his fiue brethren by hearing of Moses and the Prophets might be saued It was a setled opinion of a Deut 8 3. old though vttered in fulnesse of time by our b Mat. 4 4. Luc. 4.4 Sauiour that a man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The truth of which is confirmed by the practise of godly men in former ages I will not trouble you with many instances Many and excellent were the reuelations which God gaue vnto the Prophet Daniel yet notwithstanding all them as himselfe witnesseth cap. 9.2 he omitted not the reading of the Prophecie of Ieremie Much doubtlesse for the spirituall food of his owne soule yet for our ensample also that we should be conuersant in the Scriptures too It was a worthy commendation which Luke gaue the Beroeans Act. 17.11 for that as soone as they had heard the word preached by S. Paul they diligently conferred the scriptures to know whether it were so or no and thereby confirmed themselues in the truth which they had heard This their zeale and diligence should stirre vs vp also for the confirmation of our faith vpon the hearing of the word to search the scriptures That great heathen Lord Queene Candaces Eunuch as he was riding on the high way in his chariot did reade the Prophet Esay and the Lord of heauen had regard vnto him for it Act. 8.28 So Daniel by reading the Beroeans and the Eunuch by reading and hearing of the word were spiritually fed and nourished vnto euerlasting life To these holy exercises both of reading and hearing the scriptures the scriptures are full of exhortations fit for all estates for Vnbeleeuers that they would search the scriptures because in them they thinke to haue eternall life and they doe testifie of Christ Ioh. 5.39 for Beleeuers that besides other parts of their spirituall armour they would take vnto them the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Eph. 6.17 for young men that they would rule themselues after the word of God and so cleanse their waies Psal 119.9 for all men that they would meditate in the law of God day and night Psal 1.2 Now that the scriptures the sword of the spirit the word and law of God might be much vsed to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit of ioints and marrow it was decreed in a c Nicena Synodus decretu suis cauit ne quis â— numero Chriâ—â—anorum sacris Bibliorum libâ—â—â— careret Corn. Agrippa de Van. Scient capâ—â—â— De verbo Dei councell of Nice that no house should bee without the holy Bible which d In capite Jeâ—â—nij Siue de Tempore Serm. 55. Feria quarta post dominicam in Quinquagesima Sic etiam autor Sermonum ad fratres in Eremo Serm. 56. Non vobis debet sufficere quod in Ecclesia lectiones diuinas audiatis sed in domibus in conuiniis vestris quando dies breues sunt etiam aliquibas horis in noâ—â— â—â—ctioni diuinae debetis insâ—stere Vt in horreo cordiâ— vestri spiritale possitis triticum comparare c. â—â— Homil. 2. vpon Esai S. Austen also intended saying Nec solum sufficiat quod in Ecclesia diuinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Let it not content you to heare the holy scriptures read vnto you in the church only but in your houses also at home either read them your selues or cause other to reade them Vtinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est scrutamini scripturas It is e Origens Would to God we all did as it is written search the scriptures Chrysostome f Homil. 9. vpon the Epistle to the Colossians saith Comparate vobis biblia animarum pharmaca seculares Ye lay mâ—â— get you Bibles for they are medicines of your soules Whereof the godly and first christened Emperour Constantine was well perswaded who therefore gaue g Euseb de vita Constantini lib. 4. cap. 36. Theodorit Hist Eccles lib. 1. cap. 16. commandement that the Bible should bee written out and sent abroad into all the kingdomes countries and cities of his dominion And what other might the perswasion of h Ieweâ— Replie Art 15. §. 13. 16. and Babington vpon the Lords praier pag. â—5 Before this K. Alfred began to translate the Psalter into English c. Fox in Maryâ—â—â—dan 899. ex Guliel de Regib Ang. king Adlestane here in England be when he caused the Bible to bee translated into the English tongue that all might reade it The much preaching and often reading of Gods holy word in the congregations of this land in the daies of her whom of late you loued Queene Elizabeth haue set vp and established her neuer dying praises And is not God much to be blessed for our good Iosiah our most dread Soueraign King Iames His heart is from aboue replenished with a religious zeale to free the passage of Gods most holy Gospell His desire to haue God sincerely worshipped throughout this land is made knowne by the good order he hath taken to set before you and all other his liege people Gods word if possible in greatest purity Let God be with the workmen I meane the Translators of the old and new testaments i This sermon was preached in the yeare of our Lord 1605. Nou. 3. Since the Translation is perfected and published the exactest that euer this Land had Let God be with them in their holy labours and let the remembrance of our King for it be like the composition of the perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecarie Hitherto beloued I haue by way of preface exhorted you to the reading and hearing of Gods word and I doubt not of your obedience to it Yet if any of you shall except against the reading of it for the hardnesse of the phrase being of the Eunuches mind Act. 8.31 that you cannot vnderstand what you reade except you haue a guide let it be your comfort that his Maiesty in giuing his royall assent to those laudable Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall agreed vpon in the late k Synod at London * Begun at London Anno DoÌ„ 1603. hath by the 45. and 46. canons prouided guides for you such as are soberly and sincerely to diuide the word of truth to the glory of God and the best edification of his people And now it being my lot to be sent vnto you to you I bring an vnestimable pearle the word of the Lord which the Prophet Amos saw vpon Israel In diuiding it I promise you in the words of Paul 2 Cor. 12.19 by the helpe of God to doe all things for your edifying Wherefore beloued giue â—are I beseech you with reuerent regard and attention to the word of the Lord as it is written Amos 1.1 The wâ—â—ds of Amos who was among the heardmen at Tekoa which he saw vpon Israel in
your remembrances that Amos of a heardman or shepherd became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word and fearfull message from the liuing God to the king nobles priests and people of Israel Thereupon I commended to you this doctrine God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemne the great and mighty That doctrine proued I recommended to you the vses of it The first was to lift vp your mindes to the contemplation of Gods good prouidence Poore shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and aduanceth into the highest places of dignity in church and common wealth This might perswade you that neither Empire nor kingdome nor place in them of dignitie priority or preeminence ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industry wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and gouerned by the deputation and ordinance of the highest power God almighty The second was to stop blasphemous mouths such as are euermore open against the God of Heauen to affirme that all things below the moone are ruled by their blind goddesse fortune and by chance Here my desire was that your hearts might be ioined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet and neuer sleeping care ouer vs in this lower world that we would not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the Moone a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments To this holy meditation I exhorted you taught by the holy scriptures that our God examineth the least moments tittles in the world that you can imagine to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of the Sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of Hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares downe our cheekes Thus farre as Gods holie spirit assisted me I led you the last time Now let it please you with patience and reuerence to giue eare to the word of God as it followeth vers 2. And he said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither In this verse I commend vnto you two generall parts 1 A preface to a prophecie And he said 2 The prophecie it selfe The Lord shall roare from Sion c. In the prophecie I must further commend vnto you 3. things 1 The Lord speaking Hee shall râ—are and vtter forth his voice 2 The place from whence hee speaketh from Sion and Ierusalem 3 The sequels of his speech They are two 1 Desolation to the dwelling places of the shepherds The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish 2 Sterility and barrennesse to their fruitfull grounds The top of Carmel shall wither The first generall part the preface to the prophecie I must first speake vnto And he said He that is Amos Amos the heardman or shepherd whose dwelling was at Tekoa He said what said he Euen the words which he saw vpon Israel that is he spake the words of God committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is commonly tearmed vision the words of God which were disclosed or reuealed to him in a vision Amos spake but his words were Gods words Here dearely beloued we may learne whence the holy Scriptures haue their soueraigne authority Their authority is from aboue euen from the Lord whose name is Iehouah whose a Matth. 5.34 throne is the heauen of heauens and the b Habak 3.15 sea his floare to walke in the c Esai 66.1 earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sits in the d Psal 7.9 heart of man and possesseth his secret reines and diuides betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the e Psal 29.8 thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This powerfull and great Iehouah God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and in the mouthes of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 Know this saith S. Peter in his second epistle 1 ch ver 20. That no Prophecie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion Marke his reason ver 21. for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang these vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto mee The Lord God hath spoken Thus saith the Lord and the like This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when he sent his Son to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made them Mat. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand for truth in despight of al the powers of darknesse which is recorded 2 Tim. 3 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Hence ariseth this true position Scriptura est authentica regula tum fidei tum vitae nostrae The word of God which by an excellencie we call the Scripture is an infallible rule both of our faith and also of our life And another posiâ—ion followeth herevpon The authority of holy Scripture is greater than the authority of the Church Our obseruation here may be Since such is the worth of holy Scripture by reason of the author of it as that it is the perfect rule for our faith and life and is of greater authority than the Church it must be our part to take heed vnto it to heare it and to reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility This worth dignity and excellency of holy Scripture which is Gods holy word now commended vnto you yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery Popishly affected eare and may serue to condemne the Romish Church of impiety and sinne for her neglect and contempt of so inestimable a treasure How little they esteeme of Gods wriâ—ten word the word of life and sole food of our soules the graue and learned f B. Iewel defence of the Apologie par 4. chap 19. 20. §. 1. Brentius in his preface vpon Iacobus Andreas against Hosius makes it plaine vnto vs while he tels of the crying out against the holy Scriptures as if they were blinde and doubtfull and a dumbe schoolemaster and a killing writ and a dead letter yea and if it may like those reuerend fathers no better than Aesops fables Now lest
Iudge with that he rose vp and tooke the Bible in one of his hands and struck it with the other we stand saith he before the face of this Iudge See now I am here I vse his owne words as they are set downe by Dauid Rungius in his description of the forenamed Colloquie Ecce adsum behold now I am here let the holy Spirit iudge me if he can by this Scripture let him condemne me if he can by Scripture the holy Spirit cannot iudge me by Scripture he cannot let him doe it if he can he cannot condemne me by Scripture Increpet te Deus Sathan Gretser we doubt not but that the Lord hath or will rebuke thee Dearely beloued in the Lord Schollers can tell you of Brontes Steropes Pyracmon Polyphemus and others of that rabble of Cyclops and Giants who made a head and banded themselues together to plucke Iupiter from out his throne Behold in this Iesuite Verè Cyclopicam audaciam as great impudency as euer was seen in any Cyclops face that a man by profession a Christian and among Popish Christians of the precise sect a sanctified Iesuite should challenge to a single combat God Almighty who would thinke it Some that were at the Colloquie at Worms An. 1557. haue often remembred in their common talke c Rung Colloq Ratisb Q. 2. a. a new insolent and vnheard of assertion maintained by the Papists Sacram Scripturam non esse vocem iudicis sed materiam litis that the holy Scripture is not a Iudges voiâ—e but rather the matter of strife and contention It was indeed a strange assertion and by a consâ—quent striking God himselfe the author of holy Scripture Yet you see it is by our modern Iesuits this day matched forasmuch as with their impiouâ— assertions touching holy Scripture they doe directly strike the holy Spirit It is an old saying Ex vngue Leonem A man may know a Lyon by his claw Surely let men of vnderstanding consider the audaciousnesse impudency and fury of railing with which those Iesuits beforenamed haue beene throughly replenished they must acknowledge and confesse that those Iesuits were guided by the Spirit of lyes and blasphemies You already see the readinesse of Popish Doctors to tread Scripture vnder foot and to doe it all the disgrace they can Yet giue mee leaue I beseech you by some instance to shew the same vnto you The instance which I make choise of is Gods soueraignety ouer the Kings and Kingdomes of this world q Hereof I entreated in a Sermon vpon Hos 10.7 Kings and Kingdomes are wholly and alone in the disposition of the Almighty A truth included within the generall doctrine commended by S. Paul to the Romans chap. 13.1 All powers that be are ordained of God acknowledged by Elihu Iob 34.24 God shall breake the mighty and set vp other in their stead expressed in the prayer of Daniel chap. 2.21 God taketh away Kings and setteth vp Kings proclaimed as in the Lords owne words Prou. 8.15 16. By me Kings reigne by me Princes Nobles and Iudges doe rule This truth hath 3. branches displayed in so many propositions by Lipsius in his r In Monitis Politicis politique aduertisements Lib. 1. c. 5. 1 Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God 2 Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God 3 Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God All three are further made good in the infallible euidence of the written word of God The first was Å¿ Regna à Deo reges dâ—ri Lipsius Mouit Polit. lib. 1. c. 5 p 24. Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God Thus saith the Lord of Sauls successour 1 Sam. 16.1 I haue prouided me a King among the sonnes of Ischai and of the reuolt of the ten tribes in the rent of the kingdome of Israel 1 King 12.24 This thing is done by me and of the victories which Nabuchodonosor was to get ouer the King of Iudah and other his neighbour Kings the Kings of Edom of Moab of the Ammonites Trem. Ps 75.7 of Tyre of Zidon Ier. 27.6 I haue giuen all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the King of Babel my seruant It is true which we learne Psal 75.6 Aduancement is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the wildernesse Our God is iudge he alone aduanceth You see now it is plaine by holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God The second was t Regna à Deo Reges tolli Lips ib. pag 28. Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God That Gods hand is likewise exercised in the remouall of Kings and translation of kingdomes it s well known as by the aboue-cited texts of Scripture so by diuine examples whereof I might make along recitall would I remember you out of Gen. 14. of the fall of those Kings deliuered into the hands of Abraham out of Exod. 14. and 15. of Pharaohs ouerthrow in the red sea out of Dan. 4. and 5 of Nabuchadnezzâ—r and Belshazzar his sonne dispossessed of their crownes and out of other places of the diuinely inspired word of like patterns It s plaine without any further proofe that Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God The third was * Regna à Deo Reges tempâ—rari Lips Ibid. p. 34. Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God For proofe hereof I need no more but remember you of that which I recommended to you in the beginning of this Sermon euen of the wonderfull extent of Gods care and prouidence to the least bâ—sest things in this world as I said to a handfull of meale to a cruise of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares down our cheeks Shall God care for these vile and base things and shall he not much more order rule and gouerne Kings and kingdomes Now beloued in the Lord you see by the euidence of holy Scripture that Kings and kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almighty Giue care I beseech you while I shew you how this doctrine and the holy word of God whereon it is grounded is in popish religion neglected disgraced troden vnder foot Romes chiefest champion Cardinall Bellarmine in his fifth booke De Rom. Pontif. cap. 7. doth exempt Kings and kingdomes from the disposition of the Lord of heauen notwithstanding the eternall truth in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. Å¿ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 7. §. Probatur Tenentur Christiani non patisuperse Regem non Christianum si ille conetur auertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about auertere populum à fide to auert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of
all they may and must be dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Jbid. §. Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposâ—erun Neronem Dâ—ocletianum Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia dâ—erant vires temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. §. At non At non tenentur Christiani immâ— nec dâ—bent cum euidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regem infideleÌ„ Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum euidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an euident danger to their religion 4 x Ibid. §. At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that man to be our King This last position is formerly auowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with opposition and disgrace to the soueraigntie of the Lord of hosts y §. Quod ad primum D minium non descendit ex iure diuino sed ex iure genâ—ium K ngdomes and dominion are not by the law of God but by the law of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessary inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists would most willingly depriue our most gracious Soueraigne of his royall throne and regality if they were of force and power so to doe 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiesty in his excellent speech the 5. of Nouember z Ann. Dâ—m 1605. last The a C. 2. a. Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion doe maintaine that it is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrell of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impiety in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceiued in the wombe of that religion with a full resolution to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expresly requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authority But the Popish religion maintaineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloued remeÌ„ber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will bee perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessors to whom by deuolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D. King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his 〈◊〉 â—â—nly 〈…〉 â—led counsailes milke from his sacred 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 â—pledge of his fauour to his Church the light of our 〈◊〉 c Ierem. 15 1â— â—oy of our hearts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils 〈…〉 of our hope groâ—nd of out loue 〈…〉 future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence and best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now leâ— vs pâ—wre out our soules in thankâ—ulnâ—sse before the Lord for that he hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to be hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the neuer perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this vally of teares to the city of ioy Ierusalem wich is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall bee swallowed vp of life So be it THE Third Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion â—nd vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoeuer Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeuoured to shew forth the worth dignity and excellency of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine out of popish mouths and practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to be recommended at this time vnto you is the Lord speaking The Lord shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh how he speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh He is in the Hebrew text called Iehouah which is the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King B. of London vpon Jonas Lect. 11. pag. 152. honourablest name belonging to the great God of Heauen Much might be spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiosity of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a name b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanch. de nat Dei lib. 1 c. 13. not to be pronounced or taken within polluted lips that it is a c Cael. Rhodiginus Lâ—ct antiq lib 2. cap. 9. Quem nos Deum nun cupamus Aegyptii Thâ—â—t Persae dicunt Syre Magorum disciplina Orsi vnde profluxit Oromasis Tam apud Hebraeorum gentem ellebre est quatuor vocalium Dei sacrâ—Ì„ nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inde Tetragrammaton dicunt alia voce
thereof the Lord God the God of Hosts I proceed to the rest The next is who they are to whom this Manda te is giuen and they are Sacerdotes Prophetae Priests and Prophets For to them is this passage by an Apostrophe directed To them It appeareth by the manner of giuing the Mandate it is giuen in two verbs Imperatiue Audite Contestamini Heare yee and testifie and it further appeareth by the specification of the parties concerning whom the Mandate is they are of the house of Iacob The house of Iacob is the Kingdome of the ten Tribes or the Kingdome of Israel Vnderstand then by the house of Iacob the people of Israel to whom Priests and Prophets were ordinary messengers from the Lord. And thus haue I couched together three particulars of the Mandate 1. To whom it is giuen to Priests and Prophets 2. The manner how it is giuen Audite contestamini Heare and testifie 3. The place which or the parties whom it concerneth the house of Iacob Heare and testifie in the house of Iacob Saint Hierome and Lyra doe take this Mandate to be of a larger extent than to Priests and Prophets They will haue it to be giuen vnto all to all people as if all people were here commanded to heare what the God of Hosts saith concerning the subuersion of the Kingdome of the ten Tribes and thereof to beare witnesse to the house of Iacob that they hearing might be conuerted from their euill wayes Eman. Sa. Christ à Castro But Remigius Albertus Hugo Dionysius Vatablus Montanus and others doe affirme more truly that Priests and Prophets are here called vpon to heare from the mouth of the God of Hosts the destruction that is eminent and ready to fall vpon the house of Iacob and thereof to beare witnesse vnto them vt credant resipiscant that they may beleeue and repent them of their sinnes and so be deliuered Valdè enim proficuus est concionator qui dicit quae audiit ex ore Domini for surely he his a very profitable Preacher who speaketh only that which he hath heard from the mouth of the Lord. Wherefore to Priests and Prophets be it said Audite contestamini Heare and testifie First heare and then testifie Whence the obseruation is The Minister of the Gospell is to heare what God speaketh before he presume to deliuer his message to the people He is first to heare and then to testifie what he heareth Nemini licet prophetare nisi quae priùs à Domino audierit saith one Mercer It is not lawfull for a man to prophecie I say it is not lawfull for a man to preach but such things as he hath heard of the Lord. But doth the Lord now adayes speake that he may be heard of his Ministers Yes And I vntie the knot by a distinction There is a two-fold hearing of God when he speaketh or a two-fold hearing of the word of God Auditus externus and internus an outward and an inward hearing These two are sometimes seuered and sometimes they are ioyned together For some there are that doe heare onely outwardly but within they are deafe Of those it may be said as it is of the Idols of the Heathen Psal 115.6 They haue eares but they heare not They heare but vnderstand not what they heare These are they that receiue the seed by the wayes side Matth. 13.19 Others there are that heare not with the outward eare all their hearing is within it is in the heart there they heare God speaking to them by the inspiration of the holy Spirit Such was the hearing of the Prophets of old Besides these some there are that heare both outwardly and inwardly with the eare and with the heart Such a hearing is peculiar to the faithfull of whom I vnderstand that Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Faith commeth by hearing that is faith is bred in the hearts of the elect by the externall hearing of the Word the holy Spirit working in them The Preachers sound vnto their eares the doctrine of the Word The eares conuey it to the minde but that is blinde to conceiue diuine matters Wherefore comes Gods holy Spirit who through the doctrine receiued in at the eare illuminateth the vnderstanding openeth the heart and inclineth the will to conceiue what the Preacher hath deliuered to giue assent vnto it and to delight therein Thus comes faith by hearing and hearing by the word of God Whence we may gather this definition of Faith Faith is a true perswasion of the mercies of God merited by our Lord Iesus Christ and we attaine vnto it by the Spirit of God giuing vs this true perswasion through the doctrine of the Gospell Now the hearing whereby the Minister of the Gospell heareth the word of God or God speaking to him is a mixt kinde of hearing it is partly inward by the secret operation of the blessed Spirit and partly outward by the reuealed word of God expressed in the Sacred Scriptures Exod. 33.11 Numb 12.8 For God in the Scripture speaketh vnto vs as it were face to face or mouth to mouth as plainly as hee spake out of the cloud Matth. 17.5 when that voice was vttered This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare yee him And surely if God were now to giue his voice from Heauen hee would speake no otherwise than he speaketh in the Scriptures And therefore are we commanded Ioh. 5.39 to search the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search the Scriptures he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade the Scriptures but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search them The truth and sense of the Scripture is profound and deepe it is as gold that lyeth not vpon the face and out-side of the Earth but in the veines thereof it is as the marrow the pith the heart of a tree that is not in the barke but is couered with the barke Off must the barke if we will haue the pith and we must digge deepe in the ground if we will haue any gold so must our search be with diligence beyond the barke and outside of the letter if we will partake of the treasure that is hidden vnder it and heare God speaking vnto vs. Christ confuting the Sadduces for the point of the Resurrection Matth. 22.29 saith vnto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You erre not knowing the Scriptures implying that if they had beene diligent in the search of them God would therein haue spoken to them and directed them in that truth Saint Peter Ep. 2. Chap. 1.19 commending the faithfull of his time for their diligence in the Scriptures saith vnto them we haue a most sure word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propheticall word whereunto you doe well that you take heed as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place intimating that that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that same propheticall word or word of prophecie or word
Brentius may be thought to charge them wrongfully be patient I beseech you while I shew you out of themselues how they harpe vpon this g This point see touâ—hâ—d in my Sermon vpon Psal 21.6 pag. 12 c. blasphemous string A Cardinall of great name in his time Hosius the Popes Legat and President of the Councell of Trent in his booke De expresso verbo Dei saith as some haue thought of himselfe as others in the person of Zwenkfeldius h Vanus est labor qui Scripturis impenditur Scriptura enim est creatura egenum quoddam elementum These words are alleaged out of Hosius by John Iewel B. of Salisburie in his Apologie of of the Church of England part 4. chap. 19 20. §. 1. Thomas Harding in his Confutation saith that neither Hosius nor any Catholâ—ke speakâ—th them but one Zwenk-feldius Yet before B. Iewel the words are alleaged by Nicolaus Gallus for the words of Hosius So are they by Iacobus Andrea de authoritate Sacrae Scripturae with this censure vpon them Qua verba sinc Hosius suo sine aliorum nomine recitet certe hanc esse Asoti Hosis de SacraÌ„ Scripturá sententiam non est obscurum Flacâ—us Illyricus in his seuenth Treatise de Norma Concilii touching these very words of Hosius saith Hosius alterius cuâ—â—sdam sententiam hac de re citans comprobat that Hosius though he vttereth these words in the name and person of Zwenkseldius yet neuer the lesse he alloweth them as his owne In the London edition of the Apologie printed in 12. impensis Thomae Chardi 1591. vpon these words of Hosius you shal â—â—nde this marginall noâ—e in the 208. page Haec Hosius in libro de expresso verbo Dei sâ—d aputè sub alterius personâ quamuis ipse alias eadem in â—odem etiam libro disertis verbis affirmet It is but lost labour that is spent in the Scriptures hee giues this reason for the Scripture is a creature and a poore kinde of outward element i Citatur ab Illyrico in Norma Concilii Ludonicus Maioranus a Canon of the Church of Lateran in Rome in an k Printed at Daliâ—ga Ann. 1563. Vide H. 2. b. where also he calleth the Scriptures in disgrace literarum monumenta scriptiones chartulus macrocolla membranulas oration of his pronounced at Trent said l Scriptura est quasi mortuum atramentum the Scripture is as it were m And Mart. Peresius praef ad lâ—br de traditionibus a. 3. b. Vnus hic in primis est fons origo omnium errorum quod nihil sit pro certo indubitato in iis que ad Christianam attinent pietatem à quoquam fideli recipiendum nisi Atramento Mortuo in sacris codicibus expressum inueniatur Dead Inke The Bishop of n Apud Sleidanum comment lib. 23. Poitiers in a speech of his at the same Trent spake to like purpose The Scripture is o Res inanimis muta a dead and a dumbe thing And thinke ye was p Apud Châ—mnitium exam Conc. Trid. part 1. de sacra Scriptura Eckius more modestly conceited when he called the Scriptures q Euangelium nigrum Theologiam Atramentariam the blacke gospell and inken diuinity or r Contro 3. de Eâ—cles Pighius when hee called the Scriptures Å¿ Mutos iudices dumbe and speechlesse iudges t Sunt Scripturae velut nasus cercus qui se horsum illorsum in quamcunque volueris partem trahi retrahi fingique facitè pâ—rmittit Pigh Hierarch Eccles l. 3 c. 3. like vnto a nose of wax that is easily moulded and fashioned what way soeuer you will or u In his answer to Iewels defence Attic. 15. Diuis 9. The dangers and hurts which the common peoples reading of their Scripture in their owne language bringeth be great sundry and many Harding or x De sacrorum Bibliorum in vulg idiom translatione pag. 492. Jn propatulo est quantam perniciem in totum orbem Chrisâ—ianum ea res inuexerit adhuc inuectura sit si Laicis ill teratis liberum sit pro ipsorum arbitrio curiositate sacras literas rimari ac perferutari Staphilus who spake of the Scriptures as of mischieuous and poysonfull books if so they be committed to the view of the common people in a vulgar and knowne language But all these blasphemers are long since dead and gone Is their blasphemie dead and gone with them No that stickes fast by their posterity as a leprousie that will not be cleansed In the Colloquie held at Ratisbone of late Anno 1602. betweene the Ministers of the Augustane confession and Papists when it was alleaged Scripturam esse normam fidei that Scripture is the rule of faith it was answered by a Iesuite hoc esse fontem omnem heresâ—â—n that this was the fountaine of all heresie as M. Willet makes relation in his y Fo. A. 3. b. answer to the libellers Introduction It may be he meanes the Iesuite Tannerus whose foule reproachfull and dishonourable speech against the holy Spirit the author of holy Scripture is set downe by Hunnius in his z Pag. 26. historicall narration of that Colloquie at Ratisbone Nulla nulla nulla vnquam fuit haeresis quae ex sola Scriptura sufficienter resutari potuit A speech vehement enough Neuer neuer neuer was there any heresie sufficiently refuted only out of Scripture Hee râ—quires their imagined infallible authority of their Church to be ioyned There was another Iesuite at the same Colloquie by name Gretserus of no lesse impudency egregiously blasphemous For when it was alleaged that the holy Scripture or the holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture is the highest and the infallible Iudge of controuersies of religion this Gretserus as one possessed with the spirit of contradiction vtters this proposition a Colloq Ratisb per Dauid Rungium K 1. b. Neque Scriptura sola vt est verbum Spiritus Sancti neque ipse Spiritus Sanctus vt loquitur per Scripturam est iudex supremus infallibilis controuersiarum religionis Neither the holy Scripture as it is the word of the holy Ghost nor the holy Ghost himselfe as he speaketh by the Scripture is the supreme and infallible Iudge of controuersies of religion This he vndertooke to proue by experience b Ecce stamus in conspâ—ctu huius iudicis haec dicens assurgebat â—odicem biblicum alterâ manu tenebat alterâ pâ—lsabat Ecce adsum veniat Sp. Sanct. faciat id si potest iudicet me per hanc Scripturam condemnet me si potest per cam dicat si potest errâ—â— Iacobe Gretsere tu causâ cecidisti id si dixerit statim transiâ—â— ad vestrum scamnum non â—â— est me Spiriâ—us Sanct. iudicare per hanc ScripturaÌ„ Rung ib. k. 2. a. Behold saith he we stand before the face of this
and stagger like a drunken man Thus saith the Lord This powerfull Iehouah whose throne is the heauen of heauens and the sea his floare to walk in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and diuideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shakest his inmost powers Psal 29.8 as the thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades Thus saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth as much vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Sauiour Matth. 5.18 Heauen and earth shall perish before one iote or any one tittle of Gods law shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lord Then out of doubt it must come to passe Hereby you may be perswaded of the authority of this Prophecie and not of this only but of all other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecies of old is destitute of diuine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I deliuered vnto you in my second lecture and therefore haue now the lesse need to spend time therein Yet a word or two thereof God almighty spake in old i me to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 and 2 Peter 1.20 Know this that no prophecy in the Scripture is of any priuate motion He giueth the reason hereof ver 21. for the prophecy in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto me the Lord God hath spoken and this in my text Thus saith the Lord. This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when hee sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what ye shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand euer true what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Here may you note the harmonie consent and agreement of all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the words which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the Lord How then dare we potters claâ— lift vp our hands against him that fashioned vs How dare we absent our selues from his house of prayer where God in and by his holy word speaketh vnto vs How dare we when we are come to this place behaue our selues carelesly negligently irreuerently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point hauing heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his vowe from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull seruice of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a taste of the sweetnesse of the word of the Lord conueyed vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Euangelists Apostles It is the Lords most royall and celestiall testament the oracles of his heauenly sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels milke from his sacred breasts the earnest and pledge of his fauour to his Church the light of our feet ioy of our hearts breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue euidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre the preface proeme or entrance making for the authority of this prophecie Thus saith the Lord. Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherein I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The generall accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them verse the 3. I will not turne to it 3 The particular sinne by which the Syrians had so offended God verse the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sin set downe generally and specially Generally verse 4. I wil send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I wil breake also the barres of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan In â—â—t lib. 36. Stephan Adrichom Hâ—erâ—n Hâ—â— qu â—â—t in Gen. some coniecture by Eliezâ—r the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Aâ—ud H c. ibid Io eph aâ—â—â—q Iuâ—â—â— Lib 1 caâ— 7 â—â—llâ—t in Gâ—n cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient than Abraham doe attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Whereupon Damaâ—cus was called also Aram as c In Esay 17. S. Hierome witnesseth Whatsoeuer were the antiquity of this city it is plaine by Esa 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome saw in this city about some hundred yeares since as the place where Caine slew Abel the place where the bodie of the Prophet Zacharie lay the tower wherein S. Paul was committed to prison and the like that would be beside my purpose For the present know yee that Damascus was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria whence by a figure the figure Synecdoche it is here in my text put for the whole country of Syria By this figure Synecdoche in the name
arborum from the cutting downe or rooting vp of trees and signifieth vtterly to consume to waste to dissipate to destroy to extinguish So it 's vsed Psal 101.8 where Dauid purposing not to be negligent or slothfull in the execution of iustice against all malefactors in Ierusalem resolueth to cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord Betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord. So it s vsed Ps 109.15 where Dauids prayer against the wicked is that their iniquity and sin be alwaies before the Lord that hee may cut off their memoriall from the earth So it s vsed Ezech. 14.13 Son of man when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse then will I stretch out mine hand vpon it and will breake the staffe of bread thereof and will send famine vpon it and will cut off man and beast from it I will cut off that is I will destroy both man and beast from a sinfull land I omit many like places of holy writ and commend vnto you but one more parallel to this in my text It is in the 3. ver of the 2. chap. of this prophecie There thus saith the Lord I wil cut off the Iudge out of the midst of Moab as here in my text I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and vers the 8. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod I will cut off whether the Iudge out of the middest of Moab or the inhabitant from Ashdod or the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen the meaning is one and the same I will cut off that is I will vtterly destroy or extinguish Which to be the meaning of the word the author of the Vulgar Latine acknowledgeth translating the word in the originall not exeindam as indeed it signifieth I will cut off but disperdam I will destroy So doe the Seuenty Interpreters in their Greeke edition of the Bible here translating the Hebrew word not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as indeed it signifieth I will cut off but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will vtterly or altogether dâ—stroy ouerthrow and extinguish I will cut off the inhabitant the inhabitant what but one yes all and euery one of the inhabitants The Holy Spirit in the sacred Scripture vseth so to speake by a word of the singular number to vnderstand more than one yea all of that kinde which kinde of speech is analogically reduced to the figure Synecdoche Let vs see the truth of this in a few instances In Exod. 8.6 it is said when Aaron stretched out his hand vpon the waters of Egypt that then the frogge came vp and couered the land The frogge It were senselesse to thinke that one frogge could couer the land of Egypt and therefore by the frogge we are to vnderstand many frogges In Num. 21.7 the Israelites desired Moses to pray to the Lord that he would take away from them the Serpent The Serpent what but one It is out of doubt that the people meant all the fiery serpents sent among them by the Lord to sting them to death of which we read verse the 6. Ieremy in chap. 8.7 saith that the storke the turtle the crane and the swallow doe know and obserue their appointed times The storke the turtle the crane the swallow We may not think the Prophet singleth out one storke one turtle one crane one swallow from the rest but his meaning is of all storkes turtles cranes swallowes that they know and obserue their appointed times As in the now cited places so here in my text the holy Ghost vseth one number for another the singular for the plurall vnderstanding by one inhabitant all the inhabitants of Bikeath-Auen Of Bikeath-Auen the Greeke Translators taking the words partly appellatiuely and partly properly doe render them the field of On. In like sort Gualter the valley of Auen The author of the Vulgar Latine vnderstanding them wholly appellatiuely rendreth them the field of the Idoll and so they may signifie the plaine of Auen the plaine of griefe the plaine of sorrow as Caluin obserueth Iunius and Tremellius doe render it as before Gualter è conualle Auenis the vally of Auen vnderstanding thereby the whole coast of Chamatha which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Desart Caluin saith it is vncertaine whether Bikeath-Auen be a proper name of a place or no yet saith he it is probable Drusius following the Hebrew Doctors affirmeth that it is the proper name of a city in Syria Mercer the learned professour of Paris ioyneth with him And our English Geneua Translation draweth vs to bee of the same minde that Bikeath-Auen is a proper name of a city in Syria The same opinion must we hold of Beth-Eden in the next clause that it is a proper name of a city in Syria of which opinion I finde Mercer and Drusius and our English Translators at Geneua to haue beene And Caluin holds it to bee credible though he translates it the house of Eden so Gualter doth so doth Tremellius who by the house of Eden vnderstandeth the whole country of Coelesyria wherein stood the city Eden The author of the Vulgar Latine takes Beth-Eden for an appellatiue and translates it the house of pleasure Such indeed is the signification of the word and it is by Arias Montanus and Ribera applied to signifie the city of Damascus as if Damascus were there called not only Bikeath-Auen that is the field of the Idoll because of the Idolatry there vsed but also Beth-Eden that is the house of pleasure because of the pleasant situation thereof But I retaine the proper name Beth-Eden and take it for a city in Syria wherein the King of Syria had a palace and mansion house Which I take to be plaine in my text where the Lord threatneth to cut off him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden Him that holdeth the scepter that is the King keeping his court at Beth-Eden For I see not any absurdity in it if I say that the King of Syria had a mansion house as well at Beth-Eden as at Damascus and that at this time the court lay at Beth-Eden Him that holdeth the scepter This is a periphrasis or circumlocution of a King A scepter is Regium gestamen and insigne potestatis Regiae a Kingly mace the proper ensigne or token of Kingly power Whence in the best of Greeke Poets Homer Kings are called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3.86 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scepter-bearers Hereby wee vnderstand what we read in the story of Hester chap. 8.4 King Assuerus held out his golden scepter toward Hester And that Gen. 49.10 The scepter shall not depart from Iudah In the former place Assuerus maketh shew of his Kingly fauour vnto Hester by holding out his mace vnto her in the later Iacob prophesieth of the stability and continuance of the Kingdome in the tribe of Iudah
The people of Aram Aram registred Gen. 10.22 to be one of the sons of Sem was the father author or founder of the Aramites or Syrians a Tremellius Willet in Genes 10.22 whereof it is that the Scythians after their returne out of Asia and Syria were called Aramei Aramites Plin. lib. 6. cap. 17. This country of Aram or Syria was diuided into sundry regions 2 Sam. 10.8 You may read of Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob and Aram Maacah from which prouinces there went a multitude of Aramites to aid the Ammonites in their warre against King Dauid The successe of their expedition is recorded vers the 18. Dauid destroyed seuen hundred chariots of the Aramites and forty thousand horsemen So let them all perish who make head and band themselues together against the Lords annointed 2 Sam. 8.6 You may read of Aram of Damascus out of which part there went a great multitude to succour Hadadezar King of Soba against Dauid Their successe is recorded in the same place Dauid slew of the Aramites two and twentie thousand men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them all likewise perish who make head and band themselues together against the Lords anoynted 1 Chron. 19.6 You may read of Aram Naharaim which is by interpretation Aram of the riuers that is Aram lying betweene the two great riuers Euphrates and Tigris commonly knowne by the name of b Bâ—rtrâ—m Comparat Gram. Hebr. Aram. in Praesat Mesopotamia And these Syrians gaue aid vnto the Ammonites against Dauid and were partakers in their ouerthrow Gen. 28.5 You may read of Padan Aram whither the Patriarch Iacob was by his father Isaac sent to make choice of his wife of the daughters of Laban Tremellius and Iunius in their note vpon Gen. 25.20 doe make this Padan-Aram to bee a part of Mesopotamia that part which is called by Ptolomee Ancobaritis Thus doth the holy spirit in the sacred Scriptures describe vnto vs the country of Aram in its parts Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob Aram Maacah Aram of Damascus Aram Naharaim and Padan Aram. Hâ—re Aram put without any adiunct to limit it to any one region may betoken all Syria diuided by our Prophet Amos in this one verse into three parts vnder the three names of Damascus Bikeath-Auen and Beth-eden as Tremellius and Iunius haue noted vnderstanding by Damascus the country adioyning the whole coast of Decapolis by Bikeath-Auen the country called Chamatha which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Desart by Beth-eden the whole country of Coelesyria wherein stood the city Eden The people that is persons of all sorts not only the ruder multitude but the noble also the word is generall and containeth all Shall goe into captiuity They shall be carried away from their natiue country into a strange land in slauery and bondage Vnto Kir not vnto Cyrene c Ribera a noble city in that part of Africa which is called Pentapolis the natiue country of d Arias Montanus Callimachus the poet and Eratosthenes the historian as e Apud Drusium Ionathan and Symmachus and S. Hierome doe seeme to vnderstand and Eusebius and the author of the ordinary glosse and Winckleman doe expresly affirme but vnto Kir a city in the seigniories or dominions of the king of Assyria as the Hebrewes and best approued expositors doe auouch Tremellius and Iunius vpon the 2 Kings 16.9 doe vnderstand by this Kir that part of Media which from this captiuity was called Syromedia It was named Kir that is by interpretation a wall because it was round about compassed with the hil Zagrus as with a wall This deportation and captiuity of the Syrians was foretold by our Prophet f Anno regni Oziae 23. almost fifty yeares before it was fulfilled It was fulfilled in the dayes of Ahaz King of Iudah who sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser King of Assyria for helpe Tiglath Pileser consented vnto him went vp against Damascus tooke it slew Rezin King of Aram and curried away captiue the people of Aram into Kir Thus is the story expresly deliuered 2 King 16. Thus farre the exposition of the words The people not only the ruder multitude but the nobles also of Aram not of Damascus onely but of all Syria shall goe into captiuity shall bee carried away captiue by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria vnto Kir a part of Media This accordingly came to passe For it could no otherwise be the Lord true in all his promises and threatnings whose words are yea and Amen he hath said it The people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir saith the Lord. Now to the notes of instruction Here must I commend vnto you as I haue done out of the precedent clauses three circumstances the punisher the punished the punishment 1 The punisher the Lord by his instrument Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria 2 The punished the Aramites or Syrians of all sorts the ruder and the noble 3 The punishment a deportation or carrying into captiuity This third circumstance is amplified by the place Their captiuity bondage and slauery was to be in an vnknowne strange and farre country Kir in Media From the first circumstance of the punisher the Lord of hosts imploying in his seruice the King of Assyria for the carrying away of the Aramites or Syrians into captiuity we are put in minde of a well knowne truth in diuinity Almighty God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily by meanes or second causes I say ordinarily because extraordinarily he worketh sometime without meanes sometime against meanes Ordinarily he worketh by meanes And they are of two sorts Definite such as of their naturall and internall principles doe of necessity produce some certaine effects So the fire burneth the water drowneth Indefinite such as are free and accidentall agents hauing in themselues freedome of will to doe or not to doe In this ranke you may place Iosephs brethren at what time they sold him to the Ismaelites Gen. 37.28 they sold him not of necessity they might haue done otherwise In this ranke you may place Shimei for his carriage towards King Dauid 2 Sam. 16.6 His throwing of stones at the King and railing vpon him was not of necessitie he might haue done otherwise And the King of Assyria carried into captiuitie this people of Aram not of necessity hee might haue left vnto them their natiue country lands and possessions All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoeuer else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessary or contingent are but instruments by which Almighty God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily God laid waste Sodome Gomorrah and their sister Cities he did it by fire Gen. 19.24 God destroyed euery thing that was vpon the earth from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the fowle of the heauen onely was Noah saued and they that were with him in the Arke the rest he destroyed by water
asts at Ephesus For in the iudgement of Theophylaâ—â— of old of Beza Baronius and some b â—ainold Idol 2.6.6 other very learned of this age he spake it figuratiuely to designe and note the disordered assembly gathered together against him at Ephesus vpon the complaint of the siluer-smith Demetrius for defense of great Diana I am assured it is an errour of all the Papists to take it after the letter which Christ spake Matth. 26.26 This is my body There is a figure in the speech For in all sacraments there is a great difference betweene the signes and the things signified The signes are visible the things inuisible the signes earthly the things heauenly the signes corruptible the things immortall the signes corporall the things spirituall and as a reuerend c D. Bason B. of Winchester of Chrâ—stian Subiection par 4. pag. 577. edit Lond. in 8. 1586. Father speaketh in the person of Theophilus the signes are one thing the truth is not the same but another thing and euen by plaine Arithmeticke they be two things and not one This is my body There is a figure in the speech He cals the bread his body by way of signification by way of similitude by way of representation after the manner of Sacraments in a signe not according to the letter but in a spirituall and mysticall vnderstanding and if you respect the precise speech improperly figuratiuely I will not hold you with other like instances These few already spoken of may serue to make it plaine that the not admitting of a Trope or Figure there where in great reason it ought to be admitted is a cause of errour I haue giuen this note in this place beloued because the phrase here vsed in the person of the euerliuing God I will turne my hand to Ekron being spirit and life hath beene by some mistaken and applied to a carnall sense From hence as from other places of holy Scripture in which other the members of mans body are ascribed vnto God as the d Psal 27.8 face the e Deut. 8.3 mouth the f 2 King 19.16 eares g Jbid. Zach 4.10 eies h 1 King 8.42 armes i Matth. 5.35 22.44 feet and some other Tertullian liuing neare vnto the Apostles time was bold to conclude that God is a body This his erroneous and false opinion died not with him It was on foot many a yeare after him in the time of Arius patronized by those Heretikes which by Epiphanius are called Audiani and by Augustine k Augustin de haeres cap. 50. Vadiani after whom also it was eagerly maintained by certaine Monkes of Egypt who were thereupon called Anthropomorphitae But all these are dead and gone their monstrous errour lies buried with them There is no man of any knowledge now a dayes so blinded as to fall into errour with them It is an axiome in diuinity Quaecunque de Deo corporaliter dicuntur dicta sunt symbolicè whatsoeuer is spoken of God bodily that same must be vnderstood figuratiuely Bellarmine saith as much li. 2. de imag sanct c. 8. Membra quae tribuantur Deo in Scriptura metaphoricè esse accipienda that those members which the Scripture assigneth vnto God are to be taken in a Metaphor Thus farre we are yours Bellarmine We maintaine with you that the members attributed vnto God in holy Scripture are to be taken figuratiuely But you build hereupon chaffe and stubble Should we doe the like it could neuer abide the triall of the fire To proue a non licet to be your licet Licere pingere imaginem Dei patris in formâ hominis senis to proue it to be lawfull to represent God the Father by the image of an old man you draw an argument from those places of Scripture which doe attribute vnto God bodily members Your conclusion is by way of question The Scripture in words attributeth vnto God all mans members while it saith that he stands he fits he walkes and nameth his head his feet his armes and giueth to him a seat a throne a footstoole therefore why cannot a picture bee made to represent God Why not an image in the shape of man Why It is easily answered Because euery such picture or image or stocke call it as you will is censured by Ieremie to be a doctrine of vanity chap. 10.8 by Zacharie to be a speaker of vanity ch 10.2 by Habakkuk to be a teacher of lies chap. 2.18 and Gods expresse commandement is against it Deut. 4.16 You shall not make you a grauen image or representation of any figure A reason of this prohibition is adioyned verse 12. and 15. by which it is manifest that God simply and absolutely forbiddeth any image at all to be made of himselfe For yee saw no similitude in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire yee saw no similitude only ye heard a voice The Prophet Esai is plentifull in this demonstration to shew how vnseemly and absurd it is to l Rom. 1.25 turne the truth of God into a lie as they doe who forsake the blessed Creator to worship the creature to turne the Maiestie of God inuisible into a picture of visible man to m Vâ—rse 23. turne the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man His vehement expostulation with idolaters to this purpose is in the 40. chap. of his Prophecie and the 18. verse To whom will yee liken God or what similitude will ye set vp vnto him the workman melteth an image the goldsmith beats it out in gold or siluer plates the poore see now the rage fury and madnesse of idolaters though they haue not wherewith to suffice their owne necessities they will defraud themselues to serue their idols the poore chuseth out a tree that will not rot for an oblation and puts it to a cunning workman to prepare an image that cannot be moued The like expostulation the same Prophet ascribeth to God himselfe chap. 46.5 To whom will ye make me like or make me equall or compare me that I should be like him they draw gold out of the bagge and weigh siluer in the ballance and hire a goldsmith to make a God of it and they bow downe and worship it they beare it vpon their shoulders they carry him and set him in his place so doth he stand and cannot remoue from his place Remember this and be ashamed O ye Idolaters n Esai 40.21 Know ye nothing haue ye not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning haue ye not vnderstood it by the foundation of the earth God sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and beholdeth the inhabiters therof as grashoppers he stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in He o Esai 40.12 measures the waters in his fist counts heauen with his span comprehends the
dust of the earth in a measure weighes the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance God! incorporeall inuisible spirituall passing all measure there is nothing p Esai 46.9 like vnto him No thing And therefore O Idolaters not your old mans image For the truth of your antecedent we stand on your side It s very true the Scripture in expresse words attributeth vnto God many the members and offices of mans body It saith of him that he stands he sits he walkes it nameth his head his feet his armes it giues him a seat a throne a footstoole but all these and other like bodily offices parts and members being spoken of as belonging vnto God must be vnderstood figuratiuely It hath pleased the spirit of wisdome to deale with vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fit the holy Scriptures to our weake capacities to vse knowne familiar and sensible tearmes thereby to raise vp our conceits to some knowledge of the euerliuing God In this regard by the wisdome of the same spirit among many other members Hâ—nds are also ascribed vnto God and that in many places yet not in euery place to one and the same sense and vnderstanding It s noted by the q Cont. 13. cap. 4. Magdeburgenses out of Innocentius that the hand of God doth beare diuers offices among vs officia creatoris largientis protegentis minantis the offices of a Creator liberall giuer protector and threatner Hands are ascribed vâ—â— God sometime to shew that he is the Creator of all things 〈◊〉 Psal 119.73 Thy hands haue made me and fashioned me sometime to shew his liberality to all liuing things as Psal 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing of thy good pleasure sometime to shew the care he hath to protect and defend the faithfull as Esai 49.2 Vnder the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and sometime to shew his readinesse to bee auenged vpon the wicked as Esai 10.4 His hand is stretched out still But these and all other the significations of the hand of God I reduce to two heads to the loue of God and his displeasure vnder them comprehending all their consequents and effects That the hand of God betokeneth sometime his loue and the benefits redounding thence to man mans being and his well-being may easily be proued In the second chapter of the book of Iudges ver 15. we read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for euill the collection thence may be that the Lords hand is sometime toward some for good It is made plaine out of Neh. 2.8 where the Prophet to shew how ready Artaxerxes was to doe him pleasure saith The King gaue me according to the good hand of my God vpon me I might by many like instances out of holy Scripture giue strength to this position but it may seeme to be a needlesse labour Therefore I proceed Now that the hand of God should betoken his displeasure and the effects thereof may be proued as easily When the Israelites forsaking God betooke themselues to serue Baalim the hand of the Lord was sore against them Iudg. 2.15 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was sore vpon them the wrath of the Lord was hot against them he deliuered them into the hands of the spoilers they were spoiled sold to the enemies and sore punished When the Philistines had brought the arke of God into the house of Dagon the hand of the Lord was heauy vpon them 1 Sam. 5.6 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was heauy vpon them * Psal 78.64 â—â— The Lord awaked as one out of sleepe and like a Giant refreshed with wine hee smote his enemies with Emerods and put them to a perpetuall shame Of like signification is the phrase in my text I will turne my hand to Ekron my hand shall be sore against Ekron I will come against Ekron in iudgement I will punish Ekron I will take vengeance on Ekron I will turne my hand Sometime this phrase betokeneth the good grace and fauour of God as Zach. 13.7 I will turne my hand vpon my little ones My little ones when the shepherd shall be smitten and the sheepe scattered I will recouer with my hand and preserue them for euer I will gather them together I will comfort them I will defend them rursus ad pastorem praeceptorem suum reducam saith Ribera though they be scattered I will bring them backe againe to their owne shepherd and master There you see Gods turning of his hand vpon his little ones is for good Here it s otherwise God turneth his hand to Ekron for euill This is auerred and iustified by the infallible predictions of other Prophets Zachary chap. 9.5 foretelleth that much sorrow shall betide Ekron Zephany chap. 2.4 saith that Ekron shall be rooted vp Ieremy chap. 25.20 takes the cup of the wine of Gods indignation and giues it Ekron to drinke to make Ekron like her neighbour countries euen desolation and astonishment a hissing and a curse So great is Ekrons calamity threatned in these words of my text I will turne my hand to Ekron Ekron Will you know what this Ekron was You shall finde in the booke of Ioshua chap. 13.3 that it was a dukedome in the land of the Philistines and 1 Sam. 6.16 that there was in this dukedome a city of the same name no base city but a Princes seat able at one time to giue entertainment to fiue Princes Against both city and dukedome Gods hand was stretched out I wi l turne my hand to Ekron Will God smite Ekron both city and dukedome We may take from hence this lesson There is no safe being in city or country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish The reason is because there is no place to flie vnto from his presence None No corner in Hell no mansion in Heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuity no place of any secrecy any where can hide vs from the presence of God Witnesse two holy Prophets Dauid and Amos. The one Psal 139. the other chap. 9. You haue the reason of my Doctrine the vses follow Is it true Is there no safe being in City or Country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish One vse hereof is to teach vs to take patiently whatsoeuer afflictions shall befall vs. Afflictions I call whatsoeuer is any way opposite to humane nature such as are the temptations of the flesh the world and the Deuill the diseases of the body an infortunate husband or wife rebellious children vnthankfull friends losse of goods reproaches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily or ghostly proper to our selues or appertaining to such as are of our bloud priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed
to his neighbour For as much as the Lord will destroy all such as speake lies This you know by the fift Psalme ver the 6. But how will he destroy them It is answered Reuel 21.8 All lyars shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Thus haue you the third vse of my doctrine My doctrine was God is truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words The third vse is our holy imitation of God in truth There is yet a fourth vse of this doctrine of the truth of God It serues for a redargution or reproofe of such as deny God and his truth Deny God and his truth Can there be any endued with a reasonable soule so voyd of vnderstanding Yes There is a generation of men monstrously mishapen in the powers of the soule who spare not to break the cords of Religion asunder and to cast her yoke from them They dare auouch with those in Tullie Totam de Dijs immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapientibus reipub causâ vt quos ratio non posset eos ad officium religio duceret judging the seruice of God to be a meere deuise of man for the better gouernment of the Common-wealth wherein inferiors sith they will not be ruled by reason must be ordered by religion Tell such of the Scriptures you may as well vrge them with Lucians narrations tell them of repentance they cast it behind them tell them of faith they regard it not Speake to them of baptisme they hold it of no greater price then the washing of their hands Let them heare of the Resurrection this feeds them with many a merry conceit They thinke pleasantly with themselues what manner of bodies they shall haue at that day of what proportion and stature their bodies shall be whether their nayles and haire shall rise againe Impious wretches thus they make a scoffe at God and religion whom were they vsed according to their deserts the Preachers should pronounce and the Prince proclaime the foulest leapers that euer yet sore ranne vpon very worthy to bee excluded the hoast and to haue their habitation alone yea to be exiled the land and to bee expelled from nature it selfe which so vnnaturally they striue to bring to naught I say no more against them but leaue them to the God of truth whom they haue denied that he in due time may repay them home with vengeance Thus farre am I guided by my first doctrine grounded vpon this essentiall name of God his name Iehouah importing his truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words Thus saith Iehouah Thus saith the Lord Is not this the prophesie of Amos Are not all the words of this prophesie chap. 1.1 called the words of Amos the heardsman What then meaneth this phrase Thus saith the Lord As Almighty God in olde time spake to our Fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod 4.12 So did hee in succeeding ages speake vnto them by the mouth of other his Prophets Luke 1.70 Heereto S. Peter beareth record 2. Epist 1.20 Know this saith he that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion and he giues the reason heereof verse 21. For the prophesie in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiaâ— speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto me The Lord God hath spoken and this in my Text Thus sayth the Lord. This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when he sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand euer true what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16 The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God The whole Scripture and euery parcell of it haâ—h inward witnesse from the Spirit which is the author of all truth Sweet then is the harmony consent and agreement of all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last Not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the words which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people the words were the Lords Hence ariseth this doctrine The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell nor any other creature how excellent soeuer but onely the liuing and immortall God This truth is euident by this which I haue but now delired For if God in old time spake to our Fathers by the mouth of Moses if God spake by other his Prophets if God spake by the Euangelists and Apostles if all Scripture be inspired of God then it well followeth that God is the author of Scripture and therefore not man nor Angell nor any other creature how excellent soeuer I can but point at the vses of this doctrine The first vse is redargution Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Heere are all they to bee reprooued who doe vilifie and debase the sacred Scriptures and esteeme not of them as of the word of God Such are they who bearing in their fore-heads the stampe of Christians haue notwithstanding giuen their names to that Antichrist of Rome and the now-false Church there They shame not to affirme that setting aside the authority of that Church and her head the Pope the Scripture is no better then a l Collâ—q Wâ—rmâ—t doubtfull vncertaine and leaden rule then a m Colloq Râ—tâ—bon matter of debate then n Ludouic Matoranus dead inke then o Eskins inken diuinity then a p Pighius nose of wax then a r Colloq Worm booke of discord then a Å¿ Pighius dumbe Iudge then t Hosius Gretser Heereof see my second Lecture vpon Amos 1. Aesops fables Impious wretches had they not wip'd all shame from their faces they would neuer haue layd such load of disgraces vpon Gods holy word Their Cardinall Hosius stayes not heere he proceedes a degree further He coynes a distinction of Scripture as it s vsed by themselues whom he calleth Catholikes and as by vs whom hee calleth Heretikes His words are in the end of his third book against Brentius his Prolegomena The Scripture quomodo profertur à Catholicis verbuÌ„ est Dei quomodo profertur ab Haereticis verbum est Diaboli as it is alledged by vs so must it bee forsooth the word of the Deuill but as by them so onely shall it be the word of God Blasphemous Cardinall hee marcheth not alone u
much he is able to doe without the grace of God This their opinion is erroneous The truth is that S. Paul in the place alledged speaketh not of any other but of himselfe not as he was in Pharisaisme vnder the law but as he was now when he wrote this Epistle in the state of grace a man regenerate This great combate in S. Paul now regenerate betweene the Å¿ â—â—m 7.23 law of his minde and the law of his members betweene the t Vers 22.25 law of God and the law of sinne betweene the u Vers 22. inward man and the outward betweene the x Vers 18. flesh and spirit doth clearely shew that the holiest man liuing hath a tincture of disobedience against the Lord his God This is the second kind of disobedience which I noted to be in man as he is in the state of regeneration and serueth for the illustration of my propounded doctrine which was Disobedience against Gods holy lawes and commaundements is a sinne which the Lord requireth to be eschewed by euery child of his Disobedience not onely that which is in euery man that is yet in the state of corruption but that other too which is incident to the truely regenerate is a sinne carefully to be eschewed by euery child of God Euery child of God should be vnwilling to displease God and what can more displease him then disobedience Disobedience Gods curse is vpon it The curse is Psal 119 21. Maledicti qui declinant a mandatis tuis cursed are they that doe erre from thy commaundements Maledicti a Deo scilicet Cursed of God are all they of what estate or condition soeuer they are that doe erre in their life and conuersation from his commaundements which he hath prescribed as footsteps and paths for men to tread in Cursed are they that doe erre he saith not they that haue erred for they that haue erred may haue repented but cursed are they that doe erre from thy commaundements And here by erring we vnderstand not euery offence indifferently but an vnbridled licence to offend we vnderstand not euery slip but a falling away from God We vnderstand not euery disobedience of ignorance or infirmity but the disobedience of pride and presumption Maledicti Cursed are they that doe erre from thy commandements The like Curse is Deut. 27.26 Maledictus qui non permanet in sermonibus legis huius nec eos opere perficit Cursed be he that continueth not in the words of this law to doe them It is cited by S. Paul Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the law to doe them In both places the end of the Law is poynted at It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much contemplation as action for the Law was giuen not onely to be knowne but also to be performed and therefore Rom. 2.13 it is auouched that not the hearers of the Law are righteous before God but the doers of the Law shall be iustified The couenant of the Law requireth from vs absolute obedience In this obedience these things must concurre according to the tenor of the Law 1. It must be performed by our selues for the law reueales not the Mediator 2. It must be inward as well as outward 3. It must be perfect in parts and degrees 4. It must be constant and continuall from the first moment of our conception without the least interruption through the whole course of our liues The least thought dissonant to the law inuolues vs in disobedience and layes vs open to the Curse Maledictus Cursed be he that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Vae vobis is no better then a Curse and that shall you find denounced to the disobedient Ecclus. 41.8 Vae vobis impij Viri qui dereliquistis legem Altissimi scilicet per inobedientiam sayth Antoninus Sum. part 2. Tit. 4. cap. 2. Woe be vnto you vngodly men which haue forsaken the law of the most high God through your disobedience Vae vobis woe be vnto you And why so The reason is added For if you increase it shall be to your destruction And if you be borne you shall be borne to a curse and if you die a curse shall be your portion Vae vobis woe be vnto you ye vngodly men which haue forsaken the law of the most high God through your disobedience Is disobedience thus cursed Then must it be punished For as Dicere Dei is facere so Maledicere Dei is malum poenae facere If God saith a thing he doth it and if he curseth he punisheth He curseth disobedience and therefore he punisheth disobedience He punisheth it sayth Antoninus three manner of wayes First per afflictionem corporis by afflicting man in his bodie Secondly per impugnationem orbis by setting the whole world against man and Thirdly per privationem numinis by depriuing him of the vision of God First God punisheth disobedience by laying affliction vpon man in his bodie For the disobedience of Adam he sayth vnto Adam Gen. 3.17 Maledicta terra in opere tuo Cursed be the earth for thy worke for the worke of thy transgression for thy sinne for thy sake Cursed be the earth of thy bodie for thy bodie is but earth cursed shall it be and many waies afflicted Thornes and Thistles diuerse passions and infirmities shall it bring forth vnto thee All the euils of punishment whereto these weake bodies of ours are subiect hunger and thirst and heate and cold and trauaile and trouble and misery and calamitie and weakenesse and diseases yea and death too together with that neuer-ceasing rebellion of the flesh against the Spirit called in Scripture the Concupiscence of the flesh whâ—ch cleaueth fast vnto vs all our life long and is the fountaine and root of all our euill deeds all these are vpon vs for disobedience Secondly God punisheth disobedience by setting the whole world against man For as it is Wisd 5.21 Pugnabit cum illo orbis terrarum contra insensatos The world shall fight with him against the vnwise the world shall take part with God against the disobedient The world that is all the creatures in the world whereof we read vers 18. Armabit creaturam ad vltionem inimicorum The Lord he shall take to him his iealousie for compleat Armour and make the y Wisd 5.17 creature his weapon for the reuenge of his enemies Where by the creature I vnderstand z Lorinus vniuersitatem creaturarum the vniuersitie of Creatures all the Creatures in the world orbem terrarum euen the whole world of Creatures God shall make the creature his weapon for the reuenge of his enemies and the world shall fight with him against the vnwise The thunderbolt is his weapon against the disobedient vers 21. Then shall the right ayming thunder-bolts goe abroad and from the clouds
of actuall sinne Sometimes it s so Then it is so when a man for some particular offence is more and more blinded and depriued of the knowledge of God and his truth So God punished the Gentiles with ignorance Rom. 1.24 Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God therefore God gaue them vp to vncleannesse through the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their owne bodies betweene themselues So they became vaine in their imaginations and professing themselues wise they became fooles And so God punished the wicked among the Thessalonians 2 Thes 2.10 Because they receiued not the truth that they might be saued therefore God did send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies Thus is ignorance the punishment also of actuall sin And now is the first branch of my position cleare Ignorance is a punishment of sinne euermore of Originall and sometimes of Actuall sinne The next branch is Our ignorance of God and his truth is a cause of sinne Aquin. 1. 2. q. 76. art 1. Ignorance is a cause of sinne For whosoeuer knoweth not God he cannot worship God he cannot but serue strange Gods We see that in the Galatians chap. 4.8 who therefore did seruice to them who by nature were not Gods because they knew not the true God Rom. 3.11 The like collection is made from some words in the fourteenth Psalme that therefore men seeke not God because they know him not There is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeketh God In both places Saint Paul makes Ignorance to be the mother of superstition and idolatry Men know not God therefore they seeke not God â—quin 1. 2. qu. 84. art 1. 2. but serue strange Gods Thus is ignorance a cause of sinne I say a cause of sinne as one sinne may bee a cause of another And one sinne may be a cause of another diuers waies 1 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as for a sinne committed the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit leaueth and forsaketh vs. It being departed we cannot but runne into foule and filthy sinnes If our stay by which alone we are supported in the way of godlinesse be taken from vs how shall we stand 2 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as God punisheth sinne with sinne as when God gaue vp the Gentiles to their owne hearts lusts to vncleannesse to defile their owne bodies betweene themselues Rom. 1.24 as euen now you heard 3 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as by committing of any sinne we are drawne on againe to doe the like and to ingeminate and double action vpon action vntill at length we make the sinne habituall vnto vs. 4 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as it cannot be that a sinne should be committed without attendants In which sense the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.10 saith of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith that Couetousnesse or the loue of money is the root of all euill They that will be rich saith he fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which draw men into perdition and destruction for the loue of money is the root of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselues thorow with many sorrowes 5 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as for one the other is committed Pilat for ambition condemned Christ Iudas for money betrayed his Master and Balaam for a like reward cursed Gods people So many waies may one sinne be said to be the cause of another Now our ignorance of God is a cause of sinne the fourth way namely as it is not without attendants You heard euen now that Paul makes it to be the mother of superstition and idolatry I may say it is the mother of all heresies and errors To this purpose Saint Hierome in a proeme of his to the Virgin Eustochium before his Commentaries vpon Esay saith that the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ If 1 Cor. 1.24 saith he according to the Apostle Paul Christ be the power of God and the wisdome of God and hee that knoweth not the Scriptures knoweth not the power of God nor his wisdome Ignoratio Scripturarum ignoratio Christi est the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ It is so worthy a saying that it is put into the body of the Canon Law Dist 38. C. Si iuxta Thus much for the second branch of my position wherein I affirmed that Ignorance is a cause of sinne The third branch is Our ignorance of God and his truth is in it selfe sinne Here the Schoolemen doe distinguish Aquin. 1. 2. qu. 76. Art 2. Lombard Sent. lib. 2. dist 22. c. est autem There is one kinde of ignorance in such men as may know and will not another in such as may know and care not a third in such as would know but cannot The first is an ignorance by wilfulnesse the second by negligence the third by necessity The first and second they hold for sinnes the third they excuse yea they deny it to be a sinne To their iudgement concerning the two former kinds we giue our assent It is a malicious sinne a sinne of commission a very heynous sinne when men may know and will not It is a negligent sinne a sinne of omission yet a grieuous sinne when men may know and care not But their opinion touching the third kinde we allow not What if a man would know and cannot is he therefore simply and absolutely excused No he is not It s a truth and all the powers of Hell shall not be able to preuaile against it whosoeuer knoweth not what he ought to know by the Law of God he is holden in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he transgresseth the Law of God And euery transgression of the Law of God is sinne This truth is sealed by the holy Spirit in the mouth of Saint Iohn 1 Epist chap. 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery transgression of the Law is sin The Text of Scripture which they alleage for their opinion is Ioh. 15.22 There saith Christ If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne My answer is These words make nothing for them For Christ by saying so doth not absolutely excuse the Iewes from sinne vpon the condition that they had not beene able to haue heard Christ The excuse which Christ fitteth to them serues onely to excuse them from the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of sinne as if he had thus said If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sin sin that is so grieuous sinne as now they haue since they haue heard me and yet doe continue in their obstinacy refusing to giue assent to the truth which I haue told them from my