be proved Therefore the other answer may stand good that there is no necessitie of making the word Sheshach to be the proper name of King City or Idol it may rather be an appellative For Jeremy 25.26 Rex Sheshach bibet post eos which as I said you may interpret Rex diem festum celebrans bibet post eos The King celebrating a festivall day shall drink after them though Tremell hath it thus Rex Babyloniae festa habentis bibet c. I cannot deny but if there were such an idol among them as was termed Sheshach which is our main enquiry yet unproved it might as well as Bel Merodach and Melcom signifie the people which worshipped it Till that point be evidenced I will say with Tremellius that the forbearing to name the King or veiling the name of the city and describing him or it by what was prophesied they should be doing or acting as indeed it fell out is to be referred ad r De qua Hermog Tom. 4. de inventione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orationis to the gravitie and weight of the speech wherein the Scripture keepeth its majestie and neither with bitter invective nor harsh exprobration but with composed gravitie and eloquent solemnitie designeth the King or Babylon out not expressely by his or her name but by their actions as Nabals name was applied by his own wife to signifie his churlish nature 1. Sam. 25.25 Nabal is his name and folly is with him and Jerusalem is called the holy city for the holy things there done there contained I conclude thus If anagrammes from the Hebrew Chaldee Syriack or Greek languages in which the words of holy Scripture were writ may not be admitted as indeed they may not much lesse may we expound the sacred Originall by English anagrammes the flashes and fire-works of luxuriant brains Hearty reverence and a kinde of ceremonious civill adoration beseemeth the word of God It is not much prating or pridy-self-love that makes the good expositour The silence of swannes is not overcome by the noise of swallows but when the swallows are grown hoarse the swannes shall sing saith Nazianzen The application is easy Josephus in his second book against Apion saith of the Jewish high priest He shall judge of doubtfull matters and punish those that are convinced by the law Whosoever obeyeth not him shall undergo punishment as he that behaves himself impiously against God The great dubious perplexed scruples difficulties were not left to the judicature of private fancies Artificum est judicare de arte It belongs to artificers to judge of the art is a maxime of infallible truth Hierome upon these words Eccles. 3.7 A time to keep silence and a time to speak thus s Omnes artes absque dectore non discimus solae haec tam vilis facilis est ut non indigeat praeceptore We learn no art without a teacher onely this is so mean and so easie that it needeth no teacher and he speaketh by Ironie of those who are rath-ripe in religion Aristotle Ethic. 1. Every one judgeth aright of those things which he knows and this is a good judge And this is called by Ockam our countryman t Judicium certae veridicae cognitionis the judgement of certain and veridicall knowledge Luther divinely u Non licet Angelis nedum hominibus verba Dei pro arbitrio interpretari It is not lawfull for Angels much lesse for men to interpret Gods words as they list much lesse for women say I. Tertullian in his time styled them hereticall women that dared to teach and contend in argument and nothing truer then this that x Imperitia considentiam eruditio timorem creat Ignorance breeds confidence learning fear and distrust Who is more bold then blinde bayard To the word of God we must adde nothing contrarie or forein saith Aquin. No prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation 2. Pet. 1.20 Know this first saith the Apostle there Or is Daniel no Prophet and his writing not propheticall If the wit of men or Angels from heaven should make a law a written law by which people should be ruled or judged as for example concerning theevery and appoint no living judge to determine who offend against the law and who are punishable or not punishable but leave every one to judge himself by this written law and every one to interpret the law to his pleasure were it not a foolish law a mock-law and indeed a no-law And shall God give us a law concerning our souls and permit the interpretation of it to every one The living judge in matters of Faith and Religion in every Kingdome of Christian government is the Nationall Councel thereof till there be found that panchrestum medicamentum that medicine good for all diseases for the Universall Church of Christ a true and free generall Councel from which is no appeal it being the supremest externall judge on earth Yea but the Bereans received the word with all readines of minde and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Acts 17.11 Shall they examine the very Apostles doctrine and not we the doctrine of our Pastours I answer first These Bereans were learned and eminent men But every unlearned skullion now that hath skill onely in the English originall will contest with the profoundest Clerks Secondly these Bereans were unbeleevers before the examination of those things for immediately it followeth Therefore many of them beleeved and many honourable Greek women and men Art thou an unbeleever Do thou then as those unbeleevers did If thou beleevest shew me one passage of Scripture where ever the unlearned people did call the doctrine of their learned Pastours into triall I confesse that the judgement of the Scripture and Creed is onely authentick and perfectly decisive And if we could exactly hit on the true meaning all differences were quickly at an end Nor do I monopolize learning to the Clergy when I confine and restrain the judgement of learning to the learned Many there are among the people who in all literature humane and divine exceed many Priests and I wish they were more in number and that way more abundantly qualified With the Churchmen it would be better since y Scientia neminem habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Learning hath no enemy but the ignorant There are sonnes of wisdome and sonnes of knowledge As Wisdome is justified of her children Matth. 11.19 so learning is not to be judged by the unlearned but by her children I acknowledge that all and every one of the people are to answer for their thoughts words and deeds and that God hath given them a judgement of discretion in things which they know but in matters above their knowledge and transcending their capacitie they have neither judgement to discern nor discretion to judge Nè sutor ultra crepidam Shall blinde men judge of colours Sus Minervam Phormio Hannibalem Asinus
compared Book 1. p. 13 14 15. The Ascension of Christ represented in the assumption of Enoch and Elias Book 3. p. 191 to 195. B BEauty desired Book 1. pag. 19. The Being or not Being of a thing may be said divers wayes Book 2. p. 77. Bristoll built of old by Brennus ibid. p. 23 24. C WHence the Capitol in Rome had its name B. 2. pag. 18. Ceremonies Leviticall died at first by degrees and now they are not onely dead but deadly Book 1. p. 3. There is no Chance where Providence reigneth Book 2. p. 71 72. Cherubims with reall flaming swords were placed in Paradise Book 1. p. 2 3. and why ibid. p. 23. Christs beautie in his humanitie described together with his Passion B. 1. p. 18 19 20. compare ibid. p. 193. Christ doth us more good then Adam did us harm ibid. p. 185 to 188. Christ saved more in number then Adam condemned ibid. p. 188 189. c. Whether Christ were in Adam and how ibid. p. 82 83. The judgement of the essentiall Church of Christ is infallible ibid. p. 148. Circumcision of women by the Turks ibid. p. 144. A wicked Companion is very dangerous Book 3. p. 184 185. Conception what it is and how B. 1. p. 93 to 99. Confirmation in grace is of two sorts ibid. p. 48. Generall Councels are the highest earthly Judges of Scriptures controversed ibid. p. 136 148. D DEath is threefold Book 1. p. 4. Death is common to all ibid. Death Naturall and Violent ibid. p. 17. Sinne is the onely cause of Death ibid. p. 26 27. Death is bitter because painfull ibid. pag. 28 31. Death is sweet to some men because God makes it beneficiall unto them ibid. pag. 32 33 c. Death was inflicted on Adam for one sinne ibid. Death was inflicted for the sinne of the man Adam not of the woman Eve ibid. pag. 36 to 44. Speedy death by some is accounted best Book 3. pag. 187. Whether all Adams posteritie without priviledge or exception must and shall die Book 3. Chap. 1 2 3 throughout The difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book 1. pag. 192 193 c. Disciples of Christ were none of them Noble at least not Nobly bred Book 2. pag. 86. E OF the East-Indians and their language Book 3. p. 204. Of Elias and Enoch whether they be yet living or dead Book 3. Chap. 2. throughout Divers questions about Enoch more especially ibid. p. 181 182 c. Equivocation in what sense and in what cases it may be allowable Book 1. pag. 165 167. The second book of Esdras was never held Canonicall ibid. p. 7. Eve remained an intemerate virgin untill after the sinne of Adam ib. p. 39 40. Whether Eve sinned before she talked with the serpent ibid. pag. 60. Excommunication was of three sorts in the Jewish politie Book 2. pag. 48 49. F THe word Father is diversly taken in the holy Scripture Book 1. pag. 120. and Book 2. pag. 113 c. G GEnealogies were ever drawn from the Males Book 1. page 40 41. H THe Healed by Christ were never a second time cured of any disease Book 2. p. 8. Heavenly influences which are noxious are the causes of much sicknesse and destruction Book 1. p. 17. All languages have some words retaining the foot-steps of the Hebrew Book 2. p. 45. When the Hebrew points were first used Book 1. p. 100 101 102. Hebron the citie Book 2. page 19 to 29. Humilitie ibid. p. 161 162. The humilitie of S. Paul Book 2. p. 84 85. The Husband represents the wife Book 1. p. 140. I JEr 10.11 was the onely verse of his whole prophesie that was written in Chaldee which every captive Jew was commanded to cast in the teeth of the Babylonians Book 1. p. 180. Jerusalem the holy citie Book 2. p. 154 155 156. Ignorance threefold Book 1. p. 60. Interpretation of Scriptures is the Pastours right with whom the Laitie must consult ibid. p. 149 150 156 181 182. Book 2. p. 63. Interpretation of Scriptures by Anagrams is profane B. 1. p. 152 153. Whether interpretation of Scriptures or judgement of doctrine do in any sort belong unto the people and how farre ibid. p. 157 159. Helps and cautions prescribed unto the people for interpretation of Scriptures ibid. pag. 160 to pag. 169 c. John the Apostle his death Book 3. p. 187 188 189. Joseph was the first-born of Jacob. Book 1. p. 142 143. Joseph was a type of Christ Book 2. p. 33. A twofold acception of the word Judgement Book 1. p. 6. Judgement after death is private of souls publick of bodies and souls ibid. K. KIngs represent the people under them Book 1. p. 183 184. Of the honour due unto the King ibid. Whether Korah Dathan and Abiram descended with all their goods truly into hell Book 3. p. 214 215 to p. 221. L WHerein the confusion of Languages consisted Book 2. p. 45 46. Orientall languages conduce much to the understanding of Scriptures therefore necessarie to be studied ib. p. 48. Of the same languages also B. 3. p. 204 205. Of Lazarus raised by Christ Book 2. p. 7 8 9. Humane Learning is an handmaid to Divinitie ib. p. 88 89. Literall sense of Scripture is hardest to be found Book 1. p. 149. M MAgistrates not to be reviled Book 1. p. 168 169 170. Maran-atha expounded Book 2. p. 48 to p. 54. Of Melchisedech and why he is said to be without father and mother Book 3. p. 201 202 c. to p. 206. Members of the bodie are not all of equall worth Book 1. p. 63. God is very Mercifull unto all ib. p. 186 187. Whether Moses at the Transfiguration appeared in his own true person or not Book 3. p. 208 209 c. O IN Oaths we must be warie of mentall reservations and unlawfull equivocations Book 1. p. 166 167. Opinion Book 2. p. 83. Originall sinne See Sinne. P OF Paradise Book 3. pag. 194 195 196 197. The Pastours wisdome both for the matter and manner of his doctrine Book 1. p. 158. The Patriarchs were buried in Sychem Book 2. chap. 10. Meerly Personalls are not propagated B. 1. p. 109 to p. 138. S. Peter represented all the Apostles Joh. 21.15 16. Book 1. p. 147. The Pope is servus servorum Dei ibid. p. 132. The Priviledges of a few make not a law Book 2. p. 160. Whether God may justly Punish the Fathers for the childrens actuall delinquencies B. 1. p. 119 120. In what cases God may and doth punish the children for their Parents faults either with temporall or eternall punishment ib. p. 118 to p. 124. Every individuall man is justly punished for originall sinne in Adam ib. p. 145 146 147 c. R REdemption was of a double kinde in the Leviticall law Book 1. p. 143. Of Reliques Book 2. chap. 12. and the Authours esteem of a true choice Relique ibid. p. 130 131. The Resurrection was typified in
unbridled Circumcellions to choose their own wayes which is the guise of Separatists and to be their own judges and judges of whatsoever their Pastours preach which is the practice of ill taught zelots in our Church and by necessary consequence judges of things of Faith of Controversies and of Scripture it self And so the supreamest Tribunall for interpretation of matters religious to be the conscience of an unlearned brain But thou O Man of God flee these extreams and O blessed God and man O Saviour of mankinde Jesu Christ keep us in the mean and bring us by holinesse to the truth and by thy truth unto thy glory So be it Lord Jesu so be it The word of God is a sea saith p Epist 44. ad Constanâ—num S. Ambrose having in it deep senses and height of propheticall riddles But in these dayes of Libertinisme the simplest presume they can sound these deeps and finde out the riddle though they plow not with Samsons heifer Hence are these innumerable springs of errours which Luther even in his own time seeing to overflow Germany in his first book against Zwinglius and Oecolampadius saith If the world continue it will be again necessary by reason of the divers interpretations of Scripture that now are if we will keep the unity of the faith that we receive the decrees of Councels and flee to them The place of Augustine is common and in every mans mouth q Ego Evangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae authoritas commoveret I would not beleeve the Gospel unlesse the authority of the Catholick Church moved â—â—e How should we know that such and such things are Sâ—â—â—â—ure and not such or such but by the Church as by the fâ—â—â—â—â—â—roductary means or why should not the unlearned people as well trust their Pastours for the exposition of Scripture as they have done and do and must do for the translation For be ye not deceived O over-inspired brethren neither Moses nor the Prophets nor Christ nor the Evangelists or Apostles ever wrote or penned your English Scripture They wrote in Hebrew Chaldee Syriack and Greek but they were your Pastours who translated the word of God into our mother tongue and some translations are more imperfect then other and no one absolutely perfect And will you silly ignaroes who cannot know whether the words be true or false well or ill translated be every one of you your judges of the meaning thereof which in deep points is harder then translating and usurp the power of interpretation I may take up the complaint of Michael Piccart in his epigram before Balthasar Bambach his tractates Et tractare quidem quisnam est qui sacra veretur Imberbes pueri jam quoque sacra crepant But I am loath to adde as he doth O pecus Arcadicum linguas priùs imbibe sanctas Et sacra ex ipso fonte deinde pete Yea I have an intent to have a bout with the learned Daniel Heinsius for maintaining in the preface to his Aristarchus Sacer upon Nonnus That no man can rightly interpret the Scriptures but he that is skilled in Eastern languages Hebrew Chaldee Syriack and Greek both sacred and profane Hellenistical and the pure which is all one in effect with the Jewish-Greek and the Heathen-Greek Some of his words pag. 53. are these r Multum resert scire Hebraea Hellenistes Graecè expresserit an Syra Hebraeum item textum an interpretationes respiciat Graecorum Quae nisi omnia distinguat operam necesse est interpres ludat Nos autem ut exiguae scientiae it à nullius ut loquuntur vulgò conscientiae existimamus qui transferre Sacra audet nec de istis cogitavit It is very materiall to know whether it be Hebrew or Syriack which the Hellenist expresseth in Greek also whether he hath respect to the Hebrew Text or to the Greek translations of it All which unlesse the expositour distinctly considereth he must needs lose his labour And we think him to be a man as of little skill so of no conscience that dares translate the Scriptures without any consideration of these things Both these were eminent professours and men singular among thousands the first in High-Germany the other in the Netherlands from whence some of them brag and some of us rejoyce that we have received the reformation of religion I will onely humbly propound to your religious considerations these things First that the difficulties of the Hebrew Chaldee and Aramean languages in the Old Testament and of the Greek in the New especially where it reflecteth up to the Syriack are above common capacities even of the learned I might adde that words of divers other languages are part of the sacred Text. The Egyptian Abrech Genes 41.43 the Arabick Lehhem Job 6.7 and Totaphoth Exod. 13.16 a compound of Egyptian and African languages and the like Yea one verse and one onely was written by Jeremy in the Chaldee language viz. Jeremy 10.11 which every captive Jew was commanded to cast in the teeth of the Babylonians Moreover Daniel 5.25 Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin was written in the Chaldee with the Samaritan letters so that the Chaldeans themselves could not reade their own language I would tell you of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finall being placed in the middle of a word of the Text and of divers other difficulties which in part I passe over and in part thus contract in the observations following Secondly that Hebrew words without points may have foure or five significations according to the diversity of vowels affixed to them and have no certain meaning but as it is guided by antecedents and consequents And yet you shall have an ignorant mechanick or talkative woman as confident of the Genevean Translation and notes as if God himself did speak or write the same words as he did once the law on Horeb. Thirdly that in the Hebrew many words are written with fewer letters then they are pronounced Fourthly that many are written with more letters then they are pronounced Fifthly that divers words are written in the sacred Text which are not pronounced at all but others are read in their stead Å¿ Sunt octo voces quae sâ—riptae sunt in Textu sed non leguntur quas adducit Masora Ruth 3.12 There are eight words written in the Text but not read which the Masora alledgeth Ruth 3.12 Sixthly that the Jews have most severely and strictly forbidden that any Rabbin should teach Christians the true sense of the Talmuds which as they boast no labour and endeavour can attain unto without such a guide Elias Levita in Masâ—oreth-Hammassoreth complaineth that the Jews were wonderfully offended with him because he instructed Christians in the Hebrew And though some tax him for singing placentia to sooth flatter his patron Aegidius and call him a turn-coat because he came forth of the Jewish synagogue to pray with us in our temples yet that odious name ought to have been spared
Solomon himself by the meer strength of Nature could from thence draw saving knowledge without saving grace The question is not Whether the Scripture or Church shall be Judge but Whether the Clergie or Laitie shall be Interpreters of this dead word and unprofitable without further illumination We bid not the people to pluck out their eies that they may be led by us as the Jesuites and Popish Priests do neither do we like the other extream of the people presuming that they can give better answer then the Ephod the Urim and the Thummim and over-see the Seers who ought by the expresse commandment of God himself to have the oversight of them Heb. 13.7 But they are to rest contented with the generall Commission given to the Ministerie He that heareth you heareth me especially in things as most things are above their capacitie But the people will expound Scriptures contradict their Pastours censure their labours judge their Judges even in matters of such speculation as they may most safely be ignorant of and under pretence of desire to have their consciences well informed will not be informed at all in any thing against their humours and fancie but monopolize the Spirit to themselves and yeeld no more in this point to the ordinance of God who hath committed to us the word of reconciliation then to the very devils whom they are bound to beleeve and follow in all things wherein their consciences are well informed My former task recalleth me Bezaleel and Aholiab both did and could work all manner of work for the service of the Sanctuarie according to all that the Lord had commanded Exod. 36.1 Had God more care of his Sanctuarie then of the Church of Christ Or could God command an untruth when he guided the Apostles and Evangelists as powerfully if not more then ever he did the workmen of his Sanctuarie Or had the Pen-men lesse grace or goodnesse then the workmen Certainly they had if they swarved in writing from what was commanded by God Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle See saith God that thou makest all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount Hebr. 8.5 which the Apostle borrowed from Exod. 25.8 c. where God giveth this charge Let them make me a Sanctuarie according to all that I shew thee after the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all the instruments thereof even so shall ye make it So and no otherwise not so much as a little nail or peg shall make any difference And shall we think that the Evangelists and Apostles might swarve in writing from what was delivered unto them That Christ himself could and did reade is proved Luk. 4.16 That he could and did write is plain John 8.6 c. That he ever wrote any part of his doctrine of the Law of Grace of our Scripture is not evident for though Baronius ad annum Christi 31. saith That many of the Ancients beleeved that our blesved Saviour wrote an epistle unto Abagarus or Abgarus Prince of Edessa yet since Salianus wholly balketh this storie which he would not have done if there had been either truth or likelihood in the matter because of the miracles mentioned by Baronius wrought by the image of our Saviours face which himself sent to the same Prince let us esteem it as a thing unworthy of belief That whatsoever Christ did he did both well and conveniently and whatsoever he omitted he also omitted well and conveniently I take for most certain and yet if he had done something which he omitted I dare say he had also done well and conveniently and I should be afraid to say That it was not convenient for Christ to write any part of Scripture therefore because personally he wrote none It was convenient for others and not for Christ himself to write his own doctrine saith Aquin. 3. part quaest 42. art 4. for the excellencie both of the Teacher and of the doctrine which he confirmeth thus The most excellent way was to imprint his doctrine in their hearts So did Christ teach As HAVING POWER Matth. 7.29 and Pythagoras and Socrates the excellentest teachers among the Gentiles would write nothing For the Scripture is ordained to imprint doctrine in the hearts as to an end Moreover if Christ had written his own doctrine q Nihil altiùs de ejus doctrina bomines aestimarent quà m quod Scriptura contineret men would never have had an higher esteem of his doctrine then of that which might arise from things contained in Scripture Those are the words of Aquin. Much of this is but meer froth and the shadow of reason unfitting the pen of so Angelicall a Doctour who remembred not that God himself wrote the Law and that God did write the Law in some mens hearts as well as in stone Hebr. 8.10 and so might Christ in both if he had pleased As for Pythagoras and Socrates if they wrote nothing yet their words made no deeper impression upon the hearts of their auditours then the writings of many other men have done upon the hearts of their readers Moreover some have thought that Pythagoras and Socrates were not the excellentest teachers among the Gentiles Aristotle and Plato are esteemed their equals and some have preferred Hermes Trismegistus and Homer before both of them Indeed the Scripture was ordained to imprint doctrine in the heart was it therefore inconvenient that Christ himself should write His speech was ordained to imprint his doctrine in their hearts as to an end yet was not his speech inconvenient no more inconvenient had been his writing yea rather more convenient if so it had pleased him because many of his words reached but to a few but his writings might have reached to many millions of places and persons more and might have been everlasting To conclude If the Jews looked through the vails types and shadows of Moses Law to the more spirituall things of Christ then certainly if Christ had writ his doctrine we would not esteem of him according to the letter onely of that doctrine but we would think as we ought that either he wrote not all or wrote onely such things as were fit for us to know or as we could understand reserving more secret deep and divine things to himself For reasons best known to himself he baptized not any no not his own Apostles For reasons best known to himself he wrote not immediately any part of Scripture To say it was not convenient because Christ did it not inferreth that Christ was bound to do all things convenient yea and which man judgeth convenient and what he did not do was not convenient God might have bettered and may yet better some of his own works though they be very good Shall we conclude that because he did not therefore it was not fit he should have done so God did not say at the end of the second dayes work particularly and expressely It was