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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	ancient_a	church_n	faith_n	1,854	5	5.2308	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41681	The court of gentiles. Part III, The vanity of pagan philosophy demonstrated from its causes, parts, proprieties, and effects, namely pagan idolatrie, Judaic apostasie, gnostic infusions, errors among the Greek fathers, specially Origen, Arianisme, Pelagianisme, and the whole systeme of papisme or antichristianisme : distributed into three parts, mystic, scholastic, and canonic theologie / by Theophilus Gale.	Gale, Theophilus, 1628-1678.	1677 (1677)	Wing G141; ESTC R10994	239,335	264

exactly conformable to Jezebel's Baalim As Mede on 2 Pet. 2.1 Diatrib 3. Edit 1. pag. 548. excellently shews us Here note saith he that wheresoever you read in Scripture of the Idolatrie of Jeroboam's Calves and of Ahab's Baalim think of what I have told you and know that whatsoever God speakes against these things there the same he speaks of the Apostate Christians under Rome whose case is the very same The Holy Ghost placeth the essence of the great Apostasie under the Man of Sin in Idolatrie and spiritual fornication c. 2. The Apostasie of the Jewish Church after the Babylonian Captivitie had in like manner its foundation in Pagan Philosophie The Apostasie of the Jewish Church after the Captivitie from Pagan Philosophie It 's true the Jews after their Captivitie were professed enemies to Idolatrie for which they had been so severely punished yet had they great Errors and Corruptions which they sucked in together with the Grecian Philosophie For look as the Grecians Pythagoras Plato c. received the chief Rudiments and Elements of their Philosophie from the Jewish Church so the Jews when they came to live under the Grecian Monarchie began to symbolise with their new Lords in Wisdome and Philosophie We find little of Pagan Philosophie in use amongst the Jews before the Captivitie save only some few pieces of the Mathematics which we may presume they had from the Phenicians or the Egyptians or as learned Dr Owen conceives from the Chaldeans and made use of in their Idolatrous Worship But after the Captivitie when they became subject to their Grecian Lords they soon drank in the Grecian Philosophie which proved the corruption yea subversion of their Divine Theologie This the pious and devote amongst them foresaw and therefore in the time of the Hasmoneans or Macchabees there was a Decree made That whosoever taught his Son the Grecian Philosophie should be accursed Which notwithstanding could not prevent the inundation of Grecian Philosophie on the Jewish Church to the infinite prejudice of their Sacred Theologie as it 's wel observed by Grotius on Col. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do not wonder saies he that in the times of the Hasmoneans there was a decree made That he should be cursed that taught his Son the Grecian Philosophie not that it was in it self evil to know it but in that they saw much danger therein And truely we must confesse that after the Jews gave up themselves to the studie of Greek Books their ancient Doctrine was much sophisticated It 's confest that the Jews before the Captivitie had very much perverted their Doctrine Esa 47.10 according to Esa 47.10 Thy wisdome and knowlege hath perverted thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. caused thee to turne aside But after their returne from Babylon there was an universal Reformation made by Esra and others both as to Doctrine and Discipline which continued til this new soundation of Apostasie was laid by the mixing Grecian Philosophie with their Doctrine This is wel observed by Owen Theol. lib. 5. cap. 14. The Jewish Doctors before the Babylonian Captivitie seem according to what mention we sind to have received none of the Exotic literature or sciences excepting the Mathematics which they seem to have received from the Chaldeans and to have abused to Idolatrous uses For al human Wisdome is prone to Pride and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superstition specially when it fals upon a Mind not brought into obedience to the Truth For that Grecian Philosophie being by degrees brought into the Church it speedily turned to the ruine of the more pure Theologie Hence they whose Religion consisted only in Faith and Obedience began to erect Scholes altogether unlike those over which the ancient Prophets presided and to sal into Sects The names of Plato and Aristotle were not more famose amongst the rout of Grecian disputers than those of Shammai Hillel c. amongst the Jews Now the Corruptions that crept into the Jewish Theologie by its commixture with the Grecian Philosophie may be reduced to these three heads 1 Their Cabalistic Mythologie Tie Jewish Cabala from the Grecian Symbolic Philosophie 2 Their Pharisaic and Talmudic Dochrines and Traditions 3 Their Eristic or contentiose Disputations 1. As for the Jewish Cabala or Cabalistic Mythologie it seems to be exactly framed in imitation of the Grecian Mythologie and Symbolic mode of Philosophising It 's true the Jewish Church had even from its first Institution its choisest Mysteries delivered in Symbols Parables Enigmes and other terrene shadows whence we need no way dout the Pagan Philosophers Egyptians Phenicians and Grecians traduced their Mythologic and Enigmatic modes of Philosophising These the Jews when they came under the Grecian Governement so far fel in love with as that despising their own Sacred Oracles and Mysteries by reason of their simplicitie they clothe them with a new Grecian habit or fabulose garb which they cal their Cabala or mystic sense by virtue whereof they in a short time grew as skilful in coming Fables as ever the Grecians were This Jewish Cabala was so called from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receive for as the office of the Rabbi or Doctor was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deliver so that of the Disciple was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receive which sometimes also was expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hear Whence the Cabalistes were wont to expresse the Traditions of their Doctors by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wise said answerably to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he said it in the Pythagorean Schole Reuchlin de Arte Cabalist l. 3. p. 51. assures us That the Judaic Cabala is nothing else but their Symbolic Theologie wherein not only Letters and Names are signes of things but also things of things The Papists make their Anagogic sense of Scripture correspondent to the Judaic Cabala Some refer the Origine of this Cabalistic sense of Scripture to the Angel Raziel's consolation given to Adam in Paradise after his Fal as Reuchlin others to Moses as Johan Picus Mirand others to Esra as Paulus Fagius But I conceive it no difficult task to demonstrate that this Cabalistic Symbolic Explication of Scripture found no place in the Judaic Theologie ' til the Pythagorean and Platonic Philosophie was incorporated therewith And indeed Johannes Picus that noble Earle of Mirandula and prodigiose Scholar seems to grant this our Hypothesis by acknowleging the assinitie of the Jewish Cabala to the Pythagorean and Platonic Philosophie So learned Reuchlin de Art Cabalist pag. 22 23. makes this Cabalistic Theologie the same with the Pythagorean Doctrine Hence also the Gnostics and Valentinians imbibed their Mystic Theologie as hereafter § 7. These Cabalistes making it their main studie to comment on the Sacred Text mingled according to the Grecian Mode so many Fables therewith as that little of the Divine Character appeared there was no Text so clear so Historic but they brought it under

and which their natures stil retained some Physical and more remote capacitie unto they studied al wayes possible to recover the same in order whereto having acquired some broken Jewish Traditions of that new model of Religion God was pleased to vouchsafe unto his Church they hoped by the improvement of their own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commun principes on these rudiments or foundations received from the Jewish Church to erect a new frame or bodie of Natural Divinitie in lieu of that which they found themselves deprived of Which designe of theirs proved altogether abortive yea so far were these blind Philosophers from reaching their End of attaining a new edition of that Natural Theologie they had lost by the Fal as that al their attemts and studies in order hereto serve only the more effectually to envelop and entangle them in grosser ignorance Atheisme Superstition and Idolatrie This has been excellently opened to us by Owen Theolog. lib. 1. cap. 7. where having laid open the designe of the new Platonists after the breaking forth of the Gospel to reforme Philosophie so as to make it a Vicarious Natural Theologie he addes the same of the Pythagorean Philosophie Al that ancient Wisdome saith he of Pythagoras consisted in a way for the Institution of Religion I confesse the whole of that Philosophie savored of Idolatrie superstition which yet retained some obscure Images and Characters of the Truth The event therefore answered not this famose attemt yea by these undertakings Natural Theologie was more corrupted rather than repaired Such were the miserable effects of their proud and vain attemts by which hoping and endeavoring to restore themselves to their ancient inheritance of Natural Theologie founded on the Covenant of Workes and possessed by their first Parents in the Golden age of Innocence they fel into greater bondage of Superstition and Idolatrie But to treat more particularly of the corruption of this Philosophic Natural Theologie we shal consider it 1 In its Ultimate object 2 In its Mediate object 3 In its parts § 2. As for the ultimate and supreme Object of their Metaphysics or Natural Theologie it was God the first Eternal Being The corruption of Natural Theologie as to its ultimate object God and last end of althings And here it cannot be denied but that the Pythagoreans and Platonists after them had many good Metaphysic Contemplations of God as the first Being and last End also of his Divine Perfections and Ideas as we shal Demonstrate Part. 4. B. 2. Yet these their Metaphysic notions of God were not without great mixture of vanitie and corruption For 1 few or none understood their own Philosophic notions touching God their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Philosophers understood not their own notions of God nor how he was the Author of Eternal Life c. but receiving the foundations of these Metaphysic Contemplations from Scriptural Traditions as Exod. 3.14 or the like they Philosophised thereon without right conception of the things of which they discoursed This seems more than hinted in Paul's observation touching the Athenian Altar To the unknown God Act. 17.23 That there was a God the wiser of these blind Grecians knew partly by Tradition partly by the improvement of their own commun Principes but what or who this God was that was to them a thing unknown and therefore some suppose Saturne to be this one God i. e. Adam or Noah others cal him Jupiter Hammon i.e. Cham and others of them could reach no farther than the Sun whom they supposed to be the most gloriose Creature and therefore God The wisest of them knew not where to find or what to make of this God on which they thus Philosophised They only groped after him as Act. 17.27 1 Cor. 1.21 So 1 Cor. 1.21 For after that in the wisdome of God the world by wisdome knew not God i.e. By al their Metaphysic wisdome whether Traditional or acquired from the improvement of their Natural Principes they could not come to any right Idea or true notion of God what he was and where to be found 'T is true they had some general speculations of him as the first Being self Being infinite eternal and most simple Being c. yet they knew him not as the Author and Object of Eternal Life as Joh. 17.3 whence al their knowlege of him proved altogether vain and unprofitable This Grotius makes the import of Paul's declamation against the vain deceit of Philosophie principally the Pythagoreans Col. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take diligent heed Col. 2.8 look wel to it It notes that men are very prone to fal into this snare and therefore ought to take the more heed That no one spoil you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is interpreted by Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no one strip you naked Vain Philosophie strips men naked of their best Robes namely the Righteosenesse of Christ and saving Knowlege of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Militarie notion deduced by Critics from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prey or spoil taken in War from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to spoil and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lead Whence it primarily notes to lead or carry away by an armed power in an hostile manner Thus many Pythagorising Gnostics seduced and led captive many carnal professors and stript them naked of their Christian Doctrines by vain Philosophie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He useth saith Grotius the Greek word Philosophie because it was received but it truly deceived men for either it did not promise Eternal Life or else it shewed not the true and certain way which leadeth thither So that in truth al their fine-spun Metaphysic Contemplations of God the first Eternal and al-sufficient Being were as to them altogether vain and uselesse because they had no regard to God as the Author Object Mater and Way to Eternal Life 2. They had no true knowlege of the Trinitie which they were wholly ignorant of 2 Much lesse had these Pagan Philosophers any true notions of the Trinitie This great Mysterie of Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie was altogether hid from them I shal not denie but that these blind Heathens specially the wiser of them might have some very dark and imperfect Traditions concerning a Trinitie whence some conceive that great Oriental maxime How far they had notices of a Trinitie which Pythagoras brought with him into Grece touching God that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One and many was but some broken Jewish Tradition of the Trinitie We may grant also that the Platonists had some weak corrupt Traditions of three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hypostases or Persons which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trinitie whereof the first was by them named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father The second Person they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word