far no whit Platoes inferior for vse of greek But the Latin phrase Descendere ad inferos sent you Iewes to Hell stumbling at the doctrine And Latin Chrysologus 1200 yeares agoe mistaking the heathen phrase said that Abraham was in Gehenna till Iesus went thither to redeeme him out Therevpon your Isaac Ben Arama after others tooke occasion to stumble at our Gospell who vpon Levit. 26. writeth thus Fol. 205. All the law of Christians hangeth vpon this one string that for the fall of Adam he became dead in sinne and all the Fathers and iust went into the Mahamaroth Psalm 140 the pits of Gehenna till IESVS went thither and brought them furth Now that is not possible that the holy Prophetes being so familiar with God in their bodies of clay should not rather out of the body bein sight of his blessed glorie and in ioy Articles against Isaac Ben Aremaes slaunder I. Our Gospell never taught any holy soule went hence to anie other place then to heaven So Abraham Isaac and Iacob are in the kingdome of Heaven Mat. 8. and all the Prophetes Luc. 13. So the theefe Luc. cap. 23. knew that Christ should goe hence to his kingdome and that he should bee pitied and was tolde that he also should goe that day to Paradise And S. Paul Heb. xj telleth expresly that Abraham was here a stranger but looked for an heavenly citie God prepared it Though in forme of doctrine he was not perfected having but the promise of Christ to come yet he saw him by faith as we by storie and by that faith went hence to heaven And often doeth S. Paul speake Heb. 9. and 10. that our Lord went from the body to heaven Therefore ye Iewes be shameles slaunderers II. Christ being in aeternall spirit the God of Bethel the Angel that hath the name of Adonaj in him Ex. 23. taught Moyses all divinitie and teacheth nothing in the New Testam but that which he taught in Moyses and the Prophetes Now HE in Levit. 26. where the recompence of keeping the Law is tolde telleth of life eternall by dwelling with God of death by Gods angri face And that you should know that the Law was given to humble you to receive the mercies in Christ You are told of 28. fold punishmentes of Babels 70 yeares that then ye will confesse your sinnes as Dan. chap. 9. did And then God will teach his covenant which the Angell did That Christ in the time set shall end sacrifice and offring that is alter the lawes which Moyses gave S. Steven was accused for the Angells wordes and as all the Synedrion looked vpon him they beheld his face as the face of an Angell Act. 7. None of you all ever durst deny the storie And when ye killed the holy Martyr the Angel Gabriel and all the Angells encouraged the Romanes to destroy your place And for the Godly S. Paul expoundeth Levit. 26. thus 1. Cor. 5. We doe know that if the earthly house of tabernacle be dissolved wee have a building from God not made with handes everlasting in the heavens Heere yee might have seene that your Beniamite spake as Levi and as nothing inferior to Moyses For the spirit of God ruleth his pen by which Moyses was wise Againe for the place of the damned Iohn Apoc. 14. saith They shal be tormented before the throne of God and the Lambe for ever and ever So Gods angrie face shal be vpon them Thus ye may see that yee are much deceived III. Vpon your occasion I thrise wrote in Greeke to Nicolaus Serarius of Mentz He and many of many places requested me to write in Greeke to stirre studie to the tongue And longe agoe a right honorable Patron bound me in promesse so to doe in honour of our Greeke Testament all written at the first in Greeke To Nic. Ser. I wrote a demaund what I should answer Iewes for the Pope He knew well enough that if he reconciled not the Pope to me I would begin with him And he expresly answereth from Thomas Aquinas that Christ neuer went by Change of Place to Hell but the Church beleeved as Athanasius Cyrill Theodoretus who expreslie tell that all the faithfull went hence to most blessed Palaces Vpon Psal in Commelins fragmentes IV. Theophylact vpon Saint Luke 23. recordeth that the best learned holde all the faithfull went hence to the royall palaces V. Chrysostome teacheth vpon 2. Cor. Hom. 6. that Abraham and Lazarus were in the kingdome of heaven So your slaūder is great and worthy of great punishment Only the heathen Latin phrase bewitcheth the world Descendere ad inferos But now some write vnto me from England that there be none holden of any cōscience that are not of my minde This cause hath bene there so much debated and the learned K. forceth all to looke about them But I will returne to Greekes In Photius librarie a litle worke is cited fathered vpon Flavius Iosephus your man wherein haides hath the Bosom of Abraham in light and ioy and a Prison for the wicked which is called of the same Iosephus in your warre Dark Haides And that other worke is fathered vpon sundry moo Ireneus Iustin Martyr and one Caius Such consent was to the doctrine Of Iustin Martyr Iustin Martyr was a great Philosopher and ready in the best Greekes He Quaest 75. distinguisheth Haiden into Paradise and Nabuchodonosors Haiden And for the Monarchy of the world and Soules immortalitie citeth against Epicures wise Poetes for Haides iumpe as Christian faith is professed by symbolon Apost And from the phrase of this article Iustin wan his chief credit among heathen The Latin translation would never have done that The Greek is holy Of Eusebius Eusebius in the common mouth of Ecclesiasticall storie and in this argument he vseth the phrase of the symbolon Hist 1. 13. and by oracles doeth expound it He saieth that Thaddaeus taught the L. of Edessen that our Lord was crucified dead and buried and went to Haides and thence hee raised vp the just which had of long time bene a sleepe This in Hist lib. 1. cap. 13. Now Apod 3. He citeth Porphyrie and Oracles to tell whither our Lord went where the Oracles say of our Lord. Apo. 3. fol. 87. That Mans Soule was the godliest of all soules And the Godly Soule doeth goe into heaven Thus speaketh the Oracle and Porphyrie assenteth That the Soule was iust and went hence into heaven So Eusebius being the cōmon historique for the Church telleth the cōmon opinion for his time how the speech of the Symbolon was vnderstood that Haides of the godly is knowen Of Latines and other translations Soone after that Latin studies came in credit they bred disturbance what Descendere inferos should meane and no tongue but the Greeke could well expresse the matter Therefore many Symbola when the immortalitie of the soule was knowne left out the article when the mynde without the expresse word held the
zeale Rabbi Elias as I hope shall finde mercy My poore will shal be ready in your studies of the Law which from yongest yeares I have followed with great zeale care Rab. El. Now you have brought me vnto the worlds end And before you told how the Dragon head and tayle hath prophane Caesares and Popes and Daniels beastes compiled into one have an Empire once mightie but killed and revived by one comming from the earth and that beast revived differeth but in scarlat colour from the former and hath Woman Rome sitting vpon him cruell in blood sparing vs Iewes but killing them that be of your faith Br. Millions of Rome pay be of my religion by such as I know principall I iudge Of many speaches I will tell some The best learned Iesuites wished my poore skill in the Thalmudique of the new Testament saying that so they might soone turne the Indians and many spake and dealt in equall maner And now the Iesuites despising idler monches condemning the other Locustes begin to have some skill in Ebrew and Greeke which tongue and writers vtterly kill the Bridgemaker Rab. Elias Now to conclude this tell me the Chapt. 20. and the other two which you made an abridgement of Romes badnes The twentieth and the other of the Churches glorie Br. The Romane Dracon should be tyed for a thousand yeares before hee deceaved Generally as Albion of a thousand litle cared for him soone stonge the stonger But after a thousand yeres he shall deceave the West to fight for Ierusalem to weaken all Princes power and then shal be espied and decay in an other thousand Rabbi Elias Before sinne came to the full in the old world it was a thousand yeares before Noe was named a redresser And after the flood at neare a thousand yeares Chanaans sinnes were not ripe Nor Israels of a thousand yeares to be wasted by the Macedonians So the Rome Dragon of 1000. yeares could not deceave the whole world But then a new Gog and Magog troubleth all and since six hundred yeares But now Kingdomes of right be stronger and sophistrie is nothing against sword and speare Now Rome shall feele as it dealt and see that God sitteth on a white Throne in iustice for the latter iudgement Rab Elias Now to conclude Iohn tell me the heavenly Ierusalem whiche you spake off ending all comfort in this world Br. I will shew a brief as you may thereby from the holy Prophetes fetch the amplifications The Heavenly Ierusalem Chap. 21. Esay telleth of a new Heaven and a new Earth Know you what that meaneth Rabbi Elias Yes the dayes of Messias Br. And what this The wicked shal be as a sea foming out their owne shame Rabbi Eli. The wicked shal be so helden to be holden no part of the Church Br. And what meaneth this The cowards who shrink from Martyrdome and faithles and detestable and fornicatours and witches and idol-servers and all liers their portion shal be in the lake burning with fyer and brimstone Rab. Eli. That they shall not be of the Church of God in trueth that be of the open shew as the worlde knoweth But as God knoweth his owne seale so they will depart from wickednes that call vpoÌ„ the name of the Eternall Now as Ezekiel chap. 40. saw a goodly Citie so Iohn saw what a goodly Citie all the elect together good make who though they be scattered yet are in Gods care as all together and a citie comming downe from heaven having the glorie of God and light as Iasper Carbuncle Chrystallizing having a great Wall of Gods defence twelve gates with the twelve Tribes names as by their storie men here come in and the wall had twelve foundations with the Apostles names vpoÌ„ them but in matter they were the twelve stones of the Tribes And that in this order The Iasper of BeÌ„iamin The Saphir of Isachar the CarbuÌ„cle of Iuda the Smaragd of Levi the Sardonyx of Zabulon the Sardius of Ruben The Chrysolita of Afer The Beryl of Ioseph the To par of Symeon The Chrysophrase of Nephthali The Iacynth of Dan The Amethyst of Gad So the foundations 〈◊〉 the Tribes stones that is their storie how Christ ruleth 〈◊〉 as the Apostles taught But Iohns vision obiected matter Doe you remember how this order of foundation is an abridgement of all the Ebrew story and such and God and no mans wit would so settle Rabbi Elias I remember it wish it handled in my nations tongue Br. It would be a long speach why Beniamins Iasper is fift Iosephs Beryl is cast off into the eight and why Isachars Saphir hath the second Symeons Topaz is cast off to the nienth and why Iudahs Carbuncle hath the place of Levi and Levi his and so for all the rest But you heard a reason of all Rabbi And verie sensible as we are acquainted with our emblemes Br. Now what meaneth this The Citie was square Equall in length breadth and height Rab. Eli. It followeth the Davir in Salomons Temple or the holy of holy Br. Now that Heaven is opened all myndes may see there the Arke and Cherubim all that be of this Citie The Citie was 144000. forlong Setting eight forlongs to an English mile It was almost a thousand miles square and what should this meane That an infinite company should be of Christians though Rome and Saracenes endevoured general destruction So the Walles were an hundred fortie foure cubites Know you what that must meane Rab. Defence is meant by Walles as in Es 54. And thence in the Septuagint Iaspis is for Carbuncle and so here Iohn Visions are from the old Testament and not from mans fanfie And Iaspis in v. 18. must respect Codcod in Esai Chalcedon or Carbuncle and in the first foundation Beniamins stone els a confusion wil be which God suffereth not but requireth his to be full of eyes and to know his word richly Now what meaneth this The twelve gates were twelve Pearles Rab. The doctrine of life cleare and precious Br. The Law had a covering But in Christ all glittereth And what meaneth this The streat of the Citie was like pure Gold cleare as glasse Rab. The Lawes and rules of life Br. Such be in our New Testament the purest rules that ever could be spoken and the wordes be so pure in the Greeke But knowen of few by reason that the Bridge-maker of Thymbris scattred Barbarous Latin for Golden Greeke over the West Men of conscience and iudgement should studie Ebrew and Greek for Divinitie not Latin versions of mans guesse But the wordes that God warranteth But my next demaund Babbi shall trie your Thalmudique skill Iohn saw no Temple in this Citie For the Lord God of hoastes is the Temple and the Lambe Why Rab I can not tell Br. Rambam in Betâ—â—abechira dreameth as ye all of a returne to Chanaan to build a third Temple That hope was senseles ever since Esai tolde you of a
afflicting Iudah But Deut. 32. told the Rock would helpe them at the worst as Dan. 12. telleth So against the Romanes sea Apoc. 13. The same terme Rock is a promesse against Rome nor for Rome And Peter was never nearer Rome then Ioppe Origen Tertullian Euseb auctors after 250. yeres of Peters being in Rome are a Egyptian Rede that will prick the hand S. Luke that noteth lesse townes where S. Peter was would never have omitted his being in Rome if ever he had bene there And he that expreslie telleth of him selfe he was in Babylon to shew the Prophecy Psal 87. that Babel and proud Egypt should yeeld a people to God 1. Pet. 5. in his second Epistle pronouncing the letter A in by an S. which Chaldaea did as Daniels speech teacheth and Thalmud Ierusalemy in Megilah R. Azarias in Balaams father Bosor for Beor at Rome by the 70. he might haue taught any maide whence the Galilean wrote by his voice So Rock is expreslie against Rome not for it But will try you with a second Syllogisme If Rome crucified Christ it is vnpossible for God to blesse Rome with any hast or Perogative longe S. Paul was kept back But the first is true by Balaam Num. 24. and the foure Evange listes in Pilate and the Romane Soldiers Therfore Rome for any prerogative must still goe on to destruction as Balaam Numb 24. Apoc. 17. doe vse the phrase Answere Rome as it is the seat of the Empire it is cursed But as it is the Church it is blessed Reply Your Pope is farre aboue all Emperors as ye deeme therefore as your church depēdeth vpon him ye are openly cursed Here I gave place to others as reason would the commencer gaue certen Battes to the Repliers and the Bedell brought so to me and they requested me not to refuse thē This disputatiō was celebrated by the very Iesuites over the Empire that none could answer the arguments And for all that I am to teach you they cōfesse that all mine extant in Ebrew Greek or Latin they allow And for all that they haue more I reiect it These be vaine dreames that one Apostle could be above another That Peter was at Rome that any cā bind or lose sinnes but by teaching what bindeth what loseth that one man should in Divinitie be above all that the Barbarous Latin should exclude the Hebrew law where thousands of names as in the book of Numbers haue plain sentences vnder thē But in other tongues we speak them to lesse comfort And so the new Testam in Greek hath every word as a Pearle to them that can tell from what Heathen the floure of Athens they be taken or in what imitation of the 70. or Thalmudique for weightie common places or which turne eloquent Greeke to Beryllike or Carbuncle-like termes of the Law and Prophetes One skilfull in Greek and Ebrew shall in reading the New Testament runne in memorie through all Attique and Thalmudique The Latin is to the Greeke but as a stutter to eloquent And a Babylonian curse came to the world when the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ in the tongues of Heber and the Greeke was despised and a latepatched barbarous came in steede of it The plague of Rome by Alaricus and Gensericus and Theodoricus and Totilas that pilled Rome might haue warned them of preferring the Barbarous before the Holy The next wickednes is this That any should commaunde any of the simplest not to read the Bible or any learned requested by a companie not to expound it If the Synagogue of the Bridge-makers at Thymbris had taught Rome everie day of the Lord Iohns Apocalyps they had not bene now in dispute for Faith and Dominion By the groundes which they must graunt and I would bring to you no one whit of Bible will serve the Bridge-maker of Rome as Sozimus termeth him The mainteyning of a Barbarous Schoole Latin and wicked Aristotles false groundes giveth him colour of Prate If Graecia ruled studies as after the Apostles dayes it did six hundreth yeares and your Thalmudique studies were ioyned to shew that our Apostles have nothing but by your graunt it had bene plain of old I will anon plead your cōsent with me and now tell you that the mysterie of Godlines that God in the flesh reconcileth the world vnto himselfe this your Doctours speake but knew not what they spake In other poinctes your olde Scribes better cleare our Apostles then any of our owne side by reason that their disputations are vpon Moyses to their vein hard to vs easie to you Then for the Churches good I neede not to feare blames In England by our Kings commaundement through the Earle of Pembrok I gave advertisment of strange corruption in our handling of Religion They saw it was soundly done to the common good and all spake well of it Wee conspire not as your Thalmudiques doe to be the scūme of the world to deny 80. yeares from the Poloponnesian warres to Alexander Macedon men of all Kingdomes Persian and Greekes and so over all the world ever to have bene in course of nature Such dogges ye are to defeet the Angel Gabriels prophecy Now for Geneveans Marpurgeans and Hanoveans none of fame crosse me So your obiection is fonde And for hindring Princes I sought not to them nor ever will And I have answered them so in a Latin Epistle My owne K. is able enough and was willing but for some hinderers Now I will shew Rabbi Elias your appointed Oratour towardes me his attendance to me at Basil to our Apocalyps and the Epistle of S. Paul to you Ebrewes I will now lay downe the sum of both as expounded vnto him in your vein and by your Authours I will in dialogue handle a speach had with Rabby Elias at Basil For Dialogue as in Plato and Tully hath shortnes Thus I began Br. I preceave by your eloquent speach that you are the Rabbi which in Francfurt synagoge disputed with me denying nothing that you knewe true Eli. I am the man And I gladly heard you drawe all the Lawe to Messias and I celebrated you to all nations and gladly would I heare more Br. and gladly would I teach you And that you may wonder at the Fishers of Galily I will take ourlast book penned by Iohn the Apostle speaking how Cittim or Italy shall afflict the true Israel vntil the end of light with darknes Balaam spake of Assur and Cittim By Assur hee meant them that possessed Assyria and dwelt in the East as Salmanasars house Chaldea and Persia and Macedonians All these held Assyria and the Persian King Son to Esther is called King of Assyr in Ezra as Cyrus King of Babel But the Empire of Italy stayde in Italy and by Deputies afflicted so it is as equally great to al the former as if they had ben so many kingdoms The storie you know howe the Romanes pretending friendship in the beginning at
matter and barbarous tongues could not expresse the right Two causes mooved them The one that when soules immortalitie was knowen the article was cold that drew the matter into question The other that translations drew hurtfull expositions being vnable to overtake the Greeke eloquence So the omission was sage where omission was and was to bee wished that it had bene over all Barbarous Countreys vnable to expresse the Greekes clearenes But we may be sure it was in the Greeke at the first while Heathen and Christians made equall vse and friendship by the article And the Greek Fathers cōtinually deale with the article as holding it vsuall And for all the twentie opinions I cited this cōmeth one check for them all That it is in proprietie of Greeke flat atheisme to denie to soules passage frō the body To Catelthein eis haidou a returning to God that gaue them And it is an vnspeakable shame for Doctours of Christianitie not to know the phrases of their own abridgement of faith and markes of profession Now I will come to your Hanovean Preachers and Marpurges and Lavater Geneva and for your stirres for Genevaes quarell Of the report that I was set against all Churches I. This report was much faultie It is no fault to differ from all Churches for the good of all Churches II. Churches carrie no sway aboue the word of God but the word of God doeth above all Churches III. I haue brought to light by the helpe of Iewes and Heathen many things which none of any Church before mee cleared to my hand as that the Law was aey writtē as now IV. I knew not fifteene yeares agoe any learned man in the world that durst mainteyn that to Catelthein eis haidou in the Godly was to goe vp to heaven But since mightie Learned are of my minde The Duke of Bullon being at Hanaw was desirous to heare my selfe vpon this article at a late supper And as Maister Isaac Genius told me on the morrow he sent to Sedan for his Professour who came and read what I had written and saide he was of my minde and the Duke bade him tell all his fellowes that they also should be or look for no pay Isaac Genius is myne authour Maister du Boys can tell aske him And vnlesse England bee full of fooles or flatterers the heartie all there stande to mee Two Caladonians nine yeares agoe overthrew all the good that I might haue done The Bishops cleared them selves and tolde who the parties were Two Calcedonian Lords sorrowed that that should come from their soile and that therevpon Ban. by whom I would not be checkt for any thing should bee great In France the best learned presentlie ioyned to mee and reformed Helvetia the LL. Marchants of Francfurt and the Iesuites of Mentz and the best of Hanaw The least should not chide that I was against all Churches when I am against them for their speciall good At Francfurt a Preacher by occasion of speach against English Spellmen was aunswered that they were allowed in England Then said he There is no religion in England A marchant whom M. Is Gen. described to bee simplie the richest in all Francfurt said I would Br. heard you He is no Turk Iew Romist Lutheran Calvinian yet I hold him of the best religion In England we allow no teacher but God The Marchant thought differing from mē to be no blame as none that studie of conscience will make flesh their arme I dare promisse that what so ever I defende of resolute purpose or oppugne in schooles that the most part of the hearers will be of my minde I was requested at Mentz to dispute vpon a Licentiat I tolde them that I had no minde to be busie in straunge soiles Then they vrged instantlie of all friendship Therevpon I was content but told them that I would overcome by their voices or never dispute more And if any thinke he can doe better then their aunswearer did let him trie The question shal be here layd downe Romana Ecclesia est vera Christi Ecclesia The Church of Rome is the true Church Reply You make Peter God Therefore yee are not the true Church The antecedent is denied Ye make him Rock Therefore God The sequell is denyed Rock is never taken in praise of person but only in God Once it is spokē of Abraham and Sara Es 51. For the Quarry whence Israell was out and for a Madianite Num. 25. But neither place will stande so here Though Maymonides in Moreb would commend Abraham and Sara here The cōtinuall vse of Rock in the highest degree of prayse telleth that the terme belongeth only to God Answer It is bestowed sometimes vpon other men Reply Eysight will iudge that These be all the places wherein the word commeth in commendation of a Person The Rock his word is Perfect He is the God of trueth Deut. 32. v. 4. And he contemned the Rocke of his salvation v. 15. Thou wilt forget the Rock that begate thee v. 19. Their Rock hath sold them v. 30. Their Rocke is not like our Rocke v. 31. The Rock in whom they trusted v. 36. And in all these places the seventie Seniors put Theos God Thus often in one chapter in Moyses the word Rock is God and the termes of the Gospell must agree with them of the Law So There is no Rock but our God 1. Sam. 2. My God is the Rock in whom I will trust 2. Sam. 22. 3. and Psal 18. 3. And who is the Rock but our God 2. Sam. 22. and Ps 18 The Eternall liveth and blessed is my Rock and exalted be my God the Rock of my salvation 2. Sam. 22. The Rock of Israell spake to me The Eternall is my Rock and Redeemer Psal 19. My Rock be not silent concerning me Doubtles he is my Rock and my salvation Psal 62. 3. 7. He was to me a Rock of dwelling Psal 71. 3. The Rock of my heart and my Portion Psal 73. 26. They remembred that God was their Rock My God and the Rock of my salvation Ps 89. My God and the Rock of my confidence Ps 94. 22. Let vs sing to the Rock of our salvation Ps 95. Blessed be the Eternall my Rock Ps 144. So in Esai the Rock of thy strength thou hast not remembred chap. 16. 10. So the Rock of Israell chap. 30. I acknowledge no other cha 44. The holy Ghost would not so often vse the terme Rock in so high Maiestie and bestow it vpon Peter who thrise denied him S. Peter him selfe in his Epistle from Babylon to the scattered Iewes somewhat neare by the 70. terme for Tzur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sam. 22. saieth Let them commend their soules to the sure Rock the Creator Now the cause of the terme Rock proceeded from the first demaund concerning the Sonne of man Dan. 7. comming with the clouds of heaven or Angels as Rabbi Sadaias termeth them There in a great Sea foure beastes arise