysteries and revealed nothing of their secrets Seventhly that many Hebrew Radixes do signifie not onely things wonderfully disparat and incompatible the one with the other as Sheol signifieth the grave in some places and hell in other places which caused some to deny Christs descent in his humane soul into hell but even things clean contrary This instance as the former shall be in a word generally known Job 2.9 his wife saith unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Curse God others render it Blesse God None hitherto hath infallibly expounded it Yet my Laick can swallow camels strain at gnats that is buildeth upon the Translation made by the Ministers though the ground hath been slippery and full of ice but will forsooth be judge of the meaning when he understandeth not the words as if one unskilfull in the Dutch language should say when he heard a German speak I know his meaning by his gaping or by the sound of his words or by the gargarism of his throat-speech Though the Apostle saith 1. Thessal 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good yet he speaketh of the spirits of private men or misperswasions of the false Apostles who presumed very much and knew very little These are to be tried But concerning the decrees of the Church the same Apostle doth not say Prove them examine them trie them judge them but Acts 16.4 Paul and other Ministers as they went through the cities delivered them the decrees for to keep or observe that were ordained of the Apostles and Elders which were at Jerusalem And so or by this means of keeping or observation were the Churches established in the faith c. verse 5. But saith the frantick Libertine I am a man spirituall But he that is spirituall judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man 1. Corinth 2.15 I answer S. Paul speaketh of the Apostles who had the Spirit of God vers 12. and spake in words which the holy Ghost taught vers 13. and who might well neglect the judgement of men 1. Corinth 3.3 Prove thou thy Apostleship by such undeniable miracles and testimonies as they did and thou shalt judge and not be judged But that every idiot should claim the priviledge of an Apostle is lewd divinity or rather insufferable pride The Angel in the Church of Thyatira is censured Revel 2.20 because he suffered that woman Jezebel which called her self a Prophetesse to teach and seduce Gods servants If the profoundest Divines on earth unexperienced in worldly courses should teach the skilfullest tradesmen their trades or manufactures and meddle in their crafts as they call them would they not expose themselves to laughter and mocking is not the proverb of the world too true The greatest Clerks are not the wisest men if you take them from their books Are there more depths in trades then in the Word of God Or shall tradesmen and women judge of the depths of Divinity and the learned Divines in their own profession be not beleeved but laught at controlled and censured by the private spirit of unlearned people Are not the spirits of the Prophets subject to the Prophets Very learned men scarce trust to themselves A Physician that is very sick seeks counsel of an other who is whole and dares not trust his own judgement and shall a soul sick of sinne sick of errour sick of scruples be its own helper shall it understand without a guide be cleansed of its leprosie without a Priest Hierome in his Preface to the Cōmentary upon the epistle to the Eph. thus From my youth I never ceased to reade or to ask of learned men what I knew not I never was mine own Master or taught my self and of late I journeyed purposely to Alexandria unto Didymus that he might satisfie me in all the doubts which I had found in the Scripture Now adayes many a one is wiser then his Teachers not by supernall illumination but by infernall presumption And if they have gotten by rote the letter of Scripture and can readily cite tmemata tmematia the chapter and the verse though they have little more judgement then Cardinall Ascanius his parret which would prate the Creed all over they vilifie the opinions of the most learned and their private spirit of seduction will beare them out u Lib. 11. cap. 9. Ruffinus saith thus of Basil and Gregory Nazianzen They were both noblemen both students at Athens both colleagues for thirteen yeares together all profane learning removed studied on the holy Scriptures followed the sense not taken from their own presumption but from the writings and authority of the ancients which ancients it appeared took the rule of right understanding the Scripture from Apostolick succession S. Basil himself saith of himself and others in his Epistle to the Church of Antioch As for us we do not take our faith upon trust from other later men x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor dare we deliver to others the conceits of our own brains lest mens devices should be thought to be articles of Religion but what we have been taught of the holy Fathers that we declare to those that ask of us How often doth the divine S. Augustine confirm his interpretations by the authority of Cyprian Ambrose and other preceding Fathers How often doth he confesse his own ignorance though he was the most accōplished that ever writ since the dayes of the Apostles It was a wise observation of Scaliger That some words and passages in Plato y Plus sapiunt authore are wiser then their authour and many excellent conceits are collected from Homer and Aristotle which they never dreamed of But in the Word of God it is contrary The Spirit was and is infinite that did dictate it the finite capacity of man cannot comprehend it whatsoever good interpretation we finde may well be thought to be the meaning of the Spirit and yet the Spirit may and doth mean many things which the wit of any man could never disclose And the true literal sense is the hardest to finde I confesse I have dwelt too long on this point but it is to vindicate the authority of our Church from the singular fancies of private unskilfull unlearned and censorious men and women and to shew the madnes of those base people-pleasers or publicolae who make or esteem tradesmen and youth and ill-nurtured unlettered idiots yea though their places be eminent the competent judges of controversies whilest they flee from the chairs of the Universities and from the representative Church of our kingdome viz. the most learned Bishops and Convocation-house unto whom they ought to have recourse and in whose judgement they are by way of obedience without opposition to set up their rest For as for private
did think no man should be so morose nosy and stern as thence to question the authoritie of the whole Scriptures But his opinion is justly exploded as hypercritically nice and Julius Scaligers whip here fetcheth bloud of Erasmus Maximus esse potuisset si minor esse voluisset He diminisheth himself by taking upon him to be a censor of the Scripture Nihil parturiens continuò parit omnia saith a Papist of Erasmus 6. Wiser S. Augustine in Epist 19. ad Hieronymum thus h Ego solis cis Scripturarum libris qui jam Canonici appellantur timorem hunc honorē didici deferre ut nullum corum autorem scribendo aliquid errâsse firmissimè credam I have learned to give that reverence and honour onely to those books of Scripture which are called Canonicall that I most fully beleeve no writer thereof erred any Iota But if there were a fail of their memory they did somewhat erre whatsoever Erasmus should seem to suggest who would have taken it in fume if the Friers his opposites had said there had been in his books lapsus memoriae A fail of memorie S. Augustine is constant to himself and to the truth for again he saith concerning the Evangelists i Omnem falsitatem abesse ab iis decet non solum eam quae mentiendo promitur sed eam etiam quae obliviscendo The Evangelists must be so farre from lying that they must not fall into an untruth of forgetfulnesse S. Cyril lib. 6. in Levitic toward the end of his book ascending from one particular saith of the whole Scripture divinely inspired k Quid dicemus Oblivionem dabimus in verbis Spiritus Sancti What shall we say shall we grant forgetfulnesse in the words of the holy Ghost And he answereth his own question in generall l Non audeo hoc de sacri◠sentire sermonibus I dare not think so of the sacred Text. 7. Yea but saith Masius The Syriack translation proves that this place is faulty for the Syriack Copies have it thus Jacob was translated into Sychem and laid in the grave that Abraham bought for money of the sonnes of Hemor Junius his Syriack accordeth with Masius and on that place Junius thus The Syriack Interpreter either used a diverse Copie or his own judgement and authoritie Lastly the Arabick translation as it is set out by Junius readeth it correspondently to the Syriack and Junius on the Text in the Arabick translation preferreth the Arabick and Syriack reading before the Greek and the meaning of the Arabick and Syriack is this That Jacob being dead was carried into the field of the Sychemites the Egyptians accompanying Joseph and the Israelites wher 's septemdialis luctus Seven dayes mourning was made and after the mourning he was carried again from Sychem to Hebron to be buried with Abraham This is wittily invented saith Beza yet not to be admitted And indeed Junius himself in his Parallels retracts it and Chorographie sheweth it is no wittie invention For Hebron lieth between Goshen and Sychem now that they should carry him from Goshen even almost through Hebron it is not likely Wherefore to conclude neither be the Arabick or Syriack Copies of authoritie enough to confront the Greek for the Greek was not translated out of them but they out of the Greek neither may we yeeld that either the Evangelists did labi memoriâ fail in their memories or that generally in any place all the Greek and Latine Copies are corrupted If it had been a literall errour as Genes 3.15 the Vulgat readeth ipsa for ipse or ipsum or Dei for diëi in Epist Jude vers 6. or lapides seculi for lapides sacculi Proverb 16.11 or viduam ejus for victum ejus Psal 132.15 or fontem for fortem Psal 42.2 we would yeeld it was the fault of the transcriber but to admit such a corruption wherein is no similitude of letters and in all Copies both Greek and Latine I cannot like though more Authours then Masius Beza Drusius or Erasmus did joyn hand in hand to justifie it O Infinite Spirit unsearchable yet searching all things Omnipotent yet unable to lie or be untrue who never didst lead into errour thy holy Instruments nor sufferedst the Pen-men of thy sacred Scripture to take thy Dictates amisse I humbly beseech thee to inspire me with knowledge and zeal to vindicate thy heavenly Word and the most blessed Writers thereof from imputed corruption mistaking or obliviousnesse Grant this at the Mediation of my onely Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. IX 1. The second answer disliked Melchior Canus censured for saying S. Steven his memorie failed him His like proof from Jephthah his mistaking answered 2. An other argument of his from Matth. 2.6 answered 3. Heinsius touched at Cusanus rejected for holding that Adam could have understood all languages now in use The manner of the confusion of tongues at Babel 4. The Oriental languages a goodly ornament and necessary in some places The Syriack enlightening the Greek 5. The Jewish excommunications Donations to Religious houses sealed up with curses to the infringers Mr. Selden in part defended though his Historie of Tithes hath done hurt Maran-atha The Amphibologie of Act. 3.21 cleared by the Syriack Vbiquitaries with Illyricus taxed Heavens and Heaven taken for God 6. Heinsius strictly examined and rejected 7. Things granted viz. The inspirations and conceptions of holy Pen-men were under one or other language in which conceptions they could not erre nor could they erre in writing 8. Questions handled at large Whether it were necessary that the Scripture should be written Whether the sacred writers wrote casually Whether they were commanded to write Whether they were compelled to write Whether they understood all that they wrote Whether they did reade profane Authours Whether they studied the things beforehand 9. Conclusions against Heinsius There was no difference between the Pen-men of the Divine writ of the Old and New Testament in the point of conceiving and writing in different languages We are not to have recourse to the thoughts of S. John rather then his words They had no libertie left them to put in their own conceits or in writing to adde or blot out what they had done They had no libertie to cloath their inward apprehensions with words of their own They did not conceive in one language and write in another 1 THus then the constant and uniform accordance of the Greek and Latine Copies being held for Authenticall and Canonicall and all manner of corruption and generall aberration in any one letter being wholly removed there is invented a second way of answer grosse and absurd which I dislike as ill if not worse then the former A defender of it is Melchior Canus de Locis Theologicis lib. 2. cap. 18. toward the end of that book and chapter For he would seem to gather from Beda and Rabanus That it happened to Steven as to other common people namely that
Hellenists Chaldee Paraphrase or any heathen Authours yet it doth not necessarily evince that the holy Actuaries or Notaries did oversee reade heare or transcribe those things out of their knowledge from the said Authours but both the names of those Authours and the things themselves were presented to them by that blessed Spirit which knew all things and this among the rest That these words phrases and sentences were fit to be inserted into the holy Writ which now are in it All Scripture is of divine inspiration But the very words are part of Scripture Therefore even they were inspired Revel 19.9 The Angel said Write Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lambe Did not the Angel speak the words Did not he give the Apostle both matter and words When the Apostle was commanded Revel 14.13 by a voice from heaven to write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord c. was he commanded to write his conceits and thoughts apprehended in Syriack and translate them into Hellenisticall Greek or did the heavenly voice suggest onely an holy inspiration into him and left him to coyn words as Heinsius would have it or rather did not the voice teach the very words which should be written viz. Blessed are the dead c. Now let us passe to the fifth and last Conclusion in which we must dissent from the worthy Heinsius and disarm him of his often-inculcated but not once proved Tenet The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Writers of holy Scripture conceived in one language and writ in an other Upon which ground he hath raised a strange structure but his very ground-work is sandie slipperie and false And this I hope to evince by Scripture Authoritie and Reason All which shall be squared to that Corner-stone which more then once before I hewed upon more roughly and now by Gods grace intend to polish namely That the very words and letters were dictated unto the holy Scribes and therefore they had no power to change or transchange to adde or diminish or to expresse by their own words their internall irradiation but in the language which they conceived they also wrote their heavenly dictates 2. Pet. 1.21 The Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Therefore their very speech being according to the motion of the holy Ghost their words were not of their own choice but from above and not onely divine thoughts but sacred words were also given them 1. Cor. 2.13 S. Paul spake in words which the holy Ghost taught Did the holy Ghost inspire thoughts into them in one language and teach them words to speak in an other language Cui bono To what end and purpose and why not all done in the language which they conceived 2. Tim. 3.16 Scriptura per Spiritum scripta est The Scripture was writ by the Spirit saith the Syriack not onely inspired as it is from the Greek but written and as it was inspired written Revel 19.9 The Angel saith concerning very words which he commanded to be wrote These are the true sayings of God Not inspirations onely of God and the words of Men but the sayings of God Exod. 34.27 Write thou these words for after the tenour of these words I have made a covenant God was not tied to the words Moses was to the writing of the very words Jerem. 30.2 Write thee all the words which I have spoken unto thee in a book He gave him no power to put in words of his own Twelve times in the Revelation was S. John commanded to write and knew he not the words Hos 8.12 I have written to Ephraim the great things of my Law Even all what my Prophets have done I challenge as mine own writing Authorities of men The Scriptures were written y Magisterio Spiritus in obedience to the Spirit saith Sasbout on Peter Therefore the Apostles had not the power left unto them of writing their own conceits but were fitted with words by the Spirit z Si Spiritu saucto inspirati ab eo impulsi locuti sunt Prophetae caeteri librorum sacrorum scriptores Consequens est Scripturam totam esse verbum Dei non aliter à nobis accipiendam quà m si Deus immediatè absque humano vel Angelico ministerio eam edidisset ut ità dicam digito suo scripsisset If the Prophets and other writers of holy Scripture spake by the moving and inspiration of the holy Ghost it followeth that all the Scripture is the word of God no otherwise to be esteemed of by us then if God immediately without the ministery of men or Angels had set it forth and as I may say had written it with his own finger saith the learned Estius Even Cornelius Cornelii à Lapide himself on Timothie thus a Prophetae alii scriptores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocantur calami instrumenta Spiritus sancti quast scribae velociter scribentis inspirantis dictantis sacras literas The Prophets and other holy Penmen of Scripture are styled the pens and instruments of the holy Ghost as of that scribe who speedily writeth inspireth and dictateth the divine writ Where he confesseth the holy Spirit not to inspire onely but to dictate yea to write like a swift scribe the holy Scripture Gregorius Praefat. in Job cap. 2. b Scriptores sacri Eloquii quia repleti Spiritu sancto super se trahuntur quasi extra semetipsos fiunt sic Dei sententias quasi de labiis proferunt The writers of the heavenly word because they are filled with the holy Ghost are elevated above themselves in him and as it were out of themselves and so the sentences of God are uttered as it were by their lips Athanasius Epist ad Lib. saith c Christus vetus novum Testamentum composuit Christ made the Old and New Testament d Quid est illud o◠Domini nisi Scripturae per quas loquitur Dominu◠What is the mouth of the Lord but the Scriptures by which the Lord speaketh saith Rupert on Matth. lib. 4. Philo Judaeus in lib. Quis rerum divinarum haeres thus e Propheta nihil ex se proloquitur sed omnia submonente alio A Prophet prophesieth nothing out of his own brain but all things by the prompting of the holy Ghost as he wittily concludeth Therefore not so much as the words are his own Chrysostom de Lazaro Homil. 4. Though a dead man revive and an Angel come from heaven you must beleeve Scriptures above all for the Master of Angels the Lord of the living and the dead he himself framed them The same Chrysostom de expulsione ipsius sheweth the manner I reade his own handwriting c. They are done by his hand the very writing it self is his and therefore called Chyrographum Dei A writing under Gods own hand by Augustine
on Psal 144. Now follow the Reasons why they concelved and writ in the same tongue First there is little or no difference between the Apostles and other men if the Apostles did frame words to their heavenly inspirations For when it pleaseth the blessed Spirit who bloweth where he listeth to drop down into the soul of an ordinary man some thoughts divine and in the language of spirits saith unto the same soul Of these see that you make a prayer the righteous man accordingly obeyeth and of those inward apprehensions shapeth a verbal prayer and poureth it forth before God Almightie and setteth it down in writing Shall the prayer be held as Divine as Scriptures Then may Manasses his Apocryphall prayer immediately before the books of Maccabees as it is in our last translation be no longer Apocryphall but Divine as Divine as any prayer made by the selected holy Penmen To have a thing perfectly Divine is required that heavenly words may be mixed with heavenly illumination Secondly our faith will be questioned if thoughts were inspired and the Penmen should adde what words they pleased f Titutabit fides si Scripturarum vacillat authoritas Our faith will stumble if the authoritie of the Scripture be shaken never so little saith Augustine de doctr Christian 1.37 But the Scriptures authoritie shaketh if God give onely the matter and men the words Thirdly the Prophets and Apostles wrote not alwayes all their own things themselves but sometimes used the ministerie of divers others A Scribe and a Prophet were two distinct persons and offices Jer. 36.26 Jeremie had Baruch Jer. 36.4 Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord so then the words of Jeremiah to Baruch were the words of the Lord to Jeremiah And when that roll was burnt Jeremiah by the word of the Lord was bid to take another roll and write in it vers 28 c. Which Jeremie did not by himself but by Baruch the scribe vers 32. The nine first chapters of the Proverbs of Solomon were written by Solomon himself The rest were writ by others who attended on Solomon and heard them and are like so many precious stones apart and severally though not made up into one jewell or chain nor hanging together in any setled method yet to be esteemed at as high a rate and value as the very writings of Solomon The same Spirit inspired all the same mouth spake all though they were penned by severall hands by the command of the same holy Spirit In the New Testament S. Paul wrote much with his own hand The whole Epistle to the Galatians Gal. 6.11 at least to these very words and to Philemon vers 19. Many saluations 2. Thessal 3.17 18. The saluation of Paul with mine own hand which is the token in every Epistle so I write The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen So that we may soundly gather that whatsoever Epistle under his name hath not that in it it was not written by him There was an Epistle written in his name to the Thessalonians terrifying them as if the generall judgement had been present as may be gathered 2. Thess 2.2 But S. Paul disclaims it It had not belike the salutation with his own hand his friendly farewell and prayer which saith Anselm was in these or the like words Grace c. as all the rest of his Epistles have toward their end though with a little variation of words sometimes larger sometimes briefer even the Epistle to the Hebrews also Hebr. 13.25 Grace be with you all Amen That you may not question but also that is his Epistle whereas no other Apostles have it so fully though S. Peter cometh nearest him 1. Pet. 5.14 For all this he used the help of some others in writing All the second Epistle to the Thessalonians was written with another hand except the salutation at the end saith Estius Rom. 16.22 I Tertius who wrote this Epistle salute you in the Lord. The words will bear this sense I Tertius who wrote this Epistle in the Lord salute you or thus as the Vulgat hath it I Tertius salute you who wrote this Epistle in the Lord. He said IN THE LORD to shew that he wrote not for money saith Cajetan Questionlesse Paul dictated and Tertius wrote the Epistle saith Estius Even those words themselves are not Tertius his own inserted as a private mans or secretaries but are divine Scripture And either by the Spirit he was commanded to write so and that thought was from heaven put into his heart and those words into his mouth to be written by his hand or else which I take to be most likely S. Paul knowing the minde of Tertius perhaps in part by Tertius his own expression but rather and chiefest by Divine revelation that Tertius did salute them in the Lord he willed him so to write I hope Heinsius will not say that Tertius conceived in Syriack and wrote in Greek or when S. Paul made his narrative in the Hebrew tongue Act. 22.2 that Luke conceived in Syriack and wrote in Greek neither can he say the like of the holy secretaries to whom not first thoughts in language spirituall and then words but thoughts by words outward and expressed were revealed Yet Erasmus in his last Annotation on the Epistle to the Hebrews saith thus g Quod affâ—runt hîc quidam Paulum ipsuÌ„ scripsisse Hebraicè caeterùm Lucam argumentum Epistolae quam memoriâ tenebat suis explicuisse verbis quantum valeat viderint alii What some do affirm THAT S. PAUL HIMSELF VVROTE IN HEBREVV BUT S. LUKE DID EXPRESSE IN HIS OVVN VVORDS THE ARGUMENT OF THE EPISTLE VVHICH HE HAD GOTTEN BY HEART let others consider what force and power it hath What will you say nothing to this Not so great a Critick Sure this drop might have fallen from your pen That such manner of writing had savoured no more of the Spirit then any ordinary writing where a skilfull scribe doth amplifie the heads given unto him Again Erasmus on Hebr. 2. in his Answer to Fabers 57 objection relateth that Faber h Quicquid est incommodi offâ—ndiculi id in Interpretem rejicit sed meo judicio parùm prudenter Whatsoever seems incommodious or offensive layeth the fault thereof upon the Interpreters but not prudently enough as I think saith Erasmus and in the answer to the one and fourtieth objection i Faber flagellat Interpretem huius Epistolae qui in Psalmo non verterit ELOHIM A DEO cùm idem fecerint Septuaginta quibus magìs conveniebat hoc imputari Faber scourgeth the Interpreter of this Epistle who did not turn the word ELOHIM in the Psalm FROM GOD when the Septuagint did so to whom this might rather be imputed Again Erasmus saith ibid. of Faber k In â—us trahit Interpretem Epistolae He commenceth a suit against the Interpreter of this Epistle All this
compared Book 1. p. 13 14 15. The Ascension of Christ represented in the assumption of Enoch and Elias Book 3. p. 191 to 195. B BEauty desired Book 1. pag. 19. The Being or not Being of a thing may be said divers wayes Book 2. p. 77. Bristoll built of old by Brennus ibid. p. 23 24. C WHence the Capitol in Rome had its name B. 2. pag. 18. Ceremonies Leviticall died at first by degrees and now they are not onely dead but deadly Book 1. p. 3. There is no Chance where Providence reigneth Book 2. p. 71 72. Cherubims with reall flaming swords were placed in Paradise Book 1. p. 2 3. and why ibid. p. 23. Christs beautie in his humanitie described together with his Passion B. 1. p. 18 19 20. compare ibid. p. 193. Christ doth us more good then Adam did us harm ibid. p. 185 to 188. Christ saved more in number then Adam condemned ibid. p. 188 189. c. Whether Christ were in Adam and how ibid. p. 82 83. The judgement of the essentiall Church of Christ is infallible ibid. p. 148. Circumcision of women by the Turks ibid. p. 144. A wicked Companion is very dangerous Book 3. p. 184 185. Conception what it is and how B. 1. p. 93 to 99. Confirmation in grace is of two sorts ibid. p. 48. Generall Councels are the highest earthly Judges of Scriptures controversed ibid. p. 136 148. D DEath is threefold Book 1. p. 4. Death is common to all ibid. Death Naturall and Violent ibid. p. 17. Sinne is the onely cause of Death ibid. p. 26 27. Death is bitter because painfull ibid. pag. 28 31. Death is sweet to some men because God makes it beneficiall unto them ibid. pag. 32 33 c. Death was inflicted on Adam for one sinne ibid. Death was inflicted for the sinne of the man Adam not of the woman Eve ibid. pag. 36 to 44. Speedy death by some is accounted best Book 3. pag. 187. Whether all Adams posteritie without priviledge or exception must and shall die Book 3. Chap. 1 2 3 throughout The difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book 1. pag. 192 193 c. Disciples of Christ were none of them Noble at least not Nobly bred Book 2. pag. 86. E OF the East-Indians and their language Book 3. p. 204. Of Elias and Enoch whether they be yet living or dead Book 3. Chap. 2. throughout Divers questions about Enoch more especially ibid. p. 181 182 c. Equivocation in what sense and in what cases it may be allowable Book 1. pag. 165 167. The second book of Esdras was never held Canonicall ibid. p. 7. Eve remained an intemerate virgin untill after the sinne of Adam ib. p. 39 40. Whether Eve sinned before she talked with the serpent ibid. pag. 60. Excommunication was of three sorts in the Jewish politie Book 2. pag. 48 49. F THe word Father is diversly taken in the holy Scripture Book 1. pag. 120. and Book 2. pag. 113 c. G GEnealogies were ever drawn from the Males Book 1. page 40 41. H THe Healed by Christ were never a second time cured of any disease Book 2. p. 8. Heavenly influences which are noxious are the causes of much sicknesse and destruction Book 1. p. 17. All languages have some words retaining the foot-steps of the Hebrew Book 2. p. 45. When the Hebrew points were first used Book 1. p. 100 101 102. Hebron the citie Book 2. page 19 to 29. Humilitie ibid. p. 161 162. The humilitie of S. Paul Book 2. p. 84 85. The Husband represents the wife Book 1. p. 140. I JEr 10.11 was the onely verse of his whole prophesie that was written in Chaldee which every captive Jew was commanded to cast in the teeth of the Babylonians Book 1. p. 180. Jerusalem the holy citie Book 2. p. 154 155 156. Ignorance threefold Book 1. p. 60. Interpretation of Scriptures is the Pastours right with whom the Laitie must consult ibid. p. 149 150 156 181 182. Book 2. p. 63. Interpretation of Scriptures by Anagrams is profane B. 1. p. 152 153. Whether interpretation of Scriptures or judgement of doctrine do in any sort belong unto the people and how farre ibid. p. 157 159. Helps and cautions prescribed unto the people for interpretation of Scriptures ibid. pag. 160 to pag. 169 c. John the Apostle his death Book 3. p. 187 188 189. Joseph was the first-born of Jacob. Book 1. p. 142 143. Joseph was a type of Christ Book 2. p. 33. A twofold acception of the word Judgement Book 1. p. 6. Judgement after death is private of souls publick of bodies and souls ibid. K. KIngs represent the people under them Book 1. p. 183 184. Of the honour due unto the King ibid. Whether Korah Dathan and Abiram descended with all their goods truly into hell Book 3. p. 214 215 to p. 221. L WHerein the confusion of Languages consisted Book 2. p. 45 46. Orientall languages conduce much to the understanding of Scriptures therefore necessarie to be studied ib. p. 48. Of the same languages also B. 3. p. 204 205. Of Lazarus raised by Christ Book 2. p. 7 8 9. Humane Learning is an handmaid to Divinitie ib. p. 88 89. Literall sense of Scripture is hardest to be found Book 1. p. 149. M MAgistrates not to be reviled Book 1. p. 168 169 170. Maran-atha expounded Book 2. p. 48 to p. 54. Of Melchisedech and why he is said to be without father and mother Book 3. p. 201 202 c. to p. 206. Members of the bodie are not all of equall worth Book 1. p. 63. God is very Mercifull unto all ib. p. 186 187. Whether Moses at the Transfiguration appeared in his own true person or not Book 3. p. 208 209 c. O IN Oaths we must be warie of mentall reservations and unlawfull equivocations Book 1. p. 166 167. Opinion Book 2. p. 83. Originall sinne See Sinne. P OF Paradise Book 3. pag. 194 195 196 197. The Pastours wisdome both for the matter and manner of his doctrine Book 1. p. 158. The Patriarchs were buried in Sychem Book 2. chap. 10. Meerly Personalls are not propagated B. 1. p. 109 to p. 138. S. Peter represented all the Apostles Joh. 21.15 16. Book 1. p. 147. The Pope is servus servorum Dei ibid. p. 132. The Priviledges of a few make not a law Book 2. p. 160. Whether God may justly Punish the Fathers for the childrens actuall delinquencies B. 1. p. 119 120. In what cases God may and doth punish the children for their Parents faults either with temporall or eternall punishment ib. p. 118 to p. 124. Every individuall man is justly punished for originall sinne in Adam ib. p. 145 146 147 c. R REdemption was of a double kinde in the Leviticall law Book 1. p. 143. Of Reliques Book 2. chap. 12. and the Authours esteem of a true choice Relique ibid. p. 130 131. The Resurrection was typified in