acknowledge our Error our Delinquency by throwing presently Rose-Water into our Mouthes To use those holy Doctours that antiently flourished and were Stellae primae Magnitudinis Stars of the first Magnitude now in their Absence as the miserable offenders that are drawn higher the more to be strapado'd Beloved As tender Infants are more subject to fascination than grown persons so common people are most easily deluded And it was not well done of that envious Wretch in Quintilian who poyson'd the Flowers in his Garden that his Neighbours Bees Quinti l. Declam 13. might not safely suck any more honey from them A Man goes on sometimes in Morality as it were with Oares and sometimes his Sails are up and the Wind helps him on And now he goes remis velisque with Sails and Oares For when the Mind by the help of our Vertuous Habits and actuall Grace doth operate or work according to the Rules and Dictates of right Reason honest Things we go rowing and failing But when a certain extrinsecall Force from God doth advance and elevate the Soul beyond all these Rules after a more vehement and high Manner then is the Man transported by some Gift of the holy Ghost as Appolonia was when brought to the Fire after she had stood a while attending to the holy Ghost she cast her self into it Even so it is also both in our Praying and Preaching Let me now therefore utter a few Words in the Rapture of my Soul O thou with thy flatuous Knowledge thy Tympanie of Terms os unpurum sparsumque thou with thy wide and impure mouth thou hou so meanly blyth and buxom as thou art Hast thou not learn'd yet what it is to send away to Hell Souls by whole Shoals Souls for the which Christ dyed Do'st thou not know what a Soul is Or can'st thou make a Soul a Soul wherein there is fairly Character'd the Divinity the Spiritualitie of God the Unity of the divine Essence the Trinity of the divine Persons the Generation of the Son the Procession of the holy Ghost Hither Divines commonly come But I cannot rest here A Soul wherein there is an Evident Character of the Incarnation of the second Person the Divine Word when our Will the second Faculty of our Souls is conceived in our Words and made as it were incarnate in our Deeds a Man 's invisible Will being made visible in his Actions far otherwise than his Understanding or Memory the Prophet Psal 22. 20. calls his Soul his Darling his Dearling The Vulgar Latin stiles it as Interpret Vulgar the Prophet speaks it in the Hebrew Vnicam meam my onely one The Chaldee Spiritum Corporis mei the Spirit of my Paraph. Chald. Sept. Aq. Sym. Body The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my only-begotten Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my long-Liver Symmachus in the abstract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my lonelinesse that will soon be totally Abstracted from the World St. Hierome S. Hier. solitariam meam my Solitary Soul The Soul which thou so murderously destroyest is the poor Mans Darling his onely-one the Spirit of his Body his onely-begotten his lone-Liver his loneliness his solitahy Soul Murder Murder a a more horrible Murder was never committed Do'st thou not fear that such a departed Soul will quasi Vmbra te persequi Ghost-haunt thee Where is now thy supernatural Principle that should move within thee How wilt thou crutch it up that thou art a Christian If thou art awake the Christian in thee I could weep the rest O my God deliver my Soul from the Sword my Darling from the power of the Dog 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sept. Septuagint read it so from the two-hand Sword or the Sword that is edg'd on both sides The Sword of thy Tongue O thou fals-Tongu'd Preacher will cut on either side as the side is to which thy Belly most leans and lissens cùm intestina tibi crepent when thy guts murmure for Victuals Was my Soul my Darling my onely-one the Spirit of my Body my only-begotten my lone-Liver my loneliness my solitary Soul ordain'd for an other Mans Belly Which Man when his Belly has done with my Soul will throw it away to the Dog the Devil Agnosco Discipulum Haereticorum antiquorum Thou art a Scholar of the ancient Hereticks For in respect of their Soul-marketing the old Romans saith Lampridius Lamprid. in Alexandro Severo contumeliously calld'd Christum Christ Chrestum from the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profitable Here Ends the Rapture Matth. 2. 1. where the Greek hath Evang. Graec. Evan. Lat. Evan. Syr. Arab. Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latin Magi the Engiish Wise Men and where the Syriack Arabick Egyptiack or Coptick with other Oriental Translations the Languages of which either by a right Line or side-wayes come of the Hebrew say the same Thing yea the Persian-Gospel-Word is Magusan wise men Evangelinm Persicum Evan. Aethiopicum only the Ethiopick is pleas'd with a Name caught from their outward Act of Service which is Adoratores Worshipers Munster in his Hebrew Gospel Eva. Heb. Munsteri which he obtrudeth to us as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Saint Matthew dresses them in the Word mecassephim praestigiatores Iuglers or Enchanters Art not thou in the Cause O thou Blazing-Star of the pulpit thou Fabula Conviviorum Fori almost all the talk of people at Feasts and in Market-places for thy Iugglings that pious wise and learned Men who have most faithfully followed the Star of the East are sensured to be as thou art Iugglers The Iewish Thalmudists story to us Thalmud Ord. 4. Tract 2. aelibi multoties that the Soul of one Man passeth into the Body of an other and that for Example the Soul of Abel flew from him into Seth I suppose it pearch't some where by the way and from out of Seth by another and an other flight into Moses The Pythagorean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Transmigation of Souls joyned with the Platonicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or frequent Renascency had evened this way for the Iew. And Pride made Iulian though not a Iew yet a Philosophicall Pythagorean Niceph. Eccl. Hist. lib. 10. c. 35 who conceived that his little Body was fill'd with great Alexander's Soul And now to make a perfect Diapason and agreement of Voices as if all were but one voice thou hast conveyed with a quick and cleanly Conveyance the Spirit of a Primitive Apostle into thy own body and thou art in thy own Thoughts and Words greater than a Magnifico of the East or a Western Admirante Rectè admones It is well thou tellest me so For had'st thou not I should have confidently retorted That there must be truly The Spirit of Truth in some true Spirit to decide the great Differences betwixt thee and others cùm res caleat utrobique velis furori permissis the Matter growing hot and the persons fire-hot and
we ought not to put under a Bushâ—ll but on a Candlestick 1 Pet. 2. 18. Servants be Subject to your Masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward Know further That of Evils some are Evil because they are forbidden by the Law As the Profanation of our Lord's Day And some are forbidden by the Law because they are in themselves Evil and are twice evil because Evil and because forbidden As our Violation of the other Commandements The great Bishop of Hippo asserts it concerning Adultery Non Adulterium malum est quia vetatur S. Aug. â—bidem cap. 3. Lege sed ideò vetatur Lege quòd maâ—um est Adultery is not evil solely and simply because it is forbidden by the Law but is therefore forbidden by the Law because it is Evil. And as Evils or Sins are such derivatively from their Objects to the which we are inordinately converted and Sins applyed to Objects of different Kinds specifically differ Acts taking their Species or Kindes from their Objects So Sins greatly differ compared to the Laws against which they offend And therefore some Sins are Sins of Commission some of Omission We set aside Whether a Pure Omission be possible or no The Sins of Commission are they which are acted contrarily to the Negative Commandements The Sins of Omission which offend against the Commandements that are Affirmative And as the Commandement or Law Divine or Humane which affirms or denies deals in a Matter higher or lower So is the Sin lower or higher And if the Laws be more against which we offend by One Act this one Act is more hainous Ut unde dudùm digressus sum refluat ac recurrat Oratio Prudentèr aliquandò in obliquum aspicimus It is a part of Prudence at some times to look side-long particularly in giving a â—igne But I will not For I defie which others deify this peevish intermedling in the State-Business of Publick Persons to whom I am subjected at any time by God's Ordinance be it of Commission or Permission as they term it Only thus in the by and in generall to all the World There is a stout Niâ—remberg Hist. Naturae lib. 9. cap. 72. Beast in Africa by Name saith Nierembergius Ejulator Which repairing neer unto Villages or Towns in the Evenings cries like a little harmless Child But the Person that fondly moved with pity comes carefully to seek the Child is cruelly devoured by the false mouth of the Beast that cri'd so Aristotles Tyrant that waves the Common Good that gives Laws derogating from God's Law cries like a little innocent Child when he first calls us to him But we being come come and submitted and he in his Plenilune or Solstice of Honour He that was a sweet Babe in Voice is oftentimes a most sower Beast in Action And then the People cry too Quantâ de spe decidimus From how great Hopes have we shamefully fallen My second Fundamental Proof sets forth Civil Governours whose End as they are Civil Governours is the conservation of the People in temporal Peace and whose Actions as they are Civil rest in the Consecution of this End are oblig'd in a Christian Commonwealth as Principal Members in a higher Community the Church of God to direct all their Actions of Civil Government to the great Intention aim and End of the Church of God Which is the Salvation of the Souls of the People Because all Superiour Power which is temporal is inferiour and suboâ—â—inatâ— as it is temporal by the Law of Nature to Spiritual Power and subjected to it in Matters pertaining to the Soul Mind or Spirit by the same Law of Nature by which the less perfect Things are subjected to the Things more perfect inferiour to superiour the Body to the Soul Sense to Reason a Family to a Common-wealth external Affairs to internal Devotions Earth to Heavven our temporal Conservation to our eternal Salvation our temporal Peace amongst Men to our eternal Peace in God And lastly to the End ea quae sunt ad Finem the Things ordained for us in the way to our End The Church of God being the most perfect and most noble of all Societyes and the Society without which we cannot go safe home to our last End The most low-fetch'd and most penetrating Reason of all is Because all Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Power is originally founded not in the Pope hence with so low so creeping so groveling so poor a Thought but in Jesus Christ the invisible Head of the Church and the gracious Fountain of all the Graces by the which we are graciously conducted to our last End And though it be not required that the Means and the End should have a Similitude of Being yet is it necessâ—â—y that there be no Dissimilitude or Disagreement betwixt the Meanes considered as the Means and the End as the End This is the Doctrine of * S. Greg. de Curâ Pastorali p. 2. caâ— 6. Idem Ep. lib. 2. Ep. 61. S. Ambr. de Dignit Sacerd. cap. 3. S. Chrysost de Sacerdotio lib. 3. S. Greg. Naz. in Orat. ad Populu 〈…〉 timore perculsum Greg. the Great St. Ambrose St. Iohn Chrysostom St. Gregory Nazianzâ—â— and indeed of all the Primitive Doctors Upon the Tower in the top it is written in fair Characters That Iesus Christ must have the highest Seat in us and over us Psal 89. 15. Blessed is the People that know the joyfull sound they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy Countenance For the joyfull Sound in English we read in the Vulgar Latin Iubilationem Interpres Vulgat Sept. Interpretes Graeci Interpres Sophocles Interpretes Hebraei Theologi Mystici Vide Ludovicum Elasium in Monili Alvarez Tom. 3. de Oratione the crying out for joy In the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which the Greek Interpreters who best sounded their own Language interpret the Song of Victory And in the Interpreter of Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the joyfull sound is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Song of Victory The Hebrew Divines unfold the Original Word which they likewise best sounded The Sound of the Trumpet proclaming victory and exciting to Ioy. The Mysticall Divines catch the Word at the rebound and transfer it to a shout or crying out for Ioy That God is God and reigns over us and in us and is above us all and above all Things This is the noblest Effluence of our Heart in the Motions of Joy our highest Ioy As the Belief of Mysteries is our highest Faith and our best Hope is that which strongly beats in the Pulse when we wander per incerta Nemorum through the greatest Dangers and our pure love which loves God purely for himself the highest By these as the first and highest in their Kinds our other Ioyes Beliefs Hopes Loves are orderly measured This Ioy cannot withhold it self from trumpeting and singing alowd it 's own Comforts
the Locusts so rashly so rudely settle and fasten upon the highest of Sciences and imploy so unadvisedly indirectly irreverently their highest Powers and faculties belying the blessed Spirit of God To the matter in hand Graft a Rose-Tree then convey a grain of Musk into a cleft in the stock and all the Roses that come of the stock will carry Musk about them The Scripture that sweetly smells of the grain of Musk in the stock in the Text prae manâ—bus before us to be discussed is doubly sweet sweet of the Musk and of the Rose The Third thing succeeds and it serves as well to the Meridian of divine and superiour as of inferiour and humane jurisdiction and to our Hemâ—sp here Elohim is a name of God assisting his providence by the which he governs the World and signifies God quatenus est Judex Vindex as he is a Judge and Revenger Wherefore the Psalmist arraigâ—s the Fool Psal 14. 1. The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God First The Originall saith Nabhal hath Text. Heb. said in his heart which the Chaldee sayes over again The mad man hath said c. Chaldaea Paraphrasis The Hebrew word signifies a sottish or doltish fellow yea one that hath fallen or lapsed from good actions such before other being Athesticall or finally One that is both a Knave and a Fool the Latine word Nebulo being an Hebrew born and comming by ancient extraction of this Nabâ—al And secondly Text. Heb. The Originall owns En Elohim there is no Elohim And the Chaldee fits it Paraphr Chald. Non est potestas Dei in terra There is no dominion or power of God upon the Earth And this the Hierusalem Targ. recounts Targum Hierosolymit in Gen. 4. to have been cursed Caiâ—'s plea against his blessed brother before he butcher'd him The Word Elohim is lineally descended from El which is a name of God reporting him strong and ala the translation of which is Obligavit juramento astrinxit he hath Obliged he hath bound by Oath inferring covertly as doctrinall and purgatis auribus dignum worthy to be received with clean Eares That God hath blazoned his Omnipotent strength and power in creating and adorning the world Elohim being the first name of God in the Scripture and most used in the History of the Creation and beyond this hath obliged and most firmly bound us by this excellent and actuall Gift of his free Goodness as by a virtuall Oath on our parts to his actuall worship and to the repayment of reall Obedience and effectuall Gratitude And that if in our walkings we be retrograde or move in transversum quasi Cancer crosly if we degenerate in our carriages into the Changeling with perverted Hands and Feet Elohim that in the first Work of his actuall Providence was Elohim the Creator will in the later Works of it be Elohim the Judge and Revenger He that was Elohim strong to create us and other Things for us will finally approve Himself Elohim strong to revenge upon us the vile and various injuries done to him in the abuse of our selves and his other Creatures That therefore wee might rectà pergere goe straight-forward God for our guidance in the just and right use of his Cretures ingrafted in us in our Creation besides our transient lost and supernaturall Grace right Reason and Prudence being the Rule and Measure of all our Morall Vertues or Vertues in the Will Which are Vertues because conformable to the Dictates and Iudgement of Prudence from which they receive the fair stamp or embellishment of morall Honesty and that they neither exceed nor are deficient And that as right Reason grew less right and more warp't by contamination from outward and low things it might be regulated and heigthen'd by communication from an outward Exemplar on the Mount Vpon the Mount he did promulgate Ore fulmineo in a terrible manner a Morall Law having betimes proclamed himself as to Abram Gen. 17. 1. El Saddai God All-sufficient by his Grace Mercy Power Saddai is one of God's ten famous Names which constellate in the Old Testament and is compacted of Schin a relative article and the Noun Dai signifying sufficiency Aquila Symmâ—chus and Theodotion as St. Hierom called Presbyter quòd S. Hieronym Ep. 136. ad Maâ—cell plerumque Sacerdotes essent aetate provectiores attesteth in his Epistle to Marcella resolve it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient of and to himself omnipotent And Saddai as it often appeares in the Scripturalâ— use of the Word turns an Ey to Scaed a Teat a Breast proposing God in his Mercy as all-Breasts and full of Milk and as offering the Breast that is cordially reaching forth Grace and heavenly nourishment to all the Tribes of Men and to every particular Man in his Tribe And because Christ came to reconcile the great and generall Difference bewixt God and Man and to satisfie for our Abuse of God's good Creatures in the Breaches of the Law He assuming the Nature of Man assumed something in it of every Creature either Created Being or Vegetation or Sense or Understanding and Spirituality For In Man all the Creatures of God in Epitomen reducuntur are epitomized abridged abbreviated He is to speak more Scripture-like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the recapitulation of all Things into one And for this reason God is said Ephes 1. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gather together in one all things in Christ Hence Cajetan from the Consistory Caiet in 3. parte Quaest 1 Art 1. of his high Thoughts Incarnatio est Elevatio totius Vniversi in divinam Personam The Incarnation of Christ is the lifting up or Elevation of the whole Vniverse into the divine Person This Pinacle Videatur Salmeron Tom. 3. Tract 2. explicans illud ad Ephes 1. 10. of Truth is artificially garnished by Salmeron who brings with him St. Gregory with his Talent contributing that in this Consideration Christ sending his Apostles to preach to Mankinde used this Form of command Marc. 16. 15. Preach the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to every Creature The Law of Elohim and Saddai as it comprehends also the Precepts or Counsills of Christ is the choice Thing here which I would gladly draw forth by it self and preach to you and to every Creature in you The Text is in proximo very near and calls for admittance Now it comes Receive it as rich Vessels prepar'd for it Receive it as the Law and Love of the great Jehovah and Lord of us all and of infinite worlds lying hid in the dark and void womb of Possibilitie if he shall please to will them into Being as he did this our World Psal 19. 7. Lex Domini immaculata It speaks English thus The Law of the Lord is perfect YEs But notwithstanding Tu tuas Res age Ego meas Let me modelize my own work It is joyfully received è Lyceo out of Aristotle's School for a
Vnderstanding all efficacious Helps all hopes of true Manna Dum Moses ad pias Preces manus at toll it Ros de Coelo delapsus in precantis manibus concrevit the Voice of Josephus While Moses lifted up his Hands in holy Prayer when the People wanted Bread his Joseph Antiq. lib. 3. cap. 1. Hands open towards Heaven were first fill'd with Manna to give notice that those holy Hands lifted up in Prayer had pull'd Manna down Is there not one Moses more to be heard of that may prevail with God for Bread in the Wilderness of Sin A Truth of Truths Proclivius est evocare â—acodaemona quà m abigere It is more easy to raise Dâ—vils or Devilish Spirits than to lay them O the miserable Gatherers of such Manna such Doctrine such Words My Tongue wants Words and Colours wherewith to pencill such foul words and black is not black enough for them Senec. Tragoediogr Hip. â—ct 2. Scen. 2. Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent Small Cares are talkative whilst huge-Ones are struck dumb with Astonishment I will pray as the Original prayes Psal 56. 9. Propter Aven ejice eos Cast them out for their Iniquity or as the blind-Man's Text Heb. Targ. Rab. Joseph Caeci Targ Propter falsitatem for their falshood and lying their lying Words their lying Works Or lastly as the Elders not of England but of Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their nothing Because Sept. they have said and said again and gainsayed who because they have said and gainsayd have said nothing and are therefore Homines Nihili Men of Nothing of nought no worth no good account Be not scandalized Brethren at these overgone or as ye may think overgrown Expressions The old Saints turn over their Works were as vehement and as violent against the Deceivers of their Times And our Scotchsoul'd Sayer and Gainsayer Vrtica est Vrit si mollius tractetur is a Nettle and stings if he be gently touch'd Is there not a Godly Violence a religious Vehemency When is it reducible to Practice if not in this Case But the Discovery of these Pulpit-Meteors blowing hard upon me hath carried me from side to side besides the Channel I require in a Preacher that he may perfectly Publish and Preach the Perfect Law of God besides inward qualifications natural and supernatural and an Outward Call the necessity of which is understood with much facility acquisite Learning in an excellent Manner and Adherence to a Church of such Authority as may reasonably â—ut a stop to Controversies I read in the Perfect Law of God that God himself is most excelently perfect and consequently was a free-Agent in the Creation of the World and the like Actions An Infidâ—l or a weak Christian demands of me wherein this Liberty consisteth Without sound Learning what Answer can I give But assisted by such Learning I may answer thus God's Liberty consisteth chiefly in this That he can freely chuse an Object either more or less good And in this his Acts of Choice are laudable because they can still fix upon an inferiour good and are infinitely praise-worthy ex modo tendend because the Acts of God Although still he cannot work better or worse morally And if we should deprive him of this Liberty it can never be well-unfolded why God did not make more and more perfect Worlds so long till the Angels could not number them And to say that God is free only towards this and that individuall Thing would be to say that no Honesty or Laudability shined from the Exercise of his Liberty And the same Objects which God willeth are handed to us both by God and Nature and proposed as unequally good And this Perfection of Liberty hath place in God because he cannot want any kinde of Perfection except he hath a Perfection equivalent which is incompossible with it as it hapneth in the Divine Persons with respect to their Relative Perfections A Man demands beyond all that I have said already Why the most holy God hindereth not Sin Without the concurrence of Sound Learning we shall never quiet him with a sound and full Answer As thus Tertullian hath a pressing Reason and Tert. lib. 1. contra Marcion he presseth it too Because Man is graciously made by God a free Creature undetermined in his Actions untill he be determined by himself And therefore may not be drawn away from Sinning by Omnipotency because God useth not neither doth it agree with him to repeal his own Ordinances or to proceed against them As Mercy may not do any thing contrary to Providence Now God doth not so will the Damnation of a Sinner but that he still leaves him betwixt Heaven and Hell in respect of his Abilities He desires earnestly that he should turn but willingly consentingly and according to the working of his Abilities appointed by Providence not by force Which if he did he could force him to return He moves him to a return and also gives him sufficient ability by virtue of which he may return though he knows he will not He that said to his Creatures Increase yee and multiply put also a Virtue into them by virtue whereof they might multiply and increase He that commanded the Lame Man to arise and take up his Bed and walk so strengthned his Ioynts that he might doe all this God sees that such a Sinner shall not be sav'd and he sees likewise that he will not comply with his Helps We speak not in this Question of the Physical but of the Moral Cause The Physical Cause is that which doth truly and really effect so God concurreth to the entity of Sin The Moral Cause is which truly doth not effect truly but yet is such that the Effect is imputed to it as an entreating counselling or not hindering Cause And God both entreats counsils against Sin And if he doth not hinder it he is not bound having assisted us to the hinderance of it And his Decree concerning Sin is not absolute but condionate though the Scotch Barnacles are otherwise minded For to every absolute Decree of God the Execution of the Decree is most accidentally but necessarily subordinate And so Adam should have fallen and his Children after him by a necessity taken from the Divine Decree And because God is the Author of his Decree if his Deceee doth operate Sin and necessitate to it God in his Decree operateth Sin It may not be reasonably said that every thing is made for it's Use as for an End and God chiefly uses the Wicked their Sins ad Exercitium Bonorum for the Exercise of the Good therefore the Wicked were made and their Sins decreed for this End this Vse of the Wicked being per accidens neither did God make the Wicked as they are Wicked God absolutely Decrees that Children shall be begotten and born yea though being Children and born they are presently guilty of Original Sin Because the Child born is not the
angry And that Differences the Decision of which pertains to all must be publikely decided And Differences concerning divine Truthes diâ—nely and truly decided Because Predestination being that part of Divine Providence which excellently deals and disposes in the last End of God's People Providence must needs be suitable with it self and furnish out other Parts which concern prepare and order the Means And those Parts must according to God's usual Order of Working and to the measure of Reason be more curious in their provision for Generals than for Particulars those being more pretious I beseech you then hide not under a Bushel a matter of such publick advantage and concernment but run and proclaim it with a Song of Triumph to all Christian People who on Earth do dwel That because the variety of Readings in holy Scripture is wonderfull as it abundantly appears in the Iewish Masoret and the Margent is oft-times more divine than the Text They must repair from all quarters of the World to you or others like you for a sound and final Resolution of all their Doubts in Religion And thus our English men having given a Bill of Divorcement to one old Pope beyond the Seas and beyond the Alps shall now enstall and enthrone a goodly number of Popelings and young little Mufties at home In good sooth upon second thoughts I should have turn'd to you once more and told you It is hard for a bare-fac'd linsy-woolsy Thing ad huc à Matre rubenti in omnia praecipiti childish and heady to move the Tongue in divine Matters without Blasphemy and without enterfeering in every step There was a great Contest betwixt the Church of God and hereticall Nestorius which first thickned from a Question Whether or no the Virgin Mary should be called Deipara she Mother of God The Controversie wheeled in this That the Church called her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God Nestorius called her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Daughter of Vide Acta Concil Ephesin Generalis God he meant the adopted Daughter or when the Humour came fluent upon him and he would be liberall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christiparam the Mother of Christ whom he deemed to have been a pure Man It was but a small Accent or matter of Pronunciation which varied the Words and Meaning Betwixt the Nicen Term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantiall or of the same substance and the Term Vide St. Hilar. lâ—h de Synodis prope finem of the Arians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the like Essence or substonce there is outwardly but the difference of one Letter And yet their Doctrines are the one of Heaven the other of Hell and accordingly manumise or enthrall those who receive them Howsoever Be sure to keep in mind That the Devill was known of all the Fathers by the name of God's Ape Dionysius S. Dionys Arcop lib. de divin Areopagita stiles God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Vnity subsisting after a threefold manner or an Essence having three Hypostases or Subsistences And such an Vnity such an Essence God is yea the sacred Trinity is called by St. Gregory Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one S. Greg. Naz. in Odis Torch or Light shining with a treble Flame That this might be in some sort imitated by the Devil he gave his chief Oracles ex Tripode from out of a certain rich Stool or Vessel which being one had three Feet on which it stood There are admirable Matters delivered by Authors of large Souls and deep Brests wherein Antichrist the Devils Darling and of all his Children the most like to him and in whom as fraught with all Devilishness he shall most vaunt himself will strive to imitate Christ But I pass them over leaving this only for a Measure of the rest As the Name Christ hath a double sense in Scripture and is taken sometimes properly for a certain excellent and singular Christ who is indeed Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum and the Saviour Head and Prince of the Christian Church sometimes commonly for all those betwixt Christ and whom there interveneth a likeness quantum ad unctionem in which consideration Prophets Kings and Priests are all termed Christs As Psal 105. 15. Touch not mine Anointed or as the Vulgar Latin Nolite tangere Edit Vulgat Christos meos Touch ye not my Christs For the word Christ signifyeth anointed So also the Name Antichrist passeth sometimes in Scripture under a proper sense for a certain egregious and professed Enemy of Christs upon whom the Scripture glances Io. 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers Name and ye receive me not if another shall come in his own name him ye will receive for your Messias say many of the antient Commentatours and whom the Scripture pourtraits out to us in a large and plain shape 2 Thess 2. in the middle of the Chapter And sometimes the name Antichrist is wryed and warp't into a common and less proper acception and signifies all that any way set themselves against resist impugn Christ though not formaliter as Christ of the which 1 Jo. 2. 18. Little Children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whoreby we know that it is the last time As if he had said ye have heard that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist shall come and now though he the chief Antichrist the head Villane of all be not yet come there be many come already and in view who are Seducers and Enemies to Christ and his Truth and may well he called Antichrists Behold a great Agreement in things most contrary But the agreement in the highest flight of it is God brought the work of Grace to a Head in his Son Christ the Head of his Church And Aquinas saith truly of D. Tho. p. 3 Quaest 8. art 8. ad 3 Antichrist in eo Diabolus quasi malitiam suam ducet ad Caput per modum quo dicitur aliquis ad Caput suum propositum ducere cùm illud perfecerit The Devil shall bring his malice to a Head in Antichrist that Aggregate of Malice and Mischief after the Manner as one is said to bring his purpose to a Head when he hath effected it The holy Ghost dwelleth in us and some Special Servants are said in a special mauner to be filled with him And familiar Spirits mentioned 2 Kings 21. 6. have their name from the Hebrew Word Ob signifying a Bottle For the person possessed with an Evil Spirit oft swels in the Bellie as a Bottle and the Spirit speaketh from his Bellie with a low-fetc'd and hollow Voice in imitation of God's Inspirations and secret talkings with us within us Hence the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one having a Spirit speaking from his Bellie the seat of Lust and Gluttonie As God had his Ark Oracles so there were even amongst the Jewes also certain Images
heavenly Canaan Caleb saith Procopius one of the learned Procop. in Numb 14. Grandies in the Hebrew Language signifyeth every Heart Leb is a Heart And Jephone signifies Conversion And as Ioshua was a Type of Iesus the Captain of his People and he that won for them the Heavenly Canaan So Ioshua in it's true Signification is Iesus a Saviour The mysticall Sense therefore is and it hath something in it of the tropologicall allegoricall anagogicall as it relates to Manners to the Church militant under the Gospel to the Church triumphant in Glory Doubtless no man shall enter into the Heavenly Canaan except the Person having a Heart which is the Child of Conversion and that goes with Jesus fighting under his Banner For Ioshua and Caleb stood for the Head and the Body Christ and his Church There may be a Spot in a Garment quae nullo potest elui lixivio Which cannot be washed off But the Bloud of Christ will clense thee from all Sin The Bridegroom promiseth to the Spouse Cant. 1. 11. We will make thee Borders of Gold with Studs of Silver For which the Vulgar Latin exhibiteth Inter p. Vulgat Muraenulas aureas faciemus tibi vermiculatas argento We will make thee little collars or necklaces of Gold worm'd or embroydered or checker-wrought with R. Abrah in hunc locum Silver R. Abraham descanting upon this place though few of the Iewish Rabbins have commented upon the Book affirmeth that these Necklaces in use then were made of Golden Turtles drest and flourished perhaps on the Bill Wings Feet with Silver And therefore some translate here for Borders or Necklaces Turtles others Iewels the Hebrew word Thorim sinifying both The Soul espoused to Christ must carry for her continual adornment the mourning Turtles about her She must remember that her Heavenly mate is gone before her and the way by which he went the Crosse and the occasion of his Coming and Going her Sins and be groaning alwaies inwardly Thou knowest now experimentally O Soul of mine That many Christian Matters have been propos'd here illegally confusedly falsly and with all the deceiveableness of unrighteousness and that Christian Truth sanctified with the Bloud of Christ Incarnate God made Man must needs be the highest Thing and the most Soul-ravishing of that Order Enough My Powers and the Powers of Hell are now in Procinctu And Res est jam in Vado Here is a shallow place it is not far to the shore O great God what shall I say more to the People The Sins of the People have carried them beyond all that a Man can say I Will I must say with David Psal 60. 3. Thou hast made us to drink the Wine of astonishment We stand in the hearing of our perfect Duties like People astonished but we stir not a Foot in the performance of these our perfect Duties And the Fit of astonishment being gone we idolize our selves as before we did The Septuagint turns it up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Which the Vulgar Latin readily turns Edit Vulg. again potasti nos Vino Compunctionis Thou hast given us to drink the Wine of Compunction O Heaven and Earth what strange Compunction may this be Aquila states 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wine causing Aq. Sym. Drunkenness Symmachus puts forward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wine causing a rude Storm in our Brains as Wind causes Commotion in the rude waves of the Sea In such a troubled plight was Cain having kill'd his Brother For Cain according to the Hebrew and Syriack saies the Greek Scoliast upon the Septuagint in Genesis Scoliast Graec. in Gen. was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moving ever to fro Some have said that the Hair of Cain and Iudas was Coloris mustelini Weesil-colour'd I am sure their moving Hearts were black and foul Hesychius Vide Hesych hic in Isaiam admonishes that the Word of the Septuagint is digg'd from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the night whence also falls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I sleep We are like a person violently wak't out of his Sleep that starts up and stares about him and presently lyes down again upon the soft and yielding Pillow utterly forgetting that he was awake St. Hierom full of these thoughts forms Edit S. Hâ—eronymi it Potasti nos vino consopiente Thou hast made us to drink wine casting us into a dead sleep Another Text reaches towards this Is 29. 10. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the Spirit of deep sleep and hath cloased your eyes The Vulgar Latin also lets it go Spiritum Inter. Vul. Sept. Sâ—poris thâ—e spirit of sleep The Septuagint return their old word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compunction Which they seem to have administred saith Hesychius for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soporation I rather deem that by compunction they mean transpunction either to signifie that when the Ear is boared with an instrument which breaks through the Organ the Sense is lost or that a boared vessel holdeth not Water And in this Sense our Hearts being boared we have lost our hearing Which directed St. Cyprian S. Cyp. l. 1. Epist ep 3 to pronounce of the Obstinate Iews pertusa est illis Mens their Mind is pierced it holds nothing And hence we say Sermone Plauâ—ino in the Phrase of Plautus In pertusum Dolium dicta ingeris you pour Words as into a boared vessell Our Hearts in a moving Sermon are full of the Sermon as a Sive in the Water of Water Remove the Sive out of the Water and the Water is out of the Sive the Sermon ended our Sives our Souls lose all at the Church-door Theodotion holdeth up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecstasie or alienation of Mind urging That whereas there may be two ecstasies in respect of one Man consisting of a Soul and Body one by the which we may be drawn above our selves to the honourable Orders of Angels with Elias another by the which we may he thrown beneath our selvs with Nabuchodonosor to the base and disorderly condition of Beasts we are fallen out of our selves into the last Aquila useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila the Spirit of profound sleep otherwise called a Lethargy The Chaldee spins Chald. Paraphr it Spiritum Erroris the Spirit of Error The Syriack encountring it in Syrus Inte. St. Paul Rom. 11. 8. Spiritum Stupiditatis the Spirit of Stupidity The Hebrew Text Hebr. Word Tardema signifies a Sleep that folds us up in the bottom of our selves and transports us beyond the use of all our Senses that we are in a manner beneath what the Fool in Aelian Montal. lib. de Morb. c. 2. de Mâ—lancholia Montaltus did but conceive himself to be beneath Shell-Fishes which have the Powers of Touching and of Dilatation Contraction in their lowest Degree Our Help must be to pray for a Heart even the Heart mentioned in the prayer of Solomon 1 Kings 3.