had we have had hundreds and the Gospell of Christ hath lasted longer than both their Temples with all their Jewish Policie yea for Numbers of each side we have and yet doe exceede them by millions PAR. 13. ONce more I returne from my By-pathes and Diversions The Passeover continued all the dayes of the prosperity during the second Temple nor did the Annuall sacrifice cease at Hierusalem whilst the Temple was purified yet must you not thinke that the proper Passeover was tyed and fastned to the Temple but rather the Sacrifices of the feast belonging to the Passeover It is a confessed and yet proved truth that the Passeover was not bound to be slaine and eaten in the Temple but might be must be performed in their private houses at Hierusalem but the rest of all the Sacrifices which were to be offered during the feast of unleavened bread which endured seven dayes all those were commanded as well as other Sacrifices to be killed in the Temple at Hierusalem Deut. 12.13 Take heede to thy selfe that thou offer not thine offerings in every place that thou seest but in the place which thy Lord shall chuse in one of thy Tribes There thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings and there shalt thou doe all that I command thee ver 14. I will not deny but sometimes upon some extraordinary occasions the Passeover might be slaine in the Temple but that was not often or necessary-legall nor might ever or was it ever eaten there but in any other part of the City PAR. 14. MArke the judgements of God in these two points though many are most observable First he who undertooke and performed to keepe their Cities during their absence at Hierusalem whilest they truely served him the same Almighty God caused the Romans to fall upon their Cities and to besiege Hierusalem whilest they were there when once their sinnes were come to maturity Iosephus de Bello Iudaico 6.4 is either wronged by transcribers or wrong in his account which is not likely when he saith that the day of unleavened bread fell on the 14. of Aprill The City was full of people observant of the Passeover and Titus besieged them and they valiantly beate him off One of the 3. Factions viz. the Zelotes were slaine upon the day of unleavened bread every one of them by Iochanan the head of other mutiners who closely sent armed men into the Temple and filled it with blood They broke the Covenant and therefore the bond betweene God and them was now of none effect Nor was the siege ended till toward the end of September the Temple being fired and the people in it on the tenth day of August even the same day that it had beene burnt once before by the King of Babylon as Baronius collecteth from Iosephus the City was burned after and mount Sion forced on the Sabbath day being the 8. of September A stone was not left upon a stone in Hierusalem The second point which I observe is this that whereas the Jewes cryed fiercely when they would have Christ crucified His blood bee on us and on our Children Mat. 27.25 Titus as the Jewes were taken even five hundred a day and more caused them all to be crucified Ita ut jam spatium Crucibus deesset corporibus Cruces so that there was not roome for crosses nor crosses enough for their bodies as Iosephus an eye-witnesse relateth it de Bello Iudaico 6.12 Lastly I have either credibly heard or read that whereas Christ was sold for 30. pieces of silver the Captive Jewes were sold 30. of them for one piece of silver and more particularly for Iudas Rupertus observeth that for the 30 pieces of silver which Iudas tooke to betray Christ he had just as many Curses Prophetically denounced against him Psal 109.6 c. though I will not avouch that Rupertus hitteth the exact number or that every curse in that Psalme is appropriated to Judas onely excluding all other of Davids enemies Yet I dare say most of them fully reflect upon Iudas So much concerning this sixth Ceremony this durable Rite that the Passeover was to be kept in Hierusalem onely after the Temple was once erected The Prayer MOst infinite and incomprehensible God sometimes above all the rest of the world in Iury wert thou knowne thy Name was great in Israel in Salem was thy Tahernacle and thy dwelling place in Syon Salvation was of the Jewes unto the Jewes were committed the Oracles of God and the Sacraments of the old Law but blessed be the glory of thy mercy to us the partition wall is now broken downe and thou O blessed Saviour didest dye out of the gates of Hierusalem with thy face to us-ward and the houre now is when the true worshipper shall worship the father in Spirit and in Truth and that not in Hierusalem alone or in any other especiall mountaine or valley but every where art thou called upon and every where art praysed The heathen adore thee O God and the Islands rebound thankes unto thee for enlarging thy Kingdome for spreading thy armes of mercy to embrace them and for bringing them unto thy fold O blessed Saviour the onely shepheard of our Soules O Jesus Christ the Righteous who didst give thy life for thy sheepe and who by tasting death for all men doest bring us to life againe All prayse honour and glory be ascribed unto thee the most holy indivisible Trinity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHP. XII The Contents of the twelfth Chapter 1. The Paschall Lambe was to be eaten in one house and slaine not in the Temple but in the house commonly More Lambes might be eaten in one great house It might not be eaten without doores No Salvation without the Church Schisme is forbidden 2. Not onely the Priests but the people of Israel might kill the Paschall-Lambe the people might not slay any other Sacrifice Nor the Levites ordinarily but the Priest onely Every one in the Congregation of Israel did not slay the Passeover but the Chiefe in one houshold Maymonides rejected Bellarmine truely avoucheth this duty of offering the Paschall-Lambe to belong to the priviledges of the first-borne before Aaron or his sonnes were chosen to be Priests 3. The Levites might offer the Sacrifice of the Passeover for the Priests if the Priests were not sanctified and the Priests might slay the Paschall-Lambe for the people if the people were not sanctified 4. Whether the head of the family himselfe must of Necessity slay the Passe-over or whether he might depute another in his place Barradius rejected for saying Christ himselfe slew the Passeover 5. A strange story out of Suidas 6. The Apostles prepared the Passeover before Christ came 7. The Passeover was not slaine at the Altar neere the Temple 8. The roasting of it whole is another fixed Ceremony 9. They were to eate it roasted with fire 10. They were not to eate it raw 11. Not sodden at all with water 12. The head was to
Christ by bodily prostration after they knew he was humanatus-Deus the Sonne of God yea God in our Flesh He expected it not The occasions did not so permit it He sent them He sate with them He did eate and drinke ordinary food with them He washed their feete At which times bodily adoration was not could not be well performed Christ held it worship enough at some times that they did confesse him to be God and Lord My Lord and my God saith Thomas Joh. 20.28 Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God saith Peter Matth. 16.16 We beleeve and are sure Thou art That Christ Joh. 6.69 It was well accepted from them That they did worship him in Spirit and Truth Joh. 4.24 If their mindes and soules had gotten an habituall adoration of him the expression of it by continuall prostration was not necessary 1. But first when Christ had newly performed some superhumane workes they did as they were bound Worship him Matth. 17.6 At the Transfiguration when they heard a voyce from Heaven They fell on their faces At the great draught of fishes overlading their ship Peter fell downe at Iesus knees Luk. 5.8 And others might doe so at other times though it be left unmentioned 2. When they begged great matters They worshipped him The woman of Canaan seeking for helpe Worshipped him Matth. 15.25 The mother of Zebedees children craving a boone Worshipped him Matth. 20.20 3. When Christ did actually heale some who were vehemently afflicted They did adore him The healed Samaritan fell downe on his face at Christs feete Luk. 17.16 4. Lastly it was fit to adore him when he extraordinarily conferred on their soules greater blessings to the saving and inriching them with all necessary graces At such times and seasons did they ought they too Adore him And thus did he doe to them when he gave them the consecrated food of his Body and Blood when he instituted a new Sacrament for the good of their soules And therefore I doubt not but they did Then Adore him according as the excellency of the gift required Therefore Kneeling being a Gesture of Piety as M. Hooker fitly tearmeth it an Adorative Gesture and above all Gestures most frequent in use to worship God I conclude with some degree of certainty and with the cleerest probability That when Christ administred the consecrated Eucharist unto his Apostles they Kneeled at least if they did not fall down on their Faces and worship him And yet if they did fall down to the Ground they first fell on their Knees and Kneeling was the way and meanes of their prostration and they arose not up without Kneeling Let any one give me one instance where ever any Church at any time did like or prescribe that any one might receive the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist Sitting or Lying all along except such as were unable to kneele till these later times of Singularity and Innovation and I shall give them thankes Tertullian de Oratione cap. 12. Irreverens est assidere sub conspectu contraque conspectum ejus quem cum maximè reverearis ac venereris quanto magis sub conspectu Dei vivi Angelo adhuc Orationis astante factum istud irreligiosissimum est nisi exprobramus Deo quod oratio nos fatigaverit It is irreverent among men to sit in his sight and against him face to face whom you do most revere and worship But this is more a most irreverent fact to Sit in the sight of the living God the Angell that heareth and offereth up our prayers Standing still there unlesse we object it against God that prayer hath tyred us And is it likely that the Apostles at the Receiving of the stupendious mysteries from the hands of their Saviour then present blessing the Elements giving Thankes to God working miraculously fore-signifying his Death and Crucifixion with the breaking of his Body and powring out of his Blood and giving himselfe unto them after a new way lastly lifting them up then from consideration of things earthly to the enjoying of things heavenly I say is there so much as a shadow of likelihood that they did not worship him Even Balaam advised Balack to stand at his Burunt-offering whilst Balaam met the Lord further off Num. 23.15 and Balak obeyed him for Behold he stood by his Burnt-offering vers 17. And yet it is likely that Balak did sometimes Sit for vers 18. It is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surge not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in the Septuagint Balaam as it were dislikeing Sitting in sacred offices Even the unweildly Eglon arose out of his seat when Ehud said to him I have a message from God unto thee Judges 3.20 And he was another King of Moab Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration of the death of Gorgonia his sister saith When she was afflicted with an incurable disease by night she hastened to the Church and lying Prostrate before the Altar so earnestly prayed before the venerable Sacrament that she was presently cured calling upon him who is Worshipped on the Altar And can we think she did not fall down on her knees at least when her selfe received the sacred Food of her soule Eusebius Emissenus Homilia 5. de Paschate saith The Sacrament was instituted ut coleretur Christus jugiter per mysterium That Christ might be continually worshipped by the mystery Origen Homilia 13. in Exodum Nostis qui divinis mysteris interesse consuevistis you who use to be present at the Divine Mysteries do know that when ye receive the Body of the Lord ye heed unto it with all fearefull cautiousnesse and worship least any thing of it fall Again Contra Celsum 8. about the middle of the book With prayers and thanksgiving for the benefits received do we eat the sacred Bread And did they not neele either when they prayed or when they received In the next place followeth the binding argument from the book of Advertisements set forth by Queen Elizabeths command 1584 and printed by Thomas Dawson in the Articles for administration of Prayers and Sacraments We appoint Now follow the words That all Communicants do receive Kneeling and as it is appointed by the Lawes of the Realme and the Queenes Majesties Injunctions Lastly let men consider themselves and their own natures and they shall find that the body of Man was not ordained of God to serve only nor principally for naturall necessities It is indeed as a stranger to percolate our Bread Meats and Drinks but it hath many faire offices and more spirituall The Face framed with erected eyes to look up to Heaven The Heart to meditate on it The Hands being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the instruments of instruments to work righteousnesse and are not the Knees Omni cardine versatiliora more pliable flexible and turning than any hooks or hinges whereby we may easily fall down and worship God and easily arise to prayse him and do him service Let me speak in Tertullians phrases
may be called a Mountaine a fruitfull Mountaine for us from which this stone was taken without hands or the ayde of man not without the overshadowing of the Holy-Ghost Shee was Virgo à viro virgo a partâ—s semper virgo Avirgin free from a man a virgin after shee had brought forth a man alwaies a virgin maugre the hellish opposition of the Jewes Virgo concipies virgo pariet Virgo quà virgo A Virgin shall conceive a Virgin shall bring forth a Virgin a true Virgin PAR. 9. YEa but say the Jewes Gnalmah doth not signifie a virgin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I answer 1 challenging them to shew a place where it meaneth a female young childe or a gristle of three or foure yeares old as they expound it and therefore say that Christ should have beene borne of such a childish girle if God would shew his extraordinary power Gnelem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is constantly taken for a youth or stripling not for a tender bread and butter boy of three or foure years unable to put on his owne clothes 1 Sam. 20.35 Jonathan tooke a little lad with him yet was he not so little or young as a trimulus or quadrimulus but a Lad of fourteene or fifteene yeares or thereabouts a pretty page for Ionathan gave his Artillery to the Lad and said Goe carry them to the City verse 40. which a small child could not doe So Gnalmah is commonly taken for a Virgin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Woman about twelve yeares of age or more in annis adolescentiae virgo a virgin in the yeares of her youth Exod. 2.4 5. Moses his sister who was to watch the motion of the Arke of bulrushes is called Gnalmah But a child of three or foure yeares of age could never so handsomely have insinuated her selfe into the company of Pharaoh his daughter nor have wrought her mothers and her owne desires and her brothers good so ingeniouslie so suddenly capiens consilium e're nata cooperating with so faire an oportunity Who would trust so little a child with so great a matter as for to negotiate for the life of a child and to prevent the effusion of blood Shee had beene impar negotio unfit for such a businesse if she had beene so young infrarem commissam unworthy for so great a charge Againe Gen. 24.43 Rebekah was able to draw water out of a well which is no worke for small children especially to satisfie both man and beasts especially the vast camels which when they do drinke drinke very much yet she is called Gnalmah a virgin faire very faire neither had any man knowne her saith the Spirit of God vers 16. implying shee might have beene knowne before as a little while after shee was knowne by man in holy wedlocke The pitcher also on her shoulder probablizeth that it was a great pitcher greater than little payles carried in womens hands and so unfit to be borne by a girle of foure yeares See more in Pagnine who citeth to this purpose Gnalmah being used for a full growne virgin Prov. 30.19 Cant. 1.3 and other places The Prophet Esaias by that word virginem adolesculam aetaie parituram veluit dicere did meane a virgin a young one yet so old that she might be fit to bring forth a child If he had called her Bethulah and onely so status tantum non etiam aetatis nomen fuisset it had beene a name onely of condition and not of age it might have betokened a very young virgin But let any shew me any one place where ever Gnalmah was used for a Virgin under five yeares I confesse a child may be said to be foemina a woman as foemina a woman is opposed to mas a man and a child of two yeares of age may be said to be Virgo a Virgin as Virgo a Virgin is opposed to Marita or Maritata a married Woman or Vxor a Wife or Concubina a Concubine but so it is not here The conclusion then is this Let Christ be borne as was foretold by Ieremy and Esay he must be borne of a pure Virgin nubilis marriageable and fit for such a worke and might not be borne of a child of three or foure yeares PAR. 10. I Hope I have stopped the mouthes of the barking Jewes May I now proceed Yet two or three things I must adde out of Porchetus his victory against the Hebrewes Part. 2. c. 14. fol. 81. De virginitate Matris Dei whereas the Jewes object that Christs holy mother never called him Emmanuel but Jesus tota Christianitas all Christendome calls him Jesus and not Emmannel Porchetus answereth aliud est nomen naturae aliud impositionis the name of nature is one thing and the name of imposition another For Nature giving a forme gives a name as the name of Man is man for he is called a man from the nature of man which he doth participate So the Messiah our Lord Jesus Christ is called Emmanuel that is God is with us and is called GOD and man by the Holy Spirit and his Mother and is so beleeved of all Christians because hee partaked of two Natures the Divine and the Humane But Jesus was the name of our Saviour secundum impositionem by imposition Emmanuel and other names according to the condition of both Natures and so nothing is amisse Againe they sometimes called him one name sometimes another Andrew calls him Messiah Iohn 1.41 Peter called him Iesus Act. 2.22 and singly Christ Act. 2.30 31. and Jesus Christ of Nazareth Act. 3.6 and the same Jesus is both Lord and Christ Act. 2. â—6 That Jesus is the Christ the sonne of God saith Iohn 20.31 Hee was called sometimes God sometimes Lord Thomas stiled him His Lord and his God Iohn 20.28 Thou shalt call his name Iesus saith the Angel to the blessed Virgin Mat. 1.21 and they shall call his name Emmanuel saith the same Angel vers 23. or his name shall be called Emmanuel as others translate it how was this Angelicall prediction fulfilled if they did not sometimes call him Emmanuel God Angels do not prophesie false things PAR. 11. THe second is out of Mahomets Alcoran Mary said how shall I have a child when a man hath not touched mee nor have I beene lascivious The Angel from God answered This is easie for mee both to make a miracle for men and mercy from my selfe And so it came to passe shee kept her selfe chast Et insufflavimus in eum de spiritu nostro and wee breathed into him of our Spirit saith God So much Mahomet himselfe confesseth When the Devill speaketh truth will the Iew continue incredulous Ebi Horarai the fellow of Mahomet heard Mahomet say None is borne whom Satan toucheth not when he is borne and therefore the child cryeth except Mary and her Sonne Much more hee addeth to good purpose as that May as a Virgin brought forth a Saviour c. But the words of Saint Augustine
to be thought a fancie because the word Second is not expressed The Scripture is not tyed to termes of method or number I have many things to say saith Christ Iohn 8.26 I have yet many things to say unto you Iohn 16.12 but yee cannot beare them now So Christ spake not all things but concealed some Likewise also Christ Jesus did many other signes and them truly in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this booke Iohn 20.30 And after this Iohn 21 25. There are also many other things which Iesus did which if they should be written every one in particular I suppose the world it selfe could not containe the bookes which should be writeen But lest these words may leave a scruple in mens consciences they are to know that the world doth not comprehend here the whole earth much lesse heaven and earth but is used for a great compasse onely as some do opine And they have a parallell For it was promised to Abraham that hee should be heire of the world Rom. 4.13 yet God gave him no inheritance no not so much as to set his foot on Act 7.5 Neither had ever any or all his children the hundreth part of the world Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 world is to be taken in a more contracted sence It is said Their sound is gone out into all lands and their words into the end of the world Rom 10.10 and yet to this day the greatest part of the world never heard of Christ you are not to set the word World upon the tenter-hooks but to interpret it more restrainedly and strictly in the above cited places Rather a second sense is better Iohn 14.30 The Prince of the World commeth i. of the wicked The world may be taken for the wicked sort of men Iohn 1.10 The World know him not Iohn 14.17 The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth So here it may be The world it selfe cannot containe the bookes Capere non possunt is expounded by intelligere non possunt And so Augustine Theophylact Rupertus and Beda For if the wicked did not comprehend as they did not all that himselfe spake or the Apostles and Evangelists writ they would not have understood them though they had spoken or writ much more Capere you must referre non ad spatium loci sed ad animum you must referre the word Containe not to the space of place but of the minde Mat 19.11 All men cannot receive this saying The same words both in Latin and Greeke being in both places and all runne to this That they could not understand The World by reason of infidelity cannot receive them saith Hierome Thirdly in the words of Iohn is a strong Hyperbole as Amos 7.10 The land is not able to beare all his words to which place Saint Iohn alludeth saith the most learned Heinsius Another vehement Hyperbole is Gen 41.44 Without thee saith Pharaoh to Ioseph shall no man lift up his hand or his foote in all the land of Aegypt The reasons why Saint Iohn used this high straine in this place may be these 1 Hee knew the larned would and easily might understand it to be an Hebrew Idiotisme and so would take no exception 2 Hee thought the unlearned would beleeve though they did not fully understand 3 It is apparent he did not goe about to deceive for deceit hath false lights false colours false shadowes Quorsum tegmen pellacidum Hee dealeth plainly hee would have made tryall in likelyer matters if all truth had beene to be expounded according to the letter But from the impossibility literally we are to fasten on a sense mystically More positively hee made use of this Hyperbole to remove the aspersion of Flattery Oscitancie and Negligencie of singularity and of untruths of each very briefly 1 Least people might thinke hee had written already more than was true because friends omit nothing in commendation of their friend Saint Iohn excuseth himselfe from flattery because hee omitted many things yea a world of things Hee wrote not partially as Philinus did for the Carthaginians and Fabius for the Romans for which both of them are justly taxed by Polybius The holy Apostles not spake all or wrote all that they could intra veritatem steterunt but fell purposely much short of all the truth 2 Lest people should accuse him of Oscitancie and Neglect in that hee wrote no more but lets them know hee wrote enough more was needlesse and secretly acquitteth them for not writing all which Christ said by affirming that his very workes exceeded all writing 3 For Singularity to prevent this objection Why do you passe by so many things which the other Evangelists wrote hee presupposeth that what any one wrote was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore hee wrote other things and nor hee nor they did write all nor a tenth part of what they could 4 Lastly to remove the suspition of Untruth and to prove that which hee wrote in the precedent verse John 21.24 Wee know that his testimony is true is as if hee had sayd Not onely my selfe and other Apostles heard or saw immediately such things as I write from Christ himselfe but know yee also that many other things partly by the sight of the other Apostles partly by my owne sight partly by the relation of other credible witnesses may be written because wee will not goe beyond the truth but speake and write within compasse rather than without And now let my Christian Reader judge whether it be necessary that every matter of moment should be specialized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad unum un a. un as it is in the French and what huge volumes had beene compiled beyond all that ever was written by one man or of one man particularly if every thing had beene particularly described Away then with that fond conceit that expresse mention is necessary and that substantial things described are colligible by a naturall flowing derivation yet need a punctuall and direct expression of words PAR. 4. A True distinct reall Supper there was in the second place though the words of the second supper be pretermitted And a good reason may be given for the omission in particular The first supper quickly passed away and there being no distance betweene the end of the first and the beginning of the second Supper besides the setting downe of the meate and furnishing of the table no marvell though the name of the second supper was omitted Besides the Paschall Lambe was eaten at the common supper also and so from the more sacred supper as the Pesach was in comparison of the usuall Supper things done in the second Supper are ascribed as done in the first Supper and they two distinct Suppers are imagined but as one or as two severall courses of one supper when by the Law the first supper had no flesh but the lambe and the ordinary supper had offerings both of the herd and of the flocke as I proved
mire or earth upon earth There is not his like Job 41.33 aut potestate aut nequitiâ either in power or in malice saith Nicetas whither his temptations be in ward or ourward whither he workes by himselfe or workes by the world or use our owne flesh against us Amongst Temptations those are very greivous and fiery when internis oppugnans de nostro contra nos roboratur when Satan worketh with our lusts is strengthened by our owne corruption fighteth against us with our owne weapons But the most dangerous and worst temptation of all is when the world allureth when the flesh concurreth when Satan spurreth on and all three Iunctis umbonibus factâ testudini with might and mayne fight against us for the triple cord will scarce be broken and he is a rare man that can withsland all three Yet once more the world tempteth outwardly the flesh inwardly respectu fomitis for Matth. 15.19 Out of the heart proceede not onely evill thoughts but false witnesses blasphemies and the defiling sinfulnesse of the mouth yea thefts murthers and other abominations The workes of the hands Satan tempteth both inwardly and outwardly joyntly and severally All is fish that comes to his net the same sin is Earthly that is of the world Sensuall and that is of the flesh Devilish that is from Satan James 3.15 I will not end this poynt yet PAR. 16. THe creatures of God quatenus tales as they are meere creatures are good and tempt us not yea cannot tempt us If they be stumbling-blockes to the soules of men and a snare-trappe or scandall it is to the unwise Wisedome 14.11 God intendeth not primarily it is by casualtie and the depravation of our nature the starres and the coelestiall Influences tempt no man to sinne if they worke on our bodily humors and if man will be inclined for his will cannot be forced and the inclination may be bent contrarily it is a branch of the fleshly temptation meate drinke beauty silver and gold have not inwardly nor outwardly in their owne nature any tempting quality the immoderate desire or use of these are boughes growing from a fleshly roote Actus activorum sunt in dispositione patientis every thing is as it is taken If they were such we may chuse whither they shall worke upon us to our hurt we may use them without sinne A beaten souldier an holy resolved man will not stoope to such lures The continuall provocation as well as the perseverance in any sinne hath his heat or vigor renewed fom Hell or Satan I conclude summarily the sudden cunningest fiercest strongest lastingest temptations are from Satan More concerning the temptations of Satan Cyprian in his Sermon de Zelo livore excellently handleth divers temptations Augustine in his narration on the 106. Psalme reckoneth up other sorts the first of Error the second of Difficulty to overcome our lusts The third of tedious Dulnesse all cannot be numbred in a small time He tempts us in our meate drinke sleepe in body and soule in our thoughts words and actions PAR. 17. WHo dares say he was never tempted as he was in his devotion He tempteth us in our best endeavours he buffeteth Saint Paul would winnow the Apostles the very spirituall man must consider he may be tempted Gal. 6.1 They of whom the world was not worthy were tempted Heb. 11.37 The first Adam tempted and over-tempted the second Adam vehemently tempted He was in all poynts tempted like as we are Heb. 4.15 Satan hindred the Apostles from doing good 1 Thes 2.18 He put into the heart of Iudas and all wicked men to doe evill He walketh about seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 And this as a roaring Lyon The roaring of the Lyon both proveth hee hath a prey Amos 3.4 and yet in the word Roaring is also implyed hunger and earnest desire as in Peter and Esay 5.29 They shall roare and lay hold on prey and the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denote his cunning sedulity By being a Lying spirit he drew Ahab into error He tempted Ananias and Saphire To lye to the holy Ghost As a hunter he layeth his snares 1 Tim. 3.7 Every temptation is a snare 1 Tim. 6.9 Rosist the wiles of the Devill Ephes 6.11 Hee tempteth the out ward senses by presenting unto them exterior sensible objects sometimes reall sometimes illusive bringing into errour and deception our very senses the touchstone of natural verities Sometimes he disturbeth the Organs of the outward senses inwardly that the sensible objects appeare other than they are accordingly as it is in mad men he tempteth the Vegetative saculties and the sensitive both appetitive and apprehensive powers by stirring the homors residing in their bodily Organs and working on the virall Spirits in which the sensible species are contained semblably as is done in our sleepe He tempteth the understanding suggesting some sensible signes or rather shaddowes of the truth to be understood that is framing either inward phantasmes or outward shapes the breeders of phantasies hence the Intellect glideth into an errour and the Will is directly seduced by the inveigling suggestion PAR. 18. YEt for all this somewhat more may be said concerning Satans temptations of Iudas for the Scripture saith Satan entred into Iudas and that more than once For it is the fashion of the Evill spirits to enter into their possessed and to goe out and then to get in againe Wherefore Mark. 9.25 Christ saith Thou dumbe and deafe spirit I charge thee come out of him and enter no more into him But Satan entred into Judas and came forth and re-entred into him First Luke 22.3 Namely at the consultation of the chiefe Priests and Scribes when they sought how they might kill Christ vers 2. And this was two dayes before the feast of the passeover Mat. 26.2 and 3. verses This entrance was more effectuall to Iudas his hurt than Satans common temptations yet here Satan stayed but a while and went forth againe out of him playing with him as a Cat playeth with a Mouse as an Angler doth with a fish on which the hooke hath fastned For if he had not gone forth some way it would never have beene sayd After the Sop Satan entred into him John 13.27 Behold a second entrance and that more forcible than the first And now it seemeth to me that Christ prophecied of Iudas and the words were certainely exemplified and actuated by Iudas or upon him which Christ spake Mat. 12.43 c. When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and finding none then he saith I will returne into my house from whence I came out and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished then goeth he and taketh with himselfe seven other spirits more wicked than himselfe and they enter in and dwell there and the last stare of that man is worse than the beginning Beza saith that the last words seeme to him to be
Numbers 36. at the last verse The 44. Section began Deuteronomy 1.1 ended Deuteronomy 3.22 The 45. Lecture began Deuteronomy 3.23 ended Deuteronomy 7.11 The 46. Lecture began Deuteronomy 7.12 ended Deuteronomy 11.25 The 47. Section began Deuteronomy 11.26 ended Deuteronomy 16.17 The 48. Lecture began Deuteronomy 16.18 ended Deuteronomy 21.9 The 49. Reading began Deuteronomy 21.10 ended Deuteronomy 25. at the last verse The 50. Lecture began Deuteronomy 26.1 ended Deuteronomy 29.9 The 51. Lecture began Deuteronomy 29.10 ended Deuteronomy 30. with the last verse The 52. Lecture began Deuteronomy 31.1 ended Deuterenomy 31. with the last verse The 53. Section of the Law began Deuteronomy 32.1 ended Deuteronomy 32 with the last verse The 54 and last Section of the Law began Deuteronomy 33.1 ended with the last words of Deuteronomy This is transcribed from the Jewish Doctors and Englished by Aynsworth and it is observable I might proceed to other their Readings out of the six Books of the Psalmes as the Jews divided them though the holy Spirit by S. Peter calleth it in the singular number The Book of the Psalmes Acts 1 20. having reference to the first composure and united body of them And out of the Prophets they had another distinct Reading Acts 13.15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets Acts 13.27 The Rulers knew not Christ nor yet the voyces of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath day And yet by reason of one Spirits dictate and one unity and uniformity of them all in one truth of doctrine the holy Ghost saith Acts 3.18 God shewed by the Mouth of All his Prophets that Christ should suffer But now saith Cornelius Cornelii à Lapide on that place they are accustomed to sing that part which they call Haprathah Propheticam Missionem the propheticall Sending because that being ended the people are sent home See Elias Levita in his Thisbi The Jews deliver traditionally that every of the Lectures of the Law or Pentateuch consisted of one hundred thirty sixe verses And when Antiochus had rent the Books of the Law in pieces which they found and to make sure work as he imagined burnt them also with fire and this the instruments of Antiochus did monethly 1 Macchab. 1.56 58. verses To supply this the Jews saith Lapide took as many verses agreeing in sense with the former out of the Prophets and so read them united in the room of the other and wee may not think any one verse hath perished much lesse so great variety The Jews say confidently that the Lord God more regardeth and respecteth every syllable and letter of the Law than he doth the Stars of Heaven PAR. 3. THese their Deuteroseis or Traditions I will not strictly and rigidly examine though the number of verses in severall Lectures differ Only I will observe these things in or from their former good courses First against the malevolent maledicent recalcitrating ignorant Puritans who reprove our Church for mangling and cutting in pieces the Word of God because we read in our Service one piece of one Chapter and another piece of another and so patch up a Lesson as they terme it I answer In many of these Lectures of the Law Gods chosen people did do so as appeareth in their very first Lecture which ended at Genesis 6 8. and their second Lecture began not at a new whole Chapter but at Genesis 6.9 verse And the like is in diverse other Readings as by the divisions plainely appeareth Therefore if our Church led by such a President and by that which is to be preferred before any humane president Wel-grounded Reasons doth sometimes begin toward the middle of one chapter and end toward the midle of another chapter it is not to bee disallowed Wee aremore to be guided by matter than by Numbers And if any new matter of moment do occurre as often it doth about the midst of a chapter this new notable emergent point wheresoever arising may wel begin a Lesson appropriat for that time and occasion as the Sun-shine always appeareth most welcome from what part of Heaven soever it breaketh from under a cloud Secondly as I hold it most certaine that the names of the Books Divine were called even from their very beginnings as now they are Genesis Exodus and the like So I have not seene it proved that at the first the books were divided by Chapters or the Chapters by Verses Sure I am wheresoever the holy Spirit of God in the New Testament pointeth at or citeth any passage from the Old Testament though the Prophet be named or the Law that is one Book of the Pentaeteuch be mentioned or the Book of Psalmes be particularly expressed yet never in any one of all these places is the chapter much lesse the verse specialized Neither was there any need in those dayes For the Jews got by heart as we say all the Old Testament and upon the least intimation or inckling of any matter they as readily could recite it as many of us can the Lords Prayer or the Ten Commandements PAR. 4. THirdly whereas diverse people of our Westerne parts have horribly Judaized of late and have run on madly in the by-paths of Trask though it bee generally both knowne and confessed that the Iews shall be converted to us and not we Christians to the Iewes Yet I would advise them and all other English Christians whatsoever to beware of these horrid abuses following It is alas it is too common a fault for Women to hold their children out to defile the Church-yards more usuall and common for men to bepisse the corners of our Churches and make them their voyding vessels whilest some wash the filth down into their parents mouths buried nigh that place More especially and as a wicked wonder let me with griefe and indignation of heart â—ecount that whereas the City of Exeter is by its naturall situation one of the sweetest Cities of England and by the ill use of many one of the nastiest and noysommest Cities of the Land whilest not only their by-lanes but the High-faire street yeelds many offensive both sights and savours to the eyes and noses of the Passers by whilest the polluted corners of the â—athedrall are almost dyed by their urine into another colour whilest the Church-yard hath been the draught unto many and the very Câ—oysters the receptacles of their ordures Sacrilegi in Sacrario faciunt oletum I write no more than what I have seen and God thou knowest I know there in that kind worse than what I have now written which for my love to that City I do forbeare For in truth it is an honorable City and the Corporation a choyce Fraternity of worthy good wealthy men Yet let me take leave humbly to advertise them that their holy Predecessors went not to Heaven by opposing that ancient well-founded Cathedrall but by Reverencing of It and of their Canonicall Clergy the guides of their soules and their Ghostly Fathers Let them know