which were heretofore under the Consulship of Torquatus and Cotta foretold by Lydius the Etrurian Prophet are now ratified and accomplished for Jupiter has sometime since smitten his own Hills and Temples and thrown fire into the Capitol And therefore the burning of the Capitol under Vespasian was counted a very great calamity as we may see by these tragical words of Tacitus in Hist lib. iii. c. 72. Id facinus post conditam urbem luctuosissimum foedissimumque populo Romano accidit nullo externo hoste propitiis si per mores nostros liceret Deis sedem Jovis Opt. Max. auspicato à majoribus pignus imperii conditam quam non Porsena dedita urbe neque Galli capta temerare potuissent furore principum exscindi Arserat ante Capitolium civili bello sed fraude privata nunc palam obsessum palam incensum Quibus armorum causis quo tantae cladis pretio pro patria bellavimus c. This Action since the first building of the City was the most dismal and shameful that ever happen'd to the People of Rome that when we had no foreign enemy at our gates and the Gods for any thing we had done to provoke them were propitious to us the seat of the great and excellent Jupiter ominously erected as a pledg of Dominion which neither Porsena when the City was delivered to him nor the Gauls who took it by Assault had been able to break into should be destroyed by the fury of our own Princes Once also before the Capitol was burnt during a Civil War but it was then by secret fraud now it was openly beset and openly set on fire Was it for this and that so great a Calamity might befal us that we have been engaged in so many Wars and fought so long for our Country How great the fame of this Accident was among neighbouring Nations and how they interpreted it as a Prodigy the same Writer tells us in Hist 1. 4. c. 54. where having made mention of the Commotions that were in Gaul and Germany he saith Nihil aeque quam incendium Capitolii ut finem Imperii adesse crederent impulerat Captam olim à Gallis urbem sed integra Jovis sede mansisse Imperium Fatali nunc igne signum coelestis irae datum possessionem rerum humanarum Transalpinis-gentibus portendi superstitione vana Druidae canebant Nothing had so much inclined them to think that the end of the Roman Empire was come as the burning of the Capitol That the City had been formerly taken by the Gauls but Jupiter ' s Seat standing safe the Empire had continued Now that by this fatal fire it appeared the Gods were incensed against the Romans and designed to confer the government of the World upon the Nations beyond the Alps was the superstitious tone of the Druids So that these Commotions being appeased and the Capitol rebuilt it might be said that the deadly wound was healed Vers 8. Note e. It should have been added with Grotius that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is understood in the book of life of the Lamb slain written from the beginning of the world that is in which God from the beginning of the World until this time began to write the names of the Confessors and Martyrs for the Truth whom wicked men had persecuted or killed for its sake for of a man that is alive it cannot be said his name was not written from the beginning of the world instead of never for it could not be written before he was born supposing the Discourse to be about a Catalogue only of those who have begun to live as it is here which Dr. Hammond acknowledges Vers 10. Note f. I do by no means think that S. John here has a respect to Passive Obedience as our Author's Countrymen speak but to the Persecutors themselves to whom it is foretold by this Proverb that it should be their lot to suffer the same things they inflicted upon others See Grotius on this place To this purpose is the Subject of Lactantius his Book de mortibus Persecutorum So that in this place their Opinion is neither approved nor condemned who think it lawful to oppose force by force provided there be a prospect of doing it successfully and without too much bloodshed Nor is there any thing said about this matter in the places which the Doctor cites and it is a thing which it 's probable he would not here have thought of unless he had lived in the days of Cromwel But those things which please us we bring to mind upon the least occasion Vers 15. Note m. Excepting the place in the Maccabees all our Author here says is taken out of Hugo Grotius who treats of the same matter more largely and accurately I have alledged a more antient example to this purpose on Numb xxxv 6 than any alledged by either of them See also what Spencer has collected about this Subject de Rit Mos Legg l. 2. c. 14. Vers 17. Note n. What our Author here says of the several ways whereby sacred marks were received and what follows as far as the citation of Martianus Capella he took for the most part out of Grotius but excepting these words Of these Servius and Virgil makes frequen◠mention perhaps it may be so printed in that Edition of Dr. Hammond which Mr. Le Clere used but in the second Edition of it it is Of these Servius ON Virgil c. which if Mr. Le Clerc had known he would not have made this remark which are a manifest corruption of these words of Grotius Talia mystica nomina etiam aliis Diis fuisse ex Servio discimus that other Gods also had such mystical names we may learn from Servius Virgil himself no where makes mention of such names much less does he frequently mention them and perhaps it is but in one place they are mentioned by Servius II. They that had received the mark of Bacchus were not for that reason called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because when they danced at Bacchus his Feasts they really carried in their hands a bunch of Ivy or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. I wonder that our learned Author who interprets the first Beast of the Idolatry of Rome and especially of the Capitol did not seek for the number of the Beast in the names of the Gods of the Capitol I my self supposing what is said by Grotius and Dr. Hammond to be true and conjecturing that the mark of the name or of the number of the Beast must contain the number made by the letters of the names of Jupiter and Juno who were chiefly worshipped in the Capitol and signify that he who bore that mark was a worshipper of those Gods found the number of the Beast χξςʹ in these words Δ 4 Ι 10 Ο 70 Σ 200 Ε 5 Ι 10 Μ 40 Ι 10 Η 8 Η 8 Ρ 100 Α 1 Σ 200  666 So that he who had these Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
only speculative Divinity often stumble in particular Passages and many times look for Doctrins true indeed in themselves but nothing at all to their purpose in places where they are not and know not how to make a right use of those places whence they may really be deduced They are contented not to oppose the received Doctrins and think they cannot do amiss in seeking them any where provided the words do not too plainly oppose it By which means we see the Antient Interpreters of Scripture both Greek and Latin because they had no regard to Words or Grammar but minded only truth of Doctrine have strangely mistaken the genuin sense of Scripture Hence in part came innumerable vain Allegories which I do not call vain because they contain false Doctrins but because they are grounded upon no certain reason Hence proceeded the violent Interpretations and pitiful Subtilties with which the Writings of those Interpreters abound We need but read St. Austin's Commentaries on the Psalms where we shall scarce meet with a page that has not some examples of this kind Which if it were a true way of interpreting any thing almost might be proved or disproved out of any place whatsoever This Dr. Hammond carefully avoided and would have avoided more if some particular things had not a little too often occurred to his thoughts as the Heresy of the Gnosticks the Destruction of Jerusalem and Church-Discipline which three things he frequently sought for where no body acquainted with the Apostles stile had ever before look'd for them and few again ever will Yet as I said before Dr. Hammond does not near so often dash upon this Rock as the Antient or most late Interpreters especially those who have written in the last Age. I might add this also which is no small commendation of his Annotations that he follows mostly that scheme of Divinity which is more agreable to Scripture than the Opinions of many Interpreters keeping a middle way between those who deduce a sort of fatal Necessity from all eternity of which necessity the Mind of Man is a mere Instrument and those who like the Heathens are said to deny that Vertue is at all owing to God No Man that reads his Annotations can doubt whether he had that other faculty of an excellent Interpreter which I said lay in an exact knowledg of the stile of Scripture and cannot be acquired but by a constant reading of it We shall find but few Interpreters so well acquainted with the Sacred Writings That frequent and exact comparing of the words and expressions of Scripture with one another which the Reader upon the first opening of the Book may observe puts this matter beyond all doubt The third Qualification which I said was a Critical Habit of judging concerning the meaning of places tho it was not so great in him as the two former was however considerable And this I doubt not he attained by a diligent reading of the best Writers especially Grotius and he would have acquired it in a much greater degree if the constant trouble of defending the Church of England against several sorts of Adversaries had not diverted him But if we compare him with the Antient Interpreters or with the greatest part of those who have written in the foregoing Age we shall find none among the Antients and but few among those of late that can be thought his Equals For the Antients tho they understood Greek trusted more to their skill in Rhetorick than Language and took more pleasure in running out into common places or Allegories than in seriously interpreting words and expressions Origen and St. Jerom who besides understood Hebrew did also much more seldom use their knowledg in that kind than a sort of Eloquence which took much in their Age. And later Interpreters have been more industrious to fill up their Commentaries with their own Divinity and Controversies with other Sects of Christians than with strict enquiries into the signification of Words and Phrases But Dr. Hammond considering what is expected from an Interpreter and knowing the difference between a Preacher or a Divine and an Expositor of Scripture sets himself to perform the part of an Interpreter and seldom concerns himself about any thing else Which being so it cannot reasonably be said that I have spent my time ill in translating Dr. Hammond's Annotations or in illustrating correcting and enlarging them But as mens Judgments commonly are proceeding not from love to Truth but from Passion I find there are others who whether really or seemingly affirm that I am not indeed to be blamed for translating Dr. Hammond but for annexing those things to his Annotations wherein I often charge him with Error or do otherwise contradict his Opinion as if I were bound to assent to all that he says or ought to have so great a reverence for him as to be afraid of professing that I think he was mistaken in his interpretation of some Passages But to give these Men satisfaction if they are willing to be satisfied I would fain know which of the two ought to be most valued Dr. Hammond's Honour or Truth The Reputation of a Man long since dead and whose Opinions no Law divine or humane obliges us to follow or the defence of immortal Truth which we cannot forsake without offending both God and Men If they are of that humour that they had rather maintain the Honour of a learned Divine as I before said but subject to error than Truth they are not fit to be spoken with I will have no contest with such Men as profess themselves enemies to Truth but shall leave them without any reply to the Mercy of their own perverse Temper But the Errors they say of great Men ought to be conceal'd rather than aggravated I answer I have no where aggravated any thing but confuted him in the softest terms whenever I supposed him in a mistake However I don't think the greatest Mens Faults ought to be conceal'd who the greater they are thought to be the more liable unwary men are to be deceived by them and therefore whenever they are out of the way they ought above all others to be set right again It is just we should forgive their Mistakes and bear with their Defects in consideration of their greater Vertues and the notable Service they have done the learned World but we ought not to let Errors pass under the disguise of Truths It becomes all Candidates of Learning especially those that study the Scriptures to endeavour all they can and contend earnestly that Truth upon all occasions may appear not that it may be concealed out of respect to any man or Error receiv'd instead of Truth The only thing justly blamable in those who take upon them to correct the Mistakes of great Men is if they charge them falsly passionately or maliciously not for the manifestation of Truth but to lessen their Reputation or if they endeavour to obscure their great Excellencies and severely inveigh
Egyptian but Judaicos ritus the Jewish Rites as we are told by Seutonius in the Life of Tiberius Cap. xxxvi Judaeorumque juventutem per speciem Sacramenti in provincias gravioris coeli distribuit reliquos gentis ejusdem vel similia sectantes urbe submovit sub poena perpetuae servitutis and distributed the Youth of the Jews under the pretence of a military Expedition into Provinces of an unwholsom Air forbidding the rest of that Nation or any that were of the same Sect to make their abode in the City upon pain of perpetual Slavery Claudius also a very little while before the writing of this Epistle Judaeos impulsore Christo as the same Author speaks in the Life of Claudius cap. xxv assidue tumultuantes Roma expulit that is I suppose cast the Jews disagreeing among themselves about Christ or the Christian Religion some standing up for it and others opposing it upon which account Christ may in some sense be said to have been the impulsive Cause of their Banishment out of the City This might be confirmed out of Philo and Josephus but the thing is so clear that it needs no further proof Vers 7. Note b. Whatever our Author here says all these things may much more fitly be understood only of the last Judgment of which see Grotius and other Interpreters Tho St. Paul speaks of the Judgment as of a thing near at hand it does not follow that it is not the last Judgment which he speaks of because not knowing the time when that was to be he was obliged to speak of it as of a thing not afar off that so the Christians might be always ready considering Christ might come when he was least expected CHAP. II. Vers 1. Note a. I Have shewn on the former Epistle that the places which our Author applies to the Destruction of the Jews may very well be understood of the last Judgment And what St. Paul says here being written on occasion of what he had said before must be referred to the same coming of Christ Ibid. Note b. As the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or coming of Christ both in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians and this is his final coming to judg the living and the dead so also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as Grotius has well observed the gathering together of good men to him that they may be made Copartners with him of eternal Happiness in Heaven See Mat. xxv 31 Our Author should have produced an Example in which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified to be assembled for the Worship of Christ Vers 2. Note c. All that our Author here says may as fitly agree to those who through a misapprehension of St. Paul's Words should have thought that the end of all things and the coming of Christ to judg the World was at hand And so there is no need of recurring to any other coming of Christ Vers 3. Note d. I. To speak the truth I confess none of the various Interpretations which I have read of this place fully satisfy me But as I can easily find something to object against others so there is nothing which I can propose my self as certain The Interpretation which our Author prefers before all others is grounded only on this supposition that there was a vast number of Gnosticks before the Destruction of Jerusalem who were destroyed together with that City which he has no where solidly proved When the Christians are admonished not to believe Impostors it is not necessary to understand it as a Caution to them to avoid the Errors of the Gnosticks for there were a great many Jewish Impostors which Josephus makes mention of in the History of that Age and there might be many more which he passes by It does not appear by any certain account that all or most of the Samaritans who had embraced the Christian Faith fell off to the Heresy of the Gnosticks Our Author has not so much as attempted to prove this and indeed it would have appeared by the Vanity of such an Undertaking that he had not carefully enough examined the Histories of those Times See my Note on his following Annotation II. Tho I acknowledg I can think of nothing here which may be satisfactory I shall however propose to the Reader a Conjecture which seems to be much more probable than either Grotius's or Dr. Hammond's And that is that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle means that great and famous Defection of the Jews when they endeavoured tho to no purpose to shake off the Roman Yoke This Christ in Mat. xxiv foretold before the end should come first of the Jewish Commonwealth and then of the whole World and by this the Christians might know that the end was not at hand because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had not yet happen'd For the beginning of the Jewish Rebellion was about the end of the Reign of Nero of which see Lib. ii de Bello Judaico cap. 30. according to the Division in the Greek And such a defection is often called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josephus in the same Book cap. 31. represents the chief of the Jews as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being offended with the boldness of the defection and a little after it is said of Agrippa that he was willing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to spare the Rebels and in cap. 33. the seditious are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have revolted from the Romans The same Words frequently occur afterwards in that signification in Josephus and other Writers The old Glosses have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebellio segregatio abitus defectio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discessio discidium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebellis rebellio transfuga Ibid. Note e. I. I acknowledg that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho in the singular number must be understood to signify not one Man but a Multitude who yet were to be headed by some one notorious Villain to whom this and the like Characters should of special right belong Nor do I deny but Simon Magus deserved to be thus signalized or rather branded but I do not believe it is he whom the Apostle here has a respect to nor is there any certain History which relates all that is said of him by Dr. Hammond or agrees with his conjectures It is affirmed first by Eusebius out of Justin that Simon went to Rome under the Reign of Claudius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Author interprets of the beginning of the Government of Claudius because it seemed to agree better with his conjectures Justin and out of him Eusebius say that Simon was accounted a God and that a Statue was erected to him as such In which learned Men have long since shewn that Justin was mistaken and it may be probably conjectured that that Journy of Simon to Rome was a Fiction of some ignorant Man who had not a due regard to Truth and misunderstood the
provoked them that they utterly refused to obey him and when Agrippa would have perswaded them to submit patiently to his Government till there was another sent in his room 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a great rage they reviled the King and commanded him to go out of the City yea some of the Seditious were so bold as to fling stones at him And the King seeing the fury of the Innovators to be VNRESTRAINABLE departed into his Kingdom They are the words of Josephus in cap. 29. Afterwards he relates the beginning of the Rebellion to which the Priests and all the leading Men in vain opposed themselves being no longer able to hold in the enraged multitude as they had done in former times Yea many of them were killed as Ananias Ananus Jesus and others whose Authority being once despised those wicked Captains of the Seditious discover'd their minds and shewed that it was a tyrannical Power and not the Liberty of the People that they had aimed at At the same time they set upon the Romans and took courage from the cowardise of Gessius as Josephus declares at large in lib. ii c. 31. seqq So that the Authority of the chief of the Jewish Nation and the fear of the Romans were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the thing that withheld the Jews Which obstacle being removed the Seditious thought the time was now at length come in which they might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 openly declare their purposes and act as the Loaders of the People of the Jews That Simon the Son of Giora who affected to become a Tyrant and robb'd and plunder'd the Acrabatena Toparchia was repressed by Ananus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an Army sent against him by Ananus and the Rulers but he fled to the Robbers which were at Massada and stayed till Ananus and the rest of his Enemies were killed as we are told by Josephus in the last chap. of the 2d Book See lib. iv and v. where the Villanies of these wicked men are at large related This is much move probable than what Dr. Hammond has invented about the dissembling of Simon and the Gnosticks whilst the Jews and Christians did in some measure agree with one another for which he alledges no Argument out of History Vers 7. Note i. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which began to work at this time consisted in this that under the pretence of setting the people of the Jews at liberty yea and of a more strict observation of the Law of Moses a most treacherous and wicked Design of domineering was concealed till the strength of the Conspirators being increased it appeared at last what they aimed at So the Zelots behaved themselves who as an unlawful thing rejected the Sacrifices which used to be offered up for the Romans tho the Priests shewed that it was not a crime to receive Sacrifices from the Gentiles See Josephus de Bello Judaico lib. ii c. 30. who affirms that this was the beginning of the Jewish War In the mean while the Zelots did not think it unlawful for them to commit any villany whatsoever after they had laid aside the fear of punishment The same Historian speaks of them thus in lib. vi cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eleazar the Son of Simon who had first separated the Zelots from the People and carried them into the Temple as offended with the continual bold attempts of John who did not cease from shedding of blood but in truth not enduring to be subject to younger Tyrants than himself went off through a desire of Superiority and thirst after Dominion And in lib. vii cap. 30. after he had said that the Edomites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had introduced into all places the highest Iniquity he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which that sort of men called Zelots had arrived to the highest pitch who stained their Title with the foulness of their Actions For they imitated every evil work even that which had never been done before in the memory of man they did not leave unimitated Tho they imposed on themselves a specious Name borrowed from the love of virtue either their savage Disposition made them deride those whom they injured or they thought the greatest Evils to be Virtues This was a Mystery which was concealed under the name of a Virtue viz. Zeal but in reality it contained the vilest Iniquity which principally discover'd it self when Gessius Florus was President of Judea towards the end of Nero's Reign But there was a Mystery as I said in this also that these desperate Villains made the Liberty of the People of the Jews a pretence for their Robberies whilst their design was to tyrannize over their Countrymen as appeared afterwards by their Actions Of this number were the Sicarii who opposed the Taxing of Judea by Cyrenius and as Josephus a little before says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conspired against those who were willing to obey the Romans and exercised all manner of Hostilities against them spoiling and carrying away their goods and setting their houses on fire for they said there was no difference between them and Strangers who so basely gave up the Liberty of their Country for which they ought to fight and professedly chose to be in bondage to the Romans But this was a meer PRETENCE and said only to cover their Cruelty and Avarice as their Actions plainly shewed Hence it appears that before ever S. Paul wrote this Epistle the Mystery of Iniquity began to work among the Jews Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was not one man who withheld the Jews from breaking out into open Rebellion but on one side they were restrained by the Roman President on the other by the chief men of the Nation King Agrippa and a great many Priests as I have before shewed But after these were expelled out of the City or slain the Seditious were at liberty to do what they pleased and accordingly committed the most abominable Outrages and acted contrary to all Laws both of Religion and Humanity See Josephus de Bello Judaico from cap. 28. lib. 2. Vers 8. Note k. I. Our Author truly observes that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here are the same wicked persons which were before called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but those I think are the Seditious Jews not Simon and the Gnosticks notwithstanding the mention made afterwards of lying Wonders as I shall presently shew II. The destruction of Simon which he relates out of Arnobius is a meer Fable which Arnobius had taken out of the Clementine Homilies a Book full of Fables This was the fault of Men and the Times not of the Christian Religion which is grounded only upon Truth to take up right or wrong every thing that offer'd it self to their Minds and make use of it against the Heathens whom otherwise they might have overcome with very good reasons and really did so Tho it is manifest that the foremention'd Book is supposititious