have been rightly and duly done And as he says in another place if there be an Offence taken at the Truth Hom. 7. in Ezechiel it is much better that Offence be taken then that the Truth should be deserted The Customs of Churches ought to submit to the words of Christ not the words of Christ to be wrested to the Customs of the Church in regard the words of Christ are the Foundation upon which all Church Customs are to be built that they may be safe and laudable Whatsoever savours against the words of Christ savours against the Truth and as Tertullian says Whatever savours contrary to Truth is Heresie though it be an Ancient Custom It is in the power of God to pardon those that err out of simplicity But because we err'd once we are not always to go on in our Errours Epist ad Jubaian as St. Cyprian admonishes well It being more proper for the wise and those that fear God to obey the manifest and open Truth freely and without delay then obstinately and pertinaciously to resist it Scotus having alledg'd the judgment of Alexander the Third 4 Sent. dist 3. q. 4. num 10. touching the baptizing of those of whom it was doubted whether they were Baptized or no takes an occasion to recommend three maxims The first is Where there is a possibility the safest way is to be chosen Secondly Where there is no possibility the next to the safest way is to be made choice of Thirdly When impossibility ceases every thing is to be supplyed which impossibility would not admit These Maxims so agreeable to reason whoever intends to follow will never question but that they ought to be Baptiz'd if they have not receiv'd that Baptism ordained by Christ but only the Rhantism that is the sprinkling substituted in its room by a vulgar use or rather abuse 〈◊〉 Hist 〈◊〉 c. 14. â— 13. as Luther calls it See c. 8. v. 38. Nor is it to be doubted saith that famous Divine John Forbes but that they are again to be Baptiz'd who before have only received a vain washing and not the true Sacrament of Baptism And though it be not so great as the Papists imagine yet is the necessity of this Sacrament very great and the profit and advantage very considerable In the name of Jesus Christ That is professing a faith in Christ not feigned as we may collect from c. 8. v. 37. See our Annotations upon the place Or in the name of Jesus Christ is the same with in Jesus Christ as St. Paul speaks Rom. 6.3 Are ye ignorant that whosoever of us are baptized in Christ Jesus according to the Greek into Christ Jesus we are baptiz'd in his death the Greek has it into his death Upon which words Eulogius of Alexandria To be baptized into Jesus Christ signifies to be baptized according to the Precept and Tradition of Christ that is L. 2. Contr. Novatian apud Phâ—tium in Bibliothâ—â—a into the Father and Son and Holy Ghost And that other into his death is Typically representing his death in Baptism The same Patriarch in the same place a little before What is said in the Acts of those that had received the Baptism of John that they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus denotes that they were baptized according to the Institution and Doctrine of the Lord Jesus As also when it is said in another place that they were baptized into Christ and the death of Christ we ought to understand that the same sense is thereby signify'd that is to say they were baptized into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost For so the Lord Jesus Christ both taught Sect. 9. Confut Harding and commanded his Disciples to Baptize John Jewel Bishop of Salisbury To baptize saith he in the name of Christ is so to baptize as Christ instituted commanded and ordained But those words in the name of Christ signify no more that Baptism was administred in the only name of Christ not of the Father and Holy Ghost then these words Paul a Servant of Jesus Christ argue that he was a Servant of Christ only and not of the Father and Holy Ghost also Or as if those words which Paul spoke to the Keeper of the Prison believe in Jesus Christ should be thought to free him from a necessity of believing in the other two Persons of the Trinity Moreover if there be any credit to be given to Pseudo-Abdias the Babylonian the Apostles in the Infancy of the Church when they Baptiz'd us'd this Form I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost Perhaps to the intent that the name of Jesus Christ which was odious to the Jews and Gentiles might be advanced into Honour in regard that the Holy Ghost was given in Baptism upon the Invocation of his name Peter Epist 73. ad Jubaian saith Cyprian makes mention of Jesus Christ not as if the Father were to be omitted but that the Son might be joyned to the Father l. 3. against Maximin Bishop of the Arrians c. 17. Hence St. Austin uses this example to weaken his Adversaries Objection where that Arrian gain-says the Holy Ghost to be the Creator because it is said all things were made by the Son If saith he because the Spirit is not nam'd therefore thou thinkest the Spirit of God not to be a Creator by the same reason you may as well say they were not baptized in his name to whom St. Peter speaks Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ because he does not add and of the Holy Ghost nor in the name of the Father because he is not there named But if they were commanded to be baptized in the name of Christ though the Father and Holy Ghost were not mentioned yet we understand that they were not otherwise baptized then in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost why dost thou not apprehend when it is said of the Son all things were made by him that the Holy Ghost also though not mentioned is there likewise understood Thus St. Austin Certainly saith Facundus l. 1. to Justin the Emp. c. 3. Bishop of Hermia the Apostles baptized in the name of Jesus though not only of the Lord Jesus that is in the name of the Son only but also of the Father and Holy Ghost And from hence I gather that when Baptism was celebrated the very words consecrated to the celebration of that Ordinance were us'd But in a relation it sufficed to mention only the name of the Lord Jesus to distinguish it from other divings But therefore I believe that of all the three Persons the name of Jesus Christ is only assum'd to denote the new Baptism because we are by Baptism buried with him into Death Yet would it not be said unless the Lord Jesus Christ were one of the Trinity In remission of your
leave my Soul in Hell The sence in reference to David is thou wilt not suffer me to be slain by Saul 1 Sam. 22.1 but in relation to the Messiah of whom Davids concerns were Types thou wilt not leave me long in the state of the dead or which is the same thing thou wilt not suffer my Soul laid down for my Sheep to be a long time shut up within the receptacle of Souls separated from the body into which I descended l. 5. c. 26. Vpon Luke 16.13 to satisfy the law of death as Ireneus speaks Worthily therefore Grotius True it is saith he that Hell is a place substracted from our sight and when it is understood in reference to the Body it signifies the Grave where the Body lies without a Soul but in reference to the Soul it denotes that Region or State wherein the Soul remains without the Body Therefore as Dives was in Hell so was also Lazarus the Regions being only distinguish'd For both Paradise and Gehenna or as the Greeks called those places Tartarus and Elysium were in Hell And that this was the opinion of the Greeks is most certain whom Virgil follows in the sixth of his Aeneids Nor let any one question the Jews for whom I bring Josephus to vouch who says that the Prophet Samuel was rais'd by the Witch out of Hell The same Author speaking of the Sadduces They take away saith he all punishments and rewards out of Hell Again where he sets down the opinion of the Pharisees he appoints the seat both of punishment and reward in Hell under ground because the Infernal Regions by the Greeks are called Subterraneal Either because Hell was thought to be under ground or rather because it is no more in sight then the most hidden recesses which the Earth conceals Josephus reciting the Opinions of the Esseans de Bill Jud. l. 2. c. 12. places the Souls of the Godly beyond the Ocean to which in another place according to the judgment of the same persons he allots the most holy Region of Heaven But indeed those phrases of speech under the Earth in the Air beyond the Ocean and what we find in Tertullian beyond the fiery Zone signify no more then that which is invisible and inaccessible to us Thus far Grotius De bono mortis cap. 10. to which he adds that place of St. Ambrose It had been enough to have said to those Philosophers that Souls set at liberty from the body went directly to Aides that is to a place which is not seen which we call in Latin infernus And lastly the Scripture calls those receptacles of separated Souls Magazines Thy Holy One. In the Hebrew thy bountiful That is him who never nor in no place found thy bounteousness and loving kindness withdrawn from him To see Corruption That is to be corrupted Thus To see death is to die Luke 2.26 The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies Corruption or putrefaction as the two great Apostles Peter here and Paul c. 13.30 urge the Emphasis of it is nevertheless very often taken for a ditch or pit where dead bodies lie putrifying Psal 57.7 94.3 So the Greek word whereby Luke expresses the Hebrew word is by the Interpreters of the old Testament not only us'd to denote bare Corruption 〈…〉 16. Pro. 27.21 but also the place of Putrefaction To see the Pit saith Vatablus is to be laid in a Pit to suffer putrefaction The sense therefore of this half verse in reference to David is thou wilt not 〈…〉 being through thy benignity appointed to Reign to die a sad death by the hand of my Enemies in relation to the Messiah typified by David Thou wilt nor suffer me toward whom thou hearest a Love most 〈◊〉 and ineffable to lie so long in the Grave till my body be rotten 28. Thou hast made known to me the way of life In the Hebrew Thou wilt make me know the path of life In respect of David it signifies thou wilt open me a most certain way to deliver me from the death design'd me by my Enemies In respect of the Messias thou wilt bring me back from death to perpetual and immortal life Thou shalt make me full of Joy That is thou shalt heap joy and comfort upon me With thy face As if he had said Being by thee beheld with a benign and gracious Aspect 29. Men and Brethren A kind compellation to gain the affections of the Hearers Neither does Peter in the least deny the cited words of Psal 16. to be any wise understood of David But urges them so to be uttered by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost that literally and properly they are not to be understood of David but of Christ of whom David made a representation Of the Patriarch David Patriarch is a compound Greek word of Patria signifying Family and Arche Beginning However every Father of a Family is not called a Patriarch by the Hellenists but only they who in Hebrew are call'd the Heads or chief of the Fathers that is the Fathers of the Fathers of a Family and the Founders of the whole Family and Kindred They are called the Heads of the Fathers Exod. 6.25 1 Chr. 9.9 Patriarchs And thus David is properly called a Patriarch because he was the Founder of the Royal Family which is called in Greek Patria c. 7. v. 8 9. Linage Luke 2.4 And so below the twelve Sons of Jacob are called Patriarchs because the several Tribes deriv'd their names from them as being the Founders of their Race and deduced their Original from them Heb. 7.4 So Abraham is called a Patriarch because the whole race of the Elect people of God descended from his Loyns There were also other Patriarchs improperly so call'd not in respect of Pedigree but in regard of their Superiority and Precedency Thus they whom the Author of the Chronicles calls Princes of the Tribes of Israel 1 Chron. 27.22 the Greeks call Patriarchs of the Tribes and in this sense also King David advanced to the most supream degree of Dignity might be stil'd a Patriarch Such were the Patriarchs improperly so called whom the Hellenist Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem chose for their Chieftains Therefore saies the learned Heidegger Exercitat 1. Hist Patriarch n. 6. Vopisc in the life of Saturnin Hadrian to Severianus the Consul makes mention of the Patriarch of the Jews dwelling in Alexandria Epiphanius also relates in his disputation against the Ebionites That some part of the Jews in his time inhabited the City of Tiberias who acknowledged a Head or Supream to whom they gave the Title of Patriarch to whom also were joined several Assistants who were called Apostles From which custom to think that Christ gave to his Disciples the name of Apostles is a gross mistake of Baronius ad annum 32. n. 5. as Casaubon learnedly makes out But in the Christian Church as being
person was loth to depart from them either out of affection to those that had cur'd him or out of fear of becoming lame again if he should forsake their company Thus Servius observes that Virgil makes use of the Latin tenere for to stay and embrace To the Porch which is called Solomons So the first Court of the Temple was called which was also the Court of the Gentiles in regard the Gentiles had liberty of entrance into it It was called Solomon Porch because there was in that Court from the repaired Porch toward the East part of the Temple which though never finished and made perfect bare Solomons name Antiq. 20.8 Of which Josephus That Porch belonged to the outward Temple hanging over a steep Valley supported with four hundred Cubits of Wall built of very white foursquare Stones the length of every Stone was 20 Cubits and the depth six The work of King Solomon who first built the whole Temple Upon which place of Josephus the learned Lightfoot makes this observation in his Chorographick disquisition before St. John There is no need of a Commentary upon these words The Eastern Porch was of the first foundation by Solomon He speaks plainly enough which and where the Porch of Solomon was that is upon the out-wall of the Temple toward the East But the Royal Porch stood upon the South Wall Which received its Royal Name from King Herod as Lightfoot upon the same place a little before observes The same famous Author in his Hebraick hours upon the Acts of the Apostles c. 3. v. 11. If you distinguish between Porch and Porch Solomons was the Eastern and the Royal the Southern Porch But if you would have the whole Court to be comprehended under the name of Solomons Porch tho it seems somewhat more obscure why it should be called a Porch and why Solomons yet may it not be incongruously here admitted But whether it take its name from Solomons Porch strictly so called as being the most noble because anciently built by Solomon or whether because Solomon consecrated that Court in his Temple by Sacrifices 1 King 8.53 or whether because Solomon filled up immense Valleys to make a space even for this Court Whatever be the reason we do not deny but this whole Court may be called by that name though as we have elsewhere shewed the Porch itself in a strict sense was only a part and the Eastern Porch of that Court. 12. As though by our Vertue That is as though by any wonder-working efficacy or Vertue inherent or inbred in us Or Power In the Greek and English Version Holiness That is or by any faculty divinely ingrafted in us for our piety toward God We had made this man to walk That is we had been the causes that this lame Person by a supernatural effect should walk upon his feet 13. The God of our Fathers From whom proceeded the true and Heaven born Religion Has glorified his Son That is in the Miracle by us wrought has been pleased to illustrate the glory of Jesus who is the Messias promis'd in the Law and the Prophets This Sirname saith Grotius upon Mat. 14.32 the Son of God appears commonly given to the Messiah John 1.50 For says Nathanael Master thou art that Son of God thou art that King of Israel That is to say from the second Psalm which the Ancient Hebrews interpret according to the mystical meaning of the Messiah Therefore where Christ is by Peter said to be the Son of the living God Mark and Luke content themselves with the word Christ alone Add to these Mat. 26.63 Heb. 5.4 5. But how God the Father called Christ his beloved Son see our literal Explanation upon Mat. 3.17 Whom That is the Messiah promised to you by God and so openly professing himself to be Mark 14.62 You delivered up To be put to death by Pilate This properly belongs to the Jewish Senate See Mark 15.1 John 18.30 And denied in the presence of Pilate This relates to the people of the Jews As much as to say You would not acknowledge him before Pilate to be the King Messiah He determining to let him go That is though Pilate himself a Gentile and an unjust Magistrate adjudged him Innocent and so fit to be acquitted and dismissed 14. But you Born and bred in the true Worship of God to whom this Jesus who is the promised King Messiah was sent Denied the Holy One. That is Dan. 9.24 Jer. 23.6 you abjur'd him who is the Holy of Holies and our just Lord or our Justice And you required a Murderer to be granted unto you That is When it was in your Power and Choice whether you would have released this Jesus a Person of absolute Innocence and Integrity or Barabbas convicted of manifest Murder you required that Homicide to be dismissed in your favour 15. But you killed the Author of life That is by your urgent instigation you compelled Pilate to condemn the Prince of Life to death The Greek word as Erasmus observes consists of words contrary to themselves being compounded of one word signifying Beginning and another word derived from the End as much as to say Beginner and Ender Therefore Christ is said to be the Beginner and Ender of Eternal life For as the learned John Davenant Bishop of Salisbury observes upon Colos 3.4 He promised us this life he merited it he prepared it he will grant it He promised in the name of the Father Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock for it has pleased the Father to give your the Kingdâ— John 10.28 and in his own name 〈…〉 eternal life 〈…〉 He merited it 1 John 4.9 5.11 God hath sent his only begotten Son into the 〈◊〉 that we might live through him 〈…〉 prepared us for this and this life for 〈…〉 Colos 1.12 He hath prepared and 〈…〉 for this 〈…〉 Spirit He hath made us meet to be partakers of the Lot of the Saints in light He hath enlivened us by Christ through whose â—â—â—e ye are saved Ephes 2.5 He hath also prepared this Kingdom for us by his Ascension John 14.20 I go to prepare a place for you and when I have prepared it I will come again and take you with me c. Lastly He will grant to his own this Crown of Eternal life John 17.2 Thou hast given him power over all flesh that to as many as thou hast given him he should give to them eternal life There is laid up for me a Crown of Justice 2 Tim. 4.8 which the Lord will give me Christ is therefore truly called Our Life Heb. 5.9 that is the Author or Cause of our life eternal And being consecrated he is made the Author of Eternal life to all that obey him You killed Every one is reputed to have done that what another does in his favour Whom God raised from the dead See Annot. on c. 2.24 Whereof we are Witnesses When
being putrified up to the Groin and swarming with Worms Eusebius 8 Hist 16. says that out of the Emperour Galerius Maximianus's bowels came out infinite quantities of Worms which caused a deadly smell Dioclesian saith Cedrenus before he died had his Tongue putrified and great heaps of Worms came out of his Jaws His body saith Eutychius Alexandrinus of the same Emperour was so full of Worms that it dropt them on the ground and his Tongue with his Jaws were consumed and so he died Concerning Julian Unkle of Julian the Apostate whose privy Members rotted off Sozomenus lib. 5. c. 8. And there the putrified flesh was turned into Worms and the malignity of his Distemper was above the Physicians Art Nestorius also if we may believe Evagrius lib. 1. c. 1. having his Tongue eaten out with Worms passed out of the miseries of this life to suffer more grievous punishments inflicted on him by God's just Judgments and those to last to all Eternity Like to this is that which Baronius out of Surius ad Annum 698. relates of Dodon who had slain Lambert the Bishop of Tongres All Dodons bowels of a sudden putrified and he voided them out at his mouth stinking strangely At length his body being corrupted by a Consumption and the Worms stunk so intolerably that it was thrown into the Meuse He gave up the Ghost In the fifty fourth year of his Age the seventh of his Reign and the fourth year of Claudius Caesar the fifth day after those vehement Gripes which the Lord by his Angel inflicted on him because he had not left Gods honour untouched as Peter before ch 10.26 And Paul and Barnabas hereafter ch 14.14 15. The Children which Herod Agrippa left were one Son named Agrippa about seventeen years of Age who at that time was educated at Rome by Claudius But he had three Daughters Of which Berenice was seventeen years old and Married to her Unkle Herod King of Chalcis in Syria The other two were then Virgins Mariamne Aged ten years and betrothed by her Father to Julius Archelaus the Son of Chelcias and Drusilla six years old and betrothed to Epiphanes the Son of Antiochus the King of Comagena Joseph 19 Antiq. 7. 24. But the Word of God grew and multiplyed That is This Enemy of the Servants of Christ being dead in this manner the Preachers of the Gospel gathered new strength and every day more and more were converted to the faith 25. When they had fulfilled their Ministry That is When by a supply of Money sent them by the Antiochians as before ch 11.29 30. they had relieved the necessities of the Brethren dwelling at Jerusalem And taken John with them whose sirname was Mark. The Son of that Matron which is described by him before v. 12. CHAP. XIII PRophets Who being by Inspiration made privy to hidden things did also foretel things to come to know which the Church was concerned And Teachers Who did find out and interpret the meaning of the Word of God which was not obvious to every one With Herod the Tetrarch Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee is simply called Herod the Tetrarch Mat. 14.1 Luke 9.7 2. And they ministred That is Publickly discharged their Office This Office seems to have been that of Prophesying and Teaching for in the verse immediately preceeding they are called Prophets and Teachers So cardinal Cajetan understood it therefore Chrysostom Theophylact and Oecumenius render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministring by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preaching But the Syrian and Arabian interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praying For they restrained here the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to publick Prayers only because of the Fast mentioned next to it to which in the next following verse Prayer is joined In the same sense Erasmus renders Sacrificing for Prayers and the Praises of God are esteemed as Sacrifices Heb. 13.15 There is none saith Beza that is indifferently versed in the Greek Tongue who knows not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is mainly said of publick Offices Hence Paul himself Rom. 13. calls Magistrates sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And fasted Fasting is acceptable to God when it is for a good end to wit to tame the body that the mind may be the fitter for works of Piety See our Literal Explanation Mat. 6.16 The Holy Ghost said To wit To the Prophets of the Church of Antioch and by them to the whole Church Separate me c. The Holy Ghost bids to sepâ—rate Barnabas and Saul not to the Lord but to himself whereby is meant that the Lord and the Holy Ghost hath the same vertue and power which if he were less then the Lord he would have said Separate Saul and Barnabas to the Lord or to God He commands them to be separated to him for that to which he himself called them He therefore constituted them Ministers to himself he calls them his own Servants But as we cannot be Mens Servants in such things as concern Religion and Conscience so neither can we be the Servants of Angels for the same reason which Paul adduces 1 Cor. 7.23 Ye are bought with a Price be ye not the Servants of Men militates against both these Services The Servant of Men there is opposed to the Servant of Christ who subjects his whole self Soul and Body to him For he Redeemed us and addicted us to his service by the Price of his own Blood He who thus is the Servant of Christ cannot in the same sense be the Servant of Men he is therefore bound by Christ for his Servant So for the same reason he cannot be the Servant of Angels who are our Fellow Servants Therefore the Holy Ghost who so bound Paul and Barnabas to his own Service is not an Angel nor a company of Angels but Lord of all who hath the same worship and glory with the Father and the Son as the Fathers of the second Occumenick Council at Constantinople say in the Symbol of that Council For the work c. That work which they ought to do for the Holy Ghost is described in this Chapter and the next unto the 26th verse where they are said to have fulfilled that work They were sent by the Holy Ghost to Preach the Gospel and bring many to the obedience of the Faith This work is peculiarly the work of the Holy Ghost who is the Author and useth to be called the worker of Faith which yet is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 therefore the Holy Spirit is God which worketh and produceth that Faith in the Saints and so the whole work of Regeneration by the super-abundant Riches of his Grace I have called That is Appointed 3. And then c. As much as to say Having prayed and fasted they blessed Saul and Barnabas separated by the Holy Ghost in the name of God and Christ by the solemn Rite of imposition of hands and then bad them farewel The laying on
the Triumvir and Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt This Drusilla the Daughter of Agrippa the Elder by Cyprus was six years of Age when her Father yielded up the Ghost above c. 12. v. 23. Epiphanes Son to Antiochus King of Commagena to whom she was espoused by her said Father Agrippa the Elder refused her Marriage because that having altered his resolution he would not embrace the Jewish Religion as he had promised to her Parents Whereupon King Agrippa the younger Son to Agrippa the Elder and Brother to the said Drusilla gave her in Marriage to Azizus King of the Emessens who was Circumcised But Felix Procurator of Judea deeply in love or rather lust after Drusilla sent to her his Friend Simon by Birth a Jew of Cyprus who gave himself out for some great one who solicited her to forsake her Husband Azizus King of the Emessens and be Married to Felix promising that she should be blessed if she did not set light by him She being one of no great foresight and desirous to be freed from the disturbance of her Sister Bernice who envied her by reason of her excellent and surpassing beauty she consented to tread under foot the Religion of her Fathers and to be Married to Felix See Joseph 20. Ant. 5. and Wars of the Jews l. 2. c. 10. and our Annotations on c. 23. v. 24. Which was a Jewess That is whose paternal Religion was that of the Jews He sent for Paul That he might inquire diligently of that Sect which was objected to Paul as a Reproach and Crime above v. 5. And heard him concerning the Faith in Christ As if he had said And Paul perceiving he had a door of utterance opened to him nothing afrighted with dangers declareth to Felix in order what Doctrines the Christan Religion requires to be believed what good things to be hoped for what evils to be feared and finally what things it requireth us to do and what to eschew 25. And as he reasoned of Righteousness and Chastity In the Gr. as also the English it is and Temperance That is As Paul was declaring the Doctrine of the Christian Religion concerning its reverence to all Virtues and abhorrence of all Vices And of Judgment to come Wherein the Lord Jesus who is constituted by the Father Judge of the Quick and the Dead will righteously Judge all Men not excepting the Potentates and those who now sit judging others then standing before his Tribunal and will render unto every one due rewards to the just everlasting and inestimable Joys to the unjust deserved terrible and never to be ended Punishments Paul also concluded his Oration before the Athenians in Mars-hill with this tremendous Judgment of the Quick and the Dead above c. 17. v. 31. As also the Preaching of this Judgment is reckoned one of the chief fundamental points of the Christian Religion Heb. 6.1 2. Felix trembling For the Punishment that he was at length like to undergo for his wicked Actions which before he believed he would never account for as trusting to his Power that was so great as Tacitus writeth of him Annal. l. 12. Answered Confounded with the Guilt of his Wickedness Go thy way for this time That is At present I am not at leisure to hear you reason of these things When I have a convenient time That is When I shall have respit from other business I will call for thee To confer with thee 26. He hoped also that Money should have been given him of Paul c. As if he had said Being an unsatiably covetous Man he hoped that Paul would have redeemed himself with Money and therefore sent for him more frequently on pretence to confer with him 27. But after two Years As much as to say But when Paul had been kept in free custody by Felix for the space of two whole years He had From Nero Caesar A Successor In the Office of Procurator of Judea Felix Accused for his Wickedness as Tacitus testifieth Porcius Festus Porcius was the Surname of the whole Race of Cato's derived from the Word Porcus signifying a Hog Varro of Husbandry Chap. 1. saith We have many Surnames from both sorts of Beasts the bigger and the smaller from the smaller Porcius Ovinius Caprilius from the bigger Equitius Tanrus Willing to shew the Jews a pleasure That is That he might ingratiate himself to the Jews whom he had incensed by many Oppressions He left Paul bound That is kept in open Prison See above v. 23. But this did nothing avail Felix For the Elders of the Jews that dwelt at Caesarea went to Rome and accused him before Nero the Emperor for the many injuries he had done them Whereupon his Successor Porcius Festus sent him bound to Rome to Nero who would have put him to Death had not as Josephus testifies his Brother Pallas who then was in favour with the Emperor procured his pardon Although Pallas himself is thought to have been poysoned by Nero not long after For that he held a vast Treasure in a long old Age. Tacit. l. 14. Annal. CHAP. XXV 1. NOW when Festus was come into the Province To wit Judea committed to his Administration by Nero Caesar After three days he went up to Jerusalem The Metropolis of that Province that there he might enter upon and discharge his Office of Governor From Caesarea Where by reason of the convenience of the Sea those who were Deputed by the Roman Emperors to Govern Judea used to have their residence as Tacitus testifieth Annal. lib. 18. As also it was the first Port as they Sailed from Italy to Judea 2. And the High Priest went unto him He seems to be the same Ananias that is mentioned above c. 23. v. 2 24. And Chief of the Jews These heads of the Jewish People are above c. 24. v. 1. called Elders that is Senators Against Paul That is That they might with more advantage accuse Paul before the new Governour And besought him To wit Festus That he would send him to Jerusalem And there pass a final Sentence against him The Roman Magistrates did not always give Judgment in one particular City but wherever they hap'ned to be Laying wait As if he had said Intending to kill Paul by Ambush in his way from Caesarea to Jerusalem 4. Should be kept at Caesarea As if he had said There is no necessity that Paul should be brought from Caesarea where he is in Custody hither to Jerusalem to be judged by me here seeing I my self am to go shortly into Caesarea 5. In you That is Among you as it is in the English Translation In is frequently put for inter among as above c. 7. v. 44. c. 18. v. 11. c. 24. v. 21. Who are able Supply To convict Paul of his Crimes by solid and strong Arguments As if he had said saith Joh. Pric The Accusations of the confused multitude are not worthy the taking notice of the disordered rabble does destroy the very appearance and form of
of our Salvation By many Proofs An Hebraism that is by many evident signs that had the force of a most powerful and irresistible Proof The Greek calls Theses proofs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth says Beza as Quintilian affirms out of Aristotle l. 5. c. 9. signs necessary and indubitable as these actions speaking walking eating drinking are undoubted signs of life To appear publickly in sight and to be felt by the Hands are certain signs of a real natural Body Also the wounds of the hands feet and side were indubitable signs that the same Body rose that was crucified and Pierced with the Lance. The Blood and Water flowing from his wounded side was for a certainty a sign of the parts about the heart being wounded and of Death These were therefore the signs by which St. Luke affirms that Christ confirm'd his Resurrection of which he treats more fully in his Gospel Being seen Often and long together For it was but necessary that Christ in regard of the infirmity of his Disciples should converse with them both frequently and for a good while together to the end they might have a full assurance of his Resurrection For we know how difficultly they were induc'd to believe it and how at first when he appeared to them they thought it only a delusion of the sight and that it had been only some Apparition that deceiv'd them And speaking of the Kingdom of God That is of the Spiritual Kingdom the possession of which Christ was to take upon his ascent into Heaven The Apostles were as yet but ignorant in many points of Faith which before the suffering of Christ being blinded by their own prejudices they could not sufficiently apprehend tho they had frequently heard them from his mouth Therefore after his Resurrection he delay'd his Ascension forty days and took in that Interval as much time as he thought to be sufficient to instruct his Disciples in what was necessary for them to know to the end they might the more faithfully perform the Function which they were to undertake 4. And being assembled together The Greek word is using one common Table or eating the same Salt and Meat together Whence the Proverb To have eaten many Bushels of Salt with any one is the same thing as to have had long converse with any one In his Critica Sacra Says the most Learned Sir Edward Leigh There are some that endeavour to prove by Examples that the Greek word signifies properly the rallying of Souldiers dispers'd in pursuit after a Battel won Or as when a Shepherd gathers his scatter'd Sheep into one Fold Which significations agree very exactly to the sense of this place because Christ doth recollect his Disciples dispersed like scatter'd Sheep and gave them Instructions for the Spiritual Warfare which they were to undergo The same Author in the same place affirms the Greek word to be a Military word and to signifie the pitching of the Victor Captain in the Field of Battel The most Learned Lightfoot deduces the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not from Hals which signifies Salt but from Halia which signifies an Assembled Congregation But whereas Christ after his Resurrection never appear'd to his Disciples but of a suddain and when he was least expected Mat. 28.6 but only upon the Mountain of Galilee where he had appointed a meeting that most learned man refers this verse to that meeting as if this were the sence of the words Jesus a little before his ascent into Heaven being met in an Assembly of five hundred of the Brethren upon the Mountain of Galilee according to his own appointment 1. Cor. 15.6 finding his Disciples not willing to return to Jerusalem still as it were reaking with his Blood without his express order he commanded them to repair thither forthwith and not to stir from thence until they had receiv'd the Holy Ghost according to his promise They should wait for the promise of the Father Esa 44.3 Ezek 36.26 27. Jod 2.28 Thus he calls both here and Luc. 24.49 the gift of the Holy Ghost promised by the Father to all Believers Which saith he ye have heard from my mouth As if he had said The performance of which promise I have told you that I will make good to you Luc. 24.49 A passing like to this from an Oblique to a Direct Speech is frequent in History 5. Because John c. As if he had said Because within a few days ye shall find by experience how truly my Forerunner John said formerly that he Baptiz'd indeed with Water but that I would Baptize with the Holy Ghost See our Literal Explication on Mat. 3.11 Shall be Baptiz'd The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says Casaubon is to dip or plunge as if it were to dye Colour In which Sense the Apostles may be truly said to have been Baptized For the House in which this was done was filled with the Holy Ghost So that the Apostles may seem to have been plunged into it as into a large Fish-pond Hence Oecumenius upon Act. 2. v. 2. A Wind fill'd the whole House that it seem'd like a Fish-pond because it was promis'd to the Apostles that they should be Baptiz'd with the Holy Ghost Not many days hence Christ seems as it were to point out with his Finger those few days between the time wherein he had charg'd his Disciples not to stir out of Jerusalem and the approaching Pentecost 6. When they therefore were all met That is All the Apostles at Jerusalem They ask'd him When he appear'd to them upon the very day of his ascent into Heaven as appears out of the 1 Cor. 15.7 Luk. 24.50 51. compar'd together Wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom of Israel That is Now thou art again risen from the dead wilt thou reign over the Israelites after the manner of other Kings and free them from the Yoke of the Heathens Christ had really propos'd to restore the Kingdom of Israel but not the Earthly and Worldly Kingdom as both now and at other times the Apostles imagin'd but by recalling that People from their incredulity to the knowledg of himself that he might rule in the midst of them by the power of his Gospel Rom. 11.25 c. which St. Paul foretells shall be but by reason their minds were clouded with worldly thoughts they could not yet understand this Mystery Christ therefore contenting himself to restrain their Curiosity as to the point of time when it should come to pass and which it nothing concern'd them to know adds to his answer But you shall receive the Power of the Holy Ghost upon you As if he had said That Heavenly Doctor whom I shall send to you shall instruct you as to that which now ye seek from me that is to say what that future Restitution of the Kingdom of Israel shall be which you expect Tho as to the time that is
a secret which my Father thinks not proper as yet to reveal to you in regard that without that Knowledge you may perform the work committed to your charge Some are of opinion that the Kingdom of Israel was then restor'd by Christ when the Church of Christ which is the Spiritual Israel began to be govern'd by Christian Kings and Princes such as were three hundred years after the Birth of Christ Constantine the Great and several other Emperours but the first Interpretation seems to me the best For tho under those Princes the Church rested from Persecution yet Ambition Covetousness and many other evils got footing in it so that the Kingdom could not be then truly said restor'd to Israel It is not your buâ—â—â—ss to know â—â—â—s c. As if he had said it is not proper nor expedient for you accâ—â—â—ing to the common English Version It is not for you 〈…〉 thing permitted for you to know to what poin◠〈◊〉 Time the stestoration of the Kingdom of Israel is 〈…〉 in record this is one of those Mysteries which the Hâ—â—â—â—ly Father will have lye hid and to be at his diposal to act as he pleases otherwise than men look for and beyond the reach of Humane Capacity Mat. 20. v. 23. Mark 13.32 It is the custom of Christ saith Grotius to refer secret Dispensations to the Father See our Literal Expositions upon those places 8. But ye shall receive c. As if he had said But I will supply that power which I know you want at present from Heaven and will fill your Breasts with the Celestial Spirit that you may learn with patience to expect the promis'd Restoration of Israels Kingdom not the Earthly as you vainly now dream but the Spiritual Dominion of the Jews and in the mean time be zealous to publish to all the world the Doctrine of the Gospel and by your Testimony to confirm my Resurrection which not being believ'd the whole Gospel falls And ye shall be witnesses unto me Epist 199. N. 49. novae edit Parisiensis c. St. Austin saith it was not so said to the Apostles ye shall be witnesses unto me c. as if they alone to whom the words were spoken were to fulfil so great a trust but as he seems to have spoken to them alone that other saying of his Behold I am with you to the end of the World c. Which nevertheless who does not understand to have been promis'd to the whole Church which while some die others are born shall remain to the end of Time As he speaks again to them what does not at all concern them and yet is so spoken to them as if it concern'd no body else When ye behold all these things know ye that it is at the Doors For whom does this concern unless our selves who shall be then in the Flesh when all those things come to be fulfill'd How much more that in doing of which they were to bear a great share tho the same Act was also to be continued by their Successors In Jerusalem It behov'd the Apostles to begin the preaching of the Gospel in Jerusalem that the Prophesies might be fulfill'd Es 2.2 3. Mich. 4.1 2. See what we have said upon the Word Jerusalem Mat. 2.3 And in all Judaea The word Judaea is here us'd in the Dilated Sense which when Christ was upon the Earth was divided into six parts to wit into Galilee Samaria and Judaea strictly taken which lay on this side Jordan and reach'd to the Mediterranean Sea into Trachonitis Ituraea or Peraea and Idumaea that lye beyond Jordan and are seated in the Midland Country Christ therefore would have the Jews enjoy their Priviledges till they themselves through their Impiety and Perverseness forfeited and lost them For he does not indulge the preaching of the Gospel either to the Samaritans or Gentiles before it was offer'd to the Nation of the Jews for that he was sent by the Father Minister of the Circumcision to perform those promises which were formerly made to the Patriarchs of the Jews Rom. 15.8 See our Literal Explication upon Mat. 10.5 And Samaria As if he had said Out of all Judaea taken in the dilated signification I do not except Samaria Mat. 10.5 as formerly But in express words I enjoyn you to preach the Gospel as well in Samaria as in the other Provinces of Judaea Philip the Deacon in obedience to this command was the first who Preach'd up Jesus in Samaria which was approv'd by the Apostles sending to the Samaritans Peter and John who by imposition of Hands communicated the Holy Ghost to the believing Samaritans Infrà c. 8. v. 17. Now Samaria is a Province of â—alestine lying between Judaea strictly taken to the South and Galilee to the North comprehending the Tribes of Ephraim and Manassâ—h on this side Jordan so called from the Metropolitan City of the whole Country deriving its name from a Mountain as the Mountain took its name from one Somer or Shemer 1 Kin. 16.24 who was Lord of it In this City of Samaria built by Amri or Omni King of Israel the Kings who ruled the ten Tribes that were rent from the House of David kept their seat till Shalmaneser King of Assyria carried away Captive their last King Hoshea and with him having taken the City of Samaria it self after three years Siege all the ten Tribes and then dispers'd them over Media to prevent their revolting Some years after that Asarhaddon the Nephew of Shalmaneser who is also call'd Asnappar the great noble by Ezra as also Asbazareth Ezra 4.10 3 Ez. 15.69 by Ptolomy Assaradin and by Josephus Asseradoch the youngest Son of Sennacherib who succeeded his Father slain by his elder Sons gather'd a confus'd multitude of Inhabitants together out of the Provinces of the Cuthaeans Babylonians Chamathaeans Sepharvaimites and Chavaeans and sent them to re-people the Country which his Grandfather had empty'd of the Israelites to possess henceforth Samaria as their own Inheritance and dwell in the Cities thereof 2 Kings 17.24 Ezra 4.2 10. 3 Ez. 5.69 These new Inhabitants were by the Greeks call'd Samarites not because the Assyrians in their Language call Keepers or Guardians Samarites as affirms Sulpitius Severus but because they inhabited Samaria and Cuthaeans by the Hebrews because the chiefest part of them came out of Cuth a Province of Persia An. l. 9. c. 14. so call'd from the River Cuthah upon which it borders as Josephus testifies These Cuthaeans when they first inhabited Samaria did not worship the God of Israel but each of them adored the Idol of his own Country but many of them having been therefore destroyed by Lions Asarhaddon took care to send to the remnant one of the Priests which his Grandfather Shalmaneser had carry'd away captive This Priest residing at Bethel taught the Inhabitants the Worship of God after the manner of Jeroboam Of the Samaritans thus adoring their
this place The Disciples saith he besought as well the sending of the Holy Ghost as to be freed from all the present Evils with which they were encompassed With the Women Meaning those Women of which mention is made Mat. 27.55 and with them the Wives of the Apostles For saith the famous Beza as it is well observed by others it was requisite that the Wives of the Apostles should be confirm'd whom it behoved either to be the Companions of their Travels or patiently at home to endure their absence An ancient Book of mine adds also And with their Children And Mary the Mother of Jesus Mary is exempted from the common sort of Women as the most excellent of Women According to this Phrase David in the Title of the 18th Psalm is said to be delivered out of the hand of his Enemies and out of the hand of Saul as being the most potent of his Adversaries And in the Hebrew Bibles Reches a most excellent sort of Horses is particularly distinguish'd from all other Horses in general 1 Kings 4.28 And they brought forth Barley and Straw for the Horses and the Reches 15. In those days That is when the Apostles and the rest of the Disciples abode together expecting the coming of the Holy Ghost Peter standing up To whom the Priority of degree was given in regard of his Seniority according to St. Jerom Cassian and several others of the Fathers The number of Men. Some ancient Latin Exemplars together with the Greek read Names as it is in the English version But by Names is to be understood Men. Infrà c. 4. v. 12. Thus the name of Christ is taken for Christ himself The name of God is us'd for God himself Psal 5.12 and in other places Thus in Ciceropro Archia Thou demandest of us why we are so delighted with this Name i. e. this man Tibullus Nor is Woman a faithful Name Near a hundred and twenty So that there were present at this most Noble and Holy Colledge besides the Eleven Apostles and Seventy Disciples Thirty seven others who together with them made up the number of a hundred and twenty 16. The Scripture must needs have been fulfill'd That is according to the Interpretation of Christ from whose lips all the Disciples who were then present had a little before understood the mystical sense intended by the Holy Ghost from the mouth of David Luc. 24.44 45. when he interpreted the Scriptures after his Resurrection Concerning Judas The Rival in wickedness with the Impious Enemies of David Who. In the malice of his Heart Was guide to them Those bloody Murderers of whom John 18.3 17. Who c. In the Gr. because instead of the adversative particle although As if he had said Who seduced by the Devil soar'd to that height of Impiety that he most shamefully betrayed the Lord Christ although among many other benefits he also attain'd this to be enroll'd into our number and Apostolick Colledge Lott That is Ministry or Function That Lott is taken for Office or Employment is apparent out of Livy and the Lexicon Writers Kleros in Greek and sors in Latin Lott is said in the first place to be any thing cast into a little Vessel and then drawn forth again infrà v. 26. Prov. 16.33 In the next place the same words are taken for that portion or property Deut. 3.6 which is gain'd by the Lott cast Lastly they are taken in a diffusive sense for that proportion of any thing which falls to any man by the allottment or appointment of any one or by any other accident and it is said not only of hereditary goods whether they be obtain'd by gift or labour but also of Offices or Functions as here says Brenius Moreover the word Kleros is by long use made proper to those who are in the Ecclesiastical Ministry However in Scripture the Pastors of the Church are never the Flocks but once character'd under this Title 1 Pet. 5.3 where Peter the Apostle joyning himself to the Presbyters as a fellow Presbyter admonishes them not to domineer over the Lotts By Lotts saith the forementioned Daniel Brenius upon this place of St. Peter he understands the assemblies of the faithful congregated out of the Jews and Gentiles to whom through Christ their Lott is fallen among the People of God who being his peculiar and not the property of the Bishops they are therefore to act not according to their will and pleasure but according as they are prescrib'd Allusion being made to the allottments of the Tribes who had their Divisions in the Land of Canaan by Lotts but chiefly for this reason that Israel is said to be the Portion and Inheritance of God Of this Ministry In the Greek of this Deaconry Deaconry signifies the exercise of any Office or Function but below where the word Apostleship is added v. 25. there it is restrained only to the Apostolick Function 18. And this man possessed a field Not as his own possession but as an Eternal Monument of Infamy For still the people cryed as they passed by This is the Field bought with the thirty pieces of silver which Judas took as the price and hire of his detestable Treason And it may probably be conjectur'd that Judas himself was buried in that field appointed for the Interment of strangers for so the sense of the words And this man possessed a field with the hire of iniquity will be the same as if we should say And this man out of his covetousness of shameful gain delivered the Author of Salvation into the hands of the Jews and suddenly snatched away by a severe death got nothing by such a detestable and inhumane Crime but a small pittance of Earth for the burial of his Body in that field which the Priests joyntly bought with the restored hire which they had given to Judas For Luke as Heinsius notes did not say He possessed the little field in reference to the whole field but a little field that is he possessed a little part of the field For when he comes to speak of the whole field or the field it self he does not only say the little field but that little field What then says Heinsius means that word a little field A part of the Earth or place sufficient to contain the body of the dead And being hanged In the Greek and being headlong For the Greek word saith Leigh in his Sacred Criticks does not properly signifie hang'd but prone headlong and with the head downward and signifies the posture of a person suffocated with a halter with the face hanging toward the Earth as Erasmus observes Others render the Greek and being cast down headlong or as the common English Translation hath And falling headlong But that this Version may be reconcil'd with that of Matthew saying c. 27.5 And departing he went and hanged himself as the Antient Latine Interpreter renders the Greek words some turn it thus And departing he was
English Law phrase to enter upon or to take upon one the Inheritance And this Interpretation adds the same Author seems to me more agreeable to reason than that of those who understand the words as spoken of Judas as if Luke would say that Judas went into his place that is into Hell Nor can I believe that ever any such thing entred into the thoughts of the Evangelist But I admire with Chrysostom the prudence of the Evangelist who does not reproach nor insult over any person Which argues that Chrysostom did not believe that St. Luke had adjudged Judas to Hell For what more reproachful could Luke have said than that he was gone to his place if he meant Hell Neither was it for an Historian or an Evangelist to give his own Judgment so severe but to have left Judas to the condemnation of God It was enough for him to relate matter of fact as he promised in the beginning of his Gospel as they delivered them to us who from the beginning were Eye-witnesses But who was an Eye-witness of Judas 's being in Hell Thus far the most accomplish'd with all manner of Learning Sir Norton Knatchbull Knight and Baronet 26. And they gave forth their Lots That is according to the Interpretation of Grotius they put their names together into an Vrn and into another Vrn a small Roll of Paper having the word Apostle wrote within it together with another Blank then out of both Vrns they equally drew two Rolls as in the Division of the Land Of this way of casting Lots in the choice of a King whose Election God would have to depend upon himself there is a notable example to be found 1 Sam. Josh 7.13 c. 10.20 Likewise for the discovery of Achan See our Annotations upon the 11th verse of the Prophet Obadiah And the Lot fell upon Matthias That is Divine Providence so disposing the Lots the name of Matthias with the word Apostle came forth See our Literal Explanation upon Jonah c. 1. v. 7. He was number'd The Greek word implys that this Event of the Lot was approv'd by the common consent of all the rest as they who from thence were certainly assur'd that it was the Will of God that Matthias should succeed in Judas's room and from thenceforth was to be called not by the common Name of Disciple but to be dignified with the noble Title of Apostle CHAP. II. 1. AND when the day of Pentecost was fully come According to the Greek in the fulfilling the day that is the time of the Quinquagesima The space of fifty days from the Paschal day to the Festival day it self which the Christians vulgarly call'd Pentecost is by the Greek and Latine Writers generally called Pentecost or the time of Pentecost By Ferrand the Deacon as also by Cassian it is call'd Quinquagesimâ— * c. 214. l. 2. de Caenob Instit c. 〈◊〉 By Rabanus * l. 1. de Institâ—t Cler. c. 41. 43. l. 3. gen Anim. c. 148. Honorius of Augustodunum Quinquagesima Paschalis to distinguish it from the other Quinquagesima which is before the Quadragesima Lent The sense therefore of Luke is the same as if he had said When the day came or Presently after it was past wherein the Paschal Quinquagesima was compleated For the words of Luke admit either of the two Interpretations as we have observ'd in our Annotations upon Matth. 21.1 They were all That is those hundred and twenty of which that most noble and most holy Colledge of Disciples of Christ at that time consisted as is said before c. 1. v. 15. With one accord The Greek word by Beza is render'd with one accord as in the English but by the Latine Vulgar Interpreter here c. 1. v. 14. together above unanimously Nevertheless we must confess that the self-same word is often made use of by the Greek Interpreters of the Scripture to express the simple meaning of the word together even where cannot be any agreement of mind In the same place That is in the same Dining-room or Upper-chamber c. 1.13 into which the Disciples ascended upon their return from Mount Olivet to Jerusalem See what we have said upon the same place 2. And there came That is upon the first day of the week the fiftieth from the Resurrection of Christ and the tenth from his Ascent into Heaven which that year according to Vshers Chronology fell upon the 24th of May. This day by the Christians is call'd from the Greek word Pentecost c. 29. but by the first Council of Orleans c. 17. and by the second of Tours Quinquagesima Suddenly The Ears are the more surpriz'd with a sudden and unexpected noise A sound from Heaven In Greek a sound reverberated or resounding As if he had said The Sky by the divine power resounded with a sudden noise as if a violent Wind had suddenly began to blow with unusual violence But as the four Evangelists neither of them say that a Dove descended upon Christ at his Baptism so it is not here said that there was heard the sound of a vehement Wind but as it were of a vehement Wind. In the same manner in the following Verse the Tongues that were seen were said to be seen as it were like fire to the end that we may understand that all these things were only visional Serm. 1. de Pentecoste which St Chrysostom observes and as we from him have noted upon Mat. 3.16 And fill'd c. See what we have already said upon c. 1.5 13. Where they were sitting That is where they remain'd together or where in a quiet and sedate posture Luke 24.49 Acts 1.24 by the command of Christ they expected from him the gift of the Holy Ghost promised by the Father to all Believers 3. And there appeared unto them cloven Tongues like as of fire Isa 5.24 The Tongue is liken'd to Fire and Flame by reason of its resemblance to the shape for the aspiring flame of Fire is like the Tongue put out of the mouth and next because of its resemblance in action for that as the creatures take hold of and lick in their food with the Tongue so the Fire casting forth its flame is said to devour the combustible matter And it sate c. That is and this Fire resembling cloven Tongues visibly rested upon every one of the hundred and twenty who with conjoyn'd hearts and unanimous wishes expected the Holy Ghost which was to be sent by Christ 4. And they were all filled The Women also who were then present in the same place as appears v. 17 18. With the Holy Ghost That is with the most excellent gifts of the Holy Ghost who being promis'd by Christ made it undoubted to the hearing by the noise of the Wind and visible to the sight by means of the Fire resembling the cloven Tongues that he was now come Those visible gifts Upon John 7.30 saith Beza
predestinate as the Divines do speak but only foreknew De Predest SS c. 10. Predestination saith St. Austin cannot be without fore-knowledge but foreknowledge may be without predestination For by predestination God foreknew those things which he was to act but he may foreknow those things which he himself does not do as all manner of sins For though there are some which are in such a manner sins as to be the punishment of sins Rom. 1.28 Hence it is said God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient yet there is no sin in what is attributed to God but Judgment Thus far St. Austin And by the hands of the wicked In the Greek of the Lawless The Jews call'd those Lawless and Sinners which are vulgarly call'd Pagans But here Peter means the Roman Souldiers who are call'd Sinners Matt. 26.45 Mark 14.41 Luke 24.7 See 1 Cor. 9.15 Ye slew He that is the Author and Abettor of Murder is said to commit the Murder 24. Serm. 8. de Verb. Dom. Whom God hath raised up Most excellently St. Austin No dead person is the raiser of himself He could raise himself who was not dead tho his Flesh were dead For he rais'd that which was dead he raised himself who liv'd in himself but was dead in the flesh that was to be raised For the Father alone did not raise the Son of whom it is said by the Apostles For which God raised him but also the Lord raised himself that is his own body therefore said he Destroy this body Jo. 2.19 and in three days I will raise it But who is so mad saith the same St. Austin Contra Ser. Ar. c. 15. as to say that the Holy Spirit did not operate in the Resurrection of Christ seeing that he operated the man Christ himself Having loosed the pains of Hell The Greek has of Death as in the English Version that is having loos'd the bands of the Sepulcher or which is the same thing having broken the strong Cords of Death with which Christ had surrender'd himself to be bound laying down his Soul that he might reassume it John 10.17 alluding to the swathings of the Dead or to the Cords with which Malefactors are bound when led to Execution to prevent their crafty means to escape From these Bands God set Christ at Liberty recalling him to a life never to be ended The Hebrew word Chebel saith Sir Edward Leigh In Supplent t. Crit c. Sac. signify's two things a Cord or a Fetter or the Torments or pangs more especially of a Child-bearing Woman Hence this word occurring to the Seventy Interpreters Psal 18.2 where it certainly signifies Cords or Bonds they turn the word Sharp pains and so in other places 1 Kings 20.31 c. And here St. Luke following their example uses the words the pains of Death or as some of the Ancients with the Syriack Interpreter have read of Hell Where both additions of the words Loosing and Holding shew Bonds or Cords to be here denoted by Pains It was impossible c. As if he had said He might be bound with the Cords of Death but he could not be detain'd bound by those Bonds tho never so strong who had power to lay down his life and power to resume it John 10.17 18. and only laid it down that he might resume it Of it That is either of Death or of Hell In whose bonds being held and bound he was free to break the Cords For Hell in this verse is taken either for the Grave or for the common receptacle of all Souls separated by Death from the Body which most of the Ancient Interpreters both Jews and Christians believe to be signified in Scripture by the word Hell Hence that of Hilarius in Psal 138. This is the Law of Human necessity that the bodies being buried the Souls descend to Hell which descent to the full finishing of all what belonged to a true man the Lord himself did not refuse Moreover this word Hell taken for the common place of separated Souls the Hebrews call Sheol the Greeks Hades and both divide the place into two parts of which the Hebrews call the one Paradise the Greeks Elysium the other is by the Greeks call'd Tartarus by the Hebrews Gehenna Therefore Christ saith Ja. Windet was in Paradise and by the same way in Hell Therefore St. Austin labour'd in vain and might have spar'd himself the trouble which he spends upon that question propounded in his Epistle to Dardanus and elsewhere And when we believe according to the Creed in Christ descending into Hell those are deceived who believe the meaning to be that he descended into the place of Torment commonly called Hell 25. For David speaketh concerning him As if he had said For the Holy Ghost who spake by the mouth of David representing the person of Christ looking upon Christ as being dead spake these words Psal 16.8 c. I foresaw the Lord always before my face That is the Majesty of God represented it self before my Eyes day and night that I might submit my self wholly to his power and disposal For he is on my right hand that I should not be moved As if he had said By his help and assistance I overcome most difficult Labours To be at the right hand saith Genebrard is to be prepared and ready to assist 26. Therefore That is because I have God to assist me in overcoming any hardships or dangers whatsoever Did my heart rejoice That is I rejoyce with all my heart Preterperfect Tenses saith Vatablus among the Hebrews are used for Futures and Presents And my Tongue was glad The Hebrew has it my glory or honour That is and my gladness excites me to sing an Hymn Honour or Glory saith Moller is taken for the Tongue As Gen. 49.6 My Honour be not thou united that is I did not approve their Crimes with my Tongue See Psalm 30. v. ult Psal 57.12 Nor did I by my command excite them to perpetrate evil Therefore then is the Tongue so called as being that member particularly framed to celebrate the Honour of God and the praises of men And for that reason they who revile God or Men their Tongues are deservedly called dishonour and infamy Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope The Hebrew has it in safety As if he had said Although it may happen that my body maylie prostrate in the cold Arms of Death enclosed within the Sepulchre yet my confident hopes of returning from death to life affords me tranquillity and security of mind Saith Kimchi in Psal 16. v. 9. While I live my flesh shall remain in safety because he shall deliver me from all harm But in a mysterious sense he believes it to be as if he had said After Death my flesh shall lie in the Grave secure from Worms because they shall have no power over it 27. For thou wilt not
a Spiritual Family after the Passion of Christ several Bishops were called Fathers and Archbishops Patriarchs that is to say chief among the Fathers Whom it was lawful to suffer if not as Fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 at least as Pedagogues in Christ But the Ambition of these Persons encreasing the chief Archbishops whom they called Bishops of the highest Seat usurped this Title to themselves till at length four of them obtained this Title to be conferred upon them Principally above all the rest the Patriarch of Rome of Alexandria of Antioch and Jerusalem to whom was added at length the Patriarch of Constantinople made the second by reason of the new Romes Dignity Is dead He died in the Feast of Pentecost if we may believe the Jerusalem Talmud His Sepulcher With which the bones and ashes of David are cover'd 30. Of the Fruit of his Loyns The words are taken out of the 132 Psalm v. 11. where the Greek has it of the fruit of thy Belly that is by the birth of thy Wife The same sense answers to both There is added here in the Greek Text to raise Christ according to the flesh But there is no reason appearing why this addition which the Greek Copies have and Chrysostom has expressed should be brought into the least suspicion of being untrue For saith the learned Ludovicus de Dieu when Luke does not relate what was singly sworn to David but what David as a Prophet knew to be sworn to him it did not behove him barely to recite the words of the Promise but to explain how David as a Prophet understood them God had promised to David that he would settle in his Throne one of the fruit of his Loyns that David as a Prophet knew to be nothing else but that God would raise Christ according to the Flesh from the fruit of his Loyns to sit upon his Throne To sit upon his Throne Christ is said to sit upon Davids Throne because he was designed by God to be his Successor who after a Celestial and Divine manner should Reign over the House of Jacob that is the people of God over whom David had received from God the Earthly Dominion For which reason Christ himself affirms that he has the Key that is the Power and Empire of David though his Throne be not established upon Earth but translated to Heaven and that all Powers both in Heaven and Earth are subjected to his Empire together with Angels good and evil all People Tongues Nations and even Death and Hell itself 31. He seeing this before As if he had said David understanding by the Spirit of Prophecy Psal 132. 2 Sam 7. Psal 16. that it was promised him that Christ should be raised from his Seed by the same Prophetick knowledge foretold that the Soul of Christ should not be long left in a condition separated from the Body nor his Body remain so long in the Sepulcher as to be reduced to dust before it should be raised 32. Whereof we are witnesses As if he had said we all attest that this Jesus was raised from the dead not by report but by those certain signs of which we were all sensible by seeing hearing and feeling 33. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted As much as to say This Jesus being taken up into Heaven by the Divine Power And by the Promise c. That is and having received the Gift of the Holy Ghost which he as Mediator between God and Man had often promised us this has he largely and plentifully bestowed upon us as by our sudden speaking of Languages we never learnt is apparently demonstrable to you 34. For David did not ascend into Heaven That is to the heavenly Throne which is typified by his earthly Throne But he saith himself So Christ Mat. 22.43 Mark 12.36 Luke 20.42 Hence it is clear that it was a thing confessed and apparent to the Antient Jews that the 110th Psalm contained a Prophecy concerning the Messia and that David vvas the Writer thereof And indeed saith Grotius upon the foresaid place of Matthew The Inscription in the Hebrew Copies is a Hymn of David which alone sufficiently argues that it is not to be attributed to Eliezer or any other Writer in the times of Ezechias For thâ—ough we should grant that the Psalms Titles were not added by their own Authors yet they appear to be of veryâ— great antiquity and to enervate the credit of them not by Argument but at our own conceited pleasures to be maâ—d for love of contention The Septuagint render the word Ledavid to David but the Paraphrasts and other Jews render it better of David in the second case For if we should otherwise interpret it there would be none of the Psalms which might be certainly thought Davids Whereas the Jews themselves do all confess that several of thâ—â— Psalms having the same Inscription Ledavid were nevertheless written by David The Lord said to my Lord. That is the Eternal Father bespake the Messiah to be born of me according to the flesh who nevertheless is my Lord because he is the Only begotten Son of the Eternal Father Rabbi Saadias testifies also that the Messiah is here called Lord by David upon c. 7. Dan. v. 13. Sit thou at my Right hand That is sit thou and reign in the Heavenly Throne as the Apostle explains it He does not say 1 Cor. 15.25 Heb. 10.12 13. stand before me but sit which signifies Regal and Judicial Power Neither does he say sit at my feet but at my Right hand that is be thou next in power to me 35. Vntil I make c. The word until saith Genebrard uses to be taken emphatically for even until and signifies continuance not exclusion of future time to which it is by no means opposed as if he had said Reign with me also until I have put thy Enemies under thy feet also all the time that seems to be contrary and opposite to thy Reign also before I have subdu'd thy Enemies at thy feet even before the Devil Death the Wicked and all Sin be utterly extirpated For it is not to be question'd but that at all other times Christ shall Reign Observe therefore that by this and the like particles the Scripture and the Hebrew Language affirms what might be otherwise called in question Psalm 122. Our Eyes are fixed upon the Lord until he shall have compassion upon us That is even until or before he shews us his mercy that is in our time of distress Mat. 28. I am with you until the end of the World that is even until the end of the World before which time it seems many things may happen to fall out contrary to it 36. Assuredly c. That is let this truth be to you most certain and undoubted that this Jesus whom you demanded to the most ignoble and ignominious Death of the Cross is appointed by God the Messiah promis'd both in the Law and the
preeminency so called to be the same with the Man of the Mountains House that is the Governour of the Mountains Temple who was the chief of all the chief Officers of the Watches For as Maimonides observes there was one chief Ruler who commanded all the Watches who was called the Governour of the Mountains House He went the Rounds all night having lighted Torches carried before him And when he met with any of the Watch that stood not upright upon his Feet the Captain said to him Peace be with thee Vpon which if he found him asleep he waked him with his Cudgel He had also power to burn the Garments of him that slept Therefore it was a common saying at Jerusalem What 's the stir here Sure the Levite is beaten or his Cloaths are burnt because he slept in his Watch. Sadduces That is Who placed all their hopes in this life and therefore thought they could not be too severe against those that disturb'd the peace of the People wherein their own quiet was so much concerned Add saith Grotius That if Jesus had risen from the Dead the victory had been apparently on the side of the Pharisees in the great controversie between those two Sects See c. 23.6 7. 2. Being grieved In the Greek being vexed or troubled Through Jesus That is Through the power and efficacy of Jesus who rose from the dead 1 Cor. 15.20 23. the first fruits of them that slept the dead shall rise 3. Put them in hold c. 24.23 Not in a publick Prison as chap. 5.18 but into private custody as below That is they did not commit them to Prison but into the hands of some private person to be kept diligently 4. Five thousand Or according to the Greek and Syriack about five thousand Thus behold Peter of a catcher of Fish become an expert Fisher of men at two or three casts of his Net catching about five thousand Disciples 5. Their Rulers c. 3.17 Luke 24.20 John 3.9 c. I find the Senators of which the great Sanhedrin consisted frequently called Rulers or Princes And Elders That is according to the Interpretation of Grotius Senators of the City of Jerusalem For there were at Jerusalem besides the great Sanhedrin two other lesser ones of which we have spoken upon Matt. 5.21 Tho the Senators of what Sanhedrin soever were named Elders yet when the Senators of the great Sanhedrin are thus named there is most commonly added of the People to distinguish them from the Elders of Towns or Senatours of lesser Sanhedrins And Scribes That is Assistants to the Elders for Counsel and Advice as being men skill'd in the Law And Annas This president of the Sanhedrin is by Josephus called Ananus the Son of Seth advanced to the High-priesthood in the room of Joazar by Cyrenius Antiq. 18.3 and deposed by Valerius Gratus He had five Sons who all enjoy'd the High-priesthood which never happened before to any man Ant. 20.8 as Josephus observes His Son-in-law Joseph sirnamed Caiaphas was now High-priest and Father of the Sanhedrin For though the Chief Priests were generally in the great Sanhedrin yet they are commonly named in particular by reason of their great Authority The High Priest Since it is plain that Caiaphas was advanced to the High-Priesthood by Valerius Gratus about the fourth year of Tiberius before Pilate came to the Government of Jury and removed by Vitellius toward the end of Tiberius's Reign when Pilate left Judea it may be deservedly questioned why Annas here and Luke 3.2 is called High-priest To which Casaubon answers because that Annas had already born that high dignity Scaliger and Bullinger say that Annas was so called because he was next to Caiphas and his Segan Vicar or Lieutenant General in all the Sacred Ministry But Baronius says it was because he was Prince of the great Sanhedrin Certainly says Blondel a person of inexhausted Learning there were among the Jews not only many Priests but many Chief Priests when David had distinguished the Posterity of Aaron into twenty four Families who were to officiate in the sacred Ministry by turns Over every one of these Families there was a Chief who is called The Head of the Paternal House in the Talmud Mat. 2.3.16.21.20.18.21.19 23 25. Mark 8.31.10.33 Jer. 29.1 The same person was called Chief Priest in respect of his Classis Hence it is that they are called Chief Priests in the Gospel and in Jeremy Elders of the Priests Over these 24. Families were two Chiefs of which the first was called properly the High Priest and many times singly Priest His Vicar might indeed have been numbered among the Chief Priests at the beginning but whether he alone by himself were at any time called High-priest I much question Certainly Bullinger ought to have proved it before he affirmed that Annas was called High-priest because he was the High-priests Vicar In Scripture this Vicar is called the Second Priest not the first 2 Kings 25.18 Jer. 52.24 The Chaldee Paraphrast renders it Segan Therefore we read in the Talmud that the Segan and High-priest Joma fol. 30. officiated according to their Lots Not that they were chosen by Lots but that they distributed one with another by Lots several of the Sacerdotal Functions And a little after as often as it happened that the High-priest was suspended from his Function the Segan was ordered to officiate for him Out of the 2 Kings 23.4 it seems that it might be gathered that there were many Second Priests seeing it is said there in the plural number the Priests of the Second order but the Chaldee Paraphrast translates in that place And the Segan in the Singular because often the plural number is used for the singular If Annas was Vicar to Caiaphas as Bullinger will have it how comes it to pass that by the Evangelists Annas is always set before Caiaphas In the 2 Chron. 31.12 The ruler over the Treasury of the Sanctuary is called Nagid Ruler Cononiah and Shimei his Brother the next Were it proper there that Shimei should be called Nagid and be set before Cononiah If Annas were called High-priest because he had formerly officiated in that dignity how comes it to pass that among so many others who had born the same Office only Annas should be mentioned How comes it to pass that he that had been High-priest should be always set before him that is yet High-priest These Expontifices were indeed called Pontiffs for honours sake but never any publick acts were marked with their names Therefore here I prefer far Baronius before Casaubon Scaliger or Bullinger either who asserts Annas to be called High-priest because he was President of the great Sanhedrin who by the Hebrews was called Nasi And the person next to him was called the Father of the House of Justice These two Chiefs of the Sanhedrin were both stiled Priests because they were over many Priests Hence if I mistake not we read that the Sons
c. As if he had said That they being permitted to give way to their own passions whatever thou hadst ordained in thy Eternal Wisdom might come to pass that is to say that thy Son should be brought to the shameful death of the Cross by the hands of the wicked for the salvation of Mankind The wicked saith Junius execute the will of God when they least dream of it They execute the will of God nevertheless they are not exempted from fault For God contributes nothing to the Impiety of the wicked though he let loose the Reins of their malice and out of his most profound Wisdom direct their fury rather against one than another and give them the power to execute Thy hand That is thy Power God in regard of his Omnipotency wills nothing but what he can do and when it is his pleasure to defend in vain the Enemies of Truth lay their Ambushes against the Professors of it Therefore there is nothing done unless the Omnipotent will have it done either by permitting it to be done or by doing it himself Saith St. Austin Enchirid. c. 95. And thy Counsel The Counsels of Men often come to nothing because they cannot effect what they have a desire to do but the Counsels and determinations of God never fail For as Austin says Enchirid. c. 96. As easy as it is for the Omnipotent to do what he pleases so easy is it for him not to permit what he has no mind should be done Determined to be done In the Greek prelimited to be done For saith Simon Grynaeus a Person excellently well read in the Greek and Latin The Greek word signifies to prelimit or to circumscribe as it were within a space or circle Moreover it is to be observ'd that this whole eight and twentieth verse may be aptly joyned with the words of the verse last preceeding whom thou hast anointed in this manner For Pontius Pilate and Herod have really gathered together with the Gentiles and People of Israel in this City against thy Holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed to do what thy hand and Counsel decreed to be done Which is an egregious sense of the words and most exactly agrees with the series of the context ' For thus saith the famous Divine of our Age Stephen Curcellaeus the Apostles were desirous to shew their confidence in God by openly professing that all the endeavours of the Enemies of Christ to disturb the propagation of the Gospel should be of no effect nor should they be able to hinder but that what God had decreed should be done by Christ and his Servants for the Salvation of the World should be duly performed and executed Neither ought that transposition of the words offend any one or seem unusual seeing that there be many such in the Scriptures Of which it will be sufficient to bring two or three examples Rev. 13.8 we read And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship the Beast whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Where the last words from the foundation of the world are not to be connected with the preceeding words the Lamb slain but with the more remote words thus whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb slain See also an harder trajection Luke 2.34 35. Where the last words That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed are to be connected with these and for a sign that shall be spoken against though there be an interposition of these words between Yea a Sword shall pierce thorough thy own Soul also See also c. 4.5 where you are to read And the Devil taking him up into an high Mountain in a moment of time shewed him all the Kingdoms of the Earth not as it is vulgarly pointed he shewed him all the Kingdoms of the Earth in a moment of time For that could not be done besides that it was contrary to the design of the Devil which was to detain the Lord Jesus for some time at least in the contemplation of the Glory and Splendour of those Kingdoms to excite his desire and Ambition not to shew him passant as it were a flash of Lightning Lastly where you find any Parenthesis's inserted in Scripture there those Transpositions are always to be found Which is so frequent in the Epistles of St. Paul that you meet with three or four in the seven first Comma's of his Epistle to the Romans Concerning which thing Interpreters may be consulted and among the rest Beza and Piscator under the word Trajectio 29. And now The Adverb of time and now is a collective or rational Conjunction inferring a conclusion out of what precedes and is here used for therefore or for this reason As Gen 4.11.21.23 and in other 〈◊〉 Lord behold their Threatnings c. As if he had said asswage the Threats of the Magistrates lest they break forth to the oppression of the Truth and that thy Servants boldly and intrepidly in defyance of those threats may preach the Doctrine of Christ shew thy Might and Power to work Miracles as often as we shall humbly beseech thee to do it for the sake of thy Holy Son Jesus This manner of inspiring Fortitude into the Ministers of Christ ceases at this day seeing that the force of the Miracles formerly wrought by the Apostles still remains in its full vigour and efficacy 30. And when they had prayed In the Greek while they were yet praying That is they had scarce finished their Supplications The place was shaken To the end the Disciples might know that God was at hand by this testimony of his Divine Presence and certainly understand that their Prayers were heard according to the promise of Christ Jo. 14.13 Whatever ye shall ask the Father in my Name that is trusting in my promises and merits that will I do that is I will take care that ye shall obtain it and John 16.23 Verily verily I say unto you whatever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Something like this passage of the shaking of the place Aen. 3. v. 89. c. you find in Virgil. See where the Omen comes by Heaven distill'd Into your breasts with fear and horrour fill'd Scarce had I spoke when on a sudden all The Massy Pile seem'd ready just to fall The Temple Thresholds Sacred Lawrel shook The Mountain too a quivering Ague took And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost That is they felt the power and efficacy of the Holy Ghost more vigorously operating in their hearts at that time than before and found themselves possessed of the promises of Christ Whosoever hath to him shall be given Matth. 13.12 and he shall have more abundance and every Branch in me that beareth fruit my Father purgeth it John 15.2 that it may bear more fruit And they spake the Word of God with
commonly and for distinction Rabban Gamaliel the old was Praeses of the Sanhedrin after his Father Rabban Simeon the Son of Hillel Pauls Master and the thirty fifth receiver of the Traditions and therefore for this reason might well be called Doctor of the Law as being keeper and conveyer of the Traditions received at Mount Sinai were it not that the Rabbins of the Inferiour Order injoyed the same Title He died eighteen years before the destruction of the City and Rabbi Simeon his Son took his Chair who perished with the City Commanded to put forth the Apostles a little space That is he commanded them to retire a little out of the Council lest by his words they might become bolder 35. Take heed c. As much as to say do not act with such a great heat but rather have a special care lest in your preposterous Zeal you may do somewhat to these Men in this business whereof afterward you may repent It is not probable to me that Gamaliel spake thus as if he approved the Doctrine of the Gospel or would undertake its defence but seeing all the rest stirred up with fury being a gentle and moderate man he by his discourse moderates their excess In the mean time saith Capellus his Disciple Paul most cruelly raged against the Church of Christ and wasted it In sum Talm. l. 2. tract de orat bened sacerdot and Maimonides attributes a fact to Gamaliel far different as it seems from this advice for he saith that when he saw Hereticks so abound in his days meaning Christians there being none other at that time among the Jews that might be supposed to have been so called he composed a form of Prayer in which God was requested to extirpate the Hereticks which form he put with the other forms of Prayer in the Jewish Liturgy then used that it might be ready in every ones mouth If this fact be true it seems to argue such an inraged spirit against the Christians and hatred at the Christian Religion to have been in this man as suits not well with this advice of his which Luke gives here an account of Except that one would think to reconcile Maimonides and Luke by saying this was Gamaliels mind and judgment that although the Apostles and their followers were Hereticks and even dangerous yet they were not to be suppressed by human violence or the Counsels of Human Policy but the whole of it should be committed to the wise Providence of God that their rooting out must be lookt for from God and not hastened by Human Contrivances and therefore that for this purpose he composed that Prayer and added it to the rest in the daily Liturgy whereby God was besought to root out these Men if they were ungodly and Hereticks that if they were not from God he himself would in a way and manner most agreeable to his own Providence and Wisdom disappoint and overturn their designs As to Paul Gamaliels Disciple that bitter Persecutor of the Church of Christ two things may be answered to wit that Gamaliel himself was indeed at first of the same disposition with Paul against the Apostles and their followers which was cruel and fierce but that then he had changed his thoughts God having inclined his heart to milder courses which often comes to pass or that afterward Paul dissented from his Master as being of a hotter temper and therefore of a more angry and hostile spirit against those whom he thought to overturn the Jewish Religion received from their Fathers for which he was a great Zealot 36. For before these days rose up Theudas Theudas is not a Greek but the Hebrew name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Syrians pronounce by a dipthong Theuda as they call Thomas Thaumas and Joseph Jauseph as Grotius noted Luke saith Henry Valesius or rather Gamaliel in Luke saith expresly Upon Eusth book 2. ch 11. that Theudas rose up but very lately yea in these same days wherein he spake For before these days rose up Theudas which words demonstrate the thing to have been done but very lately for so both Greeks and Latins use to speak of a thing lately fallen out as may be proved by many instances For before these days then is as much as in these days for the Greeks and Latines say before the third day of the Calends for the third day of the Calends Wherefore when Luke subjoyns after this man rose up Judas nothing else is meant by it then that Theudas was older then Judas the Galilaean Which gloss though at first it seems somewhat hard yet it is altogether necessary and most true neither does it want examples for as often as we reckon from the last which is nearer us we must make the first last and the last first For that reason Tertullian in his Apologetick hath us'd the word retrò to say a good while ago in times past and retrosior for ancienter and nevertheless retrò in Latin is the same as pòst afterward But because Causabone denie that ever the Greeks spake so we produce a witness beyond all exception which is Clemens Alexandrinus in lib. 7. strom towards the end who speaks in the very same maner that Luke does for having observed almost all the Hereticks to have broke out about the time of Hadrian and to have come even to the Reign of Antonius Pius as Basilides and Valentine he subjoyns for Marcion lived about the same time with Basilides and Valentine but he as the elder was conversing with them being yet young He adds then After whom Simon for a while heard Peter Preach Who sees not in this place of Clemens that after whom is the same with before whom For neither was Simon the Sorcerer after Marcion but rather lived long before him as is constant among all But certainly Clemens while he makes a Catalogue of Hereticks he reckon'd them first who were the last and put Simon the last of all But also Geographers describing the situation of Lands and names of People speak after the same manner for they say After these are those that is above these those are placed exercltat 2 ch 18. And so much against Causabons Opinion who thought that Theudas of whom mention is made in the Acts to have been older then Judas But one will perhaps say that from what we have argued it seems to be abundantly evinced that Theudas was not elder then Judas of Galilee yet nevertheless that Theudas whereof Luke speaks must be distinguished from that Theudas mentioned by Josephus 20th Book of his Antiq. toward the end of Ch. 2. For the first Theudas of whom Gamaliel speaks in that Oration which he had in the Jewish Council did raise a tumult in Judea about the time of Christs Passion But the other of whom Josephus speaks stirred up Sedition after the death of King Agrippa while Cuspius Fadus governed Judea about the fourth year of the Reign of Claudius Augustus Seeing then
by way of Anticipation Mesopotamia where the Euphrates runneth close by it Frid. Spanhem Hist Job 1. c. 7. n. 4. towards the South and East is adjoyning to Arabia the Desert being only parted from it by the River so that there are indeed some Cities such as even at this day are Ana or Anna of the largest and most famous of that Countrey some whereof on this side of the River are accounted Cities of Mesopotamia Hence they have one and the same Language Religion and Customs the nature of the Ground is the same being plain and barren and running out into waste Deserts producing the same Herbs and Twigs the same Emir also or Prince of the Arabians extending his Dominion a great way in Mesopotamia Whence it is that the Southern part of Mesopotamia is by Xenophon l. 1. Anabas Pliny Hist l. 5. c. 24. Strabo Geogr. l. 16. and others reckoned a part of Arabia But now Charan the place of Nachors abode called by Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also Charrhai by Stephen Ptolomy and Sozomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Acts by Jerom Aran as also Carrae if it be the same City with that of the Roman Writers of the Crassian Overthrow Charan by the Georg. Gen. 24.10 of Nubia called also Nachor from Nachor who built and inhabited it is situate in that part of Mesopotamia which the River Chabora watereth between Euphrates and Ascorus for by Holy Writ we may learn that Charan lay in the Way that leadeth from Chaldea into Canaan Gen. 11.31 So that it is altogether more Southerly towards Arabia the Desert and Syria Palmyrena or Aram Tsaba For the Way from Vr of the Chaldees to Palestine is from the East to the West except where to avoid the unpassable places of Arabia Travellers turn toward the North through that part of Mesopotamia that is more Southerly which is to the Northwards of Chaldaea Again the Country of Charan was said to be Easterly in respect of Palestine Gen. 29.1 Hence it is certainly in the Southerly part of Mesopotamia which borders with that part of Arabia where the Inhabitants dwell in Tents according to the Stile of the Scripture and the insight of Maps For the Northern parts of both the Syria's and the Country of Assyria are not said to be Eastward but Northward Hence we may discern their mistake who will have Charan to be situate a great way towards the North and the Mountains of Armenia about the 36 or 37 degrees of Latitude and who confound it with Edessa or Orfa as R. Benjamin Peter Appian Jacob Ziglerus Joseph Moletius and others And the Carrae that are there marked towards the Assyrians whence Lucan called them the Assyrian Carrae as in the Book of Tobit they are placed between Niniveh and Raghes are of necessity altogether different from the Charan of Nachor and Abraham Charan therefore in Mesopotamia was fituated betwixt Babylonia and that part of Syria which led into Palestine hence it lies more towards the South not far from the River Euphrates as the Chaldaean Paraphrase hath it the Nubian Geographer confirms this who will have Harran to be more Southerly than the City Aleppo about the 31 Deg. North. Lat. Hence Arias Montanus on Gen. 24. v. 10. declareth the City Padan to be in that Tract nearer to Babylonia which more truly was the Country in which Charan the City of Nachor was situate nor was it contiguous to Palestine as Adrichomius will have it in the Theater of the Holy Land which as being in Mesopotamia is rather contiguous to Arabia the Desert as this is extended Northward to Euphrates wherein we have placed Jobs Habitation yea those of the East do declare that Charan in Abrahams days was inhabited by the Sabaean Arabians as also the famous Huttinger in his Oriental History c. 8. out of Keesseus the Muhammedan And he said unto him To Wit When he was addicted to the Superstition and Idol-Worship of the Chaldaeans or as those of the East say of the Zabians Jos 24.2 3. Get thee out of thy Country The uninterrupted tenor of the words sufficiently importeth that he speaketh of one call when Abraham dwelt at Vr of the Chaldees where he was born and brought up The call it self together with the Promise is extant Gen. 12.1 2 3. Stephen indeed left out the Promise because it was not needful to touch upon every particular Come into the Land which I shall shew thee He promiseth that he will at length shew him the Land which he did not express in the Call it self Hence also Heb. 11.8 Abraham is said to have gone out not knowing whither he went If Abraham knew not whither he went and the Land towards which he must go could not be shewed him till after his setting out whence is it that by a Prolepsis Abraham is said to have set out from Vr of the Chaldees together with Therach his Guide in his Pilgrimage and Sarah and Lot his Companions therein that he might go into the Land of Canaan Torniellus answers in the year of the World 2113 num 3. That it might very well be that Abraham when he set out knew that God would have him go to the Land of Canaan but that he did not know whether God would have him to settle there or go further to some more remote Countrey and therefore he came into Charan not with a design to settle there but to pass over towards the Land of Canaan firmly believing that there the Lord would shew him the Land whereto he must go and in which he must abide even as a little after it truly came to pass For when he came to Sichem in the Land of Canaan he heard from God Gen. 12.7 To thy Seed will I give the Land 4. Then To wit after Abraham understood both Gods Commands and Promises He came out of the Land of the Chaldaeans As if he had said He utterly forsook his Fathers House and together with his Father Sarai and Lot departed from Vr of the Chaldaeans Stephen will have Mesopotamia the same with Chaldaea The Arabians saith Ludovicus de Dieu are still of Opinion that Chaldaea belongs to Mesopotamia For the Geographer of Nubia in the sixth part of the fourth Climate where he describeth Mesopotamia saith that Bagdad extendeth thither which is that we now call Babylon the Metropolis of Chaldaea whose Province Benjamin in his Itinerary concludeth to be Beretz Sinear in the Land of Shinar which is Chaldaea But although Gods call commanding Therach together with Abraham Sarah and Lot to depart from Vr of the Chaldaeans was directed to Abraham yet because Therach was Father of the Family therefore Gen. 11. v. 31. the business of Migration is ascribed to him not to a Son of his Family as Scaliger * In Elencho Pareano hath rightly observed And dwelt in Charan For no long time saith the most Eloquent of the Jews Philo in his Book of Dreams Aug. 16.
vexed sorely the whole Earth as Sulpitius Severus expresseth it Sac. Hist. l. 1. So now a hardness of Heart blindness of Mind and a Famine of the Heavenly Bread came upon those who are called Egyptians by a certain Figure of Speech who profess the Christian Religion externally and upon the Jews who would drive away exterminate and cast out Christ 12. He sent our Fathers first That is In the first year of the Famine As if he had said Jacob pinched with Famine sends his ten Sons for Corn into Egypt keeping Benjamin his youngest Son with him at home So saith Daniel Brenius in the first Embassage whereby the Jews are hitherto compelled to be as it were disowned of God in Egypt Spiritually so called Messias the deliverer altho by them desired yet is not acknowledged because they were not yet aright affected for the evil of rejecting him and the Judgments they thereby brought upon themselves 13. And in the second To wit Year of the Famine when Joseph's Brethren returned to him for Corn. Known c. That is He made himself known to them * Gen. 45.1 And so Joseph's Kindred was made known unto Pharoah or Mephramuthosis The manifestation of Joseph to his Brethren when they returned to him the Second time saith the now cited Daniel Brenius doth typically represent to us that the Jews at last brought under with calamities at the second time when the Gospel of Christ shall be again Preached and his name spread throughout the whole Earth shall acknowledge him for the Messias and God on the other side owning them for the Messias s Brethren will make them partakers of his good things through him 14. Then sent Joseph c. As if he had said At the command of King Mephramuthosis Joseph sends back his Brethren furnished with Chariots Provision and Presents to bring thither his Father and his whole Family with all expedition forewarning them that the Famine would continue five years longer as saith Sulpicius Severus Sac Hist l. 1. See Gen. 45. Threescore and fifteen Souls That is consisting of 75 Persons Interpreters have been at very much pains saith the famed Lud. de Dieu to reconcile this place with that of Gen. 46.27 where Moses makes mention only of 70 Souls of Jacobs House that went down into Egypt But there is no great difficulty in it if we say that the places are not parallel For Moses makes his account wherein together with Jacob only his posterity and those that proceeded out of his Loins are comprehended his Sons Wives being expresly excepted v. 26. For which reason not only those who actually entred Egypt with him but also Joseph and his two Sons Ephraim and Manasse are comprehended in the number of seventy although they were in Egypt long before because both as proceeding out of Jacobs Loyns and being as to their Original of the Land of Canaan they were strangers in Egypt and so were deservedly reckoned as if they had gone down into Egypt with Jacob. And it is of singular moment in that Catalogue that Judas's two Grand-Children by Pharez to wit Hezron and Hamul although they were not then born as may be gathered from the series of Time but afterwards in Egypt are comprehended in that number v. 11. that they might supply the place of the two Sons of Juda Er and Onan then deceased For which reason also Num. 26.21 whereas in the rest of the Tribes not the Grand-children but only the Children make up the Princes of the Families in the Tribe of Juda alone not only his Sons Selah Pharez and Zera but also his Grand-children Hezron and Hamul are made Princes of the Families of Judah as if added to his Sons But none of these things have place in Stephens Discourse for he does not give a Genealogy of Jacobs Race but only gives an account who they were that Joseph sent for from the Land of Canaan into Egypt His words are Then sent Joseph and called his Father Jacob unto him and all his kindred threescore and fifteen Souls He sent for more than proceeded out of Jacobs Loyns but did not send for all that came out of his Loyns First therefore Juda's two Grand-children are to be excluded there then Joseph himself with his two Sons for he could not send for those as not yet born nor himself and his Sons as already dwelling in Egypt Therefore if we substract these five and then Jacob their Father who is mentioned apart by Stephen there remain of Moses number of 70. but 64 to wit the Eleven Brethren one Sister Dina and 52 Sons of the Brethren to which if we add the eleven Wives of of the eleven Brethren which undoubtedly Joseph sent for together with their Husbands and which belonged to the Kindred ye have his whole Kindred 75 Souls The Ethiopick renders it And Joseph after that he knew that he commanded that they should call his Father and all his Kindred And there came unto him 75 Souls Which version excludes Joseph and his Children because they could not be said to come unto him but in that he errs that he includes Jacob also in the number of the 75 Souls as coming also with the rest to Joseph For that number agreeth only to his Kindred Nor does it militate any thing against what is said that most are of Opinion that the ten Sons of Benjamin who are comprehended by Moses in the number of the 52 Grand-children of Jacob Gen. 46.21 were at that time either none or few of them born and therefore they could not be rightly said to have been sent for by Joseph For it may be answered that his Sons though born afterwards might be rightly added to the number lest he only among all the Brethren should be reckoned without Children But there is no necessity to recur to that seeing he was of that age then that he might have had so many Children For Joseph was thirty years of age when he was first brought before Pharoah Gen. 41.46 Betwixt which time and Jacobs entrance into Egypt interceded seven years of Plenty and two of the Famine Gen. 45.6 Now when Joseph was 39 years of age Benjamin might be of the age of 37. at which age especially where Polygamy had obtained why might not he be Father of ten Sons Hence it may be collected that neither is there any error to be imputed to Moses's Text from Stephens words nor to Stephens words from Moses's Text but that both spoke very well according to their different intent Hence it also follows that the Text of the Seventy Interpreters is corrupted which Gen. 46.27 instead of Seventy has Seventy five Which seems certainly to have been done by some Christians who when they could not reconcile the place of Stephen with the words of Moses and did believe that by all means Stephen was to be credited they altered the Greek Text of Moses or rather corrupted it that it might be at least demonstrated whence Stephen had these
things There are manifest signs of Corruption For First All the Hebrew Copies Josephus Antiq. 4. and the ancient Latin Interpreter read only 70. Secondly The Seventy Interpreters themselves Deut. 10.32 where this story is repeated do agree with the Hebrew and number only 70. Thirdly That they might varnish the 27th Verse we have mentioned with the more likeness of Truth they have corrupted also the 20th Verse where contrary to the Faith of all the Hebrew Copies and the Samaritan and Ancient Latin they have added five others of Joseph's Posterity to wit Machir the Son of Manasses by his Concubine Syra and Galaad Machirs Son Manasses Grandson As also Ephraims two Sons Sutalaam and Taam and Edem one Son of Sutalaam Ephraims Grandson But instead of Taam Augustin 16 Civ Dei 40. has Bareth from 1 Chron. 7. in which Chapter it is also to be observ'd that there is neither mention made of Taam nor Edem and that the Sons of Manasses Machir and Ephraim were reckoned more than five Wherefore did they then pitch upon only five of them to put into Moses's Catalogue Because they who would supply Stephens number in Moses did not stand in need of more But the same Persons not very consistent with themselves v. 27. added to Manasses and Ephraim with their five Sons and Grandsons two others although without their names For instead of that which is in Moses And the Sons of Joseph who were born in Egypt were two Souls the Seventy have Nine Souls Whence at last was the number of the 57 Souls to be collected so that all things in that Verse are most corrupt and worthy of no credit Nor can any greater absurdity be imputed to Stephen then that Joseph sent for not only himself and his two Sons present with him but also his three Grandsons and two of their Sons who were born long after 15. So Jacob went down into Egypt Jacob being strengthened after his Sacrifices offered to God went down into Egypt with his whole Family in the beginning of the third year of the Famine being now aged 130 years Gen. 45.46 47. Deut. 26.5 16. And were carried over into Sichem c. As if he had said The Bones of the Patriarchs who went down with Jacob into Egypt were first indeed transported to Sichem but thence to Hebron and interred in the Sepulchre which Abraham Gen. 23.16 bought from the Sons of Ephron And thus at Sichem indeed were the empty Monuments as Hieronymus an Eye-witness testifies in the Epitaph of Paula but in Hebron were the true Sepulchres of the Patriarchs of which Josephus saith 2 Ant. 4. But his Brethren died after they had lived happily in Egypt whose Bodies after some time their Posterity and Children buried at Hebron But they transported the Bones of Joseph afterwards when the Hebrews departed out of Egypt into Canaan Whence it may be concluded that the Bodies of the Eleven Patriarchs were buried at Hebron and that before their departure out of Egypt But that Josephs Bones were transported into Canaan long after at their departure For although he does not say that the Bodies of the Eleven Patriarchs are buried in Hebron immediately after their Death but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a time intervening Yet he says that Josephs Bones only were transported 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterwards when they were departed out of Egypt The Interring of the former therefore was performed before the departure Which saith the famous Lud. de Dieu the very series of Stephens discourse seems to evince For when he had first spoke of the Death of Jacob then of the Death Transportation and Burial of the Patriarchs he subjoyns that then the time of accomplishing the promise made to Abraham drew near and that the people encreased to a great number incurred the Kings hatred and were by Moses after they had suffered most heavy afflictions brought out of Egypt which truly are so recited that they seem to have happened after the Interment of the Patriarchs In Sichem Sicemus or Sicema sometimes the Metropolitan City of Samaria was situate on Mount Garizin according to Josephus In Calce Lib. 11. Antiq. And seeing saith he he was kindly entreated by all he came near the Samaritans who then held the Metropolis Sicema situate on Mount Garizin and inhabited by the Apostates of the Jewish Nation seeing that Alexander did entreat the Jews so magnificently they resolved also to profess themselves Jews Benjamin Thudelens gave them the same situation in his Itinerary by whom it is called Nebelas that is Neapolis for so they called it in his days Pliny also lib. 5. c. 13. makes mention of Neapolis among the Towns of Samaria which formerly was called Mamortha saith he It s name was altered from the Hebrew into a Greek form for it is in the Hebrew Shechem whereof mention is made Gen. 33 34. where it is declared that Simeon and Levi the Sons of Jacob for the Rape committed on their Sister Dina by the King of Shechems Son took it and destroyed all the Males together with the King and his Son Afterward Abimelech * Judg. 9.45 razed it to the Ground and sowed it with Salt But Jeroboam King of Israel rebuilt it and dwelt in it as it is declared in the History of the Kings * 1 King 12. We read Gen. 33.19 that Jacob purchased a parcel of Land from the Sons of Hemor the Father of Shechem for a hundred Kesithis that is Sheep or Lambs Here Joseph whose Issue obtained the propriety thereof is said to have been buried * Jos 24.32 In the same place God renewed his Covenant with the Israelites a little before the death of Joshua the Israelites gathered together besought Roboam that he would remit the Rigour of their Yoke and Christ had a conference with the Woman of Samaria at Jacobs Well It was of old a City of Refuge and the Metropolis of the Levites And laid in the Sepulchre As if he had said They were carried from the Land of Sichem to Hebron and laid in the Burying place purchased by Abraham of old for 400 Shekels Of the Sons of Hemor These words are not construed with the Verb bought but with the more remote were laid And so the Praeposition of does not denote the Sellers of the Burying place but the place it self from whence the Patriarchs were carried forth to their Burial to be laid in the Sepulchre which Abraham bought The famed de Dieu expounds of the Sons of Hemor by the help and assistance of the Sons of Hemor the Father of Sichem For saith he seeing that Interment happened when strange people had all the Power in the Land of Canaan in their Hands and so the Hebrews might incur danger when they were interring the Bodies of their Fathers they very wisely first made their application to Sichem and they not only demanded the assistance of the Sons of Hemor but also that they might the more safely accomplish it they committed
the whole business to them to do in it as they thought fit So of the Sons of Hemor c. is not to be construed with bought but with are laid which Opinion I confess is prevalent with me for Josephus's Authority 2 Antiq. 4. Hemor the Son of Sichem An Hebraism that is Hemor of Sichem or the Sichemite In the Greek it is an Elliptick speech Emmor of Sichem which may be variously supplyed according to the various acception of the word Sichem by which sometimes a person sometimes a place is designed in the Scriptures If it be taken for a place it is plain that Inhabitant is understood if it be referred to Emmor alone or if it be referred to the Sons of Emmor which I rather think Inhabitants is to be supply'd So that the meaning is from the Sons of Emmor the Sichemites that is from the Emmorrean Inhabitants of Sichem But if Sichem here be taken for a Person the word Father is to be supplied and it must be rendred with the learned Beza from the Sons of Hemor the Father of Sichem For Emmor or Hemor was Sichems Father not his Son as appears from Gen. 33.19 Jos 24.32 Nor is there any reason why the Greek words cannot bear that seeing the like occurs in approved Greek Writers Herodotus in Clio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adrastus the Nephew of Gordius who was Father to Midas Thalia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrus Cambyses's Father Aelianus 13. Var. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Olympias Alexander's Mother Steph. de Vrb on the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daedala a City of Lycia built or as the learned Tho. de Pinedo has rendred it was so called by Daedalus Icarus's Father Also Luke 24.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mary the Mother of James is rightly rendred by the Syrian and both the Arabicks out of Mark 15.4 where it is expresly 17. The time of the Promise That was to be performed Which God had sworn to Abraham The famous Manuscript of England and the Vulgar Latin read had confessed That is Which God had made to Abraham and confirmed by an Oath Maimonides saith that every earnest affirmation of God is called an Oath Such is knowing know Gen. 15.13 that is know assuredly The people grew and multiplied in Egypt As if he had said There was an incredible multiplication of the Israelites from the time that Jacob went down to Egypt so that in the space of about 216 years of seventy Men 603550 Males were descended and those above the age of twenty years besides 22000 Levites and the Infants that were drowned and destroyed by Pharaoh Exod. 38.26 Numb 1.46 47.3.39 the devices of the Egyptians being set at nought by God There are not wanting other instances of a speedy encrease Mankind did so increase in 250 years after the Flood that in the Army of Ninus against the Bactrians there were 700000 Foot and 200000 Horse according to the relation of Diodorus Siculus out of Ctesia 18. Till another King arose c. B. Vsher in his Annals on the year of the World 2427 saith Ramesses Miamun is that New King who knew not Joseph born after his death willingly casting off the remembrance of his benefits And by his advice the Egyptians who were afraid of mischief from the Israelites kept them under with hard bondage besides their Domestick and Rural Service they had also the building of the Kings Store-houses imposed upon them to wit the Cities Pithom and Raamsis or Ramessis Exod. 1.8 -14. Acts. 7.18 19. one of which Mercator thinks was so named from the King the Builder thereof the other possibly from the Queen 19. The same dealt subtilly with our Kindred That is Craftily of Free Men making them vile slaves And evil entreated our Fathers To wit very severely So that they cast out their young Children As if he had said So that they were forced to expose their young Children that were Males to the raging Waters The wicked King saith Usher after he had in vain commanded Shiphra and Pua the Hebrew Midwives to make away the Male Infants privately published an inhumane Decree to drown them in the River Exod. 1.15 22. in the time that intervened betwixt the Birth of Aaron and Moses To the end that they might not be quickned That is That they might not be preserved alive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring to life as with the Hebrews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Syrians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Arabicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not so much to give life anew as to preserve that is already in being See Exod. 1.17 18 22. Ezechiel a most ancient Jewish Poet whom Clemens Alexand. strom 1. and Euseb lib. 9. â—repar Evang. have made mention of in his Tragedy of Moses published in Greek and Latin by Frid. Morellus at Paris 1609. hath excellently expressed the import of this Verse in these words But cruel Pharoah ' gainst us wholly bent Did many cunning stratageâ—â— invent Vs to enthral our Lives a burden were In making Bricks our Bodies daily wear While he did many Fenced Cities rear Next must the tender Parent his dear Son In Seven-stream'd Nilus rapid Waters drown 20. In which time To wit when the Israelites by the Kings command were compelled to drown their Children immediately when born Moses was born Vsher on the year of the World 2433 saith Jocebeda 40 years after the Death of her Father Levi brought forth Moses to Amram his Nephew her Husband For Moses was 80 years of age when he spoke to Pharoah to let the Israelites go out of Egypt Exod. 7.7 and 40 years after their outgoing when he died in the 12th month he was 120 years of age Deut. 31.2 34.7 And he was exceeding fair This Terence would have expressed And he was of so beautiful a Countetenance that none exceeded him The Latin word Gratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Grotius is from the Greek in Exod. 2.2 where it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beautiful To God which is added here in the original is an Hebraism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God that is very beautiful See our Annotations on Jonah 1.2 on these words The Great City Justin out of Trogus l. 36. c. 2. makes mention of the Comliness and Beauty of Moses Of which Josephus thus 2. Ant. 5. None was so indifferent a spectator of Beauty who would not admire the Beuaty of Moses and many that met him when he was carried in the Streets were so taken with his Beauty that they not only looked on the Countenance of the Child but also forgetting other business made it their work to satiate themselves with beholding him For such was the Childs Beauty that it as it were captivated and detained the Beholders And nourished up As if he had said The great affection of Moses's Parents overcame all their Fears and so contrary to the wicked Edict of the King they hid him three Months at home Exod.
2.2 Heb. 11.33 21. And when he was cast out c. As if he had said When by reason of the diligent Inquisition made by the King and their Egyptian Neighbours the Child could not longer be hid his Mother put him in a Basket of Bul-rushes daubed with Slime and Pitch and laid it in the Flags by the River side Miriam or Mary Moses Sister standing afar off and expecting the event of it Being so laid out he was found by Pharoah's Daughter who as Josephus 2 Ant. 5. Epiphan in Panar and others say was called Thermutis and she delivered him to be nurst by Jocebed his Mother who was brought to her for that purpose by the Childs Sister that stood by the River side and adopted him for her Son Exod. 2. And thus the Hands of Pharoahs Daughter preserve a Revenger of her Fathers Cruelty saith Augustin Philo addeth that Thermutis was Pharoahs only Heiress and that she had been long married and because she had no Children she gave out that she was with Child that it might be believed that she brought forth Moses and not that she adopted him This possibly is hinted at Heb. 11.25 where it is said that Moses when he was grown refused to be called the Son of Pharoah's Daughter Yet in Josephus 2 Ant. 5. Thermutis acknowledgeth before the King her Father that Moses was not born her Son but taken up Whom I have resolved to adopt for my Son and to make him thy Successor in the Empire and Government The same Josephus addeth that Moses in his infancy cast upon the Ground and trampled upon with his Feet the Crown when it was put upon his Head by the King of Egypt in jest Hence he was in great danger of his life by the instigation of the Egyptian Priests but was preserved by Thermutis 22. Was Learned c. In Ezekiel the Tragick Poet Moses is induced speaking thus of himself Vs while a Child most carefully she bred And royally in Disciplines instructed And as she had been my Mother nourished Moses That he was named Joachim at his Circumcision and when he was received into Heaven Melchi Clemens Alexand. Strom. 1. reporteth but whence he had it is uncertain In Philo's Antiquities he is said to have been called Melchil by his Mother Thermutis called him Moses that is drawn out or taken out to wit of the Waters of Nilus from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he drew out he brought out Exod. 2.10 Josephus believes that Moses was so called from the Egyptian word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Water and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preserved which comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also is Monius as Abenesdras affirms he was called by the Egyptians Yea saith the most Learned Hofman in his universal Lexicon in some Verses of Orpheus he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as to say born in the Water But Salmasius Ep. 60. thinketh that the Etymology of Moses is plainly Egyptian and verbally it importeth saith he taken out of the Water as an old Poet in Eusebius affirmeth that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that Language signifieth Water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take In all the Wisdom of the Egyptians The Wisdom of the Ancient Egyptians chiefly consisted in Hieroglyphicks and Mathematicks The invention of Geometry seeing by reason of the inundation of Nilus the bounds of their Lands could scarce be distinguished is attributed to them And was mighty in words and deeds As if he had said And he was a Man exactly accomplisht with all Learning and Virtue 23. And when he was full fourty years old Berescith Rabba fol. 115. Col. 3. Moses lived 40 years in Pharoah 's Court and 40 in Midian and the same number of years he ministred unto Israel See also Shemoth Rabba fol. 118. Col. 3. What Moses did till he was forty years old the Scripture no where declareth Josephus reporteth * 2 Antiq. 5. that he was a General in the Ethiopick War and that when he Besieged Saba he married the Kings Daughter by name Tharbis who was deeply in love with him Whatever there be of this War which Theodoret and others say is fabulous there is no doubt but that Moses has omitted many things concerning himself out of Humility For it is not probable that he gave himself over to laziness and sluggishness during the forty years that he lived at Court like a Prince It came into his Heart to visit c. As much as to say By a new and extraordinary impulse of the Spirit he was moved to visit his Brethren the Israelites whose Spirits were broken with the rigour of their Bondage Philo saith that Moses used frequently to visit his Brethren the Israelites that were groaning under their Burden and that he supported them with Comfort and dealt with the Taskmasters to be gentle towards them And that he was thereupon suspected by the King and his Court to be one that affected Innovations 24. And seeing one of them To wit A Hebrew whom Rabbi Solomon by what Authority I know not affirmeth to have been the Husband of Shelomith the Daughter of Dibri of the Tribe of Dan that is mentioned Levit. 24.11 Suffer wrong That is wrongfully beaten Exod. 2.11 Some think that this Egyptian who beat the Hebrew was one of the Kings Governours who took account of the Israelites Work and punished those that were slack The Jews add that this Egyptian committed Adultery with the Wife of that Israelite who while he was inveighing against this injury of the Egyptian with Words had his Mouth stopped by the Egyptian with Stripes He avenged him That is By a just revenge he provided for his security For at that time there was no Judge who could redress the injury and the injury was urgent and could not admit of delay of time Yet many of the Ancient Fathers amongst whom Augustine l. 22. against Faustus c. 20 seq do accuse Moses of too great Zeal and Praecipitancy Oecumenius on the Epistle of Jude saith that the Devil contended chiefly about the body of Moses as unworthy of Burial on that reason chiefly for that he killed the Egyptian unjustly Smote the Egyptian The Scripture hath not exprest the manner how he smote him The Ancient Hebrews as Clem. Alex. 1. Strom. testifies do also fictitiously and fabulously report that the Egyptian was not killed by Moses with any external weapon but by the bare pronouncing of the name Jehovah against him as Peter did kill Ananias and Saphiras by a meer word Sulpicius Severus saith Moses Sac. Hist lib. 1. when he was come to a mans age seeing a Hebrew beaten by an Egyptian moved with grief revenging his Brothers wrong kicked the Egyptian to death 25. For he supposed c. As if he had said he thought that they would understand when they saw him so ready to defend his Brethren when wronged
by their Enemies that they were to be delivered afterwards by God from the Tyranny of the Egyptians by his means which yet they did not understand By this Testimony of Stephen Moses seems to have killed the Egyptian on this account as being acquainted with his call to deliver the Israelites from the grievous Bondage of the Egyptians Which the Scripture is silent in Exod. 2.12 This Augustin observed in his second Question on Exodus 26. And the next day That is The next day after that Moses killed the Egyptian and covered him with Sand after he had killed him He shewed himself to them as they strove That is He saw two Israelites quarrelling as the Vulgar Latin Interpreter renders it Exod. 2.13 Jonathan and Rabbi Solomon say that these two Hebrews that contended were Dathan and Abiram And he would have set them at one again Gr. And he forced them to Peace That is he used all means to reconcile them The name of the Effect saith Grotius is given to the Endeavour and the word signifying as it were Violence denoteth the earnestness of the agent as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to constrain Luke 14.23 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use forceable means Luke 24.29 See the like expressions Gen. 19.3.33.11 in the vulgar Latin 12. Matt. 14.22 Mark 6.45 Gal. 2.14 Saying c. He does not cite the very words which Moses Exod. 2.13 is said to have spoke to him that did the wrong to his Neighbour but he expresses the sense very well For saith Grotius there he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neighbour who is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brother Countryman descended of the same Ancestors 27. But he that did his Neighbour wrong He in the Original Hebrew is called wicked who has an evil Heart and malitious Mind Equity commandeth saith Aristotle in his Book of the Art of Oratory that we make a difference betwixt Injuries and Faults as also betwixt Faults and Misfortunes Misfortunes are which can neither be provided against nor are committed with a malicious Mind Faults which might have been prevented yet are not done out of malice but Injuries are done both designedly and maliciously Who made thee c. Chrysostom on 2 Cor. 7.13 saith of Moses Even before he had brought out the People with his hand he led them by his Actions Wherefore that Hebrew was very foolish in that he said to him Who made thee a Ruler and a Judge over us What sayst thou Thou seest the deeds and doest thou make controversie of the name Just as if one that saw a Physician cut exactly according to Art and so help a distempered member of the Body and then should say unto him Who made thee a Physician Who gave thee a power to cut My Art good man and thy Disease So also his skilfulness made Moses a Judge For to govern is not only a Dignity but also an Art and that indeed the sublimest of Arts. The same Master of the Church handling this Subject on Eph. 3. in the end saith Thy Injustice thy Cruelty hath made me a Ruler and a Judge 29. Then fled Moses at this saying As much as to say Moses understanding by this upbraiding Language that it was publickly known that he killed tho justly the Egyptian that wronged the Hebrew and fearing what might befal him by reason thereof he fled The Egyptians as Grotius observeth esteemed the Hebrews as Slaves yea as Beasts whom they would have every one perswaded to be incapable of Injury And was a Stranger in the Land of Madian Tâ—â—â— is And he was an Exile in the Land of 〈◊〉 Eusebius maketh mention of two Cities of that name 〈…〉 The first is beyond Arabia towards the South in the Desert of the Saracens to the East of the Red Sea whence they are called Madianaei and the Country of Madianaea The other is near Arnon and Areopolis whose Ruins are only to be shewen now A Learned Author under the name of Jerom writes * In Loc. Heb. Act. Apost that Moses was an Exile in the latter Where he begat two Sons As if he had said Where after having taken to Wife Sephora or Zippora Daughter to Hobab or Jethro Niece to Raguel he begat two Sons of her Gersom and Eliezer as Sulpitius Severus expresseth it Book 1. Hist. Sac. 30. And when forty years were expired To wit During his Exile at Madian There appeared to him To wit To Moses while he kept the Flock of Jethro his Father-in-law In the Wilderness of Mount Sina Where there were excellent Pastures To the South of Judaea are Sinim Isa 49.12 Sinaeans as the Vulgar Interpreter has translated Sini Gen. 10.17 whence the Barren Countrey of Sin and in it Mount Sinai has its name Exod. 16.1 Moreover it is certain that the same Mountain is called both Horeb and Sin or Sinai yet so that towards the East 't is properly called Sinat or Sina but that part that looks to the West Horeb. An Angel Heb. Exod. 3.2 An Angel of Jehovah that is an Angel acting in the name of the most high God In a flame of Fire in a Bush Gr. In a flame of Fire of the Bush That is the species of the flaming Fire did shew that God came in his Embassador to revenge the Injuries the Egyptians had done to his People but the Bush not consumed was a Type of that same People that should be preserved alive amidst all these Calamities caused by the wicked 31. When Moses saw it To wit The burning Bush pot consumed He wondered at the sight Astonisht at the strangeness of this Miracle And as he drew near To the Bush To behold it That is That he might look more nearly into it The voice of the Lord came unto him As if he had said The Angel the Messenger of the Lord spake to him to this purpose In diverse and sundry manners God spake to the Fathers but at length in the last days he began to speak to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 32. I am the God c. Orat. 6. Athanasius says But that Angel was not the God of Abraham but God spake in the Angel and it was the Angel that was seen but God spake in him The Author of the Answers to the Orthodox in Justin Martyr Quest 112. The Angels who in Gods stead appeared and spoke to Men were called by the name of God himself as that which spoke to Jacob and to Moses Yea Men also are called Gods It is given to both by virtue of the Office injoyned them both to be in the stead and bear the name of God But when the Office is fulfilled they are no more called Gods who only obtained that name on the account of some work they were to do The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. When God is said to be the God of any it is to be understood a special Favourer and Bountiful Patron of him as sufficiently
appears from that form of the Covenant Levit. 26.12 I will be your God and ye shall be my People which Paul cites 2 Cor. 6.16 and from the peculiar Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob Gen. 17.7 8. Now they had some good things measured out unto them in this life but mixed with many troubles For neither had they any settled place of their own but wandred up and down with their Families and Flocks and were also frequently tossed with the Injuries of Men and Fortune Hence also Jacob called himself a Stranger and Pilgrim when he spoke to Pharoah which the Author to the Hebrews very pertinently insisteth on c. 11. v. 13. It remains therefore that God was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob not only when they lived on Earth but also when God spoke these things to Moses For as I said nothing had befallen them in this Life which could answer the magnificence of so great a name But besides we much more do good to him if we can for whose sake we do good to others God wants not power and he says that he will bless their Posterity for the sake of Abraham Isaac and Jacob much more therefore will he do good to them But they who are dead are not capable of a Benefit if they are always to continue in the state of death It follows therefore that they are to be restored unto Life as Christ from hence evinced against the Sadduces Matt. 22.32 Mark 12.27 Luke 20.38 that he may in a peculiar and special manner be the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that is may be beneficial to them Moreover Abraham Isaac and Jacob as we have observed on the forecited place of Matthew do not signify the Soul which is only a part of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but the Person consisting both of Soul and Body to which Life and Death are properly attributed But seeing the Promises of God are no less certain than things that are now in being in Gods account who is both willing and powerful to raise them from the Dead they are reckoned as risen already according to that Luke 20.38 For all live to him Origen Book 4. against Celsus saith that the names of Abraham Isaac and Jacob joyned with the name of God had so great Virtue that not only were they intermixed by their Posterity with their holy Frayers and the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob called upon in driving away evil Spirits but were also made use of by all Charmers and those that dealt in Magick Durst not consider That is Behold as it is in the English or Contemplate For as Grotius observes words belonging to the internal and external senses are applied promiscuously to both In the Hebrew Exod. 3.6 it is And Moses hid his Face because he was afraid to look upon God 33. Then said the Lord unto him That is The Angel sent by God Philo saith that God in the promulgation of the Decalogue spoke not by himself but filling a certain rational mind with a clear knowledge which forming the Air and attenuating it as it were in likeness of flaming Fire uttered a distinct voice as the breath does through a Trumpet Put off c. This Exod. 3. is declared to have been said to Moses before that God told him by the Angel sent by him that he was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. See what we have said on Eccles 5.17 34. I have seen I have seen As if he had said With my Eyes intently fixed I have stedfastly looked upon it God is said to see the affliction and hear the groans of a People when he raiseth them up and refresheth them when they are sorely perplexed and almost spent with grief as on the contrary he is said to shut his Eyes not to hear their cry to turn his Back when he seemeth to neglect them when they cry Thus when God is said to descend saith Calvin there is no need that God should move himself locally to bring help to his People for his hand is stretched out through Heaven and Earth but this is spoke with respect to our Sense for when he did not regard the affliction of his People to our apprehension he might seem to have been absent and to have had his care exercised about some other thing in Heaven Now he declareth that the Israelites shall be sensible that he is near them And now I am come c. As if he had said Go therefore to Amenophis Father to Sethosis or Ramesis and Armais and Son to Ramessis Miamun who succeeded his Father who died in the 67 year of his Reign in the Kingdom of Egypt 19 years ago and shew thy self a Leader in restoring thy People to their Liberty That the same Man whom the Egyptians called Amenophis Father to Sethosis or Ramessis and Armais was by the Greeks called Belus the Father of Egyptus and Danaus Bishop Vsher hath most clearly collected out of Manethon on the year of the world 1494. And truly the time assigned to Belus by Thallus the Chronographer 322 years before the destruction of Troy according to the relation of Theophilus of Antiochia and Lactantius does exactly jump with the age of our Amenophis Although the Mythologists confounding Belus the Egyptian and Belus the Assyrian Ninus's Father do Fable that this Belus who was drowned in the Red Sea transplanted Colonies from Egypt into Babylonia Thus far the most renowned Vsher in the now cited place 35. This Moses c. Moses who was appointed by God to be a Saviour to the Israelites is at the first rejected by them in this typifying Christ whom at his first coming the greatest part of the Israelites refused to acknowledge Nor in any other respect is Moses here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Redeemer but because after many and strange Miracles wrought by him in Egypt when at last the First-born of the Egyptians were slain by the destroying Angel he preserved the People of God by the Blood of the Lamb and brought them safe out And so saith Lud. de Dieu he gave a Type of that true Price and that true Redemption which Believers rejoyce to have been purchased for them by the Death of the First-begotten of all the Creation and by the Blood of Christ the immaculate Lamb. Sent by the hands of the Angel A Hebraism That is giving him a command by an Angel He brought them out He largely publisheth both the good deeds Moses did for the people and the honours conferred on him by God that so the stubbornness of the People against him might appear the more base and it might be less to be wondered at if those who were come of such ungrateful Parents were so unnatural and inhuman towards Jesus Christ Shewing Wonders and Signs in the Land of Egypt The Royal Palace of Egypt was at that time Tzoan that is as the Chaldaean Paraphrast Interprets it Isa 19.13 Tanis whence has its name the Tanitish Mouth of Nilus which some
1.5 2 Kings 16.9 were carried over into Kir which Samuel Petit himself doubts not but was in Babylonia and he suspects that that City of Babylonia which by Ptolomy in the fourth Table of Asia is called Chiriphe had its name hence But the Prophet does foretel that the Israelites should be carried further than those of Damascus were for these were carried into Babylonia but they should be carried further than into Babylonia to wit into Media See 2 Kings 17.6 44. Tabernacle c. He aggravates the wickedness of the Jews because when they had both the place and manner of Divine Worship prescribed by God both in the Wilderness and in the Promised Land they hankered after External Figures with a preposterous abuse of the true and pure worship As if he had said The Tabernacle indeed was set up by Moses at the command of God but which should bring men back to its Heavenly Archetype whom Moses saw in the Mount Excellently saith Calvin For God does not regard External Rites but precisely as they are Symbols of Heavenly Verity Of Witness They who translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabernacle of the Congregation may be reconciled with them who render it Tabernacle of the Witness or Covenant provided it be so called not so much in respect of the people that came together there to God as in respect of God himself who was there made known to the people by the declaration of his Testimonies and Covenant and as it were met there with them For so saith Lud. de Dieu God himself explaineth it Exod. 29.42 where there is a reason given why it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I 'll meet you in that place that I may speak with you there You see that God meets that he may speak and indeed that I may speak with thee to wit Moses which might be done without any assembling of the people Nor was this name given to the Tabernacle from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Porch which was the place the people met in but from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most holy place where was the Ark where God met with Moses and the High-priest whence Exod. 25. v. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I will meet thee there to wit at the Ark and I will speak with thee at the Propitiatory Thus far de Dieu Hence the Ark is called The Ark of the Covenant and the Ark of the Testimony or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Testimony absolutely The Tabernacle is also called Numb 9.15 17.23 the Tabernacle of the Testimony or Witness Also Exod. 28. v. 21. Numb 1.50 The dwelling place of the Testimony According to the fashion that he had seen That Moses is said to have seen a fashion the Spirit of God thereby signifies that we must not devise forms at our pleasure but that all our Senses should be fixed on the form shewed by God that all our Religion may be formed according to it The Godly saith Calvin excellently according as he usually doth receive nothing but from the word of God but others think anything lawful they have a mind for and so they make their own pleasure a Law when yet God approves of nothing but what he himself has appointed I pray God that all that are called by the name of Christians may judge by this most sound Rule in their Controversies about Religion and then all their Judgments and Opinions would easily agree 45. Bringing in That is As the Arabick excellently translates it When they had received that to wit from those who died in the Wilderness So Mat. 26.27 Taking the Cup that is when he had taken the Cup or as it is rendred Mark 14.23 having taken the Cup. See what we have said on Matt. 37.48 Our Fathers with Jesus That is With Joshua who at the Death of Moses succeeded in the Government appointed by God and who in name and deeds performed by him typified Jesus Christ Into the Possession of the Gentiles Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which the Syriack renders Periphrastically into the Land which God gave them for a Possession among the Gentiles Greek Interpreters promiscuously use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in with the Ablative and 〈◊〉 into with the Accusative because the Hebrews put the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for both the Praepositions but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rather signifies the Land it self which is obtained and possessed than the taking or acquisition of it Whom God drove out from before the Face of our Fathers That is At the arriving of our Fathers This manner of speaking is to be seen Deut. 2.21 22. and often elsewhere Which the Authors of the Inscription that Procopius Gazensis saw in Africa have imitated We are those who fled from before the face that is at the coming of Jesus the Robber the Son of Nave that is Nun. Even in the days of David In the Greek as also the English it is unto the days of David As if he had said And so the Tabernacle of the Testimony was flittering and wandring until God declared to David by an Angel from Heaven that he had chosen the Threshing-Floor of Arauna 1 Chron. 21. or Ornan the Jebusite for a sure and fixt Seat for the Ark. 46. Who found c. As if he had said This David obtained by the singular favour of God that when he was earnestly desiring to build a settled Seat for the Ark of the Lord God shewed him the place chosen for that purpose And desired Earnestly and most desirously binding himself with a Vow Psal 132.3 that he would in no time or place lay aside that solicitous care in searching out the place appointed by God for building the Temple until he found it by Divine Revelation This Vow of Davids was according to the will of God in regard God had promised Deut. 12. that he would chuse to himself a certain place which should be the Sanctuary Seat and had added a command that the People should frequent what place soever he should make choice of and there perform the external Rites he had prescribed in the Law But the vows of the Papists are partly ridiculous and foolish or even impossible and partly manifestly impious because they are made out of an opinion of Merit and to Created things therefore Davids vow does in nothing justify them Tabernacle That is A Habitation or place not designed for a short abode as a Tent or Tabernacle properly so called is but like a House intended for a certain and setled dwelling Ps 132. v. 5. Vntil I find out a place for the Lord an Habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. That is until I find the place appointed by God for building the Temple in which as in a certain Seat the Ark of God may be put to the end that he who delivered Jacob powerfully from dangers may be
12. 18. And when he had seen c. That is when Simon Magus perceived that those on whom the Apostles laid their hands did as surely receive the gifts of the Spirit as if those gifts had been in the Apostles power he will buy this power of giving those peculiar graces unto them on whom he should lay his hands And indeed because Simon did reckon the Heavenly gift such a vile thing that he first under the Gospel did attempt to purchase it with Money the giving and receiving of an Earthly Price for an Holy and Spiritual Thing is called Simony 1. q. 1 c. Presbyter 1. q. 3. c. Altare The Canonists notwithstanding out of the Opinion of the Schoolmen call the Buyers of Holy Things Simoniacal Persons the Sellers Giezites from Giezi Heb. Gehazi the Servant of Elisha the Prophet 2 Kings 5.20 c. Give ye c. He will not buy the gifts of the Holy Spirit that were commonly given to Believers but that gift wherewith the Apostles alone being indued to wit that at their Prayers those gifts were bestowed on whomsoever they laid their hands as if that could be prised that is dearer than all gold 20. Thy Money c. As if he should say Thy Money offered to such a wicked use being as it were altogether infected and polluted with the contagion of the wickedness of thy prophane mind abide with thee and perish with thee in the same destruction which unless thou repent shall surely befall thee seeing that thou dost so contemptuously undervalue the Spirit of God that thou wouldest set to wicked Sale his inestimable gift given freely unto us to illustrate the glory of Christ by our Ministry Beda and the common gloss have observed that the words of Peter are not so much a Curse as a Threatning or Threatning Prediction but that it is conditionally to be understood in respect of the Person of Simon is made manifest below v. 22. 21. Thou hast c. As if he should say for neither as thou art now disposed canst thou be either partaker or sharer of that eternal life which we do Preach Peter gives an account why he thundered forth a detestable Prediction against Simon Magus so confidently even now in the foregoing verse In this Preaching To wit Preached by us of obtaining eternal life by a sincere and lively faith in Christ This Preaching is every where called the Gospel and the Word of God See above v. 4 14. For thy heart is not right in the sight of God Many who are not of a right heart in the sight of God oftentimes excel in gifts of the Spirit for neither did the perverseness and hypocrisy of Judas the Traitor hinder him to excel in the gifts of the Spirit neither had the gifts of the Spirit been so corrupted 1 Cor. 14. if their hearts had been sincere and estranged from all wickedness Peter therefore doth not give the cause why Simon could not partake of the gifts of the Spirit as those do suppose who do think by the name of Preaching to be signifyed by an Hebraism the gifts of the Holy Spirit but why he could not obtain eternal life promised in the Gospel Preached by the Apostles because truly God is the searcher of hearts who doth not save any except the upright in heart he seeth his heart to be wicked and perverse and by crooked windings or backgoings to have turned from the sincerity of the Gospel 22. Repent therefore c. As if he should have said If therefore thou wilt be acquitted of that punishment which doth abide for thee repent forthwith of thy wickedness and having cast off all perverseness and hypocrisy do thou uprightly and sincerely direct all thy actions up to the rule of the Doctrine of the Gospel Preached by us and come to God to intreat him that he would mercifully pardon that guileful device of thy heart to abuse wickedly the gifts of his Spirit into prophane gain The Particle if perhaps in this place does not signify any doubt but how much difficulty and labour Simon is to have in intreating against the punishment of his wicked deed Therefore says Calvin Peter does not strike a fear upon Simon that might subvert or overthrow this confidence of obtaining in his heart or trouble him but causing unto him an undoubted hope if he should beg it humbly and from his heart only for the cause of stirring up of ferventness putteth him in remembrance that pardon for the hainousness of his offence was difficult It is necessary that our faith shine before us in going to God even that it may be the Mother of praying 23. In the gall of bitterness c. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Interpreters take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in with the Accusative Case for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in with the Ablative which elsewhere I confess is necessary whether it may be so here I doubt for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may contain a Hebraism as it is Isa 1. v. 31. and the strong shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Tow that is as Tow and his work for a spark that is as a spark 2 Cor. 6. v. 18. I shall be unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Father that is as a Father and ye shall be unto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Sons and Daughters that is Sons and Daughters So in this place Peter saith more emphatically that Simon is the pure gall of bitterness and a meer bond of Iniquity then to be in the gall of bitterness and bond or band of iniquity As if he should say I see thee wholly how great soever thou art to abound with sins and to be intangâ—ed almost with inextricable vices In the words of Peter there are two very elegant Metaphors whereof the first seems to be taken out of Deut. 29. v. 18. 32. v. 31. the other out of Isa 58. v. 6. See the like phrases 2 Tim. 2. v. 26. Heb. 12. v. 15. 24. Pray ye to the Lord for me Simon did feel that he was such within as Peter did say Therefore when he did judge Peter and his fellow John to be signally honoured with grace and love by our Lord Jesus and to be dear unto God he will use their prayer as they did use Jobs Prayer who did injure him That none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me To wit above v. 20. but although one only Peter is faid to have spoken John notwithstanding did approve of his words or spoke like to them Now says Calvin a Question doth arise what is to be thought of Simon The Scripture leads us no farther then unto a conjecture that he yieldeth unto the rebuke and being touched with the sense of his sin feareth the judgment of God afterward betakes himself unto the mercy of God and commendeth himself to the Prayers of the Church These being certainly not the least signs of penitence therefore we may conjecture he
did repent And notwithstanding the Ancients with one consent do write that he was a grievous Adversary to Peter afterward and that he did dispute with him three days at Rome There is a written disputation that goes under the name of Clement but which contains such unpleasant dotings that it is a wonder Christian Ears can bear it Afterwards Augustin sheweth unto Januarius that there were divers and fabulous reports spread about that matter in his time at Rome wherefore there is nothing safer then having renounced uncertain Opinions simply to embrace what is written in the Scripture What elsewhere we have read written concerning Simon may deservedly be suspected for many Causes Epiphanius counteth it among the Heresies of Simon that he said the Old Testament was from an evil God when notwithstanding a great many other Fathers do write of him that he did say that he himself was the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and in the Person of the Father he did give the Law to the Jews upon Mount Sinai and that he did appear in the Person of the Son in the time of Tiberius and did suffer an imaginary death and that afterwards he did descend in fiery Tongues in the Person of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and that Christ neither did come nor did suffer any thing by the Jews Again others do write that he did teach that he himself was God and descended in Samaria as the Father and did appear to the Jews as the Son in the rest of the Nations he did descend as the Holy Ghost Ignatius unto the Trallians calls Simon Magus The first begotten Son of the Serpent Apol. 2. ad Antoninum that was the Prince of Wickedness Justin Martyr telleth us that at Rome in the Island of Aesculapius in the River of Tiber betwixt the two Bridges that the same Simon was rewarded with a Statue and Altar having this Inscription in Latin letters To Simon the holy God Photius says that Simon did carry an Image of Christ about him in his Epist 38. Epiphanius Haer. 21. telleth us that he brought in the Worship of Images We may see in Beda in the fifth Book of his History of England chap. 28. that a certain kind of shaving was invented by him Haer. 39. From him says Austin did come the Angelicks so called because they did Worship Angels Religiously whom the Apostle rebukes Col. 2.18 The which Heresy Theodoretus writes that it did arise in the Apostles time on the cited place of the blessed Paul and that the thirtieth Canon of the Council of Laodicea is to be understood concerning the same Hereticks who in the same Country of Asia did build Oratories to Saint Michael the Arch-Angel From him did also proceed the Collyridians who did Worship Christs Mother with Divine Honour witness Epiphanius Simon did say that how many soever believed in him do not fear the threats of the Law but act whatsoever they act as Free-men for they were not to obtain Salvation by good Works but by Grace Theodoretus declareth that of him in his abridgment of Heresies It is manifest out of Origens Book against Celsus that the Simon his Disciples did deny Jesus to be the Son of God and the same Origen in his sixth Book against Celsus testifies unto us that he did shun Martyrdom and without difference Worship Idols The same Simon is reported to have had for a Companion of his Crimes one Selene that is the Moon or as others call her Helen a Harlot of Tyre whom after he had taken out of the Custom-house that he might commend her to all as Numa Pompilius his Egeria he did call her Goddess the Holy Spirit and Divine good pleasure and did affirm that of her he did beget Angels and that the Trojan War in time past was undertaken for her who is that lost sheep whom he came down from Heaven for to seek having disguised his form of God that the Angels that are over every one of the Heavens might not know him Let the belief of all these and other things which are reported of Simon lie upon the Authors Credit 25. And they indeed To wit Peter and John who were lately sent thither from Jerusalem Testified and Preached the Word of God As if he should say After they had faithfully uttered what things they had learned from our Lord Christ that the sure Authority of the Gospel Doctrine Preached by Philip the Deacon might continue and flourish as a well witnessed and authentical Verity Hence it is manifest therefore that not only Peter and John came down to Samaria from Jerusalem that they might enrich the Samaritans with the gifts of the Holy Spirit but also that they might establish them in the Faith they had even now received by approving of the Doctrine of Philip. And Preached the Gospel in many Villages of the Samaritans As if he should say They Preached the Gospel in many of the Towns of the Samaritans through which they went 26. And the Angel c. Our Lord Jesus in his unparallel'd Clemency and Mercy useth one of the Heavenly Messengers who now are subject unto him since he is gone into Heaven 1 â—et 3. v. 22. to communicate that knowledge that bringeth Salvation unto men Spake unto Philip. Viz. The Deacon and now an Evangelist who in Samaria first Preached the Doctrine of Christ and declared it to be true by Miracles Arise c. The Angel neither speaking any thing rashly nor concealing any thing craftily expresseth unto Philip whither he must go to try his Obedience shews him what Christ would have him to do with what profit and unto what end he hideth and keepeth it secret from him So whosoever committing the success unto the Lord shall go wherever he shall command him he shall find by experience that it shall happily prosper whatever thing he undertaketh at his command Vnto Gaza Gaza is the pure Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This name signifies fortified strong The LXX are wont to pronounce the letter Ain by g and sometimes they omit it whence this City of Phoenicia is called Aza or Gaza in ancient times it did belong to the Philistines afterwards to the Jews for Juda took it Judges 12.18 afterwards in process of time Alexander the great did vanquish it in besieging of which he received a wound upon his Shoulders as Arrianus doth write in his second Book concerning Alexanders expedition whose situation he doth thus describe Gaza is distant from the Sea about twenty furlongs and there is a sandy and deep ascent unto it and the Sea that is near the City is slimy the City itself is great and situated on a high hill and compassed about with a strong wall it is the utmost inhabited to one that goeth out of Phoenicia unto Aegypt at the entrance of the Wilderness At length Alexander King of the Jews who also was called Janneus 3 Antiq. 21. Aristobolus Brother did demolish it witness Josephus Samson
to yield to their interpretation before they have tried it For here Philip did inquire of the Potentate whether he did sufficiently understand what he did read we must therefore know and understand those things which we are to believe And he desired Philip c. Great was the Modesty and Humanity of this Potentate who not only suffered himself patiently to be enquired at by a stranger and mean born man as it did appear but did confess his ignorance frankly and freely did invite him most lovingly to come up into his Chariot to sit and confer with him and to expound unto him the Scriptures that he did not understand 32. The place Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Greek Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies I contain or embrace that is a sentence comprehended or shut up in a full compass and measure of words which they commonly call a section or period As a Sheep c. The meekness and patience of Christ when he was to die to purge away the sins of men is described by the similitude of a Sheep and a Lamb taking patiently their shearing and slaughter itself when the most part of other Creatures while they are led unto the slaughter use to cry out and wrestle against it So opened he not his mouth As if he should say So he who John 18. v. 6. overthrew a great band of Men by one word when he was taken led away was bound beaten with Whips nailed to the Cross did not threatningly complain or speak angry words See 1 Pet. 2. v. 23. 33. In his humility Gr. in his humiliation his judgment was taken away That is by a base and detestable wrong or oppression of him he was condemned and delivered up unto death against all Law The Hebrew has Isa 53. v. 8. He was taken from straining and judgment That is after he was bound by the wicked Sedition of the Jews and condemned by the sacrilegious voice of Pilate he was lifted up upon the Cross See John 3. v. 14. chap. 12. v. 32 33. the LXX seem to have read in the Hebrew Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His generation c. As if he should say Who can express in words the wickedness of that Generation wherein he lived who did proceed to so great a wickedness and ungodliness that undeservedly they did condemn him with a cruel death These words and such like are frequent among the Jews says Lightfoot Midras Schir fol. 173. In the Generation in which the Son of David shall come the Synagogue shall be a Brothel House Galilee shall be destroyed and Gablan shall be wasted The wisdom of the Scribes shall be corrupted good and merciful Men shall fail and Truth itself shall cease and the face of that Generation shall be as the face of Dogs R. Levi says That the Son of David shall not come but in a Generation in which there shall be impudent Faces and which shall deserve destruction R. Jannay says When ye shall see Generation after Generation railing and blaspheming then look for the feet that is the coming of the King Messiah Thus far famous Lightfoot ' For his life shall be taken from the Earth Heb. Isa 53. v. 8. Because he was cut off from the land of the living That is They slew him most undeservedly with an untimely and violent death See Daniel 9. v. 26. Luke 23. v. 31. These words of the Prophesy are put in the Preterperfect Tense whereas they have the signification of the Future The Jews did understand excellently well from these things Prophesied here by Isaiah that the Messiah should suffer pains straits reproaches finally a violent death and shameful punishment but when they did know for a certainty by the predictions of the Prophets that both the highest Honours were prepared for him and the greatest Power and a Kingdom also they do suppose they can marvellously well prevent the discrepancy of the Prophesies in which the 2 comings of Christ are predicted the one humble and base the other Noble and Honourable if so be they can devise two Messiahs the one to come of that ancient Joseph the Son of Jacob by Rachel which Messiah should be called Nehemias the Son of Uziel that this should be unhappy and appointed to miseries and a bloody death in fighting against the wicked and monstrous Armillus that the other should spring of the Linage of David and be the restâ—rer of the Kingdom of Israel and abound in glory and gather the dispersed in Israel by whom the Messiah Son of Joseph is to be raised unto life again after that God hath discomfited Armillus and all Armillus's Army with fire and brimstone sent down from Heaven This Doctrine says Huetius eminent in every sort of Learning is delivered in the 6th Book of the 2d part of the Talmud which is concerning the Feast of Tabernacles chap. 5. and the same Doctrine is found both in Berescith Rabba and in R. David Kimchi and Aben Ezra and R. Makir in his Aromatick Powder and in a great many later Rabbins In which it is marvellous to think how great an Errour hath deceived them There is prophesied one Messias his two comings they look for two Messias's one coming Of the which fiction of theirs if any shall enquire a reason from them they will either give none or a foolish one They alledge these words of Isai 32. v. 20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters that send forth thither the feet of the Ox and the Ass They expound that sowing to be Money given to the Poor which who shall give they say he is worthy of Elias and both the Messias's They think Elias is noted by the word immittentes that send forth because it is written in Malac. 4. v. 5. Behold I will send Elias the Prophet They expound the foot of the Ox to be the Messiah that is to come of Joseph because Moses being near to death spake of Joseph Deut. 33. v. 17. His Beauty is like the Firstling of his Bullock but they expound the Ass to be the Messiah Son of David whom Zacharias did predict chap. 9. v. 9. That he should be poor and carried on a she Ass It is tedious to me to rehearse those trifles which notwithstanding are to be found in Berescith Rabba but it is profitable to know the madness of this Sect thoroughly The later Rabbins should have been ashamed to grow wise Therefore they follow the Authority of their Fathers but even this very self same Testimony out of Berescith Rabba reproveth their Errour where they acknowledge out of the Prophesy of Zacharias that the Messiah Son of David is to be poor Therefore Aben-Ezra acknowledges himself to be ignorant whether Zacharias doth point at the Messiah there or not Whereas Saadias Gaon will have Zacharias to Prophesy there of that Messias to whom Daniel chap. 7. v. 14. promiseth Power Riches and an eternal Kingdom The
other place of Moses in which Joseph is compared unto a firstling Bullock and which they do attribute unto the Messiah Son of Joseph is applied unto the Messiah Son of David in the Midrash Thehillim The Jews say that Jacob did Prophesy these words concerning the Messiah Son of David Gen. 49. v. 10. Till he come who is to be sent and he shall be the expectation of the Nations And these words Psal 71. v. 17. And all the Tribes of the Earth shall be blessed in him all Nations shall magnify him but in the Book of the Talmud intituled Sanhedrin the same Testimonies are referred unto that Messiah of whom Isaiah spake chap. 53. v. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows R. Selomon Jarchi in his Expositions upon the Gamara of Sanhedrin and R. Moses Alschech say that the 53d Chapter of Isaiah belongs unto the Messiah Son 〈◊〉 David in which are told the griefs reproaches death of the Messiah the which opinion Ra. Isaac Abrabaniel retains in some places This indeed doth teach that the Messiah Son of David is signified in those words which are Isai 11. v. 3. 4. He shall not judge after the sight of his Eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his Ears but with Righteousness shall he judge the poor But the same Book of Sanhedrin teacheth that the Messiah whom Isaiah foretelleth there shall be punished by God The Messiah that is sprung of Ruth is the self same that was the Nephew of David notwithstanding we read in Ruth Rabbathi that a Kingdom and Calamities are portended unto this Messias in these words which are in Ruth 2. v. 14. Come hither and eat of the Bread and dip thy morsel into the Vinegar Therefore some Rabbins of no small Note do agree that there is one only Messiah to come twice 34. Answering That is Beginning to speak or having begun See our Literal Explication Mat. 11. v. 25. Of himself These things in some manner in a Typical sense may not badly be understood of Isaias himself who suffered many evils in Manasses's time But they are understood of another in a full and perfect sense to wit of Christ that suffered griefs reproaches and a bitter death that he might give us eternal Salvation 35. And opening c. As if he should say But Philip having begun a long Oration from this place of Isaiah which was before his hands he took an occasion to instruct the Eunuch about Jesus in which this and other predictions of the Prophets are fulfilled in an excellent manner He told him that that Jesus who was born of the Family of David born of a Virgin at Bethlehem and suffered a bitter death for our Offences was raised from the dead to sit at the right Hand of God the Father whose only begotten Son he is and that none is to obtain eternal Salvation but those who earnestly repenting of their sinful condition believe in Jesus himself obey his precepts And that those that do profess his Faith and Repentance ought to be dipt into the Water according to Christs appointment that the remission of sins may be sealed unto them by this holy dipping which remission is freely granted to every repenting sinner when he does believe in Christ 36. And as they went on their way That is while they went forward in the Eunuchs Journey to Gaza from Jerusalem They came unto a certain water Eusebius in his Book of Hebrew places which Hierom did translate and augment saith Bethsur in the Tribe of Juda or Benjamin and at this day is called Bethsoron a Village to us in the twentieth mile as we Travel from Aelia to Hebron near which there is a Fountain that springeth at the foot of the Hill is suckt up by the same ground in which it ariseth And the Acts of the Apostles do tell us that the Eunuch of Candace the Queen was Baptized in this Fountain by Philip. And there is also another Village called Bethsur in the Tribe of Juda distant a thousand paces from Eleutheropolis See here is Water c. It doth manifestly appear that the Eunuch among other things was taught by Philip that Baptism of Water was of necessity to be taken by them who repenting of their sinful life do imbrace the Faith of Christ as a Holy Rite appointed and commanded by Christ himself that it might be in itself a figure of new life and a seal of the remission of sins obtained through Christ 37. If thou believest That the Eunuch is not permitted to be Baptized unless he had professed a sincere Faith in Christ it doth sufficiently enough declare how truly great Basil hath spoken in his Book on the Holy Spirit ch 12. Faith and Baptism are the two means of Salvation inseparably cleaving together for Faith is perfected by Baptism but Baptism is founded by Faith and by the same names both things are fulfilled For as we believe in the Father Son and Holy Spirit so also we are Baptized in the name of the Father Son Holy Spirit indeed there goeth before a Confession leading us unto Salvation but Baptism followeth sealing our Confession Covenant But the Covenant of God is his promise of giving us eternal life and our answer is our promise of Worshipping God according to his will revealed to us The same Churches Teacher in his third Book against Eunomius Baptism is the seal of Faith Faith is the confession of the God-head it is necessary we should first believe then be sealed with Baptism According to this Rule of Scripture and agreeing with reason itself the most part of the Greeks in all Ages even unto this day retain a Custom of delaying Infant Baptism till they themselves can give a Confession of their Faith as Grotius hath noted on Matth. 19. v. 13. But especially the sixth Canon of the Synod of Neocasarea is to be observed whose words are as follows Concerning a Woman with Child that she may be Baptized when she pleases for her Baptism concerns not her Child For every one is to give a demonstration of his own choice in a Confession For however the Interpreters draw it to another purpose it does appear that the question was made of Women big with Child because it did seem that the Child was Baptized together with the Mother which notwithstanding ought not nor used not to be Baptized except of its own proper Election and Profession And to this purpose are the words of Balsamo In Compen can tit 4. The unborn Babe cannot be Baptized because it is not come into light neither can it have a choice of making Confession which is required in Holy Baptism And Zonaras The Babe will then need Baptism when it can chuse But the Synod doth determine that Baptism of a Woman great with Child doth therefore rightly proceed because her Baptism concerns her alone who can Confess what she believeth and not the Child in her Womb. But that Synod of Neocaesarea
None except Wolves lurking under a Sheep-skin refuseth and turneth from it So far our most learned Anonymus which is most agreeable to his admonition unto the Papists barring the Lay-men from the Holy Cup in the Preface of his forecited answer to the Treatise of the Bishop of Meaux concerning the Communion under both kinds There is no place therefore for cogging in these things for those that pretend the specious Title of received custom for the days practice when Jesus Christ and his Gospel is not the Custom but the Truth From the beginning it was not so says the same Jesus unto them who did object unto him the worst and cursed Custom of their Ancestors when we shall be presented before the Judgment of Christ he will not judge his Disciples by Custom but by the lively and effectual Word of his Gospel Neither should any be taken with a vain hope of framing an excuse from the Authority of the Church because all the Authority of the Church is from Christ granted unto her for that intent and purpose that she might procure a Religious Obedience to his Laws and Heavenly Precepts but not that she might break repeal and cancel them Thus far the Anonymus our Countryman whose sound reasoning hath made the Booksellers generally suppose him to be Monsieur de la Roque the most famous Pastor of the Reformed Church which is at Rouan whom his Writings do shew to be inferior to none in Godliness and Learning Heidegger in his Historico-Theological Anatomy of the Council of Trent p. 2. upon the Canons of 21 Session saith There is in the Church no more power of changing the Rites of the Sacraments appointed by Christ than there is power of changing his Word and Law For as this his Word contains a sign audible so those Rites do contain a visible sign of his Divine Will Let us shut up all therefore with that most Holy Martyr Cyprian in his sixty and third Epistle to Caecilius Verily it becometh us to obey to do what Christ hath done and commanded to be done when he himself saith in the Gospel If ye do whatsoever I command you henceforth I will not call you Servants but Friends And that Christ alone ought to be heard the Father also beareth witness from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Wherefore if Christ alone be to be heard we ought not to give ear to what another before us did think meet to be done but what Christ did first do who is before all for neither ought we to follow the Custom of Men but the Truth of God seeing God speaketh and sayeth by Isaiah the Prophet Without cause they do Worship me teaching the Commands and Doctrines of Men. And again our Lord in the Gospel repeateth the self same thing saying Ye reject the Commandment of God that ye may establish your own Tradition Julius the first Roman Bishop of this name in his Epistle to the Bishops through Aegypt and Paschal the second in his Epistle to Pontius Abbot of Cluny do check those who did give unto the people dipped bread for the perfecting of the Communion seeing that in the first celebration and institution of the Eucharist Christ did give Bread and Wine apart unto the Apostles and Paschal doth absolutely command that they should not depart from that Custom in any thing by a human and new Institution the which Custom Christ did keep and Commend We may see the words of Julius in Gratian De consec Dist 2. cap. cum omne God grant that in like manner all that are called Christians and either ignorantly or simply by a human and new Institution have changed Baptism or retained the change of Baptism dipping that is appointed by Christ into Rhantism that is sprinkling against the Apostolical and Evangelical Discipline observed by our Ancestors by the space of a thousand and three hundred years in all places now having seen the light of the verity clearly may return unto the Root and Original of our Lords Tradition neither may there be any other thing done by them henceforth than what our Lord did first for us and did Command to be done by us in his Gospel See what we have noted above chap. 2. v. 28. And he Baptized him To wit Philip immersed the Eunuch into the Water according to Christs Command 39. And when they were come up out of the Water As if he should say But as soon as the Eunuch had received of Philip Baptism or the Sacred Dipping The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. Some Copies have in this place The Holy Spirit came upon the Eunuch but the Angel of the Lord caught away Philip. As also Hierom hath cited in his Dialogue of the Orthodox and Luciferian and Grotius hath noted after Erasmus and Beza If we do follow that it will be needful to acknowledge that without any laying on of hands the Eunuch did receive that extraordinary gift of the Holy Spirit which Cornelius with his Houshold received also before Baptism below chap. 10. v. 44 47. Men did believe of Elias disappearing of old that he was caught away by the Holy Spirit and transported to some other place 1 Kings 18. v. 12. 2 Kin. 2. v. 16. But if this be understood of an Angle the same happened to Philip as the Writer of the last Addition unto Daniel chap. 14. v. 35 38. believed to have happened to Habakkuk the Prophet But Philip was carried by the Spirit or by an Angel of the Lord not out of the body but in the body as Paul speaks 2 Cor. 12. v. 2. The Eunuch seeing it that he might be confirmed in the faith in Jesus Christ by that miracle that was added unto the Doctrine And the Eunuch saw him no more The Christian Religion is said to have been sown in Aethiopia by this Eunuch when he returned thither which Religion is in some measure now retained by the Abyssines though mingled with Errours and Jewish Ceremonies See what I have observed above upon v. 27. and what I have spoken concerning Aethiopia upon Amos 9. v. 7. But he went Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for A reason is given why the Eunuch did see Philip no more to wit Because he travelled in his Journey he had entred upon unto Aethiopia rejoycing in the knowledge of the Gospel which he had attained unto by Philips means who was offered to him by a special Providence of God but now Philip was carried to another place where there was need of his Ministry 40. Was found That is did appear and was seen Esth 1. v. 5. Who were found That is were present Exod. 35.23 With whom were found That is were or did appear Mal. 2. v. 6. And iniquity was not found in his lips 1 Pet. 2. v. 22. Neither was guile found in his mouth that is it was not We have the Verb find for to see Gen. 4. v. 13 14. and
of our Saviour were imprinted Euseb lib. 3. de vita Constant Magn. 42. Its borders are towards the East the River Jordan toward the West Aegypt and the great Sea which is called the Mediterranean toward the South the Desert of Arabia toward the North Mount Libanon He divided their Land to them by Lot By Joshua their Captain the Successor of Moses with Eleazar the High-Priest Josh 13.7 14.1 2. 20. About c. We find the number of Four hundred and fifty years constantly kept in the Greek Latin Syriack Aethiopick and Arabick Books but the place and order of the number is various and different in the different Editions For in the Ancient vulgar Latin Translation saith the Reverend Vsher Arch-bishop of Armagh Chron. Sac p. 1. cap. 12. They are thus rendred He divided their Land to them by Lot about four hundred and fifty years after and afterwards he gave them Judges even as Joannes Mariana testifieth he found it written in some Greek Manuscripts to wit in the Manuscripts of Petrus Taxardus Marquess of Velesio which are greatly suspected to have been designedly both here and otherwhere conformed to the vulgar Latine Translation But the Alexandrian Copy which we have in England written in great letters and is of far greater Antiquity than those cited by Mariana reads it thus He divided their Land to them by Lot in about Four hundred and fifty years and after that he gave them Judges The very same thing is also found in those divers readings which Robert Stephen added to the New Testament which he printed in Greek at Paris A. D. 1568. Also a certain Greek Copy published at Paris and cited by Beza in his Annotations upon this place agreeing with it and another Manuscript of the new Colledge of Oxford except only that in this wants the Pronoun their after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Land in the other the Pronoun them is added after the Verb he gave In all which it is manifest that those four hundred and fifty years relate not to the continuance of the Judges but to the time of the division of the Land Moreover some very learrned Men of our Age as Francis Junius relates did think that this circumscription of Times doth belong to the former part of this spcech even retaining the vulgar reading of the Greek Copies to wit that as they think some fit Participle must be understood as if it were thus read After the four hundred and fifty years were ended he gave Judges By this means the beginning of this account will depend upon the first words of the Apostles speech V. 17. The God of this People Israel chose our Fathers But when God had promised to Abraham as yet not having a Son that he would give the Land of Chanaan to his Seed Gen. 12.7 Acts 7.5 Afterwards Ishmael his first born being excluded the choice of the Fathers was made in Isaac according to that In Isaac shall thy seed be called Gen. 21.12 Further from the birth of Isaac until the going of his Posterity out of Aegypt there passed four hundred years and five to which add forty six years and a half which were betwixt that and the dividing of the Land they make up four hundred fifty one years and a half which Paul calls about four hundred and fifty years Famous Ludovicus de Dieu saith somewhat otherwise I altogether agree with them saith he who will not have reckoned here the years wherein the Judges ruled for thus it seems impossible to make the four hundred and fifty agree with the four hundred and eighty years which were from the coming out of Aegypt to the beginning of the Temple of Solomon 1 Kings 6.5 but these which passed from the Birth of Isaac till the time of the Judges as if it were written And afterwards about Four hundred and fifty years he gave Judges To tell not how long the Judges ruled but when God gave them to wit after these things which were declared v. 17 18 19. which were acted in about Four hundred and fifty years The Account agrees For from Isaac to Jacobs birth are sixty years thence to the going into Aegypt an hundred and thirty thence to the coming out of Aegypt two hundred and ten thence to the entring into the Land of Canaan fourty thence to the dividing of the Land seven years which together make four hundred forty and seven years that is about four hundred and fifty for there are only three wanting For that in v. 17. God chose our Fathers is rightly referred to the time of Isaacs birth because that then God who had already chosen Abraham of all the People of the Earth did of all Abrahams Children chuse Isaac in whose Family the Covenant should stand saying In Isaac shall thy Seed be called He gave unto them Judges These Judges among the Hebrews were directly like to the Roman Interreges and afterwards to the Dictators neither did they differ in any thing from the Hebrew Kings but that they had not a Guard and Royal Pomp and therefore exacted not Taxes nor Tributes nevertheless they were as Josephus speaks Governors with a Soveraign Power and therefore are called Kings Judg. 9.16 They made Abimelech King that is Judge When Samson was dead Judg. 18.1 In those days there wat no King in Israel that is Judge And as the Kings had power of killing without the Sanhedrin as the Talmudick Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 1.15 and other places teach so had also these Judges as appears from the examples of Gideon Judg. 8.16 17. and Jephta Judg. 12.6 which things are rightly observed by Abarbaniel in the beginning of the Book of the Judges Josephus useth also to call those Judges by the name of Prophets because they were immediately given of God and therefore indued with Prophetical gifts Vntil Samuel the Prophet Who was the last of those Judges 21. And afterward c. As much as to say But afterward to wit when Samuel had governed the Common-wealth one and twenty years they after the example of other Nations asked a King 1 Sam. 8.5 19. and at the importunate desire of the people God gave them a King in his anger Hos 13.10 11. Saul the Son of Kish of the Tribe of Benjamin but not of the Tribe of Juda for whom the Scepter seems to have been appointed of old Gen. 49.10 By the space of fourty years Seeing that Ishbosheth when he succeeded his Father Saul in the Kingdom was forty years of age 2 Sam. 2.10 we understand that Ishbosheth is born at the same time as Saul was first privately Anointed then publickly declared King before the people at Mizpeh 1 Sam. 10.1.24 25. Nor was it long after as saith Usher in his Annals upon the year of the World two thousand nine hundred and nine as appears from 1 Sam. 12.12 to wit about a month after as it is expresly in the seventy Interpreters and Josephus 6 Antiq. 5.
the East with Bithynia upon the South with Asia Proconsular or Asia properly so called Ptolomy makes also the European Mysia double the higher and the lower but the European Mysia is more properly called Moesia They essayed to go into Bithymia Buhynia is a Region of Asia the lesser which making one Province with Pontus Pontus lying Eastward of it and Bithynia Westward it is bounded upon the North by the Euxine Sea upon the East by Galatia upon the South by Asia properly so called upon the West by the Propontis Bithynia saith Thomas de Pinedo is a Region upon Pontus of old called Cronia then Thessalis then Meliande as witnesseth Plinius in which Author I think Mariandyne ought to be read for Maliande Lib. 5. Ch. 32. for so was Bithynia called of old as Eusebius telleth in his Chronical Canon where at number 594 are these following Words Bithynia was built by Phoenix being first called Mariandyne Vpon which place Scaliger to whom few are like in erudition saith that it is not well said in Latin Condere Bithyniam but his Opinion deceived him for the Phrase is common both among Greeks and Latins as I have noted else where I will not therefore make needless Repetitions lest I become wearisome to my Reader Servius saith also that Bithynia was called Bebricia Aeneid l. 5. v. 537. Plinius the younger governed this Province with a Proconsular Power under Trajan The most famous Cities in Bithynia were Nicomedia Lib. 17. c. 13. which Ammianus Marcellinus calleth the Mother of the Cities of Bithynia Nice famous for two Councils called by Strabo the Metropolis of Bithynia and Chalcedon where was a Council celebrated of six hundred and thirty Bishops Lib. 12. Geogr. A. C. 451. But the Spirit suffered them not As much as to say But the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to them that he would not that at that time they should go to Bithynia 8. Came down to Troas Troas is thought by some to have been the Mediterraneous part of Phrygia whose chief City was Ilium called Troy but others think that the Town is noted bearing the name of the same Region of which Plinius The chief place of Troas was Amaxitus 5 Nat. Dist 30. then Cebrenia and Troas it self called Antigonia now Alexandria a Colony of the Romans It seems it may be gathered from Ch. 20. v. 6. and 2 Tim. 4. v. 13. that it was this City Troas Paul came thither to preach the Gospel of Christ as is clear 2 Cor. 2.12 9. There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying That is there appeared as it were the likeness of a man cloathed with a Macedonian Garment and speaking in the Macedonian Language Come over into Macedonia and help us To wit by the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation Macedonia one of the largest Regions in Europe is bounded upon the East with the Eugean Sea upon the South by Thessaly and Epirus upon the West by the Ionian Sea upon the North by Mount Scardus and Orbelus It is said to have taken its name from Macedo the Son of Jupiter begotten by Thyia Deucalion's Daughter It was also called Ematia and Macetia whence its Inhabitant is called Macetes and if it be a Woman Macetis The most famous Cities of Macedonia were Thessalonica for its bigness Ege for the Sepulchers of the Kings and Pella for Alexander's Birth The most famous of its Rivers was Strymon of its Mountains Athos which because it is situate between Macedonia and Thrace it is by some annexed to Thrace The Kings of Macedonia boasted that they have descended of Hercules Hence in stead of a Crown and Kingly Purple they appeared crowned with the skin of a Lion's head in which Ornament they delighted more than in any precious Stones This Kingdom began to flourish in King Caranus it was inlarged by Philip Alexander the Great 's Father but it increased to such Greatness under Alexander himself that he subdued Asia Armenia Iberia Cappadocia Syria Egypt India Phoenicia Media and Persia and at length all the East and India At last it decayed under Persous the Son of Philip who being overcome by Paulus Aemilius the Consul lost his Kingly Dignity together with his Kingdom such a difference of Fortune these two men shewed both Philip's Sons the one like Lightning conquered all those Nations but the other lost the Kingdom it self and was carried Captive with his Wife and Children to Rome by Aemilius and since Macedonia was reduced to the form of a Prefecture as Plinius relâ—tes 4. Hist Nat. 10 10. Immediately we endeavoured From this and many places following it appears that Luke who wrote those Acts of the Apostles did attend Paul as his Companion from Troas if not from Antioch Assuredly gathering The Word in the Original saith Hesychius signifieth conferring That is saying one to another Ludowic de Dieu saith that the Word is also rendred by Hesychius to make to joyn to induce in Love and Assent in which signification it is also taken intransitively as in Plato de Repub. lib. 6. according to the Interpretation of Budaeus and so the Greek Word may here be fitly rendred consenting unanimously determining To preach the Gospel unto them To wit to the Inhabitants of Macedonia 11. We came with a straight course The Greek hath it We sailed with a prosperous wind As below Ch 21. v. 21. To Samothracia Samothrace is an Island in the Aegean Sea bordering upon Thrace not far from the mouth of the River Hebrus with a City of the same Name The Latins frequently call it Samothracia as Virgil. 7. Aeneid v. 207. This Island was before called Dardania from Dardanus the Son of Jupiter begotten by Electra who because of his Brother Jasius whom he had killed fled thither from Italy It was also called Leucadia because it appears whitish to the Spectators afar off Afterward Thracia from the Thracians that inhabited it And lastly it was called Samothracia because that after the Thracians the Samians dwelt therein Plinius saith that this Island was the fullest of commodious Harbors of any of the rest 4. Nat. Hist 12. and is raised up upon the Mountain Saoce Lib. 10. wherefore it was also called Saocis saith Hesychius Strabo saith likewise it was called Melite and Samos But at this day it is commonly called Samadrachi The Sacrifices of the Samothracians were most famous amongst the Ethnicks of old the Ceremonies of which Plinius calleth most Holy Lib. 36. Ch. 5. Therefore Germanicus in Tacitus was taken with desire of seeing the Sacrifices of the Samothracians Lib. 2. Anal. but the North winds crossing him made him change his purpose The Samothracians were called the Kinsmen of the Romans because Dardanus carried away the Houshold-Gods from Italy to Samothrace and from thence to Phrygia which afterwards Aeneas carried back from Troy to Italy saith Servius The Samothracian Rings were likewise famous Aeneid 3.12 which were either all Iron but overgilded
5. This is the strength of the Argument but it is no Superfluous repetition For he first sets forth Johns intire Ministry in general which consists in the Baptism of Repentance which Phrase includes both the administration of the Sacrament it self and the Preaching of Repentance Compare Mark 1. v. 4. Afterward he more particularly expresseth the order of his Ministry that first he inculcated Faith in Christ and then his auditors being informed of Christ he Baptised them in the name of Jesus Baptised with the Baptism of Repentance That is when he stirred up the People to Repentance to them who confessed their Sins and sincere Conversion and amendment of Life he was the first that administred Baptism which is the Symbol of Repentance See Mat. 3.2 5 6. seq Saying c. As much as to say When he admonished them to imbrace by Faith Jesus who soon after him was happily to enter upon his Office of Preaching the Gospel as the Messias or Christ promised in the Law and in the Prophets 5. When they heard The Greek hath it but they who heard that is they who believed the Doctrine which John Preached They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus That is them John initiating by Baptism did dedicate unto Christ Among others Famous Drusius observed that this verse is taken Lib. 1 Quaest Ebraic q. 8.3 as if they were Lukes words which they are not The Apostle Paul saith he speaks of Johns Baptism which he proves to be the same with Christs Baptism partly by his doings partly by his sayings as being one that Preached Christ to come and Baptized such as believed in him And this is it which he saith They were Baptized in the name of Jesus Such as to wit while John Preached imbraced the Faith of Christ of which number those Disciples were But because those believers had not as yet received the gifts of the Holy Ghost therefore the Apostle asks them by whose Baptism they were initiated and when he knew the matter laid his hands upon them and immediately the Spirit coming down upon them they began to speak with tongues and to prophesie even as Luke mentions in the Context of this History Moreover that John used to Baptize in the name of Jesus Christ that most ancient writer Gregory Bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontus surnamed Tharmaturgus who flourished in the year of our Lord two hundred thirtieth and third doth witness In Serm. in S. Theophania He expounding these words of John to the Lord Jesus I have need to be Baptized of thee Mat. 3.14 and comest thou to me he brings in John speaking thus While I Baptize others I Baptize them in thy name that they may believe in thee coming with Glory but when I Baptize thee whom shall I mention In whose name shall I Baptize thee Shall I in the name of the Father but thou hast the whole Father in thy self and thou art wholly in the Father Shall I in the name of the Son but there is no other Sâ—n of God by nature besides thee Shall I in the name of the Holy Ghost but he is always together with thee as Con-substantial to thee and of the same Will and judgment and of equal Power and alike Honour and with thee he receiveâ— Worship from all Men. 6. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them As both approving the Doctrine Preached â—y John which they received by Faith and also the Baptism conferred upon them upon their confessing that Doctrine The Holy Ghost came on them That is the Illustrious Gifts of the Holy Ghost came down from Heaven upon them Laying on of hands saith famous Heiddegger in his Historico-Theological Anatomy of the Council of Trent upon the Canons of the Seventh Session about that one question concerning confirmation was freely used by the Apostles that the Baptized might receive the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost and that thereby the Gospel might be confirmed Heb. 2.3 4. until it were so fortified and confirmed in the publick knowledge of all that none but an obstinate and impudent Man could call its Divinity in question But it sufficeth us that by Faith we have received the Spirit of Sonship Gal. 3.14 4.6 See what we have noted concerning the laying of hands above Chap. 8.17 And they spake with Tongues To wit strange Tongues which they did not learn as the Apostles above Ch. 2.4 And Cornelius and his fellows Ch. 10.44 46. And prophesied Declaring at length and with Praises celebrating the great and wonderful works of the Lord as above Ch. 2.11 10.46 and perhaps foretelling things to come which is the most proper signification of Prophesie See Luke 1.67 7. And all the Men c. Who were before Baptized by John were at that time by the laying on of Pauls hands at Ephesus gifted with those extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost which are frequently called Holy Ghost 8. And he went into the Synagogue As much as to say But Paul himself that he might gain the Jews who lived at Ephesus to Christ went into their Synagogue And spake boldly for the space of three Moneths That is he published the Doctrine of the Gospel to the Jews without fear openly and without turning and winding about for the space of three Months Disputing and perswading the things concerning the Kingdom of God That is by solid reasons proving that this eminent and happy Kingdom is now raised up by Jesus which God had appointed that the Messias should erect of which Isaias Ch. 52.7 Dan. 2.44 Ch. 7.27 even as is said above Ch. 3.21 all the Prophets Prophesied By the Kingdom of God We know saith Calvin here is often meant that restoring which was promised to our Fathers and which was to be fulfilled by the coming of Christ. For seeing that without Christ there is a deformed and confused scattering of all things the Prophets did attribute this not in vain to the Messias who was to come that it should come to pass that he should establish the Kingdom of God in the World And now because this Kingdom doth reduce us from our backsliding to the obedience of God and of Enemies maketh us Sons it consisteth first in the free forgiveness of Sins whereby God doth reconcile us to himself and adopteth us to be his People then in newness of Life whereby he conformeth us to his own Image 9. But when divers were hardened Of the Jews to wit being by a wilful obstinacy disobedient to the voice of the Lord inviting them to Repentance And believed not That is contumaciously despised the Gospel Preached to them by Paul Speaking evil of that way That is with railing words inveighing against the Will of God revealed to Men by Christ See above Ch. 18.25 26. Thus also above Ch. 13.45 the obstinate Jews did with Blasphemies against Christ and the Christian Religion oppose and resist the Truth Preached by Paul Before the Multitude That they
continency of sacred Men Chap. 5. Dissert Lib. 1. de Episc Dignit Jurisdict upon which account he was miserably abused by the Jesuite Dionysius Petavius But also the same Medina affirmed the same openly in the Council of Trent neither did he stick though many fretted at it publickly to contend that so far Jerome and Augustine had a Heritical opinion the matter to wit not being altogether clear Which as it moved others not a little So saith the writer of the History of the Council of Trent this Doctor sticking close to his own opinion maintained it with his might Neither is there ought that makes against it in Storcas Pallavicinus his History of the Council of Trent against Paulus Venetus published at Rome Anno M. DC LVII Further Petavius himself doth also witness that Medina was not the only Man among the Papists who was of this Judgment Theol. Dogm Tom. 3. de Eccles Lib. 2. Cap. 8. but that others also did ascribe the said Heresy to the forecited Fathers And Morton in the forementioned place of his Apology does adduce some of them Rivet also Sum. Contr. Tract 2. quaest 22. Therefore although according to the terms of honour which the Church now useth as saith Augustine in his Epistle to Jerome the Episcopacy be greater than the Presbytery yet Richard of Armach said truly There is no difference found in the Evangelical or Apostolical Scriptures betwixt Bishops and simple Priests who are called Presbyters Lib. 11. ad quaest Arm. Cap. 5. whence it follows that there is the same Power in both Whether saith Cassander the Episcopacy ought to be put among the orders of the Church is not agreed upon betwixt the Theologues and the Canonists but it is agreed upon among all Consult Art 14. that in the age of the Apostles there was no difference betwixt Bishops and Presbyters but that afterward to evite Schism a Bishop was set over Presbyters But as Musculus in his common places saith excellently of the Ministers of the Word Pag. 246. Whether this Counsel whereby such Bishops are more by custom introduced to use Jerom 's words than by the truth of the Lords appointment to be greater than Presbyters be profitable for the Church of Christ or not hath been better manifested in the following ages than when this custom was first introduced c. See what follows there Also Greg. Naz. Orat. 28. August in Psal 105. Whitaker quaest 1. de pont Rom. Cap. 3. and the History of Episcopacy written in English not long ago by that indefatigable Preacher of Gods Word the Reverend Richard Baxter Famous for Knowledge and Piety To feed That is To rule as a Pastor does his Flock and it is extended to every part of managing the Flock such as to Lead Defend Rule and Direct them The care of the Church is equally divided among many saith Jerome For as he saith before that by the instigation of the Devil there were Parties made in Religion and it was said among the People I am of Paul I of Apollos but I am of Cephas the Churches were governed by the common advice of Presbyters Those spiritual Pastors set up by God to feed not their own Flock but the Flock of their Lord and supream Pastor ought to consult the good of the Flock and procure their Salvation feeding the People with divine Oracles and healthful admonitions and by strong reasons refelling the opposers of the Christian Faith The Church See Tit. 1.9 1 Pet. 5.2 3 4. That is a company of Men professing the saving Doctrine of Christ Behold here as also Phil. 1.1 the Church is distinguished from the Presbyters who had the oversight of it which oversight is in the Greek called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Episcopacy above Ch. 1.20 therefore the overseers of the Church who are frequently called Presbyters in the new Testament and four times Bishops from their Office are not alone the Church much less any Bishop of Bishops 1 Cor. 1.2.10.32.11.16 2 Cor. 1.1 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. Of God The Christian multitude is the Church or Flock of God and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ Beza witnesseth that he read in five Copies of the Lord and of God Matth. 16.18 Rom. 16.16 Many other Greek Copies have only of the Lord by which Lord after the Apostolick manner of speaking is deservedly meant Jesus of Nazareth because as it is said above God made him Lord and Christ Ch. 2.36 which excellently agrees with what followeth Which he purchased That to wit it might be to him a peculiar People With his own Blood Poured out upon the Altar of the Cross But if by the Word of God be understood God the Father it is the same as if he should say with the bloody Death of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ Hence saith Beza it is read in one Greek Copy By this Blood of this his own viz. Son The strength of that Article saith Beza is to be observed whereby the excellency of this Blood and the antithesis is declared which is more copiously expounded Heb. 9.12 For this Blood was truly holy yea a truly purifying and Sanctifying Blood flowing out of him See Eph. 1.12 13. Col. 1.14 20. Heb. 9.12 c. 1 Pet. 1.18.19 Rev. 5.9 who as he truly is a most pure Man so is he also truely and in the most perfect manner God We ought to make of what God has bought so dear 29. I know The Spirit revealing it to me That after my departing The Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used says Ludovicus de dieu is in the Glossary rendred Arrival departing and is used in the Attick signification by Demosthenes as well as here Wolves Heretical teachers who with their false and deadly Doctrine Corrupt and Destroy the Flock of Christ are so called by a Metaphor See our literal explanation Matth. 7.15 Such spiritual Wolves are according to Christs Command to be once and again admonished Matth. 18.16 17 18. if that do not avail we ought to break off familiar correspondence with them but the Apostles Institutions and Examples forbid to exasperate these false Teachers with Curses 1 Cor. 5.9 Tit. 3.10 or to oppress them with carnal violence or to put them to Death See 2 Tim. 2.24 25. Grievous That is Barbarously and intolerably cruel Not sparing the Flock That is Who shall have no pity upon the Flock He goes on in his similitude and Allegory begun v. 28. meaning by the Flock the Church or company of believers in Christ who are frequently called Sheep 30. Of your own selves Lawfully called to the Pastoral Office not only the same Presbyters to whom the Pastoral charge of the Church of Ephesus is committed and to whom Paul then spoke as appears from v. 28. are noted but also such of their Equals and Successors as should even in other Churches degenerate into Wolves Arise That is Spring
Officiously smote our Lord Jesus Joh. 18.22 when he had no order to do so Then Paul C. 8. v. 20. As Peter above and Paul himself elsewhere 1 Tim. 4.14 prompted by Divine instinct Gen. 9.25 and a Prophetick Inspiration like Noah Michaiah the Son of Imla 2 Chr. 18.24 Elisha Jeremy and David frequently in the Psalms Said unto him 2 King 2.24 viz. That Spiteful Barbarous and rude High Priest Ananias the Son of Nebedaeus Jer. 20.3 c. God shall smite thee Mat. 7.2 Who according to the saying of Christ uses to measure again unto Men the same measure they mete out unto others Exod. 1.22 Exod. 14.28 So Pharaoh at whose Command the Male-Children of the Israelites newly born were drowned Judg. 1.7 1 Sam. 15.32 33. 2 Sam. 12.9.10 11 12 16.22 was himself together with all his Army drowned The same instances of Justice you may see in Adonibezek Agag King of the Amalekites David Joà b in those Men that cast Shadrack Meshek and Abednego into the fiery Furnace Dan. 3.22 Daniels Accusers and in that most invertrate Enemy of Mordecai Haman Dan. 6.24 Thou Whited Wall Esth 7.10 He upbraids Ananias's Hypocrisie with an Apostolick and Prophetick Authority in the same kind of Speech which Christ did that of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23 27. when he foretold that they would be punished by a special Providence 1 King 18.18 2 King 3.13 Jer. 1.10 17 18. Ezek. 3.8 9. It is the duty of Prophets to reprove Vices and Sins whose soever they are as you may see A whited Wall saith St. Augustine in Psal 103. without is Plaister within Clay Theophilact on this place he calls him a whited Wall because he had a fair aspect as an assertor of the Law and one who pretended to judge according to the Law But his Mind was full of Wickedness Ep. 115. Truly and elegantly said Seneca We admire Walls covered over with thin Marble when we know what it is that is hid under it we impose upon our Eyes and when we value things covered over with Gold what else do we but delight in a lye for we know that under that Gold base Wood is hid Nor are Walls and beams the only things that are set out with Ornaments the seeming happiness of all those who are exalted to high Promotion is but guilded Look into them and you 'l perceive how much evil lies hid under that thin Membrane of Dignity For thou Among the Senators of the Council Dost thou sit to judge me after the Law That is That thou mayest judge according to the Judicial Law appointed by God in the Books of Moses The Judicial Law saith Grotius was in force as long as the Common-wealth of Israel was in being and the Hebrew Judges were obliged to give Judgment according to it within those bounds of Cognizance which the Romans allowed them And contrary to the Law Unjustly beginning Process of Judgment at Execution whereas the Law enjoyns to presocute that which is just justly Lev. 19.15 Deut. 1.16 c. 16.18 19.20 and not to commit iniquity in Judgment Commandest Acted by a Barbarous Cruelty and Tyrannical Rage against the Professors of Christianity Me. Without hearing my cause To be smitten Contumeliously viz. On the Mouth 4. And they that stood by Possibly the very same Men who were Commanded by the High Priest Ananias to smite Paul on the Mouth Said Vindicating the High Priests Honour Revilest thou Gods High Priest That is to say Thou foul-Mouth'd railer dost thou call him a Painted and Whited Wall whom God has set over his Divine Worship 5. I wist not Having been a considerable time absent from Jerusalem Others will have I wist not to import the same as I did not consider viz. being hurried with a sudden perturbation of Mind when Ananias commanded me without cause to be smitten on the Mouth That he was the High Priest That is That this Ananias is now High Priest It is evident by Josephus 20. Antiq. 6 7. that at that time there was so great a Confusion in the Government at Jerusalem that at every turn the High Priests were deposed at the pleasure of the Roman Governours and others substituted into their places Than which Confusions saith the generally Learned Heinsius as nothing was more detestable so nothing was more just seeing that by the Faction and lyes of the High Priests the Truth was condemned the hope of the Fathers was condemned our great High Priest was Condemned For it is Writen c. As if he had said If I had known or called to Mind that the Dignity of High-Priesthood now become cursory had been conferred on Ananias the Son of Nebedaeus I would not in any wise have so sharply upbraided him with Hypocrisie as that my words should have been construed slander and railing Exod. 22.28 for it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People That is Do not cast reproaches upon the Life of him who holds chief Place and Dignity among thy People 4. But when Paul perceived that the one part viz. Of those of which the great Council consisted Were Sadduces Of these and the Pharisees see what we have said in our Literal explanation on Mat. 3.7 And the other Pharisees These two Sects tho otherwise disagreeing among themselves agreed together to oppose Christ and destroy his Disciples Paul therefore when he saw they had conspired together to condemn him unjustly he wisely without prejudice to the Truth cast among them an apple of Contention or Discord He cryed out in the Council That he might be heard by all the Senators of the Council and all the multitude that was present I am a Pharisee the Son of a Pharisee Or as some Copies have it of the Pharisees As if he had said I have even from my Forefathers led my Life according to the ordinances of the Pharisees See after c. 26. v. 5. Phil. 3.5 Of the hope Of the Reward which the just shall receive in the other World which the Hebrews call the Age of Retribution For then every Man shall be rewarded according to his deeds The Sadduces denyed that there was any such state who maintained that there were no Punishments or Rewards after this Life And the Resurrection of the Dead Whom that they should be raised again to Life the Old Saduces also denyed Am called in Question That is Called to Judgment 7. There arose a dissention between the Pharisees and the Sadduces While those appoved of Paul's opinion that there should be a Resurrection of the Dead and these Condemned it And the multitude was divided Both of the Senators and the Standers by while some took part with the Pharisees others with the Sadduces 8. The Sadduces c. As if he had said But the Pharisees and the Sadduces were at great variance and discord among themselves for whereas the
That is to say One guilty of Slaughter or some other great Offence The particular says Bochart is here put for the general By which Figure one of the Furies gets the Name of Tisiphone from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 punishing Murderers And yet she was not thought an avenger of Murder alone but also of all other Offences Vengeance Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justice the Goddess Dice was the Name the Ancients gave the Goddess Justice says Bochart Hesiod in his Husbandry v. 254. Dice is a Virgin descended of Jupiter famous and venerable in the Eys of the Gods inhabiting Heaven And whensoever any revile her unjustly she forthwith tells her Father Jupiter the Son of Saturn the Evil Thoughts of such Men. Orpheus v. 349. of the Argonauticks v. 344. Let the Governess Dice with the avenging Furies be witnesses to this Oath In Euripides his Medea Jason curses Medea whose Hands were polluted with the slaughter of the Children with this Imprecation v. 1389. But may Erinnys the Avenger of slain Children and Dice of Slaughter destroy thee Aristotle or whoever passes by that Name in the Close of the Book De mundo speaking of the great God observes that he is attended by Dice the Avenger of the Transgressors of the Divine Law In Orpheus his Hymn on hours Dice is one of the Daughters of Themis and Jupiter the King We are presented with a curious and exact picture of her by Chrysippus in Gellius lib. 14. cap. 4. She is said to be a Virgin which betokeneth her being undefiled and unexorable by the wicked suffering no specious Oration or Prayer or flattery or any such like thing Wherefore she is deservedly painted with a grave and frowning countenance that she may be a terror to the Wicked yielding hope and confidence to the Just since such an aspect is pleasant to the Just and grievous to the Unjust Plutarch in his Book of the late divine Vengeance If there be any that suffer not condigne Punishment for their misdoings in this Life they are given up to Dice after Death to be punisht more severely In Aratus's Phoenomena she is said in the Golden age to have lived familiarly with Men and also in the Silver Age tho more seldom but in the brazen Age when they began to eat the working Oxen she withdrew her self to Heaven First they began to eat the labouring Oxen Then Dice hating the vain Race of Men Went up to Heaven Nazianzen alluding Hereunto in his third Metree Virginity leaving ye shall return to Christ as Dice did of old after the slaughter of the plowing Ox. Nor is it to be wondered that the fame of the Greek Goddess should come to the Inhabitants of Malta the most of whom were Phenicians Forasmuch as before the Romans invasion of Malta the Government of the Island did change by courses so among the Greeks and Phenicians that sometimes the one sometimes the other commanded in chief as we have made appear elsewhere by the testimony of competent witnesses The Worship therefore of this Goddess being borrowed from the Greeks they attribute to her that Paul being delivered from the peril he was in upon the Sea sell into another danger no less than the former Their opinion is so far allowable as they hold it impossible for transgressours to go unpunished Plato spoke a great truth in his fifth Book of Laws where he says that all injustice is attended with Punishment And Horace in the second Song of his third Book The Wicked Man that walks with braz'n Face Is seldom left by Vengeances halting Pace Further that Vipers are used by God for the Punishment of the Wicked is recorded Eccles 39. v. 35 38. The teeth of wild beasts and Scorpions with Vipers and the Sword that dispatcheth the Wicked The Aegyptians were fully of the same mind with reference to the Asp named Thermuthis Aelian lib. 10. cap. 31. They say of her that she does no hurt to the good while as she kills the wicked Which if it be so says Aelian the justice of the Universe has highly honoured this Asp That is The Goddess Dice that punishes a great many by this instrument Therefore there was something in the Barbarians Judgment of Paul not altogether to be despised But yet it 's manifest that they judged amiss in many respects As first in that they do not attribute the Punishment of the Wicked to the true God but to an Idol the Work of Men's hands which by some is named Dice by others Themis by other some Astrea or Erigone as also Nemesis or Adrastia Secondly because by this course they hold that the wicked are always punished in this Life while as they are very often reserved for the future where God makes up the slowness of his Judgments by their Weight Thirdly because they think none falls into any heavy Calamity but he is proportionably Guilty not knowing or considering that affliction is the lot of the best as we find in the instances of Job and him that was born blind though neither he nor his Parents were guilty of any notorious Sin Jo. 9. v. 3. Wherefore Prosperity nor Adversity are not to be reckoned as the measures of any Mans Vertue or Wickedness But the Judgment of what is unrevealed must be left to God alone the great Judge of all Men. Fourthly they also sinned in their rash Judgment of Paul without expecting the event Whereupon they conclude him utterly undone with no less confidence than if they had seen his death in the event Whence they say in the preterit tense Justice or Dice has not suffered him to live As by others it was said of David Ps 41.8 An evil disease cleaveth fast unto him and now that he lieth he shall rise no more Nevertheless David rose out of his Bed beyond their thoughts and expectation Even so it befel Paul at this time For he died not of the Vipers bite which the Barbarians saw hang on his hand Suffereth not him to live Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffered in the Praeterit See what we have but now observed A certain Man suffering Shipwrack got safe to Land in Libya where sleeping on the Shore he is said to have been killed by the biting of a Viper Of whom Statilius Flaccus has a very eloquent Poem Antolog l. 3. c. 2. to this purpose From raging Sea one Shipwrackt seapt to Land And laid him down upon the Libyan Sand Close by the Shore dead Sleep did him ' oretake Naked and wearied after his dire Wrack Where he was killed by a Deadly Snake Why did he vainly with the Waves contend On Land he meets with his deserved End An accident very like this happens to Paul For a Viper assails him when he scarce had escaped from Shipwrack into Malta an Island near Libya but with a very different event For this Encounter was no ways fatal to Paul but to the Viper as immediately follows 5. And he shook off the Beast into the Fire
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were dissolved That is they went from Paul to their own Houses or they began to break up the Assembly After that Paul had spoken one Word That is After that Paul had added for an Epilogue or Conclusion to his preceding Sermon of Christ and his Kingdom this notable saying to denote the stubborn contumacy of the unbelieving Jews Well spake As if he had said Not hyberbolically but most truly The Holy Ghost To wit when he foretold this contempt of the Gospel which I now behold Isa 6.9 10. By Esaias the Prophet Who was purged with the Fire of the Spirit and obtained the Gift of Prophesy Isa 6 7. To our Fathers Contemporary with Isaiah who thus set a brand on their Malicious hearts yet so as that in a Mystical sense he rather denoted those of their posterity who with a greater degree of Malice would reject the light of the Gospel when offered unto them See Joh. 12.40 26. Go unto that People As the Messenger of the Lord who appeared to thee in an August Appearance and full of Majesty as a Judge sitting in an exalted Throne Isa 6.1 But these are the Words saith Pisâ—â—tor of one highly provoked He does not say to my People But he accounteth them strangers because they had estranged themselves And say Not solicitous how the Hearers will entertain thy discourse only do thou discharge thy Message faithfully committing the rest to me As if he had said saith Curcellaeus our Country Man I know the perverse Disposition of this People and that they will not be moved to Repentance by thy Exhortation but will rather thence take occasion to confirm and harden themselves in their Malice But altho it fall out so and that they become more Blind Deaf and hard-hearted by my Word which thou shalt speak unto them do not thou therefore cease from discharging the duty entrusted to thee and admonishing them of their duty if ye can gain nothing upon them by reason of their obstinate Malice yet it may at lest serve for their Conviction Hearing ye shall Hear and shall not Vnderstand That is Ye shall clearly perspicuously and often hear the Ministers of God exhorting you to repent in his Name but ye shall not understand them And Seeing ye shall See and not perceive That is and constantly ye shall see benefits and Miracles performed by God and that by reason of the horrible blindness of your Minds ye shall not see your selves led to Repentance by the Goodness of God being by the alone goodness and long suffering of God and not by some operation of his hardned These words which are here expressed by Futures of the Indicative are in the Hebrew Text of Isaiah expressed by Imperatives In hearing hear ye and understand not and in seeing see ye and perceive not On which place of Isaiah excellent is that of Hen. Moller Pat. Hamburg It is not commanded that they should stop their Ears in the Assembly or that all their senses should of their own accord be stupified but it is a most sad complaint which is expressed after the manner of Men with a kind of Indignation and Imprecation As if he had said Continue ye Hearers to Hear and yet not understand and despise my Teachers and their Threatnings as hitherto ye have done and see what will be the result of these things For ye shall do nothing else by your stubbornness but bring upon your selves lamentable Overthrow and Destruction This is the meaning of this Verse so that it is a complaint and sad expostulation because they knowingly and willingly opposed the Word of God For the Imperatives do not so much command them to do those things as they upbraid them as done already or to be done at all times and they have the force of a threatning Prophesy Therefore the Seventy Interpreters as also Christ in his discourse to his Apostles Mat. 13. resolve them into Verbs of the Future Tense In Hearing ye shall Hear and not Vnderstand Also The Heart of this People is made fat And Paul Acts 20 referreth what is attributed to the Doctrine here to the corrupt affections of the Nation while he saith that the Jews petulantly rejected grace when offered Therefore Clemens 1 Strom. saith rightly where he explains the saying of Christ That seeing they should not see and Hearing they should not hear Mat. 13. They are ignorant not that ignorance is wrought in them by the Lord for it is not lawful to think so but a Prophetical discourse of that which was to be and signified that they would be inadvertant not heeding those things that were spoken For neither does the Prophet Blind any People nor does God when he causeth Blindness in them do this efficaciously But seeing he daily shewed them his Will and moreover did many and that stupendious Miracles yet they despised and made a mock of them all God provoked with their stubbornness withdrew himself from them and so suffered them to wander and perish blindfolded in their Darkness and that by his just Judgment He therefore upbraids them with this that the Justice of God may be conspicuous in punishing and casting off the People But what befel Isaiah to wit that the Jews stopped their ears to his Prophesying the same Christ foretold would be his own lot when he came in the Flesh For Isaiah and the rest of the Prophets are a Type of Christ as to the Office of Teaching See our Literal Explanation Mat. 13.13 14. 27. Waxed gross c. See our Literal Explanation Mat. 13.15 Lest That by the Hebrew Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lest perhaps or lest at any time as the sacred Writers render it in the the New Testament does not alway signifie the intent or purpose of the thing done but sometimes the Event appears from Rom. 11.11 2 Tim. 2.25 c. 28. Be it known therefore unto you That reject the Doctrine of Salvation lest hereafter you should complain that you were not forewarned of it That the Salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles That is That Gospel of Everlasting Salvation that is to be attained by the Grace of God through Faith in Christ and Obedience performed to him I say that Gospel that was first sent to the Jews descended of the Holy Race of Abraham is now for their Incredulity sent to the Profane Gentiles And they will hear it That is they will be attentive and obedient to the Gospel Here respect is not had to the Agreement of Words but of Things and the meaning when a Pronoun of the Masculine Gender is added to a Nown that is of the Neuter Gender in the Gr. and of the Feminine in the Latin as frequently elsewhere See above c. 26. v. 17. Mat. 28.19 20. Rom. 2.14 Yet the Apostle does not says Calvin when he saith that the Gentiles will hear make Faith common to every one of them without
to what purpose is that Type that Baptismal Symbol whereby they are dipped into the Water to be presently brought up again 2. That that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for dead Bodies viz. that are to be raised again and represented by that Rite of Baptism Or also that it imports the same as to be Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Faith the Refutation of the first Member of this Opinion or to the Confession of the Resurrection of the Dead for this for this very thing X. But by the leave of so many Learned men we think that the Apostle had respect to no such thing neither to the praevious Confession nor to the Rite of Baptism it self And that the Apostle had no respect to the former to wit previous Confession appears by the following Reasons 1. Chrysostom supposes the same use of the Apostles Age and that of his own Indeed in Chrysostoms days there was a Symbol in that form there was then praerequired to Baptism such a solemn Recitation therein also there was express mention of the Resurrection of the Dead To which were added by a praevious Rite a Renunciation of the Devil and of Pomp Exorcism Insufflation Inunction Praegustation of Milk and Honey add the time when Baptism was administred which Chrysostom saith was on the Eve of Easter or Whitsuntide And these he calls in the same place things not to be spoken and tremendous and hence that he durst not express the Apostles mind because of those that were not initiated But there is no certainty of the use of any such Rites in the Apostles days Many Articles were successively inserted in the Creed by reason of Hereticks In their days there was only a Confession of sins then a Confession of Jesus and of God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost as appears by the Writings of the Apostles and Justin Martyr 2. But neither from a belief of Remission of sins was the Resurrection of the Dead necessarily inferred And the Pseud-Apostles might easily have replied that hence indeed followed Abolishing of sin and Everlasting Death Peace of Conscience Felicity of the Soul and consequently the first Resurrection but by no means that of the Body 3. Paul also seems not to speak of a Rite of Baptism Common to all but of a Baptism that was singular and peculiar to some Hence he does not say in the first Person What shall we do Why are we Baptized for the Dead As he uses at other times when the Predicate is such as concerns all as even in this very Chapter Our Preaching is vain your Faith is vain We are of all Men most miserable c. But here he speaks in the third Person What shall they do who are Baptized c. 4. Neither will any say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are equivalent How could Paul have made use of so obscure and forced an expression might he not have expressed it more plainly the latter way For this is Pauls stile in that very Argument Acts 23.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Could he have significantly said there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am Judged for the Dead XI But the Learned Hammond replieth Hammond replies 1. That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dead is in this place as it were a Title or Sum of that Article of the Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 touching the Resurrection of the Dead and so the Proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. That hence Paul spoke compendiously after the manner of the Hebrews For the Dead that is for the Resurrection of the Dead for that Article c. That we must look back to verse 12. Some of you viz. Who are Baptized into that Faith For seeing some of the Corinthians doubted of this Article it was necessary it should be expresly professed in Baptism and was the last thing to which they should assent XII But these Notions seem more learned than solid Yet we grant 1. That the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. We grant that Abbreviate Elliptick speeches are not only usual with the Hebrews but with the Arabians Greeks and Latines But that St. Paul here used this Elliptick kind of speaking may be alledged but cannot be proved The Examples he produces from the Hebrews are wide of the purpose for they often in one word comprehend a whole Book Section Chapter and Precept But the sum of the whole Article of the Resurrection should not have been expressed by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by the foregoing word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which only expresseth the import of the Article 3. We grant likewise that the 12th verse borrows light both from these words and Pauls whole Dispute against some of the Corinthians But to say that those are the same whom v. 29. he says were baptized for the dead is not only a begging of the Question but evidently false For he now draws an Argument against those profane persons from their practice who were baptized in hope of the Resurrection Those denied the Resurrection these because they believed the Resurrection were initiated by this Baptism XIII The second member refuted Nor is Chrysostoms other Interpretation which Theodoret Balsamo c. maintain much better which has respect to the Rite of bringing up again out of the Baptismal Water for a sign or representa-of the raising up of bodies from death For 1. This Rite of Immersion and Education was common and promiscuous in the Apostolick Age. Whence the Apostle elsewhere * Rom. 6.11 Col. 4.11 alludes to it as a Rite common to all Christians But Paul as is demonstrated had respect to a Baptism peculiar to some persons 2. So the Apostles phrase would have been most obscure and altogether new To be baptized for the dead would have been to him to be in the baptismal Rite of Eduction or Emersion for a Representation of the Resurrection of dead Bodies Who of the Corinthians could easily reach this meaning We do not deny but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred Dead Bodies the word is often so in the New Testament and that from the use of the Greeks but it is harsh yea unusual that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for dead Bodies should signifie for a Representation of dead Bodies neither the Greek nor Latine phrase will admit of this sense Add That seeing Baptism is a Figure of the Resurrection that the Body is not then represented as dead but as rising again from death 3. Why might not the Apostle speak plainly as he uses Why then are we in Baptism brought up out of the Water as if rising from the Dead Or Why are we baptized in resemblance of the Resurrection of the Dead Or Why are we raised from the Dead in Baptism Or Why are we raised