Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n
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A88370
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Little non-such: or, Certaine new questions moved out of ancient truths. I. concerning the words, let us make man after our own image. II. Whether that was a materiall apple which Adam did eate III. Whether the forbidding of marriage be not a Popish injunction onely, and not rightly grounded from the Scripture. Newly published with intent to finde out the truth if it be not here already.
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1646
(1646)
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Wing L2552; Thomason E353_8; ESTC R3620
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12,656
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16
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of a materiall Apple because of some other words in the story that seems to carry a spirituall sence as vers 15. I will put enmity betwixt thy seed and the womans seed shall this be understood of the old serpent the Divel we suppose that he and his Angels were cast out of Heaven before the creation of man but in this Chapter the Serpent here is expresly called a beast of the field But if by this beast Vers 1. you will understand concupiscence it may perhaps in a spirituall sense be said to be the seed of the Divell because it works in the flesh by his instigation The day thou eatest thereof saith the Lord thou shalt surely * Ch. 2. v. 17. die And the Serpent said ye shall not surely die Chap. 3. v. 4. Now we see in the verses following they did not die the day they did eate but had mulcts and punishments threatned as the Serpent to goe on his belly and lick the dust the woman to bring forth children in sorrow the man to get his living by the sweat of his brow the earth to be cursed c. And Chap. 3. v. 22 23. Least he put forth his hand and take of the tree of life and live forever Therefore the Lord God sent them forth of the Garden c. This seems also to have some other sence for we are not taught to live for ever by carnall eating Resolve if you please the doubt of this question with the former THe next question is of marriage Genesis * Ch. 2. v. 18. And the Lord God said it is not good for man to be alone I wil make him a help meet for him vers 21 22. God tooke one of Adams ribs made a woman and brought her unto him v 23. Adam said this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh which is one flesh v. 24. How comes it then that there are forbidden degrees in marriage or is it not so in truth but a Popish injunction for their profit for in that respect they have given their dispensations ad infinitum to the neerest kindred To recite particulars in a matter so well known as the houses of Austria Burbon and many others where profit or State policy is at stake were onely to spend Inke and Paper Then if it may be done by dispensation and for money which is but an Ordinance of man why may it not much more be done without seeing it is the Ordinance of God himselfe You know what Peter said to Simon Magus Thou and thy money perish because thou thinkest that these things may be bought for money And here we see the woman is not of the man derivatively and by descent but of his own proper substance then in regard there can be no more matches of this nature the very next of kin were to joyn in marriage and that both by custome and command For example we finde that Sara was Abrahams sister whom he took to wife a better president we can not have for he was the father of the faithfull his seed should be multiplied as the Stars in Heaven all the Nations of the earth be blessed therein * Gen 22. 17 18. c. If it be said that when Abraham went down to sojourne in Aegypt because of the famine he wish'd his wife to say she was his sister lest the Aegytians should kill him and take her to themselves for she was a faire woman to looke upon * Gen. 12. v. 1â— 12 13. And from thence you will argue that to be but simulation betwixt them to save his life then it will appeare in the same book of Genesis that in his returne to the South Countrey they used the like practice in saying she was his sister In so much that Abimelech King of Gerar tooke Sara but the Lord kept Abimelech from touching her and reproved him for taking another mans wife whereupon Abimelech blam'd Abraham saying What sawest thou that thou hast done this thing Abraham replied I thought the feare of God is not in this place and they will kill me for my wifes sake yet to let him know that he had not dissembled totally he said indeed she is my sister for she is the daughter of my father and she became my wife * Gen. 20 12. Moreover Cha. 24. v. 4. Abraham caused his servant to sweare charging him to goe to his owne Countrey and to his kindred to chuse a wife for his sonne Isaac And so naturally confident were the servants of God in propagating by the next of kin that Lots daughters when they fled out of Sodome with their father where the rest of their kindred perished did not doubt to raise up seed to their father saying There is not a man alive to come in unto us after the manner of the earth therefore let us lie with him c. Now there were thousands not to be * Gen. 19 31 32. numbred left alive but there was none of their Tribe and kindred for so the Text seems to infer We know also that many things are writ for our instruction not for our imitation and so Lot might justly be blamed for drinking so liberally that he perceived not what he did which we ought not to imitate yet we finde no reproofe upon the daughters because it seems what they did was onely for propagation according to the institution and not to satisfie appetite This appeares by their interchange yet Dr Willet saith they did offend and brings with him Augustines opinion which is that they should have done far better to have acquainted their father so then belike all had been well enough But withall in the same Annotations of Levit. 18. he brings against himselfe a Jury of Doctors that justifies their intention to be good and lawfull in their case viz. Soto Lopes Ledesma Bellarmine Lâ—â—inus with three of the Fathers also Chrysostome Theodores and Origen and we see God gave a blessing unto their act for the Text saith they were with child and there proceeded from them two great Nations the Moabites and the Ammonites And that these children were blessed appeares more plainly where the children of Israel in their warfaring journey were forbidden to distresse them and not to meddle with them for the Lord would not give them of the Land which he had given to the foresaid children of Lot for a possession * Gen. 13. 37 38. If you say that notwithstanding they were afterwards smitten and warred against so was it likewise with the most chosen people according to the covenant for their Idolatry infidelity c. The Ephramites fell by the men of Gilead * Deut. 2.18 19. 42000 at one time and it were supererrogate to cite the severall places of Scripture where the Israelites were punished and carried captive and cast off into a reprobate sense as now they are at this day for their transgression but that will be no argument to prove that propagating by their
LITTLE NON-SUCH OR Certaine new Questions Moved out of ANCIENT TRUTHS I. Concerning the words Let us make man after our own Image II. Whether that was a materiall Apple which Adam did eate III. Whether the forbidding of marriage be not a Popish injunction onely and not rightly grounded from the Scripture Newly published with intent to finde out the truth if it be not here already Magna est veritas prevalent London Printed for H. P. 1646. Advertisement IF any will prejudicate or have not patience to examine a truth how long soever concealed or obscured or if he be fantasticall and will laugh at his shadow not discerning from whence it proceeds let him put a part this serious though little discourse it is intended for better judgements Since these late eruptions in Church and State the minds of men are become much distracted and no marvell seeing the various opinions concerning civill Government in the first place whether Monarkia Aristocratia or neither but a mixt and some perhaps affecting Oligarchia which is the worst Then as touching the rents in the Church what shall suffice to be said since many both grave and learned Divines doe avouch that all the heresies fomented at severall times informer ages and condemned by severall Councels are now extant attended with as many more and how shall it be otherwaies when both Fathers and Councels are derided and contemn'd without controle by the very off-scouring of the people yea even such as setled and confirmed our Christian faith by refuting errors and heresies the first 400 yeeres which till now the Christian world hath received for Orthodox yet is it no wonder to see the Scripture abused and mis-interpreted by every Mechanicke mis-applying the sence to their fantasticke humors seeing there was never heresie broached but came with verbum Dei Scripture in the mouth the divell himselfe could finde no fitter way to vent his impostury when he came to tempt our Saviour Although it may be doubted whether or no there be any thing new that never was for nihil dictum quod non dictum prius nothing said that was not said before yet many matters are daily opened which have been shut up and clouded by the Romish Church since the time of Phocas the Emperour when that Hierarchy begun to usurp upon the rest And likewise many errors and heresies that seeme to be new are but the same in substance they were in former times yet perhaps with some additions as absurd as the principall Now to reduce the Primitive purity will be a worke too hard for mans capacity it must be God onely in his good time who for our pride vainglory hypocrisie and perhaps infidelity hath suffered us to fall into these fractions and distempers But in the mean time if some grave and learned man will a little trouble himselfe to resolve a few following questions it may give comfort to weake consciences that are in doubt and perchance afflicted And herein we detest to be curiously inquisitive in things not necessary but onely covet the health of our soules and the bettering of our understandings BEginning then with the first Booke of Moses called * Ch. 7. v. 26. Genesis And God said Let us make man after our likenesse V. 27. in the Image of God created he him male and female created c. Some then seeing the shape and forme that man beares in his personall appearance doe conceive that God the Creator beareth the same form in shape and person some others say this Image is meant in the likenesse to our maker in soule and spirit and therefore blame them that imagine or set him forth in the likenesse of any humane shape To that is answered againe that the Text formerly cited cannot be meant of soule and spirit because at that time man was not a living soule for proofe they say that God finished his work in six daies whereof the making of man was part and rested the * Ch. 2. v. 3. seventh and hallowed it but after the seventh day he breathed life into man and made him a living soule Chap. 2. v. 7. Therefore he was made according to the likenesse of God in personall shape because at his first making he was not a living soule till after God had rested the seventh day and then breathed life into him as is formerly proved And long after his transgression God said * Ch. 3. v. 22. the man is become like one of us so it seems at first he had not a spirituall understanding It is likewise said God shewed unto Moses his back parts but his face should not be seen * Exod. 33.23 therefore if he have back parts and a face he hath a shape which when he pleaseth he can make visible as then he did And the Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend * Ch. 33. v. 7. Moreover what were the three men that appeared to Abraham as he sate in the tent if not the Trinity * Ch. 18. v. 2. which did afterwards eate of the Cake that Sara made and the Calfe which Abraham fetch'd from the fold as appeares v. 8. Now though it is and must be acknowledged that God is so infinite in wisdome and power that therein he cannot be circumscribed nor comprehended yet say some that doth not hinder a personall shape or proportion But some others notwithstanding those plaine seeming proofes doe not allow that God hath any bodily shape at all which if it be so resolved and these things reconciled to better proofs and reasons out of Scripture by one that is wise and learned it will satisfie THe second question ariseth out of Genesis And the Lord * Gen. 2.16 17 said of every Tree of the garden thou mayst eate but of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evill for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Now some make a question whether it were a materiall Apple that Adam did eate at the instance of his wife Eue. And if the question be of the Species it may well be doubted for it doth not appeare in the Text to be an Apple more then a Figge or other Fruit onely in generall tearmes it is called the fruit of the * Ch. 3. v. 2 3. Tree in the middest of the Garden But I suppose the question is not of the Species but whether it were a materiall fruit and so to be understood in literall sence It seems it should be so understood in the sixt verse When the woman saw the tree was good for food and to be desired to make one wise she did eate and gave unto her husband c. What can be plainer for a literall construction yet some will have the whole matter to be an Allegory and understand by the Serpent in this place no other then concupiscence and by the fruit of the Tree in the midst of the Garden some other thing then the eating