of the diuel :: Al occasions of sinne especially probable are to be shunned :: Theift is also mortal sinne against the seuenth coÌ„mandment but not so great as adâ—lterie :: Because tentations stil occurre in this life and man is fraile good exhortations and earnest admonitions must also be continually inculcated as here the vvisman often repeteth and much vrgeth the same good and necessarie aduises to embrace vvisdom and to vvalke stil in the vvay of vertue especially to flee from vices and dangers of sinne :: Sinners after consent geuen to tentations are as inconsiderate of their ovvne state of their perile and ruine as an oxe vvhen he is ledde to the shamles or a â—â—rd allured vvith a baâ—e that â—â—â—eth into the snare or nâ—â—te :: True vvisdom directing to good life so to eternal saluation is only found in the visible Church standing vpon a mountaine not hidde in corners or obscure places :: These singular praises perteine to the increated wisdom God himself from whom procedeth wisdom geuen to men by the Holie Ghost See Annot. ch 1. v. 2. :: God much preferreth man before al other corporal creatures :: S. Cyprian li. 2. ep 3. citeth this whole passage of Christs Sacrifice in the formes of bread and vvine :: VVhere is no hope of amendment prudence directeth vs not to admonish nor rebuke sinners leâ—t without anâ—e 〈◊〉 â—e procure emnitie charitie also requireth rather to expect better opportunitie lest the offender become worse by our admonition :: But when there is hope of good euerie one is bond especially superiors to correct offenders S. Aug. li. 1. c. 9. de ciuit S. Basil regulis fuse disput 158. God built his Church with spiritual Pastors Rites of Religion in the old Testament Prou. 8. v. 3â— Psal 74. Galat. 2. The same are more excellent in the Church of Christ 1. Cor. 1. The second part Sentencious moral precepts How these Parables folowing differ from the former VVhy the contents of the twentie chapters folowing are put in the margent VVisdom in general Iustice Confidence in God Industrie Truth Diligence Equitie Good fame Desire to lerne Sinceritie Vnfained freindshipe VVhol some talke Charitie Prudent speach Discretion inspeaking Iust gaine Iust intention Loue to be corrected Internal and external charitie Moderate speâ—â—h Sinceritie of hart Loue of doctrin Spiritual riches Sorow for sinne Remorfe of conscience Iustice in general Diligence Feare of God Pietie Obseruation of Gods lavv fulfulling al iustice Speaking and Meditating good thinges Equitie Humilitie Sinceritie Spiritual riches Pietie Iustice Care of the other life Future ioy Truth in wordes Common good Publique ioy True freindshipe Fidelitie Good gouernment Prudence in suretishipe Diligence Mercie Iustice Clemencie Sinceritie Iust dealing Internal vertue Expectation of glorie Almes dedes Beneuolence Care of the poore Good desires Trust in Gods goodnes Frugalitie Spiritual instruction Straict way of saluation Loue of discipline Progresse in vertue Pietie Diligent industrie Desire of iustice Sinceritie in vvordes Iustice Sound doctrine Contentment of minde Compassion Diligent trauel Temperance * defence Iust punishment of the wicked Guard of the tongue Godlie instructions and good dedes Yelding to good counsel Toleration of iniuries True testimonie Aduised promising Considerate testimonie Pacification Iustice in general Fidelitie Prudent silence Resistance of tentation Alacritie in good workes Freindshipe Honest industrie * a 〈…〉 man Good life â—â—â—al feare Sound doctâ—e Discretion in speach Constant endeuour Truth in wordes and dedes Iustice True acknowlegement of tempâ— al state Mediocritie of riches Sincere conscience Humilitie Iust gaine Speedie performance of promise Good reporte Plaine dealing Good instruction True doctrine Prudence Faithful message Desire to lerne Hate of sinne Conuersation with the good Iustice Succession Frugalitie Chatisment Contentment of state Frugal industrie Feare of God Gnard of the tongue Diligent labores Truth in al speach Seke wisdom modestly Feloshipe with the wise Knowlege of ourselues Detestation of sâ—ane Internal comforth Contempt of thir world The Catholique faith Spiritual ioy Reward of workes Beleue not al reportes Mature consideration Patience Desire of solide knowlege 1. Cor. 14. v. 20. Pietie shal be â—evvarded Compassion of the poore Almes dedes Mercie and 〈◊〉 Good dedes with few wordes Right vse of riches * Versipâ—â—â— a 〈◊〉 â—â—turnetrait Tiue testimonie as v. 5. Feare to offend God preuen 〈…〉 Procu 〈…〉 and fid 〈…〉 in subiectes Patience Sincere intention Compassion Confidence in iustice Instruction of the ignorant Publique iustice Industrie in euerie man VVithout true faith none can be saued Sincere intention excuieth some errors S. Greg. li. 5. c. 34. Moral Meeknes Discretion Gods omniscience Caulmnes of speach Loue to be corrected Desire to fulfil al iustice Diligence in teaching others Puritie of hart Lerne of good men Al secretes knowen to God Harken to good admonitions A cherful hart is deâ—â—â—ous to â—erne A quiet mind Contentment wâ—â—h sufficiencie Patience Diligence Hâ—â—our of parents Dâ—â—â—râ—â—â—on Desire to liue wel Counsel in season :: To him that is wel trained in good workes heauen gates are open Honest thoughts and wordes A liberal mind Mercie and iustice Obedience God assisteth the iust VVordes of edification Loue of discipline and Admonition Humilitie Gods grace necessarie in euerie good action Mans iudgement is not secure Commend thyne affayres to God Gods prouidence Punishment of sinne Equitie * vâ—puâ—ished Mercie Deuotion Iust gaine Necessitie of Gods grace :: God assisteth superiors in gouerning their subiectes Iust balance do please God good kinges Righteousnes Feare and reuerence of authoritie Loue of wisdom Iustice in general Humilitie Meknes Hope in God Mildnes Teaching others Sincere hart Sweetnes in conuersation True faith Religion 〈…〉 12. Proper industrie Charitie Common good True freindshipe Sincere thoughts Holie oldage Patience Gods prouidence A general rule that one place of holie Scripture is not contrarie to an other li 2. c. 8. cont dâ—as Epistolas Palag Ioan. 15. 2. Cor. 3. Gods grace is necessarie both to begine and to prosecute anie good worke Peace VVisdom in general Purification Feloshipe with the good Commiseration Succession Grauitie in speach Desire of eternal life Remitting offences Discrete correction Concord Gentienes Gratitude Conseruation of peace Iust censure Spiritual riches Humilitie Constancie Carefulnes in promising Concord Sinceritie Education of youth Alacritie of hart Iust iudgement Contempt of the world â—â—lial obedience Obedience to Magistrates Discretion in speaking Moderate silence Constantamitie Harken to good counsel Speedie repentance * a vviseman VVise discourse Equitie Studie of peace Guard of the tongue Auoid secrete bate makers Fortitude Constant labour Confidence in God Spiritual riches Humilitie Consideration in answering Quietnes of spirite Desire to lerne Almes dedes Acknowleging of faultes Vse of lote to make agreement â—â—â—ternal concord Godhe instructions Right vse of the tongue A wiues vertue is her best dowrie Meeknes Amitie with 〈…〉 Honest pouertie Knowlege of ourselues Man 's owne wil the cause of euil Spiritual riches
S. Chris ho. 21. in Gen. et in 2. Thes 2 Theodor. q. 45. in Gen. Aretas in 11. Apoc. S. Greg. lib. 14. Moral c. vâ—â— ho. 12 in Ezech. Eccl. 44. Mala. 4. Eccl. 48. 1 2 3 See D. Sand. lib. 8. c. 35. de Monar Eccl. And F. Pererius in c. 12. Danielis The professors of true religion were called the soÌ„nes of God the folowers of errors the soÌ„nes of men :: God who is immutable subiect to no passion yet by the enormitie of sinnes semeth prouoked to wrath and to repent that he had made man S. Amb. li. de Noe arca c. 4. Eccl. 44 17. :: In al generations God reserued some iust Much more in the law of Grace :: A right example of a iust maa Heb. 11. SoÌ„nes of God and sonnes of men was then such a distinction as now Catholiques and Heretiks lib. 15. c. 23. ciuit De vera relig c. 7. con epist sund c. 4 Trac 32. in Ioan. Philo. Iosephus Lactant. Rupert Tostatus This warning and expectation of repentance sheweth freewil in maÌ„ ho. 22. in Gen. Tradit Heb. lib. 15. c. 24. ciuit Scriptures not easie Erronious opinions concerning these giants The principal doctors proue that they were men and begotten of men First reason 2 3 4 5 Giants most monstruous in bodie and in minde Luthers argument that al mens workes are sinnes Heretiks like to Sisyphus The sinnes before the floud very greuous in foure respects 1 2 3 4 2. Pet. 2. Luthers argugument answered Ezech. â— Luc. 1 2. Apoc. 22. Noe iust and perfect VVho is perfect in this life Diuinâ— calcuio Appelles an old Heretike that denied Christ to haue true flesh A general answer to al calumniators of wise and learned men Origens opinion of long cubites not probable â—o 2. in 6. Gen. Moyses in other places can not be vnderstood to speake of o long cubites Exod. 27. l. 15. ciuit c. 27. Deu. â— :: Noe was iust not only by the estimation of men but in deede and before God :: Obseruation of cleane and vncleanne beastes by tradition before the law of Moyses Mat. 24. Luc 17. :: The Hebrew word Thehom signifieth a gulfe of water from whence new fountaynes sprang more abundantly theÌ„ euer since or before :: Arubbah signifieth great pipes or windowes by which water fell downe in great abuÌ„dance from the ayre here called heauen S. Hier. quest Heb. S. Epiph ad Io. Hierosolom S. Chr. 〈◊〉 25. in Gen. Sap. 10. 4. â—cl 39. 1. Pet. 3. God vseth both natural and supernatural meanes as secundarie causes in producing conseruing gouerning punishing in rewarding his creatures li. de Noe area c. 15. Al or most thinges in the old Testament be in figure of the new no figure more exact then the floud of Noe. 1. Cor. 10 Ep. 95. l. 5. de Baptis c. 28. de vnitate Eccles ca. 5. In Psal 103. 131 Ser. 69. de teÌ„pore 1. Pet. 3. Mat. 24. Luc. 17. How the Doctors applie the figure to the things figured Noe signified Christ The arke the Church Entrance into the Church by Baptisme Vertue of Sacraments cometh from Christs Passion Doctors and Pastores in the Church li. 12. de Baptis c. 14 Varietie of states and orders in the Church Good and euil in the Church Perpetuitie oâ— the Church Vnitie of the Church One chiefe gouernour in the Church Epist. 57. ad Damasum No saluation out of the Church Man made to Gods image and in happie state Man obeyed God and al earthlie creatures obeyed man Man placed in Paradise Eccle. 7 30 sap 2. 24. Man sel by yelding to tentations Original sinne Adam and Eue were penitent Sap 10. Faith in one God The blessed Trinitie Though the B. Trinitie worke ioyntly in al creatures yet diuers workes are atributed to distinct Persons Gen. â— By faith the state of man past present was knowne Beleefe in Christ to come Remedie for men but none for Angels that fel. Heb. 2 16. Apoc. 13. 8. Heb. 11. None admitted into heauen before Christ External Sacrifice Publique prayer with other Rites Ceremonial obseruations Feastes Abstinence Cleane vncleane Places dedicated to prayer Gen. 2. 3. Gen. 29. Gen. 9 Gen. 7 2. Gen. 4. 26. Figures of Christs Sacraments Baptisme Mariage Gen. 1. 1. Pet â— Mat 19. GeÌ„ 2 24 Penance Contrition Gen. 3. Confession Satisfaction From hence is taken the ceremonie of ashes on Ashwene day Priesthood Priesthood Law stand change together Nâ—m â— 10 12. 45. Latherli de abroganda Missa Good worke necessarie Gen. 4. Freewil â—â— de serâ—â— arbit li 2. Instit ca 2. par 8. Gen. 3. Temporal paine due for sinne remitted Purgatorie Mat. 5. Prayer for the dead And to Saincts Officiâ— pro defunctis Sepulchers of Patriarches religiously conserued Iosue 14. Gen. 23. li. 2 Antiquit Epist ad Pamach Enoch translated aliue Gen â— Heb. 11. Communion of Saincts Ministerie of Angels Gen. 3. 24. li. 11 dâ— Gen ad lit c. 40. Honour of Saincts Gen. 6. Psal 11â— General Iudgement Iudge of the world Epist Iudae v. 14. Resurrection Gen. 2. 7. Gen. 5. Euerlasting life The blessed in eternal ioy The wicked in eadles paine Gen. 3. 24. Church euer visible Succession of Patriarches One supreme head of the Church Gen. 4 16. Gen 5. Gen. 4 17. S. Aug. li. de Pastore c. 8. 20. Cains negatiue doctrin True faith stil remained in manie Some also iust and perfect Gen. 6. Interruption of heretical Sinagogues CoÌ„tinuance of the Church The second age of the world The third part of this booke Of the newincrease multiplication of the world :: The crowe returned not into the arke but as appeareth by the He brew text going and returning rested vpon the arke :: They entred into the arke the 17. day the secoÌ„d moneth of the other yeare so they remained there 12. monethes and tenne dayes :: In the whole yeare of the floud was no sowing nor reaping nor pleasant varietie of times but al desolate miserable hence forth God promiseth more seasonable times S. Amb. ii de Noe Arca. c. 23. Noes sacrifice manie wayes coÌ„mendable Li. de Noe Arca c 22. 1. Voluntarie 2. Speedie 3. Solemne Heb. 13 10. 4. Pure 5. Bountiful 6. Holocaust Leuit. 1. Psal 50. Isaie 1. Amos. 5. â—â—al 1. Iust Mar. li 3. q. 4. S. Hiero. â— Heb. Sacrifice is pleasant to God not for the external things but for the sincere mind :: Of this commandment or rather blessing see the Annotations chap. â— v. â—8 Leuit 17. :: The rainbow was before but was not a signe as God saith henceforth it should be for men to remember his promise Seuerianus in Gen. S. Tho. Quodâ—â—b 3. a. 30. :: By this it is clere that Noe had no more children after the floud S. Chrisost bâ— 29. in Gen. Apoc. 13. 8. Heb. 11. Ad. q. 119. Ho. 27. in Gen. Voluntarie abstinence without coÌ„mandment Abstinence from bloud some times
fiction of the author That is If anie error could be committed by the authores of Scriptures either through ignorance obliuion or anie other humane frailtie what soeuer were produced exception might be taken and question made whether the author had eâ—red or no True it is that some of these bookes as we shal particularly discusse in their places were sometimes doubted of by some Catholiques and called Apochrypal in that sense as the word properly signifieth hidden or not apparent So S. Ierom in his Prologue before the Latin Bible calleth diuers bookes Apochryphal being not so euident whether they were Diuine scripture because they were not in the lewes Canon nor at first in the Churches Canon but were neuer reiected as false or erronious In which sense the Prayer of Manasses the third booke of Esdras and third of Machabees are yet called Apochryphal As for the fourth of Esdras and fourth of Machabees there is more doubt But diuers others as the booke ascribed to Enoch the Gospels of S. Andrew S. Thomas S. Bartholmew and the like recited by S. Gelasius Decreto de libris Ecclesiasticis dist 15. Can. Sancta Romana S. Innocentius the first Epist. 3. S. Ierom Ep ad Laetam S. Augustin li. 15. cap. 23. de ciuit Dei Origen homis 2. in Cantica are in a worse sense called Apochryphal are reiected as conteyning manifest errors or fained by Heretikes Neither can a Christian Catholique he otherwise assured Which Bookes are Diuine and Canonical Scriptures but by declaration of the Catholique Church which without interruption succedeth the Apostles to whom our Sauiour promised and sent the Holie Ghost to teach al truth For if in anie thing more then others assuredly one chief and most necessarie point is to know and declare which Bookes are Gods holie Word being of most singular importance THE SVMME OF THE OLD TESTAment as it is distinguished from the new Not withstanding the subiect general argument of both Testaments is one the same in substance as is already said yet they differ in time in maner of vttering of Mysteries in varietie of precepts promises also in meanes to obserue the thinges exacted to attayne to the end proposed In regard wherof S. Ierome saith Lex Moysi omne vetus instrumentum elementa mundi intelliguntur quibus quasi elementis Religionis exordijs Deum discimus The law of Moyses and al the old Testament are vnderstood the elements of the world by which as by first rudiments beginnings we lerne to know God For that in it we haue first the Law of nature and asterwards a law written with promises of temporal rewardes as long life land flowiug with milke honie the like but it brought nothing to perfection as S. Paul saith when giftes hostes were offered which could not according to conscience make the obseruer perfect For the helpes of that time were but infirma egena elemeÌ„ta Weake poore elements Likewise in general touching the punishments that sometimes happened to the people of the old Testament when they transgressed the same Apostle affirmeth that al the same chanced to them in figure are written for our correption vpon whom the ends of the world are come so that the old Testament or Law was but our pedagogue in Christ Yet it setteth forth to vs the whole course of Gods Church for the space of foure thousand yeares that is from the beginning of the world vntil Christ our Redemer which Diuines diuide into six ages wherein was varietie change of her state three vnder the Law of nature and three others vnder the written Law The seuenth last age being this time of grace wherin we now are from Christ to the day of general Iudgement as the world was made in six dayes and in the seuenth God is said to haue rested and therfore sanctified it in other sort then the former six The eight wil be after the Resurrection during for al eternitie VVhich six ages of the ancient Church old Testament are thus distributed The first from the Creation to Noes floud conteyning the space of 1656. yeares The second from the floud to the going of Abraham out of his countrie 368. or counting Cainan Gen. 11. iuxta 72. Luc. 3. 398. yeares The third from Abraham his going forth of his countrie to the parting of the children of Israel out of Aegypt VVhich-some count to haue continued 720. yeares others whom we folow but 430. And thus farre in the law of nature before the written law The fourth age dured 480. yeares from the deliuerie of the children of Israel forth of Aegypt to the fundation of the Temple in Ierusalem The fifth age was from the fundation of the Temple to the captiuitie transmigration of the Iewes into Babylon about 430. yeares And the sixth age dured about 640. yeares from the Captiuitie of Babylon to Christ In al which times God was acknowledged and rightly serued by a continual visible Church with true Religion the same no other which now that Church holdeth that is called and knowen by she name of Catholique As we intend by Gods assistance to shew by briefe Annotations concerning diuers particular points now in Controuersie as the holie Text geueth occasion And especially by way of Recapitulation after euerie one of the six ages when we come to those passages in the Historie where the same are ended OF MOYSES THE AVTHOR OF THE fiue first bookes MOyses so called because he was taken from the water as the name signifieth was borne in Aegypt the sonne of Amram the sonne of Caath the sonne of Leui the Patriarch and so of Iacob Isaac and Abraham His maruelous deliuerie from drowning his education excellent forme singular wisdome heroical vertues rare dexteritie in al affayres whole life most admirable are gathered out of holie Scriptures by S. Gregorie Bishop of Nissen into a briefe Summe most worthie to be read but to large for this place He was borne about the yeare of the world two thousand foure hundred long before al prophane writers yea before manie of the Painimes false goddes as S. Augustin declareth in diuers places of his most excellent booke intituled of the Citie of God He liued in this world 120. yeares Of which 40. were in Pharaos court as the adopted sonne of Pharaos daughter fourtie in banishment from Aegypt in Madian and fourtie more he gouerned the people of Israel His singular prayses are also briefly touched in the last chapter of Deuteromie added by Iosue and in the booke of Ecclesiâ—sticus He died in the desert and was buried in the vaâ—le of Moab so secretly that no mortal man knew his sepulchre lest the Iewes who were very prone to Idolatrie should haue adored his bodie with diuine honour for the greatnes and multitude of his miracles and for the singular estimation they had of
by his only wil could in a moment haue drowned al the rest of the world sauing whom he pleased not needing in any thing the helpe of his creatures yet would vse both natural supernatural meanes as the labour of Noe to build the arke new fountaines springing and the heauens powring downe water fourtie dayes togeather afterwards the winde to dry vp the earh and because the dore being great for Elephantsâ— to enter in and was to be firmed without as S. Ambrose noteth for better induring the forcible waters could not commodiously be closed by Noe our Lord by the ministrie of Angels shut him in on the out side to teach vs by al this and the like disposition of things that albeit his Diuine omnipotencie can do what he wil al alone yet he wil haue his creatures to concurre and cooperate as secundarie causes sometimes naturally sometimes supernaturally or miraculously as it pleaseth his goodnes to impert to them powre and vertue 23. But only Noe As there is not anie thing in al the old Testament from the creation of the world til the coming of Christ more notable more admirable or of greater importance then this historie of the general floud so was there nothing though al or most chanced to them in figure that euer more aptly more liuely or more exactly prefigured Christ and his Church with the rest of al mankind then did Noe and the arke the drowning of the rest of the world in that deluge VVhich S. Augustin declareth in many places but most especially and of purpose in his twelfth booke against Faustus the Manichee from the 14. chapter to the 22. and in his fifteenth booke of the citie of God in the two last chapters where he sheweth at large both the certaintie of the historie and that as certainely it was a figure of things in the new Testament and withal the great congruitie betwen the figure the things figured The same did Origen explicate homil 2. in Gen. S. Gregorie homil 12. in Ezech. Rupertus li. 4. comment in Gen. c. 71. sequent and diuers other ancient Doctors confirming their expositions by S. Peters testimonie saying In the arke a fevv that is eight soules or persons vvere saued from drowning by vvater vvherunto Baptisme being of the like forme novv saueth you also And by our Sauiours wordes saying As in the dayes of Noe so shal also the comming of the sonne of man be In summe the Doctors teach that Noe signifying rest was a figure of Christ the very rest of mans soule VVhom who soeuer foloweth shal find rest for their soules The arke signifieth the Church the forme therof being six times so long as broad and tenne times so long as hiegh resembleth the proportion of mans bodie lying prone or prostrate The dore in the side representeth the wound in Christs side from whence flowed the holie Sacraments by which the faithful enter into the Church and are sanctified The timber wherof the arke is made the water bearing it vp signified the Crosse of Christ and Baptisme For as Noe saith S. Augustin vvith his vvas deliuered by the vvater and the vvoode so the familie of Christ by Baptisme signed vvith Christs Passion on the Crosse Likewise the squarnes of the timber which both sustayned the burden of al contayned in the arke and resisted the boystrous waues of the floud beating without did signifie such men in the Church as be constant stand firmly in al sortes of tentations especially godlie lerned Doctors and Pastors who by worde and example vphold and coÌ„firme the faithful people in al afflictions within and withstand and conuince al Heretikes and other Infidels that oppugne the Church without Againe the hiegher lower rowmes with the midle chambers third loftes other distinctions of cabinets and partitions and al sortes of liuing creatures cleane and vncleane receiued therin did signifie the varieties of al states functions and diuersitie of maners and merites in the Church in which are persons of al degrees Clergie and Laitie Potentates Princes subiectes good and euil The most strong kind of glew called bitumen signified the permanent or euerlasting stabilitie and vnseparable coÌ„nexion of the Church by the grace and continual assistance of the Holie Ghost conseruing the same The consummation of the arke in one cubite signified the vnitie of the same Church which is one in al times and places Neither would God almightie haue manie arkes for Noe and his sonnes or other creatures nor manie chiefe rulers though he would that of them should come manie Nations but one only arke and one chiefe gouernour therof and that al without the same should corporally dye to signifie that al which dye without the Church do perish and are eternally damned wherupon S. Hierom amongst other Fathers sheweth that al within the Church that communicate with the Sea Apostolique wherin S. Damasus sate then gouernour are as those in the arke of Noe and al Schismatikes Heretikes and other Infidels are in like case with the rest of the world that were drowned with the floud The end of the first age A BRIEFE REMONSTRANCE OF THE STATE OF THE CHVRCH AND FACE OF Religion in the first age of the world From the creation to Noes floud the space of 1656. yeares HERE according to our purpose mentioned before we wil briefly recite certaine principal points of Religion taught and obserued in the first age In which the foundations of the true maner of seruing God that should be continued to the end of the world were laid and prospered in some as appeareth in these seuen first chapters of Genesis But first of al we shal in two words repete as it is clerly geathered in the same holie Scripture the state of man before and immediatly after his fall being the subiect to whom al this pertayneth After therfore that God had created other things both in heauen and earth last of al he made Man to his owne image and likenes with vnderstanding and freewil therin like to Angels and superior to al other creatures and so made him Lord and maister of al earthlie things Neither were these the greatest benesits which God bestowed on man for his diuine goodnes indâ—ed also this his reasonable creature with innocencie original iustice whereby al things were most rightly ordered within him and about him His mind wil and reason were obedient to God his senses inferior part of his soule were subiect to reason his flesh and bodie obeyed the spirite and al earthlie creatures obeyed him God also adorned man with excellent knowledge both natural and supernatural And albeit his bodie was of corruptible substance yet the same and al his posteritie if they had not sinned should haue benne conserued and without dying haue benne translated to euerlasting life Thus man was placed in Paradise and Eâ—â— there made of
death of his Saincts Hence also is proued that seeing in this life the good are afflicted and the bad oftentimes prosper temporally there must nedes be an other Court of exact Iustice and an other Reaconing day wherin euerie one shal receiue according as they haue donne good or euil which was sufficiently intimated by Gods discussing and manifesting Abels and Cains deserts which were hidden before and in part rewarding them accordingly yet reseruing the ful reward of the one and punishment of the other to the next world Of the Iudge and his sentence Enoch alleadged by S. Iude the Apostle proficied clerly saying Behold our Lord cometh in his holie thousands to doe iudgement aganst al and to reproue al the impions of al the workes of their impietie wherby they haue donne impiously and of al the hard things which impious sinners haue spoken against him Thus holie Enoch preached touching the wicked which thought there was no Iudgement to come nor Iudge to be feared At this Iudgement al shal appeare in bodie and soule returning to life For that Al men shal rise from death is proued by the immortalitie of mans soule which God did not make nor produce of corruptible matter but immediatly Breathed into his face the breath of life and man became a liuing soule so the soule being immortal and hauing a natural inclination to the bodie mans natural perfection requireth the coniunction of bodie and soule for neither soule nor bodie separated is a man but both ioyned in one subsistence are a man in so much that mankind should perish except the bodies shal rise againe and liue with the soules And then shal the bodies be qualified according to the state of the soules happie or miserable for euer Of Eternal life the translation of Enoch is a figure For seeing God preserueth his corruptible bodie so long from death and infirmitie it is a token and manifest signe that by the same powre of God the bodies of men shal at last day after that al men are once dead rise againe and remaine with the soules for euer The good in Eternal ioy the wicked in Eternal paine Both signified by the custodie of the gate of Paradise by Angels who for euer kepe out these that are stil defiled with sinne and so they depart into fire euerlasting and admit the innocent and iust into the kingdome of heauen which is euerlasting ioy and perfect felicitie Thus we see the face and briefe summe of Religion in the beginning of the world til the floud and the state of the Church which was alwayes Visible consisting of men good and bad with a continual Succession of Rulers as wel spiritual as temporal For the first borne were both Priestes and Princes in euerie familie And amongst the same one euer chief of al. From which ranke Cain was excluded or rather excluded him selfe by Going forth from the face of our Lord. Wherupon holie Moyses râ—â—teth this Monarchical succession of one chiefe and Supreme Head from Adam by the line of Seth Enos Cainan Malaleel Iared Enoch Mathusala Lamech and Noe. Neuertheles he setteth downe also the progenie of Cain the first beginner of a worldlie schismatical and heretical conuenticle opposite to the Citie of God He denied Gods prouidence as Thargum Hierosolomitanum testifieth protesting to Abel That there was no Iustice nor Iudge nor other world then this no reward for vertue nor punishment for sinne and so desperatly he killed Abel of these negatiue principles proceeded other like detestable opinions and most wicked life sauage and barbarous crueltie and al kind of impietie And in processe of time albeit manie remained in true faith and vnitie of the Church yet by conuersation with such miscreantes especially by occasion of Mariages betwen the faithful and infidels almost the whole world was corrupted in maners But Noe was iust and perfect In punishment therefore of so great and enormious sinnes God sent the general floud wherby al Cains progenie and al other infidels were wholly destroyed and extinguished and the true Church notably purged onlie iust Noe and his familie reserued By whom the same true Church was continued and the world againe replenished with men CHAP. VIII The waters diminishing by litle and litle 6. Noe sendeth forth a crow 8. after him a doue thrise 18. lastly goeth forth with al that were with him in the arke 20. erecteth an Altar and offereth Sacrifice AND God remembred Noe and al the beasts and al the cattle which were with him in the arke and brought a winde vpon the earth and the waters decreased †And the sountaines of the depth and the floud gates of heauen were shut vp and the rayne from heauen was stayd †And the waters returned from the earth going comming and they begane to decrease after a hundred fiftie dayes †And the arke rested the seauenth moneth the seauen twentith day of the moneth vpon the mountaines of Armenia †But the waters for al that were going and decreasing vntil the tenth moneth for in the tenth moneth the first day of the moneth the topps of the mountaines appeared †And after that fourtie dayes were passed Noe opening the windowe of the arke which he had made let forth a crowe †which went forth and did not returne til the waters were dried vpon the earth †He sent forth also a doue after him to see if the waters were ceased yet vpon the face of the earth †Which finding not where her foote might rest returned to him into the arke for the waters were vpon the whole earth and he stretched forth his hand and caught her and brought her into the arke †And hauing expected yet seauen moe dayes againe he let forth a doue out of the arke †But she came to him at euentide carrying a bough of an oliue tree that had greene leaues in her mouth Noe therfore vnderstood that the waters were ceased vpon the earth †And he expected yet neuertheles other seauen dayes and he sent forth a doue which returned not any more vnto him †Therfore in the sixt hundred and one yeare the first moneth the first day of the moneth the waters were cleane diminished vpon the earth and Noe opening the roofe of the arke looked and sawe that the face of the earth was dried †In the second moneth the seuen twentyth day of the moneth the earth was dried †And God spake to Noe saying †Goe forth of the arke thou thy wife thy sonnes and the wiues of thy sonnes with thee †Al cattle that are with thee of al flesh as wel in soules as in beastes al creepers that creepe vpon the earth bring out with thee goe yee vpon the earth increase and multiplie vpon it †Noe therfore went forth and his sonnes his wife and the wiues of his sonnes with him
Gods wil and ordinance who so transposed Isaacs blessing from Esau to Iacob VVhich Isaac at length vnderstanding conformed him self therto and confirmed the same v. 33. ch 28. giuing Esau such contentment as he could of temporal blessings Ioseph is renowmed for al vertues euen from his youth to his death Gen. 37. 39. 50. Iob Was simple and right fearing God and departing from euil a iust and innocent man both before and in his tribulations not sinning with his lippes neither spake he anie foolish thing against God ch 1. yea more afflicted retained innocencie ch 2. and finally God receiued his prayer for others and restored al his losses duble ch 42. Moyses a most special selected Prophet the meekest man on the earth of singular Zeale seuerly punished sinne but withal most charitably prayed God to forgiue the people and conserue his Church God of his mere mercie electeth al those whom he wil iustifie and saue offering al sufficient grace iustly leaueth some obstinate sinners in state of damnation Gen. 25. Exo. 7. His predestination foreknowledge and promise do not exclude but include the meanes wherby his wil is done in the iust Gen. 25. 37. 45 50. Neither is Gods reprobation the cause of anie mans damnation but mans owne sinne the proper cause both of reprobation damnation For example Pharao his people enuying vainly fearing and for their religion hating and persecuting the children of Israel by oppressing them with vnsupportable laboures by commanding secretly to kil their infants and that not succeding by a new decree to drowne them Exo. 1. were mercifully after long conniuence admonished by Gods legates in his name quietly to permit his people to serue him but they wilfully contemned this gentle admonition Pharao proudly and insolently answering Who is the Lord that I should heare his voice and dismisse Israel I know not the Lord and Israel I wil not dismisse Exo. 5. So they hardned their owne hartes and more greuously afflicted the faithful God permitting the wicked to liue and prosper for a time in this world not punishing them so much as they deserued nor mollifying their hartes not illuminating their vnderstanding vnto effectual conuersion but iustly permitting them to persist in obstinacie Ex. 7. 8. 9. 10. c. Protection of Angels inuocation is proued Gen. 24. 32. 48. Patriarches names also inuocated c. 48. v. 16. Isaac was blessed prospered for Abrahams sak◠because Abraham obeyed Gods voice kept his precepts cōmandements obserued his ceremonies his lawes Gen. 26. Iosephs rodde adored by Iacob Gen. 47. Moyses commanded to put of his shooes because the place was holie Exod. 3. Swearing by creatures lawful and some times more conuenient then immediatly by God him selfe Gen. 42. Likewise Ominous speach Gen. 24. and Dreames Gen 37. 40 41 are sometimes lawfully obserued and are from God Idols alwaies vnlawful but not al Images Gen. 31. 35. Reliques to be reuerently vsed as Iosephs bodie conserued in a coffin in Aegypt Gen vlt. translated by Moyses Exo. 13. and so brought into Chanaan and layed with other Patriarches in Sichem Going bare foote to holie places an act of religious reuerence and deuotion Ex. 3. The signe of the crosse vsed by Iacob Gen 48. a figure of Christs crosse The wood cast by Moyses into the bitter water and making it sweete Exo. 15. an other figure therof Funeral obsequies were obserued by Abraham for his wife Sara Gen. 23. with mourning and weeping for her according to the qualitie of so holie a person who it is like needed not other satisfactorie workes as Saul and Ionathas and others slaine in battel for whom Dauid and his court did not only mourne and weepe but also fasted til euen He also bought a field with a duble caue where he buried her dedicating it for this peculiar vse and both himself and Isaac Iacob Rebecca and Lia were there buried Gen. 49. v. 31. Ioseph with al his brethren mourned for their father Iacob first fourtie dayes in Aegypt then carying him into Chanaan celebrated the exequies other seuen dayes Gen. 50. His particular digging of his owne graue v. 5. and both his and Iosephs special charge to be buried amongst their ancesters and the translation of al the twelue sonnes of Iacob into Sichem confirme the desire of burial in one place rather then in an other to be agreable to nature and holie Scriptures Touching the soules departed euen the most perfect went into the lower partes generally called Hel. But some were in rest others in paines according to their desertes none in heauen before Christ As S. Hierom comment in Osee 13. et Eccles 3. proueth by Iacobs vvordes Gen. 37. I wil descend vnto my sonne into hel by Iobs lamentation ch 7. et 17. that al good and bad were retained in hel saying If I shal expect hel is my house and in darknes I haue made my bed VVhich place or receptacle of such Saintes as Iacob and Iob vvas doubtles farre distant from hel of the damned for betvven Lazarus in Abrahams bosome and the glutton intorments is a great chaos or large space and yet the highest of these places is called hel In respect of Resurrection the same Iacob called his life in this vvorld a pilgrimage Gen. 47. and Iob ch 7. a warfare vpon earth professing expressly ch 19. In the last day I shal rise out of the earth And I shal be compassed againe with my skinne and in my flesh I shal see God Our B. Sauiour also proueth the Resurrection because the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Exo. 3. is God of them not as they are dead but as they are liuing and to returne againe to life in bodie and soule together Of general Iudgement Iob saieth ch 31. What shal I doe when God shal rise to iudge and when he shal aske what shal I answere him And Eliu ch 34. saieth The omnipotent wil render a man his worke and according to the waies of euerie one he wil reeompence them Sodom and Gomorra Gen. 19. were example saith S. Peter and S. Iude of eternal punishment in hel fire Of eternal life Iacob professed his hope Gen. 49. saying I wil expect thy saluation ô Lord. And Moyses as S. Paul testifieth denied him selfe to be the sonne of Pharaoes daughter esteming the reproch of Christ greater riches then the treasure of the Aegyptians For he looked vnto the reward Thus much touching particular pointes of Religion It resteth to see the visible knowen members of the Church with the heades and gouernors therof succeding without interruption in the same age notwithstanding some brake and departed from them and other innumerable Sectes of Infidels stil multiplied in the world To beginne therfore with Abraham before the former age was ended at which time he was 75. yeares old holie Scriptures stil speake of
wife thou shalt not reueale because it is the turpitude of thy brother †The turpitude of thy wife and her daughter thou shalt not reueale Her sonnes daughter and her daughters daughter thou shalt not take to reueale her ignominie because they are her flesh and such copulation is incest †Thou shalt not take thy wiues sister for an harlote to vexe her withal neither shalt thou reueale her turpitude whiles she is yet liuing †To a woman hauing her flowers thou shalt not approch neither shalt thou reueale her turpitude †With thy neighbours wife thou shalt not companie nor be polluted with commixtion of seede †Of thy seede thou shalt not geue to be consecrated to the idol Moloch nor pollute the name of thy God I the Lord. †Companie not with mankind as with womankind because it is abomination †With no beast shalt thou companie neither shalt thou be polluted with it A woman shal not lie downe to a beast nor companie with it because it is an hainous fact †Neither be ye polluted in anie of the thinges wherwith al the nations haue bene contaminated which I wil cast out before your sight †and wherwith the land is polluted whose abominations I wil visite that it vomite out the inhabitants therof †Keepe my ordinances and iudgements and doe not any of these abominations as wel the same countrieman as the stranger that seiourneth with you †For al these execrable thinges did the inhabitants of the land that haue bene before you and haue polluted it †Beware therfore lest in like maner it vomite out you also when you shal doe the like thinges as it vomited out the nation that was before you †Euerie soule that shal doe anie of these abominations shal perish from the middes of his people †Keepe my commandements Doe not the thinges which they haue done that haue bene before you and be not polluted in them I the Lord your God ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVIII 6 Next of his bloud Mariage is forbid first and most strictly by the law of nature in al degrees in the right line ascending and decending both in consanguinitie and affinitie S. Paul testifying that among the heat hen no man could haue his fathers vvise And in the right line God him selfe who onlie can neuer dispensed Secondarily the first collateral degree in consanguinitie that is betwen brother and sister by one parent or by both is also vnlawful by the law of nature except in the beginning of the world when Adams children must nedes marie together God so ordayning that al mankind should be propagated by one man for of him also the first woman was made but after this beginning it was neuer allowed nor perhaps can be dispensed withal at least neuer was by anie man Though Beza li. de repudijs diuoâ—tijs and some English Bezites charge Pope Martin the fifth to haue dispensed with one that had maried his owne natural sister which is a false reporte For it was with one who hauing committed fornication with one sister afterwardes maried the other from whom he could not be separated without great scandal the pretended mariage being publike and the impediment secrete as S. Antoninus writeth par 3. sum Theol. tit 1. c. 11. But besides the right line and the first collateral degree in consanguinitie no other collateral degrees are prohibited by the law of nature but by positiue only So this present law written by Moyses forbade to marie in the first collateral degree of affinitie but the same law commanded Deut. 25. that in case a maried man died without issue his brother should marie the widow VVherby is clere that this degree and others more remote were not prohibited by the law of nature For then God would not haue made a contrarie general law in anie case for the whole nation of the Iewes his people and that vnder penaltie to be obserued which is contrarie to the qualitie of indulgence or dispensation and no such necessitie as in the beginning of the world VVherfore al protestants that say the whole law written by Moyses concerning degrees of consanguinitie and affinitie is the law of nature and so pertaineth to Christians must necessarily say also that if now a maried man die without issue his brother must marie his wife VVhich specially they denie It is also proued that this and some other degrees expressed in this place were not against the law of nature which is common to al nations commonly or easely knowne to al men by discourse of reason because no common wealth among the Gentiles did punish nor modest men forbeare or reprehend such mariages as appeareth by Laban who after he had deceiued Iacob by geuing him one sister for an other offered him also the former promised whom without difficultie of conscience he accepted Gen. 29. neither did that holie Patriareh thinke it vnlauful to keepe them both And when Iudas matched his second sonne and promised the third to the wife of his first sonne he did it according to the custome of that place time Gen. 38. And Noemi spoke according to the same custome Ruth 1. v. 11. Againe where this law forbiddeth a man to marie or companie with his wiues sister it addeth vvhiles she is liuing not prohibiting mariage when his first wife is dead Yet his wiues sister is as nere in affinitie as his brothers wife Likewise the diuersitie of punishments chap. 20. for transgression of this law either in the right line or in the first collateral degree of consanguinitie who were punished by death and for transgressing in the first collateral degree of affinitie or in the second either of consanguinitie or affinitie who had lesse punishments sheweth that the former degrees are prohibited by the law of nature and not the other for then the violation should be like sinne and punished alike Finally it is euident that certaine of these degrees are not against the law of nature by the example of holie Abraham who in and according to the law of nature maried his brothers daughter called Sarai otherwise Iescha Gen. 11. which mariage God approued by manie blessings Also Iacob maried two sisters together Two sonnes of Iudas maried the same woman successiuely And Amram Moyses father maried his aunt his fathers sister Exod. 6. v. 20. Num. 26. v. 59. VVherfore seing neither the first collateral degree in affinitie nor the second collateral in consanguinitie or affinitie is forbid by the law of nature but by positiue only and that both ceremonial and iudicial lawes of the old Testament ceassed in the New and are abrogated by Christ it resteth proued that the same bind not Christians but as they are renewed and established by the Church or Christian commonwelthes And as this is donne in temporal causes by temporal States partly by renewing and establishing the same which was in the law of Moyses as by punishing wilful
and serue him with a perfect and verie true hart and take away the goddes which your fathers serued in Mesopotamia and in Aegypt and serue our Lord. †But if it like you not to serue our Lord choise is geuen you choose this day that which pleaseth you whom you ought especially to serue whether the goddes which your fathers serued in Mesopotamia or the goddes of the Amorrheites in whose Land you dwel but I and my house wil serue our Lord. †And the people answered and said God forbid we should leaue our Lord and serue strange goddes †Our Lord God he brought vs and our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of seruitude and did in our sight great signes and kept vs in al the way by the which we walked and among al the peoples through which we passed †And he hath cast out al the nations the Amorrheite inhabiter of the Land which we haue entred We therfore wil serue our Lord because he is our God †And Iosue said to the people You can not serue our Lord for God is holie and a mightie aemulator neither wil he pardon your wickednes and sinnes †If you leaue our Lord and serue strange goddes he wil turne him self and wil afflict you and ouerthrow you after he hath geuen you good thinges †And the people said to Iosue No it shal not be so as thou speakest but we wil serue our Lord. †And Iosue said to the people You are witnesses that your selues haue chosen to you our Lord for to serue him And they answered Witnesses †Now therfore quoth he take away strange goddes our of the middes of you and incline your hartes to our Lord the God of Israel †And the people said to Iosue We wil serue our Lord God and wil be obedient to his preceptes †Iosue therfore in that day made a couenant and proposed to the people preceptes and iudgementes in Sichem †He wrote also al these wordes in the volume of the law of our Lord and he tooke a very great stone and put it vnder the oke that was in the Sanctuarie of our Lord †and said to al the people Behold this stone shal be a testimonie for you that it hath heard al the wordes of our Lord which he hath spoken to you lest perhaps hereafter you wil denie and lye to our Lord your God †And he dismist the people euerie one into their possession †And after these thinges Iosue the sonne of Nun the seruant of our Lord died being a hundred and ten yeares old †and “ they buried him in the coastes of his possession in Thamnathsare which is situated in the mountaine of Ephraim on the North part of mount Gaas †And Israel serued our Lord al the daies of Iosue and of the ancientes that liued a long time after Iosue and that had knowen al the workes of our Lord which he had done in Israel †The bones also of Ioseph which the children of Israel had taken out of Aegypt they buried in Sichem in part of the field which Iacob had bought of the sonnes of Hemor the father of Sichem for a hundred yong ewes and it was in the possession of the sonnes of Ioseph †Eleazar also the sonne of Aaron died and they buried him in Gabaath of Phinees his sonne which was geuen him in mount Ephraim ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXIIII 2. They serued false goddes It is euident by this place that Thare and some other progenitors of Israel sometimes serued false goddes from which they were reduced but Abraham was euer preserued in true religion and the whole familie of Thare was therfore persecuted in Chaldea as S. Augustin sheweth li. 16. c. 13. de ciuit Likwise Theodoret q. 18. in Iosue and other both ancient and late writers teach the same as is already noted pag. 203. 30. They buried In that no mention is made of mourning for Iosue S. Hierom noteth a mysterie and a special point of Chistian doctrin It semeth to me saieth he Epist de 42. Maus mans 33. that in Marie prophecie is dead in Moyses and Aaron an end is put to the law and priesthood of the Iewes For so much as they could neither passe into the land of promise nor bring the beleuing people out of the wildernes of this world And Mans 34. Aaron sayeth he was mourned and so was Moyses Iesus is not mourned that is in the law was descentinto hel called limbus in the Gospel is passage to paradise THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES SAINCT Hierom geuing this general rule Epist ad Eustoch virg that in reading historical bookes of holie Scripture the historie as fundation of veritie is to be loued but the spiritual vnderstanding rather to be folowed agreably therto teacheth Epist ad Paulin. that in this booke of Iudges there be as manie figures as princes of the people Neither doth he meane that there were no more but for example sake affirmeth that these Iudges raised vp after Iosue and sent of God to deliuer the people fallen for their sinnes into afflictions were types and figures of the Apostles and Apostolical men sent by Christ to propagate and defend his Church of the new Testament For albeit diuers of these Iudges were sometimes great offenders yet they were reclamed by Gods special grace and so amending their errors did great thinges to the singular honour of God and are renowmed among the holie Patriarces and Prophetes particularly praysed in bolie Scipture saying And the Iudges euerie one by his name whose hart was not corrupt Who were not auerted from our Lord that their memorie may be blessed and their bones spring out from their place and their name remaine for euer the glorie of holie men remaining to their children After Iosue therfore who it semeth guided and ruled the people 32. yeares this booke written as is most probable by Samuel shewing the famouse Actes of these Iudges of Israel prosecuteth the historie of the Church the space of 288. yeares more And may be diuided into three partes First is described in general the state of the people sometimes wel and sincerly seruing God other times falling to great sinnes in the two first chapters Secondly their offences afflictions repentance and deliuerie from their enemies are more particularly reported from the third chap. to the 17. Thirdly other special accidents which happened within the same time are recorded in the last fiue chapters THE BOOKE OF IVDGES IN HEBREW SOPHETIM CHAP. I. Vnder a general captaine of the tribe of Iuda assisted by the tribe of Simeon Israel subdueth diuers cities of the gentiles 12. Othoniel taking Cariath sepher possesseth it and marieth Calebs daughter obtainig also addition of her dowrie 21. Iebuseites yet dwel in Hierusalem with Beniamin 27. and the Chananeites with diuers of the tribes AFTER the death of Iosue the children of Israel consulted
cubites of length according to the measure of the bredth of the temple and it had ten cubites of bredth before the face of the temple †And he made in the temple oblique windowes †And he built vpon the wal of the temple loftes round about †in the walles of the house round about the temple and the oracle and he made sides round about †The loft that was vnderneth had fiue cubites of bredth the middle loft was of six cubites in bredth and the third loft had seuen cubites of bredth And he put beames in the house round about on the outside that they might not cleaue to the walles of the temple †And the house when it was built was built of stones hewed and perfected and hammer and hachet and al the toâ—lâ— of yâ—â—â—â— were not heard in the house when it was built †The dootâ— of the middle side was in the wal of the house on the râ—â—hâ— hand and by wynding staires they went vp into the middle row me and from the middle into the third †And he built the house and finished it he couered also the house with seelings of cedre trees †And he built a loft ouer al the house fiue cubites of height and he couered the house with cedre timber †And the word of our Lord came to Salomon saying †This house which thou buildest if thou wilt walke in my preceptes and doe my iudgementes and keepe al my commandementes going in them I wil establish my word to thee which I spake to Dauid thy father †And I wil dwel in the middes of the children of Israel and wil not forsake my people Israel †Salomon therfore built the house and finished it †And he built the walles of the house on the inside with cedre loftes from the pauement of the house to the toppe of the walles and to the roofes he couered it with cadre trees on the inside and he couered the floore of the house with boordes of firre †And he built loftes of cedre timber of twentie cubites at the hinder part of the temple from the pauement to the higher partes and he made the inner house of the oracle to be Sanctum Sanctorum †Moreouer the temple it self was fourtie cubites before the doores of the oracle †And al the house was couered within with cedeâ— hauing roundels and the ioyntes therof coningly wrought and the engrauinges standing out al thinges were couered with bordes neither could there a stone appeare in the wal at al. †And he made the oracle in the middes of the house in the inner part that he might put the arke of couenant of our Lord there †Moreouer the oracle had twentie cubites in length and twentie cubites of bredth and twentie cubites in height And he couered and seeled it with most pure gold and the altar also he decked with ceder †The house also before the oracle he couered with most pure gold and fastened on plates with nailes of gold †And there was nothing in the temple that was not couered with gold yea and al the altar of the oracle he couered with gold †And he made in the oracle two cherubs of oliue trees of ten cubites in height †One wing of a cherub of fiue cubites and the other wing of a cherub fiue cubites that is hauing tenne cubites from the end of one wing vnto the end of the other wing †Of ten cubites also was the second cherub in like measure and the worke was one in both cherubs †that is to say one cherub had the height of ten cubites and in like maner the second cherub †And he put the cherubs in the middes of the inner temple and the cherubs extended their winges and the one wing touched the wal and the wing of the second cherub touched the other wal and the other winges in the middle part of the temple touched ech other †He couered also the cherubs with gold †And al the walles of the temple round about he graued with diuerse engrauinges and caruing he made in them cherubs and palme trees and diuerse pictures as it were standing out of the wal and coming forth †Yea the pauement also of the house he couered with gold within and without †And in the entrance of the oracle he made litle doores of the timber of oliuetrees and fiue corner postes †And two doores of oliuetimber and he graued in them pictures of Cherubs and figures of Palme trees and grauen workes standing out very much and he couered them with gold and he couered as wel the cherubs as the palmetrees and the other thinges with gold †And he made in the entrance of the temple postes of oliuetimber foure square †and two doores of firre trees one agaynst an other and either doore was duble and so opened with folding leaues †And he graued cherubs and palmetrees and engrauinges appearing very much and he couered al with golden plates in square worke by rule †And he built the inner court with three rowes of stones polished and one rowe of ceder timber †In the fourth yeare was the house of our Lord founded in the moneth of Zio †and in the eleuenth yeare in the moneth Bul that is the eight moneth the house was perfected in al the workes therof and in al the implementes therof and he was building it seuen yeares THE CONTINVANCE OF THE CHVRCH AND RELIGION IN THE FOVRTH AGE FROM the parting of Israel out of Aegypt to the fundation of the Temple The space of 480. yeares VVE HAVE senne already in the three first ages or distinct times of the world the biginning increase and continuance of the Church and Religion of God without interruption Now in this fourth age in which God gaue his people a written Law it is yet more euident that the same faith and religion not only continued but also was more expressed and explicated and the Church had more varietie of Sacrifices Sacraments and other holie Rites Obseruances the two states Ecclesiastical and Temporal more distinguished and ech of them especially the Priestlie and Leuitical Hierarchie more disposed in subordination the ciuil gouernment also vnder Dukes Iudges and Kinges more distributed among superiour and inferiour officers then before For first the principal point and ground of al religion the beleefe in one God and his proper diuine worship is aboue al most stristly commanded often repeated diligently obserued by the good and seuerely punished in trans gressours To which end and purpose after that God had singularly selected three more renowmed Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob preseruing them by his special grace from idolatrie and from wicked wayes of most peoples and nations blessed their seede not in the whole progenie of the two former but in Iacob onlie whom he otherwise named Israel multiplying his children excedingly yea most of al which was most maruelous in
deliuer and saue them First Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda then Aod of Beniamin after him Samgar the Scripture not signifying of what tribe then Barach with Debora of Ephraim Gedeon of Manasses Abimelech his basâ— sonne an vsurper Thola of Issachar Iair and Iephte of Manasses Abesan of Iuda Aialon of Zabulon Abdon of Ephraim Sampson of Dan and Heli who was also high priest of Aarons stocke otherwise called Zaraias 1. Paralip 6. and Samuel also of the tribe of Leut a Prophet In his time the people demanding and vrging to haue a King Saul of the tribe of Beniamin was annointed 1. Reg. 10. But for transgressing Gods commandments especially for exercising spiritual function without warrant 1. Reg. 13. and not destroying idolaters 1. Reg. 15. was deposed and Dauid of the tribe of Iuda was annointed King who after manie great trubles possessed the whole kingdome and died in peace leauing his sonne Salomon inuested and annointed king in his throne The Church being thus established in distinct states and orders albeit there were manie imperfections in al sortes of persons and great sinnes committed yet God so punished offenders and chastised the whole people that he stil conserued the greatest or chiefe part in true faith and religion For whiles they were in the desert they murmured very often against God and his Ministers their Superiours Exod. 17. Num. 11. 14 20. 21. Manie fel to idolatrie Exod. 32. Aaron not free from cooperating in the peoples sinne Nadab and Abiu Aarons sonnes and consecrated priestes offered strange fire Leuit. 10 Core Dathan and Abiron with their complices made a great schisme Num. 16. Manie committed carnal fornication with Infidels and were therby drawen to spiritual Num. 25. Of which and other like â—innes the Psalmist speaketh Psal 94. exhorting his people not to harden their hartes as in the desert their fathers had tempted God Fourtie yeares was I offended sayth God with that generation and sayd They alwayes erre in hart And therfore he sware in his wrath that the same generation should not enter into the promised land of Chanaan but their children entred and possessed it Num. 14. Iesue 3. A 〈…〉 the people falling to idolatrie and other sinnes were afflicted and sore pressâ—d by forraine enemies but repenting were deliuered and saued by certain capitaines called Iudges and Sauiours as appeareth in the booke of iudges They had also tribulations by some of their owne nation for among the Iudge one called Abimelee was a tyrannical vsurper Iudic. 9. Saul their first King falling from God vniustly persecuted Dauid 1. Reg. 18. â— Ambitious Absolom rebelled against the King his father 2. Reg. 15. and Seba of the tribe of Beniamin raised an other rebellion 2. Reg. 20. â—â—â—â—wise Adonias assisted by Abiathar the high priest and by Ioab general of the armie pretended to reigne his father Dauid yet liuing to preuent S 〈…〉 n of the kingdom 3. Reg. 1. So God both shewed his iustice in suffering suâ—â— afflictions to happen for punishment of sinne and his mercie in sauing hiâ— Church from ruine Moreouer for preseruatioÌ„ of the Church there were diuers diuine Ordinances prouided by the law For first al were strictly commanded not to coÌ„municate with Infidels in their idolatrie Ex. 23. nor with Schismatikes in their schisme Nu. 16. but to destroy al Idolaters Num. 33. and shunne al nouelties in religion as a sure marke of idolatrie or false doctrine Deut. 13. Further to conserue vnitie there was but one Tabernacle and one Altar for Sacrifice in the whole people of Israel VVherupon when the two tribes and halfe on the other side Iordan had made a seueral altar al the tribes that dwelt in Chanaan suspecting it was for sacrifice sent presently to admonish them and prepared to make warre against them except they destroyed their new altar but being aduertised that it was only an altar of monument and not for sacrifice were therwith satisfied Iosue 22. Afterwards the tribe of Dan setting vp idolatrie and the other tribes not correcting it they were al punished VVhich happened by occasion of an other enormous sinne committed and not corrected in the tribe of Beniamin For the other eleuen tribes making warre against them for this iust cause yea by Gods direction and warrant yet had the worse susteyning great slaughter of men in two conflictes and in the third Beniamin was almost destroyed Iudic. 20. Finally for decision of al controuersies and ending of strife the High Priest was expresly ordayned supreme Iudge Deut. 17. And al were commanded in paine of death to submitte their opinions and obey his sentence with promise of Gods assistance wherby his definitions were certaine and infallible For in consultations of doubtes and difficult cases God inspired him with doctrine of veritie Exod. 28. 29. Leuit. 8. Num. 3. 7. 9. 1. Reg. 23 30. VVhich iudgement Seate Christ admonished the Iewes to repayre vnto and folow Math. 23. though the Iudges themselues did not the thinges which they taught In so much that Caiphas through this assistance of Gods spirite being otherwise a wicked man yet pronounced the truth That one must die for the people VVhich therfore S. Iohn the Euangelist ascribeth to his Chayre and office because he was High priest that yeare Ioan. 11. Seing then Gods prouidence and continual assistance was so clere and assured in the Church of the old Testament much more is the Church of christ builded vpon a sure rocke assured of his perpetual assistance and always preserued from erring in Faith or in general practise of Religion And that by Gods like assured ordinance of one supreme head and Iudge S. Peter his Successour for vvhom our Sauiour prayed that his faith should not faile Further commanding him that he should confirme his brethren Al vvhich vvse see is performed in the Successours of S. Peter vvheras the successours of the other Apostles are al failed long since The same most assured stabilitie of the Church of Christ is further confirmed by the whole Lavv and Prophetes Namely Deut. 32. and 33. vvhere Moyses fortelleth more povver and grace in the Church to be collected in the Gentiles of al natioÌ„s then euer vvas in that of the Israelites or Iews Likewise 1. Reg. 2. The same vvas both prefigured and prophecied by holie Anna The hungrie those that desire Gods grace and glorie are filled vntil the barren woman the Church of the Gentiles bare verie manie she that had manie children was weakned Shewing that the Church of the Iewes had manie vntil the plenitude of Gentiles much more abounded Wherfore the Psalmist inuiteth al nations to praise God saying Psal 116. Praise our Lord al ye Gentiles praise him al ye peoples Also 2. Reg. 7. God promised Dauid saying Thy Kingdome for euer before thy face and thy throne shal be firme continually which was not verified in Dauids temporal kingdome For it was
people that shal be borne whom our Lord hath made ANNOTATIONS PSALME XXI 1. For the morning enterprise In respect of the end for which Christ suffered this Psalme is intitled for the morning enterprise that is for Christs glorious Resurrection and other effectes of his Passion VVhich holie Dauid by the spirite of prophecy so describeth here long before with diuers particular cicumstances as the Euangelistes haue since historically recorded that it may not vnfitly be called The Passion of Iesus Christ according to Dauid 3. Thou vvilt not heare Our B. Sauiour seing his most terrible death imminent prayde conditionally if it pleased his heauenlie Father to haue the same remoued from him and was not heard as the Psalmist here prophecieth The principal reason was because God of his diuine charitie had decreed that mankind should be redemed by this death of his Sonne Christ also him selfe of his excellent charitie consented here vnto therefore persisted not in his conditional prayer but added and absolutly prayed that not his owne wil but his Fathers might be fulfilled And in this he was heard to his owne more glorie and other infinite benefites of innumerable soules as it foloweth v. 25. vvhen I crieâ—d to him he heard me S. Paul also witnesseth Heb. 5. v. 7. that Christ offering prayers and supplications to him that could saue him from death vvas heard for his reuerence that is in respect of his inestimable merite in humane nature vnited in person to God An other cause why Christ was not deliuered from violent death as manie holie persons were when they cried to God in distresses as S Augustin sheweth Epist 120. c. 11. was for example to Christians whom God wil haue to suffer temporal afflictions and death for the glorie of life euerlasting according to S. Peters doctrin Christ suffered for vs leauing an example that you may folovv his steppes 18. They haue digged Of obstinate malice the Iewes haue corrupted this place and God knoweth how manie others in the Hebrew text of some editions reading caari which signifieth as a lion without al coherence of the sense for caaru they digged or pearced to auoid so plaine a prophecie of nailing Christs handes and feete to the crosse 23 I vvil declare thy name to my brethren Here it is euident that this Psalme is of Christ not of Dauid by S. Pauls allegation Heb. 2. v. 11. 12. saying He that sanctifieth towitt Christ disdaned not to cal the sanctified his bretheren 23. In the middes of the Church I vvil praise thee After Christs Passion and Resurrection in the rest of this Psalme other two principal pointes of Christian Religion are likewise prophecied His perpetual visible Church and the B. Sacrament of his bodie The former is here prophecied by way of inuiting al the seede of Iacob to glorifie God v. 24. al the seede of Israel to feare him v. 25. towit innumerable Christians the true Israelites the vniuersal Church in the whole world As for heretical partes or parcels in the world such as the Donatistes which going forth from the Catholique Church say Christ hath lost his great Church the diuel hath taken the whole world from him and he remaineth only in a part of Africa they do not praise God saith S. Augustin but dishonour God and Christ as if God were not faithful in his promise as if Christ were dispossessed of his kingdome the Catholique Church Lest anie should replie that Christ is praised though the Church be decaied or be very smal the Holie Ghost hath preuented such arguments saying v. 26 His praise is in the great Church VVhich could neither be verified in the part of Donatistes in Afrike nor now in the part of Protestantes since Luther in Europe Further S. Augustin explicateth vrgeth the verses folowing in this Psalme against the same blind deafe and obstinate Donatistes who did not or would not see not heare that al the endes of the earth shal remenber and be conuerted to our Lord. The holie Scripture saith not the endes of the earth but al the endes wel goe too saith this great Doctor peraduenture there is but one verse thou thoughtest vpon some thing els thou talkedst with thy brother when one read this marke he repeteth and knocketh vpon the deaf Al the families of the Gentiles shal adore in his sight Yet the heretike is deaf he heareth not let one knocke againe Because the kingdom is our Lords and he shal haue dominion ouer the Gentiles Hold these three verses bretheren Thus and more S. Augnstin against those that thinke the true Church may faile or become inuisible or obscure And though it be not in like prosperous state at al times and in al places yet it is alwayes conspicuous and more general then anie other congregation professing whatsoeuer pretensed religion 27. The poore shal eate Seing this Psalme is of Christ as is proued by S. Pauls allegation of 23 verse and by the concordance therof with the Euangelists it is necessarily deduced that the vovves mentioned in the former verse and these wordes the poore shal eate and be filled can not be referred to the sacrifices of the old Testament but to the blessed Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Eucharist which our Sauiour promised after he had replenished the people with fiue loaues and which he instituted at his last supper in presence of his Apostles So S. Augustin doubteth not to vnderstand it and to teach as wel in his duble expositioÌ„ of this Psalme as in his 120. Epistle c. 27. The poore that is the humble and poore in spirite shal eate befilled the fatte ones or the rich being proud do also adore and eate but are not filled They also are brought to the table of Christ and participate his bodie bloud but they adore only are not also filled because they do not imitate Christs humilitie they disdaine to be humble VVhere it is clere this holie father by Christs bodie and bloud meaneth not bread and wine as signes of his bodie and bloud for bread and wine can not be lawfully adored neither doth he meane our Lords bodie as it was on the crosse or is in heauen for so it is not eaten but as it is in formes of bread and wine on Christs table the Altar PASLME XXII A forme of thankesgeuing for al spiritual benefites described vnder the metaphor of temporal prosperitie euen from a sinners first conuersion to final perseuerance and eternal beatitude †The Psalme of Dauid OVR Lord ruleth me and nothing shal be wanting to me †in place of pasture there he hath placed me Vpon the water of refection he hath brought me vp †he hath conuerted my soule He hath conducted me vpon the pathes of iustice for his name †For although I shal walke in the middes of the shadow of death I wil not feare euils because thou
these two things haue I heard †That powre is Gods and mercie ô Lord is to thee because thou wilt render to euery one according to his workes PSALME LXII Dauid in banishment with great affection desireth to vnite himselfe with God in meditation 4. purposing and promising euer to praise him 10. prophicieth the vaine endeuoures and condemnation of his enimies and his owne aduancement A Psalme of Dauid when he was in the desert of Iuda 1. Reg. 22. O GOD my God to thee I watch from the morning light My soule hath thirsted to thee my flesh to thee very manie wayes †In a desert land and inaccessible and without water so in the holie haue I appeared to thee that I might see thy strength and thy glorie †Because thy mercie is better then liues my lippes shal prayse thee †So wil I blesse thee in my life and in thy name I wil lifte vp my hands †As with marrow and fatnes let my soule be filled and my mouth shal praise with lippes of exultation †If I haue bene mindful of thee vpon my bedde in the morning I Wil meditate on thee †because thou hast bene my helper †And in the couert of thy winges I wil reioice my soule hath cleaued after thee thy right hand hath receiued me †But they in vaine haue sought my soule they shal enter into the inferiour partes of the earth †They shal be deliuered into the handes of the sworde they shal be the portions of foxes †But the king shal reioice in God al shal be praised that sweare by him because the mouth is stopped of those that speake wicked thinges PSALME LXIII A prayer of the iust reposing their whole trust in God 7. and reioycing that the enimies machinations are frustrate Vnto the end a Psalme of Dauid HEARE ô God my prayer when I make petition from the feare of my enimie deliuer my soule †Thou hast protected me from the assemblie of the malignant from the multitude of them that worke iniquitie †Because they haue sharpned their tongues as a sworde they haue bent the bow a bitter thing †that they may shoote in secretes at the immaculate †Sodanely they wil shoote at him and wil not feare they haue confirmed to themselues a wicked worde They haue talked to hide snares they haue saide who shal see them †They haue search 〈…〉 they haue failed searching with scrutani◠†Man shal come to a 〈…〉 and God shal be exalted Childrens arrowes are made their woundes †and their tongues are weakned against them Al that saw them were trubled †and euerie man feared And they shewed forth the workes of God and they vnderstood his doinges †The iust shal reioice in our Lord and shal hope in him and al the right of hart shal be praised PSALME LXIIII. God is rightly praised in Sion and I erusalem in his Church only for his benefites bestowed and promised 8. Vnto which also in the time of grace al nations shal be called To the end a Psalme of Dauid the Canticle of Ieremie and Ezechiel to the people of the transmigration when they begane to goe forth AN hymne ô God becometh thee in Sion a vow shal be rendered to thee in Ierusalem †Heare my prayer al flesh shal come to thee The wordes of the wicked haue preuailed vpon vs and thou wilt be propitious to our impieties Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and taken he shal dwel in thy courtes †We shal be replenished in the goods of thy house holie is thy temple meruelous in equitie †Heare vs ô God our sauiour the hope of al the ends of the earth and in the sea farre †Preparing mountanes in thy strength girded with might which trublest the depths of the sea the sound of the waues therof †The Gentiles shal be trubled and they that inhabite the borders shal be affraide of thy signes the outegoinges of the morning and euening thou shalt delight †Thou hast visited the earth and hast inebriated it thou hast multiplied to inrich it The riuer of God is replenished with waters thou hast prepared their meat because so is the preparation therof †Inebriate her riuers multiplie her fruites in her dropps she shal reioyce springing †Thou “ wilt blesse the crowne of the yeare of thy goodnes and thy fildes shal be replenished with plentie †The u beautiful places of the desert shal be fat and the litle hilles shal be girded aboute with exultation The rammes of the shepe are clothed and the valleis shal abounde with corne they wil crie yea they wil say an hyme ANNOTATIONS PSALME LXIIII. 12. God vvil blesse the crovvne Vnder the Allegorie of the land of Iurie vvherunto the people of God vvere to be restored after their captiuitie in Babylon the Psalmist here prophecieth greater thinges then can be verified of the temporal state of the Iewes that the militant Church shal stil be blessed from the beginning to the end yelding expected fruict and al the iust that perseuere to the end of their liues shal receiue most happie and glorious revvardes of their laboures As S. Paul after his meritorious trauels confidently expected his glorious revvard vvhen he saide 2. Tim. 4. I haue fought a good fight I haue consummate my course I haue kept my faith Concerning the rest there is layde vp for me a Crovvne of iustice vvhich our Lord vvil render to me in that day a iust Iudge And not only to me but to them also that loue his coming And this is called the crovvne of the yeare of Gods benignitie because God of his ovvne benignitie vvithout mans former desert geueth grace and in the end for merite folovving geueth a crovvne of glorie So our Blessed Sauiour according to his fulnes of grace vvhich vvas in his soule and infinite merite receiued a crovvne of glorie in the consummation of his temporal life after the space of thirtie three yeares And our Blessed Ladie the mother of God receiued an ansvverable crovvne to her excellent grace and merites in the consummation of her life at the end of sixtie three yeares In memorie of vvhich numbers of yeares deuout men haue piously instituted certaine formes of prayers called the Crovvnes or Corones of our Sauiour and of our Ladie PSALME LXV The prophet inuiteth al men to praise God for his meruelous workes and benefites donne to the Iewes 7. Who being vngratful 8. Gentiles are called 16. and bring forth better fruict Vnto the end a Canticle of resurrection MAke ye iubilation to God al the earth †say a psalme to his name geue glorie to his praise â€
not returne neithet shal they apprehend the pathes of life †That thou mayst walke in a good way and mayst keepe the pathes of the iust †For they that are right shal dwel in the earth and the simple shal continue in it †But the impious shal be destroyed from the earth and they that doe vniustly shal be taken away from it ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 13. VVho leaue the right vvay Generally this description of wicked men agreeth to al that committe and persist in mortal sinne whether they walked right at anie time before or no but most especially sheweth the properties of heretikes who forsake and leaue the direct ancient beaten knovvne vvay of the Catholique Church and teach nevv obscure doctrines not heard of or not approued in our forefathers time Secondly v. 14 they glorie in their ovvne deuises and reioyce in most vvicked thinges as in seducing multitude of peoples to rebel against their Catholique Princes and other Superiors spiritual and temporal in breaking vovves in despising good vvorkes trusting to only faith and that not the Catholique faith of al true Christians but euerie one his particular persvvasion that himself is iust shal be saued vvhich by their ovvne doctrin none is bond to beleue of an others state but of his owne only In so much that the chiefest point of a Protestants imagined faith is not a general Article which al do or should beleue but a most particular and singular phantasie which each one must conceiue of himself or herself Thirdly v. 16. Heresie called here the strange and forrene woman tempereth her vvordes to please the itching eares of her auditorie framing her doctrine to the humour of those vvhom she seeketh to peruert The same vvich the Apostle saith in other vvordes by svvere speaches and benedictions they seduce the hartes of innocents Fourthly v. 19. Those that do enter into error of heresie shal not returne that is very hardly and rarely returne into the right vvay of life the reason whereof the same Apostle yeldeth because an heretike is condemned by his ovvne iudgement For being in error and admitting no iudge but himself he parteth from the Church excludeth the meanes of better iustruction through his erronious iudgement remaineth in damnable opinion and so in the state of damnation CHAP. III. Wisdom exhorteth to kepe Gods law geuing long life to obserue mercie and truth 5. to confide in God 7. to feare 9. and honour him 11. to take his correction gladly 13. for al good thinges folow wisdom 27. to releue the needie without delay 30. not to contend with the wicked nor to imitate them 33. The euil shal faile and the godlie shal prosper MY sonne forget not my law and let thy hart keepe my precepts †For they shal adde to thee length of dayes and yeares of life and peace †Let not mercie and truth leaue thee put them about thy throte and write them in the tables of thy hart †and thou shalt finde grace and good discipline before God and men †Haue confidence in our Lord with al thy hart and leane not vpon thyne owne prudence †In al thy wayes thinke on him and he wil direct thy steppes †Be not wise in thyne owne conceipte feare God and depart from euil †for it shal be health to thy nauil and watering of thy bones †Honour our Lord with thy substance and geue to him of the first of al thy fruites †and thy barnes shal be replenished with fulnes and thy presses shal runouer with wine †My sonne cast not away the discipline of our Lord neither doe thou faint when thou art chasteâ—â—d of him †for whom our Lord loueth he chasticeth and as a father in the sonne he pleaseth himself †Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom and floweth with prudence †better is the purchasing therof then marchandise of siluer and her fruite then chiefe and the purest gold †she is more precious then al riches and al thinges that are desired are not able to be compared with her †Length of dayes in her right hand in her left hand riches and glorie †Her wayes are beautiful wayes and al her pathes peaceable †She is a tree of life to them that shal apprehend her and he that shal hold her is blessed †Our Lord by wisdom founded the earth established the heauens by prudence †By his wisdom the depthes haue broken forth and the cloudes waxe thicke with dew †My sonne let not these thinges depart from thyne eies kepe the law counsel †and there shal be life to thy soule and grace to thy iawes †Then shalt thou walke confidently in thy way and thy foote shal not stumble †if thou sleepe thou shalt not feare thou shalt rest and thy sleepe shal be sweete †Dread not at soden terrour and the power of the impious falling vpon thee †For our Lord wil be at thy side and wil keepe thy foote that thou be not taken †Doe not prohibite him to doe good that is able if thou be able thy selfe also doe good †Say not to thy frend goe and returne and tomorow I wil geue to thee wheras thou mayest geue forth with †Practise not euil against thy freind when he hath affiance in thee †Contend not against man without cause wheras he hath done thee no euil †Doe not enuie an vniust man nor imitate his waies †because euerie deluder is an abomination of our Lord and his communication is with the simple †There is pouertie from our Lord in the house of the impious but the habitations of the iust shal be blessed †He shal delude the deluders and to the milde he wil geue grace †The wise shal possesse glorie the exaltation of fooles ignominie CHAP. IIII. The wiseman exhorteth others by his owne example to seeke wisdom 14. to decline from the wicked and to imitate the iust 23. to guide wel the hart mouth and feete CHILDREN heare ye the fathers discipline and attend that you may knowe prudence †I wil geue you a good gift forsake not my law †For I also was the sonne of my father tender and as onlie begotten in my mothers sight †and he taught me sayd Let thy hart receiue my wordes kepe my preceptes and thou shalt liue †Possesse wisedom possesse prudence forget not neither decline from the wordes of my mouth †Leaue her not and she wil keepe thee loue her and she wil preserue thee †The beginning of wisdom possesse wisdom and in al thy possession purchase prudence †take quickly and she wil exalt thee thou shalt be glorified of her when thou shalt embrace her †She wil geue to thy head increase of graces and with a noble crowne she wil protect thee †Heare my sonne and receiue my wordes that yeares of life may be multiplied to
his time The end of the Sapiential Bookes THE FOVRT PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTEINING PROPHETICAL BOOKES The argument of Prophetical bookes in general AMongst manie great benefites which God bestowed vpon his peculiar people in the old Testament one principal and very excellent was that besides their ordinarie Pastors and gouerners in spiritual causes the Priestes of Aarons progenic and other clergie men of the same tribe of Leui in â—erarchical subordina ion of one chief with other superiors and subiectes disposed in sacred functions he also gaue them other extraordinarie Prophetes of sundrie tribes as admonitors and guides to reduce them from errors of sinne into the right way of vertue Which office the same Prophetes performed as wel by threatning the offenders with Gods wrath and punishment as by exhorting them to repentance and so to trust in Gods assured mercie that he would geue them better times and reliefe from their miseries But most especially these holie Prophetes did foresee and foretel the happie times of Grace in the New Testament The coming of Messias Christ our Redemer and Sauiour With the mysteries of his Incarnation Birth Passion Death Resurrection Ascension Coming of the Holie Ghost Fundation Propagation perpetual Stabilitie of his Church and finally the General Iudgement Eternal Glorie of the blessed and Euerlasting paine of the damned For albeit they preached and prophecied manie thinges properly and immediatly perteyning to the particular state and people of the Iewes and other nations Where they conuersed yet the principal summe of al the prophetical bookes is of Christ and his Church Yea al the old Testament is a general prophecie and forshewing of the New Which as we noted in the beginning is conteyned and lieth hid in the old Neuertheles speaking more distinctly of the proper arguments or contents of the foure partes of the old Testament the former three more peculiarly setforth the Law the Historie and Sapiential precepts and this last part chiefly conteyneth Prophecies of thinges to come Of which the greatest part is now come to passe or dayly fulfilled and the rest shal likewise be performed in due time So now in order after the Legal Historical and Sapiential bookes folow the Prophetical and are these according to the names of the Prophetes that writte them Isaie Ieremie with Baruch Ezechiel and Daniel commonly called the greatter Prophetes and the twelue lesser aâ—e Osee Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas Micheas Nahum Abacuc Sophonias Aggeus Zacharie and Malachie Who were al singularly inspired and gouerned in their preachings and writinges by the Holie Ghost that they could not erre Yea they were so illuminated in their vnderstanding that they clerly saw that which they vttered And therfore their Prophecies are called Visions for the assured infallibilitie of truth which they auouch For as nothing is more certaine in vulgar knowlege then that which we see with our corporal eyes and therfore of al witnesses the eye witnes is estemed the surest and as in al natural knowlege that is most certaine which is sene by discourse of reason so in supernatural knowlege nothing is more assured then that which is sene by supernatural light Whereof there be three sortes the light of Faith of Prophecie and of Glorie Al three certaine and vndoubted but most clere and manifest is the vision by light of glorie wherby God is sene in himself and al thinges in him that perteyne to the state of euerie glorious Sainct Next therto is the vision by light of prophecie wherwith God illuminateth the vnderstanding of the Prophet by a special extraordinarie and transitorie light of grace that either he clerly seeth the reueled truthes or at least perfectly knoweth that he is moued by the Holie Ghost though he vnderstand not al that the Holie Ghost intendeth and so when and where it is Gods wil he vttereth the same for instruction of others The last which is also certaine but more obscure is the supernatural knowlege which al Catholique Christians haue by light of faith assuredly beleuing al thinges which God reueleth by his Church Concerning therfore this excellent diuine gift of Prophecie granted to few for the benefite of al Gods seruants we are here to informe the vulgar reader that wheras these prophecies are for most part hard to be vnderstood and as S. Peter teacheth not knowen by priuate interpretation but must be interpreted by the same Spirite wherwith they were written our purpose is not to explicate them nor yet to produce large explications of the godlie lerned Fathers but rather fewer and briffer notes then hertofore and for the rest we remitte the more lerned and studious readers according to their capacities to search the same in the commentaries of ancient and late Expositers wishing others to content themselues with the more easie partes of holie Scriptures and other godlie bookes and daylie instructions of spiritual teachers And such as do also read these may obserue with vs these amongst other special causes of the hardnes of the Prophetes One cause is the frequent interruption of sentences with suddaine change from one person or matter to an other without apparent coherence Which S. Ierom noteth in sundrie places As I saie 7. after that the Prophet hath seuerely reprehended king Achab for his distrust of Gods assistance against his temporal enimies v. 13. in the next wordes he prophecieth that a Virgin shal conceiue and beare a sonne Christ our Sauiour and the like in other places An other cause is that the Prophetes speake thinges of some persons which are to be fulfilled in others either of their progenie or prefigured by them As the prophecie of the Iewes and Gentiles comprised in the historie of Esau Iacob Likewise that which Iacob prophecied Gen. 49. of Simeon an Leui not fulfilled in themselues but in the Scribes and Priestes descending of their stock Also much of that which Dauid semeth to speake of Salomon Psal 88. can only be vnderstod of Christ Other examples wil occurre in the Prophetes ensuing Briefly for we can not here expresse al the causes in few wordes prophecies are often times vttered in figuratiue speaches and often not in wordes but in factes other times so mixed with histories and temporal thinges with spiritual againe some thinges perteyning to the old Testament so ioyned with mysteries of the new and the like that most hard it is to discerne nay not possible without special reuelation or instruction of others to know to what purpose or thing euerie part perteyneth or is to be applied for some thinges are spoken only of the historie some thinges of misteries manie thinges of both And the reason why the Holie Ghost doth so vtter these prophecies is noted by S. Ierom in Nahum 3. that the proud and malicious enimies of Religion may not vnderstand them lest sayth he a holie thing should be geuen to dogges pearles cast to swine most sacred mysteries
and consist of al Nations the Prophet here forsheweth that Christian Eunuches liuing virgins or continent should not be ignoble or inglorious but more glorious and haue a better name then Gods other seruants sonnes and daughters an euerlasting name vvhich shal not perish because keping Gods precepts such as vvas the Sabbath they also of their free election choose this state of life to kepe perpetual chastitie more then is commanded Against vvhich plaine sense of the text Protestants oppose their ovvne glosses Peter Martyr li de calibatu votis Monasticis saith God preferreth not Eunuches before others that kepe the lavv but only before them that transgresse the lavv VVhich commentarie is faultie in tvvo respectes For God here calleth them not transgressors but his sonnes and daughters before vvhom he preferreth holie Eunuches neither speaketh of such as shal be excluded from good place or good name but of such as shal enioy both and sayth these Eunuches shal haue a better place better name that is more renovvme and greater revvard Other Protestants expound this better name to signifie that such Eunuches shal be called after or according to Gods people and be of the same religion vvhich importeth no excellencie at al in place or name as the text expresseth nay scarse equalitie with other seruantes of God Lastly they adde lest perhaps this former sense satisfie not the reader yea vnder Christ say they the dignitie of the faithful shal be greater then the Ievves vvere at that time As though the comparison made in this place vvere to signifie the general difference betvven Gods seruants before and since Christ and not particularly betvven Eunuches and such as haue children Hovv much more meete therfore is it to see and embrace the explications of the ancient holie Fathers VVho vniformely vnderstand expound this prophecie of such as vovv perpetual chastitie in the Church of Christ preferring that state before Mariage S. Basil li. de virginitate amongst other reasons and testimonies bringeth this place in proofe of the excellencie of virginitie that the revvard therof shal be that for a humane name God wil geue to virgins the name of immortal Angels vvhich shal not faile that they shal possesse a special place in heauen not only the glorie of Angels but an excellent dignitie amongst Angels S. Cyril of Alexandria in his commentaries vpon Isaie shevveth by this doctrine that the revvardes of continencie are eximia excellent and exceeding great so that such as be continent in bodie do also kepe al Gods commandments S. Ierom in his commentaries proueth that virginitie or perpetual chastitie is a singular good vvorke of supererogation not of precept but of Euangelical counsel by the vvord elegerit shal choose the thinges vvhich God vvould rather then vvhich he condescending to mans vveakenes allovveth Such an Eunuch saith he elegit quae Dominus voluit vt plus offerat quam praeceptum est hath chosen the thinges vvhich our Lord vvould to offer more then is commanded And such an Eunuch keping also Gods commandments shal haue locum optimum a chief good place in Gods house vvhere be manie mansions he shal be made a tovvre of our Lord be placed in Sacerdotali gradu Priestlie degree in stead of carnal chrildren shal haue manie spiritual children Thus S. Ierom. The like vve might cite of S. Ambrose in exhort ad Virg. S. Augustini lâ—de sancta virginitate c. 24. 25. S. Gregorie 3. p. Pastorali c. 29. c. others so expounding this prophecie CHAP. LVII The prophet lamenteth that men regard not when the iust dye 3. reprehendeth those that scorne the godlie 5. and committe horrible idolatrie 11. for getting God 14. who vseth al benignitie to recal them 20. but they contemne him THE iust perisheth and there is none that considereth in his hart men of mercie are gathered away because there is none that vnderstandeth for at the face of malice is the iust gathered away †Let peace come let him rest in his bed that hath walked in his direction †But come you hither ye children of the witch the seede of the aduouterer and of the harlot †Vpon whom haue you iested vpon whom haue you opened your mouth awide and thrust out the tongue Are not you wicked children a lying seede †Which take comforte in the goddes vnder euerie thicke greenetree immolating your litle ones in the torrents vnder the high rockes †In the partes of the torrent is thy part this is thy lot and thou hast powred out libament to them thou hast offered sacrifice shal I not take indignation of these thinges †Vpon an high and loftie mountaine thou hast layd thy bed and hast gone vp thither to immolate hostes †And behind the doore and behind the post thou hast ser thy memorial because thou hast discouered thyself neere me and hast receiued an aduouterer thou hast enlarged thy bed and made a couenant with them thou hast loued their couche with open hand †And thou hast adorned thyself with royal oyntment and hast multiplied the gay payntings Thou didst send thy legates far of wast humbled euen to hel †In the multitude of thy way thou hast laboured thou saydst not I wil rest thou hast found life of thine owne hand therfore thou hast not asked †For whom with careful reuerence hast thou feared wheras thou hast lied hast not bene mindful of me nor thought on me in thy hart because I am holding my peace and as it were not seing and thou hast forgotten me †I wil declare thy iustice and thy workes shal not profite thee †When thou shalt crie let thy gathered together deliuer thee and the winde shal take them al away a soft blast shal beare them away But he that hath confidence in me shal inherite the land and shal possesse my holie mount †And I wil say Make a way geue passage turne out of the path take away stumbling blockes out of the way of my people †Because thus saith the High eminent that inhabiteth eternitie and his name is holie dwelling in the high and holie place and with a contrite humble spirit that he may reuiue the spirit of the humble and reuine the hart of the contrite †For I wil not contend for euer neither wil I be wrath vnto the end because the spitit shal proceede from my face and breathinges I wil make †For the iniquitie of his auarice I was angrie and haue striken him I haue hid my face from thee and haue taken indignation and he hath gone wandering in the way of his owne hart †I saw his wayes and haue healed him and reduced him and haue restored consolations vnto him and to them that mourne for him †I haue created the fruite of the lippes peace peace to him that is far of and that is nere said our Lord and I haue healed him
to haue in length on the north quarter foure thousand fiue hundred reedes vvith the same length on the vvest quarter and consequently on the east and south that is nine thousand passes or nine myles on euerie side in al the circuite thirtie six myles Of vvhich greatnes it is certaine the temple and citie neuer were No not after the temple vvas augmented by Herod Ascoloâ—ites vvherof Iosephus writeth li. 15. c. 14. Antiq. Iudâ—icarum Neither vvere there anie such waters issuing from the material temple nor such trees on the bankes therof bringing forth fruites euerie moneth as are described ch 47. v. 1. 12. Al vvhich vvith other like dissonances considered the later Iewes confessing that this prophecie is not hitherto fulfilled say that their Messias whom they expect shal builde such a terrestrial citie and temple with al the appertinances as are shewed in this vision Reiecting therfore these Iewish errors and ridiculous imaginations Richardus de Sancto Victore Hugo Cardinalis Nicolaus Lyranus and some other Christian Doctors suppose that God in dede conditionally according to his antecedent wil promised al these thinges euen as the letter soundeth to the Iewes if after their deliuerie from captiuitie they should sincerely serue him vvalke rightly in his wayes and perfectly kepe his commandmentes And that besides this supposed literal sense al the same should more excellently be performed in the mystical temple and citie of God our Sauiour Christ and his Church But for so much say these Doctors as the Iewes performed not that which vvas required of their part in perfect life and due seruice of God this vision was not fulfilled but only in some part according to the vertues and merites of the better sorte of that people by the restauration of the citie temple and other thinges as in the bookes of Esdras that lastly for their general reuolt from Christ persecuting him to death their temple and citie were againe destroyed the people slaine dispersed reiected except only the few reliques conuerted to Christ In vvhom with the multitude of Gentiles the vvhole vision hath ful effect This opinion albeit grounded in probabilitie yet semeth not so certaine nor in dede so probable as the iudgement of S. Ierom S. Theodoret in their commentaries as also of S. Gregorie in his homiles vpon Ezechiel and of manie others both ancient and late writers VVho not finding hovv to applie this vision in al partes to the state of the old testament neither that promise of such a huge great temple and citie with the rest vvere agreable to Gods vvisdome do only expound this vision to perteine in some partes to the Iewes reduced from temporal captiuitie as in figure of al mankind redemed by Christ and of his Church gathered of al nations enriched and adorned vvith al spiritual graces vertues and powre Neither yet expounding al of the militant Church but some part of the triumphant only as surpassing the perfectest state of this transitorie life Vve therfore out of their large discourses shal abridge a fevv and brief marginal notes for some light of vnderstanding the text and entrance into the spiritual sense principally intended by the Holie Ghost CHAP. XL. In a vision the prophet seeth the reedisication of Ierusalem 5. with the measures of diuers partes therof 47. and of the court and entrie of the temple IN the fiue and twentith yeare of our transmigration in the beginning of the yeare the tenth of the moneth the fourtenth yeare after the citie was strooken in this self same day the hand of our Lord was made vpon me and he brought me thither †In the visions of God he brought me into the Land of Israel and left me vpon a mountaine exceding high vpon which there was as it were the building of a citie bending toward the south †And he brought me in thither and behold a man whose forme was as the forme of brasse and a linen corde in his hand and a reede of measure in his hand he stood in the gate †And the same man spake to me Sonne of man see with thine eyes and heare with thine eares and set thy hart on al thinges which I wil shew thee for thou art brought hither that they may be shewed to thee declare al thinges that thou seest to the house of Israel †And behold a wal on the out side round about the house and in the mans hand a reede of measure of six cubits a palme he measured the breadth of the building with one reede the height also with one reede †And he came to the gate that looked to the way of the east he ascended by the steppes therof he measured the threshold of the gate with one reede the bredth that is one threshold with one reede in bredth †and a chamber with one reede in length and one reede in bredth and betwen the chambers fiue cubites †and the threshold of the gate by entrie of the gate within with one reede †And he measured the entrie of the gate of eight cubites and the front therof of two cubites and the entrie of the gate was within †Moreouer the chambers of the gate to the way of the East three on this side and three on that side one measure of the three and one measure of the fronts on both partes †And he measured the bredth of the threshold of the gate of tenne cubits and the length of the gate of thirtene cubits †and the border before the chambers of one cubite and one cubite the end on both sides and the chambers were of six cubites on this side and that side †And he measured the gate from the roofe of the chamber euen to the roofe therof the bredth of fiue and twentie cubits doore against doore †And he made fronts by sixtie cubits to the front the court of the gate on euerie side round about †And before the face of the gate which raught euen to the face of the entrie of the inner gate fiftie cubits †And oblique windowes in the chambers and in their fronts which were within the gate on euerie side round about and in like maner there were also in the entries windowes round about within and before the fronts the picture of palme trees grauen †And he brought me out to the vtter court and behold celles and the pauement paued with stone in the court round about thirtie celles in the compas of the pauement †And the pauement in the front of the gates according to the length of the gates was beneath †And he measured the bredth from the face of the lower gate euen to the front of the inner court without an hundred cubits to the East and to the North. †The gate also that looked to the way of the North of the vtter court he measured as wel in length as in bredth â€
desire nor anie of the rest is in a mans owne powre as of himself so much as to thinke a good thought but Gods grace preuenteth sturreth men vp and continually assisteth in al good beginninges progresse and perseuerance as the same diuine auctor teacheth a litle before v. 14. wisdom preuenteth them that couete her that she first may shew herself vnto them Then to admitte or refuse is in their powre that haue good motions And therfore sinne is rightly imputed and damnation iustly inflicted vpon the wicked because as Nehemias 2. Esd 9. v. 17. testifieth of the vngratful people they would not heare And they hardened their neckes and gaue the head to returne to their seruitude as it were by contention or striuing against God through their owne free wil which appeareth here to remaine in sinners On the other side the same Nehemias in confidence of reward for good workes and of his voluntarie cooperating with Gods grace feared not to pray 2. Esd 5. v. 19 in these wordes Remember me my God to good according to al thinges which I haue done to this people Some men moreouer besides the commandments of the law voluntarily professed a peculiar state of holie life a plaine figure or rather an example of Euangelical counsels As in the former ages the Nazerites whose rule is prescribed Numeri 6. practised by Sampson Iudic. 13. and Samuel 1. Reg. 1. and the Rechabites Iere. 35. so in this last age next before Christ the Assideans or Esseni 1. Mach. 2. v. 42. of whom Iudas Machabeus in his time was head or captaine 2. Mach. 14. v. 6. Ieremie the prophet ch 16. v. 2. by Gods ordinance liued single vnmaried al the time of the captiuitie Thou shalt not take a wife and thou shalt not haue sonnes and daughters in this place to witte in Ierusalem Neither did he marie when he was afterwardes in Aegypt But of his owne accord remayned a virgin al his life as S. Ierom writeth li 1. aduers Iouinianum Prayers of Sainctes after they are departed from this world is wanifestly deduced of the sacred text lere 15. v. 1. of Moyses and Samuel not to be heard if they should pray for the people whom God had decreed to punish were consequently to be heard in some other case And more expresly 2. Mach. 15. v. 12. 14. is recorded that Onias and Ieremie did pray for al the people and for al the holie citie Reuerent estimation of Reliques and other holie thinges is manifest by the fact of the same Prophet Ieremie who by Gods ordinance 2. Mach. 2. v. 1. 5. hid the holie fire and the Tabernacle and the Arke the Altar of incense in a caue that they should not be prophaned by infidels ransaking Ierusalem and the temple Other holie ornaments also and vesseles were restored by the fauorable king Cyrus 1. Esd 1. v. 7. ch 8. v. 30. In figure also of the holie Crosse on which Christ was to redeme mankind those that mourned for the abominations in Ierusalem Ezec. 9. vvere signed in their foreheades vvith the letter Thau or T. and so were saued from the common slaughter of the vnsigned Prayer and Sacrifice for the dead is likewise clere 2. Mach. 12. v. 43. c. if either the text may be admitted for Canonical saying v. 46. It is a holie and healthful cogitation to pray for the dead or for good testimonie of Iudas fact being Highpriest and doing that which the whole Church practised and which the Iewes yet obserue to this day Of the General Resurrection is good testimnie in the same place v. 43. and 44. as the ground of Iudas his pietie towardos the dead wel and religiously thincking of the Resurrection For vnles he hoped that they which were slaine should rise againe it should seme superfluous and vaine to pray for the dead But seing he did beleue the Resurrection he did right wel and piously And seing the beleefe of resurrection is true it foloweth as this auctor inferreth that it is a holie thing to pray for the dead Malachie the last of the Prophetes in the last chapter foresheweth and describeth the General iudgement in the end of this world wherin the wicked hal be condemned and the iust eternally rewarded Which day shal come sayth he kindled as a surnace Al that do impietie dying in that state shal be stubble and that day shal in flame them And there shal rise to you that feare my name the Sunne of iustice and health in his winges or glorious beames healing and curing al body lie infirmities and defectes Before which day he foretelleth of two signes v. 5. The coming of Elias the Prophet and. v. 6. the conuersion of the Iewes to Christ And thus much may here suffice for particular pointes of religion in this age It resteth to view the state and gouernment of the Church in this time Which may be considered according to the foure Monarchies of heathen nations the Chaldees the Medes Persians the Grecians and the Romanes Vnder the Chaldees whose Emperial citie was Babylon they were in captiuitie seuentie yeares By the Medes and Persians for that Monarchie consisted of those two nations they were released from captiuitie with manie fauoures yet sometimes afflicted Vnder the Monarchie of the Grecians they were partly in extreme persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes and of other Grecian kinges and princes partly in warres for defence of Gods lawes Before and after which persecution and warres as wel vnder the Grecians as the Romans til Christs Passion the Church was for most part in peace yet some times afflicted But omitting manie intricate diffiâ—uliies about the times and reignes of sundrie heathen kinges it wil suffice our purpose to shew the general state of the Iewish nation with their owne particular gouerners spiritual and temporal with more or lesse fauour of forreine Princes First therfore concerning their estate in their captiuitie in Babylon we may here obserue Gods prouidence in that before the citie and temple of Ierusalem were destroyed and the whole nation made captiue Ioachin otherwise called Iechonias the sonne of Ioachaz who was also called Iechonias king of Iuda was transported into Babylon and his mother and manie other principal persons 4. Reg. 24. v. 15. Likewise Iosedech sonne of Saraias highpriest 1. Paral. 6. v. 15. was caried into Babylon And in the meane time Sedecias vncle to Ioachin reigned in Iuda who in the eleuenth yeare was taken and caried captiue into Babylon and there died Ioachin yet liuing in prison And Saraias the Highpriest with others was slayne in Rebla when Ierusalem was destroyed 4. Reg. 25. v. 18. 21. To whom Iosedech succeded in the highpriesthood So that both the issue of Dauid in the right line of our Sauiours genealogie and the Highpriest of Aarons stocke were in Babylon before the whole bodie of the nation was brought thither
after this it happened that Manasses an Apostata highpriest by intercession of Sanaballar whose daughter he had vnlawfully maried obtayned licence to build a temple in Garizim which the Samaritanes afterwards pretended to be more ancient then the temple of Ierusalem against which our Sauiour gaue sentence loan 4. v. 22. It was also decided by king Ptolomeus in Alexandria as Iosephus witnesseth li. 13 c. 6. by way of arbitrament finding that the temple of Ierusalem and the Highpriestes therof had a perpetual succession from Salomons time and that their pretence of Iacobs adoring in Garizim was not to the purpose seing there was no succession that temple being lately built Neuertheles the same Ptolomeus to gratifie Onias an other Apostata sonne of good Onias Highpriest and Martyr 2. Macab 4. v. 34. gaue leaue to build an other temple in Aegypt which stood likewise in schisme against the true temple of Ierusalem wresting to their purpose the prophecie of Isaie ch 19. v. 19. In that day there shal be an altar of our Lord in the middes of Aegypt Which S. Ierom sheweth to be vnderstood of the Church of Christ. Before this last schismatical temple and after the former were the Seuentie two Interpreters or Translators of the Hebrew Bible into Greke of whom S. Ierom and al ancient Fathers speake much esteme of very great Canonical auctoritie In the time of the Grecians Monarchie prophane lerning florished more then before and Philosophers abunded but differed excedingly amongst themselues and al erred in the principles both of Natural Moral knowledge For wheras in dede God omnipotent was the only maker of the whole world and al thinges therein al these Philosophers supposed and taught that some material thing was coeternal with God and so they put the same thing to haue bene the beginning of al other thinges Which some say was the water some the Ayre some the Earth some the Fyre some al these foure Elements some the Atomos or indiuisible smal bodies some one thing some an other Wherof S. Epiphanius writeth in compendio contra hâ—reses And the like absurde conceiptes they had of the chiefe Good or Summum bonum Which the Pithagorians thought to be nothing els but a certayne immortalitie of the soule and so as it may stil be in a bodie And therfore seing both men and beastes do dye they held opinion that when a soule parteth out of one bodie it goeth into an other Yea and maketh transmigration from one species or kind to an other As from a mans bodie into the bodie of a horse or an oxe and contrariwise from a brute beast into a man againe and from one beast into an other The Stoikes put the chiefe good in vertues but could reach no further then to a certayne contentment of ioy in their minde not knowing the reward of vertues to consist in seeing God Platonikes or Achademikes conceiued more of God and pure spirites but thought both corporal and spiritual creatures were coeternal with God The Peripatetikes placed the chiefe good or felicitie in the aggregation of best spiritual corporal and worldlie thinges together The Epicures esteemed carnal and bodilie pleasures aboue al. And al these and their folowers iudged so diuersly of the right true felicitie contradicting and condemning ech others opinions that they were multiplied into innumerable Sectes As S. Augustin declareth out of Marcus Varro and opposeth against them al the one assured fayth and iudgement of Gods Church in his 19. booke de ciuit Dei c. 4. And concludeth with the Royal Prophet and S. Paul that their cogitations are vaine which wil haue happines to be in anie other thing but in seing God or to be obtained by anie other meanes without Gods grace And not only before since but also in the same times the auctors of The Bookes of wisdom Ecclesiasticus taught right doctrine against those erronious Philosophers For profession also of true fayth and religion the Machabees both suffered and labored most notably When king Antiochus Epiphanes 1. Mach. 1. v. 43. wrote to al his kingdom that al the people should be one and euerie one should leaue his owne law And whosoeuer should not doe according to the word of Antiochus they should dye Against which most wicked decree and cruel execution therof Gods grace so abunded that v. 65. manie of the people of Israel determined with themselues that they would not eate the vncleane thinges and they chose rather to dye then to be defiled with vncleane meates and that they would not breake the holy law of God so were murthered As is more particularly recorded 2. Mach. 5. v. 14. how there were in the space of three dayes fourescore thousand slayne fourtie thousand in prisoned no lesse sold After this with more pretence of iustice but with more malice endeuoring to terrifie others to draw them to yelde or make shew of conformitie to wicked lawes ch 6. v. 10. Two wemen were accused to haue circumcised their sonnes whom when they had led about through the citie with the infants hanging at their breastes they threw downe headlong by the walles And v. 11. other people were burnt with fire for secretly keping the day of the Sabbath Thirdly v. 18. Eleazarus being vrged to eate swines flesh and intreated by his familiar freindes to make shew of conformitie would neither eate nor feyne to â—aâ—e it but dyed most constantly leauing an example of vertue fortitude Fourthly seuen bretheren and their mother 2 Mach. 7. yelded also their liues in most glorious Martyrdom because they would not yelde conformitie to wicked lawes After which heroical constancie in suffering it was also Gods prouidence that others should shew their fortitude in deliuering his Church from these calamities and dangers For Matthathias of the tribe of Leui and stocke of Aaron Priest and after the apostasie of Iason li. 2. c. 4. v. 10. High-priest lamenting the pitiful state of Gods people with resolute mind and inuinoible corege resisting wicked Antiochus 1. Mach. 2. of iust zele with his owne handes slew one who for feare of death was readie to offer sacrifice to idols withal killed the kings commissioner who came to compel men to committe idolatrie and then gathered troupes to defend so hohie a cause Against whom the enimies fighting on the sabbath dayes killed manie which of scruple would not resist But vpon further consideration the rest resolued to defend themselues also on the sabbath day if they were assaulted Next to him succeded his sonne Iudas Machabeus in both the offices of Highpriest General captaine who as good order required first pursued the wicked towitte amongst his owne subiectes inquiring them out and such as trubled his people them he burned with fire 1. Mach. 3. v. 5. and his enimies were repelled for feare of him al the workers of
auctoritie a 35. 50. 115. 206. 317. 713. 828. 8â—0 939. 984. b 926. Succession of Patriarches and of Highpriestes See Supreme head of the Church and the Historical table Succession conserued in the Machabees after the apostacie of Manasses Alcimus c. b 956. 1004. Sunne a very excellent creature but not so excellent as man b 398. Sunne stood the space of a day a 488. Returned backe tenne degrees a 805. b 505. Supreme head of the Church a 35. 50. 171. 327. 433. 475. 846. 657. 899. 905. 912. 960. b 1004. Sureâ—â—eshipe is dangerous b 276. Susanna was deliuered from false sentence by Daniel conuincing the wicked Iudges b 805. Suspension from Priestlie function a 811. Sustenance is the proper hyre of spiritual woorkmen a 55. Swearing by creatures a 131. See Othes Swete answer appeaseth anger a. 532. b 289. 381. T Tabernacle described a 230. c. finished and erected a 259. It signified the Church of Christ ibid. Temperance in feasting a 134. 1037. Temple intended by Dauid a 648. 848. was built by Salomon a 699. 871 It was destroyed by the Chaldees a 815. 933. b 648. 658. and reedified after the relaxation from captiuitie a 945. c. But the former was more excellent a 948. b 868. The second was prophaned and much impared by Antiochus Epiphanes b 893. 959. but recouered and clensed by Iudas Machabeus b 905. 970. 1002. It was enlarged and adorned by Herod b 1003. and finally destroyed by the Romanes b 545. Temples schismatical were built in Garizim and in Egypt b 960. 1000. Temporal paine remaineth due after sinne is remitted a 33. Tenne Tribes in great part fel into schisme and Idolatrie a 734. but not al a 744. 750. 941. 992. 1010. Manie of them returned from captiuitie a 982. b 600. 602. 743. Two tribes and tenne tribes are called by sundrie names b 810. Tentations happen to the strongest but hurt them not b 919. Teraphim signifie images as wel lawful as vnlawful a 103. 612. b 813. Thau the Hebrw letter had the forme of a Crosse b 688. Time is short in comparison of eternitie a 1077. 1084. Time or season is to be considered and obserued b 320. Tithes payed in the law of nature and of Moyses a 59. 319. 418. 986. b 887. Tobias his booke is Canonical a 989. 990. He neuer yelded to schisme nor idolatrie a 941. 991. He prophecied a 1008. Tongues diuided in Babel a 43. Traditions were long before Scriptures a 3. They are necessary and certaine a 397. 409. Traitors do commonly calumniate good gouernours b 954. Translations doe not fully expresse the sense of the original tongue b 374. Transubstantiation confessed by Rabbines b 993. Treasure of satisfactorie workes in the Church a 1069. Tribulations are profitable to men a 115. 1067. b 64. 133. 170. 218. 273. 322. 339. 347. 531. 551. 711. Trinitie of Diuine Persons in God a 30. 47. 67. 196. 702. 934. b 86. 93. 792. 989. Truth must be auouched b. 380. V Vanitie described by Salomon b 317. c. Venial sinnes a 157. b. 34. 305. Verse more pleasant to the minde and more easie to be remembred a 460. b 11. Vertues described and commended in al the fiue Sapiential bookes b 267. c. more particularly b 282. to the page 313. Vertue afflicted moueth to compassion b 957. Vestments of Bishops and Priestes a 234. signifie vertues requisite in Clergie men a 236. Vinetree signifieth the Church b 698. Virginitie a 542. It is a great blessing and meritorious state in the Church of Christ b 530. preferred aboue Mariage b 531. 995. Vision of God is perfect felicitie a 247. b 38. Visions of the Prophetes are often obscure b 675. 749. 871. Vnion domestical and ciuil is necessarie before peace can be made with strangers b 743. Vocation to spiritual functions is necessarie a 234. 251. 323. 326. 346. 792. b 588. Vowes a 95. 319. 335. 384. 385. 444. 709. 824. b 140. 323. 6. 3. 843. Vnlawful vowes do not bind a 542. Yet Iepthe is otherwise probably excused in sacrificing his daughter a 543. Vsurie is forbidde a 224. 313. 443. b 34. 105. 310. 705. 714. W Warres often made by Gods seruants a 55. 211. 366. 385. 403. 414 440. Seq In the bookes of Iosue Iudges Kinges and Paralipomenon Also b 896. 986. Smale numbers ouercame greater b 931. c. In warres a iust cause is the best armour b 966. Water made swete by Moyses throwing in a peece of wood a 195. By Elizeus casting in salt a 763. Water drawne out of rockes a 211. 365. 417. 978. b 144. 193. 207. Water procured by Elizeus a 765. Waters of the redde sea stood like to walles a 193. Likewise of Iordan a 474. b 207. Water of lustration holie â— 340. Wemen being vertuous and prudent are preferred before riches beautie c. b 315. Some most excellent both in the old and new Testament b â—16 Wemen in extreme hunger did eate their owne children a 774. b 655. 658. Likewise men sometimes did the same b 663. 681. Widohood is a holie state of life a 1035. The Booke of Wisdome is Canonical Scripture a 989. b 343. 349. Wisdome taken three waies Increated which is God himselfe Spiritual wisdome and Humane wisdome b 270. 353. 355. Wisdome spiritual comprehendeth al vertues and diuine giftes and compriseth al the meanes wherby God is serued b 267. consisteth in keping the law of God b 582. Wisdome and therby eternalglorie is attained by gradation from vertue to vertue b 352. 995. Wisdome considereth thinges past present and to come a 463. especially it considereth the Creator ad supernatural vertues a 1091. Wisemen are most humble b 313. Worldly wise are not to be consulted in spiritual thinges b 385. Worldlie men thinke the Church may be destroyed by persecution a 165. Workes necessarie to saluation a 33. b 267. 994. Al workes are not sinful a 23. Workes without true faith or grace may merite temporal reward but not eternal a 784. b 34. 728. 764. Workes done in grace are meritorious a. 61. 200. 347. 352 442. 539. 567. 704. 895. 936. 970. 988. 995. b 76. 227. 395. 764. 85. 995. Workes of mortification a 272. 593. 1021. b 126. 331. 395. 901. Workes of supererogation a 920. 936. b 530. 613. 952. 995. Al voluntarie workes shal be rewarded or punished a 15. 722. 988. b 31. 271. 273. 376. 383. 666. 706. Y Yeares mystical The seuenth yeare the ground rested a 312. debtes were remitted amongst the Iewes a 428. the fiftith yeare was Iubelie with remission of seruitude and testauration of inheritance a 312. Younger must regard and esteme the iudgement of elders b 433. Younger brother for mysterie preferred before the elder as Iacob before Esau a 85. Ephraim before Manasses a 146. Moyses before Aaron a 169. Dauid and Salomon before their elder brethren a 604. 688. Youth is the fittest time to get vertue and knowledge b 332. 448. Z Zachatias Highpriest was slaine by Ioas
and the new Testament shew the same God Christ Church and other Mysteries of Religion The old more obscurely with lesle helpes The new more expresly and yeldeth more grace In both Testaments are foure sortes of Bookes Legal Historical Sapiential Prophetical Al these books recited are Canonical and of infallible truth Cone Carth. An. Dni 419. Conc. Laodic cap. 59. Florent Instruct Armen decret 7. Trident Sess 4. S. Atha in Synop. S. Aug. li. 2. doct Christ c. 8 Isider li. 6. Elymol c. I. alibi Nicep li. li. 4. cap. 15. Euseb li. 5. c. 8. Apochryphal of two sortes 1. Not declared canonical 2. Reiected as erronious The Holie Ghost declareth by the Church which Bookes are Diuine Scriptures Mat. 28. Ioan. 14. 16. Act. 2. 20 1. Tim. 3. The old and new Testament differ in time In maner of vttering Varietie of Precepss Promises Meanes Temo 3. quest 10 Algasiae Heb. 7. 9. 10. Gal. 4. The old Testament conteyneth figures of the new A continual visible Church from the beginning of the world to Christ The same Mystical bodie but different in state Diuided into six ages The first age continued 1656. yeares 1. Cor. 10 Gal. 3 Gen. 1. The second 368. or 398. The third about 4â—0 Gen. 8. Gen 12. Genebrard Chronolog S. Aug. li. 15. c. 8. ciuit Gal. 3. Exo. 16. 3. Reg. 6. 3 Reg. 7. 1. Esdiae 1. The fourth 480. The fifth 4â—0 The sixth nere 640. Al the time from the creation to Christ aboue 4000. yeares MOYSES signifieth taken from the water Exod. 6. Nâ—m 26. 1. Par. 6. Ioseph li. 2 Antiq. cap. 9. S. Aug ser 88. de temp S. Greg. oratio in laudem Basilij magni S. Aug. li. 18. ciuit c. 39. The excellencie of Moyses Deut. 34. Eccli 45. Glos ord His sepulchre not knowen â—o anie man Genesis written by Moyses Alwayes authentical So knowen by Tradition confirmed by Christ Alleaged also by the Apostles Religion reueled to special persons and so obserued by Traditions Mat. 19. Heb. 11. Iacob 2. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 2. S. Aug. quest vet noui Testam cap. 3. VVhy Scripture was written VVhat Moyses specially sheweth in this booke Man most particularly described The right line from Adam to Noe. The principal Patriarches from Noe to the 12. sonnes of Iâ—cael Gen. 10. This booke diuided into eight partes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The first part Of the creatioÌ„ of al things The Church readeth this booke in her Office from Septuagesima til Passion Sunday Also this first chapter beginning of the second on Easter Eue before Masse Act. 14 15. 17 24. Psalm 32 6. 135 5. Eccli 10 1. â—eb 11 3. :: The firmament is al the space from the earth to the hieghest starres the lowest part diuideth betwene the waters on the earth and the waters in the ayer S. Aug. li. II. de Gen. ad lit c. 4 Iob. 38. Ier. 10 13. :: Likewise heaueÌ„ is al the space aboue the earth in whose lowest part are birdes and waters in the higher part starres the hieghest is the Empyrial heauen Esa 66. :: The lights made the first day are disposed the fourth day in their proper courses for more distinction of times S. Dionys ca. 4. de diuin nom S. Tho. p. 1. q. 67. a. 4. q. 70. a. 2. :: The SuÌ„ne Moone for though the moone be the least visible starre except Mercurie yet it geueth more light on the earth by reason it is nerer and so Moyses speaketh according to the vulgar capacitie and vse of things S. Aug. li. 2. de Gen. ad lit ca. 16. Col. 3 10. Mat. 19 4. :: Euerie creature in nature is good but al considered together make the whole world perfect most apt to mans vse and Gods glorie S. Aug. li. 1 de Gen. cont Manich. ca. 21. The Church had only Traditions no Scripture aboue 2400. yeares Traditionâ— necessarie for three causes 1 â—â—â— Epist â—und c. â—5 2 Scripture of most eminent authoritie Luc. 10 16. Act. 15 28. 2. Thess 2. Origen super Gen. c. 1. Aug. li. 2. de Gen. cont Manich. ca. 2. â— Scriptures hard lib. 1. c. 18. lib. 8. c. 2. Bas ho. 9. in Genes Chrisost epist 44. Amb. Beda in examen Ieron Epistol ad Eustoch Gen. 1. v. 3. 14. Exo. 20 5. 18 v. 20. Ioan. 8 25. Rom. â— why Scriptures are hard Three spiritual senses besides the Literal Allegorical Moral Anagogical â— Ieron Epistol 8â— ad Ocea Tert. dâ— Baptis A figure of Baptisme Christians called fishes Light being an accident remayned without subiect by the iudgement of some lerned Fathers The accidents of breade and wine can remaine by Gods power without their subiectes Tenne prerogatiues of man in his creation 1. made like to God 2. The Mysterie of the B. Trinitie insinuated in his creation 3. produced by God him selfe 4. placed in paradise 5. Lord of al earthlie creatures 6. innocencie 7. excellent knowlege 8. powre to liue euer 9. gift of prophecie 10. God conuersed familiarly with man Gods blessing alwayes effectual Especially in the holie Eucharist Not al men â—emen commanded to marie God createth not new kindes of creatures yet stil worketh Io. 5 17. conseruing gouerning al things and creatch soules grace and glorie of the same kind S. Aug. li 4 de Gen. adlit â— 12. Exod. 20 11. Deut. 5 14. Heb. 4 4. :: Mans soule is immediatly created by God not produced of other substance as the soules of beastes and plants are 1. Cor. 15 45 :: Vvhether this paradise be now extant is vncertayne though it be certaine that Enoch and Elias are yet liuing in earth S. Aug. li. 2. cont Pelagi c. 23. See Perereus li. 3. q. 5. li. 7. q. vltima Mat. 19 5. Mar. 10 7. 1. Cor. 6 16. Eph. 5 31. :: As we say brick is made of earth and a house is built of bricke so Adam was made of earth and Eue built of a ribbe of Adam And that of one ribbe as if God should build a house of one bricke or as in dede he fed 5000. men with fiue loaues Chris ho. 15. S. Aug. Tract 24. in Ioan. S. Tho. p. 1. q. 92. a. 3. :: Not three nor foure nor more for then two were chaÌ„ged to an other number S. Ier. li. 1. cont loui Obseruation of holie dayes by Gods institution â—â— Psal 6. 11. Act. 13 14. Leuit. 23. ObseruatioÌ„ of festiual dayes is religious not Iudaical nor heathnish Honour of Sainctes is to the greater honour of Christ Honâ—â— in 40. Martyrâ—s VVhy a particular positiue law besides the general lawes of God nature was geuen to man first reason lib. 8. de Gen. ad lit c. 11. Psal 15. â— reason The sinne of disobedience Ioyned with damage to him that disobeyeth Ioyned with damage of him that forbiddeth True obedience is blind and prompt Not meate but the diâ—obedience hurteth him that transgresseth the precept of abstinence Lawes in
haue geuen credite chap. 19. v. 24. :: God suffered Semei being of his owne free wil malicious for punishment of Dauids sinnes to curse him but was not the author of his malice for so Semei had committed no fault therein and then he could not lawfully haue benne punished for it as he was 3. Reg. 2. :: The people doubting lest AbsaloÌ„ might be reconciled to his father were not allured vnto him til they saw such a crime committed as semed to make reconciliatioÌ„ impossible So al rebelles and vsurperâ— of others right seeke by some enormious fact to make their adherentes and folowers sure vnto them but God plagueth them in the end as he did both Achitophel and Absalom :: Bad counsaâ—â— often falleth worst to the counseller :: Dauid moued with compassion towardes his sonne Absalom being in actual rebellion against him presigured Christs coÌ„passion towards his persecuters being his creatures praying for them in his passion S. Ambrose in Psal â—18 v. 108. :: Al his sonnes being â—eaâ— â—â—t he had once three sonnes a daughter chap. 14. v. 〈◊〉 :: Al the eleuen tribes are called by the name oâ— Ioseth being chiefe after Iuda Sâ— Semei not of the proper tribe of Ioseph â—ut of Beniamin pleading for pardon of his former faâ—lt alleageth that he came first of the eleuen tribes to submitte him self and serue the king :: Chiefe or great in â—amilâ—â—itiâ— Iosue â— :: After that Dauid was deliuered from the handes of Saul 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 must dangerously of â— mâ—â—â—â—secutâ—â—â—â—â— and 〈…〉 here specially named and from al his enimies câ—rpâ—ral spiritual when he had good repose of mind his visible enimies being 〈…〉 â—ed and his sinnes remitted acknowledging Gods infinite goodnes by inspiraâ—ion of the Holie Ghost made this Can title of thanks geuing and praise of God It is inserted amongst the Psalmes the 17 in order al one in sense so differing in some wordes that the one explicateth the other :: Though some few Gentiles were subdued by Dauid and some were conuerted to true religion in the old TestameÌ„t yet the fulcon uersion of Gentiles perâ—eineth to the Church of Christ which is here forshewed and described to haue perpetual seede for euer :: King Dauid in this last prophecie plainly distinguisheth betwen the couenant proâ—â—ise made to him touching â—â—s earthlie kingdom and the kingdom of Christ who should be borne of his 〈…〉 In both which 〈…〉 the reward of the good and punishment of 〈…〉 :: The king proposed not this for desire of that water but to trie and exercise his mens fortitude :: Precious thinges are most mete to be offered to God :: This sinne punishment happened before when Dauid had health and streingth of bodie The furie of our Lord that is Satan a â—uâ—â—oâ—s spirite yet Gods creature not our Lord him selfe but by permission only 1. Par. 2. 1. Satan arose against Israel 〈◊〉 Dauid :: Contrition :: Confession :: Satisfaction The Epistle in a votiue Masse in tyme of plague or mortalitie :: Temporal punishment inflicted after the guilt of sinne was remitted :: If subiectes had not proprietie in their goodes but that the right and dominion of al perteyned to the prince then could nothing at al in anie case be geuen gratis by the subiect but only yelded as due to his souereigne The contentes of this booke diuided into three partes The first paâ—â— King Dauides admonitions to his sonne and his death :: For this conspiracie Abiathar was deposed ch â— v. 27. :: Basely estemed or punished as offenders vpon suspition or â—â—loâ—â—â— :: King Dauid did not adâ—â—e his sonne as a subject adoreth his prince â—aâ— adored God geuing thankes for this beneâ—â—â—e of a succedâ—â— as it foloweth in the next verse The second part Oâ— Salomons râ—â—â—ne and actes good and bad :: In al coâ—â—e 〈◊〉 suiresâ—◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 to heare his mother :: By special instinct Salomon did this extraordinarie fact as a prophet minister of God executing his sentence geuen before against the house of â—â—l◠〈◊〉 the sinnes of his children â— Reg. 2. â— 31. and for Aâ—â—athars proper fault 〈◊〉 with Adonias against Salomon 3. Reg. 1. :: Salomon was not only a kiÌ„g but also a prophet Moreouer some secular princes do◠〈◊〉 â—â—inate spiritual superiours are in shal them in ther 〈◊〉 yet theiâ— iâ—â—â—sdâ—ction is not depending on the 〈◊〉 but the 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 by them Num 27. v. 21. The Epistle on monday in the 4 weke of Leâ—â— :: So hereâ—â—â—es not being able to proue that their synagogue is the true permanent Church would destroy the Catholique and so haue none at al. :: These bookes are not extant * Narovv vvithout broad vvithin :: 〈…〉 :: Holie of holies or most holie place :: Stones in buildinges and bones in â—â—â—ng bodies represent the state of religious persones who being hidde in their Monisteties and câ—llâ—s so much the more fortifie the Church by how much 〈◊〉 they appeare abrode because their office is not to tâ—â—ch but to mouâ—ne S. Bernard Ser. 64. :: It is a clere 〈◊〉 that al â—ar ued grauen pictures or images were not vnlawful but were religiously made sette in the holie Temple for the more honour of God The end of the fourth age Articles of â—aith other pointes of religion state of the Church more expressed in this fourth age then before Beleefe in one God Diuine lawes Moral Ceremonial Iudicial Mat. 22. Onely God to be 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 q. 154. in Eoxd Mat. 22. 〈…〉 Christ Freewil in Angels and men Obiection of Gods â—or â—novvledge answered Grace necessarie 2. Cor. â— Gods coÌ„mand mentes possible to be kept Good workes Meritorious Dâ—â—ers sertes of Sacrifices Holocaust â—â—â— sinne Pacifique Fire sent from God 〈…〉 charitie Sacraments Alanus de Sacra c. 9. Manie more in the old Testament then in the new li de vera Religiâ—ne c. 17. Christs Sacraments more excellent Most of Christs Sacraments presigured in the old law but not al. S. Aug. in hunc Psal ser de veâ—bis Domini li. 17. ciuit c. 20 li. 1. cont aduers leg c. 18. S. Cyril li. 3. m Ioan. S. Leo ser 8. le passione Some like imâ—â—â—â—ments in â—se of holie Rites Tabernacle Propitiatorie with appertinances The Tabernacle and afterwardes the Temple the onlie place for Sacrifice Qâ—est 56. in Leuit. Yet God some times dispensed therein ibidem Feastes of the old law Fighâ—sortes of feastes besides the dailie sacrifice S. Beda de Embolismo 〈◊〉 1. Prescribed fast from euen to euen Seuenth yeare of rest and Iubiley yeare Oâ—â—â—r ceremonial obseruances 〈…〉 and vncleane No bloud to be eaten nor 〈…〉 Not 〈…〉 â—eedâ— in one field No cloth of dâ—â—ers matter Strict commandment to kepâ—â—l the Law The obseruers blessed and rewarded Transâ—râ—ssâ—â—â—s cursed and punished VVorkâ—â— of supererogation Vowes Nazaritâ—â— Rechabites Three soâ—â—â— of Chri 〈…〉 prefigured Laitie Clergie Mounkes Holie scipâ—â—res expo 〈…〉 mystically S. Bern.
Ser 1. de S. Andrea S. Beda 〈◊〉 4. S. Aug. cont Faust S. Greg. in li. 1. Reg. et in Iob. Inuocation of Patriarches S. Hiere Ep. 12. ad Gauden Obiections answered by holie Scriptuâ—es Iob. 4â— How Sainctes knâ—w mens prayers Titles geuen to men in office and to Sainctes lib. de mortalitate Angels adâ—â—ed Reliqués Images Exequies fâ—â— the dead Purgatorie To. 2. in sept Psal paeuitent Limbus pattâ— No entrance into heauen before Christ Resurrection Iudgement Eternal paine of the damned and glorie of the blessed 1. Co◠◠〈◊〉 dowries of glorified bodies presigured 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 Cathâ— câ—â—s Rom p. 1. c 12. q 9. The Church more knowen to other nations then before The Ecclesiastical and temporal states more distinguished Succession of High Priestes Distinction of offices in Priestes Leuites Succession of temporal princes interrupted Dukes Iudges Kinges M 〈…〉 Church Murmure Idolatrie 〈…〉 e. 〈…〉 〈…〉 * Iudic. 3. Ordinarie meanes of conseruing the Church No participation with infiâ—els No 〈…〉 But one Tabernacle One Altar 〈◊〉 〈…〉 8. Chris orat 1. aduers Iudeos One supreme Iudge of controuersies Al bound to obey him His sentence infallible The Church of Christ preserued from â—â—â—ing in Religion Math. 16. 28. Luc. 22. Ioan 14. 16. Eph. 4. â— Tâ—m 3. Not anie temporal but Christs kingdom is in al nations and perpetual S. Aug. li. 17. â—â— de â—â—uit S. â—â—pipâ—â— here 's 2â— The Church of Christ vniuersal Act. 4. in hunc Psalm The Iewes wil not see Christ 2. Cor. 3. And Heretikes wil not see the Church which yet is alwayes visible S. Aug. in Psal 30. câ—nâ— 2. Collat. Carthag at cont Donatist Ibidem The beginning of the fifth age * Firmnes * in strength :: A vessel so 〈…〉 for the 〈…〉 being 〈…〉 :: â—atus contayned 〈…〉 :: Had designed and dedicated to holie vses :: There was no more with in the arke Deut. 10. but on the outside was the rodde of Aaron Nu. 17. Heb. 9. the golden potte with Manna Exod 16 Heb 9. and the booke of the law repeted by Moyses Deut. 31. :: Prices blesse their people parentes their children :: Salomon knew wel Gods conditional promise but perseuered not in keping his coÌ„mandments and therfore a great part of the kingdom was takeÌ„ from his children yet the right of the kingdom of Iuda remayned to his seede euen to Christ our Sauiour :: Reward of good workes :: External workes of penance except they proceede from the hart suffice not for remission of sinne :: External worship is not acceptable to God except it procede from internal sinceritie and dâ—â—odon VVherfore S. Augustin sayth God is worshipped in faith hope and charitie Enchirid c. â— :: Salomon did not â—el these cities for he could not alienate them but let the king of Tyre haue the vse and reuenewes in payment for timber for the gold which he sent * dirtie or disples sing :: a monument :: Part of Arabia is called Saba nere to Iurie but this Saba is beyond Arabia as S. Hierom testifieth in Esaiae 60 li. 17 it semeth to be in Aethiopia for our Sauiour saith Mat. 12. The quene of the South came froÌ„ the endes of the earth to heare the vvisdom of Salomon :: As this quene had no spirite when she saw Salomons wisdom so the Church gathered of gentiles knowing Christs grace finding the masters of Euangelical doctrin casting away the spirite of pride and laying of al hautinesse of mind lerned to distrust in her self and to trust in the great mercie of her king S. Greg in Psal 7. paâ—â—ten to 2. * A wonderful thing that a Quene vpon fame of a mans wisdom traueled so farre to heare him speake and to see his gouernment but it was Gods inspiration to signifie by this figure that the Church of Christ should be gathered of the Gentiles in al nations Kiges Quenes noâ— potent Princes also submitting themselues to Christ Isaae c. 49. :: Though pluralitie of wiues was then alowed yet it was forbid to multiplie manie Deut. :: The tribe of Iuda :: By Ierusalem is vnderstood the tribe of Beniamin wherin it stood so there remained two tribes to Salomons heyres 2. Reg. â— â—â— Reg. 10. :: From the time that Salomon fel to idolatrie he was more impugned by three perpetual aduersaries Adad Razon and Hieroboam mystically signifying the flesh the world and the diuel :: This fact coÌ„firmed his wordes that he spoke seriously fained not :: VVhether he repented and was saued or no is vncertaine The third part The diuision of the Kingdom Seueral reigues of certaine kinges and preaching of special prophetes :: This pharaise noteth the sequel not the final cause As chap. 14. â— â— :: A diuelish policie to make a religion conformable to the temperal state :: For such a religion such priestes were fittest :: Places on hilles where they sacrificed calues and other thinges to the images of calues :: This foreshewing long before the name of a childe that should be borne importeth that he should do great thinges See 4. Reg. 2â— :: This man of Bethel was indeede a prophet of God but in this lied wickedly and so deceiuing the other prophet made him to breake Gods commandment for which he was slaine VVhervpon Hieroboam swhom the wiked prophet sought to please was lesse afeard to procede in idolatrie :: Not only the deceiuer but also he that is deceiued is guiltie and punishable for breakiÌ„g Gods coÌ„mandment :: By this it appeareth to be Gods worke and punishment :: Ieroboam did not wittingly and of purpose set vp false goddes to the end he might prouoke God to anger for his intention only was to kepe the people froÌ„ going to Ierusalem left by that occasion they should returne to Roboam their Lord king of Iuda ch 12. v. 27. But by settiÌ„g vp idols he did prouoke God consequently to anger So here and in other places this phrase that he might prouoke that it might be fulfilled and the like signifieth not the final cause but the sequele of other factes without direct intention :: Dauids postetitie conserued for his sake :: Those altares which Salomon had made for his wiues that were idolaters Asa destroved not but al which RoboaÌ„ and Abias had made or suffered to be made for their owne people he pulled downe Iosias afterward destroyed also those which Salomon had made 2. â—â—â—â—l 34. :: The aâ—â—â—ouâ— of schisme punished in his posteritie :: Al those that were in the campe chose their general to be their king and preuailed therin though an other half of Israel chose and folowed an other for a time :: Thebni being then dead he reigned peaceably for he began his reigne the 27. yeare of Asa â— 15. 16. and reigned in al 12. yeares :: VVhen Hiel began to build Iericho his eldest sonne died so the rest successiuely that the last died when he finished the building because God by the mouth of
v. â— * ch 3. v. 3. E :: Great hurt to a king that is ruled much by one counseler Salomon teacheth that VVhere are manie counsellers cogitations are confirmed â—ron 15. v. 22. * F ch 3. v. 14. ch 4. v. 17. * Excepâ— the 72. G The Epistle on wenesday in the 1. weke of â—â—nâ— And in a votiue Masse against Paganes :: Idoles are nothing in the vvorld 1. Cor. 8. but baâ—e imaginations of men :: The Church vseth this prayer in the offertorie the 22. sunday after Pentecost as a parcel of holie Scripture Of herselfe nor for wordlie glorie she desired not to marie a heathen king but for the coÌ„mon good she maried him God dispensing with the law in this behalf See ch 2. G * H ch 13. v. 8. :: Vesâ—imâ—nta oratus not ornâ—â—â—s her playing wâ—ede :: A notable example for Noble wemen how to kepe their state remaine neuer theles humble in hart :: By this comparison of angels she ment that the king excelled al or most part of men * K ch 5. v. â— L :: At last this king saw his owne errour in beleuing one false counseller ouer much ch 1â— v. ◠〈◊〉 1â— v. 6. :: As Mardocheus suggested thâ— king confirmed the obseruation of a feast in memorie of Gods benefice and so both Iewes and Genâ—â—les kept it * M chap. 9. v. â— â— 18. c. 47. ciuit conc 2. de Lazar Rom. 9. Praesat 〈◊〉 Iob. Iob of the race of Esau VVhy God suffered him to be so afflicted The contentes according to the historie Iob an especial figure of Christ Prafâ—â— Moral documentes in this booke True logike Philosophie Hard and eaâ—ic thinges to be vnderstood are both profitable VVritten by Iob himself most part in verse Diuided into three partes This booke is read the two fâ—râ—â— wekes of September The first paâ—â— The change of Iobs prosperous sâ—aâ—â— into affliction 〈…〉 :: Diuels appeare not in Gods sight but sometime in presence of Angels which represent God S. Athan q. 8. ad Antiâ—câ—â—â— :: God doth not directly send euils bâ—t permitteth them to happen to his seruantes :: By this holie example ancient fathers condeme the senâ—â—es Stoikes who are neuer moued S. Aug. li. 1. c. 9. ciuit S. Paul also reproueth men vvithout affection Rom. 1. v. 31. Aswal Iob as other prophetes writ their owne actes and prayses Good workes are both Gods workes and mens workes Praefâ—â— in Iob. Iobs patience inuincible in â—l sortes of â—â—â—liction English Catholiques lose their goodes and children and are afflicted in bodie Great commendation to be good amongst the bad Philip. 2. Apoc. 2. â—â—ntie Sacrifice being of infinite vertue yet the valure in application is limited :: A man of plâ—ine 〈◊〉 true dealing mixed with meekâ—â—â— with out al guile is called a simple right man S. Greg. li. 1. Moral â— 2 â—â—â— :: His wife perswading him to desperation and blasphemie signified carnal cogitions which corrupt the soule inwardly as afflictions do affault the flesh outwardly S. Greg. li. 3. c. 24. :: Seuen dayes together euerie day and night some good part These visiters of Iob were in dede his freindes and professed true religion They erred in Iobs particular case li. 3. â— 24. And prefigured heretikes li. 5. â— 18. :: After so long â—â—leâ—ce at last â—â—b expresseth hiâ—â—Spandâ—â— so 〈…〉 des 〈…〉 great 〈…〉 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 〈…〉 ly 〈…〉 〈…〉 ud 〈…〉 o 〈…〉 〈◊〉 by God bu 〈…〉 to m 〈…〉 bein 〈…〉 〈…〉 nne euen from his conception and 〈◊〉 wishing that whatsoeuer concurred to his longer afflictions in this life and hâ—â—dâ—râ—â— his more spedie deliuerie from dangers and calamities had not bene for so he had benne sowner at â—est as Gods goodnes should dispose of him Al which was a lawful desire and no sinne at al. See 1. Pineda in c. 2. Iob. The second part Diuers discourses and disputes about the cause of Iobs afflictions The first constrct betwen Eliphaz and Iob. :: No innocent euer perished eternally but innocent Abel was slaine temporaly and innumerable others suffer calamities for their greater merite :: Heretikes pretend such obscure visions more to gette credite then to edifie others S. Greg. li. 5. c. 18. :: Iob easely granteth that man may not compare not contend with God ch 9. v. 1. Yet men may be innocent free from greuous sinnes :: This disputer hauing pretended an imaginarie vision from God 〈◊〉 Iob now he supposeth that neither God noâ— Angel noâ— other holie person wil patrâ—â—age his cause nor iudge of his case as he doth but that al wil condemne him of impatience follie enuie and other sinnes :: This proueth unporteth that a man must not thincke to passe his life without trauel but must get his bread vvith svveat of his brovves or suffer other calamities :: Gods goodnes deliuereth his seruantes the space of this laborious life :: And most especially in the houre of death S. Org. li. 6. c. 18. â—nuocation of Sainctes especially Angels in Iobs time li. 5. c. 30. :: A man of sincere conscience confesseth the sinnes wherof he is guiltie yet acknowledgeth not al wherwith others may vniustly charge him :: Sâ—ndâ—e wayes without water :: Iobs aduersaâ—ies preâ—â—med to teach him but because they erred in their applying of true assertions in his case which himself vnderstood and not they he acconted not their discourses for good doctrin The vse of Hyperbole in holie Scripture Treasure of satisfactorie workes in the Church Pardons do applie the suffering of some for the satisfaction of others :: A souldiar must be alwayes readie to indure trauel to be promptly obedient content to be beaten by his superior with out al resistance vpon paine of his life he is alwayes subiect to cares and to danger of death and therfore must euer be readie to dye * Seol :: Iust Iob supposing he was at the point of death prayed God to spare or cease to punish him more and to accept of that affliction which he had already suffered So the Church in behalf of soules departed in state of grace prayeth God to spare and cease from further punishing them and to geue them eternal rest :: The second confflict This second disputer charged Iob to be obâ—â—â—â—ate who in dedâ— was constant 〈◊〉 a true setled iudgement :: Euen thus heretikes imagine Catholikes to the ignorant and therfore fil their mouthes and bookes with thinges that are not denied and yet inserre much falshood sophistically applying one truth against an other being them selues ignoraÌ„t how to reconcile difficulties :: Iob here granteth that which was truly said by his aduersarie sheweth how he did wrong apliâ—â—rue doctrin against him and so stil defendeth his owne in nocencie and iust quarel :: Angeles moue the spheres of heauen :: Euen so S. Paul though he was not guiltie in conscience of anie crime yet he would not therin iustifie himself 1. Cor. 4. :: This is an assured true assertion that God afflicteth
spirite the perfections which he wisheth in Christ in maner of congratulating describeth his fortitude fighting against the diuel for the Church n purposing o prosecuting p and perfecting the conquest and so establishing thy spiritual kingdome q Not vvith warlike armour of this world but by assaulting the aduersarie with truth r defending thyseâ—fe and thy souldiers with the shield of mildnes Å¿ and striking the enemie with the sword of iustice VVhich right force of spiritual fight hath meruelous good successe t Preaching of Christs Gospel his grace mouing the hartes of the hearers is liuelie and forcible more pearcing then anie two edged sword v The example of people conuerted shal moue the hartes of the aduersaries to come also vnto the truth w Christs kingdom shal haue no end Luc 1. v. 33. x Thou defendest and rewardest the good finally forsakest and punishest the wicked y more peculiarly the God of Christ by hypostatical vnion z Diuers kinges as Dauid him selfe Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias were as godlie as Salomon and perseuered good to the end which is doubted Salomon did not but Christ incomparably was annointed indued with al graces aboue al kinges a Mortification which conserueth from putrifying b humilitie aswaging pride c being smal in the first spring grovveth great d humanitie assumpted and sanctified persons in vvhom Christ dwelleth as in cleane shining odoriferous houses e sincere faithful soules more deare to their spouse Christ then daughters of temporal kinges f The Catholique Church in faith purified as gold g vvith varietie of states as Clergie Laity and diuers sortes of religious Orders and other professions al vnited in the same faith hope and charitie h carifully al that Christ thy spouse speaketh to thee by his Spirite i diligently put the same in practise k vvith al obedience and readines and returne not to former infidelitie noâ— to corrupt life l Christ loueth the Church adoined with his giftes m and mutually his true children loue and serue him n Manie of al nations submitle themselues and al that they haue to Christ o Internal vertues are most especial ornaments p exterior are required to edifie others in diuers sortes of vertues q By this meanes manie more are conuerted to christianitie r and one countrie inuiteth and draweth another Å¿ As Apostles came in place of Patriarches and Prophetes so stil Bishops and Priestes succede in the Church pastors and gouernours therof t These pastores shal stil teach the true Christian doctrin v and stil there shal be Christian people that wil folow and professe the same Caluin expoundeth this Psalme contratie to S. â—aul No saluation out of the Church Perpetual succession of Byshops in place of the Apostles The Church prospereth also in persecution The 6. key a Belonging to the Church of Christ b As wel the cause vvhy God suffereth his Church to be persecuted at his assured protection in difficulties are hidden secretes to the world c Al refuge is not secure for one man is not able alwayes to defend an other but God is a sure and strong refuge d euer able and in conuenient time vvilling to helpe e This whole vvorld is ful of tribulations but the Church suffered the greatest in the first persecutions shal suffer as great in the time of Antichrist English Catholiques suffer most of al nations in this age and can not be suppressed but stil increase in number and fortitude f Therfore al Catholiques may assuredly know that the whole Church can not faile g though very manie as now in England h and very eminent persons as some noblemen and some Priestes haue reuolted yet al vvil not i Such bad examples make the good to recollect themselues more diligently and to reiâ—ycâ— in Gods grace by which they stand fast k before the heate of persecution shal inuade al for the elect the dayes of tribulation are shortned l Sometimes one nation or kingdome rebelleth against the Church but can not destroy it m by the spirite of Christ Antichrist and al his members shal be destroyed n The Church sometimes hath great peace and tranquilitie o God himselfe restrayneth the wicked suddainly abating their furie or cutting of their forces Vocation of Gentiles The 6. key a For Christians that leaue the sinnes of their fathers and reioyce in Christ crucified See Annotation Psal 41. b True ioy of the hart sheweth it selâ—e both in voice of exultation and also in gesture of body by clapping of handes dancing as king Dauid did before the Arke 2 Reg â— likevvise vvith instruments c To al the wicked d not only of one or few kingdoms but of al the earth e VVhen kinges and countries become Christians they are made subiectes to the Church that vvas before not heades and rulers therfore f Christ God man after his Passion rose from death and ascended g not leauing his Church desolate but making her ioyful by an other comforter the Holie Ghost h The same Christ is our God by his Diuinitie i and our king by his Humanitie k Doe your endeuour to vnderstand vvhat you sing read or heare in Gods word At least to know the principal Mysteries and pointes of Christian doctrin euerie one according to their capacitie and state or profession l The faithful of the old and nevv Testament are vnited in the seruice of one and the same eternal God m In respect of the Blessed Trinitie holie Scripture here and in manie places vseth names of the plural number as Eloim Goddes not diuiding Gods substance vvhich is one but insinuating distinction of Diuine Persons The Father the Sonne and the Holie Ghost VVhich Mysterie is more expresly mentioned in Baptisme and professed by Christian gentils then it was by the people of the Ievves The Church founded and protected by God The 6. key a Voices beginning the musike instruments prosecuted b especially for the second day of the weke the day after the sabbath which is our Sunday called Dominica our Lords day c Ierusalem and mount Sion were most obliged to praise God for greatest benefites receiued so the Catholique Church therby prefigured and hauing receiued farre greatter is most of al bonden to be gratful d This can not be affirmed of Sion or Ierusalem but is only verified of the Catholique Christian Church e whose coastes do extend to the North and to al quarters of the round earth f The same one God one Christ one Faith and one Religion in al particular Churches of the vvhole militant Church g And this Vniuersalitie and Vnitie shal be after that Christ taking mans nature shal be ascended and shal send the Holie Ghost to found beginne this Church h For the assured certaintie of that is foreshewed the Prophet speaketh in the preteâ—â—ence as if it vvere already done in his time which he then savv in spirite i Nothing more moueth he hart affecteth al the bodie and soule
habites and inclinations to sinne So our Sauiour afterwards taught Ioan. 13. v. 10. He that is washed nedeth not sauing to wash his feere il affections and reliques of former sinnes but is cleane wholy f VVhiles I did not know not consider nor acknowledge my sinnes I could not be forgeuen but now I know and acknowledge them g and I cease not to consider of them with sorow h Principally for so this particle only here signifieth the enormities of my sinnes consist in that I haue offended thy Diuine Goodnes and Maiestie the King of the worldes immortal inuisible onlie God to whom is due al honour and glorie for euer and euer 1. Tim. 1. v. 17. i Thou which hast promised forgeuenes to al sinners that truly conuert shal herein be iustified by receiuing me againe to grace k and ouerthrow thy calumniators that iudge wickedly of thy proceedings as if either thy iustice or mercie were peruerted l I and al are burne in original sinne the reliques wherof concupiscence and weakenes incline vs to other sinneâ— which we haue added In regard of which our infirmitie thy mercie is readie to recal vs and help vs. m Besides thou hast also geuen me knowledge of true faith and right doctrine which thou euer louest and art accustomed to reduce and direct such into the true way of penance n yea thou hast moreouer shewed to me thinges vncertaine or vnknowen to manie others geuen me the gift and spirit of prophecie to know hidde mysteries and to euerie one God geueth some particular benefites which he loueth in him and is ready of his part to confirme and maintaine the same that they be not lost o Most merciful Lord thou wilt as I see in the spirit of prophecie sprinkle me and al men with thy bloud from the Crosse where they shal geue thee vinegre about hyssoppe to drinke Ioan. 19. p by which washing I shal be cleane from sinne and become in time pure yea whiter then snow A figure of this hyssope was obserued in Moyses Law Num. 19. signifying the liuelie heat of Christs infinite charitie q When myn affections shal be cleane purged I shal take singular great delight to heare of thee r and al my powres of mind and bodie which are now afflicted shal reioyce Å¿ Leaue of thy cogitation of punishing to which purpose first take away myn iniquities â—oâ— otherwise if they remaine Gods iustice can not but punish them t Create in me new grace wherby my hart shal be pure So S. Paul calleth a iust soul a new creature Galat. 6. v. 15. v v In my invvard thoughtes w suffer me not so to fal againe that thy grace depart from me x which I had before my fal of Christ promised of my seede and alter not the same for my â—â—nâ—es Dauid also and other penitents pray here that God wil restore vnto them the ioy which they had in the state of grace of eternal saluation promised y confirme conserue in â—e hereafter a strong constant and willing spirite to perseuere z No way can a penitent better shew him self gratful to God for remission of his sinnes theâ— by instructing exhorting and perswading other sinners to repentance to leaue their former il wayes and turne to God a From the guilt and punishment of murder causing Vrias and others with him to be slaine Other penitents pray to be deliuered from what sinnes soeuer they haue committed by sheding bloud or other â—â—â—â—gs and iniuries promising to praise Gods iustice in offering and geuing grace accordâ—â—◠〈…〉 promise to sinners that they may repent b Thou â— God first sâ—â—rring me vp opening my lippes which of my selfe I can not do then my tongue and 〈…〉 wil praise thee c If thou wouldest especially legal sacrifice I would easily haue offered great store d but the best of that kind is not sufficient e true contrition of hart pleaseth thee farre better f After a penitent hath remission of his owne sinnes he must pray for the whole Church g The Church prospering her faithful children shal offer h the sacrifice of iustice rendering to euerie one that is due i also free offeringes without obligation k yea holocaustes which is the chiefest â—caâ—â—es and like hostes vpon the altar according to the state of the old law but in the law of Christ the most B. Sacrifice by him instituted Temporal punishment is due after remission of sinnes Custome of sinne maketh more pronnes to fal againe CoÌ„cupiscence remaineth after original sinne Spiritual sacrifice prefeâ—red before external Dauids inuectiue against Doeg the 8. key a Of the race of Esau half a Ievv but either an Infidel or fautor of Infidels a spie for Saul a persecutor of Dauid a murderer of Innocents 2. Reg. 22. v. 9. 18. b High priest slaine with 84. more Priestes and others because they were supposed to fauour Dauid ibidem c Thou persecutor Doeg why art thou so malicious to abuse thy credite with king Saul to the murdering of innocents d playing the part of a spie in betraying to Saul that I was with Achimelech e Though he told a truth yet it was iniquitie to betray innocents f Thou shalt vtterly be destroyed g al thy race h for a short time in this world i Dauid prophecieth his owne exaltation and conseruation of his seede in the kingdom of Israel k Sing praise and â—aâ—kes to thee l thy Goodnes which agreeth to thy name The general Iudgement the 9. key a Weakenes or mourning b S. Augustin expoundeth this Psalme as an instruction to those that suffer persecution and iniuries especially nere the end of the world c God wil ouerthrow al the counsels and forces d of worldlie politiques e The true Church afflicted desireth Christs coming to deliuer the oppressed A praier in distresse the 7. key a Though historically this Psalme b was song by Dauid the author therof shewing how he prayd in dauger and rendered thankes for his deliuerie c when vpon notice geuen that he abode in the mountaines Saul straictly beseged him with a great armie but the Philistims inuading the countrie Saul was forced to leaue Dauid and to turne his forces against them 1. Reg. 23 yet iâ— perceyneth also literally to al iust men in distresse especially to the Church of Christ praying in like dangers and God by his like prouidence deliuering his seruantes in extremities d For the glorie of thy name e for the iustnes of my cause defend me f Barbarous highland men haue betraide the place of myne abode to the persecuters g But I feare them not because I am in Gods protection h A iust prayer that God wil turne intended mischief vpon the deuisers heades i according to his promise that he wil defend the innocent k Offering voluntarie sacrifice more then is commanded l and praise thee ô God m as I am bond n I reioyce in thy iust iudgements against the wicked Gods
of the Israelites t from the mediterranean sea of Palestin v to the riuer Euphrates Exo. 23. v. 31. Beut 11. v. 24. vv eruel enimies more like to most cruel beastes then to men x yea so cruel as none els in the world are like vnto them y The Prophet now prayeth for the coming of Christ which he saw in spirite z The Church of the old testament in her best state wanted the perfection which the Church of Christ hath a Christ our Messias most commonly calleth by this title The Sonne of man b So thy vinyard can not indure if it be stil afflicted and trodden downe c Christ working by Gods powre redresseth almiseries d The same is the 8. and the 15. verse with litle alteration and here repeted the third time In which we also pray for three thinges first to be purged and conuerted from sinne second to be illuminated by Christ the Image of God Thirdly to be sanctified and saued in eternal glorie to haue the fruition of the most blessed Trinitie Inuitation to celebrate festiual dayes deuoutly the 7. key a This Psalme perteyneth not only to the old testament but also to the new b Gods seruants oppressed with tribulations c to be songue by Asaph a chief master of musike d Make readie al these musical instruments e In the Calendes or first day of euerie moneth in remembrance of Gods prouidence and perpetual gouernment of al creatures :: The feast of Neomenia f and most especial solemnitie in the first day of the seuenth moneth in memorie of Isaac conserued from death in whom God promised Abraham to multiplie his seede and to blesle al nations Gen. 17 v. 21. c 21. v 12. c 22. v. 18. :: Feast of trumpetes g The people of Israel signified by Ioseph as Psal 79. v. 2. :: In memorie of this benefite Pasch was instituted h God deliuered the same people from their vntolerable bondage of carying burdens in baskettes from geathering straw making brickes and other seruitude Exo 1. v. 14 c. 5. v. 7. i The admonition of God to the people k yet after so great benefites thou didst murmure and contradict me Exo. 17. Num. 20. l Seriously admonish thee m Man by free wil may choose whether he wil obey or no. :: The feast of Pentecost in memorie of the lawe n This was an other great benefite to geue an expresse law for their instruction o Obseruing my commandments aske what thou wilt and I wil geue it thee Pom. 1. ◠24. p Very easely q of my freewil and liberalitie without necessitie or obligation r The wicked that promise to serue God and do it not shal be in eternal torments In the meane time God bestowed these benefites vpon them for the iusts sake Admonition to Magistrates the. 7. key a The wordes of the prophet admonishing al magistrates that when they sitte in iudgement or determine anie cause God who is there and euerie where present b attendeth their processe and therfore it behoneth them to be aduised what they doe euen as if they heard God speaking as here foloweth c The wordes of God though not vttered sensibly yet in effect intimated by his law according wherto he wil procede in iudgement against vniust Iudges d Such iudges procede in grosse ignorance not caring to vnderstand but content to walke in darknes e Ye are so euil disposed that you would turne al vpside downe instifying the wicked and condemning the iust f For your office which you participate of me you are certaine goddes vpon earth g But when you die you shal find that you are men subiect to Gods iudgement h yea your punishment wil be greuous and importable for the mightie shal mightely suffer torments Sap. ◠i Againe the wordes of the prophet praying God k that eing he is Lord of al he wil iudge al. Persecuters of the Church confounded or conuerted the 6 key a Seing none is like to thee ô God b shew thy powre and maiestie c be not silent d The cruel persecuters are most insolent e and proud f That there be no more anie faithful people g anie Catholiques leift aliue h The progenie of Esau i the seede of Ismael k descending from the elder sonne of Lot l the issue of Abraham by Agar who falsly cal them selues Sarascens as if they were of Sara m People of Gebal a citie of Syria n of the other sonne of Lot o those that first oppugned the Israelites after they were parted from Aegypt Exo. 17. p The Philistians q and Tyrians al nere neighboures and some of them nere akine to the Israelites were their great enimies r Others also coming further of ioyned against Gods people in figure that al heretikes and other infidels conspire together against Catholiques ſ The Psalmist therfore prayeth and withal prophecieth that God wil at last destroy them as he did Madian Num 31. Iudic. 6. 7. t Sisara captaine general v for Iabin king of Asor nere Cisson Iudic. 4. v. 7. 23. w Within the territorie of Manasses Ios 17. which they inuaded x slaine and not buried y These foure princes of the Madianites were slaine by Gedeons forces Iudic. 7. 8. z By foure similitudes the prophet describeth the punishment that shal fal vpon persecuters :: By foure similitudes the prophet describeth the punishment that shal fal vpon persecuters 1. 2. 3. 4. a God by punishing seeketh the conuersion of sinners not their eternal death b But such as be stil obstinate and finally impenitent do perish for euer c God only the creator of heauen and earth is properly called LORD VVhose essential and incommunicable name is VVHICH IS Exo. 3. v. 14. 6. v. 3. Eternal glorie the 10. key a For men afflicted in this vale of miserie b By the children of Core not being musitians but porters in the temple 1. Par. 26. S. Augustin here and in other titles of Psalmes vnderstandeth the faithful children of Christ c The glorious mansions in heauen which God hath prepared for the iust d Vehement desires do sometimes depriue vs of external sense e The mind reioycing in hope the bodie is also recreated releeued and reuiued which before was dulle and heauie f As sparowes by natural instinct seeking habitations finde houses to dwel in g and turtles haue nestes wherin to lay their young ones so faithful soules seeke to dwel in heauen and in the meane time to lay vp good workes within the Catholique Church out of which sayth S. Augustin in this place how good soeuer workes do seme as when paganes and heretikes feede the hungrie cloth the naked receiue strangers into their houses visite the sicke comforte prisoners being not laid in the nest conculcabuntur conterentur non seruabuntur non custodientur they shal be trodde vnder foote they shal be bruised in peeces they shal not be conserued they shal not be kept but
that such workes may be profitable and be conserued they must be donne in true faith in the Catholique faith in societie of the vnitie of the Church h VVorkes are good and rightly laide vp when they are donne in vnitie and participation of Gods Altares the most proper places of Diuine Seruice of external Sacrifice in this life and spiritual sacrifice of perâ—ect praises in eternal glorie whereal Sainctes without ceasing sing Holie holie holie Lord God of hoastes Isaiae 6. Apoc. 4. i The Catholique Church k The iust by Gods grace and helpe may resolue to ascend by steppes and degrees from vertue to vertue v. 8. euen to heauen l though he be now in this vaile of teares by reason of mans sinne who otherwise was before sinne in paradise a place of delight m Christ our lawgeuer n geueth abundance of graces o with continual increase p but our only omnipotent God is to be senne by this effect of his grace in the Church and not elswhere q Agreably to this the Church maketh al her petitions concluding al prayers By Christ our Lord. r In respect of the future retribution which euerie one shal receiue according to their desertes one day in Gods Church is better then thousands out of it Å¿ And better to be in the poorest state of Catholique Christians t then in greatest palaces or hieghest dignities amongst sinners v The Diuine wisdom so vseth mercie and veritie that neither may preiudice the other vv and so geueth grace in this life x and glorie in the â—ext y Besides innocencie conserued without sinne there is also innocencie after remission of sinne of which the prophet here speaketh Incarnation of Christ the 5. key a God bestowed manie great benefites vpon the people of Israel b he brought them out of the bondage of Aegypt c Remitted their manifold sinnes d pardoned also a great part of due punishment e As thou hast soared thy peculiar people so we besech thee ô God creator and general Sauiour of al mankind f mitigate thy wrath towards vs al g Til God first shew his mercie sinners lye dead in guilt of sinne but by his grace they are sturred vp and quickned h and ioyfully returne to God i The wordes of the prophet k signifying that God had reueled vnto him the redemption of mankind l Not al men are iustified and saued but those that are hartely and sincerely conuerted m Though al be not saued because manie wil not cooperate to Gods grace yet very manie hauing the feare of God which is the beginning of godlie wisdom freely accept of Gods mercie and so â—he Church is gloriously propagated n VVheras Gods mercie would saue al and his truth or iustice requireth that sinnes be duly punished by Christs Passion and death sufficient satisfaction is offered for al sinnes and thoâ—e that wil be partakers by penance and conformitie to Gods law may haue remission o and so iustice is obserued and peace made betwen God and his subiects p Integritie of conscience reigneth in good men q God sending iust meanes from heauen to saue them r God geueth grace Å¿ and so men yeld fruict t Yea they walke in iustice and right path of Gods law A prayer for continual grace the 7. key a A forme of prayer for king Dauid and for anie faithful person b There be sundrie iust causes which moue God to heare our prayers c first our necessitie requireth Gods helpe d Secondly because we professe and promise to lead a holie life e Thirdly because we trust and hope in God f Fourtly because we perseuere in prayer g Fiftly if we pray with attention of mind h Sixtly because God of his owne nature is benigne readie to bestow benefites i Seuently he is meeke to remitte offences k Eightly he is merciful to mitigate the punishment to those that make recourse vnto him l For these causes we pray as foloweth m Vocation of Gentiles n They shal come by faith o and glorifie God by good workes Mat. 5. v. 17. p Cofession of praise q From the state of eternal damnation r In performing al promises Å¿ A digression vsual to prophetes of Christs Empyre and Kingdom the Church geuen to him being the sonne of an immaculate virgin the handmaide of God t The chief and principal signe of Christs and his Churches glorie is his Resurrection praefigured in Ionas v VVherby al enimies are confounded either to their conuersion or to eternal damnation See 6. Augustin The Catholique Church glorious the 6. key a Christs Church was first founded in Ierusalem on whitsunday Act. 2. in mount Sion which hath two toppes in one of which the Temple stood in the other Dauids towre oâ— palace b The Prophet in the person of Christ saith he wil commend vnto his Apostles and other Apostolical men that they conuert al nations as our Sauiour gaue expresse commission and commandment Math. 28. Luc. 24. v. 47. Act. 1. v. 8. c naming here Raab which is Aegypt and Babylon d The Philistims Tyrians Aethiopians e the rest shal be regenerate in this Church which for the assured certaintie therof after the prophets maner of speaking is affirmed in the pretertence as if it were then donne f It shal be reported or one shal say to an other Loe this and that man al these and al these men are regenerate by Baptisme in the Church of Christ g God himselfe Christ God and Man founded this Church h The multitude of the elect is so great that only God knoweth the number i and the qualities of al sortes of Princes Prelates and Peoples k Great spiritual ioy with peace of conscience is in true Christian Catholiques in the militant Church but the blessed haue the most absolute secure ioy of al in the Church triumphant A prayer in long affliction the 7. key a An instrument of musike apt for lamentable songues Not expressed in the title of anie other Psalme Perhaps because this Psalme mixteth not anie consolation with mourning as other Psalmes do which are also prayers in affliction As the 30. 53. 63. 73. b Neither is this word in anie other title It is added here to admonish vs that as this Psalme and some others were songue by two quires one answering the other so we must in answer and imitation of Christ suffer long and great afflictions with patience seing he in his passion was leift without ordinarie coÌ„solation c By some interpreted his bretheren For Christ saith S. Augustin voutchsaffeth to make them his bretheren which vnderstand the mysterie of his Crosse and not only are not ashamed therof but also faithfully glorie therin d I haue cried to thee very often both by day and by night e I am almost dead f Accounted as dead and readie to be buried g If I were dead I should be free from these afflictions Especially it agreeth to Christ who was free yea of infinite
:: Reasonable soules if they folow reason and al sensible soules doe in their maner praise the prouidence of God in vsing al creatures to that end for which they were treated :: Man at first recemed original iustice by losing wherof we al fel into original sinne :: God gaue a precept to man to be obserued for exercise of his obedience so to be rewarded and vnder paine of punishment if he transgreded â—en 2. Rom. 13. :: Perseuerance in vertue to the end is necessarie which none can merite :: But must stil pray for it :: Al creatures according to their substantial forme in general were created together though they were afterwards formed in particular kindes as they are distinctly recited in Genesis with the order ornaments of the world S. Aug. li. 4. c. 33 34. de Gen. ad litter VVhere he expresly affirmeth that this Scripture was written by inspiration of the same spirite of truth wherby Genesis was written Psal 89. v. 10. 1. Cor. 11. :: They pray alwayes that pray at certaine conuenient times And stil haue intention so to frequent the same exercise al their life S. Aug. Epist 121. c. 9. ad Probam Luc. 18. 1. 1. Thes. 5. :: The best remedie against great sinnes is to auoide smal ones and not to contemne the least but diligently to amend al. 3. Reg. 11. Ios 22. :: That this document perteyneth to common conuersation with worldie men appeareth by the next verse But to reuele secrete sinnes to a spiritual father in sacramental confession is necessarie vvholesome and secure It is alâ—o very commendable and most lawful in holie religious Societies vvhere they willingly for their owne spiritual good submitte themselues to such a godlie rule Lâ—uit 1â— Mat. 15. Iac. 3. :: False pretence of pietie is hypocrisie :: And in a Superior to oppen his ovvne secrete fault to his subiects is pusillanimitie :: Discretion auoideth both by concealing and reueling faultes as reason directeth and iustice requireth Eccle. â— :: He that taketh reptchension in good part when he is faulty meriteth pardon and when he is not faultie he satifieth for his other sinnes and meriteth reward :: His intention is ful of guile that flattereth by shew of loue and of praise but he wil detract so much the more in the end reproch thee when he may gette probable aduantage against thee Prou. 12. Exo 23. Deut 16. :: VVisdom is to be shewed in vvordes and deedes vvhen it may profite others :: To conceale faultes so they be amended is most conuenient :: As a serpent deceiptfully approcheth stingeth the bodie so al sinnes inuegle and hurt the soule :: It is a signe that he is guiltie who contemneth freindly admonition :: He that truly feareth God wil diligently examine his ovvne actes defectes when he is vvarned :: As walles of stone built in the frost so riches or good name vniustly gotten wil not coÌ„tinue long :: Senseles or bad talke is tedious to al good men :: VVordes that may edifie are gratful to al godlie eares :: VVicked men condemning the diuel or anie other wicked do in dede condeme them selues And to them agreeth that sentence of our Sauiour By thyne owne mouth I iudge thee naughtie seruant Luc. 19. :: Contempt ignominie is the worldlie punishment of the slouthful besides his eternal damnation at the day of iudgement Mat. 25 â— 30 :: In this and other places is not vnderstood a foole that by defect of natural vvitte is ignorant or an ideote but he that is voide of grace ful of malice and wickednes For the wicked life of such a one is worse then his death v. 12. Gen 50. Prou. â—3 Prou â—â— :: A true freind wil not be lost for temporal damage noâ— danger :: But the vices of derision reproch and the like violate al freindshipe with wise and good mâ—n Ps 140. :: Man being weake and the enimie suttle strong he is not able to resist tentations without Gods special grace for which the vvisman therfore prayeth instructing al by his example to do the same :: Precepts how to gouerne the mouth and tongue :: Against rash vntrue vnlawful swearing Iere. 4. Mat. 5. :: In oathes God is called to witnes as he that can not lie but bâ—aâ—phemie attributeth thâ—t to God which perteyneth not him or attributeth to some creature that which only belongeth to God and so is a contrarie sinne to vnlawful swearing :: Both are mortal sinnes :: Admonition against sinnes of the tongue :: Reproch to parents and other neighboures :: Against couetousnes :: Fornication :: Adultrie Isa 29. :: Seing earnal adultrie shal be seuerely punished much more spiritual as schisme heresie and apostasie from Catholique Religion Leui 20. Deut. 22. :: Diuine wisdom the Second Person of the B. Trinitie begotten not created praiseth it self According to the phrase of speach Iere. 51. v. 14. The Lord of hostes hath svvorne by his soule that is by himself :: God offereth his grace but forceth not anie to accept it :: Creation is not here taken in the strict signification but for diuine production in that God the Father by vnderstanding begetteth God the Sonne As likewise the Father and the Sonne by loue produce the Holie Ghost :: in the Church only is effectual grace Psa â—â—â— :: The more grace any hath the more he desireth and receiueth :: In Dauids progenie God preserued the kinglie state til the captiuitie and the estimation of the royal bloud vnto Christ But in al this Dauid was a figure of Christ VVho sitteth in the Throne of honour absolutly for euâ—â— Iosâ— 3. :: Three very commendable thinges :: Other three detestable :: Nine happie thinges in this life Iac. 3. :: Al happines in this life is grounded in the feare of God :: The description of heresie vnder the figure of a wicked woman whose malice is secretly couered vnder pretence of truth and â—â—â—â—â—â— Prou â—â— :: Layheadshiâ—e in spiritual causes is so vnreasonab le and absurde that â—â—w heretikes 〈…〉 ure it :: An vnquâ—â—â— life depâ—iuâ—th a man of much comforth and therfore continual peace â—â— as a duble life :: As wheâ— oâ—â—n moâ—e the yoke oâ— their neckeâ— doth moue withal so a wicked woman to wittâ— heresie can not rest nor let others rest quiet :: The Catholique faith is the ground al al vertues :: Those that kepe innes or ailehouses are alwayes talking as willing to please al but in much talke wanteth not sinne Prou. 10. v. 19. 1. Tim 6. :: The soule is kept in good state by fearing God :: After that sinne is purged there remaine reliques in the soule as dust in a siene vvhen the chaffe is cast out til it be more purged or washed Psal 50. v. 4. Prou. 27. VVhether the sunne shineth forth or not it is alvvayes light so is a vvisman alvvayes vertuous vvhetherit appeaâ—â— outvvardly or no. A foole or vvicked man hath
the Iewes from Babylon by Cyrus king of Medes and Persians now also of Assirians :: Because al kinges that reigned amoÌ„g the Iewes vvere annointed vvith oyle Cyrus is called christ though he was not ordayned with this ceremony of annointing :: S. Ierom noteth here out of Iosephus l. 11. Antiq that Cyrus finding his name long before prophe cied by Isaias became very beneuolous to the Ievves louing them as the familiar seruants of God 2. Par. â—â— :: But though he knew and professed one God no other 1. Esd 1. yet he was not conuerted in al pointes of religion neither serued God according to that general knowlege he had and so knew not God rightly :: The prophet in the former prophecie contemplating Christ as in a figure novv eleuated more in spirite prophecieth of Christ only vvho built his Church vpon a sure rock Not of Cyrus who being aduanced by God yet perfectly knevv not God v. 4. nor of Zorobabel vvho did not release the people from captiuitie but together with others vvas released neither had the title of a king but liued in subiection to other kinges S. Ierom. in hunc locum Rom. 9. Iere. 18. Rom. â—4 Phil. 2. :: Bel or Belus called also Saturnus was of such estimation that they offered to him insacrifice not only men that vvere taken captiues but also their owne sonnes Nabo otherwise called Da gon vvas an especial idol amongst the Philistims 1. Reg. 5. Rom. â— :: Not Cyrus saith S. Ierom but Christ the Orient â—â—arre prophec ed by Balaam Num. 24 whom the Sages came to adore from the East Mat. 2. :: Babylon not hitherto ouercome at last was brought to miserie and destruction Nahum 3. :: Gods people coÌ„taminating themselues with sinne were suffered to fal into ignominious captiuitie but God geueth them grace of repentance then seuerely punisheth their vnmerciful afflicters peâ—â—ecuters Apoc. â— Insea 51. :: By waters in the Hebrew phrase is here vnderstood the fountaine or spring the prophet speaking to those that were of the tribe of Iuda who especially halenged the preeminences and blessings of Israel the Patriarch but had not his vertues of fortitude and internal fight of God signified by the name Israel :: God spareth conserueth his people not for their merites but of his mercie shevving his benignitie that they may repent if they vvil Iere. 2â— Exo. 17. Nu. 20. :: These promises of reconciliation to God and of peace perteine to the penitent not to the obstinate in impietie The 8. part Al nations shal be conuerted to Christ some Iewes in the primitiue Church and many nere the end of the world :: This word from afarre the like doth conuince saith S. Ierom that the prophet speaketh of al nations to be conuerted to Christ And as this Prophet hath already spoken much of Christ and his Church so hence forth more especially he sheweth him selfe rather an Euangelist or an Apostle then only a Prophet which S. Ierom testifieth of him Epist ad Paulin. Act. 13. 2. Cor. 6 Apoc. 7. :: The Church of the old testament lamenteth that she semeth to be forsaken in respect of the manie great benefites bestowed on the Church of Christ :: But God answereth that he can not wil not forget nor forsake his Church which in dede is al one in the old and new testament only differing in state and therfore that which he doth to her in the new testament perteyneth to the whole Church in general of al times al places Isa 6â— :: God diuorced not the Synagogue from him of hardnes of hart :: Neither deliuered her for payment as though he were in debt to anie creditor :: But her owne reuolt and iniquities separated her from Christ Isa 59. Num. 11. :: Skill of tongue how to speake discretion when where was geuen to Isaias ch 6. v. 6. Much more saith S. Ierom to Christe who spake in his life was silent in his passion and now speaketh by his Apostles and other pastores Mat. 26. Rom. 8. :: In the next verse the rock caue are explicated to signifie Abraham and Sara who are proposed for examples to be imitated being so noble progenitors of the Iewes S. Paul exhorteth his countrie men and in them al Christians the like in spiritual progenitors that first plant Catholique Religion in anie place saying Remember your Prelates vvhich haue spoken the vvord of God to you Heb. 13. Psal 36. :: As God destroyed Pharao the proud dragon in the sea which he dried vp for his people to passe so he wil ouerthrow the diuel deliuer captiues from sinne tyrannie Exo. 14. Isa 49. :: Spoile destruction shal happen by famine sword Isa 47. :: The Iewes had not wronged the Babylonians neither had mankind sinned against the diuel but both had offended God :: VVho of his bountie payde mans ransom which no other man was able to pay Gen. 46. Rom. 2. Ezec. â—â— :: Communication with infidels in spiritual thinges is in no case lawful as S. Paul sheweth by this text 2. Cor. 6. v. 17. :: That manie hearing the truth preached do not beleue it is by their obstinate freewil because they do not obey the Gospel Ro. 10. v. 16. when their vnderstanding directeth them that it is not disagreable to reason :: Our Sauiour died and was buried where the wicked were coÌ„monly punished :: Yet was buried richly honorably by Ioseph of Aromathia Nicodemus :: In the old testament Gentiles were barren bringing no fruite to God but in the new testament they are fructful the Iewes are barren til the later end of the world when they also shal be fructful againe Gal. 4. Lut. â— Gen. 9. :: As it is assured that the world shal neuer be drowned againe with water so it is that the Church of Christ shal neuer be suppressed :: An other assurance that moutaines hilles shal rather be moued yea some mountaines shal be remoued but the Church shal be alwayes firme and perpetual Ioan. â— v. 45. :: Grace is offered to al but those only are iustified and replenished with more grace and spiritual giftes that cooperate doing that which in them lieth desiring thirsting iustice for such saith our Sauiour shal haue their fil Mat. 5. v. 6. Apo. 22. Act. 13. :: The beginning of Gods seruice is to forsake the way of wickednes :: The wayes of Gods seruice and of seruing this world are so opposite and contrarie that it is vnpossible to walke in them both at once No man can serue these two masters God and this world we must therfore so vse this world that we may serue God and inherite heauen :: Iudgement is a right resolution to do Gods wil and iustice is the perfect performance therof as before is noted cha 32. Sap. 1. :: Vnder the name of Sabbath is vnderstood the obseruation of al the law :: Those that of free election choose
verie same day Nabuchodonosor layde siege to Ierusalem 4. Reg. 25. v. 1. :: VVhen sinners are not amended by fire of tribulation God after that they are parted froÌ„ this vvorld punisheth them euerlastingly :: The suddaine death of nere freindes causeth â—ore sorow then if it were feared before yet the prophet was commanded not to shew sorow for the suddaine death of his wife to signifie that the great calamitie of euerie one would take away the particular 〈…〉 for the lode priuate freindes The 3. part The destruction of diuers other nations besides the Iewes :: Amongst other heathen nations especially the Ammonites reioyced at the miseries of the Iewes and were therfore plaged :: The Chaldees or rather the Armenians or Agarens who are more direct eastward and :: I wil take away al the streingth and force of Moab vvhich consisteth in his strong cities :: Yeares are stil counted from the transmigration of Ioachin as ch 1. 8 20. 24. v. 1. 29. v. 1. 17. :: Tyre which is a most frequented sea towne shal be made desolate and to no vse but to hang nettes therin to drie :: Lesse cities and townes perteyning to Tyre shal likewise be destroyed :: As Tyre was exalted in pride so it was brought to great ruine yet was it restored after seuentie yeares according to Isaias prophecie ch 23 v. 15. And our Sauiour retired sometimes into the quarters of Tyre and Sidon Mat. 15. v. 21. :: This large description of the Tyrians glory sheweth their greater ruine :: S. Ierom in Isaie 54. v. 12. translating this word a iasper stone here leaueth it vntranslated and so do also the Septuagint neither do the Hebrew Doctors describe it in their commentaries The Chaldee paraphrasis translateth it in general precious stones or margarites some in particular thinke it to be a carbunkle some a rubie others a chrystal others an adamant :: VVith these Gentiles cutting or shauing of their heare was a signe of sorovv vvhich the Ievves vvere commanded not to imitate Deut. 14. to shevv difference from other nations yet they also did cut their heare in great calamities Isa 22. v. 12. :: Daniel was so famous for vvisdom that therof came a prouerbe in Chaldea to compare wisemen vvith Daniel and to reproch those that arrogated more wisdom then they had that they semed vainely to themselues vviser then Daniel * 〈…〉 plâ—â—â— taâ—ing breath :: Tyre had much â—niquity long before but when the king thought himself to be God v. 2 this iniquity could not be longer tolerated :: As Sidon was nere in situation to Tyre so it was made like in ruine for their like pride :: Al nations wil praise God when they see that he iustly punisheth his owne people afterwards restoreth them to their former state :: Prophetes do not write their prophecies in order of time as they were reueled for in former chapters he wrote that which he saw in the eleuenth yeare ch 26. v. 1. but that which was sooner fulfilled or because Tyre Sidon were nerer in situation to Ierusalem then Aegypt he writte that prophecie before this :: This vision against Aegypt is in confirmation of the former 17. yeares before v. 1. :: Of this place Sâ—â—eâ—om proueth that God rewardâ—â—halso Infidels for their moral good woorkes temporally though they can not merite an eternal revvard as the iust doe :: The day of iust punishment is called the day of our Lord. As the Apostle calleth the day of general iudgement the day of our Lord. 1. Cor 5. 2. Cor. 1 1. Thes 5. :: The time vvhen the Chaldees the most potent nation shal conquer and triumph ouer Aegypt :: Part of the kingdom of Aegypt was subdâ—â—ed before this time by the king of Babylon 4. Reg. 24. v. 7. :: Thou that semest to thyself inuincible yet art thou not equal to the king of Assirians who already is ouer throwne and so â—halt thou likewise be :: Although â— Aegypt thou art like to the most potent kingdomes yet as the assirians others so thou also shalt be ruined :: Here it is manifest that this prophet counteth the yeares by the time of transmigration of king Iechonias for it is clere that Sedecias â—eigned only eleuen yeares 4. Reg. 24. 25. Iere. â—â— 52 :: This hyperbolical speach describeth the former glorie of Aegypt as if al lightes were much diminished when this kingdom was darkned :: The countrie of the Aelamites :: and the king of Aelamâ—â—es shal also perish with Assirians Aegyptians other infidels :: Pastors are not excused omitting to admonish their flocke either for feare of danger or for despare of the sinners amendment For euerie one shal be iudged as he discargeth or neglecteth his owne office S. Iere. :: Gods absolute or consequent wil is alvvayes fulfilled but not his conditional or an ecedent As is noted ch 18. v. 23. :: God being alwayes â—eâ—dy to shew mercie knocking at the dore of our hart Apoc. 3. v. 20. it is of mens owne vvilfulnes that they are not saâ—eâ— according to that general Axiome Man doing that in him â—â—â—th God â—â— not vvanting of his part to saue al. S. Tho 1. 2. q. 109. a. 6. q. 112. a. 3. :: As he prophecied ch 24. v. 2 the very day vvhen the siege begane so he foreshewed also v. 26. that one flying avvay should tel of the taking and spoyling of the citie three yeares after Pastors do lawfully eate of the milke of their flock 1. Cor. 9. v. 7. but they ought not to take the wool nor flesh to themselues which belong to their master :: He that hath spiritual charge of soules and seeketh his owne temporal profite not the spiritual good of his flocke is in dede no pastor but a hyreling or if he also teach false doctrine he is a woolf Ioan. 1â— :: Not only Christ himself but also others shal doe these right Offices of true pastors in the new Testament as S. Paul conformably teacheth Ephe. 4. that God geueth Apostles Prophets Euangelistes Pastors and doctors to the consummation of Sainctes tilvve mete al into the vâ—itie of faith c. Iâ—â— 1â— :: No Iewe is so obstinate nor heretike so blind but al confesse that Messias Christ is here called by the name of Dauid For king Dauid was now dead long before this prophet liued See the same ch 17. v. 24. 25. and in manie places of holie Scripture :: This frequent phrase here and in other places signifieth turne thy speach to speake of such and such people or speake boldly and freely fearing no man :: God accounteth al iniuries done against his Church as done against himself So our Sauiour charged Saul persecuting the Church as persecuting himself Aâ—â— 9. v. 4. The 4. part The reduction of the Iewes from captiuitie and the Redemption of mankind by Christ :: Your captiuitie and distressed state hath geuen occasion to al nations to speake discourse of you As
after the birth of Christ The same doth S. Augustin ser 6. 18 dâ— temp S Amb. cp 81. S. Chrys ho. de â—â— Bapt. b This astonishment and reuerence of the prophet c and the great attention which he is admonished to haue import the great mysteries of Christ and his Church and not only the temple rites of the old law which vvere but figures of the new :: Holy thinges are ordinarily to be done in holie places and therfore sacred vestures by touching vvherof men vvere sanctified Exo. 29. v. 37. must not be vsed out of the temple Leuit. 10. v. 9. Deut. 18. :: The land that was assigned to holie vses vvas called sanctified and could not be alienated to priuate men nor other purposes * sanctificatum :: The princes portion of land vvas round about the clergies portion that he might defend them and the peoples part round about the princes that they might defend him :: These measures vvere of equal capacitie but the ephi serued for drie thinges the bat for liquid as appeareth v. 13. 14. :: As the people were bond to pay certaine first fruites to their temporal prince :: so he was mutually bond to pay the charges of publique sacrifices for al the people S. Ierom also expoundeth this mutual obligation to consist betwen the people and hiegh priest :: After the captiuitie albeit king Dauids progenie continued in Salathiel Zorobabel and others yet they had not the state of kinges or temporal princes and therfore not only Christian Doctors but also Rabbi Dauid other Hebrewes vnderstand this prophecie of Christ the true Messias and of the sacrifices rites of his Church the letter neuertheles alluding to the forme of the old lavv :: Al vvorkes done by the true children of God that is to say done in the state of grace do merite eternal reward :: But other moral good vvorkes done in state of mortal sinne are only revvarded temporally in this vvorld and not in life euerlasting See cha 36. v. 25. :: There is no historie nor probabilitie that vvaters issued out of the temple vvhich vvas reedified by Zorobabel Neither did al sortes of fishes liue in anie such vvater nere the temple as are mentioned v. 9. And therfore this prophecie hath an hiegher and truer sense of the Church of Christ and the vvater of Baptisme :: S. Iohn savv this riuer of liuing vvater as clere as chrystal proceding from the seat of God of the lambe And the tree of life yelding tvvelue fruites rendring his fruite euerie moneth c. Apoc. 22. :: Iosephs two sonnes had ech one a vvhole portion and so there vvere twelue tribes besides the Leuites who had other better meanes then the rest :: By the twelue tribes of Israel S. Ierom vnderstandeth the vniuersal multitude of al glorified Sainctes noting that no mention is here made of the cities of refuge as in the bookes of Numeri and Iosue because in the glorious habitation of Sainctes there can be no nede of refuge where al are perfect al secure :: As the first borne of liuing thinges first fruictes of al thinges springing so the first portion of land allâ—â—ed to Gods seruice is called the first fruites :: The North side of the citie being in length 4500. reedes of six sacred cubites euerie rede the vvest side also and consequently the other two sides east and south in al 18000. reedes which make 36. miâ—les of 1000. passes euerie mile it is certaine that this description agreeth not to the terrestrial citie of Ierusalem which was nothing nere so large And therfore the later Iewish Rabins hold opinion that when their Messias commeth the citie of Ierusalem shal be built so great But al Catholique Doctors vnderstand it mystically of the Church of Christ :: S. Iohn the Apostle had the same vision of this new Ierusalem Christs triumphant Church Apoc. 21. 22. :: The Synagog of the Ievves being left desert Mat. 23. v. 38. Christ is vvith his militant Church al dayes euen to the consummation of the world Mat. vlt. and vvith his Church triumphant illuminating and glorifying it for euer and euer Apoc. 22. v 5. a ch 1. v. 6. b ch 1. v. 3 4. Reg. 20. v. 18. Daniel of the royal bloud c ch 1. v. 1. He vvas most holie d ch 9. v 23. e Ezech. 14. 28. f ch 6. v. 5. most wise and most loyal His booke is excellent but hard to be vnderstood ch 3. v. 24. ch 13. ch 14. Certaine partes of this booke are denied by the Ievves and some others It is probable that these partes were some times in the Hebrew or the Chaldee Obiection out of S. Ierom. First solution Second solution They are proued to be Canonical by the Councels and other Fathers The prayer of Azarias The Hymne of the three children The histore of Susanna The histories of Bel and the Dragon The contents in general Epist ad Paulm In particular Diuided into three partes The first part Actes of Daniel with the other three Hebrevv children and of the kinges of Babylon 4. Reg. 24. v. 1. :: Part of the holie vessels some especial persons vvere caried away but the king was released at this time for he reigned in Ierusalem eight yeares more eleuen in al. 2 Par. 36. v 5. a Daniel as chief vvas an example to the other three children in their maner of life vvherby is also probable that they being al of the tribe of Iuda v. 6. he was nerer of the royal bloud of which some vvere taken into the kings court v. 3. b Three causes moued them to abstayne froÌ„ the kings meates left they might eate any thing offered to i dols or forbid by the lavv of Moyses because such delicare diet might prouok to glâ—tonie or in time when they should be elder to other sinnes Theod. * leanes p 〈…〉 c. c By mention of the first yeare of Cyrus is sufficiently signified that Daniel liued al the time of the captiuitie And â—â— 10. it is farther clere that he liued in the third yeare very like longer :: Nabuchodonosor had this dreame the second yeare after his great conquest of the Moabites Ammonites Syrians Aegyptians making his kingdom a great Monarchie so it vvas in the 25 yeare of his reigne vvhen Daniel vvas about the age of 35. yeares * prosessors of Astrologie :: It is in dede more easie to tel by the diuels helpe what one hath dreamed because dreames being past might either procede from the diuel or by some external signes be knovvne vnto him but to declare the signification which is to come and â—ncertaine iâ— aboue the diuels or mans povvre who can only coniecture what is probable doe often erre therin See the Annotations Gen. 40. :: By shevving the kings former cogitation before his dreame he gaue great assurance of the true spirite of prophecie that the king might securely beleue the interpretation
v. 3. :: This legate vvas sent almost two yeares before to Rome ch 14. v. 24. and now brought letters not only to the Ievves but also to sundrie kinges and peoples in their behalf :: Simon subdued these tvvo tovvnes because they anoyed the Ievves but because they othervvise perteyned not to Iurie he payed for them an hundred talentes :: By the riuer of Cedron ouer which Dauid passed 2. Reg â—â— v. 23. and our Sauiour Ioa. 18. a citie vvas novv built or rather repared being decayed before :: After Simons death his eldest sonne Iohn surnamed Hyrcanus succeeded him in gouernment spiritual and temporal v. 24. :: He beginning to gouerne in the yeare 170. ch 13. v. 41. 42. had difficulties the first last yeares in the rest they had peace To be inebriated signifieth no more but to be repâ—enished vvith drinke competently or abundantly vvithout excesse As Psal 64. v. 10 the earth inebriated and v. 11. riuers inebriated That is abundantly replenished vvithout excesse S. August q. 144. in Gen. :: Out of the booke here mentioned some thinke the fourth booke of Machabees vvas translated See Sixâ—us Seâ—en li. 1. Biblioth pag. â—â— * li. 2. â— â— v. â— This Appendix coÌ„cerning tvvo epistles of the Ievves vvas added to the historie of the first booke by him that vvritte this second e :: As they had vvritten before in their afflictions so novv they exhorte their bretheren to be thankful to God and amongst other meanes to shevv their gratful minde by celebrating the feast of dedication of the nevv altar li 2. â— 4. v. 7. :: It semeth that either this Iudas vvas the first sonne of Iohn Hyrâ—amus othervvise called Aristobolus or rather Iudas Essenus of vvhom ch 2. v. 14. and of vvhom Iosephus vvriteth li. 13. â— 19. :: Chaldea being nere to Persis is sometimes comprehended vnder the same name so Mamertinus in Panagerâ—ca ad Iulia reciteth Tigris and Euphrates amongst the riuers of Persi S. Chrysostom ho. 6. in Math. saith the Ievves vvere deliuered from captiuitie of Perâ—â—s meaning Babylon :: In this fire vvere foure miracles First it vvas not changed into ayre but into vvater v. 20. :: Secondly this vvater being cast on the hostes of sacrifice vvas kindled as fire v. 22. :: Thirdly it burned also being cast vpon stones v. 32. :: Fourth it vvas extinguished by the light that came from the altar v. 32. :: Nephthar signifieth deliuerie vvhich is the effect of purification for the temple other holie thinges being purified were deliuered from prophane vse :: S. Ambrose li 3. c. 14. Offic. vvriteth at large of this miracle Epis Iere. Baruc. 6. :: Neither the tabernacle nor the arke vvere caried avvay by Nabuchodonosor but vvere preserued by some meanes and most like besides the auctoritie of this scripture by Ieremie the propher vvho had spocial fauour of the Babylonians vvhen Ierusalem vvas taken Iere. 39. v. 11. Exâ— 40. 3. Râ—g 8. â—euit 9. 7. 24. :: This semeth to be the same Iudas Essenus vvho vvith others vvritte this epistle ch â— v. 10. * li. 2. c. 15. v. 38. :: After the auctor had written this Appendix to the former booke he resolued also to adde an abridgement of the vvhole historie vvherunto he maketh this Preface signifying the matter vvherof he vvil vvrite v. 20. in vvhat maner v. 24. and why v 25. auouching his diligence v. 26. vvith breuitie v. 29. A :: God assisting the vvtiâ—ers of diuine histories doth not alvvayes deliuer them from labour in seeking to knovv the same of sueh as knew particular thinges So S Luke vvritte the Gospel hauing diligently attained to al thinges Luc. 1. v. 3. * exact declaration * li. 1. c. 1. v. 1. The first part The persecution of the Church by Antiochus :: Three thinges make a coÌ„monwealth to be in good state C 1 Good agreement of principal men amongst themselues with the commonaltie 2 Exact obseruation of good lavves 3 And eminent vertue of the supreme gouernour vvith exercise of pietie and hate of sinnes Other three thinges do truble the state Obstinacie in offenders not content to be corrected 2 Inueterate malice seking reuenge against iust Superiors 3. and auarice of princes to robbe the holie or common treasure :: These virgins remained in places nere to the temple brought vp in exercises of pietie fasting and praying til they were despoused 1. Reg. 2. v. 22. S. Amb. li. 1. de virgine S. Greg. Nissen Orat. de Christ Natiuit S. Damas li. 4. c. 13. :: 4. Reg. 2. v. 11. A firie chariotte and firie horses caried Elias from Elizeus 4. Reg. 6. v. 17. And the mountaine appeared ful of horses and of firie chariots round about Elizeus no lesse strange then this vision See S. Ambrose li. 2. c 29. offic discoursing vpon this historie :: It is the common practise of al traytors to calumniate and defame good gouerners And the best remedie a gainst such seducers is by auctoritie of Superior povvre not by the people vvho are commonly more prone to fauour faction then iustice * li. 1. c. 1. v. 11. E :: VVhere true Religion is abolished most men neglect al shew of religion and rather applie themselues to vanities or woise sinnes * li. 1. c. 1. v. 17. G :: This king falsly pretended to restore his kinsman his sisters sonne to the kingdom being depriued by his younger brother Liuius li. 44 but the true cause of his sending Apolonius into Aegypt was to subdue that kingdom to himself 1. Mach. 1. v. 17. :: Menelaus brother of Simon v. 23 of the tribe of Beniamin ch 3. v. 4. vvas not by the law capable of the priesthood which only perteined to the progenie of Aaron of the tribe of Leui So in this trublesome time the right succession of high priestes was intermitted and restored in Mathathias li. 1. c. 2. :: True and solide vertue moued the common people to compassion the King himself to teares the Tyrians to honour the bodies of the innocent with costlie burial v. 49. :: Strange thinges aboue the ordinarie course of nature doe euer signifie Gods vvrath for mens transgression and are admonitions to turne from sinne vvith spede that vve may escape the heauie hand of Gods iustice So the Emperour Charles the Great interpreted the apparition of a great Comete as vvitnesseth Fasciculus temporum Lacedemonians othervvise called Spartians descended from the stocke of Abraham li. 1. c. 12. v. 2. * li. 1. c. 1. v. 21. I ch 3. v. 23. 27. :: Al rites of religion vvith temples and other holie thinges are ordayned to the Seruice of God and for mens spiritual good and therfore vvhen men cease to serue God as holie thinges are destroyed or taken avvay :: Iudas vvas the tenth lawful highpriest from the Monarchie of the Grecians :: Sanaballat in the time of Alexander the great procured a temple to be built in Garizim like to that in Ierusalem An other was
this armie differeth from the number here recorded the cause is for that sometimes those only are counted vvhich vvere permanent sometimes others are also counted vvhich came vncertainly The like difficulties of differences occurre often in the bookes of kinges and Paralipomenon :: The vvatch word this night was The victorie of God * li. 1. c. 7. v. 1. Y :: Alcimus was of Aarons stock li. 1. c 7. v. 14. but for this apostasie here mentioned was vncapable of high priesthood so Matthathias vvas ordayned being of the same progenie and most sincere in religion * a golden bough :: This description of the Assideans made by their malicious enimie in calumnious and odious termes sheweth vvel their singular zele sinceritie in promoting Gods seruice And so their aduersaries malignant accusations more against them then al others is a plaine testimonie of their more rate and more singular vertues * li. 1. â— 7. v. 26. a :: Apostates and politikes make their gayne by spoyling the faithful :: Nicanor a right worldlie politike a figure of Pilate and of such temporizing Iudges counsellers and courtiers as lacke zele in religion :: They knevv not precisely vvhere Iudas vvas neither vvould they search for him to deliuer him to the persecutor :: Bacchus called also Liber and by manie other names feaned by infidels to be auctor and god of wine And therfore drunkards dedicate feastes temples to him :: S. Augustin epist 61. ad Dulâ—itium l. 2. c. 23. ad epist 2. Gaud discussing thâ—â— fact saith the helie scripture dotâ— tel it not praise it As to be admired not to be imitated that either it vvas not vvel done by him or at least is not conuenient in this time of grace * li. 1. c. 7. v. 39. c :: Pâ—ophane men make their aduantage of religious mens good conscience but Iudas rightly instructed in this case defended his iust cause also in the sabbath li. 1. c. 3. v. 40. :: O Luciferian blasphemie :: This dreame was from God as the effect shevved And Iudas knevv also that it so was by internal inspiration as Ioseph Mat. 1. v 20. vvas assured of his dreames :: Ieremie ch 38. v. 17. persvvaded the king of Iuda to yeld himself vvith the citie and people to the Chaldees and not to resist But novv he deliuereth a svvord to Iudas exhorting him to fight according to Gods vvil in diuers cases and times for there is a time of vvare and a time of peace Eccle 3. v 8. :: Gods honour holie thinges are first and principally to be respected before vvordlie freindes though they also must be regarded in due order and place 4. Reg. 19. li. â— c 8. v. 1. c. f :: More being vvritten in the first booke this auctor maketh one conclusion of al because other persecuters being also ouercome the land was againe caulme after stormes Prayer of Sainctes is euidently proued by this place It is also proued by manie other holie Scriptures Neither is this place to be omitted The auctor of this booke asketh pardon for his stile not for the doctrine nor historie But the auctors of these Annotations crane pardon for al defectes Gods true Seruice hath alvvayes continued in the visible Church Faith in one God is the ground of al religion The B. Trinitie reueled to some and vttered obscurely in the old testament Distinction of Persons in one God The Father The Sonne The Holie Ghost Other places proue pluralitie of Persons in God The mysterie of Christs Incarnation is more frequent more plaine in the holie Scriptures especially in the Prophetes Ieremie Baruch Ezechiel Daniel Aggeus Zacharias Malachias Also the bookes of wisdom Ecclesiasticus Machabees Prophecies figures of the B virgin mother of God Angeles excel corporal creatures in multitude And in powre They helpe men and are lavvfully inuocated by men Diuels hating God and al mankind neuer cease to tempt men to sinne They seke to be honored vvith sacrifice Sacrifice is the proper seruice of God Sacrifice of the new testament in al places More pure and excellent then the old The old ceased and the new succeded which shad also be abandoned by Antichrist Transsubstantiation confessed by Rabbins Baptisme Penane Holie orders Feastes Fastes ordinarie And extraordinarie Abstinence Forme of good life prescribed in the sapiential bookes The ascending by steppes 〈◊〉 from earth to heauen â— Ioan. 2. VVithout Gods grace preuenting no man can thinke or do anie thing meritorious 2. Cor. 3. Confidence of good vvorkes done in grace Voluntarie vovves like to Euangelical connsels Perpetual virginitie Prayers of Sainctes Reliques Holie vesseles Signe of the Crosse Prayer for the dead Resurrection Iudgement Euerlasting punishment and eternal reward The coming of Elias conuersion of the Iewes The state of the Church in the times of heathen Monarchies in general Their state in the captiuitie King Iechonias â—nâ—â— sedeâ—h High-priest vvere in Babylon before the vvhole nation vvas captiue Iechonias intertayned in captiuitie as a prince Daniel vvith other three children were caried before â—niâ— of the kinges into Baoylon They vvere singularly esteemed Sometimes in danger But preserued by God Ieremie prophecied in Ierusalem and in Aegypt Ezechiel and Daniel in Babylon The Monarchie of Medes and Persians Cyruslicensed the Ievves to returne and build vp their temple Prophecie of Christ after seuentie vveekes Mardocheus Esther Aman. Iudith Aggeus and Zachatias The 〈◊〉 more glorious in the nevv testament Malachie The Grecian Monarchie King Alexander honored Iaddus the Highpriest The schismatical temple in â—atizim An other schismatical temple in Aegypt The Seuentie tvvo Interpreters Prophane lerning florished amongst the Crecians but they erred excedingly in matters of Religion Primum principium Sammum â—oâ—um Pithagorians Stoikes Achademikes Peripatetikes Epicures The assured fayth of the Church the citie of God Psal 93 1. Cor. 3. The Machabees professed the same Antiochus his Edict Martyres for this fayth For circumcision For keeping the Sabbath For abstayning from svvines flessh Holie vvarres for the Church and religion Matthathias Iudas Machabeus A religious prayer The temple clensed Antiochus dyed miserably Niâ—â—or â—laine Iudas dyed gloriously Ionathas Altimus dyed miserably Simon Ioannes Hyrcanus The Romane Monarchic Hered the first strange king of the Iewes He enlarged the temple But sold the office of Highpriest This king was a signe of Christs coming The genealogie of Christ from the captiuitie pag. 939 Succession of Highpriestes pag. 713. 939. The true suecession continued also in the times of vsurpers A petition to IESVS CHRIST 2. Paral. 33. v. 12. 4. Reg. 23. v. 21. 2. Paral. 35. v. 1. Exo. 12. Leuit. 23. Num. 28. 4. Reg. 23. v. 29. 2. Paral. 35. v. 20. 4. Reg. 23. v. 30. 2. Par. 36. v. 1. 4. Reg. 24. v. 1. v. 17. Iere. 37. v. 2. Iere. 25. v. 12. 29. v. 10. Dan. 9. v. 2. 2. Paral. 36. v. 22. 2. Esd 1. v. 1. 6. v. 3. Iere. 26. v. 12.