traditions How damnable Heresies arose from among them in the Apostles times we have seen copiously as we have come along through the Epistles some unbelieving Jews and some Apostates diffusing poyson so deadly and so affluent that it undid multitudes by backsliding The venom was of a contrary malignity yet both extreams met alike in this point that they proved most deadly The unbelieving Jews standing upon the strictness of the Law preverted divers to turn from the Gospel to the precise course of their Judaism to seek Justification by works And the Apostatizing as far misjuding of the liberty of the Gospel introduced all manner of licentiousness and heedlesness of their ways as to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication These were the most notorious as striking directly at the root of Justication by faith and of holiness of life but these were not all but other roots of gall and wormwood growing upon the same soil as denying of the resurrection altogether as did the Sadduces or denying the Resurrection of those that started from Judaism and worshipping of Angels and whatsoever else the Apostles speak of this gangreen in their Epistles which though they grew and were at full ripeness before Jerusalem fell yet did they fade but little when she was down As the first wretched stock of Hereticks that rose Simon Cerinthus Meander Ebion Basilides c. appeared either in Judea or at least there where there were multitudes of Jews as Basilides at Alexandria so the most of those damnable opinions that they sowed and which grew for a long while after had some root or other in Judaism or received some cursed moisture from thence to nourish them By Judaism I here understand the body of the Jews Religions though differing within it self yet all contrary to Christianity Look upon Palestine and you have it thus stocked in the times that we are upon 1. With Pharisees of seven sorts as they be reckoned up Beracoth fol. 13. col 2. Sotah fol. 20. col 3. 2. With Sadduces at the least of two sorts if not more 3. With Samaritans 4. With Esseans Baithusaeans you may reckon with Sadduces or Samaritans whether you will Now the variety nay contrariety of opinions that was among this mixture would afford nourishment to any evil weed of doctrine that could be sowed these being as Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh but all against the Gospel We have mention of the Baithusaeans going about to put a gull upon the Sanhedrin about the great business of stating the beginning of the year Rosh hashan fol. 57. col 4. The Sadduces laughing the Pharises to scorn about washing the Candlesticks of the Temple Chagig fol. 79. col 4. The Pharises and Sadduces crossing one another in disputes Jadaim per. 4. halec 7. Aud the Samaritans perpetually at enmity with the Jews in all stories Now all these being alike enemies to Christianity what mischief might not they severally do in poysoning and seducing those that were not sound in it We find the names of some arch Hereticks mentioned in the Talmuds though we cannot say they were the same men As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dositheus Orlah per. 2. halac 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ebion Jerus Joma fol. 4. col 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symmachus Jevam. fol. 11. col 3. Chetub fol. 25. col 3. And Papias also is a Talmud name of which name there was one so zealous of traditions Euseb. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 39. We observed at the second Epistle to the Thessalonians that the Jews partly the unbelieving and partly the Apostatized were the first part of Antichrist the mistery of iniquity that was then working when the Apostle wrote and now we may observe how they continued bodied together as a Corporation of iniquity in Judea till the times of Constantine the great the succession of their Schools plainly to be read there as we have showed in little And when they wanted there then did they flourish in their three Universities in Babylonia and the succession of the Schools and names of the larned men known there not only till the signing of the Babylon Talmud which was about the year of Christ 500 but even till the other part of the mistery of iniquity the Papal Antichrist arose at Babylon in the West And as these two parts make one intire body of Antichrist and as the latter took at the first to do the work that they had done to deface the truth and oppose it and that under the colour of Religion so did it in great measure take his Pandect of Errors from these his predecessors Traditions false Miracles Legends Ceremonies Merit Purgatory implicit Faith and divers other things so derived from this source as is left by legacy from the one to the other A second taint we mentioned that these Primitive Jews set not only upon their own posterity but too much also upon the Church of Christ was the turning of the Scriptures all into Allegory which as it is well known how it was used by divers of the Fathers to their great loss of time and little profiting of the Church so it is easily to be known from whence it comes by any that reads Philo Judaeus and the Jewish Derushim The Talmuds indeed are for the most part upon disputes but sometimes they bring in how such or such a Doctor did Darash mistically expound such or such a place of Scripture and then you have directly such stuff as this Philo in his discourse concerning the Theraputae or Esseans relateth that they had used this mistical kind of exposition of old And how near the Christians of Judea that fled from the ruine of Jerusalem might be supposed thenceforward to be planted to the Esseni we might observe from Pliny and Mela that place the Esseni along the vale that coasted upon the dead Sea the old habitation of the Kenites and from considering that the mountains to which Christ warns us those that were in Judea to flee was the mountanous of Judea as was touched SECTION XI That the Iews for all their spite to Christianity could not impose upon us a corrupted Text. HEre we cannot but clear them as for mater of fact of what some lay to their charge but they do it for their own ends that they foisted a corrupt Text of the old Testament upon Christians and so befooled them in the very foundation of their Religion So did their ancestors by Ptolomy King of Egypt and so what these men would have done if they could it is easie to conjecture but they did not they could not so impose 1. It was their great care solicitousness as to themselves and their own use to preserve the Text in all purity and uncorruptness and what our Saviour says of not one Jota or one title of the Law perishing they were of the same mind and indeavoured to maintain and assert that for true with all industry It were too long here to speak
together § Wisemen That is Sorcerers or Magicians and so might it not unfitly be translated For first though Magus and Magia admit of a gentle construction and be often taken not only in an harmless but in a laudable sense in prophane Authors yet are they never so in Scripture and by the Idiom and propriety of that must the word be expounded and not by Forreign and Heathen Language and acceptation It is true indeed that among the Persians the Magi have been renowned for men of excellent wisdom and skill in natural and in other things and that none were admitted to reign among them unless he were well versed in the learning of the Magi and that Plato Tully Philo Pliny and others do extol Magia or Magick to be the very height and perfection of Philosophy But the Scripture who is ever the sure Expositor of it self doth never take the word but in the worse sense for the Devilish and damnable practice and practicers of sorcery and unlawful arts as Acts 8. 9. Simon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 13. 8. Elymas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Babylonian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Wizards are so called by the Greek of Daniel whosoever traslated it whether the LXX or Theodotion or who else soever Dan. 1. 20. 2. 2. c. Now it is against sense and reason to refuse the sense of Scripture for a Scripture word and to fetch the intepretation of it from Persia Plato Pliny and I know not whence 2. It doth the more set forth the lustre and glory of the birth of Christ and the power of himself and kingdom by supposing that these men that had been hitherto devoted to the arts service and converse of the Devil should now forsake them and him and their own delight and their old profession and dedicate themselves travailes and gifts to a child unknown far off and but poorly born 3. Nor is this opinion but newly minted but it carrieth with it the passeport and priviledge of antiquity For Ignatius Martyr in his Epistle to the Ephesians speaking concerning the Wisemens Star saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then the wesdom of this world grew foolish Sorcery a toy and Magick a derision personating the men in both their contrary professions and devotedness Devilish and Divine to Satan and Christ. So likewise Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho speaking of these same men and how they were qualified and affected before they came to Christ he saith they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 captived or led away as a prey by the Devil to all evill actions And so Theophylact the mouth of Chrysostome They were saith he adversaries or enemies to God and devoted to Devils in a more special manner And to this sense doth the Gospel of Mathew in Hebrew render the word whosoever translated it But to spare more those fathers confess their opinion to be the same with these and those neither mean ones nor a few which hold some of them that these Magi had obtained their knowledge concerning the King of the Jews from Sybilla Erythraeae and others from Balaam to whom they hold that they stood in relation not only of Nation and kindred but also of the same profession and art of Wizardy and Magick § From the East This doth something confirm the foregoing opinion of their being Magicians if it need any more confirmation For that the East was infamous for Sorceries auguries and incantations is apparent by Esa. 2. 6. as it is understood by the LXX by R. Solomon D. Kimchi and even approved by the context it self But what Country of the East this was whence these men came is as hard to determine as it was what manner of men they were Divers have asserted that they were of Chaldea minding it seemeth rather the strictest and worst sense of both the words Chaldeus and Magus which signifie both one and the same ungodly profession then the letter of text and of other Scriptures For it plainly telleth that these came from the East and all the Prophets that have spoken of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans have fetched those destroyers from the North as Jer. 1. Others therefore do hold them for Persians and that chiefly because the word Magus is thought to be originally a Persian word But first as was said before the Scripture word is to be interpreted according to the Scripture Idiom and so it consineth them to Persia no more then to any other Country Secondly if it should be averred that the Persian Magi grew renowned from a family of that name or from some Ancestor that was called Mag or Mago rather then from any relation that the word hath to the depth of Learning or any notation for a great Scholar I suppose it would be hard to prove the contrary especially since in Babylonia there was * * * * * * Jer. 39. 3. Rab. Mag or the great Mag and in Carthage Mago two Noblemen or Princes and for ought we know no great Scholars neither of the very same name More probable therefore and plausible is their opinion though it leave the Reader in a Bivium of irresolution that holdeth these men either for Arabians or Mesopotamians about Haran but their resolution the best of all that bring them from Arabia and of this mind is Justin Martyr very confidently in so much that he applieth a Prophecy thereto namely Esa. 8. 4. about the breaking of the strength of Damascus For first Arabia is full Eastward from Judea and the inhabitants thereof are constantly called men of the East as Gen. 25. 6. Judg. 6. 3. Job 1. 3. Secondly the gifts or presents that the Wisemen offered Christ were native commodities of the Land of Arabia as gold of Sheba Psal. 72. 15. Frankincense from Seba or Saba as in the verse Sua Thura Sabaei and Myrrhe from thereabouts as appeareth in stories ann it is more probable to think that they would bring the choice commodities of their own Country as Jacob sent to Joseph then of another Thirdly to conceive these men for Arabians doth very well sort and harmonize with some considerable things in Scripture As 1. the first Proselite to the Jewish Church that we find mentioned in Scripture was Jethro an Arabian and of the seed of Abraham And so if we hold these first Proselytes to Christ it suiteth very fitly 2. it agreeth also with that Prophetick Psalm mentioned before namely Psal. 71. 3. With the rule and dominion and homage that David and Solomon Types of Christ had over and from that Country For 4. much of Arabia was the Land of Canaan as well as Judea for the heedfull eye that shall but seriously look upon the Nations that planted there at the first will find that the whole Country was inhabited by the two sons of Ham Cush and Canaan and in after time that the seed of Abraham dispossessed them and dwelt in their steads not by any usurpation or
Hearers while those things were rendred truly which that Mystical and Sacred Language contained in it The foundations of Churches were now laying and the foundations of Religion in those Churches and it was not the least part of the Ministerial task at that time to prove the Doctrine of the Gospel and the person and the actions and the sufferings of Christ out of the Old Testament now the Original text was unknown to the common people the Version of the Seventy Interpreters was faulty in infinite places the Targum upon the Prophets was unconstant and Judaized the Targum upon the Law was as yet none at all so that it was impossible to discover the mind of God in the Holy Text without the immediate gift of the Spirit imparting perfect and full skill both of the Language and of the sense that so the foundations of Faith might be laid from the Scriptures and the true sense of the Scriptures might be propagated without either error or the comments of men The Apostle saith Let him pray that he may interpret vers 13. And Interpretation is numbred among the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit Now let it be supposed that he spake Latine Arabick Persian either he understood what he spake or he did not if he did not then how far was he from edifying himself And yet the Apostle saith He that speaks in a Tongue edifies himself If he understood what he spake how easie was it for him to render it in the Corinthian Language There are many now Learned by study who are able to translate those Tongues into the Corinthian or the Greek without that extraordinary gift of Interpretation immediately poured out by the Holy Ghost But let it be supposed which we do suppose that he spake in the Hebrew Tongue that he either read or quoted the holy Text in the original Language and that he either preached or prayed in the phrases of the Prophets it sufficed not to the Interpretation to render the bare words into bare words but to understand the sense and marrow of the Prophets Language and plainly and fully to unfold their mysteries in apt and lively and choise words according to the mind of God which the Evangelists and Apostles by a divine skill do in their writings Hear the judgment of the Jews concerning a just Interpretation of the holy Text. a a a a a a Bab. Kiddush fol. 49. 1. They are treating of the manner of espousing a woman Among other things these passages occur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Rabbins deliver If he saith Be thou my Espouser if I read If he read three verses in the Synagogue behold she is espoused R. Judah saith Not until he read and interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be interpret according to his own sense But the Tradition is this R. Judah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that interprets a verse according to his own form behold he is a lyar If he add any thing to it behold he is a Reproacher and Blasphemer What therefore is the Targum Or what Interpretation is to be used Our Targum The Gloss there writes thus He that Interprets a verse according to his own form that is according to the literal sound For example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. XXIII 2. He that interprets that thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not testifie against judgment is a lyar for he commands that judgment be brought forth into light But let him so interpret it Thou shalt not restrain thy self from teaching any that enquire of thee in judgment So Onkelos renders it If he add any thing to it If he say Because liberty is given to add somewhat I will add wheresoever it lists me he sets God at nought and changeth his words For wheresoever Onkelos added he added not of his own sense For the Targum was given in Mount Sinai and when they forgat it he came and restored it And Rab. Chananeel explains those words He that Interprets a verse according to his own form by this example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. XXIV 10. He that shall render it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they saw the God of Israel is a lyar for no man hath seen God and shall live And he will add to it who should render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they saw the Angel of God For he attributes the Glory of God to an Angel But let him interpret it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they saw the Glory of the God of Israel So Onkelos again So great a work do they reckon it to interpret the sacred Text. And these things which have been said perhaps will afford some light about the gift of Interpretation But although the use of the Hebrew Tongue among these Ministers was so profitable and necessary yet there was some abuse which the Apostle chastiseth namely that they used it not to edification and without an Interpreter and further while I behold the thing more closely I suspect them to Judaize in this matter which we have before observed them to have done in other things and that they retained the use of the Hebrew Language in the Church although unknown to the common people and followed the custom of the Synagogue Where I. The Scripture is not read but in the Hebrew Text yea as we believe in the Synagogues even of the Hellenists as we dispute elsewhere of that matter II. Publick prayers in the Synagogue were also made in Hebrew one or two excepted which were in Chaldee b b b b b b Gloss. in Beracoth fol. 3. 1. They were wont to repeat the prayer whose beginning is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after Sermon For the common people were there present who understood not the holy Language Therefore this prayer they composed in the Chaldee Tongue that all might understand The rest they understood not III. He that taught or preached out of the chair spoke Hebrew and by an Interpreter c c c c c c Gloss. in Joâ—a fol. 20. 2. The Interpreter stood before the Doctor who preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Doctor whispered him in the ear in Hebrew and he rendred it to the people in the mother Tongue And there in the Gemara a story is related of Rabh who was present as Interpreter to R. Shillah and when R. Shillah said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cock crows Rabh rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he should have rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence there is very frequent mention in the Books of the Talmudists of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Interpreter of this and that Doctor While I consider these things used in the Synagogues of the Jews and remember that a great part of the Church of Corinth consisted of Jews I cannot but suspect that their Ministers also used the same Tongue according to the old custom Namely that one read the Scripture out of the Hebrew Text
conclusion For thine is the Kingdom c. which is to be used in publick prayers and in another place it is not viz. when it serves for a private And this is the reason why the Doxology is added in St. Matthew and omitted in St. Luke VI. The preface of this prayer is the very Phrase used by the Jews when they prayed to God or spoke of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Father which art in Heaven The Phrase is of as large use as the Duty is of extent Though all have not the Spirit of Adoption yet all have cause to call God our Father by vertue of their creation Deut. XXXII 6. Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee We may call him likewise our Father as he is our Lawgiver and great Teacher And now think how the Apostles that knew these things spoke and thought of this First Could they think it otherwise than a Form of prayer verbatim to be used when none were given by the Doctors but Forms and when it was thus given twice Secondly Could they think it otherwise than to be used publickly and privately when in one place it concludes with a Doxology and in the other without it Thirdly Could they think it otherways than to be subjoyned to our prayers when Christ gives it in such concurrency to these known customs and tenets of the Jews and annexes no exception against the answerable use of it So have we ground to think of it and repute it a Form a sum of all Prayer to be used verbatim in Churches in closets to be used single especially subjoyned and all the more warrantable because Christ saith When ye Pray say Our Father A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARIES Cambridge April 9. 1658. 1 PET. V. 13. The Church which is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you THE places to which this Apostle writeth are plain in the beginning of this Epistle and the place from whence plain here in the latter end And yet upon that may a just question be moved and upon this a question is moved though not so justly He writeth to the dispersed Jews in Pontus Galatia Capadocia Asia and Bithynia but you may justly question why to them more than other and why to no other He dates his Epistle from Babylon in the Text but some do too scrupulously question what Babylon is here meant A Romish pulpit would soon resolve both if we would take his resolution That will tell you that S. Peter went to Rome and that Babylon in the Text so meaneth and that he preached to those places in his way and so now writes to them It would be a hard task to prove either that Peter was ever at Rome or if that granted that he made these places in his journey If I would insist upon the reason why he writes to these places that he was never at the same reason might more warrantably be given that may be given of S. Pauls writing to Colosse whose faces he never saw as may be guessed from Chap. II. 1. viz. because Horrid heresies and Apostacy were exceeâ—ingly grown in those Churches And what Babylon is here meant we shall observe in the progress of our discourse In the words of the Text are four things contained I. Peter was at Babylon when he wrote this Epistle II. There was a Church there III. The title that he gives that Church it was elect together with those also to whom he writes IV. This Church salutes the others The Historical discourse of these things is first requisite before we come to the Practical I. Peter was at Babylon when he wrote this Epistle For though he say not directly I from Babylon salute you but the Church which is at Babylon c. yet it is so plain that he was then with that Church that none ever scrupled it Time hath been when the place of Peters residence and death was more an Article of Faith than to determine the place of the residence and death of any other mentioned in Scripture But by craft and deceit it was at last brought to be the greatest Article of Faith in all Religion For though you believe all the Scripture yet if you believe not that Peter was at Rome you know who will tell you you had as good believe nothing Let not your thoughts prejudge me to your impatience as if I were setting in to tyre you with dispute whether Peter were at Rome or no I will confine my self to the Text and that only because this Text is brought as a proof that Peter was there I shall therefore First speak something to the rise and original of that opinion And secondly examine whether Babylon in the Text mean so or no In all the Scripture you cannot find Peter nearer Rome than in the Town Joppa and our Protestant Writers have made it as plain as the Sun at noon day that he was never there Therefore it is a stupendious thing to think how this conceit hath invaded the World and got so high a seat in the hearts of men and among the Articles of Religion To trace backward toward the spring head of it I suppose this is undeniable that many a good man was of this opinion before it became an opinion of advantage especially of that advantage which hath been made of it these many hundred years None almost of the Fathers that lived and wrote before the Papacy arose and that monster of an Universal Bishop appeared but he held so but he wrote so For t is far more probable that these passages in them to this purpose were their own or most of them than that they were foisted into them all and into all places where they are met withal in them I cannot but in my thoughts compare these good men to Absaloms guests in 2 Sam. XV. 11. that went along with him in their simplicity and they knew not any thing so these took up this mistake in their simplicity knowing not any thing of the ill use that would afterwards be made of it But how should these good and learned Men come into that belief viz. of a thing that in it self had no ground For satisfaction to which let us consider two things I. In general to observe the proper causes of the rise of falshoods in Ecclesiastical Story And II. to apply this particular case to them The falsities and fictions in Ecclesiastical Story which are not few nor small have proceeded especially from four Originals one or more or all First From ignorance or misconstruction when men have framed stories from phrases or passages of Scripture which they have misconstrued or not understood We see by experience in common intercourse how many lying relations are raised upon words of men mistaken and not rightly understood so it is too obvious in Ecclesiastical Story when men have not understood what such a phrase passage or relation in Scripture meant they have been ready to
and Wine in the Lords Supper and he moved that it might be expressed thus It is not only lawful but also sufficient And it was done so accordingly Concerning the Members of a Synod the Proposition was That Pastors and Teachers and other fitting persons are constituent Members of a Synod This our Author opposed and gave his Interpretation of the Brethren and the whole Church Act. XV. viz. that by Brethren was meant the uncircumcised Converts as vers 1 23. And that it was most likely the Churches of the uncircumcised would send their Ministers and not Laymen And that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was meant not the Church but the meeting of the Council There were many other matters debated in that Assembly in which our Author was greatly concerned and did not fail to argue very strenuously upon occasion against those opinions that were then in vogue I could give a particular account of what he said in the debates touching the admission of persons to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper of Private Baptism of the Learning required in those who were to be Ordained of the raising Doctrines from a Text of the use of learned Languages in Sermons c. But I forbear these things not being willing to exceed that short account of our Author which I only undertook at first In the later end of the year 1643. I find our Author was preferred to the Rectory of Much-Munden in the County of Hertford void by the Death of that excellent Person Samuel Ward D. D. the Lady Margaret Professor in the University of Cambridge In that Rectory he continued to the day of his Death He resided upon his Living as much as was consistent with his relation to Catharine-Hall in Cambridge of which he was Master many years before his Death He was uneasie when he was from his Living and would express a great desire to be at home with his Russet-Coats as he was wont to call his Country neighbours when he was absent from them His Labours in that place were very great and exemplary He was unwearied in his Studies which he followed early and late with indefatigable diligence he was a most constant and painful Preacher His Parsonage House was about a mile distant from his Parish Church whereunto he resorted every Lords-day read the Prayers and Preached Morning and Afternoon and did many times continue there all the day and returned not home till Night remaining in the Church not diverting to any other House to refresh himself until Evening Service was all finished He had for his Flock the care and compassions of a Father he lived among them in great peace and with great Hospitality There he continued without let or disturbance many years Indeed soon after the happy Restauration of his Majesty a Fellow of a College in Cambridge procured a grant of our Authors Living Of this he was soon advertised by his Neighbour and worthy Friend Sir Henry Caesar upon which by the favour of the late Archbishop Sheldon our Author was confirmed in his Rectory This great favour of the Archbishop our Author gratefully acknowledgeth in two Epistles Dedicatory to him prefixed to his Horae Hebraicae upon St. Mark and St. Luke And he would often mention the great favour he received from that worthy and very excellent Person Sir Henry Caesar whose Neighbourhood and encouragement was one of the greatest comforts of our Authors life He commenced Doctor in Divinity in the year 1652. His Latine Sermon was upon those words If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. XVI 22. When he was in the University he Preached frequently and to the great advantage of the Students there He always pressed an exemplary Life upon his Auditors and to very good purpose Preached up the necessity of humane Learning and exploded the Enthusiasm which had at that time gotten a great possession of the minds of unstable Men He Preached up the lawfulness of Forms of Prayer in those times when many Men were so extravagantly vain as to decry it And for Schism and Separation from an Established Church he was so great an Enemy to it that he did in those times urge the necessity of Communion with a Church which had corruption in it And whoever will be at the pains to consider what he hath to this purpose in his Horae Hebraicae upon St. Matthew Chap. VIII vers 4. and especially in his Sermon Preached at St. Michaels Church in Cornhill before his Country-men of the County of Stafford upon St. Joh. X. 22. which is Printed with the rest of his Works will be abundantly convinced of this When he Preached at Cambridge he did generally pitch upon some difficult Text of the Holy Scriptures which he explained to the great satisfaction of the learned Auditors In which I reckon he did very considerable service to the Publick In doing so he relieved the minds of honest and inquisitive Men who were at a stand and defended the Holy Scriptures from the contempt of those who were prophane Scoffers and were ready upon all occasions to lessen their Autority And indeed he was very happy this way I have heard a very Learned and Reverend Divine lately deceased Profess that he never heard our Author preach but he learned something which he did not know before He was of very singular use in the University in those times and his discourses were of that nature that they greatly gained upon the more Studious and inquisitive sort of Men. He laboured much in proving Infants Baptism against the Antipaedobaptists of those times This he did upon most substantial grounds and such as commended themselves to the lovers of Truth I doubt not but that he did confirm many by his way of proof who were wavering before I find among our Authors Papers a letter directed to him from a very Learned Divine William Outram D. D. who was then his Auditor in Cambridge In which he gives our Author all possible thanks for his choice and truly learned Observations as he justly calls them in relation to the Lords Prayer in which he asserted the lawfulness of Forms and is earnest with him to grant him his Notes of his Sermons on Baptism which says he I have most earnestly longed for ever since they were Preached and not without due cause For verily had I not heard them I should not to this day have been so well reconciled to Infants Baptism as I bless God I now am I desire therefore that you would be pleased to consider what real usefulness your notes may be of and how for my own part I am infinitely more perswaded by your way of probation than by some other ratiocinations of Men ordinarily used There are many persons now living that have great cause to bless God for our Author and will confess the eminent service which he did in that time In the year 1655. Our Author was chosen Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge which
Lightfootii Talmudice Doctissimi c. In these I do very often make use of the Works of Doctor Lightfoot a man well studied in Talmudical Learning c. What Doctor Worthington contributed to this Work besides the using his interest with his Learned Friends for the same purpose let me mention though not so much to our present Theam At the Library at S. James's there was a Josephus in Greek Printed at Basil probably once belonging to the very Learned Isaac Casaubon for in the Margin were various Lections written by his hand which he had gathered out of MSS. and some conjectures and hints of his own there were also marked in it other Notes of Patrick Young written most in Greek These the aforesaid Doctor transcribed and numbred the Pages and the Lines which made three Sheets of Paper close written a matter of no small pains and sent them over to the said Monseir Le Moyn But to return to our Author III. Some account of him as a Divine HE gave no small specimen of his skill also in Divinity as well as in Oriental and other Learning when he proceeded Doctor which was Anno 1652. The Question upon which he disputed was Post Canonem Scripturae consignatum non sunt novae Revelationes expectandae Which he managed against the Enthusiasts against whom he by all means opposed himself as being greatly sensible how that Sect tended to the overthrow of the Holy Scriptures which were his dearest Care and Delight He managed this Question by discoursing first Concerning the Sealing of the Canon of the Holy Scriptures And secondly Concerning not expecting Revelations after it was once Sealed His meaning he stated in these three particulars That now after the Scripture Canon is sealed Revelations are not to be expected I. To reveal new Doctrines of Faith Nor II. To discover the sense of the Scriptures or to explain the Doctrines of Faith Nor III. To direct our Lives and Manners And among other Arguments whereby he proved his Question he produced two Historical passages for that purpose The one was That in those very Times wherein Revelations Inspirations and Prophesies abounded even then Men were directed to the written Word Yea which is more and most worthy of notice from the first founding of the Church of Israel unto the expiration of it though for the most part Prophets and Men inspired were at hand yet God ordained not these for the standing and constant Ministry whereby the People were to be instructed but Priests that were skilled in the Law and studied the Scripture How far do our Enthusiasts saith he swerve from this Divine Institution concerning the publick Ministry Who suffer none to be a Minister who is Learned and Studious but he only who is inspired with the Spirit and who can preach by the Spirit The other is That the Apostle S. Paul after the first age of the Gospel in which Revelations were often very necessary would no longer use the Imposition of his hands which conferred the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost because he well knew that God saw good no further to make use of such a Ministry and therefore placeth Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Creet and other excellent Men elsewhere who though they could not confer the Spirit yet they ordained Ministers not inspired by the Spirit but Learned by Study He the next day determined Learnedly upon that Question An mors Christi fuerit in Redemptionem universalem His Clerum which he Preached was upon 1 Cor. XVI 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sum whereof was afterward by him published in his Horae upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians And since we are considering him now as a Learned Divine having before taken notice of him as a Learned Man let us hear him arguing and shewing his great abilities among the Divines at Westminster Whose notions he did not seldom oppose even to a chalenge sometimes by the strength and clearness of his reasonings and evidence of Scripture for he seemed to deserve that character that was given to Apollos a Man mighty in the Scriptures he turned the whole Assembly and sometimes such was his honesty and courage he would in some cases dissent from the whole Company and be the only Negative in the Assembly Some passages of his judgment in that Assembly are related in the Account of his Life there are divers more that deserve to be recorded to his fame and memory Doctor Lightfoots judgment was for general admission to the Holy Sacrament and spake for it by these arguments I. That though the Law forbid the unclean to come ad Sacra yet it gave not power to any to repel those that offered themselves to come Nor find we any such example II. That in Matth. VII Sanctum canibus Give not that which is holy to the Dogs is spoken in reference to the Apostles safety For the Jews themselves who use this Proverb by Dogs and Swine understand the bitter Enemies and Persecutors of the truth And so our Saviour hereby warrants his Disciples though they Preach not to Persecutors and Enemies lest it cost them their lives III. Circumcision was indifferently ministred to all the Seed of Abraham Ergo. IV. Judas received the Sacrament Ergo. And when Mr. G. instanced in Uzziah his being repelled our Doctor answered That it was ab Officio loco and withal said Grant the Priest did and might repel the unclean yet the case was different For that uncleanness was external and it might be known whether they were purified or no. But so cannot a Minister now judge of a Mans Conscience For though he were scandalous yesterday yet may his repentance be unfeigned by to day for ought he knows Dr. B. urged That though Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet Judas his Villany was not now known among the Disciples Our Doctor answered Christ had publickly marked him out for a Traitor before Dr. H. urged After the sop he went out The Doctor answered That was no Passover nor Sacrament but before it Upon this the matter arose to a great heat for he seemed herein to oppose the whole Assembly and leave was publickly given to our Author and Mr. P. to debate the point about Judas And they did it somewhat largely And the next day Dr. H. offered to dispute the same matter against him but the Assembly thought fit not to allow it Again Matth. VII was taken up which Dr. Lightfoot again opposed and desired that the verse might be taken in this sense which they would have Give not the Sacrament to Dogs lest they rend you and then that they would consider how doth this agree And further urged that Dogs in Scripture doth most constantly signifie An Enemy and where Dog once signifies a prophane Man at large it signifies many time for that one either those without or utter enemies of the Truth Mr. S. pleaded for the place thus The Ordinances are not to be administred where they will be
not possibly speak any thing in those Tongues though interpreted that could edifie the people any more then if he spake it in his mother Tongue But if he spake and understood and uttered the Original language of Scripture that if interpreted would edifie and he could not speak in his mother Tongue unless taken from thence what he might speak thence Peter returning to Jerusalem is taken to task by some of the Circumcision for going in to the Gentiles and eating with them a thing of unspeakable detestation to the Jews Hence those allusions Let him be to thee as a Heathen Matth. 18. With such a one no not to eat 1 Cor. 5. We find not any such quarrel at Peter and John for going down to Samaria though the Samaritans were as odious to the Jewish Nation as people could be but they were neither uncircumcised nor Idolaters both which especially the latter bred their detestation of the Heathen CHRIST XLI ACTS CHAP. XI from Vers. 19. to the end of the Chapter AS Caesarea the seat of the Roman Governour of Judea first seeth the door of faith opened to the Gentiles so Antioch the seat of the Roman Governour of Syria first heareth the name Christian. These of the hundred and twenty Ministers mentioned Acts 1. 15. that had fled upon the persecution raised against Steven went preaching up and down first as far as the bounds of Judea extended then some of them stepped out as far as into Phaenice Cyprus and Syria but all this while dealing with the Jews only At last some of them at Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spake to the Hellenists ver 20. Here the word Hellenists is of doubtful interpretation only this is doubtless in it that it means not Jews as the word doth Acts 6. 1. for it is set in opposition to them ver 19. Doth it mean Proselytes then That it cannot neither for they were reputed as Jews to all purposes Means it Heathens Yes that is undoubted it doth both by the scope of the story here and by the quarrel urging these believers at Antioch to be Circumcised Chap. 15. But why then should they be called Hellenistae rather then Hellenes Some conceive because they were become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselyte sojournours meaning that they had forsaken their Idolatry as Cornelius had done his though he were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Proselyte circumcised But what if these were native Syrians by pedegree and language could they then for that be called Hellenists or Greeks The word therefore must mean that they were such as were Syrogrecians Antioch it self indeed having been once the head of the Syrogrecian Empire Hellenes or purely Greeks they could not be called though it will not be denied they spake that Language because they were not only no inhabitants of that Country but not altogether of that blood but such as were of a mixture of Syrian and Greek the progeny of the old plantations and infranchisments of the Syrogrecian Monarchy Whatsoever their title Hellenists includeth they being undoubtedly Heathens it sheweth that these Ministers preached to them understood of the liberty given to preach to the Gentiles and the passage betwixt Peter and Cornelius or they durst not have been bold to have gone beyond the partition wall without their warrant And the readiness of the Church at Jerusalem to send Barnabas to them shews that they also were satisfied in this matter and so this evidenceth that this story was after that about Cornelius Their sending Barnabas and his fetching Saul to the same work with him giveth some confirmation of that which was touched before namely that it is very probable that Barnabas knew of his own being designed for a Minister to the uncircumcision and of Pauls being joyned with him in that work a great while before they were sent away from Antioch upon it They now spend a whole year in the Church there and there the Name Christian is first taken up and that in a Gentile Church Antioch of old had been called Hamath but now it bare the name of one that had been as bloody a persecutor of the Church and truth as the Church of Israel had ever seen Antiochus The very name of the place may raise a meditation ACTS CHAP. XII XIII HERE we meet with some scruple in Chronology and about the precedency of the story in these two Chapters for though the actions in Chap. 12. be laid first and that very properly that the story of Peter may be taken up together and concluded before the story of Paul come in which is to be followed to the end of the Book yet there may be just question whether the sending of Paul and Barnabas from Antiotch to preach among the Gentiles which is handled in the beginning of Chap. 13. were not before some if not all those things related in Chap. 12. And the question ariseth from these two scruples 1. Because it is doubtful in what year of Claudius the famine was that is spoken of Chap. 12. 28. And 2. because it is obscure how long Paul and Barnabas staid at Antioch after their return from Jerusalem Chap. 12. 25. before they were sent away among the Gentiles But about this we need not much to trouble our selves since as to the understanding of the stories themselves there can be little illustration taken from their time save only as to this that the publick Fast in the Church of Antioch may seem to have some relation to some of the said stories mentioned before as coincident with them or near to them namely either the famine through the world Chap. 11. 28. or the persecution in the Church Chap. 12. We shall not therefore offer to dislocate the order of the stories from that wherein they lie the Holy Ghost by the intertexture of them rather teaching us that some of them were contemporary then any way incouraging us to invert their order Only these things cannot pass unmentioned toward the stating of their time and place partly of coincidency and partly of their succeeding one the other and which may help us better to understand both 1. That whereas Dion the Roman Historian lib. 60. hath placed a sore famine at least at Rome in the time of Claudius in his second year Josephus carries it Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 2. as if the bitternes of it at Jerusalem were in his fourth which Euseb. in Chron. determines positively both may be true for for famines to last several years together is no strange thing in History Divine or Humane nor in experience in our own age 2. That Herod Agrippa's murdering of James and imprisoning of Peter could not be before the third year of Claudius for Josephus a witness impartial enough in this case informs us that Claudius in his second Consulship which was indeed the second year of his reign made an Edict in behalf of the Jews and sent it through the world and after that sent Agrippa away into his own Kingdom Now
his Consulship beginning the first of January it was so next impossible that those things should be done at Rome and Agrippa provide for his journey and travel it and come to Jerusalem and murder James and apprehend Peter and all before the Passover unless he hasted as it had been for a wager that he that can believe Peter to have been imprisoned in Claudius his second year of Consulship and reign must exceedingly straiten the time of these occurrences to make room for his belief 3. In the third year of Claudius therefore are those stories in Chap. 12. to be reputed only the last about Herods death in the beginning of his fourth for a Passover in his fourth Herod lived not to see 4. It may be observed that Luke hath placed the going up of Paul and Barnabas with the alms of the Church of Antioch to the poor of Judea before the murder of James Chap. 11. 30. but their return thence not till after that and Herods death Chap. 12. 25. not that thereupon we are necessarily to think that they staid there so long as while all those things in Chap. 12. were acting but that by that relation the story of Paul and Barnabas is begun again and we may very well conceive for all that postscript of Luke after the story of James his Martyrdom Peters imprisonment and Agrippa's death their return to Antoich and going from thence among the Gentiles Chap. 13. to have been at that time while some of the things in Chap. 12. occurred We will therefore take the Chapters up in the order in which they lye and only carry along with us in our thoughts a supposal that some of the stories in either might concur in time And because we have found here some need to look after the Years of the Emperour which we have not had before and shall have much more forward especially when we come up to the times of Nero it may not be amiss to affix their Years also as they went along concurrent with the Years of our Saviour CHRIST XLII CLAUDIUS II The famine begun the Church of Antioch send relief into Judea CHRIST XLIII CLAUDIUS III ACTS CHAP. XII from the beginning to Ver. 20. JAMES beheaded by Herod for so doth the Jews Pandect help us to understand these words He slew James with the sword Talm. in Sanhedr per. 7. hal 3. They that were slain by the sword were beheaded which also was the custom of the Kingdom that is of the Romans The ceremonious zeal of Agrippa in the Jewish way bending it self against the Church may be construed as a Jewish act wicked as upon the score of that Nations wickedness and guilt The underling condition in which they had lain all the time of Caius he having no good affection to that people being now got loose and aloft knows no bounds and being somewhat countenanced by the Edict of Claudius they cannot be content with their own immunities unless they seek also the suppression of the Christian Church Though Claudius his Proclamation had this special clause and caveat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should not go about to infringe the liberty of other mens Religion This unbounded incroaching of theirs did within a little time cause the Emperor who had now made a Decree for them to make another against them Peter designed by the murderer for the like butchery escapes by miracle and the Tyrant before that time twelve month comes to a miraculous fearful end ACTS CHAP. XIII from beginning to Vers. 14. THE Divine Historian having hitherto followed the Story of the Church and Gospel as both of them were dilated among the Jews and therein pitched more especially upon the Acts of Peter and John the singular Ministers of the Circumcision more peculiarly Peters he doth now turn his Pen to follow the planting and progress of the Gospel among the Gentiles and here he insisteth more especially upon the Story of Paul and Barnabas the singular Ministera of the uncircumcision more peculiarly Pauls There were now in the Church of Antioch five men which were both Prophets and Teachers or which did not only instruct the people and expound the Scriptures but had also the Prophetick spirit and were partakers of Revelations For though Prophets and Teachers were indeed of a distinct notion 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephes. 4. 11. and their abilities to teach were according of a distinct original namely the former by revelation and the latter by study yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which phrase may not pass without observation according to the state of the Church then being they not only had prophetick Teachers but there was a kind of necessity they should have such till time and studdy had inabled others to be Teachers which as yet they could not have attained unto the Gospel having been so lately brought among them Among these five the names of Barnabas and Saul are no strangers to the Reader but the other three are more unknown 1. Simeon who was called Niger If the word Niger were Latin it might then fairly be conjectured that this was Simon of Cyrene the Moorish complexion of his Country justly giving him the title of Simeon the black but since the Patrionymick Cyrenean is applied only in the singular number to the next man Lucius and since the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was then used among the Jews in several significations as may be seen in Aruch we shall rather conceive this man a Cypriot from Chap. 11. 20. and as Barnabas also was Chap. 4. 36. and his surname Niger whatsoever it signified used to distinguish him from Simon Peter and Simon the Cananite 2. Lucius of Cyrene Held by some and that not without some ground to be Luke the Evangelist which it is like hath been the reason why antiquity hath so generally held Luke to be an Antiochian true in regard of this his first appearing there under this name Lucius though originally a Cyrenian and educated as it may be supposed in the Cyrenian Colledge or Synagogne in Jerusalem Chap. 6. 9. and there first receiving the Gospel In Rom. 16. 21. Paul salutes the Roman Church in the name of Lucius whereas there was none then in Pauls retinue whose name sounded that way but only Luke as we shall observe there 3. Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch Juchasin fol. 19. mentioneth one Menahem who was once Vicepresident of the Sanhedrin under Hillel but departed to the service of Herod the great with fourscore other eminent men with him of whom we gave some touch before It may be this was his son and was called Manaen or Menahem after the father and as the father was a great favourite of Herod the great the father so this brought up at Court with Herod the Tetrarch the son As these holy men were at the publick ministration with fasting and prayer the Holy Ghost gives them advertisement of the separating of Paul and Barnabas for the Ministry among
Trophimus I left at Miletum sick By Tychicus who was the bearer of this Epistle to Timothy Chap. 4. 12. Paul also sendeth THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS for it is apparent that he was in bonds when he sent that Epistle Chap. 3. 1. and that he sent it by Tychicus Chap. 6. 21. That ye may know mine affairs and how I do Tychicus a beloved brother and faithful Minister in the Lord shall make known to you all things whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose In this Epistle he addresseth himself more especially to the convert Gentiles of the Ephesian Church to establish and settle them in the truth against that warping and wavering that was now too common and he setteth himself to unfold the mystery of the Gospel in its full luster and discovery in a more special manner and that especially in the two first Chapters as he himself professeth in the third By revelation God made known unto me the mystery as I wrote afore in few words whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ ver 3 4. He speaketh much of the mystery of the Gentiles calling and calleth the Jews and Gentiles knit in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sone of God A perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Chap. 4. 13. In Chap. 5. 26 27. speaking of Christs washing the Church that he might present it to himself without spot or wrinckle c. he seemeth to allude to the Jews exceeding great curiousness in their washings for purification Maym. in Mikvaoth per. 1. There must be nothing to interpose between the person that is washed and the water for if there be any thing interposing betwixt him and the water as if any clay or dough stick to his flesh he is unclean as he was and his washing profits him nothing And a little after If there be upon the flesh of a man or upon a vessel any of those things that may interpose as dough pitch or the like though it be no more then a grain of musterdseed and he take it to thought his washing profits him nothing What he saith in ver 29. So ought Men to love their Wives even as their own bodies is agreed to even by the Jews doctrine Our Doctors teach He that loves his Wife as his own body and he that honours her more than his own body and he that maketh his Sons to walk in a right way c. of such a one the Scripture saith Thou shalt know that peace shall be in thy Tabernacle c. Alphes in Gittin per. ult CHRIST LX NERO. VI WE are now come to the second year of Pauls imprisonment in which he had the changeable and different occurrences of loving visits and salutes from some Churches abroad and cross dealing from some ill-willed at home some sadness of heart by the sickness of Epaphroditus near unto death but comfort and reviving again by his recovery The Church of Philippi had sent him to visit Paul in their name and to bring him some tokens of their love for his support and maintenance in his imprisonment and the good man fell sick in Rome very like to die upon his recovery and return home again Paul sendeth by him THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS written in his name and in the name of Timothy who according to his appointment was now come to him He sheweth in this Epistle that as there were some which preached the Gospel of sincerity so were there other that preached of envy and contention and so added affliction to his bonds He was yet in bonds but in some good hopes of deliverance as he sheweth in Chap. 2. 24. for he saith he hoped ere long to send Timothy to them and himself to come with him but we shall observe ere long that when Paul hath got his liberty Timothy is got into prison and so his journey for the present stopt He saluteth no Church in the platform of Bishops and Deacons but only this not but that there were Bishops and Deacons in other Churches as well as here but it may be he doth it here the rather because of the Contribution that the Bishops and Deacon had gathered for him and sent to him or because he would shew the platform of Office and Order in this Church of Philippi which was purely Gentile agreeable to that of the believing Jews Churches He giveth warning to beware of the heretical and unbelieving Jews whom he cals dogs and the concision and now the name they used to give to the Gentiles Dogs is light upon themselves The very Talmudists speak as evil of that generation in which Messias should come as the Scripture doth 2 Tim. 3. 1 c. and among other things they say thus When the Son of David cometh the Synagogues shall become stews Galilee shall be destroyed Gablah shall be desolate the Samaritan Version of the Pentateuch doth constantly render Seir Gabla and the men of the border of Israel shall go from City to City and the wisdom of the Scribes shall be abominated and Religious persons shall be scorned And the faces of that generation shall be as dogs Talm. bab in Sanhedr fol. 97. He calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The concision The word signifies such superstitious and vain and impious cuttings in the flesh as Heathens used as 2 King 18. 28 c. No more doth he make of their Circumcision the Greek word is used by the LXX Levit. 21. 5. He speaketh of one in Philippi whom he calleth his true yokefellow alluding it may be either to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the Jews did ordinarily express great professors of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most ordinary phrase in the Jerusalem Talmud Or the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yokes or couples whereby they expressed the President and Vicepresident of the Sanhedrin those famous couples Shemaiah and Abtalion Hillel and Shammai c. Of whom it is that he speaketh is undeterminable Barnabas or Silas might best bare the title Whosoever it was it seemeth it was some worthy person who was at this time in that Church whom he intreats to compose some differences that were then afoot and to be helpful in some occasions and cases that he knew needful It is not to be doubted but Epaphroditus had acquainted him particularly with the state of the Church and he applies his exhortations accordingly As the Church of Philippi had sent Epaphroditus to visit him so did the Church of Colossi send Epaphras one of their Ministers to do the like Colos. 1. 7 8. whereupon by Tychicus who had been the last year at Ephesus to fetch Timothy and returned with him to Rome Col. 4. 7. and by Onesimus a Colossian Col. 4. 9. Paul and Timothy send THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS The naming of Mark now with him Chap. 4. 10. doth state the time of writing this Epistle
former Chapter was contained the intimation of the desolation of Jerusalem and in the beginning of this the ceasing of Prophesie under the similitude of the four winds restrained from blowing upon the Earth Compare Cant. 4. 16. Ezek. 37. 9. only a remnant of Israel are sealed unto salvation and not to perish by that restraint and with them innumerable Gentiles Ezekiel helpeth here to confirm the explication that we have given of the Chapter before for he hath the very like passage upon the first destruction of the City Ezek. 9. 10. 11. Compare the marking in the foreheads here with Exod. 28. 38. Dan not mentioned among the Tribes in this place Idolatry first began in that Tribe Judg. 18. 1 King 12. REVEL CHAP. VIII THE opening of the seventh Seal lands us upon a new scene as a new world began when Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews cast off The six Seals in the two former Chapters have shewed their ruine and the appearing of the Church of the Gentiles and now the seven Trumpets under the seventh Seal give us a prospect in general of the times thence forward to the end of all things I say in general for from the beginning of the twelfth Chapter and forward to the end of the nineteenth they are handled more particularly Silence in Heaven for a while and seven Angels with seven Trumpets may call our thoughts to Joshua 6. 4 10. and intimate that the Prophetick story is now entred upon a new Canaan or a new stage of the Church as that business at Jericho was at Israels first entring on the old Or it may very properly be looked upon as referring and alluding to the carriage of things at the Temple since this Book doth represent things so much according to the scheme and scene of the Temple all along And in this very place there is mention of the Altar and Incense and Trumpets which were all Temple appurtenances It was therefore the custom at the Temple that when the Priest went in to the Holy place the people drew downward from the Porch of the Temple and there was a silence whilest he was there yea though the people were then praying incomparably beyond what there was at other times of the service for the Priests were blowing with Trumpets or the Levites singing The allusion then here is plain When the sacrifice was laid on the Altar a Priest took coals from the Altar went in to the Holy place and offered incense upon the Golden Altar that stood before the vail that was before the Ark and this being done the Trumpets sounded over the sacrifice Here then is first intimation of Christs being offered upon the Altar then his going into the Holy place as Mediator for his people and then the Trumpets sounding and declaring his disposals in the world His taking fire off the Altar and casting it upon the Earth ver 5. is a thing not used at the Temple but spoken from Ezek. 10. 2. which betokeneth the sending of judgment which the Trumpets speak out These seven Trumpets and the seven Vials in Chap. 16. in many things run very parallel how far they Synchronize will be best considered when we come there The first Trumpet sounding brings hail and fire and blood upon the Earth and destroys grass and trees a third part of them Fire and hail was the plague of Egypt Exod. 9. 23. but fire and blood with hail is a new plague By these seemeth to be intimated what plagues should be brought upon the world by fire sword dreadful tempest unnatural seasons and the like The second Trumpet sounds and a great burning mountain is cast into the Sea and the third part of it becomes blood The Sea in the Prophetick language doth signifie multitudes of people as Jerem. 51. 36. 42. And Babylon that was Monarch was a burning mountain in the same Chapter ver 35. So that the Imperial power seemeth to be the mountain here which made bloody and mischievous work not only by the persecution of Christians but even among their own people As Nero at present Vitellius instantly after Domitian Commodus and indeed generally all of them either bloodily destroy their own people or at least for their covetousness ambition revenge or humour bring disquietness oppression misery Wars and Blood upon all the World in one place or other The third Trumpet brings the Star Wormwood upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters which seemeth to denote the grievous Heresies that should be in the Church which should corrupt and imbitter the pure springs of the Scripture and fountains of Truth A Star in the language of this Book is a Church-man Chap. 1. 20. Ben Cochab was such a Wormwood Star among the Jews called most properly Ben cozba the lier And the phrase A Star falling from Heaven alludes to Isa. 14. 12. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer c. The fourth Trumpet shews the darkning of the Sun and Moon and Stars for a third part By which seems to be understood the wane and decay both in the glory of the Church by superstition and of the Empire by its divisions within and enemies from without and this before the rising of the Papacy which appears under the next Trumpet and these things were great advantages to its rising The darkning of the heavenly luminaries in the Prophets language signifieth the eclipsing of the glory and prosperity of a Kingdom or People Isa. 13. 9 10. Joel 2. 10. How it was with the Church and Empire in these respects before that time that the Papacy appeared he is a stranger to History both Ecclesiastical and Civil that remembreth not upon this very hint The three Trumpets coming are the Trumpets of Wo wo wo though these things past were very woful but those much more that are to come REVEL CHAP. IX A Description of the Papacy under the fifth Trumpet Another Star falling from Heaven and that a notable one indeed the He that hath the Key of the bottomless pit committed to him A vast difference from the Keys given Peter The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven The setting of these in their just distance and opposition will illustrate the matter before us When the world is to come out of darkness and Heathenism to the knowledge of the Gospel Christ gives Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to open the door and let light come in among them for he first preached to the Gentiles Act. 10. 15. 7. The World under the Papacy returns as it were to Heathenism again and not undeservedly for its contempt of the Gospel and unproficiency under it which is very fitly described by Hell opened by the Keys of the bottomless pit and darkness coming and clouding all The Claviger or Turnkey is The child of perdition Abaddon and Apollyon a destroyer and one that is surely and sorely to be destroyed Chittim Italy or Rome afflicting and perishing for ever Num. 24. 24. Antichrist of the second edition
of the Jews bringeth forth her chief child and the Devil seeketh to destroy him He is pictured 1. A great red Dragon Old Pharaoh who sought to devour new born Israel is much of the like character Isa. 27. 7. Psal 74. 13 c. 2. With seven heads So many had the persecuting Monarchies Dan. 7. the Lion one the Bear one the Leopard four and the fourth beast one 3. And ten horns Parallel to the Syrogrecian persecutors Dan. 7. 7 c. 4. With his tail he drew and cast down the third part of the Stars As the Tyrant Antiochus had done Dan. 8. 10. So that by these allusive descriptions phrases of old stories fetched to express new is shewed the acting of the Devil now by his mischievous and tyrannical instruments with as much bitterness and bloody-mindedness as he had done in those The womans fleeing into the Wilderness alludes to Israels getting away into the Wilderness from the Dragon Pharaoh Exod. 14. c. And her nourishing there a thousand two hundred and sixty days speaks Christs preservation of that Church in the bitterest danger and days like the days of Antiochus This Vision aims at the great opposition and oppression the Church and Gospel underwent from the first rising of it to the ruine of Jerusalem and their preservation in all that extremity The battel betwixt Michael and the Dragon is of the same aim and time with the former but it speaks thus much further that the Church is not only preserved but the Dragon conquered and cast to the Earth Heaven all along in this Book is the Church the Earth therefore may be properly understood of the World and here more especially of that part of worldly ones the unbelieving Jews and that the rather because the Gentiles here are called the Wilderness as they be also in several other places in Scripture The Devil therefore is cast out of the Church by the power of Michael the Lord Christ that he cannot nestle there and he goes into the rest of the Nation that did not believe much like the tenor of that parable Matth. 12. 43 44 45. The Woman hath Eagles wings alluding to Exod. 19. 4. and gets into the Wilderness the persecuted Church and Gospel gets among the Gentiles The Devil casts venom as a flood after the Woman-Church and the Earth swallows it up the unbelieving Jews do as it were drink up all the poyson of the Devil and together with raging against the Church they grow inraged one against another and against the Romans till they become their own destroyers And indeed though it were a most bitter time with the Church while she was among the combustions that that Nation had within it self yet their raging one against another the more it increased in their particular quarrels the more it avenged her quarrel and turned their edge from off her upon themselves The Devil seeing this betakes himself to fight against the Womans seed the Church of the Gentiles and the Treatise of that begins in the next Chapter REVEL CHAP. XIII WHEN Rome hath slain Christ and destroyed Jerusalem Satan gives up his Power and Throne to it and that deservedly as to one most like to be his chief and most able agent to act his fury She is described here a Beast bearing the shape of all the four bloody Monarchies Dan. 7. in power and cruelty matching nay incomparably exceeding them all There is but little reason to take Rome for the fourth Monarchy in Daniel and the so taking it bringeth much disjointing and confusion into the interpreting of that Book and this and into the stating of affairs and times spoken of in them The Jews like such a gloss well as whereby they do conclude that the Messias is not yet come because the fourth Monarchy the Romane say they is not yet utterly destroyed And truly I see not how they can conclude less upon such a concession For it is plain in Daniel that the four Kingdoms there spoken of must come to nothing before the first appearing of Messias and that the Romane is not is most plain since this Book makes Rome Heathen and Papal but as one The Holy Ghost by Daniel shews the four Monarchies the afflicters of the Church of the Jews till Messias his first coming The Babylonian The Mede-Persian The Grecian and The Syrogrecian and John now takes at him and shews a fifth Monarchy the afflicter of the Church of Jews and Gentiles till his second coming Daniel indeed gives a hint of the Romane but he clearly distinguisheth him from the other four when he calls him the Prince that was to come Dan. 9. 26. beyond and after those four that he had spoken of before Him John describes here as carrying the character of all those four A Beast with ten horns such a one had been the Syrogrecian Dan. 7. 7 like a Leopard as the Grecian was vers 6. his feet as a Bears such the Persian vers 5. his mouth like a Lion such the Babylonian vers 4. This therefore could not be any of those when it was all and by this description of it by characters of them all it shews the vast power and incomparable cruelty and oppression of it equalling them all nay it infinitely went beyond them put all together in extent of Dominions Power Continuance and Cruelty both to the Church and to the World Balaam long before Rome was in being doth set it out for the great afflicter Numb 24. 24. Ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim and shall afflict Assur and shall afflict Eber That Chittim means Italy or Rome is granted even by some Romanists themselves it is asserted by the Jews and confirmed by other places of Scripture and even proved by the very sense and truth of that place It afflicts both the afflicted and the afflicter Eber and Assur and that hath been the garb of it since its first being How may this be read in her own stories In her bloody Conquests over all the world in the titles of honour but which speak oppression Britannicus Germanicus Africanus and the like And to take up all in Epitome and that you may conjecture ex ungue Leonem what whole Rome hath done in all her time for slaughter oppression and destroying take but the brief of one of her Commanders Pompey the Great of whom Pliny speaks to this purpose Nat. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 26. He recovered Sicily subdued Africk subjected eight hundred and seventy six Towns about the Alpes and coasts of Spain routed and slew 2183000 men Sunk and took eight hundred and forty six Ships took in one thousand five hundred and thirty eight fortified places and triumphed from his Conquest of Asia Pontus Armenia Paphlagonia Cappadocia Cilicia Syria Judea Albania Iberia Creet and Basterna What hath Rome done by all her agents in all her time And she is this year 1654 two thousand four hundred and eight years old She is described here with seven heads and ten
whether the women might go forth with this Ornament upon their heads on the Sabbath And there they tell that R. Akibah made a golden City for his wife and when Rabban Gamaliels saw it she was envious at it A pretty way of mourning by pride and to carry Jerusalam in gold on their heads when Jerusalem lies in ashes under their feet Much like did they by their Ceremonies and Traditions when at the ruine of the City they should by right have been all buried in ashes with it they inhanced them and made them more high and gallant then ever before It is needless to instance their derision and detestation of Christ and Christianity their blasphemy against his blessed name their hatred and mischievousness against the professors of it their Writings proclaim their impiety and when many of the ancient Fathers have been put to write against the Jews it argues they were busie and stirring as far as they might They had continual opposings among themselves yet they all agreed like Simcon and Levi brethren in evil to oppose vilifie and blasphem the Gospel Hardly one of the Grandees that we have named but he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his opposite one or the other that stood out in contestation of opinion with him Nay they went sometimes to it by the ears as R. Eliezer and R. Josi are so strugling together that they rent the Book of the Law betwixt them Jerus Shekalim fol. 47. col 1. and as we observed before the Shammaeans and Hillelians fought it to blood and death Rabban Gamaliel at Jabneh deposed R. Akibah from his Rectorship at Lydda Rosh hashan fol. 57. col 1. And divers such bickerings which still ended in an unanimous consent to oppose Christianity as much as possible We speake before of the commonness of Magick amongst them one singular means whereby they kept their own in delusion and whereby they affronted ours The general expectation of the Nation of Messias coming when he did had this double and contrary effect That it forwarded those that belonged to God to believe and receive the Gospel and those that did not it gave incouragement to some to take upon them they were Christ or some great Prophet and to others it gave some perswasion to be deluded by them These deceivers dealt most of them with Magick and that cheat ended not when Jerusalem ended though one would have thought that had been a fair term of not further expecting Messias but since the people were willing still to be deceived by such expectation there rose up deluders still that were willing to deceive them The Jerusalem Talmud will furnish us with variety of examples of this kind and I cite it the oftner because it was made among these men we are speaking of the Jews in Judaea To begin with dreamers and interpreters of dreams which was a degree of delusion with them In Maasar Sheni fol. 45. col 2 3. there is mention of Rabbi Josi ben Calpatha of this trade and R. Ismael ben Rabbi Josi and R. Lazar and R. Akibah and there are many dreams recorded that they interpreted and it seemeth by a passage in the place that they taught their Scholars this trick as a piece of their learning And finding of R. Akibah in this Catalogue we cannot but think how well Ben Coziba and he were met for if the one were a cheater in one kind the other was a deceiver in another If that of the Apostle Jude in his Epistle ver 8. These filthy dreamers should be construed in this litteral sense it would find enow in those times to make it good In Shabb. fol. 3. col 2. it speaks of an apparition to one of their religious men that was studying the Law Ibid. fol. 8. col 2 3. and fol. 14. 3. there is mention of several charmings as reading some verses over a wound laying the Book of the Law or Phylacteries upon a sick person charming against serpents and an evil eye c. And now we are speaking of an evil eye or witchery we may take in that Sanhedr fol. 18. col 3. Four and twenty of the School of Rabbi Judah came to Lydda to intercalate the year and an evil eye came in among them and they all died In Sotah fol. 16. col 2. A story related of R. Meir and an Inchantresse and he proving hard enough for her In Sanhedr fol. 25. col 4. There are three stories of Magical feats done by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereticks one at Tiberias and two at Tsipporis but R. Joshua outvying one of them and a fourth at Rome and he making his part good there too What may be ment by Hereticks must be divided betwixt Samaritans and some wretches that had forsaken their Judaism and professed Christianity but were such as the Apostle calls false Apostles And to conclude all the many stories they have of Bath kol or a voice from Heaven most commonly coming for the magnifying of some of their Doctors as see Sotah fol. 24. col 2. are either forgeries or if there were any such seeming voices they were forged upon the anvil of Magick How can a Nation but carry the visibe mark of perdition when vain traditions are their standing Religion and Magick and Inchantments a common practise To this kind of legerdemain we may add another not altogether indeed of so deep a die yet that which came from the same father and that was the loud legends they invented of their great Rabbines thereby to awe the people to the reverence of their Persons Memories and Doctrines and of others devoutly zealous in their doting Religion of whom they tell strange wonders for the magnifying of it I shall name none for shame these are they that do most disgrace their writings and make them most ridiculous A last thing to be named that they did toward the intayling folly unbelieve and obduration upon their Nation to all posterity is their ingaging them to their Canons and Traditions as they delivered them especially to the Mishnah when Rabbi Judah had published it and to the two Talmuds when they came forth especially the Babylonian which stands as a Standard to all the Nation for her Rule and Religion to this day they being generally Pharisaicall and scarce a Karaite that we hear of amongst them SECTION X. How far these Iews in the first generation of Christianity might infect or infest it WE need not speak of their crossing the Gospel and persecuting and mischieving the professors of it when it lay in their power that needs no clearing A twofold infection more especially they diffused into the Christian Church which tainted many and where it caught proved pestilential enough even that which was the least dangerous and these were that out of this sink rose the desperate heresies of the first Ages of the Gospel and from these men came the Allegorizing of the Scriptures which was but one degree less profitable if not less deadly then their
to the charge of the Jews yet you never find them blamed in the least degree for this that they went about to corrupt the letter of the Text The sense indeed they spoiled with their glosses and so made the Word of God of no effect and this they hear of throughly but not a word of their spoiling the letter of the Text. 4. Had they been never so desirous to have imposed upon Christians by falsifying the Text they could not possibly do it For First Every Synagogue in the world having the purest Copy that possibly was to be got how impossible was it such legerdemain should be when there were so many thousand Copies to discover it unless they were all corrupt alike and multitudes out of the Synagogues Rulers and People were converted to the Gospel Secondly As learned men as any they had among them and that as well understood what Text was pure what corrupt Joseph of Arimathea Nicodemus Paul and multitudes of the Priests imbraced the Gospel and so multitudes of pure Copies were in the hands of Christians upon the first rising of the Gospel and multitudes that had such Copies in their hands were converted daily 5. To which may be added that the same power and care of God that preserves the Church would preserve the Scriptures pure to it and he that did and could preserve the whole could preserve every part so that not so much as a tittle should perish SECTION XII Concerning the Calling of the Iews BY what hath been spoken concerning the state of the Jews in their own Land after the fall of their City it may be observed wherein it is that the Lords vengeance upon that Nation doth especially consist namely in his rejection of them from being his people and in their obduration The unspeakable miseries and slaughter that they indured in the siege and ruine of Jerusalem speak as dreadful punishment as ever fell upon a Nation and yet this was but short and small in comparison of that fearful blindness and hardness that lies upon them and hath done for this sixteen hundred years together Seventy years in bodily bondage in Babel did finish the punishment of their forefathers for all the Idolatry bloodshed and impiety that they had committed But these after above twenty times seventy years under dispersion and obduration have now as little appearance of amendment of their hearts and of their condition as there was so many hundred years ago The same blindness the same doting upon traditions the same insisting upon their own works for salvation the same blind confidence that they are Gods only beloved people the same expectation of Messias to come the same hatred of Messias already come and the same opposition against the Gospel is in them still that was in that first generation that crucified the Lord of life That generation is plainly and often asserted by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament to be Antichrist and the very same Antichristian spirit hath continued in all the generations of them ever since even to this day Into the thoughts therefore concerning their Calling after so long and so extream crosness against the Gospel and the Lord of it I cannot but take these things into consideration For though I am unwilling to recede from that charitable opinion of most Christians that there shall once be a Calling of them home yet see I not how that supposal of the universal Call of the whole Nation as of one man which some entertain can be digested without some allay and mitigation 1. That all Israel both Jews and they of the ten Tribes have had as full an offer of the Gospel as any of the Gentiles have had both in the time of the Apostles and since Of the two Tribes there can be no scruple and of the ten almost as little if their sin that cast them off the place of their seating when carried out of their own Land and the carriage of the Gospel through the whole world be well considered Now that their refusing of the Gospel so offered to them in that manner as they have done should be followed with so universal a Call and Conversion is somewhat hard to believe especially when it is observed that the Gentiles despising the Gospel are doomed to the everlasting deprivation of it and to a worse condition then Tyre and Zidon 2. It is true indeed that Gods Covenant with their fathers is of special weight and observation in this business and the Apostle toucheth it in this question Rom. 11. 28. but how is this to be understood God made a twofold Covenant with their fathers viz. the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Peculiarity and the later was but a manner of the administration of the former The Covenant of Grace was made with Adam and belongs to all the seed of Christ before the Law under it and after it Jews and Gentiles Now the Oeconomy of Moses was such an administration of this Covenant of Grace as made Israel a peculiar people This effect of the Covenant with their fathers namely that they still are and ever shall be Gods peculiar is their conceit all along but little warrant for us to hold it since under the Gospel there is no distinction of Jew and Gentile And as for the other that many of them yet belong to Election and the Covenant of Grace made with their fathers it is not to be doubted which yet doth little make for so general a calling 3. It was a good sign of the general conversion of the Heathen once to be in that there were multitudes of them proselyted daily before the general Call by the Gospel came an hundred three and fifty thousand in the days of Solomon and that when Religion was then in a very narrow compass But of these how few in comparison have come in in all this long time though they have had incomparably more means and opportunity then ever those had Their sin that cast them off was more horrid then the sin that cast off the Heathen and so their blindness and obduration is beyond theirs And which deserves observation The sin of the two Tribes was beyond the sin of the ten 4. Since the New Testament doth ordinarily stile that first generation Antichrist and since as is apparent the very same spirit is in the Nation to this day I see not how we can look upon the conversion of the Jews under a lower notion then the conversion of a brood of Antichrist Therefore can I no more look for the general calling of them then I look for the general call of the Antichristian brood of Rome We see indeed by happy experience that several Nations have fallen off from the Roman Antichrist as the Protestant Countries that are at this day but Antichrist is yet in being and strong and his end will be not by conversion but perdition So can I not but conceive of the Jewish Nation That although numerous multitudes of them may
made no such plain expression Or thirdly that the affirmative may mean the Words creating of all things and the negative his disposal and ordering of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without him was nothing that hath been either created or disposed as Joh. 5. 17. Ver. 4. In him was * * * * * * Deut. 30. 20. Ps. 66. 9. Prov. 4. 13. Joh. 5. 24 6. 35. 20. 31. Col. 3. 3 4. 1 Joh. 5. 12. life This hath allusion to Adams naming his wife Eve or life upon the apprehension of the Promise given him after his fall Gen. 3. 15. And the Evangelist having considered the Word in the former verse as the Author of Nature he cometh now to treat of him as the Author of Grace there as the Creator here as the Redeemer For having related there that by him all things were made and amongst all things man received his natural life and being he goeth on now to shew that by the same Word also man when he was fallen and perished and had incurred the penalty of dying the death he re-obtained a new and a better life namely by Faith and laying hold upon him in the promise as Hab. 2. 4. And the life was the light * * * * * * Eph. 5. 14. 1 Pet. 2 9. 1 Joh. 2. 8. of men The life of the promise was the light that shone in the world and to which all the Patriachs and Prophets and all the holy Men of God that lived before the fulfilling of it had an eye and respect as to a light shining in a dark place and whereby they guided all their devotions and whereto they aimed all their actions And this light then shone and yet shineth in all the types shadowes figures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and predictions of the Law and of the Prophets as we daily read them and that darkness * * * * * * See Isa. 25. 7. 32. 3. 9. 30. 2 Cor. 3 13. Heb. 12. 18. and mystical cloudiness which lay over them did not comprehend it but that it gave some shine in that obsureness And yet did they not reach to that brightness of revealing of Christ but that it was necessary that the Gospel should be Preached the beginning of which is mentioned in the very next verse namely the Preaching of John Ver. 6. There was a man sent c. Here may the Reader look back and see the method and intention of the Evangelist and the reason why he calleth him by this name the Word rather then any other For first he was the Word by whom all things and among them man were created Secondly The Word by which man being fallen was recovered and obtained life Thirdly The Word of light direction and consolation to the holy Patriarchs Fourthly The Word of promise in the darkness of the Law and Prophets And he is now come to be the Word incarnate and the publisher of the Gospel which began from John Mark 1. 1. And thus hath the Evangelist made the whole Old Testament no other then a vailed Gospel speaking of Christ though somewhat obscurely from the beginning to the end As in the Creation ver 3. In the promise ver 4. In the expectation of the Fathers ibid. Fifthly In the darkness of the Law and Prophets ver 5. And sixthly in the necessity of a clearer revelation of him by his own comming ibid. Ver. 7. To bear witness of the light c. The light in this verse and those that follow is taken personally for Christ himself whereas in ver 4 5. it is taken vertually only there for the light that flowed from Christ and therefore it is said that light was in him here for Christ the light it self for so is he called ver 9. See Isai. 10. 17. and 42. 6. 49. 6. Mic. 7. 6. Num. 24. 17. Psal. 84. 1. Mal. 4. 2. c. For first Christ revealeth the Father and his will Joh. 1. 18. 16. 25. and whatsoever maketh manifest is light Ephes. 5. 13. Secondly He is the brightness of the glory and express image of the Father Heb. 1. 3. who is a light without any darkness at all 1 Joh. 1. 5. Thridly He inlightneth the hearts of his by Faith Ephes. 5. 14. Fourthly Christ held out in the Gospel filled the world full of the light of knowledge in comparison of what it was under the Law Isai. 11. 9. Psal. 19. 3. That all might believe The word All joyneth the Gentiles with the Jews which hitherto had been secluded And in the same sense is Christs Lightning of every one that commeth into the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 9. to be understood for his general and universal inlightning of the world with the shining of the Gospel For there is a comparison made here by the Evangelist betwixt the light of the promise under the Law and the light of the Gospel and Christ in it Ver. 10. He was in the world Not vertually and invisibly only in his power and providence but even visibly sensibly and apparently in audible voice and conspicuous shape before he came in humane nature as Gen. 15. and 18. and 32. Exod. 3. Josh. 6. yea even to the sight and hearing of wicked and heathen men Gen. 4. and 20. and 21. and 31. Dan. 3. 24 25. Exod. 14. Ver. 11. He came among his own This speaketh of his incarnation and of his own Nation the Jews amongst whom he came and conversed in humane flesh yet they refused him They were his own by choice Deut. 7. 6. by purchase Exod. 19. 4 5. by Covenant Deut. 26. 18. and by kindred Heb. 2. 16. Ver. 12. * * * * * * Or Priviledge dignity or licence as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used 1 Cor. 8 9. and 9. 5 6. Acts 5. 4. Mat. 7. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. 8. Power to become the Sons of God The people of the Church are called the Sons of God Gen. 6. 2. And after the dispersion at Babel where the Heathen became the Sons of men Gen. 11. 5. this title was appropriated only to the Jews Exod. 4. 22. Hos. 11. 1. But now when the Jews Christs own people should not receive him when he so came amongst them this priviledge should be conferred upon what Heathen or Gentiles so ever should receive him that they should be henceforward as the Jews had been hitherto the Sons of God or the Church of Christ. That believeth on his Name That is In or On him For the Name of God in Scripture doth often stand for God himself as Psal. 71. 1. Mic. 6. 9. Act. 3. 16. c. For God is without any mixture or composition but a most pure and simple essence and therefore his name and himself are not two several things as they be in the creatures but one and the same R. Menahem or Exod. 60. Ver. 13. Which are born not of blood Greek Not of
again And from that time most properly began the Kingdom of Heaven and the new Hierusalem when that earthly Kingdom and that old City were utterly ruined §. Being as was supposed the son of Joseph which was the son of Heli. At every descent in this Genealogy the word Jesus is to be understood otherwise the first and last descents are improper and different in stile from all the rest For Joseph was not the Son of Heli but only his Son in Law and Adam was no more the Son of God than any of the other holy men that were named before The supply therefore is thus to be made to make all proper Jesus being as was supposed the Son of Joseph Jesus the Son of Heli Jesus the Son of Matthat c. Jesus the Son of Seth Jesus the Son of Adam Jesus the Son of God And the like stile of Genealogy Moses useth Gen. 36. 2. Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon where Anah is not called the daughter of Zibeon for he was a man and not a woman no more was Joseph the Son of Heli for he was only his son in Law but the word Aholibamah is to be supplied thus Aholibamah the daughter of Anah Aholibamah the daughter of Zibeon Heli or Eli for the name seemeth to be the same with his in 1 Sam. 1. 3. c. was not the natural Father of Joseph for Matthew told us plainly before that it was Jacob that begot Joseph but Heli was the Father of Mary and Father-in-Law of Joseph only Now because it is not used in Scripture to mention any women in a pedigree or to run the line from the Mother but from the Father to the Son therefore Mary is not here named at all but intimated or included when the line begins from her Father and calleth her husband his son which he was only because of her So that Luke intending to shew Christ the seed of the woman must of necessity reckon by Mary the daughter of Heli as Matthew intending to shew him the heir of the Crown of David doth reckon by Joseph the heir male apparent In comparing and laying together these men that Matthew and Luke have named in the ancestry of Joseph and Mary betwixt the returning out of the captivity and the times of our Saviour we find that every one man in the stock of Joseph did almost outlive two of those in the line of Mary the one line affording twenty descents betwixt those two periods and the other but one above half so many which easily and readily confuteth that opinion that some have strangely held that the persons in the two Genealogies have been the same men only under different names and it helpeth somewhat to settle the times between those two periods against the different miscountings of several men some stretching them longer than the eleven persons named in Matthew could stretch to live and some cutting them shorter than the twenty named in Luke could be comprehended in Ver. 27. Which was the Son of Salathiel which was the Son of Neri Neri was the natural father of Salathiel he seemeth to have been so named from the candle which the Lord reserved for David and his house 2 Chron. 21. 7. Ver. 31. Which was the Son of Nathan 2 Sam. 5. 14. 1 Chron. 3. 5. It is like that he was named after Nathan the Prophet who brought David word of the promise 2 Sam. 7. and of the cotinuance of his house which failed in the race of Solomon but continued in the race of this Nathan till the King came that was to sit on Davids Throne for ever Here again the number of persons in the Genealogy of Mary betwixt David and the captivity exceed the number in the Genealogy of Joseph in Matth. 1. Vers. 36. Which was the Son of Cainan which was the Son of Arphaxad In Moses it is said Arphaxad begat Shelah and Shelah begat Eber Gen. 10. 24. 11. 12. And so is it briefly reckoned 1 Chron. 1. 24. Shem Arphaxad Shelah without any mention of Cainan at all nor is there any memorial of such a son of Arphaxad throughout all the Old Testament nor indeed was there ever any such a man in the world at all Here therefore is an extraordinary scruple and a question of no small difficulty meeteth us where Luke found the name of this man which is not to be found elswhere in all the Bible And whether it be not an error in the Text and were not a miscarriage in the Evangelist to reckon a man for an ancestor of Christ that the world never saw or that never was upon the Earth Answer It is easie indeed to resolve where Luke found this name of Cainan and from whence he took it namely from the Greek Bible or the Septuagint which hath inserted it in those places of Moses that are alledged but when this is resolved the greater scruple is yet behind of his warrantableness so to do and of the purity of the Text where it is so done The Seventy Translatours indeed read Gen. 10. 24. thus Arphaxad begat Cainan and Cainan begat Sala and Sala begat Eber. And in Chap. 11. they say Arphaxad lived one hundred and thirty five years and begat Cainan And Cainan lived one hundred and thirty years and begat Sala and Cainan lived after he begat Sala three hundred and thirty years And from hence hath Saint Luke without controversie taken in Cainan into this Genealogy a man that never was in the world but the warrantableness of this insertion will require divers considerations to find it out As let the Reader be pleased seriously to ruminate upon these First That the Seventy Translatours did that work unwillingly and for fear For the Scripture was the Treasure of the Jews which made them more glorious than any Nation under Heaven Therefore to communicate this their riches to the Heathen whom they abominated and detested was as much against their heart as what was most So that had not the fear of the power of Ptolomy brought them to the work of the Translation more than their own good will there had been no such thing done Ptolomy Lagus the Father of Ptolomy Philadelphus for whom they translated had carried away an hundred thousand Jews captive into Egypt as saith Aristeas so that the fear and dread of that house lay upon them that they durst deny it nothing which otherwise they would most vehemently have done such a thing as this to have communicated their Scriptures to the Heathen in a vulgar Tongue Secondly The Translation then being undertaken for fear and with so ill a will that as Aristeas who was present at the work saith the Translatours were very unwilling to go for Egypt though he interpret it because loath to go from Eliazar the High Priest and that the Jews kept a mournful fast every year sorrowing for that work of the Translation It cannot be expected that the Translation will be done with any more
miracle of his birth his adoration by the Wisemen his wisdom at 12 years old the voice from heaven and his saftety among wild beasts at this time shew that impossible But concluding the thing it self to be so he argueth from it to perswade Christ to act as the Son of God and to do things miraculously And the If in his speech is not so much of doubting as of assurance as the If in those words of Lamech If Cain shall be avenged seventy fold and he forceth it as the consequence upon a thing undoubted Seeing thou art the Son of God as the voice from heaven did proclaim thee it is very agreable to thy so being that thou shouldst exert thy divine power and command these stones into bread for the satisfying thy hunger And so in the other temptation that carryeth the same front Seing thou art the Son of God it is very fit thou shouldest act according thereunto and not go down the stairs as men do but cast thy self headlong and shew thy power In both which temptations though a close perswasive to distrust Gods provision for him in the wilderness to rely too much upon second causes and to presume without warrant upon a promise be included yet Satans main bent and aim is to move him to act according to the dictate and direction of the Devil And as he had perswaded Eve from the commandement of God to follow his advice so would he fain do Christ from that work and injuction which God had laid upon him for the Ministery and for mans redemption to do things tending nothing at all to that purpose but rather to vain-glory and self-exalting and the Devil had had enough if he could have moved the Redeemer to have acted any thing upon his instigation Ignatius Martyr Hilary and others of old and Beza Chemnitius some others of late suppose that Satan knew not yet the mystery of the incarnation no more than the Disciples did till after the resurrection but that he proposeth this if thou be the Son of God as doubting of the truth of the thing and seeking to be resolved in it nay that by the phrase the Son of God is to be understood and was so in Satans apprehension only a very holy and an extraordinary qualified man as whereas the Centurion calls Christ the Son of God Mat. 27. 4. Luke expresseth it only a righteous man Luke 23. 47. Answer 1. It is most true indeed that the mystery of the Incarnation is a mystery most high and deep and which created understandings cannot fadome and that the Disciples were exceedingly ignorant of it till more than flesh and blood revealed it to them but yet for all this the Angels good and bad might know the truth of the thing though they could not reach the mystery of it and the Disciples have some light of it before though they had the more perfect understanding of it after the resurrection as see Mat. 16. 16. The Devil was not ignorant of the Angels proclaiming him Christ the Lord or Jehovah Luke 1. 16 17. 2. 11. of an Angels and Gods proclaiming him The Son of God Luke 1. 35. 3. 22. Of the Prophets calling him Jehovah Jer. 23. 6. And the mighty God and Father of Eternity Esay 9. 6. and an hundred such expressions as these which could not but put him past all questoning who it was with whom he dealt 2. It is true indeed that the Church and people of God are called his Sons but it will be hard to find this applyed to any one particular person or single man in all the Scripture That in 2 Sam. 7. 14. Psalm 89. 28 27. is readily known to be spoken of Christ and that in Luke 3. 38. we have explained before 3. It is likewise true that whereas the Centurion in Matthew is brought in saying This was the Son of God Luke hath brought him saying This was a righteous or just man but must it therefore follow that he took him not for the Son of God but that he called him so only because he was a holy man In very many of the Evangelists various expressions we are not always to take the one to mean the other but we must take them both in their proper sense to make up the full sense as will fall to be observed in divers places And so is it to be done here The Centurion and his company upon the sight of the wonders that attend our Saviours death concluded that not only he was a most holy man but some rose higher and sure say they He was the Son of God Compare and examine the places Now the daring impudence of the Devil thus to assault and assail him whom he knew to be the Son of God will be the less wondrous and strange if we consider joyntly with his pride desperate wickedness and malice the ground that he might think he had to undertake such an attempt as this to go about to foil him who his own heart told him was the Son of God And that was from those words of God in the garden to him when upon the denunciation upon him that the seed of the woman should break his head yet God tells him withall That he should bruise his heel Hence did his impudence take its rise to do and dare what he did and dared at this time and the having this very passage in ones eye and consideration upon the reading of this story of the temptation will help exceedingly to clear inlighten and explain it For whereas two main scruples may arise about this temptation besides this that we have in hand of the Devils daring to assault Christ thus namely how chance it was now and not before and why it is said by Luke after these temptations that the Devil departed from him for a season the consideration of this thing doth give so much satisfaction to both these doubts For 1. it is indeed some matter of wonder that Christ should live to thirty years and the Devil never attempt to tempt him of long a time but should now come to assail him when he had a testimony from heaven that he was the Son of God and when he had the fulness of the Spirit in him above measure which were greater disadvantages to Satan than ever but the reason was because that now Christ was offered to the Duell in an apparent manner which he never had been before to try that mastery with the Devil about breaking and brusing head and heel and the Devil having an assurance that he should bruise his heel undertakes the combate and dares be thus impudent And 2. when he saw that he could not prevail with him this way to bruise him namely by temptation he departs from him for a season till he can find an opportunity for another way to do it namely by open and actual persecution Sect. Command that these stones be made bread To change the form of a Creature is the greatest miracle as
of the slaughtered this year in the words of Dion Such a number of Senators to omit others perished under Tiberius that the Governours of Provinces were chosen by lot and ruled some three years some six because there were not enough to come in their room THE CHRISTIAN HISTORY THE Jewish and the Roman For the Year of CHRIST XXXV And of TIBERIUS XX. Being the Year of the WORLD 3962. And of the City of ROME 787. Consuls Lucius Vitellius P. Fabius Priscus or Persicus PART I. Affairs of ROME §. 1. Thankless officiousness OF the state and occurrences of the Church this instant year there is neither any particular given by S. Luke nor any else where to be found in Scripture save only what may be collected from the words of Paul concerning himself namely that he is this year either in Arabia or Damascus or both spending one part of it in the one place and the other in the other The Church now this great persecutor is turned Preacher injoyned no doubt a great deal of ease in the ceasing of the persecution and benefit by the earnestness of his Ministry And so let us leave her to her peace and comfortable times now growing on and turn our story to the Romans Tiberius his reign being now come to the twentieth year the present Consuls L. Vitellius and Fabius Priscus do prorogate or proclaim his rule for ten years longer A ceremony used by Augustus whensoever he came to a tenth year of his reign but by Tiberius there was not the like cause One would have thought the twenty years past of his inhumane and barbarous reign should have given the City more than enough of such an Emperor and have caused her to have longed rather for his end then to have prolonged his dominion But she will make a virtue now or complement rather of necessity and will get thanks of him for continuing of that which she cannot shake off and is willing that he shall reign still because she knew he would do so whether she will or no. It is the forlorn way of currying favour to please a man in his own humour when we dare not cross it The flattering Consuls received a reward befitting such unnecessary officiousness for they kept the feast saith Dion that was used upon such occasions and were punished Not with death for the next year you shall have Vitellius in Judea but with some other infliction which it may be was pretended for some other reason but intended and imposed upon a profound policy For while they thus took on them to confirm his rule they did but shake his title as he conceived and told him a riddle that he reigned by their courtesie and not by his own interest but when he punished them that would take on them to confirm this superiority he proved it independent and not pinned upon their will §. 2. Cruelties The vein of the City that was opened so long ago doth bleed still and still as fresh as ever For Slaughter saith Tacitus was continual and Dion addeth that none of them that were accused were acquitted but all condemned some upon the letters of Tiberius others upon the impeachment of Macro of whom hereafter and the rest only upon suspition Some were ended by the executioner others ended themselves by their own hands the Emperor all this while keeping out of the City and that as was thought lest he should be ashamed of such doings there Among those that perished by their own hands was Pomponius Labeo and his wife Paxaea who being accused for corruption in his government of Maesta cut his own veins and bled to death and his wife accompanied him in the same fatal end To the like end but upon different occasions and accusations came Mamercus Scaurus and his wife Sextia He some years before having escaped narrowly with life upon a charge of treason is now involved again in other accusations as of Adultery with Livilla magical practices and not at the least for libelling against Tiberius For having made a Tragedy which he titled Atreus and in the same bringing him in advising one of his subjects in the words of Euripides That he should bear with the folly of the Prince Tiberius not so guilty indeed of such a taxation of being a fool as ready to take on to be guilty that he might have the better vie against the Author personated the matter to himself crying out that Scaurus had made him a bloody Atreus but that he would make an Ajax of him again which accordingly came to pass for the Tragedian to prevent the executioner acted his own Tragedy and died by his own hand his wife being both incourager and companion with him in the same death But among these lamentable spectacles so fearful and so frequent it was some contentment to see the accusers still involved in the like miseries with those whom they had accused for that malady of accusing was grown Epidemical and infectious sparing none and as it were catching one of another The tokens hereof appeared in the banishment of Servilius and Cornelius the accusers of Scaurus and of Abudius Rufo that had done the like by Lentulus Getulicus This Getulicus was then commander of the Legions in Germany and being charged with so much intimacy with Sejanus as that he intended to have married his daughter to Sejanus his son he quitted himself by a confident letter to Tiberius In which he pleadeth that his familiarity and alliance to Sejanus had begun by the Emperors own advice and privacy and he was so far from crouching that he profereth terms of partition to Tiberius namely that he should enjoy the Empire and himself would enjoy the Province where he was This it was to have Arms and Armies at his disposal for for all this affront the Emperor is necessarily calm considering partly his own age partly the hatred of the people but chiefly that he stood in that height and sway and power that he was in rather by the timorous opinion of others than by any strength or firmness of his own This year there arose a feigned Drusus in Greece a man as it seemed neither led by common policy that might have told him that so great a Prince of Rome could not possibly have been so long obscured nor by common opinion which greatly suspected that Drusus was made away by the Emperors own consent He found a party as inconsiderate as himself for he was intertained by the Cities of Greece and Jonia and furnished with aid and had like to have come into Syria and surprized the forces there had he not been descried taken and sent to Tiberius To conclude with some other rarity besides these of cruelty there was seen a Phoenix in Egypt this year as Tacitus hath laid it but as Dion two years after which then exercised the wits of the Philosophical Greeks interpreting the presage either to the State or to the Emperor as their fancy led them and in after times it
these two men in former times they being both Grecizing Jews the one of Cyprus the other of Cilicia and both in all probability brought up and educated at Jerusalem but whether it were so or no the hand of God is to be looked after in this passage when Pauls future partner in the ministry to the Gentiles is now his first intertainer into the society of the Church at Jerusalem §. And brought him to the Apostles That is to Peter and James the less for other of the Apostles he himself relateth that he saw none Gal. 1. 18. What was become of the rest of the twelve is not determinable it is more than probable they were not now at Jerusalem otherwise it is hardly possible for Paul not to have seen them in fifteen days abode there It is likely they were preaching and setling Churches up and down the Country and Peter and James the two most peculiar Ministers of the Circumcision abode at Jerusalem to take care of the Church there For that these were so and in what particular the dispensation of their Ministry differed we shall take occasion to shew afterward only here we cannot omit to take notice of that temper as I may so call it which the Text holdeth out against the Primacy and Prelacy that is held by some to have been among the Apostles For whereas some conceive James to have been Bishop of Jerusalem this Text sets Peter in the same form and equality with him in that place and whereas it is conceived again that Peter was Prince of the Apostles this Text hath equalled James with him 1. And thus that persecution that began about Stephen had lasted till this very same time of Pauls coming to Jerusalem for so it is apparent both by the fear and suspitiousness of the Disciples at Jerusalem as also by the very clausure of the Text Vers. 31. Then had the Churches rest 2. The length of this persecution by computation of the times as they have been cast up before seemeth to have been about three years and an half the renowned number and time so oft mentioned and hinted in Scripture 3. The company of Disciples or believers continued still at Jerusalem for all the persecution as to the generality of them as was said before only the Ministers or Preachers were scattered abroad all of them except the twelve Apostles 4. Some of those Preachers were by this time returned back again the heat of the persecution abating as it is apparent by Barnabas now being at Jerusalem and of some such men is it properest to understand the word Disciples Vers. 26. Saul assaied to join himself to the Disciples 5. Therefore the absence of the ten Apostles from Jerusalem was not for fear of the persecution but for the dispersion of the Gospel and setling of the Churches §. And declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way This is most properly to be understood of Barnabas that he declared these things to the Apostles though there be that think it is meant of Pauls declaring them and they read it thus And Barnabas brought him to the Apostles and he that is Paul declared unto them Vers. 28. And he was with them coming in and going out That is conversing with them as Beza hath well rendred it A phrase usual among the Hebrews as 1 Sam. 18. 13. Act. 1. 21. c. And the time of this his converse Paul himself hath told us to have been fifteen days Gal. 1. 18. where also he hath interpreted this Phrase of coming in and going out by the term of abiding with I abode with him fifteen days Vers. 29. And he disputed against the Grecians Gr. Against the Hellenists which very place helpeth again to confirm the interpretation and gloss we set upon this word before namely that it meaneth not Greeks converted to the Jews Religion but Jews conversing and cohabiting among the Greek Nation For 1. There can be none or small reason given why converted Greeks should be so furiously Jewish as to go about to kill Paul for preaching against Judaism and we hear not the Jews stirring against him for it 2. What reason can be given why Paul should bend his disputations against converted Greeks more than against Jews Certainly the Jews had more need of confutation in their Judaism than the other had And 3. It is very questionable how converted Greeks which were strangers and sojourners at Jerusalem and among the Jews durst go about to kill a Jew in the midst of the Jews and there being not a Jew that had any thing to say against him It is therefore more than probable that these Hellenists were Jews that had lived among the Greeks or of the Grecian dispersion and that they used the Greek Tongue and that Paul chose to dispute with them partly for that they living among the Gentiles were by a kind of an Antiperistasis more zealously Jewish and partly because of their language the Greek Tongue which was the very language Paul had learned from a child The times of the stories next succeeding when the Text hath done with the story of Paul are somewhat unfixed and uncertain in what year they came to pass namely of Peters raising of Aeneas from sickness Dorcas from death and bringing in Cornelius to the Gospel But the best conjecture that can be given of the times of these stories is by easting and computing the history backward And so we find 1. That the famine prophecied of by Agabus was in the second of Claudius as was shewed before 2. We may then conceive that this prophecy of Agabus was in Claudius his first and that was the year or some part of the year that Paul and Barnabas spent at Antioch Act. 11. 26. 3. The last year of Caius we may hold to be the year of Antiochs first receiving the Gospel of Barnabas his coming thither and of his journey to Tarsus to seek Saul Act. 11. 20 21 22 23 24 25. And 4. the third year of Caius which was his last year but one we may suppose accordingly to have been the year of Peters actions with Aeneas Dorcas and Cornelius and to that year shall we refer the handling of the Texts that concern those actions and we will carry on the Roman and Jewish Story as they fall in time till we come thither PART II. The ROMAN Story §. 1. The Parthian war not yet composed TIridates seated in his Throne as was related before but as it proved neither sure in it nor in the hearts of all his people the first of these being caused by the latter he taketh in certain Parthian Towns and that by the Parthians own consent and aid For his Roman education compared with the Scythian carriage of Artabanus made the people to hope accordingly of his demeanour and to entertain him with present applause and future expectation The day of his Coronation being appointed letters from Phraates and Hiero two of the chiefest commanders in
commission to go preach among the Gentiles Acts 22. 18 21. And so he returneth from Jerusalem to Antioch where we shall have him the next year §. 2. Peter not this year at Rome This year the Romanists have brought Peter to Rome and made this the first year or beginning of his Episcopacy there For thus Baronius That Peter came to Rome this second year of Claudius the Emperor it is the common Opinion of all men And to this purpose he alledgeth Eusebius his Chronicle and Jerome de scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis and concludeth that others have written the same things concerning the time that there can be no doubt left of it It may be tolerated to insist a little the more largely upon the examination of this opinion not for that it is of any such great import in its own nature as for that it is made of so great by them for their own advantage For were it granted that Peter was Bishop of Rome and that he went thither in this year yet what great matter were there in this in common sense and reason But because unreasonable men have from hence or upon this foundation built the supremacy of the Pope the great delusion of the world let the same common sense and reason equally and impartially judge of the probability or improbability of this thing in these two parts into which this tenet doth fall of it self 1. Whether it be probable that Peter was Bishop of Rome at all 2. Whether it be possible that he could come thither this year according as they themselves have laid his progress and that he should set up an Episcopacy there Weigh the first by these First Peter was Minister of the Circumcision why then should he go settle himself to live and die among the uncircumcised He might indeed have preached to the uncircumcised as he travailed up and down as Paul did to the circumcised being the Minister of the uncircumcision but to take up his abode and residence and there to settle to live and die among them was a thing neither probable in the eyes of other men nor justifiable in him himself Secondly If Peter were at Rome in the sense and extent that the Romanists will have it then hath the Scripture omitted one of the greatest points of salvation that belongeth to Christianity For how many main points of Faith hath Popery drawn out of this one conclusion that Peter was Bishop of Rome as the Primacy of the Pope the infallibility of his Chair his absolute power of binding and loosing no salvation out of the Church of Rome and divers other things which all hang upon the Pin forenamed And it is utterly incredible 1. That the Holy Ghost that wrote the Scriptures for mans salvation should not express or mention a thing that containeth so many points of salvation 2. That Luke that undertook to write the Acts of the Apostles should omit this one act of Peter which is made of more consequence than all the actions of all the Apostles beside It is above all belief that he that would tell of Phillips being at Azotus and going to Caesarea Chap. 8. 40. Sauls going to Tarsus Chap. 9. 30. And Barnabas his going thither to him and divers other things of small import in comparison should omit the greatest and most material and of the infinitest import that ever mortal mans journy was for to that height is the journy of Peter to Rome now come if there had ever been such a thing at all Thirdly It is as incredible that Paul sending salutations to so many in Rome and again from so many there should omit to have named Peter at one time or other if he had been there What was become of Peter in these reciprocal kindnesses and salutations of the Saints one to another was he a sleep or was he sullen or what shall we make of him or was he not indeed at Rome at all But not to insist upon this question whether Peter were at Rome at all which hath been proved negatively by many Authors and by many undeniable Arguments let us look a little upon this foundation of his being there which hath been laid namely his coming thither this year which is the second thing to be taken into consideration And about this point there have been divers simple Ignoramus's in former time who so they held this first Article of the Roman Creed That Peter was Bishop of Rome five and twenty years and died in the last year of Nero and so believed as the Church believed they never cared to bring the head and heels together or to observe how the times agreed but have easily swallowed this camel of sensless computation that Peter went from the Councel of Jerusalem Acts 15. to Rome and there sate Bishop five and twenty years which expired in the last of Nero whereas betwixt the Councel at Jerusalem and the last of Nero there were but twenty years in all if there were so many But nimbler wits that cannot be caught in so plain and apparent a trap as this have found out a quainter and more curious date from which to begin the Chair of Peter at Rome than this and that is from the Story in the twelfth of the Acts of the Apostles Where Peter being apprehended by Herod after his murder of James the great and being delivered by an Angel and having acquainted the Disciples with his delivery they being together in John Marks house he is said to depart to another place which they say and you must believe it or they will take it very ill was to Rome and this was say they the second year of Claudius A long journey believe it to run to Rome to avoid danger at Jerusalem and Rome but a mad place to set up an Episcopacy in at this time as hath been plain in the preceding and will be also in the subsequent story of it But that we may see if not the impossibility yet the utter improbability of that his journy in this second of Claudius if that were the journy in the twelfth of the Acts it will not be impertinent to insert a story out of Josephus concerning Agrippa's return from Rome to Jerusalem where he slew James and imprisoned Peter PART II. The JEWISH Story §. Herod Agrippa his coming to Jerusalem CLAUDIUS the Emperor having attained the Empire as we have seen the more easily and readily by the mediation and agitating of Agrippa he would requite him like an Emperor for that his service and therefore he confirmed to him by Charter that Kingdom in which he had been inthroned by Caius adding also Judea and Samaria which had belonged to his Grandfather Herod from hence it may seem that he took that name and Abilene and the Region near it and appertaining to it in Lebanon which had belonged to Lysanias He caused also the Articles of a League betwixt himself and the King to be cut in brass and to be set up in the midst of
is so little The Chaldee writes the name of God with two Jods above and a Vowel under thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From hence some have picked an expression of the Trinity In the two letters the Father and the Son and in the vowel the Holy Ghost proceeding from both And from the aequidistance of the Letters and Vowel they gather the distinction of the Persons and by the nearests of all the unity of Essence Such another conceit hath Bonfinius in his Hungarian History When the Heresie of Arrius saith he had got head almost over all the world and was dilated as well by persecution as by disputation a Town in Gaul was besieged because it held the Orthodox Faith of the Sons coequality with the Father God to confirm this their faith shewed this Miracle As the Priest was at high Mass at the Altar behold three drops of bloud fell from Heaven upon the Altar lying a while in an equal distance one from another to shew the distinction of the three Persons at last in sight of all the People they met together to shew the Unity of Essence so the story But we have a more sure word of Prophecy That there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and these three are one The Chaldee sometimes useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dehhila and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dahhalah fear or terrour for God because of the fear that is due to him So Jacob coming from Syria and being to swear to a Syrian swears according to the Syrian or Chaldee Phrase By the fear of his father Isaac Gen. 31. 53. or by the God that Isaac feared as Onkelos and Jonathan render it CHAP. III. Of the Phrase The Sons of God Gen. 6. and Iob 1. ALL take this Phrase in Job to mean the Angels and truly in which sense while they have taken it in the sixth of Genesis they spoil all For hence they think that Angels lay with Women and begat Children So can Jarchi almost find in his heart to think and so Tertullian Lactantius and others Some tell what evil Arts. these Angels taught Women and how they begat mighty Children of them How far this conceit is from true Philosophy let Aristotle censure Merlin in Geffry Monmouth is recorded to be such another hatch believe it who list His vein of Prophecying can make Alanus de Insulis think it is so but I must needs confess it comes not into my Creed As some conceit that the fallen Angels or Devils here begat Children of Women so the Jews most wickedly fable that Adam begat Children of Devils Those hundred and thirty years say they that Adam was separated from Eve Devils came to him and he engendered with them and begat Devils and Spirits and Friends And again Four women are the mothers of Shedhim or Devils Lilith Naamah Ogereth and Mahlath I believe both these alike for I believe that neither is likely Both the Chaldees Onkelos and Jonathan render the sons of Elohim the sons of the Potentates or Judges taking the word Elohim in the same sense that it is taken in the middlemost verse of the book of Exodus cap. 22. 28. Thou shalt not curse Elohim or the Judges This opinion is far better than the former but Christians have a better than this That the House and Progeny of holy Seth are the Sons of God or the Church and the brood of Cains females were the Daughters of Men. Cypriano di valera in his Spanish Translation of Gen. 4. and the last verse translates it thus Entonces commenciaron llamarse Then begun men to be called by the name of God or by the name of the Lord And in the Margin he explains himself thus that then the Men of Seths House began to be a Publick Church and to be distinguished from Cains Family and to be called the sons of God Gen. 6. 2. CHAP. IV. Of the Phrase Sons of Man THis Phrase is frequent in Scripture and Rabbin Hebrew but most frequent in Chaldee and Syrian Bene Anasha Bar nosho In the latter of which the Syrian usually writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but leaveth out the first letter as that tongue doth frequently in other words use the like ecclipsis writing not as they read as it is said of the French Ezekiel in his Prophecy in Scripture Hebrew is frequently called son of man Why so often he and no other Prophet should be so stiled reasons are given by divers To me though far inferiour to all them the ground work seemeth to be because his Prophecy was written in Chaldean Captivity he useth the Chaldean Phrase Son of man that is O man The same Phrase Daniel useth in Chaldea Dan. 10. 16. CHAP. V. Of Japhets Plantation by his son Javan JAvan is generally held to be Greece And the Greek Tongue is by all Hebrews called the speech of Javan The Arabians do so stile the same language The Syrian in Romans the first Chapter verse 16. calls the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon what reason I cannot imagine Javan the son of Japhet is held to have planted or peopled this Country in memory of whose name the Jones are famous Monuments Moses saith he had four sons Elisha Tarshish Cittim and Dodonim which it is likely planted all the Country of Greece as far as into Italy Elisha and Dodonim dwelt at first near together and so did Tarshish and Cittim but their Posterity scattered far and near The Jerusalem and Babilon Targums do almost resolve us of these four Mens Plantations For Jonathan reads the fourth verse of the tenth of Genesis thus And the sons of Javan Elisha Elis Tarsus Acacia and Dardania Jeruselamy thus And the sons of Javan Elisha and the names of their Provinces Alastarasom and Dodonia Which last word Alastarasom I take to be mistaken by joyning two words together and missing the last letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mem for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samech which is easily done they be so like The word Alastarasom should without doubt be Alas or Elis Tarsus Elis frequent in all Authors Eilision in Homer in Baeot. Elensine in Plutarch in Theseo are places in Greece bearing the name of their old Planter Elisha Dodonim is registred in the name of old Dodona Tarshish left a memorial of himself in Cilicia in the City of Tarsus Which was as Pliny saith urbs libera a free City nat hist. lib. 5. and Saint Paul is free of that City Act. 22. Tarshish in Gen. 10. is the name of a man in Jonah 1. 3. in Chald. Paraphrase it is used for the Sea In Exod. 28. for a * * * The Pearl Tarshish in Ex. 28. 20. is rendred in English a Beryl in the Chalde Translations it is kâ—rmum iamma a Pearl of the Sâ—a Pliny speaks of kâ—ramides a Pearl near that name Terus Targum thinks Tarshish was Ashers stone but Jonathan that it was Zebulons And more likely
would have the Bible turned into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strom. 1. Pag. 124. That is For this were the Scriptures interpreted in the Grecians Tongue that they might have no excuse for their ignorance being able to understand our Scriptures if they would CHAP. XXIV Phrases taken from Iews in the New Testament THESE Phrases are by the great Broughton called Talmudick Greek when Jewish and Talmudical Phrases are used in Holy Writ Such is Gehenna frequent in all Rabbins Maranatha 1 Cor. 16. 22. the bitter excommunication The world to come so often used in the Gospel and nothing more often among the Jews and Chaldees Raka Matth. 5. 22. of which see Chap. 19. Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3. 8. whose names I find in the Chaldee Paraphrast with very little difference and a goodly legend of them As in Exod. 1. 15. Pharaoh slept and saw in his dream and behold all the land of Egypt was put in one scale and a * * * Chal. Taâ—la bar imera young lamb in the other scale and the lamb weighed down the scales of himself * * * Chal. Mliadh out of hand a Phrase most usual in Iews Authors and the very same in Eng. oâ—t of hand out of hand he sends and calls all the Sorcerers of Egypt and tells them his dream Out of hand Janis and Jimbres chief of the Sorcerers opened their mouths and said unto Pharaoh there is a child to be born of some of the Congregation of Israel by whose hands all the land of Egypt shall be wasted therefore the King consulted with the Jewish midwives c. And in Exod. 7. 11. He calls them Janis and Jambres And that you might the better understand who these two were the Hebrew comment upon the Chaldee Text saith They were Scholars for their art of enchanting to the noble wizard Balaam and so he fetches Zophar for authority to maintain them And to prove Janis and Jambres either very constant enemies and opposers to Moses or else very good dutiful Scholars to Balaam the Chaldee saith that these two were the two servants that went with Balaam Numb 22. 22. when he went to curse Israel Beelzebub or as the New Testament Greek calls it Beelzebul is a wicked phrase used by the Jews of Christ Mark 3. 22. and elsewhere Now whether this change of the last letter were among the Jews accidental or of set purpose I cannot determine Such ordinary variation of letters without any other reason even use of every Country affords So Reuben is in the Syrian called Rubil Apoc. 7. 5. So the Greek and Latine Paulus is in the Syrian Phaulus in Arabian Baulus But some give a witty reason of l in Beelzebul that the Jews in derision of the Ekronites god Baalzebub which was a name bad enough the god of a flie gave him a worse Baalzebul the god of a Sir-Reverence for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in Chaldean To omit any more Jewish Phrases honoured by the New Testament using them this very thing does shew the care is to be had for the right reading of the Greek since so many idioms and so many kinds of stile are used by it CHAP. XXV Ninivehs conversion Jonah 3. THE book of Jonah is wholly composed of wonders Some hold Jonah to be wonderful in his birth As that he should be the son of the Sarepta widow whom Eliah raised to life And because the mother of the child said Now I know that the word of God in thy mouth is true therefore he is called Ben Amittai the son of my truth whether the story may be called Ben Amittai or a true story let the Reader censure by the two Towns of Sarepta and Gath-hepher Howsoever Jonah was wondrous in his birth I am sure he was wondrous in his life A Prophet and a runnagate before his shipwrack a man drowned and yet alive in his shipwrack and a Preacher of Repentance and yet a Repiner at Repentance after The least wonder in the book is not the conversion of Niniveh It was a great wonder as D. Kimchi says that Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights and yet lived And it was another wonder that he was not stupid but continued in his senses and intellectuals and prayed And do but well consider it and it will appear almost as great a wonder that Niniveh so great a Town so long wicked in so short time should be converted To say as Rabbi Joshuah doth That the men of the Ship were got to Niniveh and had told all the occurrence about Jonah how they had thrown him over hatches and yet he it was that was among them and therefore they believed the sooner as it is without Authority so doth it lessen the wonder of the Towns conversion Jonah an unknown man of a forraign people to come into so great a City with a Fourty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed was strange But for the King upon so short a time to send a cryer to proclaim Repentance is as strange if not stranger Jonah proclaims the Town shall be destroyed the King in a manner proclaims the Town shall not be destroyed by proclaiming the means how to save it Repentance To say as * * * Aben Ezra gives 2. Reasons of poor force to provt that Ninlveh feared God in old time 1. Because otherwise he would not have sent his Prophet to them and so he lessens the wonder of Gods mercy 2. Because we read not that they brake their images therefore they had not any How far the Rab. is besides the cushion both for construction and reason one of small skill may â—edge Aben Ezra does That because the City is called Gnir gedholah leelohim a great City of God that therefore they feared God in old time but now in Jonahs time began to do evil is still to lessen the wonder about their conversion a stranger repentance than which the world never saw The old world had a time of warning of years for Ninivehs hours and yet eat and drunk till the flood came and then in the floods of many waters Repentance and Prayers would not come near God Psal. 32. Fair warning had Sodom by the preaching of Lot whose righteous soul they vexed and would not repent till their Hell as it were began from Heaven and fire and brimstone brought them to the lake of fire and brimstone and when the wicked seed of him that derided his fathers nakedness perished for their naked beastliness and their flames of lust brought them to flames on Earth and in Hell The men of Niniveh shall rise up in Judgment against the generation of the Jews and condemn them because these at the Preaching of Jonah Repented and they not for the Preaching of a greater than Jonah that was among them When the Master of the Vineyard sent his Servants nay his own Son they put him to Death In the Conversion
from the Phaenicians And Euphorus thinks that Cadmus was he that conveyed them Chaerilus in Eusebius makes Phaenicians and Jews all one For he nameth Jews in Xerxes army and names their Tongue the Phaenician his words be these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In English thus A wondrous people marcht behind along Their Dialect was the Phaenician Tongue On hill of Solymae they dwelt thereby A spacious lake not far remote doth lie These Phaenicians if you will call them so or Jews were the first that had Letters But the Jews were not Phaenicians indeed nor their Tongue the same yet for bordering of their Countries the Poet makes them all one The Phaenician is not now to be had unless the * * * The Syrian translating of the word Phaenicia in the New Testament seems to confirm this for true Punick or Carthaginian and Phaenick or Phaenician were all one which most like they were And then some few lines of the Tongue are to be found in Plautus his Paenulus which as Paraeus saith can little or nothing be made of Eusebius speaks of Sancuniathou that wrote the Phaenician History in the same Tongue but more of the Language he saith not But to the matter That Letters were so long in use before the giving of the Law I am induced to believe upon these reasons First Josephus is of this mind that Letters were before the Flood And the Scripture cites Enochs Prophesie which whether it were written by him or not is uncertain yet if there were any such thing those many places which we find of it in Tertullian Clemens and others do argue that so much could not punctually be kept by word of mouth A second reason to move me to think of Letters before the giving of the Law is to think of Josephs accounts in Egypt which seem almost impossible without writing Thirdly But omitting that I cannot see how all Arts and Sciences in the World should then flourish as considering their infancy they did without the groundwork of all Learning Letters Fourthly Again for the Jews upon the writing of the Law to be put to spelling as they that had never seen letters before and not to be able to read it had been a Law upon the Law adding to the hardness of it Fifthly Nor can I think that when Moses saith blot me out of thy book that he taketh the Metaphor from his own books which it is probable he had not yet written but from other books which were then abounding in the world Sixthly The Egyptian Chronicles of so many thousand years in Diodorus and Laertius I know are ridiculous yet their carefulness of keeping Records I have ever believed The Greeks were boys to them as it is in Plato and Moses was Scholar to them or their learning Act. 7. Now I cannot think that this their exceeding Humane Learning was kept only in their brains and none in writing Nor do I think that if it were written that it was decyphered only in their obscure Hieroglyphicks but that some of it came to ordinary writing of familiar letters CHAP. XXX Of the Hebrew Tongue WHO so will go about to commend the Hebrew Tongue may justly receive the censure that he of Rome did who had made a long book in the praise of Hercules This labour is in vain for never any one dispraised Hercules Other commendations this Tongue needeth none than what it hath of it self namely for Sanctity it was the Tongue of God and for Antiquity it was the Tongue of Adam God the first founder and Adam the first speaker of it In this Tongue were laid up the Mysteries of the Old Testament It begun with the World and the Church and continued and increased in glory till the Captivity in Babel which was a Babel to this Tongue and brought to confusion this Language which at the first confusion had escaped without ruine At their return it was in some kind repaired but far from former perfection The Holy Scriptures viewed by Ezra a Scribe fit for the Kingdom of Heaven in whose treasure were things New and Old In the Maccabean times all went to ruine Language and Laws and all lost and since that time to this day the pure Hebrew hath lost her familiarity being only known by Scholars or at least not without teaching Our Saviours times spake the Syrian Kepha Golgotha Talitha and other words do witness In aftertimes the unwearied Masorites arose helpers to preserve the Bible Hebrew intire and Grammarians helpers to preserve the Idiome alive but for restoring it to the old familiarity neither of them could prevail For the Jews have at this day no abiding City no Common-wealth no proper Tongue but speak as the Countries wherein they live This whereof they were once most nice is gone and this groat they have lost As the man in Seneca that through sickness lost his memory and forgot his own Name so they for their sins have lost their Language and forgot their own Tongue Their Cain like wandring after the murther of their brother according to the flesh Christ Jesus hath lost them this precious mark of Gods favour and branded them with a worse mark Cauterio conspirationis antiquae as saith Saint Bernard in another case Before the confusion of Tongues all the world spake their Tongue and no other but since the confusion of the Jews they speak the Language of all the World and not their own And that it is not with them so only of late but hath been long Theodoret beareth witness in these words Other Nations saith he have their children speaking quickly in their own mother Tongue Howbeit there are no children of the Hebrews who naturally spake the Hebrew Tongue but the Language of the Country where they are born Afterward when they grow up they are taught the letters and learn to read the Holy Scripture in the Hebrew Tongue Thus Theod. in quaest on Gen. 59. 60. About this their training up of their Children and growth of Men in their own Tongue and Learning a Rabbin hath this saying in Pirke Auoth Perek 1. Ben He he saith At five years old for the Scripture at ten for Mishneh at thirteen * * * Or Philacterits c. for the Commandment at fifteen for the Talmud At eighteen for Mariage at twenty for Service at thirty for Strength at forty for Understanding at fifty for Counsel at sixty for Old age at seventy for Gray Hairs at eighty ‖ ‖ ‖ Or fortitude of mind or God for Profoundness at ninety for Meditation at one hundred he is as Dead and past and gone out of the World The Jews look for a pompous Kingdom when Messias the Son of David shall come whom they watch for every moment till he come as it is in the twelfth Article of their Creed in their Common Prayer Book He shall restore them as they hope a temporal Kingdom and of that mind till they were better taught were the Apostles Acts 1.
New answers Holy is the Lord that hath performed The Old says Holy is the Father that gave the Law the New saith Holy is the Son that preached the Gospel and both say Holy is the Holy Ghost that penned both Law and Gospel to make men holy The two Cherubins in Salomons 2 Chron. 3. Temple stood so that with their outmost wings they touched the sides of the house and their other wings touched each other So the two Testaments one way touch the two sides of the house and the other way touch each other In their extent they read from the beginning of the World to the end from in the beginning to come Lord Jesus In their consent they touch each other with He shall turn the Heart of the Fathers to the children Mal. 4. 6 and He shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the children Luke 1. 17. Here the two wings joyn in the middle Tertullian calls the Prophet Malachi the bound or skirt of Judaism and Christianity a stake that tells that there promising ends and performing begins that Prophecying concludes and Fulfilling takes place there is not a span between these two plots of holy ground the Old and New Testament for they touch each other What do the Papists then when they put and chop in the Apocripha for Canonical Scripture between Malachi and Matthew Law and Gospel What do they but make a wall between the Seraphins that they cannot hear each others cry What do they but make a stop between the Cherubins that they cannot touch each others wing What do they but make a ditch betwixt these grounds that they cannot reach each others coasts What do they but remove the Land mark of the Scriptures and so are guilty of Cursed be he that removes his neighbours mark Deut. 27. 17. And what do they but divorce the mariage of the Testaments and so are guilty of the breach of that which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder These two Testaments are the two paps of the Church from which we suck the sincere milk of the Word One pap is not more like to another than are these two for substance but for Language they vary in colour The Old as all can tell is written in Hebrew but some forraign Languages are also admitted into Scripture besides the Hebrew as forraign Nations were to be admitted also to the Church besides the Hebrews A great piece of Ezra is Chaldee because taken from Chaldee Chronicles Those parts of Daniels visions that concern all the World are written in the Chaldee the Tongue then best known in the World because the Chaldeans were then Lords of the World The eleventh verse of the tenth of Jeremy is in the same Tongue that the Jews might learn so much of their Language as to refuse their Idolatry in their own Language Other words of this Idiom are frequent in the Scripture as I take two names given to Christ as Bar the son in Psal. 2. 10. and Hhoter the rod of Jesses stem Isa. 11. to be natively Chaldee Hhutra used by all the Targums for a rod in divers places words and for that they do shew the greater mystery viz. that this Son and this Rod should belong to Chaldeans and Gentiles as well as to Jew or Hebrews Infinite it is to trace all of this nature and Language The Arabian is also admitted into Scripture especially in the Book of Job a man of that Country whether Philistin Phrases and other adjacent Nations Dialects be not to be found there also I refer to the Reader to search and I think he may easily find of the eloquence of some pieces above others and the difficulty of some books above others those that can even read the English Bible can tell I would there were more that could read it in its own Language and as it were talk with God there in his own Tongue that as by Gods mercy Japhet dwells now in the tents of Sem or the Gentiles have gained the preheminence of the Jews for Religion so they would water this graffing of theirs into this stock with the juyce of that Tongue thereby to provoke them the more to Jealousie CHAP. XXXIII Of the New Testament Language or the Greek THE Greek Tongue is the key which God used to unlock the Tents of Sem to the sons of Japhet This glorious Tongue as Tully calls it is made most glorious by the writing of the New Testament in this Language God hath honoured all the Thucyd. lib. 1 letters by naming himself after the first and the last as Homer shews the receit of all the Grecian ships by shewing how many the greatest and how few the least contained Javan is held both by Jews and Christians to have planted the Country The Tongue is likely to be maternal from Babel The Jews upon Genesis the forty ninth think that Jacob curseth his sons Simeon and Levies fact in one word of Greek Macerothehem that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their swords but all the Chaldees and other Translations render it better their habitations Gen. 49. 5. The ancientest Heathen Greek alive is Homer though the Tongue was long before and Homers subject of Ilias treated of in Greek verse by Evanders Wife of Arcadia as some have related Homer watered the Tongue and in succeeding ages it flourished till it grew ripe in the New Testament The Dialects of it familiarly known to be five The Attick the Jonick c. The Macedonian was something strange as appears in Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. 5. Especially their devout Macedonian or about their oraisons How God scattered and divulged this Tongue of the Greeks over the World against the coming of Christ and writing of the New Testament is remarkable Alexander the great with his Macedonians made the Eastern parts Grecian The Old Testament at Ptolomaeus his request translated into Greek was as an Usher to bring in the New Testament when Japhet should come to dwell in the Tents of Sem. The Jews used to keep a mournful fast for that Translation but as Jews mourn so have Gentiles cause to rejoyce In like sort for the preparation for the Gospel of late which as far as Antichrist his power could reach lay depressed but not overwhelmed the Greek Tongue at the sacking of Constantinople by the Turks was sent into these Western climates that we might hear Christ speak in his own Language without an Egyptian to interpret to us as Joseph had to his brethren What need we now to rely upon a Latine foundation when we have the Greek purity Never did the Turk any good to Christianity but this and this against his will but God worketh all things for his own glory And we may say of the poor inhabitants of Grecia as of the Jews by their impoverishing we are inriched As Athens in old time was called the Grecia of Grecia so the New Testament for Language may be stiled the Greek of Greek In it as upon the
Children of Ammon 1 King XI 7. namely on the right hand of the Hill as you looked upon it from Jerusalem 2 King XXIII 13. In this Text of the Kings it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hor Hammashchith instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Har Hammishchah The Mount of Corruption instead of The Mount of Unction or of Olives the Holy Ghost branding the fact and the place for the fact with so visible and notable a mark of distaste and displeasure at it To so great a contrariety to what he once was when he was himself had Solomons Idolatrous Wives bewitched him that as he had built a sumptuous Temple on Mount Moriah to the true God so they perswade him to build an Idolatrous Temple to their abominations on Mount Olivet in the face of the Temple and â—ffronting it The valley beneath this accursed Idoleum was called The valley of Tophet and the valley of the Son or the Sons of Hinnom Jer. VII 31 32. and XIX 6 c. The valley of Tophet that is k k k Vid. Buxt Heb. Lex in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The valley of Drums or Tabers from the noise that was made with such kind of instruments to drown the cries and shrieking of the burning Children And the valley of the Sons of Hinnom that is the valley of Children of shrieking and roaring from the woful cries of those poor Children frying in the fire This was probably that which is called the valley of the carkasses or the dead bodies Jer. XXXI 40. of which name the Chaldee Paraphrast in that place hath given this reason Because the dead bodies of the Camp of the Assyrians fell there and to which Josephus also giveth testimony when he relateth that a place was called l l l Jos. de Bell. lib. 6. cap. 26. 31. The Assyrian Camp And here may we give a check a little to the peremptoriness of Rabbi Solomon upon the Text of Jeremy lest he grow too proud who glosseth the fortieth verse thus m m m R. Sol. in Ier. 31. 40. The valley of dead bodies is the valley where the carkasses of the Camp of Senacherib fell and the valley of the Ashes is the plaâ—â— whither they carried the ashes forth which was without Jerusalem These places they shall bring within the City even within the walls And this Prophesie is to be accomplished in the last redemption in despight of the Hereticks for it was not accomplished under the second Temple By Hereticks he virulently meaneth Christians who deny any other Messias yet to come and that there shall be any more an earthly Jerusalem For he would construe those words of the Prophet strictly according to the letter as if there should be a time when these valleys should be walled within Jerusalem really and indeed whereas the Prophet in mentioning of those most defiled and polluted places to be taken into the City meaneth only the bringing in of the Heathens who had been polluted with all manner of defilement of Idolatry and other abominations into the spiritual Jerusalem which is above or the Church And yet if we would follow him even in his literal construction we might shew out of his own Authors the Talmudists how Bethphage the Town that stood even in these places mentioned by the Prophet though it stood out of the Walls of Jerusalem yet by their own confession it is reckoned as a member or part of Jerusalem and so was that prophecy literally fulfilled by their own Chorography at the coming of our Messias But here is not a place for such disputes This was the prospect that you had before you on the right hand as you stood in the East-Gate of the Mountain of the Temple namely a part of Mount Olivet divided from the City Jerusalem by the valley of Tophet and by the valley of Ashes on the side of the valley near Jerusalem stood the Town Bethphage and on the Hill on the further side of the valley over against it stood Bethany renowned for the raising of Lazarus from the dead there and for our Saviours frequent resort thither and ascension thence Directly before you was the place upon Mount Olivet where they used to burn the Red Cow into purifying ashes when they had occasion to do such a work and n n n Maym. in Parah per. 3. in Shekalim per. 4. thither went a double arched Cawsey of the same manner of arching that we have mentioned under the Temple Courts and for the same caution namely for security against graves by which the Priest that went about that imployment might have been defiled and so the work mar'd Upon your left hand as you stood ran Mount Olivet still and the valley betwixt you and it and all along on the East point and on the North side of Sion was called the valley of Kidren of famous memory and mention in Scripture 2 Sam. XV. 23. 2 King XXIII 6. John XVIII 1 c. At the foot of the hill beyond this valley you might see Gethsemany or the place of the Oyl Presses whither they brought the Olives they had gathered upon Mount Olivet to be pressed and the Oyl got out And there it was whither our Saviour went after his last Supper and where he was apprehended having supped that night as it is most likely in Sion or the City of David CHAP. IV. Of the two South-Gates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gates of Huldah AS the East quarter of the enclosing Wall did face Mount Olivet so did the South quarter face Jerusalem the City it self For take we the whole City either built upon seven Hills a a a Jelammed fol. 52. as Tanchuma asserts it or upon three Acra Moriah and Sion as it is commonly described or add Bezetha and Ophla if you will the situation of it will be found thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b Iosaph ad Kelim That the Mountain of the Temple will be found lying Northward of Jerusalem and Sion Northward of the Mountain of the Temple And thus do the Jews in their Antiquities generally seat it and that not without sufficient warrant of the Scripture For how can those words of the Psalmist Beautiful for situation the joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion on the sides of the North Psal. XLVIII 2. be more properly and plainly interpreted than as Aben Ezra doth interpret them c c c Aben Ezr. in Psal. 46. Sion on the North side of Jerusalem And those words of Ezekiel He set me upon a Mountain by which was the frame of a City towards the South Ezek. XL. 2. who can give them a sense more genuine and proper than Kimchi hath done when he saith d d d Kimch in Ezek. 4. 2. The Mountain is the Mountain of the Temple and this City is Jerusalem on the South On this side therefore that faced Jerusalem or that looked South there were two Gates that were called e e
so long as four thousand years before Christ came to save Sinners p. 627. Why did Christ appear at that time of the World rather than any other p. 628. The Jews had dreadful Opinions about his coming p. 640 641. He healed all Diseases by his Touch but cast out Devils by his Word p. 642. The Diseases he cured were of three kinds p. 645. His Doctrines were comprised under Two Heads p. 645. He cured the Leprosie when the Priests could not yet Christ was tender of their reputation p. 648. He as God could do all things but as Messias nothing but as delegated and assisted by the Father As Son of God he hath all power in himself as Messias he hath all power put into his Hands by the Father p. 672 c. He was set up by his Father as King and Lord over all things affirmed in many places in Scripture He as God-man is Head of all Principality and Power five Reasons given for it p. 674. Further evidence of his being the Messias and how opposed therein by the Jews p. 680 681 682. His Life Doctrine and Miracles shewed him to be the Messias so did the Testimony of his Father John the Baptist and the Scriptures c. p. 682 683 684. His Resurrection and the History of it as also his eight several Apparitions after it p. 734 735. The year of his Ascention p. 738. The Age of the World at his Resurrection Death and Ascention p. 739. He was nailed to the Cross at the same time of the day that our first Parents fell viz. at twelve a Clock p. 748. At three a Clock he yielded up the Ghost then Adam received the promise p. 748. There was a general expectation of his appearance even when he did appear with the multitudes that then came to Jerusalem upon that account both Jews and Heathens then expecting him as is seen by their own Writers p. 751 752. Some things out of the Jewish Writers concerning the Judging Condemning and Executing of him p. 968. He paid his Church Duties p. 240. He was so poor as to be put to work a Miracle to get money p. 240. The Signs of his coming predicting his near approach what p. 462 463. Christ about the time of his death the scarlet List on the Scape Goats head turned not white as usually what against the Jews p. 1101. * Christians called by Suetonius Men of a new and evil Superstition or Religion so Tacitus calls their way a dangerous Superstition shewing how Nero persecuted them after Rome was fired as if they had been guilty to deliver himself from the just accusation of it p. 327 There was yet Christians in Nero's houshold p. 328. They were under Nero very bloodily and bâ—rbarously persecuted so as to move the pity of their Enemies saith Tacitus the Jews heightening that persecution against them p. 333 334. They were destroyed by Nero for a plot layed by himself against them the Heathens for real plotting against him now grown endlesly cruel p. 334. The Disciples were first called Christians at Antioch Page 871 Chronology was very exact from the Creation to Christs death but less cared for after the New Testament History was finished and why p. 777. The Heathen Chronology mistaken in numbring the Persian Kings 2066. * Church Church Duties were paid by Christ. p. 240. The Church a Title given the first Professors of the Gospel 871 Circumcision when and where instituted p. 13. It was renewed at Israels entring into Canaan as a Seal of the lease of the Land p. 40. It was not to be used under Christianity because the Jews looked upon it as an admission into the Covenant of Works p. 319. It enervated Justification by faith p. 319. It obliged to the observance of the whole Law p. 319. The reason of its Institution why it was not in the old World nor for some considerable time after the Flood that is why the Church injoyed it not of so long a time p. 464 465. When it was to cease 465. It was instituted in Hebron about the time of Easter p. 695. Circumcision and Meats made the difference between Jew and Gentile these being removed let the Gentiles into the Church p. 842. The Ends of its use and how used among others besides the Israelites p. 1007 1008 Citation or Quotation of Scripture one place of Scripture citing another doth sometimes change the words to fit the occasion 498 Cittim The name of a Man and of Italy and of part of Greece 996 City The City and Temple of Jerusalem were destroyed Anno Mundi exactly 4000. p. 487. Holy City the common and ordinary name for Jerusalem when even full of abomination and corruption Separatists may think of this p. 497. City what 647 Clean and Unclean Legal the Doctrine of them p. 30. The Priests could only pronounce not make Leapers clean 219 c. Cleopas was the same person with Alpheus p. 27. He had four Sons all Apostles 660 Clerks of the Sanhedrim what their Number and what their business 2006. * Cloak Paul's Cloak denoted his Jewish habit 3â—6 Cloister walks called Porches p. 661 668. Cloister Royal what 1061. * Closets for the Butchering Instruments and for the Priests Vestments described 1077. * Cloud the Cloud of Glory was taken away at Moses his death p. 40. And appeared again at the Sealing of the Great Prophet Christ. 710 Coat of the first Born what p. 905. And Coat of the High Priest and of the Ephod what 905 Coming of the Lord and the end coming denote the near approach of Vengeance on Jerusalem 332 333 335 338 342 343 Common or unclean what before the Flood and since 845 Community of Goods was not to level Estates but to provide for the Poor p. 278. How practised and of what extent 762 Communicating with others was sometimes in Sacred Things in Civil Things it was twofold 305 Communion with others was sometimes in Sacred Things in Civil Things it was twofold 305 Companying with others was sometimes in Sacred Things in Civil Things it was twofold 305 Confession of sins at Johns Baptism was after not before Baptism Page 456 457 Confirmation Imposition of Hands by the Apostles in all likelyhood was never used for Confirmation 788 Confusion of Tongues into what number of Languages it was divided 1009 to 1011 Consistory of Priests was called Beth-Din which transacted business in the Temple 914 Consolation of Israel Christs coming is often signified by that term 430 Conversion Repentance or Reformation was once general and wonderful 54 758 c. Conversion of Niniveh a very wonderful thing 1007 Cor what sort of Measure 545 Corus what sort of Measure 545 Corban what p. 237. The Gate Corban where and why so called 2020 2021. * Corinth something described 295 Cornelius a Roman Captain one that arived at an admirable height of Piety though not so much as a Proselite p. 285 286. Some things remarkable about his calling into the Gospel 832 c.
that of Christ. 638 Scribes and Doctors what they were 653 654 Scribes Rulers and Elders what 760 Scripture or Scriptures not corrupted by the Jews neither was it possible for them to do it to the prejudice of Christianity for several Reasons p. 373 374. Scripture affecteth to speak short in relating of Stories that were well known before p. 417. It was very much advanced by the very first word Christ spoke when he entred on his Ministry p. 505. In the Scripture things are sometimes said to be done in Act which were only Visions as Jer. 13. Ezek. 4. p. 505. It doth sometimes title things not as they were really in themselves but as they were in Mens apprehensions or to Mens purposes p. 513. God speaks so in the Scripture as may best suit the Capacity of the Hearers p. 576. The Primitive Jews did turn all the Scriptures into Allegory which did sadly taint the Church of Christ. p. 373. So that the writings of the Jews thereupon fly all in an higher-Region than the Writings of the Christians p. 860 to 862. The Scriptures seem one to misquote yea even to cross or deny another which shews their Majesty Page 451 496 498 Sea put for a multitude of People 343 Sea of Galilce Tiberias Cinnereth and Lake of Gennesareth were all one p. 632 633. The molten or brazen Sea described p. 2046. * It contained two or three thousand Baths 2046. * Seah what sort of measure 545 546 Sectaries such were Thâ—udas and Judas the Galilean p. 765 766. Such also were the Therapeutae 872 873 Selaa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what sort of coyn 1096. * Sects warping from the State Religion of the Jews were Pharisees Sadducees and Esseans these were Sectaries and Schismaticks 654 c. Seed of the Woman Christ was the seed of the Woman illustrated from Saint Luke's Genealogy and Christs calling himself the Son of Man 471 491 537 Seed of Abraham was a thing the carnal Jews much boasted of 571 Seeing a thing in Scripture doth frequently signifie to be in it or partake of it 562 Sem taken to be Melchisedeck 11 12 Seneca its possible saw Paul 322 Separatist Christ constantly went to the publick he was no Separatist p. 613. Separatists are to observe the practise of Christ. p. 548 549 613 995. The Pharisees were Separatists 656 to 658 September was a very famous Month. 204 210 211 427 Septuagint Bible was commonly in the Hands of the Jews in Christs time the Hebrew not being understood 220 Septuagint Interpreters are guilty of thousands of miscarriages constantly varying and putting in Men and Places at their own pleasure p. 1004 c. Their Translation is too highly esteemed by some and why 1005 Sepulchres were decked by the Jews 256 Serpent lift up in the Wilderness what the Jews write referring to it p. 579. Believing in Christ for Salvation excellently illustrated by being healed by looking on the brazen Serpent 579 Servant denoted by unloosing the shoo-latchet 212 Servants of Christ what is done by them is said to be done by Christ himself 581 Service in the Temple performed at the ninth hour what p. 277. Service in the Temple morning and evening the manner and management of it p. 941. It used to begin with bathings p. 941. The Officers employed therein cast Lots for every Mans task p. 942 943. They cleanse and dress the Burnt-offering Altar p. 942 943. Thirteen particular Services belonging to particular Men. p. 943. The Killing the morning Sacrifices the Dressing the Lamps and Altars p. 943. Parcels of the Temple Service as the Kings reading the Law p. 980. The Priests Burning of the Red Cow p. 981. The Tryal of the suspected Wife p. 982. The Attoning for a cleansed Leper p. 983. The manner of bringing and presenting their First Fruits and Wood for the Altar 984 Seventh-Day why not bounded with the same limits that the rest are 692 Sextarius what sort of Roman measure 546 c. Seventy or the Greek Translation all the World used the Old Testament in Christs time in the Greek Tongue unless such as had Learned the Hebrew Tongue p. 419. The Seventy Translation when where and how begun it hath many Errors in it wilfully done by the Translators with the Reasons why and how therefore the cause is shewed why it is made use of in the New Testament even in some of those untrue Translations and the Reason is good Page 488 to 491 Seventy weeks of Daniel what 136 Shadow of Peter wrought Miracles as it seemeth 764 Shaking dust off the feet what 291 Shammai's and Hillel's Scholars were in constant quarel 514 Shekel what p. 1096. * When and where the half Shekel mentioned Exod. 30. 13. was to be paid p. 1095. * The Receivers of it began to sit yearly twenty days before the Passover 1095. * Shew-bread Table what p. 720 1083. * With the manner of placing the Loaves thereon and what it signified p. 1083. * Where it was prepared Page 2019. * Shibta what 245 246 Shoo-latchet the unloosing it denoted a Servant 212 Sichem and Sychar the same p. 593 597. The reason why it was called Sychar 597 Signs of Christs coming predicting his near approach what p. 462 463. Signs presaging Jerusalems destruction 1101. * Silas it may be was called Tertius 315 Siloam the same with Gibon it was a famous Fountain whose waters were said to have extraordinary Vertues p. 667 668. Siloam a sweet Fountain without Jerusalem and ran to each end of it 1054. * Silver thirty pieces of Silver for which Christ was sold was the price of a Servant weighing three hundred and eighty four Barly Corns 259 Simeon and Simon the same name much used 531 Simeon Rabbi Simeon supposed to be the Simeon mentioned Luke 2. p. 2009. * Rabban Simeon three of the name Presidents of the Sanhedrim part of their History 2009. * Simon Magus part of his History p. 280 281. He was baptized and a great Heretick he had a Whore-Scoreress His strange Blasphemies 787 Simon who was called Niger who conjectured 288 Sin Judgments against it 92 Sin-offering for sins ignorantly committed what p. 929. The distinction of their Sin-offering p. 930. The Sin-offerings of particular Persons what p. 931. Several particulars for the further knowledge of the Sin-offering 932 Sinai and Horeb the same 711 Singers and Temple Musick what p. 919. Singers were divided into Courses their Musick Vocal and Instrumental 919 Singular number put for the Plural 420. Marg. Sink of uncleanness what 1050. * Sinners such as were Great are often mentioned in Scripture Genealogies of the Church for comfort to those that are penitent 26 Sion Mount Sion without Jerusalem 1049. * Sit or walk when used in a borrowed sense in Scripture do indifferently signifie to be or to continue 624 Sitting at the Sacrament and Meat how used among the Jews p. 959 960. Sitting was the posture of the Teachers of the people among the Jews the people standing round about
them 243 619 Sixth hour was twelve a Clock or high-noon the Jews used to pray evening morning and at noon so did the Apostles after Converts to the Gospel 844 Slaughter at one time five hundred thousand the greatest ever recorded in History 78 So how used 593 Marg. Sodomites besides the Men of Sodom 80 Solomon was but twelve years old when he made choice of Wisdom above all p. 73 125. He exceeded all Kings upon Earth in Wisdom Power Peace and Magnificence 47 Songs and Musick what was used on the Sabbath and at other times 923 924 Son variously used Page 659 Son of God in Scripture only applicable to Christ In the plural number it belongs to Saints p. 504. Christ called the Son of God 535 Sons of God in Gen. 6. and Job 1. what 995 Son of Man Christ so called often but only by himself to shew his humanity and his being the second Adam p. 471 491 537. Others called by that Name why p. 537. A Title given to Christ what p. 678. As opposed to the Son of David what p. 679. Son of Man is a Chaldean Phrase 996 Sosipater in all probability was Sopater of Berea 315 Souldiers their Duties 462 Space the utmost space within the great Wall was commonly called the first Temple 1089. * Spirit of God is often used in the Scriptures for the Holy Ghost but ever in the Hebrew the Spirit of Elohim plural to shew his descent from the Father and the Son against the Greek Church 482 Spirit being born of it what p. 571 573. In Scripture it is compared to Fire and Water the reasons 600 Spirits seven Spirits put for the Holy Ghost a common speech among the Jews 341 Standing was the posture of the Jewish people when they heard their Teachers 241 Star what it was the Wisemen saw where it was they saw it and how upon the sight of it they could conclude that it related to a King of the Jews 437 438 Stationary Men were Israelites that did attend the Temple Offerings and Service these stood to be a representative Congregation c. 924 925 Stephen his accusation before the Sanhedrim The Heads of his Vindication 279 280 Stile of the Jews much followed in the New Testament 213 214 Stocks in the House of the Lord what and of what use 2017. * Stoned what Criminals were to be stoned with the manner of it 282 Stoning a Capital punishment how used among the Jews 2007. * Strangers which was that part of the Temple into which strangers might not come 1089. * Strangled things about not eating them what 293 Strangling a Capital punishment among the Jews how performed 2006. * Stripes whipping or Scourging upon the censure of the Judges and the receiving forty or thirty nine stripes what 901 Study Ministers were to be fitted for their Ministry by Study so were the Priests and Levites accomplished Prophets and inspired Men were only occasional Teachers but those the constant for Prophesie was but sometimes and now and then long wanting as under the second Temple and the People could only be taught by Learned Men because then the Scriptures were in an unknown Tongue to the common people 357 Sufferings sometimes called Baptism 250 Sun and Moon being darkned signifies the Eclipsing the Glory and Prosperity of a Kingdom or a People 344 Sunsetting began and ended the day among the Jews 642 643 Suppers of Christ several p. 258. The Supper in which Satan entred into Judas was two days before the Passover day came 258 260 Shushan the Palace portraied on the East Gate and why 1052. * Swearing by the Temple the custom of the Jews 256 Swine hated by the Jews loved by the Romans 231 Sychar and Sichem the same p. 593 597. Sychar the reason of the name 597 Sycophants were at the first good Officers but afterwards the Term became a reproach 449. Marg. Synagogue in every great Town the Jews had a Synagogue and a Divinity School p. 299. In the Synagogue were had Prayers Reading and plain Sermons in the Divinity School were the high Dogmatical and Controversal Points about their Law p. 299. Every Synagogue had Civil as well as Sacred Governors and Rulers who Judged and Sentenced in Worldly Matters and that both within and without Judea p. 302. So that the Jews were generally judged by their own Magistrates p. 302. Episcopus an Overseer is a Synagogue Officers Term so are most of his Qualifications fetched thence mentioned in the 1 Tim. p. 308. There were four hundred and sixty Synagogues others say more in Jerusalem p. 363. The Land was full of Synagogues which were frequented every Sabbath day and the second and fifth Days of the Week p. 370. The Antiquity and Divine Institution of Synagogues p. 608 to 613. High Places were Synagogues p. 608. It s the Idolatry rather than the Places rebuked in Scripture p. 609. There were very many Synagogues Page 610 Synagogue Days or Times of meeting there were three every week viz. the second and the fifth Days of the week as well as the Sabbath besides Holy Days 291 610 611 Synagogue Officers how they sat in their Synagogues 611 Syria exceeding numerously inhabited by the Jews and in divers things privileged with Canaan some question whether after Davids conquest of it it was not a part of Canaan p. 219. From thence had Israel their greatest afflictions p. 425. It comprehended all the Country of the Jews both within and without Jordan by which we see the Heathens as well as the Jews came to Christ. 645 646 Syrian Language was the common speech of the Jews 419 T. TAbernacle its Form Idea Representation Dimensions Silver Foundation Walls and Juncture p. 716 717. The Curtains of it p. 718 719. Of the most Holy place p. 719. The Table of Shew-bread c. p. 720. The Motions and Stations of the Ark and Tabernacle p. 2060. 2062. * High places were lawful till the Tabernacle was set up in Shilo p. 2060. * How long it abode there p. 2060. * The removal of it from Shilo to Nob thence to Gibeon was by divine Warrant Page 2061. * Tabernacles The Feast thereof p. 243. Feast of Tabernacles the Nature Occasion and Reason of its Institution p. 477. The manner of the Celebration thereof p. 974 to 979. There was more rejoycing in this Feast than any other p. 974 c. The variety of Sacrifices then used 974 975. The Palm and Willow Branches p. 975 976. The Pomeâ—iteron Apples p. 976. The pouring out of Water with their Rejoycing and Rubrick of every days Service 977 to 979 Tables the two Tables the Golden and the Marble in the Porch described p. 1078. * The Shewbread Table with the manner of placing the Loaves upon it 1082. * Talmud of Jerusalem was compiled by R. Jochanan President of the Sanhedrim about A. C. 230. p. 369. The Talmud hath two parts the Mishneh and Gemera it is the Jews Council of Trent it s the sum of their Doctors
Pharisees for the Sanhedrim And 2. From those words of Christ to the Woman Hath no man condemned thee Which seem to imply that those that brought her had power to judge and condemn her To give one instance more In the Handful of Gleanings upon Exod. Sect. XLIX he treats of the manner of giving forth the Oracle of Urim and Thummim and so he does also in his Sermon upon Judg. XX. 27 28. but with this variety there he relates it to be by an Audible Voice from the Lord from off the Propitiatory and this being heard by the Priest was told to the people But here he corrects his former thoughts telling us it was by no heavenly Voice but that God presently inspired the High Priest with the Spirit of Prophesie and by that he resolved the doubt and question put to God by the people Which we may conclude to be his last and ripest thoughts in that matter I need not particularize any other passages in these Sermons where notions mentioned elsewhere in the Authors Books are repeated with no small advantage And where they are not so they are either wholly left out where it might be done without making a chasm and break in the thread of the discourse or where it could not without that inconvenience they are only mentioned briefly in transitu Perhaps some few passages may be censured as seeming to reflect upon the Doctrine or practice of our Church But to this I answer That they only seem to do so And if the Reader will but calmly and deliberately view those passages again he will find that they may admit of a very fair construction and the most that they speak is against placing the sum of Religion in Ceremonies and outward Formalities or the needless multiplying of them not against a sober and intelligent use of the Rites of the Church as they are appointed to be used for the preserving decency and order and promoting edification And he is very severe that will not overlook some things and pass a favourable construction upon others considering the times wherein our Author lived and what Doctrines then prevailed and carried away many good though unwary Men as with a strong and scarcely to be resisted torrent And allowance may the more reasonably be given to some few things seemingly obnoxious to censure for the sake of many others which do greatly inculcate peace and conformity and the Authority of the Church and decry separation from the National established Church I instance only in that excellent Sermon Preached in the late unhappy times in a publick Audience upon John X. 22. Where the argument of our Saviours holding communion with the Jewish Church in the publick exercise of Religion is so fully and incomparably managed that it was within these few years almost resolved to be made publick by it self for the use and information of our Dissenters which if read and considered by them with a candid and unprejudiced mind would certainly set them clear of their scruples and bring them with abundance of satisfaction into the bosom and Communion of our Church And beside that in his Sermon upon Jude vers 12. he discourseth against Praying by the Spirit and Enthusiastical pretences to revelation In that upon Luke XI 2. He argues most excellenty for set Forms of Prayer and particularly for the use of the Lords Prayer that was at that time ready to be quite justled out of Gods Worship And it was observable at that time that the Doctor ended both his Prayers both before and after that Sermon with the Lords Prayer In that Sermon speaking about casting away Religious usages because abused he hath these remarkable words Now I cannot but think how wild it is to reject a good thing in its self because another hath used it evilly This is just as if a Man should cut down Vines to avoid drunkenness How subject is he that makes it all his Religion to run from superstition to run he knows not whither And again in the same Sermon I know not what reformers should more study than to observe how near Christ complied with things used in the Jewish religious practice and civil converse that were lawful Once more in his Discourse upon 1 Cor. XIV 26. towards the conclusion he propounds two things to be considered by them who scrupled at the Religious exercise of singing Psalms because it is no where commanded to sing after that manner and with those circumstances that we do 1. That there is no plain grounds why to refrain but most plain why to sing 2. Where a duty is commanded and a scruple ariseth from some circumstance it is safer to go with the command than from it The reason I have selected these passages is to shew how our Author stood affected to the Church And indeed by these and many other expressions that are scattered in his Sermons we may plainly see that peaceableness and keeping Communion with the Church was his great principle and that his great aim in the late times was to keep up the honour of the publick Ordinances and the publick Ministry in reputation and to maintain the necessity of good Works against Antinomianism and the divine Authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures and the necessity of humane Learning in the Clergy against Enthusiasm then the great prevailing Errors And I make no doubt that by such means and Doctrines as these the blessing of God accompanying our Author did very good service to Religion and Truth then and did educate and train up young Students in the University and other Christians his Auditors into a readier and more chearful conformity to our present Church In a word All his Sermons breath a true Spirit of piety and inward goodness and an intire desire to be instrumental to the right understanding of the Holy Scriptures for the propagation of Gods glory and the building up of Christians in real substantial piety and true saving knowledge And they carry a plain easie unaffected strain of humble Oratory condescending to the meanest capacity and which hath something peculiar in it to raise attention and to make a wonderful impression upon the affections I mean by offering frequently something new and surprizing and intermixing sudden Apostrophes and affectionate and close Interrogations And now in the last place I must account for my self and for what I have done in the publishing these discourses Mr. John Duckfield Rector of Aspeden in Hertfordshire the Authors Son in Law and one of his Executors to whom the World is in the first place beholden for permitting them to be made publick kindly imparted to me the deceased learned Mans scattered Papers and MSS. and among the rest his Sermon-notes From the love and honour I had to his memory and his Learning I diligently set my self to the perusal of them and being not a little pleased with many of the Notes I resolved to select a few out of a great many with a design to let them see
celebrated fell out on the Sabbath they could not tell whether the Passover should take place of the Sabbath or no But they said there is here a certain Babylonian Hillel by name who was brought up under Shemaiah and Abtalion he can resolve us whether the Passover should take place of the Sabbath or no they sent therefore for him and said to him Have you ever heard in your life that is have you received any Tradition whether when the fourteenth day falls on the Sabbath the Passover should take place of the Sabbath or no He answered Have we but one Passover that takes place of the Sabbath yearly or are there not many Passovers that put by the Sabbath yearly namely the continual sacrifice He proved this by arguments a pari from the equality of it from the less to the greater c. But they did not admit of this from him till he said May it thus and thus happen to me if I did not hear this of Shemaiah and Abtalion When they heard this they immediately submitted and promoted him to the Presidentship c. It belonged to the President chiefly to sum up the votes of the Elders to determine of a Tradition to preserve it and transmit it to posterity and these things excepted you will scarce observe any thing peculiar to him in judging which was not common to all the rest Nothing therefore hindred but that the High Priest and the other Priests while he excelled in quality and they in number might promote acts in the Council above the rest and pursue them with the greatest vigor but especially when the business before them was about the sum of Religion as it was here and in the examples alledged of Paul and Stephen It was lawful for them to whose office it peculiarly belonged to take care of sacred things to shew more officious diligence in matters where these were concerned than other men that they might provide for their same among men and the good of their places The Council indeed might consist of Israelites only without either Levites or Priests in case such could not be found sit u u u u u u Maimon Sanhedr cap. 2. Thus it is commanded that in the great Council there should be Levites and Priests but if such are not to be found and the Council consists of other Israelites only it is lawful But such a scarcity of Priests and Levites is only supposed was never found they were always a great part if not the greatest of the Council Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai the Priest was either now Vice-president of the Council or next to him Priests were every where in such esteem with the people and with the Council and the dignity and veneration of the High Priest was so great that it is no wonder if you find him and them always the chief actors and the principal part in that great Assembly VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now when Iesus was in Bethanie c. THAT this Supper in Bethanie was the same with that mentioned Joh. XIII I dare venture to affirm however that be taken by very many for the Paschal Supper Let us examine the matter a little home I. This Supper was before the Passover so was that that this was so none need doubt no more may they of the other if we consider these things 1. It is said by John in express words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before the Feast of the Passover vers 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Passover indeed not seldom signifies the Lamb it self sometimes the very time of eating the Lamb sometimes the Sacrifice of the day following as Joh. XVIII 28. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Feast of the Passover always signifies the whole seven days Paschal Feast both in the language of the Scripture and of the Talmudists a Jew would laugh at one that should interpret it otherways 2. When Christ said to Judas going out What thou dost do quickly some thought he meant this Buy those things which we have need of for the feast at the twenty ninth verse For what Feast I pray for the Paschal Supper That according to the Interpreters which we here oppose was just past For the remaining part of the Feast of that solemnity Alass how unseasonable where were those things I pray then to be bought If this were the very night on which they had just eaten the Lamb the night of a feast-day was festival where were there any such markets to be found then It was an unusual thing indeed and unheard of to rise from the Paschal Supper to go to market a market on a festival night was unusual and unheard of It would argue some negligence and little good husbandry if those things that were necessary for the feast were not yet provided but that they must be to run now late at night to buy those things they knew not where they knew not how It is certainly very harsh and contrary to reason to understand these thing thus when from the first verse the sense is very plain Before the feast of the Passover The Passover was not yet come but was near at hand the Disciples therefore thought that our Saviour had given order to Judas to provide all those things that were necessary to the Paschal solemnity against it came 3. Observe also that of Luke Chap. XXII 3 c. Satan entred into Judas and he went his way and communed with the chief Priests c. And after in the seventh verse Then came the day of unleavened bread Hence I enquire is the method of Luke direct or no if not let there be some reason given of the transposition if it be direct then 't is plain that the Devil entred into Judas before the Passover but he entred into him at that Supper in Joh. XIII v. 27. therefore that Supper was before the Passover For 4. Let them who take that Supper in Joh. XIII for the Paschal-Supper tell me how this is possible that Judas after the Paschal-Supper at which they do not deny that he was present with the rest of the Disciples could make his agreement with the Priests and get his blades together ready to apprehend our Saviour and assemble all the Council ver 57. The Evangelists say that he made an agreement with the chief Priests Mat. XXVI 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with the Captains Luk. XXII 4. and with all the Council Mark XIV 41. but now which way was it possible that he could bargain with all these in so small a space as there was between the going out of Judas from Supper and the betraying of our Lord in the Garden What were these all together at Supper that night This is a matter to be laughed at rather than credited Did he visit all these from door to door And this is as little to be thought since he had scarce time to discourse with any one of them Every one supped this night at home the master of
of the King of Assyria which took Manasseh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in manacles The Targum on 2 Chron. XXXIII thus renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where I am apt to suspect the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is ill writ instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I stand corrected very willingly if I guess amiss In those words of our Saviour Bind the unprofitable servant hand and foot c. it is plain to see how he alluded to manacles and fetters VERS XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is his Angel THAT is An Angel in his shape for it was familiarly received amongst them that the Angels did sometimes put on the shape of this or of that person u u u u u u Deâ—aearim rabba fol. 290 4. It is written he hath delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh Bar Kaphra saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Angel descended in the shape of Moses and made him flee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they that came to lay hold on Moses thought the Angel to be Moses The Gloss is The Angel quickned Moses in his flight so that those that sought for Moses were very little solicitous about him because they thought the Angel was Moses * * * * * * Midr. Coheleth fol. 87. 4. The Holy blessed God saith I have said to mirth what doth it What doth that crown in thine hand Descend from my throne in the same hour an Angel descended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the shape of Solomon and sat upon his throne It is well known that the Jewish writers do take Elias for the Angel of the Covenant Mal. III. 1. and how often have we Elias appearing in the shape of this or of that man x x x x x x Sâ—nhedr fol. â—0â— 1. Elias came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and seemed unto them as one of themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y y y y y y â—â—eroâ— Kilaim 〈…〉 32. â— On a certain day Elias came to R. Judah the Holy in the shape of R. Chaiah Rubbah c. having touched his teeth he took away their pain the next day R. Chaiah Rubbah came to him and said how doth Rabbi how do his teeth To whom he replyed from the time that thou touchedst my teeth with thy fingers they were healed VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because their Country was nourisht by the Kings Country HERE we may call to mind that of Ezek. XXVII 17. Judah and the land of Israel O Tyre were thy Merchants they traded in thy markets wheat of Minnith and Pannag and Honey and Oyl and Balm So the Latine the Interlinear our English and the Italian Versions But others make Minnith and Pannag not places but Merchandise ware namely the Syriac Arabic Greek and the Chaldee especially who hath rendred the words so that R. Solomon and R. Kimchi confess they knew not well what he means As for Minnith we have it mentioned in Judg. XI 33. for which the Syriac hath Makir for a reason not known and the Greek Arnon for no reason at all As for Pannag we meet with it no where else Whatever it be the words of the Prophet hint to us the same thing that the Evangelist doth here which is strengthned also from that in 1 King V. 11. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures oâ—…heat for food to his houshold and twenty measures of pure Oyl thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year VERS XXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being eaten of worms he gave up the Ghost JOSEPHUS speaks more sparingly in this matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pains of his belly came thick upon him speaking only of the torments of the belly and suppressing the cause And that as it should seem not only to conceal the Kings reproach but to add something of honour to him For lay that passage in the Talmud to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many just persons have dyed of the pain in the bowels z On the contrary to be devoured by worms was reckoned an x Schabb. f. 118 2. accursed thing and what befel none but men of greatest impiety * * * * * * Soâ—aâ— s. 35. 1. Those that went to spy out the land of promise and raised an evil report upon it They had their Tongues hanging out and falling upon their Navels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and worms issued out of their Tongues and crept into their Navels and issued out of their Navels again and crept into their Tongues ‖ ‖ ‖ ‖ ‖ ‖ Hieros Joma fol. 39. 1. A certain Priest a Baithusean as it should seem made incense without and brought it within There are who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that his Nose hung down issuing out with worms and that something like a calves hoof grew in his forehead CHAP. XIII VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were some in the Church that was at Antioch COMPARE that passage Chap. XI 27. with this place and neither the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some will seem redundant nor the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so harsh There came some Prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch when yet there were in the Church of Antioch some Prophets of their own already And it seems to hint that the separation of Paul and Barnabas to the Ministry was done by the stated Ministers of that Church and not by others that came thither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophets and Teachers These offices indeed are distinguisht 1 Cor. XII 28. and Ephes. IV. 11. but here they seem as if they were not so to be for the Church of Antioch was not yet arrived at that maturity that it should produce Teachers that were not endowed with the Holy Ghost and the gift of Prophesie and the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to intimate some such thing viz. that according to the state of the Church then being in that place there were nay it was necessary there should be prophetick Teachers because there was not any who by the study of the Scriptures was become fit for that office But why then is it not rather said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophetick Teachers than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophets and Teachers Namely because there were Prophets who were not ordinary Teachers but acted in their Prophetick office occasionally only and they were such as rather foretold things to come than ordinarily preacht or taught chatechistically But these were both Prophets and constant Preachers too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Manaen which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch So Menahem is writ in the Alexandrian copy at 2 Kings Chap. XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manaen but the Roman hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manaem This our Manaens education with Herod the Tetrarch brings to mind what is related in Juchasin c c c c c c Fol. 19.
dreadful accomplishment of that denuntiation The other Texts I mentioned they shew the natural and genuine product of the Gospel They shall beat their swords into plow shares c. But when will that be Never according to universal obtaining Ever have been Wars and ever will be because ever will be Lusts. And yet these are fulfilled in the sence proposed by the Prophets viz. that God hath fully afforded means for this The Gospel hath enough in it to move men to peace but the fault is in themselves God hath not failed but men fail As it is in Rom. III. 3. What if some did not believe shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect So what if some be unpeaceable shall their divisions make the Gospel of peace of none effect So in other prophesies to make like construction Jer. XXXI 34. They shall no more teach every man his neighbour for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest It never was never will be Esa. LXV 20. There shall be no more thence an Infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days It never was nor will be Yet God hath accomplished what he promised He hath afforded means that it might be so Let me therefore leave this great copy of peaceableness and communion with you A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE Staffordshire-Natives At St. Mary Wolchurch LONDON Novemb. 22. 1660. S. JUDE Vers. 12. These are spots in your Feasts of Charity I Must take up that Stile and Strain of excuse to begin withal that St. Paul doth to his Countrymen about his Appeal unto Coesar I have nothing saith he to accuse my Nation of though I have been put upon it to make such an Appeal So I I have nothing Dear Country-men to accuse this your Feast of Charity of nor nothing to accuse any of that are to come to it though I have chosen these words that speak so point blank of spots that occurred in such kind of Feasts But I have fixed upon the words partly that I might speak in some kind of parity to that discourse that I made to you at our last meeting upon this occasion and chiefly that I might give you caution against such that to Feasts are spots to Charity destructive and to all meetings dangerous Who they were that our Apostle meaneth I shall clear to you by these two Observations I. That as it was foretold by the Holy Spirit in the Prophets that the best and most comfortable things that ever should accrue to the Church of the Jews should accrue to them in the last days that is of Jerusalem For so is that expression the last days in most places of Scripture to be understood So was it also foretold by the same Spirit that the worst things that ever should accrue to it should be in those last days also It was foretold that in those last days Esa. II. 2. That the mountain of the Lords house should be established in the top of the mountains and should be exalted above the hills and that all Nations should flow unto it That in those last days Joel II. 29 30 c. God would pour out his Spirit upon the servants and upon the handmaids and that he would shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth c. That in those last days Hos. III. 5. the Children of Israel should return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and should fear the Lord and his goodness And all other things of the greatest comfort So it was also foretold That in those last days perilous times and persons should come II Tim. III. 1. In those last days there should come scoffers walking after their own lusts II Pet. III. 3. In those last days there should be many Antichrists I Joh. II. 18. And by this we know that it is the last time Among all other the sad things that befel in those last days of Jerusalem and the Commonwealth of the Jews one of the greatest was that there was a most horrid and very general Apostacy or falling away from Faith in the most Churches of the Jews that had embraced the Gospel they turning back to their old Judaism and vain Traditions again Of this the Spirit had spoken expresly I Tim. IV. 1. Of this our Saviour had foretold in that sad application of the Parable Matth. XII 45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came out and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation The Devil had been cast out of a very great part of the Nation of the Jews He thought to find rest there but found none such notable success had the Gospel of Christ found in that Nation Upon which the Devil marshalleth up all his malice strength and subtility taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself and so he at last prevails to cause a grievous defection in the People from Christianity they enter in and dwell there and their last state was worse than their first So was it with that generation Of this he had foretold Matth. XXIV 12. And because iniquity shall abound the Love of many shall wax cold Of this the Apostle speaketh II Thess. II. That before the terrible day of the Lord and his vengeance against Jerusalem for â—â— that phrase doth signifie almost continually there should be a falling away Of this you find sad footings in the Church of Galatia Gal. III. 3. IV. 9 10. of Colosse Col. II. 20. of Ephesus Revel II. 4. And indeed you may track the footing of it in all the Epistles of the Apostles II. The chief cursed promoters and procurers of this backsliding was that multitude of false Teachers of the Jewish Nation that went about pretending to have the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation and many of them working Miracles by the power of Magick so shaâ—â—ing the minds of men and drawing them away from the Faith of the Gospel of Christ. Of these our Saviour had foretold when he foretold of the miseries that should occur in those last days of Jerusalem Matth. XXIV 24. Of these the Apostle foretold when he spake of the Jewish Antichrist for of the Jew he speaks II Thes. II. and saith he would come after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders vers 9. And of these the same Apostle speaks in that obscure place I Cor. XII 3. No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed For divers went about pretending to the Spirit and yet cursed our Lord Jesus Mention and footing of these you may
such as I described unto you false Teachers that pretended to the Spirit and to preach and work Miracles by the Spirit And I shall discourse a little concerning the great delusion that is by pretence of the Spirit and this the rather that I may speak something like in subsequence to that I treated upon at our last Meeting Then I exhorted you to hold Communion by the example of Christ. For separation I then told you was the undoing of our Church Now I give caution against the pretence of those that Preach and Expound Scripture by the Spirit For that is the cause of Separation and hath proved the ruine of Religion And although this change of times doth seem to promise that this delusion in time will dye so that the present discourse may seem not so very pertinent yet doth that mischief now live move delude and captivate silly souls little less than it hath done all along Therefore give me leave a little to discover this delusion to you that you may not only be the better fenced against it that it do not deceive you but that you may be the better furnished to stop the mouths of those that pretend to it For the prosecuting this argument you must distinguish between the false pretence to the Spirit of Sanctification and to the Spirit of Revelation By the former men deceive themselves by the latter others They deceive themselves by conceiving they have the former because they have something like it but these deceive others by the pretence of the latter though they have nothing like it There is no grace but there is a false coin minted by the Devil to dissemble it As the Harlot takes the live-child from the unwitting mother and fosters the dead one in the room and so lyes the poor woman deceived and so the poor man is deceived and thinks he hath saving grace when t is but common and the Spirit of Sanctification when t is but the Spirit of Bondage But I shall not insist on this But proceed to the other pretence viz. to the Spirit of Revelation and Prophesie whereby these in the Text deceived others I shall not need to shew you how this hath been the great cheat in all times There were false Prophets before the captivity and false Prophets after it such pretenders almost in all times I shall strip this delusion naked and whip it before you by observing these four things I. No degree of holiness whatsoever doth necessarily beget and infer the Spirit of Revelation as the cause produceth the effect It is the first cheat that these men put upon themselves and others by concluding I am a Saint therefore I have the Spirit and I preach and expound Scripture by the Spirit whereas I say no degree of Sanctification doth necessarily beget and produce that of Revelation I clear this from the nature of the thing it self and by examples First From the nature of the thing The Spirit of Holiness and Revelation are far different therefore the one is not the cause of the other The cause and the effect have a parity and similitude one with another but these are far from being so 1. They are impartible to different subjects Holiness only to holy men the Spirit of Revelation sometimes to wicked men So it was imparted to Balaam Numb XXIII so likewise to Judas and Caiaphas 2. They are bestowed upon different ends Holiness for the good of him that hath it Revelation for the benefit of others 3. They are of different manners and operations The Spirit of Sanctification changeth the heart Paul is a Saul no more Revelation doth not Judas is Judas still 4. They are of different Diffusion in the Soul Sanctification is quite through I Thess. V. 23. Revelation only in the understanding 5. They are of different Effects Sanctification never produceth but what is good Revelation may produce what is evil Knowledge puffeth up Now see what a cheat they are in This to themselves if they believe it themselves and to others that believe it in this argumentation I am holy therefore I have the Spirit of Revelation To the further confuting of this add but two Examples 1. The first Adam He was as holy as created nature could be and yet had he the Spirit of Revelation Not the Spirit at all He was most holy yet had not the Spirit of Sanctification most full of knowledge yet had not the Spirit of Revelation but all his holiness was founded only in his nature as he was created God made him holy and left him to stand upon his own holiness and had not the assistance of the Spirit at all So he had great knowledge yet not the Spirit of Revelation either to know things to come or to know things beyond their natures and causes But 2. Consider the second Adam He was holiness it self yet had he not the Spirit of Revelation by that holiness In Christ there were two things The holiness of his person by union with the Godhead and the Indowment of the Spirit upon his person He was so holy that he was not only without sin but he was impeccable Rom. VIII 2. as we are a Law that cannot but sin so he contra Now this holiness of Christs person or nature is to a clean different end to what the guifts of the Spirit upon him were His person was so holy that he might perform the Law satisfie justice pay obedience conquer Satan But the guifts of the Spirit were to fit him for Mediatorship to cast out Devils to reveal the will of God to work Miracles to confirm that Doctrine As these differ in their ends so are they from different originals holiness from the purity of his nature indowments by extraordinary donation If he had the Spirit in extraordinary guifts of Revelation and Miracles by vertue of his holy nature why was that Spirit given so visible Matth. III. and given when he was to begin his Mediation Consider his own words Mark XIII 32. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in Heaven neither the Son but the Father Some are ashamed to confess their ignorance of any thing yet he doth it plainly For the Divine Nature in Christ acted not to the utmost of its power T is clear from this passage of Christ that by his nature he had not the Spirit of Revelation but he had it by the immediate guift of God For it pleased not God so to reveal that day and hour to him while he was here on Earth So that by this example you may see much more the fallacy of that argument I am a Saint therefore I have the Spirit of Revelation Whereas Christ himself could not say so II. The Spirit of Revelation is given indeed to Saints but means little that sence that these men speak of but is of a clean different nature The Apostle prays Ephes. I. 17. That God would give unto them the Spirit of Wisdom
there were no age but there would be some persons Oracular as Moses If any limit then where is it fixed I say at the fall of Jerusalem And I will prove it by what they bring to prove Prophesie for these days Act. II. 17. And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and their sons and their daughters shall Prophesie c. By the last days they would understand it of the World I of Jerusalem So in divers places besides That it is so to be understood in the place S. Peters application makes out Who applies this place of the Old Testament unto himself and the Christians at that time upon occasion of their speaking strange Languages What absurdity would there also be in his applying this place The old Oeconomy is as the old World the Evangelical is the new Heaven and the new Earth So that the last days of the old World are the last days of the old Oeconomy Hence the destruction of Jerusalem is spoke of as the destruction of the old World and Christs coming is said to be in the last days So that if we take not the pouring out of the Spirit in the last days in that sence we swerve from the sence of the phrase in Scripture And hence it appears that Spirit to be in those last days and that it was affixed to them from propriety of phrase To this we might add the manner of imparting the Spirit in those times It was either by effusion upon many together Act. II. X. or by imposition of hands upon some single ones Now who dares think that ever was since the fall of Jerusalem such manner of giving or ever will be And these are the only ways of imparting the Spirit that are spoke of since Christ ascended To all we might add that at the fall of Jerusalem all Scripture was written and Gods full will revealed so that there was no further need of Prophesie and Revelation Therefore those places they cite are misapplied both as to the time and also as to the proper sence of them So that here is a discovery of the third delusion that Prophesie still continues whereas it was to cease at the fall of Jerusalem and there is no promise whereupon any hath reason to expect it in these times IV. The standing Ministry is the ordinary Method that God hath used for the instruction of his Church It has ever been Gods way since he first wrote words to teach his Church by a studious learned Ministry who were to explain the Scripture by study not by the Spirit Mistake not this Ministry consisted not of Prophets they were occasional and of necessity but of Priests and Levites We are sent to them Hag. II. 11. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts ask now the Priests concerning the Law Mal. II. 7. For the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts We have mention made of the sons of the Prophets in the Old Testament these were not inspired but understanding was instilled into them by Elias and they sat at his feet such were those of Issachar So the Disciples sat at the feet of Christ. The true Apostles indeed were inspired because there was a necessity of it But when the New Testament was written there was no further need of inspiration And then the Church was sufficiently instructed by ordinary Ministers therefore was Timothy left at Ephesus Titus in Creet Thefore was the Imposition of Hands Hebrews VI. 2. I conclude all with that suitable advise of St. John I Chap. IV. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE Staffordshire-Natives At St. Michaels Cornhil LONDON Novemb. 26. 1663. ROM V. Vers. 1. Being justified by Faith we have peace with God THIS Text may seem very unsuitable to this occasion but certainly to no occasion no company no season can it be unsuitable can it be unseasonable to speak hear meditate of the infinite mercy of God in justifying men and of the unexpressible happiness of man in having peace with God But I have chosen this Subject to treat upon in a methodical succession to what I have discoursed upon heretofore being called to this Employment At my first being upon this task before you from those words in X. Joh. 22 23. which speaks of Christs being at Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication I shewed you at large how our Saviour held Communion with the Church of the Jews and thereupon I spake of such unity against Schism At my second from those words Jud. vers 12. These are spots in your Feasts of Charity I shewed that the spots spoken of were false Teachers that went abroad pretending to the Spirit and so deceiving and thereupon I spake of taking heed of such delusions against Heresie and Error And now what can I more orderly and methodically speak upon after speaking of keeping Peace with the Church and keeping Peace with the Truth than of having Peace with God Yes you will say To have taken in first having peace one with another True that might not have been immethodical But you speak that in my stead this Loving Friendly Brotherly meeting discourses that for me and makes a visible Sermon of your peace one with another And I have made that as it were a Text whereupon to raise an occasional meditation to the tenor of that which the Text that I have read speaks And let me raise it thus If it be so good and pleasant and happy a thing to see brethren thus live together in unity thus to meet together to walk together to Feast together in Love Unity and Peace Sursum corda lift up your hearts and from this lustre you see of the Sun shining in this water below look up to the light that is in the body of the Sun it self and meditate how excellent how pleasant how happy a thing it is to have peace with God to walk in peace with God in his own ways to converse in peace with God in his own House to Feast in peace with God at his own Table and at night to lie down and sleep in peace with with God in his own Bosom This is the last Epistle the Apostle wrote before his apprehension and imprisonment He wrote it from Corinth where he touched in his journy to Jerusalem his last journy thither He wrote it in the second year of Nero immediately after Easter when Claudius who had hindred the Mystery of iniquity from its working in its full scope by his discountenancing the Jewish Nation had now been taken away above a year and an half ago And now that mystery did find it self loose and acted in its full activity those of that Nation that had not embraced the Gospel persecuting it with all
2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World i. e. know ye not that there shall be a Christian Magistracy that Christians shall be Kings and Magistrates to rule and judge the World And the very same sense speaketh Dan. VII 18. 26 27. from whence both my Text and that passage of Paul are taken know ye not saith he that the Saints shall judge the World How should they know it Why Plainly enough out of that place in Daniel where in vers 18. it is foretold That the Saints of the most High should take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever and ever And in vers 26 27. The Judgment shall sit as in the Text and the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven should be given to the people of the Saints of the most High Two considerations will put the matter out of all question I. That the word Saints means not strictly nor really Sanctified in opposition to men not really sanctified but it means Christians in general in opposition to Heathens And so the Apostle himself clears it in the verse before that I cited Dare any of you go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints What is meant by the unjust there Heathens or Infidels as he calls them vers 6. And then what is meant by Saints But Christians in opposition to Heathens II. Observe the tenor of the contents in Daniel and that will illustrate the sense of these verses that I produced He speaks before of the four Heathen Monarchies the Babylonian Mede-Persian Grecian and Syrogrecian that had had the Kingdom and Dominion and Rule in the World and had tyrannized in the World especially against the Church that was then being but at last they should be destroyed and upon their being destroyed Christ should come and set up his Kingdom through the World and then the Kingdom and Rule and Dominion in the World should be put into the hands of Saints or Christians and they should Rule and Judge in the World as those Heathen Monarchies had done all the time before And thus you have the words unfolded to you and I hope according to the meaning of the Holy Ghost And now my Lords and Gentlemen you may see your own picture in the glass of the Text for you are of the number of those of whom it speaketh In it you may see your selves Imbenched Commissioned and your work put into your hands In the first clause The institution of the Function the ordaining of Magistracy and Judicature I saw Thrones set In the second The Commissionating of Christians unto that Office and Function They sat upon them In the last The end of this Office and the employment they are set upon in it Judgment was given unto them Thrones set by whom By him that had been the great agent in the verse before Christ that had bound the Devil and chained him up They sat upon them Who They that are the persons mentioned in the verse before Men of the Nations undeceived from the delusions of Satan and brought into the truth of the Gospel Judgment was given them for what end For Judgment sake that they might execute judgment and righteousness among the Nations And so I have my words fairly cut out before me and the matter and the method of the Text calls upon me to speak unto these three things I. Of the institution of Magistrates as an ordinance of Christ. II. Of Christian Magistracy as a Gospel mercy III. The great work the all in all of Magistracy The execution of Judgment I. Of all the offices of Christ he executed only one of them peculiarly and reservedly himself without the communicating of any acting in it to any other but as to the execution of the other two he partly acteth himself and partly importeth some acting therein by deputation to others His Priestly office that that most concerned and had the greatest stroke in mans redemption he executed intirely himself and no other had share no other could have share in the executing of that with him None could be capable of offering any of his all-sufficient Sacrifice with him none could be capable of offering the incense of mediation with him But in his Kingly and Prophetick offices he acteth himself and he deputeth others to act for him As the great Prophet he teacheth his Church himself by giving of the Scriptures and instructing his holy ones by his Spirit yet withal hath he deputed Ministers to be her Teachers And as the great King of the Church and of all the World he ruleth in both himself in the hearts of his people by his Word and Spirit and amongst his enemies with a rod of Iron yet withal hath he deputed Kings Judges and Magistrates to be Rulers for him These two great Ordinances you have couched in this very place In the verse before the Text Christ chaineth up the Devil that he should no more deceive poor men as he had done before And how did he this By the Ministry of the Word and Preaching of the Gospel And in the words of the Text he setteth up Thrones and sets men upon them for what To execute Magistracy and to administer Judgment And so likewise are they closely hinted in that place of the Apostle that I cited I Cor. VI. Know ye not that the Saints shall iudge the World or Christians be Magistrates and in the next verse following know ye not that we shall judge Angels or we Apostles and Ministers judge Devils and overthrow their Idols Oracles Miracles and Delusions by the Ministry of the Gospel And so if I should take Pastors and Teachers Ephes. IV. 11. for Magistrates and Ministers I believe there were no soloecisme in the thing and I am sure the Jews called their chiefest Magistrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pastores in their common speech And if the Apostle may be shewed there to speak in their vulgar dialect as he doth indeed all along his Epistles it would save a controversie and question that is raised upon that place These two Functions are the two standing Pillars and Ordinances the Jachin and Boaz that our great Solomon hath set up in his Temple to stand with the Temple while it standeth These are two choice strainings and distillings of the precious ointment that was poured on the head of our great Aaron that runs down upon the skirts of his clothing Yours my Lords and Gentlemen is a beam of that lustre that shineth in the Royal Crown of Christs Kingly office It is a coin stamped with the Image and superscription of the great Cesar of Heaven and Earth sitting in his Empire and Dominion over all I remember a Phrase of Pliny in his Epistles speaking of a vertuous and gallant daughter that imitated to the life the vertues and gallantry of a noble Father Filia patreni exscripserat the daughter had copied out her father to the life Magistracy is a daughter of
whom the ends of the World are come Not the very best times of the World for the World hath lasted sixteen hundred years since Paul spake that and how long yet it may last who knoweth but the end of that old World of the Jewish State which then hasted on very fast In the same sense are the words of our Apostle in his first Epistle Chap. IV. 7. The end of all things is at hand Not the end the World but of that City Nation and oeconomy the like is that James V. 9. Behold the Judge standeth before the door and divers other of the like nature III. The vengance of Christ upon that people in that final destruction is set out and called his coming his coming in his Kingdom and in clouds and with power and great glory His coming Joh. XXI 22. In his Kingdom Matth. XVI ult In power and glory Matth. XXIV 30. Nor is this any figure for observe vers 34. This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled Accordingly the day of that vengeance is called The day of the Lord. IV. The state of the Church and Gospel after that dissolution of that old World is called sometimes the World to come Heb. II. 5. sometimes new Heavens and new Earth as in the Text sometimes all things new as II Cor. V. 17. Old things are past away behold all things are become new So that by this time you see plainly the meaning of our Apostle at this place In the verses before he speaks of the dissolution of the Jewish Church and State in such terms as the Scripture useth to express it by as if it were the dissolution of the whole World And in the words of the Text of the new face and state of the Church and World upon the dissolution when a new people and new oeconomy took place We according to his promise The promise is in Esa. LXV 17. For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth Where if you look into the context before you shall find the sense justified that I put upon the words and these new Heavens and new Earth created after the Jews casting off and destruction It is a strange opinion that would perswade you that the most glorious things that are foretold by the Prophets should come to pass when the Jews are called which calling is yet expected whereas those glorious things are plainly enough intimated to come to pass at the Jews casting off I might name many places I shall not expatiate upon that subject here this very Chapter speaks enough to justifie what I say In the second verse God complains I have spred out my hands all the day long to a rebellious people This the Apostle in the tenth of the Romans and the last applies unto that people But to Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched forth my hand to a disobedient and gainsaying people The Prophet along the Chapter telleth what shall become of that people At vers 6. I will not keep silence but will recompence even recompence into their basom Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together saith the Lord which have burnt incense upon the mountains and blasphemed me upon the hills therefore c. At vers 12. I will number you to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter At vers 13. Behold my servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry c. At vers 15. You shall leave your name for a curse to my chosen And then follows the promise that is related to in the Text For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth Though you are gone yet all the World shall not be gone with you For though I destroy my old people the old Heavens and Earth of the old oeconomy yet I shall provide my self a new people of the Gentiles when the Jews shall be a people no more and when that old World is destroyed I will create new Heavens and a new Earth Such another passage is that of our Saviour Matth. XXIV 31. where when he had described the ruine of the Jewish Nation in the terms we have spoken of before and it might be questioned what then shall become of a Church and where shall it be The Son of man saith he shall send his Angels or Ministers with the sound of the trumpet of the Gospel and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of the Heaven to the other among all Nations Thus had Peter read this great promise in Esay the Evangelical Prophet thus had he heard it from the mouth of the great Prophet his sacred Master and therefore it is no wonder if when it is confirmed by the mouth of two such witnesses he undoubtedly look for new Heavens and a new Earth according to such a promise But what is meant by righteousness in this place 1. Not Gods primitive or distributive righteousness or justice for that was ever Gen. XVIII The Judge of all the World did right ever since the World was In the old World in all the World and the same for this yesterday and to day and for ever 2. Not that men were more righteous toward the latter end of the World than before as some dream of such glorious things yet to come for there is no such promise in all the Scripture True indeed that promise of such glorious things was in the last days of Jerusalem but where is any promise of any such things in the last days of the World 3. Nor doth it mean the glorified estate for where do you find righteousness applied to that estate It is commonly applied to the state of believers here 4. Therefore it means justification of sinners or that righteousness by which they are justified The righteousness of God which is witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe as the Apostle most divinely doth expound it This is the righteousness that is so gloriously spoken of throughout all the Scriptures Dan. IX 24. To bring in everlasting righteousness Esa. LVI 1. My righteousness is near to be revealed to which that is agreeable Rom. I. 17. In the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Why Was not the righteousness of God revealed in all times before Was not his justice revealed in the Law Yea his condemning justice but his justifying justice in the Gospel This the meaning of the Apostle here That as God had promised to Create new Heavens and a new Earth a new Church and People and oeconomy among the Gentiles when the old Judaick one should be destroyed so in this new created World justifying righteousness should dwell most evidently and appear most glorious when such abominable ones as the Gentiles had been should be justified Justifying righteousness had shewed it self in the World in all generations from Adam and righteous Abel
there is sin unto death than that there should be any sin that is not unto death as our Apostle saith there is in the words immediately going before these that I have chosen In these that I have chosen you see there are two clauses and out of either of them arise two Questions Out of the former I. What sin it is the Apostle means And II. Why he titles it by such a name A sin unto death Out of the latter I. Why he forbideth to pray for it And II. Why he forbideth not to pray for it I mean why he speaketh not out in down right terms I say that he should not pray for it but says only I say not that he should The Rhemists Popish Expositors upon the place will answer you even all these questions with a breath if you will but take their words and little more than their bare word must you expect for the proof and confirmation of what they tell you 1. They will tell you that the sin our Apostle means is any sin whatsoever that any one lives in unrepentant all his time 2. They will tell you that it is titled A sin unto death because he lives in it till his death and so dies in it 3. They will tell you that the Apostle by not praying for him means not praying for him when he is dead but he that sins not a sin unto death that is that lives not in his sin till he die but repents of it before for him you must pray after his death For that the place is most properly or only meant of praying for the departed say they this convinced that neither the Church nor any man is debarred here from praying for any sinner while living nor for remission of any sin in this life And so they go on When I read these mens Annotations on this Scripture they often mind me of Benhadads servants with ropes about their necks catching at any word that fell from the King of Israels mouth that might be for any advantage to their forlorn and lost cause and condition These mens Popish cause hath had the rope about its neck now a long time and been in a lost and forlorn case and I cannot tell whether I should laugh or frown to see what pitiful shift and shameful scrambling they make for it by catching at any word or syllable in the Scripture or Fathers and wresting and twisting and twining it to any seeming or colourable advantage to their condemned cause to save it from execution Certainly they are at a very hard pinch for proof of praying for the dead when they make such a scraping in this portion of Scripture to rake it out thence whereas the words are as far from meaning the living praying for the dead as the dead praying for the living And at the very same game they be in their notes upon our Saviours words concerning the sin against the Holy Ghost that it shall never be forgiven in this World nor in the World to come Matth. XII 32. Their note is that some sins may be remitted in the next life and consequently this proves Purgatory As the poor frantick distracted wretch at Athens that fed and pleased himself with this fancy that every ship that came into the Port was his ship that all the goods that came into the Town were his goods whilst he himself in the mean time was miserably poor naked and ready to famish so these men think every verse in Scripture brings in something to their stock every saying of the Fathers something to their bank whilst in the mean while their pitiful cause walks starven and poor and blind and naked and stands in need of all things The sin against the Holy Ghost indeed is distinct and something different from this sin unto death that our Apostle speaketh of yet since there is such a particular sin against the Holy Ghost that is so deadly why should not these men think that sin in the Text that carries so deadly a name is a particular sin likewise It is true indeed that a sin in which a man continues unrepenting until his death and in which he dies may very justly be called A sin to death that is a sin until his death and it will prove A sin to death eternal but that the Apostle means here a particular sin and that he estimates it not by its length but by its weight not by how long the party continues in it but by how grievous the sin is in it self will appear as we go along partly by discovery of the reason of the title he puts upon it and partly by discovery of the very sin it self that is here intended But before we begin with the discovery of the reason of the title let us a little look first into the meaning of those words of our Saviour Joh. XX. 22. He breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted to them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Do not the Apostles here receive a new power or priviledge or guift which Christ had not imparted to them before Else why such an action as he had never used toward them before so breathing on them The common acceptation of these words whose soever sins ye remit or retain are remitted or retained is to make them to mean the same thing with what ye bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven c. But besides that the expressions are of a vast difference why if Christ had given them the very same power in those words that he doth in these why should he repeat it especially why should he use such a solemn and unusual rite toward them to breath upon them He had given them power of miracles and healing and casting out Devils before without breathing upon them He had given them power of binding and loosing that is of establishing or abolishing the rites and Laws of Moses for so the Phrase in the common acceptation of the Nation did only signifie and this he did without breathing upon them Therefore certainly in this his new action and these his new words as I may call them he gives them some new power and that in two kinds 1. In his breathing upon them and bidding them receive the Holy Ghost he gives the Holy Ghost to give again or he gives them power by the imposition of their hands to bestow the Holy Ghost as the sacred Story tells you the Apostle did and none but the Apostles could do And 2. In his words whose soever sins ye remit or retain he gives them a punitive or executive double power viz. To strike desperate or incorrigible and horrid transgressors with some corporal punishment or stroke or else to give them up to Satan to be tortured and scourged in body and vexed and disquieted in mind Where had Peter his warrant to strike Ananias and Sapphira with death but from these words And Paul
In his flesh he hath abolished the enmity between both First By dying for both alike That the Scripture oft inculcates his dying for all i. e. Jews and Gentiles Secondly He satisfied what the Ordinaces of the Partition-wall required Take Sacrifices Purifications for the Partition-wall he satisfied them Take Touch not taste not handle not for the Partition-wall he exhibited a purity that nothing could taint Thus all Power was given him and such a claim to the Heathen And therefore Christ now after his Resurrection sends his Apostles to all Nations 2. Another reason was this because the Jews had now forfeited their privilege Beauty and bonds were broke They were set under a peculiar favour at first Christ owns that till they forfeited it by despising their highest privilege of all viz. Christ himself born of them and his Gospel This is plain by those words of Barnabas and Paul in XIII Act. 46. It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles And Christ had said to them before The Kingdom of Heaven shall be taken from you They had sinned worse than the Heathen the Prophets blame them so For besides the contempt of means which the Heathen had not they out went them in that very sin that cast the Heathen off The Gentiles had refused the invisible Creator 1. Rom. 25. but they had but small light These had rejected God visible and that for a Murtherer when the light shone as clear as possible I say as plainly as possibly God could converse with men and shew himself viz. in infinite goodness and holiness They looked for power and glory he shewed that in his miracles but that is not the highest way of Gods shewing himself the Devils can shew power but he went about doing good and shewing holiness the greatest evidence and footsteps of God and yet they rejected him This makes me not believe the Call of the Jews because they sinn'd beyond the Gentiles because they sinned against such light as shall never appear to eyes again Some have dreamed of some glorious appearance of Christ that shall convert them if more shall be seen than they have seen already I believe it But more certainly they cannot see So that the Apostles now are sent duplici jure Christ had made good his claim to the Gentiles and the Jews had lost their privilege Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Secondly The Apostles Work injoyned them by Christ. Here are three actions of the Apostles mentioned Go Teach Baptize I might speak to the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go. And here I might observe those Prophesies Deut. XXXIII 18 19. And of Zebulun he said Rejoyce Zebulun in thy going out and Issachar in thy Tents They shall call the people unto the mountain there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness for they shall suck of the abundance of the Seas and of treasures hid in the sand And in LXVI Esa. 19. And I will set a sign among them and I will send those that escape of them unto the Nations to Tarshish Pul and Lud that draw the bow to Tubal and Javan to the Isles a far off that have not heard my fame neither have seen my glory and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles I might observe the Apostles pains and dangers among Wolves Dogs Lions their liberty to go among the Gentiles which was not allowed them before by Christs prohibition and his own custom In Act. X. 28. Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another Nation How odious among the Jews was conversation with Gentiles They were dust defiled Samaritans filth And therefore it was not lawful for Jews to go among them but now they had liberty to do it I might speak of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Nations whether all Countries in the World be meant here But it is the Apostles work that I am to consider in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teach them Baptizing them for I will take them together You know what is hence collected viz. that men must be first Taught before they are to be Baptized But the word is not of that strict propriety it means not so far as Teaching that is in verse the twentieth Teaching them to observe all things c. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is bring them in to learn to be Disciples Scholars Scholars easily see the sense Men were made Disciples not when already taught but ut doceantur that they might be taught Philip and Nathaniel were Disciples as soon as they cleaved to Christ and were taught afterwards Will you be his Disciples That is will you follow him betake you to his School 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not always one learned but that gives himself to it contrary to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostles understand the word Discipling in the tenour of the Nation and they took the word as i◠Christ should have said to them Fetch in all Nations to be Scholars to the Gospel and profession of Christ. But they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that say we must go to Christs School that we may be Baptized it is contrary Baptism makes Disciples and discipling sets i◠the way to be taught And hence I lay down this Doctrine That Baptism is Gods appointed way to introduce into Christs School Make Disciples How 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptizing them As Circumcision was the way to Israelitism so Baptism is the way to Christianity We are upon a subject that seems heterogeneous to this Audience for no Baptisms are here Yet hardly is there a subject fitter upon better consideration since here are so many Candidates for the Ministry to which this belongs There are great divisions about the Sacraments and I know not what lesson Candidates may better apply themselves to for the peace of the Church than to study well the nature of the Sacraments In prosecution of this Doctrine I might alledge places of Scripture that urge this as Act. II. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ. And VIII Chap. 36. c. And as they went on their way they came unto a certain water and the Eunuch said See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized But that I may not manage this subject at random I observe these things gradually I. That Scripture doth hold out a clear distinction betwixt them that profess Christ and them that do not I say profess as to outward profession And we must learn Scripture sense and language in this case and not be our own Dictionary When Ephraim speaks finer than Gilead it spoils all so when we speak finer than Scripture and make words narrower in their sense than the Scripture does we spoil the true meaning Sometime this
blasphemed Christ 1 John II. 22. Who is ◠lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son And that then was the Jew Secondly When they were destroyed then Rome began to persecute till Constantine Thirdly When that was quieted then the Arian and the Macedonian appeared in the Jewish Spirit Fourthly That cursed Spirit was hardly laid but then the Papacy begins t◠rise and brings in all Judaism against the honour of Christ. And Fifthly That unmasked in the Reformation the Jewish Spirit appears again in the Socinian A SERMON PREACHED AT ASPEDEN April 5. 1660. 1 COR. X. 2. And were all baptised unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea ONE great breach in England is the breach about the Sacraments It is the policy of the Devil to divide Christians even there where there is the greatest bond of Communion As poison is to our Victuals which makes that which in its own nature is the great means of the preservation of our health and lives to become the destroyer of it Our knitting together must be in these Sacraments but they are made the means of our disuniting Therefore if the present occasion called not for it yet the present necessity of our Nation does to inform our selves about these bonds For your instruction in the Sacrament or Bond of Baptism I have chosen these words Wherein we may observe these four things I. Israel was Baptized II. All were baptized III. Unto Moses IV. In the Cloud and in the Sea I. Israel was baptized when they came out of Egypt From whence I make this Doctrine That Baptism was no new thing when Christ ordained it in the Church of the Gospel This Observation is of excellent use It is said concerning the times of the Gospel that there should be new Heavens and a new Earth All new When God set aside that old people he chose him a new people viz. The Gentiles This change of new for old consisted in two things First Some things were laid aside And Secondly some old things were reserved but the end of them changed All the Ceremonial Law laid aside but the Moral reserved and the Doctrine cleared The publick Worship of the Temple laid aside of the Synagogue reserved But some old things were reserved and changed At the Passover the Lamb was laid aside Bread and Wine reserved but the end changed And in this Sacrament where Baptism was added to Circumcision Circumcision was laid aside Baptism received The first mention of Baptism is in Gen. XXXV 2. And Jacob said unto his houshold and unto all that were with him Put away the strange Gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments Be clean the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mundate vos That Baptism is meant here is confest by the Jews The next mention is this in the Text They were all Baptized unto Moses c. And this is the more considerable that they should be Baptized now when they were but newly circumcised to wit in the three days darkness that was upon the Egyptians during which time Israel was circumcised to qualifie them to eat the Passover For no uncircumcised Person may eat thereof Exod. XII A third mention of Baptism is at Sinai So the Jews And they speak of Proselytes Admission now The Anabaptists will not hear this nothing but the letter of Scripture But that is a dangerous Text. T is true we are to require it for the foundation of Faith but by ininsisting upon it too rigorously for other matters we lose infinite profit that may accrue to us by Examples and Explications But let us reason with them that Baptism could be no new thing in those times First The Scribes and Pharisees were not so easie to be brought to follow Novelty But they came in multitudes to Johns Baptism Matth. III. 7. Secondly See I. Joh. 25. The Jews sent Pharisees to John the Baptist and they asked him why baptisest thou then if thou be not that Christ Whereby you may see they never questioned the thing and shewed also that they were easily perswaded that the Messias would make use of their rite of baptizing for the admitting Disciples Take this in the dispute about Poedobaptism They tell us that there is no example in the Scripture of children baptized I answer True but no such example needed to be recorded for Christ took up Baptism as he found it in the Jewish Church and they baptized Infants as well as grown persons And if Christ would not that Baptism should have been administred to children he would have forbidden it Therefore there is no Rule or Example given in Scripture of baptising children Luke wrote enough in XVI Act. 15. 32. where he tells us of the Baptism of Lydia and her houshold and of the Jaylor and all his Now one reading these passages in Judaea how would he have understood it Undoubtedly according to the ordinary practise of Baptism as it was used among them in admitting of their Proselytes which was that when the Master of the house was baptized for a Proselyte all his family children and all were baptized too T is the best rule to come to the understanding of the Phrases of Scripture to consider in what sence they were taken in that Country and among that People where they were written II. They were All baptized Who All our Fathers vers 1. All passed through the Sea Were there not children here How Was there no child in arms did they carry none on their backs when they passed through the Sea What say the Anabaptists here This Text saith All were baptized They say None ought to be baptized that are children because they are not capable of understanding the Ordinance What then Were the Jewish children more capable than the children of Christians There are two opinions of the Anabaptists which we are to be informed in else we may fall into mistake First That Baptism is not to be administred to any that are without knowledge Secondly That it is not to be administred to any unless he be verus filius foederis a true son of the Covenant To these I will put answer into your mouths To the first God never ordained Sacraments that their nature should be changed pro captu recipientis according to the capacity of him that received them Ordinances retain their nature whosoever receives them As sin is sin though not felt and the Word is the Word of God though he that hears it is not benefitted by it So Sacraments are Sacraments as to their nature whatsoever the Receivers be T is true their fruit is pro captu recipientis but not their nature The Sacrament is a seal whosoever receives it Again You read of Baptism without knowledge in Matth. XXVIII 19 20. Go and Disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name c. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you c. Baptize and Teach
Church of God That Jerusalem for that fact should be a curse a hissing and an everlasting desolation and that Rome that was as guilty every whit should be a blessing a renown and the prime Church of all Churches Let a Papist solidly unriddle me this and he says something And to speak to what he pleads we may first answer with that common saying Ubi lex II. non distinguit c. what the Word of God doth not distinguish we are not to make any distinction about but of any differences of qualities twixt Rome Heathen and Papal the Word of God doth not distinguish unless it shew the Papal to be the worse of the two In this Chapter indeed it distinguishes of the change of state and government from Imperial to Pontifical but for mischievousness and abomination there is no such distinction Rome Heathen in the beginning of the Chapter is a Beast like a Leopard with feet like a Bear and a mouth like a Lion And Rome Papal at vers 11. a beast like a Lamb but it speaks like a Dragon and exerciseth all the power of the former Beast and is not behind it a whit in wickedness and cruelty A Lamb in shew but a Dragon a Devil in speech and the very former beast in demeanor the former beast had the mouth of a Lion this of a Dragon the former bad this worse And look but at several places that speak of this City and you find they speak of it without any such distinction of quality but that Rome all along is her self i. e. stark naught till her latter end and till she perish The first time you meet with any hint of Rome in Scripture is Numb XXIV 24. And I. ships shall come from the coast of Chittim and shall afflict Asshur and shall afflict Eber and he also shall perish for ever Where by Chittim that Rome and Italy are meant it is the consent both of Jews and Christians both of Protestants and Papists and the very intent and story of the passage doth so enforce it to be taken And the words shew how Ships and Souldiers from Rome should afflict and conquer Assyria who had been once the great afflicter and that they should afflict and conquer Heber or the Hebrews the afflicted people yea afflict Christ the chief child of Heber for Rome as I said put him to death All which History sheweth to be most true And he also that is Chittim Rome or Italy shall perish for ever The word also parallels her perdition with Amaleck of which there is mention vers 20. Amaleck was the first of the Nations that is he was the first of the Nations that fought against Israel Exod. XVII and that Nation shall perish for ever So Chittim or Rome is the last of the Nations that shall afflict Heber and the Israel of God and he also shall perish for ever Now do you find any such distinction here as that Rome Papal should be holy blessed and the most excellent Church in the World when the conclusion the period of Chittim is that he shall perish for ever And the last time that there is discourse in Scripture of Rome it makes this distinction II. indeed of the state and government of it that Rome Heathen is the Beast and Papal is the false Prophet but it leaves both under the same condemnation and perishing for ever Revel XIX 20. And the Beast was taken and the false Prophet And both these were taken and cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Antichrist in Scripture is charactered under the character of Apostasie or falling away III. from the Truth 2 Thes. II. 3 4. There must be a falling away first and then the Man of sin shall be revealed And Rev. IX 1. I saw a star fall from Heaven unto the Earth and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit And he opened the bottomless pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and the Sun and the Air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit And there came out of the smoke Locusts upon the Earth c. He that lets Hell loose and opens the bottomless pit and le ts out smoke that darkneth all the World and le ts out Locusts that devour all before them He is a Star a Churchman an Angel a Minister of the Church as Chap. I. 20. The seven Stars are the Angels of the seven Churches but a Star fallen from Heaven a Minister apostatized and revolted from the Truth or else he would not rightly resemble his father the Devil who abode not in the truth but fell from it and became an enemy Now let any one judge whether Rome Heathen or Papal be this apostatized wretch and whether of them hath departed from the truth Rome Heathen never embraced the truth and so could never fall from it Rome Papal hath done it with a witness And lastly That much mistaken place in Revel XX. speaks to this very tenour we are IV. upon First The old Dragon which is the Devil and Satan is bound by Christ a thousand years that he should no more deceive the Nations vers 3. The old Serpent had deceived the Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heathen for above two thousand years with Idolatry false miracles false oracles and with all blindness of superstition Now Christ sending the Gospel by his Apostles and Ministers among the Heathen or Gentiles bound the Devil and imprisoned him curbed his power and delusion that he should not deceive the World in manner as he had done but the World now becomes Christian and Heathenism is done away and this is there called the first Resurrection viz. the Resurrection of the dead Heathen as Ephes. II. 1. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins And Joh. V. 25. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Well thus the Devil is bound a thousand years during which time the Gospel runs through the World and prevails and makes it Christian. At vers 7. the Devil is let loose again and by Popery he makes the World as blind deluded heathenish as it had been in the worst times under Heathenism And it were no hard thing out of History to shew that Rome Papal did equal nay exceed Rome Heathen in all blindness wickedness cruelty uncleanness and in all manner of abomination But an hour a day a week would not serve the turn to describe that full Parallel The Text gives a full summary of all though in few words when it tells us that the Dragon the Devil gave his power seat and authority to Rome and it hath and doth and will act in that spirit while it is Rome and can any thing but mischief be expected from such a spirit This days memorial is evidence enough instead of more A Plot and Design of
manner of speech is no rare thing in Scripture as might be shewed by several instances if I would insist upon it And all the World is inevitably put upon this Dilemma either thou must be of Satans army or must fight against Satans army and expect it to fight against thee That therefore may seem an hard case that God from the beginning put enmity between the Devil and Men Gen. III. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed And was there any need of this Had not the Devil spight and enmity enough against men without Gods putting enmity between them Yes enough and enough again but man had not enmity enough against the Devil He had been too much friends with him in harkening to him obeying him complying with him to the violating Gods Command and the undoing of all mankind and should he still continue in that compliance with him there were no hope of recovery no way but eternal ruine Therefore it was a most comfortable and happy passage when God himself takes on him to dissolve this society and to set them at odds that the seed of the woman should set the Devil at defiance be an Enemy to him and fight against him and at last through Gods strength and good assistance tread him under foot But they must look for as sharp dealing from him as possible If they will be enemies to him and not obedient and compliant he will be an enemy to them to purpose and omit nothing that may tend to their ruine whether subtilty or strength For he hath his deceivings and his Army in the Text and he hath his deceivings and his strength in his temptations and assaults I need not to spread before you the parts of the Text they lye so plain in their several clauses The task before us is rather to explain them which we shall assay to do in the method and order as they lye And first the first clause And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed recals us to the third verse of the Chapter where Satan is bound for a thousand years There bound here loosed there bound for a thousand years here the thousand years are expired there bound and imprisoned that he should not deceive the Nations and here loosed he goes out to deceive the Nations again I doubt a Millenary and I should scarce agree about the explication of this Scripture He looks for the thousand years yet to come I make no doubt but they are long since past and ended He thinks Satan shall be chained up that he shall not persecute or trouble the Church when the Text tells you plainly that his chaining up was that he should not deceive the Nations And there is a great deal of difference between persecuting and deceiving between the Church and the Nations Do but call to thoughts how the Devil deceived the Nations or the Heathen for that English word of ours is the very Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the Text to worship Idols or as the Scripture phraseth it to worship Devils to believe lying Oracles false Miracles to account the highest profaneness to be Religion as the Prostitution of their bodies in Fornication to be divine adoration offering their children to Molock to be devotion sacrificing men and women to be zeal and to bury men quick to be a blessed attonement I say do but call to remembrance how the Devil thus deceived the Nations before the Gospel came among them and you may easily perceive what is meant by the great Angels binding the old Serpent the Devil and imprisoning him that he should not deceive the Nations or Gentiles as he had viz. Christ sending his Gospel among them did by the power and prevalency of it curb restrain and chain up the Devils power and activity from cheating so abominably as he had done hitherto For the Gospel cast down their Idolatry silenced their Oracles dissolved their Miracles and curbed those abominations that had reigned before As those that are any whit acquainted with History do very well know and those that but read the Bible cannot be ignorant of And thus he bound the Devil that he should not deceive the Nations Secondly His binding and imprisoning is said to be for a thousand years Which may be taken Allusively or Determinately 1. Allusively or speaking according to the common opinion of the Jewish Nation which conceiveth that the Kingdom and Reign of Messias should be a thousand years as it were easie to shew in their own Authors abundantly And so the Apocalyptick may be conceived to speak according to their common opinion that he may the better speak to their capacity and that speaking by things familiarly received and known he might intimate his mind more feelingly to their apprehensions But withal he explains what is meant by Christs reigning viz. in and by the power of the Gospel conquering Nations to the obedience of the Truth and subduing Satan from his cheating and deluding them as he had done Now the Scripture speaking so much of Christs Kingdom and reigning among the Gentiles by the Gospel that Gospel subduing the power of Satan among them and bringing them to subjection under Christs scepter and the Jews holding that Messias his Kingdom should be a thousand years our Evangelist relates to the former and allude◠to the latter that he may the better be understood when he saith Satan was bound a thousand years and the Saints of Christ reigned with him a thousand years 2. You may take the time determinately and that very properly for just so long a time And begin from the time that the Gospel was first sown by the Apostles among the Heathen and count a thousand years forward and you have them ending in the depth and darkness of Popery when Satan was let loose again and the World and Nations cheated and deceived by him into as gross ignorance palpable darkness horrid Idolatry ridiculous belief of forged Miracles and Oracles and committing all manner of abominations as ever the Heathen had been deceived and cheated by him before The Gospel from the first preaching of it among the Gentiles had now gone through all Nations and by it the World was made Christian and all People and Nations and Languages were come to the acknowledgment of it when up comes Popery in the West as Mahumetism in the East and overspreads the World with an universal darkness that it becomes as blind superstitious deluded heathenish as ever it had been And that Popery is more peculiarly here meant whereby Satan deceived the Nations as much as ever he had deceived the Nations under Heathenism besides that the calculation of the time taken determinately doth help to argue the main scope of this book from Chapter XIII hitherto doth also evince which is to speak of Rome or the Western Babylon and as it were to write her story Thus according to the first clause in the
long it so continued is not easily determined but that it did not always so continue is as easily proved The Apostle gives us cause to suspect that some corruptions were crept in there even in his own time when in his Epistle to them Rom. XVI 17. he speaks of divisions and scandals as it seems among them contrary to the Doctrin they had learned And in his Epistle to the Philippians written from Rome he intimates that some preached the Gospel as it seems there not purely but of strife and contention Phil. I. 14 15. However though we cannot punctually determine the time and degrees by which the Church of Rome did degenerate yet that it is degenerate from the purity of that first Church there and from the purity of the Gospel primitively professed there is written so plainly that the dimmest eye may read it if a man will not shut or put it out How is the faithful City become an Harlot righteousness once lodged there but now murtherers is the sad question and complaint of the Prophet Esay concerning Jerusalem in his first Chapter How and by what degrees it came to be an Harlot and to what an high degree of harlotry it was come the former was not easie to determine and the latter not easie to express yet that it was so was but too plain And the very like may be said in this case and of this City The City once faithful is become an harlot but how and by what degrees and to what a degree let her look to that at her peril It is not so very material to determine of the time and degrees of her degeneration as to consider how grosly she is degenerate If we should go about to particularize in every thing concerning faith and manners wherein that Church hath forsaken the right way and is gon astray we had need to take up the longest day in summer to speak out that matter rather than to confine our selves to a piece of an hour and it would require our examining even their whole doctrine and practice We we will touch but two instead of two hundred First The Apostle Chap. I. 8. saith the Faith of the primitive Church at Rome was renownedly spoken of through the world Now do you think it was such an implicit faith as the Church of Rome teacheth now That it sufficeth if a man believe as the Church believes though he know not what either the Church or himself believeth Do we think that the first Founders of the Church in that City be it Peter as they will have it or Paul as he had some concurrence to it or those that I have mentioned do we think I say that they ever broached such a doctrine there It is enough if you believe with an implicite faith or as the Church belives The right way of believing in Christ the Apostle laid down most divinely in such expressions as these Let every one be assured in his own mind I know whom I have believed Have Faith in God and if thou hast Faith have it to thy self c. importing a knowledge and certainty of what is believed and not that faith should grope in the dark and believe it cannot tell what but only as others believe The right way that the Primitive Church of Rome was in was the way of knowledg and understanding that they knew and understood the things of salvation and were acquainted with the things of God and the way of eternal life Can he that reads the divine Epistle to the Romans think otherwise Or that hears the Apostles commendation of them think otherwise Now hath not that Church forsaken the right way that teacheth That Ignorance is the mother of devotion and practiseth accordingly to keep the people in ignorance Was Paul of that mind think you when he writ his Epistle to the Romans He might have very well saved that labour of instituting them in those many high and excellent poynts that he doth in that Epistle if he had been of the mind the now-Church of Rome is that the way to build people up in devotion is to keep them in ignorance His counsel is Be not Children in understanding but theirs By all means to make them in understanding children And when as our Saviour tells that blind guides lead blind people into the ditch these teach that blindness is that that will lead to Heaven Have not these forsaken the right way to Heaven that choose the ways of darkness to lead thither Secondly Certainly that Church hath forsaken the right way that goes clean contrary to the right way If the right way is to search the Scriptures as Joh. V. 39. then they have forsaken the right way for their way is to keep men from searching them If the right way is to use a known tongue in publick worship as 1 Cor. XIV their way is to use a tongue not understood If the right way is to administer the Cup in the Sacrament their way is to forbid its administration The right way is Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve certainly they have forsaken the right way that worship Angels and Saints departed that worship Crucisixes and Images that worship and adore a piece of bread Thirdly In a word for it were endless to reckon all their aberrations Is there any wrong way in the world if blowing up of Parliaments be not out of the right one If this be the right way then Pharaoh was in the right way when he plotted the drowning of the Infants of Israel Jezabel was in the right way when she murthred the Prophets of the Lord. And Nebuchadnezzar was in the right way when he threw the three young Nobles of Judah into the fiery furnace Either this is not the right way or the best of the Saints of God were in the wrong for they ever walked in a way clean contrary to this kind of dealing They were many of them slain for the truth you shall never find so much as one of them that slew any for the truth Do you think that Peter the founder of their Church as they pretend would ever have consented with them had he been alive to the blowing up of a Parliament And do they find any direction or encouragement to such a thing in any of his writings Though he was once so fiery as to draw his sword and cut off the High Priests Servant's ear yet I believe he would never have been perswaded to have been a Faux a Garnet or a Catesby in such a design as this His Master had cooled his courage for swording it again with that Cooler He that smiteth with the sword shall perish with the sword And these men might have learned that lesson if they had been either his or Christs Disciples When the two Sons of Zebedee James and John misconstruing the meaning of their name Boanerges would have fired a village of the Samaritans our Saviour checks them with You know
come down She is above and yet she is beneath much as the case was at Mount Sinai there was a Tabernacle above the heavenly pattern on the top of the Mount and there was a Tabernacle beneath the material building and fabrick at the foot Jerusalem that is above intimating that it is not a material building but a spiritual that the Builder is not man but God and yet that Jerusalem is come down and is also here below because it is among men and consists of men Men as lively stones being built up into a spiritual house and building as it is 1 Pet. II. 5. Most commonly in this book of the Revelations she is called by the very name of Heaven it self that where you read Heaven you must understand the Church partly because she is the only Heaven that is upon Earth partly because of the presence of God in the midst of her as in Heaven and partly because of the holy and heavenly things that are in her and partly because she is the gate of Heaven and the only passage whereby to come thither Upon all which accounts together it is no wonder that she carries the name of the heavenly Jerusalem the holy City and the holy City that came down from God And let this suffice to be spoken concerning the meaning of the New Jerusalem or what it is viz. the Gospel Church The great question and dispute is where it is And whereas our Apocalyptick saw it coming down from Heaven the great inquiry is where it lighted pitched and took its station Where is the house of the Prince and where is this City of the great King Where is the true Church this new Jerusalem The finding where it is not will be some direction how to seek it where it is and let us begin there first I. First therefore Let me say in this case much like what was said of old by the Historian concerning the City Samnium You may look for Samnium there where Samnium stood and cannot find it If you look for the new Jerusalem there where the old Jerusalem stood you will not find it there though the Jew would have you to look no where else and have it to be found no where else It is well known what the conception and expectation of that Nation is in this point how they look for a most stately Jerusalem to be built where the old one stood for a pompous Kingdom setled in the Land of Canaan sutable to such a City and for a pompous Messias riding in the midst of both with stateliness sutable to both I shall say no more to this opinion but briefly only this for it is not worth speaking much unto That this opinion helped forward the murther of the true Messias when he came among them And I much wonder whether the opinion that produced so bad an effect then can come to any good effect at any time Because our Saviour Poor Jesus did not bring so much pomp and gallantry with him as that opinion expecteded he was looked upon by them as a false Messias and under that notion they made him suffer And it is more than suspitious that such an opinion can prove good solid and succesful never that proved so very fatal and mischievous then It is true indeed that the Prophet Ezekiel doth delineate his visionary Jerusalem as seated in the very place where the old had been for indeed there was then a Jerusalem to be built there as it was after the return out of captivity But whosoever shall take measure of the dimensions that he giveth to his City in space and compass will find it to come near if not to equal the space and compass of the whole Land of Canaan And this Apocalyptick the best interpreter of that Prophet measuring his square new Jerusalem at vers 16. of this Chapter finds it to be twelve thousand furlongs or fifteen hundred miles upon every side of the square six thousand miles about and the wall about it also fifteen hundred miles high The wall of Salvation Esa. XXVI 1. So that these things considered a mystical or spiritual sense is enforced here and for a literal one there is left little or no room at all And we must look for the new Jerusalem somewhere else then where the old one stood for there is not room for it Where then shall we seek next since we cannot find it there Here II. I cannot but remember the story in 2 Kings VI. The Syrians are seeking Elisha at Dothan and he strikes them blind and this is not the way says he this is not the City but follow me and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek and he brought them to Samaria We are seeking the new Jerusalem and there are those that will tell you but you must let them blindfold you the first that you of London we of England are out of the way if we look for any new Jerusalem any true Church here among us but follow them and they will lead you where it is and they will bring you to Rome A place where I should as little seek for the new Jerusalem as I should have sought for the old Jerusalem in Samaria or as I should have sought for true worshippers and the place of true worship at Sichem and mount Gerizim When they pretend to lead you to the new Jerusalem and bring you to Rome they could hardly lead you to any place under Heaven more unlikely where to find the new Jerusalem then there Our Divines in their writings have evidenced this abundantly and I shall not trouble you with rehearsing any thing they have spoken I shall only lay these four Scriptural considerations before you easie to understand and carry away and even out of them let any impartial judgment censure and determine in this case And first Two concerning the place and City And then two concerning the Church and Religion I. Concerning the Place and City First As the new Jerusalem is never mentioned in Scripture but with an honourable and noble character so Rome on the contrary is never spoken of under any name or title but with a character as black and dismal One Memoir only excepted which is in her story as Abijah was in the family of Jeroboam 1 King XIV 13. the only one there in whom was found any thing that was good And that is that there was once a Church there whose faith was renounedly spoken of through the whole world Rom. I. 8. There was so indeed and there could not be an Antichristian Church there unless there had been a Christian Church there first since There must be a falling away first that the man of sin might be revealed 2 Thes. II. 3. The first mention that you have of Rome in Scripture is in Numb XXIV 24. under the name of Chittim and there it is branded for the great oppressor and afflicter of Nations and it is finally doomed to perish for ever Secondly
You have mention of her armies Dan. IX ult but with this brand upon them that they are called The abominable army that maketh desolate there styled by their Vulgar Latine as in Matth. XXIV the abomination of desolation But thirdly That which tops up all is that she is called Babylon in this Book of the Revelations and described there as she is For that by Babylon is meant Rome the Romanists themselves will readily grant you if you will grant them the distinction of Rome Pagan and Christian Imperial and Pontifical And the last verse of Chap. XVII puts the matter out of all doubt where it says that the Woman the scarlet Whore which thou sawest is the great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth Upon which every one that is acquainted with the Rome-history must needs conclude that no City can there be understood like the City Rome Now it is a very improper inquest to look for the new Jerusalem in a place that must perish for ever to look for the holy City among the abominable armies and to look for Sion the City of God in Babylon that Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth Secondly Whereas old Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation incurred so great a curse and guilt for the murther of the Lord of life as we all know it did it requireth very cogent arguments to prove that Rome that had a hand as deep in that murther should obtain so great a blessing and happiness on the contrary as to be the only Church in the World and the Mother of all Churches There is no Christian but knoweth how deep a hand Jerusalem had in that horrid fact and he knoweth but little that knoweth not that Pontius Pilate was Deputy for Rome there and how deeply also he was ingaged in it as her Deputy And so much be spoken concerning the very Place and how unlikely it is to find the new Jerusalem there How improper it is to imagine that that should be the City of God of which God himself in his Word speaks not one good Word but evil to imagine that he should choose that of all Cities for his dearest spouse that of all Cities had the deepest hand in the murther of his dear Son II. Concerning their Church and Religion If these men that pretend to lead men to the new Jerusalem and lead them to Rome would but speak out and plain and tell them that they will lead them to the old Jerusalem and so lead them to Rome they speak something likely For what is the Church and Religion of Rome but in a manner that of old Jerusalem translated out of Judaick into Roman and transplanted out of Palestina into Italy And there is hardly an easier or a clearer way to discover that she is not the new Jerusalem then by comparing her with the old as God doth most clearly discover the Jerusalem then being Ezek. XXIII by comparing her with Samaria and Sodom divers hours would scarce serve to observe the parallel in all particulars and punctually to compare the Transcript with the Original I shall only and briefly hint two things to you to that purpose And First Let me begin with that distinction that the Jews have in their writings once and again of the Mosaick Law and the Judaick Law or the Law of Moses and the Law of the Jews And they will tell you such and such things are transgressions of the Mosaick Law and such and such are transgressions of the Judaick Law And as they themselves do make the distinction so they themselves did cause the distinction What they mean by the Mosaick Law we all understand and by their Judaick Law they mean their Traditional Law which they call the Law unwritten While they kept to the Law of Moses for a rule of faith and life as they did under the first Temple they did well in point of Doctrine and no heresie and heterodoxy tainted them but when they received and drank in Traditions as they did under the second Temple they drank in their own bane and poison There is in Scripture frequent mention of the last days and the last times by which is meant most commonly the last days of old Jerusalem and of the Jewish oeconomy when they were now drawing toward their dissolution But from what date or time to begin her last days may be some question If you date them from the time she first received and entertained her traditions you do but fit the calculation to the nature of the thing calculated For then did she fall into the consumption and disease that brought her to her grave then did she catch that infection and plague that never left her but grew upon her till it made her breath her last in a fatal end Traditions spoiled her Religion and brought her to worship God in vain teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men Matth. XV. 9. Traditions spoiled her manners and trained her up in a vain conversation received by tradition from the Fathers 1 Pet. I. 18. In a word Traditions as they made the Law so they made the Gospel of no effect and the doctrine of Christ the death of Christ the belief in Christ to be but needless business and things to no purpose Nay Traditions leavened them to hate the Gospel to murther Christ and to persecute his Disciples For by the principles of their Traditions they could do no less than all these Now surely Jerusalem that is above is above this infection and the new holy City certainly brought no such infection from Heaven nor was tainted with this contagion which was the death of the old as a Priest in Israel could hardly be infected with Leprosie But you may see the tokens upon the Church of Rome very thick traditions upon traditions some of so like stamp to those of old Jerusalem that you can hardly know them asunder but all of the like effect and consequence that they make the Gospel of none effect as those did the Law and causing men to worship God in vain while they are taught for Doctrines the commandments of men How great a part of their Religion is nothing else but the commandments of men and other Traditions and how great a part of their Church is built upon nothing else The very chief corner stone in all their fabrick is of no better substance and solidity viz. that S. Peter was Bishop there and there was martyred when the Scripture and reason gives a far fairer probability that he was Apostle to the circumcision in Babylonia and there ended his days Secondly You would hardly think that there was a worse brood in the old Jerusalem than those that we have spoken of the men so infected with the Plague and with a Frenzy with it of traditions And yet I can name you a worse and that was those that had forsaken their Judaism and entertained and embraced the Gospel but at last apostatized from it and revolted to their old
what is contrary to Right and Good Sometimes Heresie is bred of ignorance sometimes of too much knowledge sometimes of too much carlesness about the word of God sometimes of too much curiosity sometimes of leaning too much to sence and sometimes too much to carnal reason most commonly of pride of mens seeking themselves of crosness of boldness about divine things and ever of mens wilfulness to have their own minds Might I not instance and give example in all these things And hath not the Church had too sad experience of these things in all generations Weeds ever creeping up in that garden out of one peice of cursed ground or other and is never free of them There must be Heresies saith the Apostle there have been Heresies saith Experience and there will be Heresies saith the corrupt nature and heart of man that will be seeking it self and hath no mind of obeying the truth Weighty is that saying of the Apostle 2 Thes. II. 10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved For this cause God sends them strong delusion that they should believe a lie It is more proper to say and it is more commonly done that men rather fall into Heresie than that Heresie falls upon them That is that they rather choose it themselves than that they are any way inforced to it Heresie is a Greek word put into an English dress And the word in Greek as Grammarians will tell you signifies a Wish a choise Heresie is a thing that a man takes up of his own wish and choice And I think it might be a disputable poynt Whether a Heretic ever took up and maintained his opinions purely out of conscience The great Heresie abroad in one party is Popery And can I or you believe that the ring-leaders of that Religion that lead the poor silly people blindfold do maintain that Religion purely out of the principles of a good conscience when we see they make no conscience of Massacres Powder-Plots killing Kings and disquieting Kingdoms The great Heresie abroad in another party is Socinianism And can I think or believe that the ring-leaders in that doctrine do maintain that doctrine purely out of the principles of conscience when even the whole System and Body of that Divinity doth clearly speak it self to be a crossing even all the Articles of Religion of what hath been received for sound and orthodox in the Church in all ages And I must be excused if I take Quakerism to be a direful Heresie and that it is hard to find out that the ring-leaders in it do maintain it purely out of the principles of conscience while they are so bitter high cross and censorious You remember the saying of the Apostle The Wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Jam. III. 17. If their wisdom or profession carry those marks and if their Doctrine carry even any badg of Truth we do not yet understand it or them And as for the Heresie that the Text speaks of the Sadducees denying those great Articles of Religion The Resurrection Angels and Spirits Can we think they maintained their opinions meerly out of the princiâ—ples of conscience and not rather out of Faction Sectarism or some other by respect and regard Our Saviour chargeth them with Ignorance in the Scripture and in judging concerning God Do ye not err saith he not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God And it is not very suspicious that there was wilfulness in the matter too that they were resolved to stick to their opinion for some by-ends that they had of their own Let us a little consider of the Persons and then of their Opinions I. Of the Persons We read not of Sadducees but under the second Temple or after the return out of Captivity but when and how they rose then is something questionable Some think there were Sadducees in the time of Ezra and the Prophets that lived after the Captivity Haggai Zechariah and Malachi And they think that those words Mal. III. 13. Your words are stout against me do refer to the Sadducees And there are of the Jewish Writers that say that in the time of Ezra there were Sadducees that denyed the World to come And therefore to affront that Heresie they of the great Council ordained that in the end of some prayers instead of saying Amen they should say for ever and ever As instead of Blessed be the Lord Amen they should say Blessed be the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For ever and ever or as the words do properly signifie To worlds of worlds or to ages of ages Others ascribe the original of Sadducees to a later date and that one Sadoc was the first author of the Heresie divers years after these holy Prophets were dead and gone Which opinion is most embraced both by Jews and Christians II. Well be it the one way or the other the first singularity of this sect was that they would receive no poynt of Faith but what they could see plainly grounded in the Books of Moses For the other Books of the Old Testament they admitted not of to be of such authority as were the Books of Moses And because they could not find the I. Resurrection and the World to come spoke of in plain terms in all Moses therefore they would not take those Articles into their Creed They would be their own choosers and what they will have to be Scripture must be Scripture and what they would not have must not be The great cause of Heresie which we mentioned before mens wilfulness to have their own minds It is a blessed thing to be led by Scripture for that will lead to Truth and to Heaven But on the contrary a cursed thing to lead the Scripture whether a man would have it For that will certainly end in error and miscarriage It is but too common a thing for men to take up an opinion or doctrine of their own heads or minds and as please themselves and then to lead and strain the Scripture to speak to their opinion and to maintain it to make the divine Oracles of God to truckle to their fancies Like that that Solomon accounts so absurd and preposterous to set Servants on horseback and Princes to lacquy by their horse side and to trudge afoot These Sadducees had learned from their Master Sadoc that there was no Resurrection nor world to come And to maintain that opinion they will make so bold with Scripture that that which speaks not plainly of those things shall be Scripture but that that does shall not be at all How the Church of Rome dealeth in this kind is very well known That Church hath taken up cursed and abominable Opinions and Doctrins and she cries down the Scriptures and would not have them meddled with And you know who among us talk so much of the light within them as all-sufficient for their guidance and salvation and
with Oyl was a Medicine to cure the sick Page 342 Antichrist Rome Heathen could not be Antichrist because the Character of Antichrist is Apostasie p. 1168. Antichrist is two fold p. 1200. How to discover the Antichrist that was to be in after-times 1200 Antinomians say that Believers are not punished for sin a false opinion 1226 Antiochus and Epiphanes the bloodiest enemies that the People of the Jews and their Religion ever had 513 Antipatris the Name the Situation almost in all Maps mistaken some History concerning it 55 56 Apamia the Sea of it what upon conjecture 63 Apparitions of the Souls of Men or Spectra after death believed by the Jews 483 1283 Apostasie of the Jews caused chiefly by false Teachers p. 1044. The sad fruits of Apostasie 1181 1182 Apostles had a power of inflicting Death and giving the Holy Ghost 622 623 Arad Ascalon bears great affinity to it 14 15 Arbel a City of Galilee between Zippor and Tiberias 77 Ark of the Covenant why so called 1068 1069 1070 Ascalon a place now of no note but once was venerable how far from Jerusalem It bears a great affinity with Arad and Gerar a famous story of eight Witches there 14 15 Ashdod's Language what 505 Ashes of the red Cow which were most purifying when sprinkled what 37 Astarch was the setter forth of the Games 790 791 Asmodeus what sort of Devil he was the Author of Apostasie 429 430 Asphaltites the extent of it p. 6. The Coast of it 7 296 Assembly of Twenty three was held in the Gate of Susan 512 Assizes are an assurance and a fit representation of the last Judgment 1104 1117 1119 Assyrian Tongue or Language not the Original of the Old Testament 138 139 Attonement how the High Priest prepared himself with the help of others for the day of Attonement p. 554 555. The Attonement or Ransom for Souls how much and for what end p. 1204 1205 1208. And at what time it was paid p. 1205. And why the Poor therein was to give as much as the Rich. p. 1207. And why the Poor in wordly matters gave more than the Rich did in that which referred to God 1207 Attributes God acteth not any of his Attributes according to the utmost extent of their infiniteness proved by many instances 1063 Aven a term blasphemously used of Christ. 533 Avites the Country a part of the new Idumea called sometimes Hazerin sometimes Shur 292 Auranitis and Hauran what the Name where the Place 364 365 B. BAAL changed in the Names of Men into Bosheth which signifies shame in detestation of Idolatry Page 1315 Baalath or Baale what 42 Babilon Hebrews in Babilon and the adjacent Countries were supposed by the Jews to be vastly numerous and of a purer and more noble Blood than those that went up from thence p. 799. They had three Universities in Babilon the Ten Tribes were placed in Assyria and Babilon p. 800 801. Peter Preached the Gospel in Babilon p. 802. Babilon put for Rome p. 1141. Why Saint John in the Revelation calls Rome so rather than by its own proper Name p. 1143. Peter wrote his Epistle from Babilon in Chaldea and not from Rome as some would have p. 1144. Peter dyed there Page 1144 Bahurim a Levitical City Almâ—n and Alemoth the same 42 Balaam what was his way and wages and what the way of his Followers p 1180 1181. Balaam is described by his Parentage and by his Qualities 1180 Balaamites impudently opposed the Decree of the Apostles 697 Baptism whence it came to pass that the Baptism of John was so readily received p. 116 117. Baptism had been constantly used among the Jews from the days of Jacob and that for the same end for which we now use it viz. as an Entrance into the Church and not only of Proselytes but of all Israel p. 117 118. The Jews Baptised also young Children for the most part with their Parents p. 118. So did John and the Apostles p. 118 119 122. The Manner and Form which John used in Baptism p. 119. The use of Witnesses at Baptism was only for them that had no Parents to present them p. 118 119. The Baptism of Procelytes with its circumstances p. 117 to 112. The Baptism of John compared with the Baptism of the Jewish Procelytes and ours with them both p. 120 121 122. Among other things dipping is discoursed p. 120 121 122. Dipping in Baptism endeavoured to be laid aside because it caused the Women of Galilee to be Barren p. 121 122. Why Sprinkling was used in stead of Dipping p. 121. Infant Baptism argued for p. 273 274. At first Baptism was in the Name of Jesus why p. 274 275. Afterward in the Name of the Trinity why p. 275. Baptism without Circumcision gave a right to the Passover p. 353. Baptism in the Name of Jesus only among the Jews and why p. 647. Baptism taken for Martyrdom p. 789. Baptism used in the Jewish Church for Introduction and Admission many Generations before John the Baptist was born p. 1040 1132. Baptism four times established p. 1122. Why there is no particular Precept in Scripture for Infant Baptism p. 1128 1133. The difference between the Primitive and the Gospel Institution of it p. 1125 1127 1128. Baptism to be administred before Teaching p. 273. The same proved from Matth. 28. 19. p. 1124. The several ends of Baptism as a Sacrament p. 273 1125 1126. Three Forms of it used for Introduction p. 1129. How John the Baptist did Baptize in the Name of the Messias coming 1129. Why the Apostles Baptised at first in the Name of Jesus only p. 1129. Baptism was no new thing in our Saviours days p. 1128 1132 1133. Baptism its vow whether obligatory to Infants p. 1221. Baptism belongs to Children they being part of their Parents 1318 Barbarians the Greeks call all Countries Barbarians but their own 704 Barber an odd story of a Barber cutting the throats of many Jews 774 Barjesus and Elymas the same the reason of the two Names and what they both signifie p. 687 1192. His wickedness and method of perverting the ways of the Lord. 1192 1193 Bartimai Bartimeus may be rendred a Son of admiration or of profit c. 348 Batanea for Bashan 81 82 Bath Kol or voice from Heaven which the Jews pretended to upon the ceasing of the Prophesies Urim and Thummim were either Jewish Tables or Devilish witchcraft p. 128 129. A story of Bath Kol p. 181. Bath Kol the Daughter of Thunder p. 337. It was used for a Testimony from Heaven but was indeed performed by Magick Art 345 Bath of Venus in Aeeon Page 60 Baths warm Baths of Tiberias of good use 69 Bathurseans frequently mentioned in the Jewish Writings what they were 702 Be Abidan an House or Temple how used 795 Beelzebub the right readings of it is Beelzebul what And why the chiefest of the Devils 188 189 429 Beggers among the Jews what Form of words they used in begging 579
Gygantick Canaanites for the use of war 88 89 Dependance upon God for Life and Being is to be owned and acknowledged by all good Christians 1205 1206 Descent of Christ into Hell the improper meaning as to what the Church of Rome understands by it p. 1341 1347. His Descent into Hell is supposed by some to be the Torments he suffered on the Cross. Destruction of Jerusalem is frequently exprest in Scripture as if it were the Destruction of the whole World 244 Devil how he is the Prince of this World p. 591 592. The sin of the Devil what it was p. 198. How he deceived the Nations or Heathen before the Gospel p. 1171. How when and why and how long let loose by Christ. p. 1172 1173 1174. He is called the Angel of death by the Jews p. 1299. The end for which Christ bound the Devil a Thousand years p. 1233. The Gospel was the chain with which he was bound p. 1233 The Devil is denominated That wicked one why 1306 Devilishness how much thereof the Devil can infuse into Mans nature with the reason of it 1308 1309 Devils were cast out by one that did not follow Christ how possible p. 346. Devils called Angels how Saints shall Judge them p. 754. Angels put for Devils 773. The Souls of Men are in a better state than Devils p. 1302 The sin of the Devils is wretched beyond pardon 1305 Dew of Christ is his quickening Power 691 Dialect the Dialect of the Galileans differed much from the Dialect of the Jews 78 79 Didrachma Tribute mony two things perswade that it was the half Shekel paid yearly in the Temple 211 212 Diet a Diet was thirty Miles 319 Diocletian the Emperor was once Diclot the keeper of Hogs 7 Dipping in Baptism indeavoured to be laid aside because it caused the Women of Galilee to grow barren p. 121 122. Why sprinkling was used in stead of dipping 121 Disciple and Singular what They are terms sometimes confounded and sometimes distinguished 433 Disciples of Christ mentioned by the Talmudists p. 171. Why they were twelve and for what end they were chosen 174 Disciples or Learners after the days of Rabban Gamaliel did use to sit while they were instructed p 395 396. They had power to ask the Doctors any questions as they went along in their Expositions and Lectures 396 Discoursing the dead discoursing one among another and also with those that were alive was the opinion of the Jews 457 Diseases grievous attributed usually by the Jews to evil Spirits p. 211. Diseases were supposed by the Jews to be inflicted by the Devil 441 Disputes the power and will of God being well understood and submitted to take off abundance of carnal Atheistical Disputes 1320 1321 Divinity the Mystery of it not contrary to reason how to be understood 1103 Divorces what among the Jews p. 146 147. A Bill of Divorce its manner of giving with a Copy of such a Bill how confirmed how delivered p. 147 148. Christ permits not Divorce except in the case of Adultry 148 Doctors of the Law were of several sorts p. 421. What 434 Dogs and Swine were forbidden the Jews with the Reasons thereof p. 168. Dogs put for Gentiles or Heathens Page 202 Doors and Gates lying on the North-side of the Temple what 32 Dositheus or Dosthes was a famous Seducer of the Samaritans 483 504 Dowery in the donation of it the Galileans differed from the Jews 77 78 Drachm what 468 Dreams none in the World more fond of dreams than the Jews using art to make themselves dream and nice Rules of interpreting dreams p. 243. Dreams some were strange and odd 1257 Drink the Jewish Doctors say that to drink a Quart of Wine makes one drunk so much every one of them drank in their sacred Feasts judge then how soberly they carried it in those Feasts if they mingled not much Water with their Wine p. 61. This is proved in Rabban Gamaliel 61 Drinking and Eating used frequently in a metaphorical sense by the Jews p. 553 554. Drinking the Blood and eating the Flesh of Christ is of necessity Metaphorical 553 554 Drunk Vide Drink Dumb such Persons were unfit to Sacrifice c. 210 384 Dust white Dust for Potters Clay c. 12 Dust of the Feet what it was to shake it off 179 Dying called Martyrdom for others to save their Country what 326 E. EARTH and Heaven made by God and wherefore he made them 1321 Eating and Drinking commonly used in a Metaphorical sense by the Jews 553 554 Eating the Flesh and drinking the Blood of Christ must of necessity be Metaphorically understood 553 554 Ebal how far from Jordan p. 79 80. Ebal Mount its situation 505 Fedippa formerly called Chezib and Achzib the name of a place 61 Edom rendred Rome 292 Edomites rendred Romans 292 Egypt was full of Jews there they had a Temple and all their Offices and Ordinances 111 112 Elder a Title proper to Saint John 337 Elders Chief Priests and Scribes how distinguished p. 469. Elders ordained by whom and how p. 686. They were to judge in Pecuniary Affairs 755 Elect what it signified and who they were 1146 Election admits not of magis and minus 1147 Elements used for Mosaick Rites 626 Elias the frequent appearance of him we meet with in the Writings of the Jews were either Stories or Diabolical Apparitions p. 129. His coming how vain the expectation of it was among the Jews the Ends also of his expected coming as they propose them what p 209 c. They looked for his coming before the Messias p. 210. Elias put for John the Baptist. 382 383 Elijah put for John the Baptist. 382 383 Elizabeth why she hid her self when with child 1220 Elymas and Barjesus the reason of the two Names for the same Person and what they both signifie 687 1192 Emims what 363 Emmaus six Furlongs from Jerusalem p. 42. What p. 293. It was from Jerusalem seven Miles and an half the same with Nicopolis p. 371. It s situation p. 372 373 Encoenia or the Feasts of Dedication So the Feast of Dedication among the Jews why called Lights It was kept for eight days all over the Land Page 576 577 578 Enchantments there were hardly any People in the World that more used Enchantments than the Jews p. 243. Which consisted in Amulets Charms Mutterings and Exorcisms p. 243. So skilful were they in Conjurings Enchantments and Sorceries that they wrought great signs and wonders and many Villanies by them p. 244. Hence arose false Christs p. 244. Some sort of Hereticks used Enchantments or Sorceries to cause Men to follow them 497 End and Beginning as referring to things to be debated or explained what p. 565 566. End of all things and of the World put for the end of the Jewish State 1074 Engedi is ill placed in the Maps p. 7. Engedi is Hazezon Tamar 296 Enmity why the Lord put Emnity between Man and Devil 1171 Ephraim a Town so called p. 49
652. The High Priest and President of the Sanhedrim compared together and the High Priest shewed to be the greater Officer p. 681. Whether the Decrees of the Sanhedrim were of authority among the Jews in Countries abroad p. 681. It had four kinds of Death in its power what they were p. 683. The Fathers of the Sanhedrim were to be skilled in many Languages p. 782. Why they departed out of the Council House before the destruction of Jerusalem p. 1111 1116. The Sanhedrim was esteemed a bloody Court if they put one Man to death in seventy years 1113 Sarah was Abraham's Brothers Daughter 666 Sarepta and Zarephath whether the same and where situate Page 368 Satan why he was let loose p. 1172. How when why and how long let loose by Christ. p. 1172 1173 1174. He did much mischief those thousand years he was bound p. 1174. His great work is to deceive p. 1174 c. His Master-piece is to cheat Men in matters of Religion p. 1175 to 1178. How he deceived the World under Heathenism and under the Gospel p. 1193. The reason why Satan taketh not away our lives when he pleaseth 1209 Saved its possible to dye for sin and by a divine judgment and yet be saved 1225 1226 Saviour Rome was guilty of our Saviours death as much as Jerusalem proved 1109 Saul and Paul his Hebrew and Roman Name and why he had two Names 687 Scape Goat what kind of Man went with him into the Wilderness p. 35. How he was sent out and whither from Jerusalem 50 Scholars of the wise Men what 124 Schools of the Prophets were little Universities or Colleges of Students their Governour being some Venerable Prophet inspired with the Holy Spirit to give forth Divine Revelations c. 86 Scopo and Scopus the View called Zophim what 41 Scribes used for every one that was learned and employed their time in writing referring to the Law p. 110 111. Scribes of the people were Members of the Sanhedrim p. 110 111. The Scribes and Pharisees laboured among the people for respect and by respect for gain which they did as First Doctors of the Law instilling into the people this notion That a wise Man that was one of themselves was to be respected above all mortal Men. p. 234 c. Secondly Under a pretence of mighty devotion especially long Prayers p. 234. Scribes was a general Title given to all the Learned part of the Jewish Nation p. 421. The first Original of the word what p. 421. The Doctors of the Sanhedrim were so called so were others that were in the Sanhedrim but not Members of it like our Judges in the House of Lords p. 422. Scribes and Pharisees are terms sometimes confounded and sometimes distinguished p. 433. Scribes or Registers of the Sanhedrim were two the one sat on the right the other on the left hand one writ the votes of those that quitted the other of those that condemned p. 337. Scribes Chief Priests and Elders how distinguished 468 Scripture in it say the Rabbins there is no first and last i. e. the order of the Story does not necessarily determin the time of it p. 666. Humane Learning is exceeding useful nay exceeding needful to the expounding of the Scripture p. 1033. Not one tittle of the Scripture idle p. 1180. The Scripture because of its stile and difficulty requireth all serious and sober study p. 1242 c. Wherein the difficulty of Scripture lyes p. 1034 1035 1095 1243 to 1245 1248. Passages in the Scripture of the New Testament directly contrary to the Old how to be solved p. 1244. The reckoning of Numbers even in the Old Testament are sometimes different from it self reconciled p. 1244. The Difficulty of the Scriptures is not to the discredit but to the glory and majesty thereof p. 1245 1246. It s difficulty consists in several passages in the same words when they may be taken in two senses directly contrary one to another p. 1034 1035 1095 1248 c. The Scripture Text when read to them that understood not the Language it was ever interpreted into the Mother-Tongue p. 688 689. When any Place of the Old Testament was cited by the Jews they delivered it always in the very Original words 694. A Scripture Text and an Opinion distinguished p. 758. It s not unusual in Scripture when the same Story is cited in two places to bring in some difference either in Things Men or Years and that from the highest Reason p. 766. The Scripture Text was usually varied or inverted by the Reader or the Preacher in the Pulpit or the Schools among the Jews with the reason thereof Page 673 Scythopolis or Bethshan a City where situate 57 315 493 Scythopolitan Country what 492 493 Sea of Apamia what upon conjecture 63 Sea of Cinnereth in the Old Testament is called in the New The Lake of Gennaesaret also the Sea of Galilee and the Sea of Tiberias p. 65. Sea of Galilee its length and breadth p. 536. Sea of Sodom what and of what use 6 Seas the Seven Seas according to the Talmudists and the four Rivers compassing the Land what 5 Sebaste a brave City built by Herod just where Samaria stood may be the place called in the New Testament the City Samaria 676 677 Seed of Abraham to be of the Seed of Abraham the Jews supposed was sufficient to fit them for the Kingdom of Heaven p. 533. Being of the Seed of Abraham was much gloried in by the Jews 566 Seed time and Harvest Plowing Sowing Mowing Dressing of the Vines and all the management of the Gardens Grounds Fields and Vineyards lay in the hands of the Fathers of the Traditions so that the Country Men did none of these things but by the Traditional Rule p. 87 88. Seed time and Harvest was early among the Jews 184 185 Separate what it is to be Separate from Christ. 1297 Sepharad rather in Edom than in Spain 368 Septuagint Translation hath in it many errors p. 401 to 404. The Septuagint or the Greek Interpreters their boldness in adding to the Scripture taken notice of p. 666 667. The differing Members of the Septuagint Translators render the same word in differing places in a different way 667 Sepulchres of the Jews described with the whole manner of burying p. 89 90. The whiting of them what p. 235. Their distance from Cities were two thousand cubits 323 Servants how bought and how imployed p. 127. Servants that were Jews how they came to be Servants and how again to be made free called Libertines 663 Seventy Interpreters noted p. 306 312. Seventy or the Greek Interpreters in their rendring the Text sometimes favour the Jewish Traditions and sometimes the common Interpretation of the Nation p. 620. A comparison of the History of the Seventy Interpreters as it is in Josephus and as it is in the Talmudists p. 804 805. They changed thirteen places in the Law p. 805 806. In what value the Version of the Seventy seems
Temple at Jerusalem wanted the Divine Presence the Ark the Cherubims the Urim and Thummim and the Spirit of Prophesie 541 Temptation the method the Devil used in tempting Christ. 129 130 Ten the Nation of the Jews delighted mightily in the number Ten. 246 Ten Tribes they were placed in Assyria and Babilon p. 800 801. The Seats Cities and Countries of the Ten Tribes were well known to the Talmudists and much more so in the times of the Apostles 801. Tera Abraham's Father his place of Residence Religion and time of Death wrong computed by the Rabbins 666 Testament the New Testament revealeth the Old it requires Study to unfold it rather than Revelation and why p. 1034 The New Testament Phrases and Passages the surest and safest way to understand them is not by framing a sense of out own which we think fair and probable but by observing how they were understood by them to whom they were uttered Page 1041 1042 Testimony or Witness was of three sorts Vain Standing and of the words of them that agreed 335 337 Text of Scripture usually varied or inverted by the Reader or Preacher in the Pulpit or Schools among the Jews with the reason thereof p. 673. When read to them that understood not the Language it was interpreted into the Mother Tongue 688 689 Thamna three of the Name 373 Thanks before meat the manner of it 23 Thessalonians the first Epistle to them was Writ the first of all the Epistles 1145 Theives of Israel were esteemed by the Jewish Doctors to be the People of God so not punished 612 Thousand years the opinion of the Millinaries concerning it refuted by shewing that the Thousand years which they expect are already expired p. 1056 1057 1171 1172. The Jews themselves expected that the Messias should raign amongst them a Thousand years 1057 Threatnings of God some are like Thunderclaps 1295 Three years and an half often made use of to express things affective and sorrowful 513 Throne of Christ put for his judgment in his entrance upon his Evangelical Government 220 Tiberias a fortified City from the days of Joshua then called Rakkath p. 67. The situation of Tiberias is ill placed in the Maps p. 67 68. The Rabbins of Tiberias what p. 73 74. Tiberias very delightfully seated built in honour to Tiberius the Emperor after some time it became the chief City of the Land of Israel p. 72. Talmudick Mishna and the Jerusalem Talmud was written there 72 73 Times and affairs of Men how God knows and dates them 1250 c. Timnath three of the Name 373 Tisri was ennobled before Christs time by many excellent things done in it p. 107. This Month is drawn down from its beginning to the Feast of Tabernacles 554 555 Tongue Mother Tongue when the Text of Scripture was read to them that understood not the Language it was interpreted into the Mother Tongue 688 689 Tongues the Gift of them was general upon all the Disciples p. 643. The Holy Ghost in his extraordinary Gifts and Tongues could only be communicated by the Apostles p. 678. Tongues and speaking with Tongues what is meant thereby p. 1157. Tongues was one of the two extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit 1157 Towns were fortified places p. 87. Towns Cities and Villages distinguished 333 334 Trachon or Trachonitis what and where 81 82 364 Tradition managed all among the Scribes and Pharisees even all the common things of Seedtime Harvest and Vintage 87 88 Traditions were valued by the Jews above the Word of God p. 199 They were valued above Miracles p. 345. They were as much esteemed and desired by the Jews when they returned from their captivity as Idolatry was before p. 1113. They were more destructive to the Jews than Idolatry was p. 1113. How they deceived the Jews to their own destruction p. 1193 1194. The Traditions of Rome and of Old Jerusalem of what simeâ—ry or likeness and effect they are 1200 Traditionarians refer the first conception of their Traditions to the times of Ezra 124 Transmigration or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Souls also their Pre-existence were the opinion of the Jews 569 Transubstantiation not believed how punished 117â— Treasury called Corban what p. 299. Where it was 301 Tree in Paradise which was forbidden to Adam what 382 Tribes the Ten Tribes were placed in Asyria and Babilon p. 800 801. The Seats Cities and Countries of the Ten Tribes were well known to the Talmudists and much more so in the times of the Apostles p. 801. Two of the Jewish Tribes were dispersed before our Saviours time and the other Ten not the reason of this Page 1145 Tribute money what two things perswade that it was the half Shekel paid yearly in the Temple 211 212 Tribute God requires some Tribute of Men for their preservation 1208 Trinity the Doctrine of it by degrees grew up to a full maturity p. 275. The Trinity proved from the Scripture p. 1128. This Doctrine was intimated by the Holy Ghost in expressing the most great Actions in Scripture 1128 Truma how the Galileans and Jews differed about it 78 Trumpet whether a Trumpet was sounded when the Jews did their Alms 154 155 Truth why the Gospel is so called p. 1187. Who are the great resisters of it p. 1189. Why God permits wicked Men to resist the Truth p. 1190. The cause of Ignorance and Error is because Men will not know and imbrace the Truth p. 1286 1287. Truth is to be laboured after and kept p. 1287. How to know it among the various Opinions that are abroad 1287 Tsok a Rock twelve miles from Jerusalem 50 Twilight distinguished among the Rabbins into four Parts which will easily reconcile the four Phrases of the Four Evangelists about the Resurrection of Christ. 359 Tyre was the Name of diverse Towns because built in rocky places 80 Tyths the Priests and Levites always lived upon Tyths when they Studied in the Universities Preached in the Synagogues and attended on the Temple Service p. 86. Out of what Tyths were paid 235 Tything of Lambs how performed by the Jews 575 V. U The Syriack Tongue affects the letter U in the first Syllable of Words Page 694 Vail with which Women Christian Women were covered was not for a sign of subjection to their Husbands 771 772 773 Vailing or covering the head why used by the Jews in Prayers and Fasts c. 769 770 771 Valley of Crafts-Men what p. 325. Of Hinnon used Historically in the Old Testament metaphorically in the New it was the common sink of Jerusalem there was a constant fire to burn up the bones and filth of the City p. 38. Valley of Jehosophat what p. 39. Valley of Rimmon what 52 Vanity the Gentile World was subject to vanity of mind 708 Veil of the Temple what 268 269 Vengeance The day of Vengeance put for Christ's coming with vengeance to judge the Jewish Nation six differing ways of expressing it 346 Venus Bath of Venus in Aecon 60 Version the Jews
School of Rabbi came thither to intercalate the year but an evil eye came in upon them and they died all at one time Jerus Sanhedr fol. 18. col 3. For they might not intercalate the year but in Judea Maym. in Kiddush Hodesh per. 4. but upon this mischance they removed that business into Galilee Here it seems the Sanhedrin sat also sometimes or at least they had a great Bench of their own for there is mention of stoning ben Satda at Lydda on the eve of the Passover Ibid. fol. 25. 4. To reckon the stories and eminent men belonging to this place were endless at the least it is needless here But the mention and gender of Saron which is also named with Lydda Act. 9. 35. may plead excuse if we alledge one or two Talmudick passages for the clearing of it Jerus in Sheviith fol. 38. 4. From Bethoron to Emmaus was hilly from Emmaus to Lydda plain and from Lydda to the Sea vale Idem in Sotah fol. 18. 4. R. Jochanan and R. Eliezer went from Jabneh to Lydda and met with R. Joshua in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bekin Gittin per. 1. hal 1. He that bringeth a bill of Divorce from a Heathen Country must be able to say In my presence it was written and sealed in my presence Rabban Gamaliel saith Yea he that brings one from Rekam and Chagra R. Eleazer saith Yea he that brings one from Caphar Lodim to Lod. Rabbi Nissim upon the place saith thus Caphar Lodim was out of the Land near to Lod which was within the Land and it was so called because Lyddans were always found there Jerus in Beracoth fol. 3. 1. They brought a chest full of bones from Caphar Tobi and set it openly at the entring in to Lod. Tudrus the Physician came and all the Physicians with him c. Besides observing that Tobi is the name of a man Rabban Gamaliels servant Beracoth per. 2. hal 7. as Tabitha is the name of a woman in the story before us the word Saron being of the masculine gender it plainly tells us that it is not the name of a Town but of the plain or flat where divers Towns stood and among others it may be these mentioned ACTS CHAP. X. all the Chapter LIttle inferiour to these places for Learned men was Caesarea upon the Sea and beyond them for other eminencies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctors of Caesarea are of exceeding frequent and exceeding renowned mention in both Talmuds and by name R. Heshai the great R. Achavah R. Zeira R. Ada R. Prigori R. Ulla R. Tachalipha and several others It was antiently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stratons tower but sumptuously built and beautified by Herod the great in honour of Caesar it was called Caesarea It was mixedly inhabited by Jews and Gentiles and much of an equal number and most commonly well fraught with Roman souldiers because the Governours residence was ordinarily here Of some of these Bands was Cornelius a Captain a man come to an admirable pitch of piety and it is hard to imagine how he came by it For that he was not so much as a Proselyte is apparent in that they at Jerusalem cavil at Peter for going to him as to a Heathen And whether he were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sojourning stranger as they called some is not much material since by their own judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sojourning stranger was as a Gentile to all purposes Jerus Jebamoth fol. 8. col 4. Whencesoever he learned faith in Christ his full knowledge of Christ he learned from Peter he having a warrant by vision to send for Peter and he a warrant by vision to go to him Here the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to Peter so long ago Matth. 16. do their work opening the door of faith first to the Gentiles which never was shut since nor ever will be whilest there is a Church to be upon the Earth Jonah at Joppa and Simon bar Jona there both sent to the Gentiles compare together Upon Peters preaching the Holy Ghost falls upon those Gentiles that were present to the amazement of those of the Circumcision that had come with Peter for they had not only not seen the like before but had been trained up while in their Judaism under a maxime of a clean contrary tenour which taught them That the Holy Ghost would dwell neither upon any Heathen nor upon any Jew in a Heathen Country Caesarea was as the Jews reputed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between the borders that is a place disputable whether to account within the Land or without or indeed both Juchas fol. 74. And so were also other places upon this Western border of the Land the great Sea shore as Acon or Ptolemais Jerus challah fol. 60. col 2. Ascalon Idem Sheviith fol. 36. 3. and divers others but all things computed no fitter place in the Land could have been chosen for the beginning of this great work of bringing Jews and Gentiles together into one bound then this not only because this City was both Jew and Gentile within the Land and without but also because here was the Roman Court the chief of the Gentiles and the mentioning of Cornelius his being of the Italian Band hinteth such an observation The Holy Ghost at this its first bestowing upon the Gentiles is given in the like manner as it was at its first bestowing upon the Jewish Nation Act. 2. namely by immediate infusion at all other times you find mention of it you find mention of Imposition of hands used for it But here it may be observed withal that whereas the fruit of this gift of the Holy Ghost was that they spake with Tongues vers 46. it confirmeth that which we spake at Chap. 2. viz. that the first fruit of this gift of Tongues was that they that had it were inabled to speak and understand the Originals of the Scripture And here it appeareth more plainly then there And more plainly still in those twelve at Ephesus Acts 19. 6. And those that spake with Tongues in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 14. For to what purpose was it for them to speak there with Tongues where they all understood the same Language It was not to gibber and talk in strange Language that men might admire but not understand but it was for edification of others yea and for edifying of himself that so spake 1 Cor. 14. 4. He that speaketh a Tongue edifieth himself How What could he speak in any strange Language to his own edification which he might not as much edifie himself by had he spoken it in his own native Tongue But only that this is meant his ability by the gift of Tongues to understand and speak the Original language of the Scripture was both for his own edification and the edification of others Suppose one in the Church of Corinth could speak Persick Arabick Ethiopick c. and did chatter these Languages among them he could
Heathens that is lost p p p p p p Nedarin cap. 3. hal 4. It is lawful for Publicans to swear that is an Oblation which is not that you are of the Kings retinue when you are not c. that is Publicans may deceive and that by Oath VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth c. THESE words depend upon the former he had been speaking concerning being loosed from the office of a brother in a particular case now he speaks of the Authority and Power of the Apostles of loosing and binding any thing whatsoever seemed them good being guided in all things by the Holy Ghost We have explained the sense of this Phrase at Chap. XVI and he gives the same Authority in respect of this to all the Apostles here as he did to Peter there who were all to be partakers of the same Spirit and of the same Gifts This power was built upon that noble and most self-sufficient Foundation Joh. XVI 13. The Spirit of Truth shall lead you into all Truth There lies an Emphasis in those words Into all truth I deny that any one any where at any time was led or to be led into all Truth from the Ascension of Christ unto the worlds end beside the Apostles Every holy man certainly is led into all truth necessary to him for salvation but the Apostles were led into all truth necessary both for themselves and the whole Church because they were to deliver a rule of Faith and Manners to the whole Church throughout all Ages Hence whatsoever they should confirm in the Law was to be confirmed whatsoever they should abolish was to abolished since they were endowed as to all things with a Spirit of Infalibillity guiding them by the hand into all truth VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That if two of you shall agree upon earth c. AND these words do closely agree with those that went before There the speech was concerning the Apostles determination in all things respecting men Here concerning their Grace and Power of obtaining things from God I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two of you Hence Peter and John act joyntly together among the Jews Acts II. III. c. and they act joyntly among the Samaritans Acts VIII 14. and Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles Acts XIII 2. This bond being broke by Barnabas the spirit is doubled as it were upon Paul II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agree together That is to obtain something from God which appears also from the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touching any thing that they shall ask suppose concerning conferring the Spirit by the imposition of hands of doing this or that Miracle c. VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them THE like do the Rabbins speak of two or three sitting in Judgment that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The divine presence is in the midst of them VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall I forgive him until seven times THIS Question of Peter respects the words of our Saviour Ver. 15. How far shall I forgive my brother before I proceed to the Extremity What Seven times he thought that he had measured out by these words a large Charity being in a manner double to that which was prescribed by the Schools q He that is wronged ◠Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 5. say they is forbidden to be difficult to pardon for that is not the manner of the seed of Israel But when the offender implores him once and again and it appears he repents of his deed let him pardon him and whosoever is most ready to pardon is most praise worthy It is well but there lies a snake under it r r r r r r Bab. Jomah fol. 86. ◠For say they they pardon a man once that sins against another Secondly they pardon him Thirdly they pardon him Fourthly they do not pardon him c. CHAP. XIX VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came unto the coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan IF it were barely said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Coasts of Judea beyond Jordan by the Coasts of Judea one might understand the bounds of the Jews beyond Jordan Nor does such a construction want its parallel in Josephus for Hyrcanus saith he built a fortification the name of which was Tyre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Between Arabia and Judea beyond Jordan not far from Essebonitis a a a a a a Antiq. lib. 12. chap. 5. But see Mark here Chap. X. 1 relating the same storie with this our Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came saith he into the coasts of Judea taking a journey from Galilee along the Country beyond Jordan VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause OF the causes ridiculous shall I call them or wicked for which they put away their wives we have spoke at Chap. V. ver 31. We will produce only one example here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When Rabh went to Darsis whither as the Gloss saith he often went he made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day Rabh Nachman when he went to Sacnezib made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day The Gloss is Is there any woman who will be my wife while ◠tarry in this place The Question here propounded by the Pharisees was disputed in the Schools and they divided into parties concerning it as we have noted before For the School of Shammai permitted not divorces but only in the case of Adultery the School of Hillel otherwise b b b b b b See Hierof Sotah fol. 16. 2. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because Moses for the hardness of your hearts suffered c. INterpreters ordinarily understand this of the unkindness of men towards their wives and that not illy but at first sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hardness of heart for the most part in Scripture denotes rather obduration against God than against men Examples occur every where Nor does this sense want its fitness in this place not to exclude the other but to be joyned with it here I. That God delivered that rebellious people for the hardness of their hearts to spiritual fornication that is to Idolatry sufficiently appears out of sacred Story and particularly from these words of the first Martyr Stephen Acts VII 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God turne d and gave them up to worship the host of heaven c. And they seem not less given up to carnal fornication if you observe the horrid records of their Adulteries in the holy Scripture and their not less horrid allowances of divorces and polygamies in the books of the Talmudists so that the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
carries with it a very proper sense if you interpret it To according to its most usual signification Moses to the hardness of your hearts added this that he permitted divorces something that favours of punishment in it self however you esteem it for a priviledge II. But you may interpret it more clearly and aptly of the Inhumanity of husbands towards their wives but this is to be understood also under restriction fo r Moses permitted not divorces because simply and generally men were severe and unkind towards their wives for then why should he restrain divorces to the cause of Adultery but because from their fierceness and cruelty towards their wives they might take hold of and seek occasions from that Law which punished Adultery with death to prosecute their wives with all manner of severity to oppress them to kill them Let us search into the Divine Laws in case of Adultery a little more largely 1. There was a Law made upon the suspicion of Adultery that the wife should undergo a trial by the bitter waters Numb 5. but it is disputed by the Jewish Schools rightly and upon good ground whether the husband was bound in this case by duty to prosecute his wife to extremity or whether it were lawful for him to connive at and pardon her if he would And there are some who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he was bound by duty and there are others who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was left to his pleasure c c c c c c See Hierof Sotah as before 2. There was a Law of death made in case of the discovery of Adultery Deut. XXII 21 22 23. If a man shall be found lying with a married woman both shall die c. not that this Law was not in force unless they were taken in the very act but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be found is opposed to suspicion and means the same as if it were said When it shall be found that a man hath lain c. 3. A Law of Divorce also was given in case of Adultery discovered Deut. XXIV for in that case only and when it is discovered it plainly appears from our Saviours Gloss and from the concession of some Rabbins also that Divorces took place For say they in the place last cited Does a man find something foul in his wife he cannot put her away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he hath not found foul nakedness in her that is Adultery But now how does the Law of death and that of Divorce consist together It is answered They do not so consist together that both retain their force but the former was partly taken off by the latter and partly not The Divine Wisdom knew that inhumane husbands would use that law of death unto all manner of cruelty towards their wives for how ready was it for a wicked and unkind husband to lay snares even for his innocent wife if he were weary of her to oppress her under that law of death And if she were taken under guilt how cruelly and insolently would he triumph over her poor woman both to the disgrace of wedlock and to the scandal of Religion Therefore the most prudent and withal merciful Law-giver made provision that the woman if she were guilty might not go without her punishment and if she were not guilty might go without danger and that the wicked husband that was impatient of wedlock might not satiate his cruelty That vvhich is said by one does not please me That there was no place for divorce where Matrimony was broke off by capital punishment for there vvas place for Divorce for that end that there might not be place for capital punishment That Law indeed of death held the Adulterer in a snare and exacted capital punishment upon him and so the Law made sufficient provision for terrour but it consulted more gently for the woman the weaker vessel lest the cruelty of her husband might unmercifully triumph over her Therefore in the suspicion of Adultery and the thing not discovered the husband might if he would try his wife by the bitter waters or if he would he might connive at her In case of the discovery of Adultery the husband might put away his wife but he scarce might put her to death because the Law of Divorce was given for that very end that provision might be made for the woman against the hard heartedness of her husband Let this story serve for a Conclusion d d d d d d Bab. Berac fol. 19. 1. Shemaiah and Abtalion compelled Carchemith a Libertine woman-servant to drink the Bitter waters The husband of this woman could not put her away by the Law of Moses because she was not found guilty of discovered Adultery He might put her away by the Traditional Law which permitted Divorces without the case of Adultery he might not if he had pleased have brought her to trial by the bitter waters but it argued the hardness of his heart towards his wife or burning jealousie that he brought her I do not remember that I have any where in the Jewish Pandect read any example of a wife punished with death for Adultery e e e e e e Hierof Sanhedr fol. â—4 2. There is mention of the daughter of a certain Priest committing fornication in her fathers house that was burnt alive but she was not married VERS XII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eunuchs from their mothers womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eunuchs which were made Eunuchs of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Talmudists VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then were little children brought unto him NOT for the healing of some disease for if this had been the end propounded why did the Disciples keep them back above all others or chide any for their access Nor can we believe that they were the children of unbelieving Jews when it is scarcely probable that they despising the Doctrine and person of Christ would desire his blessing Some therefore of those that believe brought their Infants to Christ that he might take particular notice of them and admit them into his Discipleship and mark them for his by his blessing Perhaps the Disciples thought this an excess of officious Religion or that they would be too troublesome to their Master and hence they opposed them but Christ countenanceth the thing and favours again that Doctrine which he had laid down Chap. XVIII namely That the Infants of believers were as much Disciples and partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven as their Parents VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thou shalt not kill c. IT is worthy marking how again and again in the New Testament when mention is made of the whole Law only the second Table is exemplified as in this place so also Rom. XIII 8 9. and Jam. 11. 8. 11 c. Charity towards our neighbour is the top of Religion and a most