Reason 4 The fourth reason when the most ancient people of the world were captivate and destroyed Of their calling yet the people of the Iewes in all those changes and alterations remained a people distinguished from all other people by their profession a people dwelling by themselves Num. 23. and having no medling with other people whom the Lord would not have slaine but scattered Psal 59.11 This shewes the wonderfull providence of God over them and that they are reserved for their time of calling againe In the last dayes there shall bee a full conversion of Reason 5 the Iewes Of their calling Apocal. 7. when the foure Angels were forbidden to hurt the earth and the sea till those 144000. bee sealed in their foreheads of all the tribes of Israel of the tribe of Iudah were sealed 12000. and of the rest of the tribes as many which prophecie according to the letter is to bee understood of the calling of the Iewes because the Israelites there marked in the forehead are expreslie distinguished from the Gentiles who are marked and from other languages verse 9. The sixt reason Hos 3.4 The children of Israel shall Reason 6 remaine many dayes without a King and an Ephod Of their calling and without a Teraphim afterward shall the children of Israel returne and seeke the Lord their God and David their King Here are foure estates and conditions of the Iewes set downe first when they had their Ephod and religiously worshipped the Lord secondly when they had their Teraphim and were Idolaters thirdly in their estate now when they want both their Ephod and their Teraphim that is they are neither true worshipers of God now neither are they Idolaters now for they hate Idoles fourthly when they shall returne to seeke the Lord and David their King then they shall bee Ruchama Saint Paul wishes to be accursed for his brethren the Iewes this desire came from the holy spirit therefore Reason 7 it must not bee frustrate Of their calling for God and nature does nothing in vaine Ob. But ye will say can a man wish his owne damnation for the glory of God and safety of his Church Answ Wee have a naturall life and wee have a spirituall life wee should preferre our naturall life to another mans naturall life A man is rather bound to preserve his owne life then another mans of equall condition A man is bound to preserve his owne life rather then another mans of that same degree when onely hee considers his life as his life but when there comes in another respect as for honesty vertue or fidelity one man might give his life for another Iohn 15.13 greater love then this hath no man when one bestoweth his life for his friend The two Pythagoreans are much commended for their mutuall friendship one to another the one of them gave himselfe a pledge for the other that if he should not returne at such a day to the Emperor then hee should die for him the day comming and hee not appearing his friend who lay in pledge for him was adjudged to die for him and when they were leading him out to execution his friend came and redeemed him and entred in his place to be executed for him the tyrant seeing these two such constant friends he quite them both and wished earnestly that they would take him in to bee the hird friend to them Lactantius lib. 5. de institia cap. 18. Lactantius inferre upon this that if it be a glorious thing to die for a friend how much more glorious is it to die for Christ A man is bound to lay downe his naturall life for the safety of his superiors Secondly a man is bound to lay downe his naturall life for the safety of those who are his superiours And they put this case If the King and the subject were in one ship or the father and the sonne the shippe breakes and there is but one planke which cannot serve two to swimme out upon In this case the subject is bound to quite the planke for the safety of his prince and so is the sonne to quite the plancke for the safety of his father Indignus est vitâ qui vitae suae authorem negligit hee is not worthy of life A man is bound to lay downe his temporarie life for the spirituall life of his brother who contemnes him who hath been the author of his life Thirdly a man is bound to quite his temporarie life for the spirituall life of his brother as Christ did 1 Ioh. 3.16 Hereby we may perceive the great love of God who was pleased to lay downe his life for us ought not wee then to lay downe our lives for our brethren and vers 23. This is his Commandement that we love one another as he gave commandement This was his commandement Ioh. 15. That yee love one another as I have loved you And the reason of this is because wee are members of one body Ephes 4. and 1 Thes 2.8 so being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not onely the Gospell of God but also our owne soules because ye were deare unto us In the naturall body one member hazards it selfe for another as the hand for the head so should the members in the mysticall body doe Fourthly in the defence of the Church a man may lay downe his naturall life as Sampson did and we have an example of this 1 Mach. 6.43 of one Eleazar surnamed Savaran who perceiving an Elephant greater than all the rest and supposing that the King was upon him vers 46. he crept under the Elephant and thrust him in the bellie and slew him whereupon the Elephant fell downe upon him and killed him The fathers doe not condemne this act of Eleazar Ambros li. 1. de of ficiis but they commend him much for it in that he layes downe his naturall life for the safetie of the Church Lastly wee are to lay downe our temporarie life above all for Christs sake as the martyres did We are to lay downe our temporall life for Christ this farre wee see how we may lay downe our naturall life for others but to lay downe our spirituall life for others that wee cannot doe a man may desire at some times the deferring of the injoying of the spirituall life for a while for the good of the Church Phil. 1.24 but hee cannot absolutely wish himselfe to be Anathema for the good of the Church Paul in a supposition wishes rather that he may be cursed In a speech joyntly taken both the partes may be true which being separate the one is true and the other is false then the Iewes condemned but hee wishes not this absolutely In a speech jointly taken both the parts may be true which being separate the one is true and the other false as Elias saith to Ahab The Lord hath not spoken by me if thou returne in peace from the
with Idols 2 Cor. 6.14 Gideon strove with the men of Sechem and his fathers house against Baal and therefore he was called Ierubbaal and Ierubasheth 2 Sam. 9.21 because hee put Baal to shame and disgrace When they fell from the Lord and worshipped Idols at this time they were sore oppressed by the Madianites then the Lord sendes Gideon to deliver them Gideon desired a signe of the Lord to confirme him when he was to goe against the Madianites Whether Gideon tempted the Lord when he asked a signe of him Quest Was not this a tempting of the Lord to aske a signe of him so often An. God is tempted two maner of waies by men first when they seeke not a signe directly of God but when they mistrust his power then they are said to tempt the Lord he tempted him ten times in the wildernes Num. 14.22 which Rabbi Salomon reckons up this way The Israelites tempted the Lord tenne times in the wildernesse through unbeliefe first they tempted him at the red sea Exo. 1â— Secondly in Marah Exo. 15. Thirdly in the desert of Sin Enod 16. Fourthly when they left Manna while the morrow Exo. 16. Fiftly when they sought Manna upon the seventh day and found it not Sixtly at â—apâ—dim at the waters of contradiction Nu. 21. Seventhly at Herob by the golden calfe Exo. 32. Eightly at Habara Num. 11. Ninthly at the graves of concupiscence Tenthly at Pharon which the spies made when they went to spieÌ„ the land Secondly God is tempted when we desire of him a signe for curiositie as doubting of his power so the devill desired Christ to turne stones into bread Wee tempt God when wee desire of him a signe for curiositie Matth. 4. And they of Nazaret would have had a signe of him when they said Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum doe also here in thy owne countrie Luke 4.23 So the Pharisees and Saduces would have had a signe of him from heaven Matth. 16.1 But Gideon who had a singular warrant from the Lord to aske a signe tempted him not through doubting or curiositie neither Zacharie when he said whereby shall I know this Luke 1.18 Neither Marie when shee said how can this be Luke 1.34 when the Angell gave her a signe of her conception that shee should conceive This how in Marie was admirantes not dubitantes In Zacharie it was mixed with doubting but it was not of infidelitie as the doubting of the Pharisees and Saducees was The first increase of Idolatrie The first increase of Idolatrie was when the Sechemites tooke the Ephod which Gideon had made and set it up for an Idoll in the house of Baal berith in Sechem Iudg. 9.4 and 46. Quest Gideon made this Ephod not to be an Idoll but to be a remembrance of thanksgiving for their deliverance as the Reubenites set up an altar in the other side Iordan Whether did Gideon purpose to make an Idoll of this Ephod or not Answ Gideon caused not a new Ephod to be made neither minded he to have set it up as an Idoll but as a remembrance to the Lord when the Rubenites and Gadites erected and attar on the other side of Iordan Iosh 22.9 they did it not of that minde to sacrifice upon that altar but onely they set it up for a memoriall of thanksgiving to the Lord. And it is cleare that the Israelites went a whooring after this Ephod but after the death of Gideon verse 27. therefore they interpret not well this place who interpret it thus fornicatuâ— est omnis populus post eum all the people went a whoring after him as though they followed Gideon in this Idolatrie but Iunius translates it better fornicatus est post eum scilicet Ephodem seu in eo Ephode that is they went a whoring after the Ephod The reasons which proves that Gideon intended no such thing as to erect an Idoll in Ophrah are these First Iudg. 8.32 Gideon dyed in a good old age To die in a good old age comprehends foure things a good old age comprehends foure things in it first fulnesse of dayes secondly peace of conscience thirdly a good name fourthly when one dyes in the favour of God neither is this phrase found in the Scripture but of such who dyed the death of the righteous So Abraham is said to have died in a good old age Gen. 25.15 So David 1 Chror 29.28 The second Reason it is objected of the Israelites ver 35. that they shewed no kindnesse to the house of Gideon according to all the goodnesse which he had shewed to Israel But if Gideon had erected this Idoll of purpose that the people might goe a whoring after it how should they bee bound to have shewed any favour to him they should rather have hated him if he had set up any Idoll to have beene their ruine Ob. Burn this Idoll became a snare to Gideon and to his house Then it might seeme that Gideon himselfe was insnared by this Idoll Answ By Gideon heere is understood Gideons children and posterity as 1 King 12.16 what portion have we in David that is in the posterity of David so 2 Chron. 13.1 it is said that Ieroboam made warre against Rehoboam Rehoboam was dead Chap. 12. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David it was against his sonne Abija So Act. 7.16 Abraham bought a buriall from the father of Sechem it was not Abraham himselfe who bought it but the posterity of Abraham So this Idoll became a snare to Gideon that is to Gideons children and to his house that is to his friends Gideon his Ephod was afterward made an Idoll This Ephod which Gideon appointed for an holy use was afterward abused and turned to an Idoll as the best wine is turned into vinegar so the brasen serpent was erected in the wildernesse for an holy use yet the people afterward made an Idoll of it and burnt incense to it So the first institution of the love feasts of the Christians were commendable and for a good end but afterward they were turned into abuse so the comemoration of the saints departed was afterward turned to invocation Gideon his house was insnared by this ephod Salomon sayes Eccles 7.26 And I found more bitter then death the woman whose heart is fordres and â—ettes and her hands as bands Whose pleaseth God shall escape from her but the sinner shall be taken by her This leud woman had snares to insnare men as the not takes the Fowle and the Fish Shee leades the foolish men captive and none without the speciall grace of God is safe from her So the Idolls lay snares and ginnes to catch men and it is hard to escape the snares of the Idoll but he who pleaseth the Lord shall escape from them This Baal berith was the Idoll of the Sechemites and they bound themselves by a solemne stipulation to serve this Baal berith They made a
necke and his sonnes were kilâ—ed Idolaters thinke that they have all happinesse and prosperity by their Idols Ier. 44.18 Since wee left off to burne incense to the queene of heaven wee have wanted all things But marke what the Lord sayes of these Idols and makes the Israelites confesse the same Ier. 3.24 Shame hath devoured the labour of your fathers from your youth that is from your Idols their flockes and their heards their sonnes and their daughters Micah when he set up his Idols flattered himselfe Iudg. 17.13 Now I know that the Lord will doe me good But the Lord sayes Deut. 27.15 Cursed bee the man that maketh any graven or molten Image an abomination unto the Lord and all the people shall say Amen But happie is the Church when she sayes Hos 2. I will goe and returne to my first husband for then it was better with me then now At this time there fell out a filthy fact in Gibeah in the tribe of Beniamin A filthy fact committed in Gibeah at this time for there the men of Gibeah abused the Levites concubine so that she died by the violence done unto her there the ten tribes made warre against the Beniamites The Beniamines prevaile against the Israelites because of their Idolatrie although Beniamin were the children of iniquitie yet they prevailed against the ten tribes because the ten tribes at this time were infected with Micha his Idolatrie Idolatrie is a viler sin then the sin of Gibeah Ho. 10.9 Idolatry exceedes the sinne of Gibeah and the sinne of Sodom and matcheth bestialitie It is a viler sin then the sin of Sodome Eze 16.46 It is a sin like unto beastialitie when a man lyes with a beast Eze. 23.20 what sinne then can be greater then Idolatrie And thus they committed Idolatry from age to age while the Iudges ruled them untill God was wroth and greatlie abhorred Israel Psal 78. In Samuels dayes they worshipped Baal Of the increase of Idolatry under Somuel and Ashta 1. Sam. 7. The decrease of this Idolatry was 1 Sam. 7.6 when the people gathered themselves together to Mizpeh and drew water and powred it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there What is signified by powring out water before the Lord. we have sinned against the Lord to powre out water in the Scripture signifies to powre out a thing abundantly Deut. 12.16 ye shall not eate the blood but powre it out upon the ground like water So Gen. 49. Reuben is powred forth lik water that is he hath given himselfe over altogether to lust And the Scripture expresseth this their repentance by powring out of water rather then by powring out of any other liquor for although ye should powre out oyle or honey out of a vessel yet some of the liquor would still remaine in the vessell the smell also But when water is powred out of a vessell nothing remaines no not the smell By this powring out of water they signifie that they would altogether renounce their Idolatrie and that not so much as the tangue or smell of it should remaine among them Samuel reprooves them for choosing of a King then they are terrified with thunder in the time of the wheate harvest Lastly hee diswades them from Idolatrie 1 Sam. 12.12 and 17.21 Hee rebukes them for choosing of a King Kingly government was the government which God was minded to erect amongst them they had three commandements given to them when they were to enter into Canaan first to cast out the Canaanites the second to choose a King and the third to build the temple The Lord was minded then to give them a King but hee was angry with them because they would have had a King such as the nations had Againe hee was angry with them because they were weary of Samuels governement and likewise for anticipating the time the Iewes said of them comederunt immaturum avam they eate the grape before it was ripe He terrifies the people calling upon the Lord to send thunder in the wheate harvest when it was the most cleare and faire season of the whole yeare at the Pentecost or about the Pentecost therefore it is called festum messis If it had beene in the time of the Barley harvest at the Pascha it had not seemed so strange a thing to the people to have heard thunder for then the clouds abounded more and Iordan did over flow the bankes thereof by the melting of the snow upon the mountaines The Lord caused it to thunder God hath two sorts of voyces by which he speakes to men The first by his voyce in the thunder Psal 29. secondly by his voyce in the Temple Psal 26.9 The first is an inarticulate voyce the other is articulate sometimes he both thundred and spake at once and when they came together then his articulate voyce was called hath col filia vocis He gave his law with thunder Exod. 19. and in sundry of the Revelations shewen to Iohn with the voyce there was thunder Chapter 4.5 and 6.1 and 10.3 therefore we reade Iohn 12.18 when there came a voyce from heaven the people who stood by some of them said it thundereth and others of them said an Angel speaketh unto him the reason of this was because the Lord usually spake to them in the thunder but here when the people were terrified hee spoke not to them in the thunder but terrified them and comforted them by Samuel Lastly he prayeth for the people diswadeth them to turne aside for then they should goe after vaine things which cannot profit nor deliver 1 Sam. 12.21 This Idolatrie spread more in the time of the Kings then it did under the Iudges all the Kings of Iudah committed Idolatrie or else by their oversight tolerated it All the Kings of Iudah sinned except three Syrac 49. David Ezekias and Iosias There were three kings of Iudah most excellent Kings that is all committed Idolatrie or did tollerate it except these three Iehosaphat he did not tollerate Idolatrie yet because he made affinitie with Ahab 2 Chro. 18.2 and joyned himselfe with Ahaziah King of Israel who did verie wickedly 2 Chron. 20.36 because he did these things hee is not reckoned amongst the first three of the Lords worthies amongst the Kings of Iudah David was most zealous for the glorie of God and is set downe as a paterne to other Kings 2 Chron. 29.2 Ezekias did uprightly as his father David did therefore Ecclesiasticus 47.2 David is compared to the fatt of the peace offerings All the peace offerings was the Lords but the fat was his after a speciall manner because it was wholly burnt to him So David exceeded all the rest of the Kings in zeale Therfore the zeale of Gods house did eate him up Ps 69.9 Amongst the Kings of Egypt or Pharaohes some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minime mali they favoured the people of God A collation betwixt
commit iniquitie I will chastise him with the rods of men and with the stripes of the children of men that is with stripes that men are able to beare but 〈◊〉 mercy shall not depart away from him The third reason because Salomon is set down for an example of imitation and he is commended who followed him as I tooke it from Saul whom I put away before thee The third reason Salomon is set downe for an example of imitation and he is commended who followeth him Rehoboam walked in the way of David and Salomon the first three yeares 2 Chro. 11.17 Hence it followeth that Salomon hath repented him of his former vanities and died a sonne reconciled to his God and as the evill beginning of Manasseh shewes the bad end of Ammon So the good beginnings of Rehoboam shewes the good end of Salomon What things are to be observed when the Kings of Israel and Iudah are set downe for examples When the Kings of Iudah and Israel are set downe for examples these things are to be observed First if the wicked sonne follow his fathers wicked footesteppes without repentance then both perish 2. King 15.9 Secondly if the wicked king repent him of his sinne and his sonne be said to follow his fathers footsteppes then he is said to follow his fathers footsteppes onely in the time of his vanities It is said of Ammon 2 King 21.21 that he followed his father and he worshipped those Idols which his father worshipped This is to be understood that hee followed his father in his badde dayes and not in his last dayes when he repented him of his sinnes Thirdly when the King repents him of his former leud life and his son is commended for following his fathers footsteppes then it is to be understood that the sonne followed his fathers footsteppes in the end of his life and not in his former wicked dayes and thus Rehoboam is said to have walked in the wayes of David and Salomon 2 Chron. 11.17 that is he followed Salomon his father in his last yeares when he repented Fourthly if the King carrie himselfe well in the beginning of his reigne and fall afterward then his sonne is said not to follow his footsteppes and the reason of this is given Ezech. 16.24 The second in crease of Idolatry The second increase of Idolatrie under the Kings was after the dayes of Salomon when the tenne tribes fell away from the house of David and Ieroboam erected golden calves to be worshipped in Dan and Bethel After that the ten tribes separated themselves from the house of David The tenne tribes are called the house of Israel and those that cleaved to David are called the house of Iudah So the ten tribes are called Ephraim and Ioseph they are called Ephraim Psal 80.2 because their first king was of Ephraim Ieroboam changed foure things in the worship of God at this time and therefore it is said Ieroboam changed foure things in the worship of God he drove away Israel from the Lord and made them to sinne a great sinne 2 Kin. 17.21 or fecit Ieroboam Israel avolare a domino he made them to flie away from the Lord. He changed first the place The text reading and the marginall reading 2 Chron. 7.16 1 King 12.14 Hee placed those calves in Bethel and Dan. The name of this Bethel because the Idoll was erected there was changed and it was called Bethhaven the house of vanitie and not â—â—thel the house of God 1 Kin. 12.30 And this thing became a sinne for the people went to worship before the one even to Dan Ieroboam pretended the ease of the people when hee set up those calves he would not have them to goe up to Ierusalem to worship Therefore he set up one Idol in Bethel in the South side of the country and an other in Dan in the North side of the countrie that they might goe there the more commodiously to worship yet notwithstanding they were carried after their Idols as with a whirlewinde 1 Cor. 12.2 that they would runne from the South to the North for the worshipping of those Idolls and would not be content with their Idoll which they had neare hand in Bethel but they would runne to Dan also and worship Secondly He changed the signe of Gods presence Ieroboam changed the signes of Gods presence and put in two golden calves in their place Thirdly hee changed the time of Gods worship He changed the time of Gods worship 1 King 12.32 he offered on the altar which hee made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eight moneth which he had devised of his owne heart He made the basest of the people priests Fourthly hee made the basest of the people priests 1 King 12.31 And Iosephus holds that Ieroboam himselfe played the part of the highpriest 1 King 12.33 It is said in the originall that he went up upon the Altar sacrificing to the calves that he had made Whether the sinne of the ten tribes or the sinne of Iudah was greater Quest Whether was the sinne of the ten tribes or the sinne of Iudah greater when they committed Idolatrie Answ The Idolatry of the tenne tribes was greater extensive It was further extended and dured longer than the Idolatry of Judah but intensive Iudah his Idolatry was greater The sinne of Judah was written with a pen of iron and with a point of a diamond it was graven upon the table of their heart â—nd upon the hornes of their altar Ier. 17.1 and Ierusalem Aholibah was more corrupted in her fornications than Aholah or Samaria Ezech 23.11 The promise of the Messias was made more clearely to Iudah than to Israel Iudah had some verie good Kings who were types of Christ Israel had none Judah had the temple which Israel had not at all Iudah had many prophets Israel few Iudah saw Israel carried away and plagued for their Idolatrie and yet Iudah repented not therefore Iudah's sinne was greater than Israels shee exceeded Samaria and Sodome in her filthinesse Ezechiel chapter 16. verse 46. Whether the Kings of Israel or the Kings of Iudah who were Idolaters were the viler The Kings of Israel were viler than the Kings of Iudah Therefore when the wicked Kings of Iudah are blamed they are said to walke in the wayes of the Kings of Israel 2 King 16.1 â— 3. The Kings of Israel were worse than the Kings of Iudah because all of them were badde and some of them as bad or badder than any of the Kings of Iudah as wicked Ahab The pride of the ten tribes was greater than the pride of Iudah they compare themselves to the Cedar of Lebanon and they compare Iudah but to the thistle 2 King 14.9 Object But God gave an expresse commandment to the tenne tribes that they would separate themselves from Iudah Answ But hee never commanded them to separate themselves from the worship of Iudah Because Ieroboam drew away the
A TREATISE OF THE FOVRE DEGENERATE SONNES VIZ. the ATHEIST the MAGICIAN the IDOLATER and the JEW Wherein are handled many profitable questions concerning Atheisme Witchcraft Idolatry and Iudaisme and sundry places of Scripture cleared out of the Originall Tongues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 7.6 Quaerite invenietis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est Non laboravi inveni ne credito Laboravi non inveni ne credito Laboravi inveni credito Seneca Lectio varia delectat certa prodest Being the fourth Volume of the Workes of Mr. IOH. WEEMSE of Lathocker in Scotland and Prebend of Dunelm LONDON Printed by Thomas Cotes and are to be sold by Iohn Bellamie dwelling at the three golden Lyons in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1636. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD WILLIAM Lord Bishop of London and Lord High Treasurer of England c. Right Honourable THe Church of God in the Scriptures is not unfitly compared unto a Kingdome and unto a family And first unto a Kingdome wherein there are filij regis Kings sonnes who succeede to their Father as heires of the Kingdome secondly filij regni the children of the Kingdome who sometimes mendaciter se subijciunt regi Psal 18. Thirdly exteri who doe not acknowledge the King nor he them for his subjects So in the Church there are filij regis who are the true children of God and heires of eternall inheritance and filij regni who make a shew and profession of Religion yet many of them may be cast out of the Kingdome into utter darkenesse Mat. 8.12 Lastly there are exteri who live altogether without the Church and hate her those doth God abhorre Secondly she is compared to a family wherein there are some who are begotten of the same father borne of the same mother and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sucking one milke and those are said to be borne at home or home borne Levit. 18.9 Jer. 2.14 Those were heires succeeding to their fathers inheritance Secondly there were those who were borne of the same mother but not begotten of the same father and those were called foris nati Levit. 18.9 because familia matris as the Hebrewes say non est familia and thirdly those who are cast out of the family and belong not to it as bastards such a one was Jepthe Judg. 11.5 who got no possession with his brethren in his fathers inheritance So it is in the spirituall familie the Church those who are begotten of the immortall seede of the VVord by God their Father and borne in the Church their mother and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nursed upon the sincere milke 1 Pet 2.2 those are borne at home or homeborne There are others who are borne of the same mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mothers children but not begotten by one father and many of them are foris nati when they are members of the visible Church onely who if they be not begotten of the immortall seed of the word and are not members of the invisible Church also the Lord reckons them not as his children The Church their mother bestowes some outward favours upon them but yet they are not those true children who shall be partakers of the inheritance and those mothers children onely oftentimes persecute their brethren Cant. 1.6 My mothers children were angry with me but the third sort are those who are altogether out of the Church and those the Church acknowledgeth not as her children Such are those foure degenerate sonnes the Atheist the Magician the Jdolater and the Jew whom the Lord acknowledgeth not for his children but will have them cast out like Hagars brats Those foure doe hate the true Church most persecute her and detest her and the Church to them is like a speckled bird or Owle Ier. 12.9 who all set themselves against the Church these foure are mightily increased now in the world they are the bane both of the Church Commonwealth seeking like the Boare in the Forrest to roote out the Lords Vineyard but the Lord hath put a hedge about his Vineyard to save it from them and hee hath set up a watch-tower within her to discover those enemies he hath set the magistrate about her as a wall to defend her and the Pastors as watchmen to observe them and it is a blessed thing when these two agree for the safetie of the Church then Moses and Aaron meete together and kisse one another Exod. 4.16 there is a great relation betwixt these two the Church and Commonwealth and they have not beene unfitly compared to Hippocrates twinnes when the one laughed so did the other and when the one wept so did the other so when the Church of God prospereth so doth the Commonwealth and when the Commonwealth decayeth so doth the Church but when the care of both these is matched in one worthy person that is an happie union then they are like the two eyes in the head which although they be two yet they looke both one way and although they be two yet the radij visuales draw both to one object Your Lordship hath an interest in both you are a chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Church an under rower under our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and in the Commonwealth another Eliakim in whose hands much of the governement is committed Esay 22.21 and the key of the house of the Kingdome is layd upon your shoulder verse 22. and upon whom all sorts of vessells great and small doe hang ver 24. I have endeavoured my Lord to discribe those foure sonnes according to that gift which God hath bestowed upon me that men may abhorre those vile sonnes and learne to become Christians And I have done here as the Painters doe when they draw their draughts they draw first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some darke lineaments and afterward they adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and last they superinduce the vive colours and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have drawne the first draughts and lineaments of those foure leud sonnes but if any would be pleased to adde to those first draughts the vively colours he shall doe a good worke and profitable to the Church of God I have taken the boldnesse to Dedicate these my travels to your Lordship desiring that you would be pleased to accept of them remembring that Apologue of the Iewes Cholin folio 92. 1. the Vine grapes of Babylon upon a time sent to the Vine trees of Judea and beg'd some of their leaves to cover their grapes for if there were not leaves to cover them the grapes would quickely perish If such as your Lordship doe not favour our poore grapes they will suddenly goe to decay accept therefore my Lord of these my travels and looke upon them with a favourable eye and when I shall see that they shall profit any thing the Church of God and be approved by your
he strikes the bodies with diseases 107. he cannot move the will 110. he seeth the effects in the cause 116. his great imployment breeds him great knowledg 117 he pursueth the weakest first 138. he observes our predominant sinne 139. our age 140. what are the meanes to resist the devill 152. why he is called diabolus 148 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it is 109 Diseases how to discerne diseases that come from God those that come from the devill or naturall causes 108. the Iewes ascribe dâ—seases to evill spirits 110 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 150 Divine to divine by the intralls of beasts is unlawfull 87 Doctrine errours of the Church in doctrine threefold 180. Dreames are of foure sorts 63. divine dreames of two sorts 66. what the breaking of a dreame signified 66. how Salomon could aske any thing in a dreame 67. why the Lord revealed himselfe to heathen Kings in a dreame 67. how we shall know dreames to be from God 69. how we shall know dreames to be from the devill 72. whether all impure dreames are diabolicall or not 70 E Eare the Lord takes great paines about the eare 149 Egypt the encrease of idolatrie when the Church was in Egypt 185. the Lord reckons up ten times this benefit of bringing his people out of Egypt 186. In what sense it was forbidden that the people should goe backe to Egypt ibid. many plagues they got out of Egypt 188. what league it was when the Church gave her hand to Egypt 280. why the Egyptians put the Elephant in their colours 280 Elders how the 70 elders of Israel were chosen 79 Eliah what care the Lord had to preserve him from dearth and famine 263 Elisha his answere to Hazael whether it was doubtfull or not 127 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how they differ 45 Ephod three sorts of Ephods 235 Erasistrates the Physician his skill 119 Errour conditions what 320 Etzrephennum what 221 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 59 Exorcising a temperate gift bestowed upon the Church 156 Extasis what it is 72 Ezekias what things he did for the removing of Idolatry 284 F Faith The Devill tempts us in our faith 149 Faithfull parents who have badde children get comfort by looking upwards to their godly parents of whom they are descended 240 Fast why Christ tooke the defence of his Disciples when they fasted not 158 Fire the fire in the second temple was humano divinus 262. the Iewes are uncertaine concerning the fire of the second Temple 262. Foote what is meant by a firmented foote 145 Fowles of divination of foules 83. what things foules can foretell 89. they cannot compare things distinctly as men doe ibid. what things we may learne from foules 85. to take up contingent events by foules is devillish ibid when this divination by foules ceased 87 G. Gentilisme when the Iewes turned from Gentilisme to Christianity how they were called 301 Gentiles three sorts of Gentiles were out of the covenant 337 Generation three things concurre in generation 102 Gergasites fell from the Iewish Religion to the heathenish 302 Gibeah a filthy fact committed in Gibeah 81 Gideon whether he tempted God in asking a signe or not 222. whether he set up an Ephod to make an Idoll thereof 225. what is meant when it is sayd that the Jdoll became a snare to Gideon 226 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 3 Gnalma what it signifieth 303 Gnal panai what 171 Gnarum taken in a good sense and in a bad 132 God reasons proving that there is a God 10. 11. 12. 13. what are the priviledges of God in working 70. he useth artificiall meanes in curing of diseases 48. how God Nature and Art worketh 89. he onely worketh miracles 91. a twofold worke of God 92 whether God concurres as a mediate or immediate cause the very effect 93. God worketh according to nature besides nature but not contrary to nature 95. God although he useth instruments in working of miracles yet it is he who doth the worke 96. God in working exceedes Art Nature and the Devill 101. men fanized Gods according to their severall inclinations 165. God can make Satan an instrument for the good of his Saints 113. God reserveth three things to himselfe which he will communicate to no creature 166. A threefold taking up of God 173. God chooseth some to himselfe out of all places except hell 182. New Gods what 221. a judgement upon those who rob the true God 230. how the word God is taken in the story of Micah's Idolatry 232 he teacheth his people by silly creatures 204. Groves why they are called Ashera H. Heart what is a sincere heart 276. how one is sayd to have a heart and a heart ibid. In what respects a man is sayd to have a sincere heart 277. Humor Satan observes the humour of the body in tempting him 132 I Iamlicus Proclus his divination by soules 86 Iacob how Idolatry tooke increase in the family of Iacob 183. how it is said that the Lord brought Iacob out of Egypt seeing he dyed there 208 Idolatry whence it had the beginning 163. how great a sinne it is 167. the effects of Idolatry 175. how Epiphanius divideth Idolatry 177. how vile a sinne it is 245. Of Idolatry in the time of the Kings 247. the Lord punisheth the Idolatry of the Father upon the children 255. the Iewish Idolatry was buried in the captivity 292 Idolaters choose the most vilest things to worship 167. how the Lord mocked Idolaters 169. a twofold Idolater 174. Idolaters pretend the example of Saints for their Idolatry 218. Idolaters should not rob their Idols 228. Idolaters carried their children about the fire and then passing through it burnt them in the fire 281 Idoll how they honoured their Idols 166. Idols are nothing 176. Idols a dangerous treasure 183 the Lord will not communicate with Idols in any thing 216. to whom it is sacriledge to rob an Idoll 229 Whether it be lawfull to be present at Idoll service or not 170. Popish Idolls is a let of the Iewes conversion 350 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 7 Ieroboam changed foure things in the worshâ—p of God 213 Ierusalem anagogicè what it signifieth and things without Ierusalem catagogice what they signifie 290 Iewes of the threefold estate of the Iewes 297. Iewes ruled by judges patriarches and Kings 178. Iewes who worshipped Idols were of three sorts 221. they prayed with their heads covered 264. they turned their faces towards the temple when they worshipped publickely 265. they lifted their eyes to idols 266. they kissed their idols ibidum they praysed God three manner of wayes ibid. they held up their hands to their idols 267. they stood barefooted before their idols 268. they leaned downe before their idols 270. they bowed their knees to them 167. what dignities the Iewes lost when they were not his people 300. they hate the Samaritans above all Apostates 302. they know not the time of their
Sorcerers are more dangerous instruments than witches 139. what sorcerers should be put to death 160 Soule whether it goeth out of the body and returneth or not 73. what the Hebrews doe meane by gathering of the soule 243 Spirit foure illapses of the spirit 219. to he cloathed with the spirit what 220 Saints what duties are to be performed to the dead bodies of the Saints 206. Of the care that God hath of his Saints in their birth in their death and after they are dead 207 Starres whether they produce alteration in religion or not 56. why they are called Mozalim and Meshartim 58. what use we are to make of them ib. Superstition is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and why 17 Superstition the mother of ignorance 18. a comparison betwixt the superstitious and religious ibid. Symmachus from what religion he fell 302. Synedrion when it was removed out of Ierusalem 308 T Tentation two fold 71 Teraphim how they were made 88. it is taken three wayes in the Scripture ibid. what sort of Teraphim was kept in Davids house ibid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 118 Tephilim whence it comes 152 Theodosius it is fabulous that he sent a letter to Chrysostome after his death 36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 133 Thunder is the voyce of God the Lord used to speake in the thunder 247 Tophet a resemblance betwixt tophet and hell 290 Transportation twofold 105 Some deny reall transportation 107 Tradition of the tradition of the house of Elias 310 Tunica molesta what 144 Tympanum what ibid. Types of the calling of the Iewes 353. types shewing to the Iewes their restitution from the captivity of Babylon 351 Tzijanacke what it is 124 V Verbum sublatum and verbum Absolutum what 215 Vitia creationis and vitia accidentis 107 Vivicomburium what 124 FINIS A TREATISE OF THE FOVRE DEGENERATE SONNES The ATHEIST the MAGITIAN the IDOLATER and the IEVV ISA. 1.2 I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me IT is very well knowne and miserable experience teacheth us that many who are anciently descended and come of Noble parents fall into vile sinnes and degenerate from their antecessors not following their footsteps Not unlike unto those are the degenerate children of God Ephes 1.15 Of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named who are fallen from that first estate in the which they were created and are not to bee reckoned as his genuine and naturall children but as unnaturall not worthy to be called his sonnes These degenerate children are foure There rests the fift sonne who is Gods naturall sonne who worships God in purity and sincerity The Atheist denies his Father The first disobedient and degenerate sonne is the Atheist who denieth God his father The second is the Magitian or Sorcerer The Magitian renounceth his Father who after that he had solemnly vowed himselfe to God in baptisme yet after hee renounceth the true God The Idolater misknows his Fa her and giveth himselfe over to Sathan and enters into covenant with him The third ungracious and degenerate sonne is the Idolater who gives the creature that worship which is due onely to God The Iew killed his Father The fourth lewd sonne is the Iew who cruelly murthered the Lord of life The fifth sonne is the Christian The Christian acknowledgeth and worshippeth his father sincerely who feares God and worships him sincerely And from these comes Atheisme Magick Idolatry Iudaisme and Christianity which are the subject of this Treatise following Of the first degenerate sonne the ATHEIST SAthan that crooked Serpent turning himselfe into diverse shapes hating alwayes that which is good he studies alwaies to turne men out of the right way Now to draw them into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is unto superstition Sometimes againe he perswades them to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to Atheisme but he never drawes them to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the true worship and the golden mediocritie The Hebrewes call the Atheist Acharon because he is altogether alienate from God And the Poets in their Mytheologies call him the sonne of the earth And this Atheisme they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fight of the Gyants SECT 1. Of the causes which leades men into Atheisme VVHen the shallow braine of man cannot comprehend the infinite God The first cause that moves men to be Atheists because he cannot comprehend him with his poore understanding he beginnes by and by to despise him and so Sathan leades the poore wretch to Atheisme Thou canst not comprehend him therefore reject him That which should most diswade man from Atheisme and lead him most to worship the true God Sathan uses it as a snare to draw him from God for if we could comprehend God he could not bee God And if our minde could comprehend God we should not be finite but infinite and so consequently we should be Gods We doe not comprehend God but apprehend him onely as the Schoolemen speakes The second cause Secondly when men commit wickednesse they study by all meanes to escape the punishment He lyeth in waite to catch the poore and sayes in his minde God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it Psal 10.9 And even as rebels after they have conspired against their soveraigne being guilty of Laesmajestie they study to destroy all the rolles and registers and that the King himselfe bee put from his throne that they may escape all punishment which they are liable unto And as those who are addebted to others wishes all the bonds and obligations whereby they are bound to repay were burnt So Atheists and those who despise God casting off the yoke of obedience that they may worke sinne with greedinesse denies altogether God and his scriptures The third cause Thirdly if it fall out that sometimes the Atheist bee stirred up from this his Lethargy and beginne to seeke any thing at the hand of God hee doth it but coldly and faintly And if the Lord grant not to him his desire according to his minde either he denieth God altogether or doubts at least whether there be a God or not Iob 22.15 What is the Almighty that wee should serve him and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him So when the Israelites wanted water in the wildernesse Exod. 17.7 they beganne to say Is the Lord amongst us or not The fourth cause Fourthly the constant course of nature and the wheeles mooving one within another and turning about in the selfe same manner mooves the Atheist to Atheisme 2 Pet. 3.4 Where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fel asleepe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation But to those who lookes more neerely to the works of Gods providence and to the connexion of causes It is manifest that the second causes are alwaies mooved by the first cause And those who acknowledged
sort of art or science which is foolish and altogether vaine to leane to as physiognomy and palmistry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a liberall science or art which is profitable to man And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that which is hurtfull to a man As Iudiciall Astrology and Magicke We are to put a difference betwixt Magiam divinam A difference betwixt divine Magicke the Magicke of the Mathematician the physicall Magicke and the diabolicall Magicke Magiam mathematicam Magiam Physicam Magiam doemoniacam divine Magicke was that which the Magitians of the East learned from the Scriptures As from Balaam his prophesie of the starre Num. 24.17 and was confirmed to them by the Mathematickes observing the course of that starre and here the Lord takes them in their owne trade because they studied the Mathematickes And this starre they called his starre Mat. 2.2 This was Salutare sidus for other comets pretended some unlucky thing but this starre led them to Christ This knowledge of the starres was lawfull the Arabickes call such an astrologue Cachin which comes from Cohen Sacerdos and the Egyptian Priests who might study nâ— other arts yet were permitted to study this sort of Astrology The second sort of Magicke was Magia Mathematica Mathematecal Magick which considers the diverse aspects and properties of the stars and this is a lawfull knowledge Physicall Magicke The third sort is Magia Physica or ars medendi and this is lawfull Diabolicall Magicke The last is Magia doemoniaca sive diabolica to foretell the events of things contingent by the stars and this is altogether unlawfull All profitable sciences furthers a man to the knowledge of God but this drawes a man from God All profitable sciences furthers a man to the knowledge of God but this drawes a man from God The Mathematickes prepares the minde by abstracting of things and makes a way for the minde to consider things more separate from the materiall and grosse bodies And Moses was bred in this sort of science Act. 7. When he was learned in all the sciences of Egypt Secondly Physicke elevates the minde further As when Salomon wrote of trees and plants he was led here to the consideration of Gods power and wisdome by them Thirdly Metaphysica magis clevat Metaphisick lifts the minde higher to God Sed non nectit postremo fini It tyes not the minde to the last end it considers God as Ens and affectiones entis are vnum verum bonum This is all that Metaphysicke considereth but this is nothing untill the soule ascend higher By divinity it is led to the highest degree to know God vnum per vnionem vnum per vnitatem one by unity to know the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost one in essence and one by union to know Christ God and Man to be one person to know him Ithiel and Veall This knowledge of God tyes the soule to the last end to God himselfe for all the knowledge which Agur had before he came to this knowledge he confessed that he was more brutish then any man and had not the understanding of a man he had neither learned wisedome nor had the knowledge of the Holy That is of salvation and life eternall which onely the holy attaines unto This knowledge elevates the minde to the last end then how brutish is that knowledge that drawes away the minde from the last end This science is subordinate to no other science for all subordination is either directa subordinatio or else subordinatio ratione finis Directa subordinatio is this when one borrowes all from the superiour science as the Apothecary doth from the Physitian for hee must know of the Physitian what hot things and what cold what drammes and what scruples he must put in the physicke which he is to give unto the patient The second subordination or indirect subordination is this which is subordinate onely in respect of the end Example a Cooke is not directly subordinate to the doctor of Physicke therefore hee askes not of the doctour what hearbes hee should put into a broath because hee is not directly subordinate to the doctour but aske him the end why hee makes the broath hee will answer for the safety of man here he is subordinate to the doctour in regard of the end for the doctour gives Physicke for the safety of the man and so doth the Cooke who makes the broath This devillish art is not subordinate ratione finis for the supreame and last science Divinity serves for the good of man to lead him to his last end and to save him but this science is not subordinate to this supreame and last end but it leades a man to his destruction and damnation This Astrology borrowes from other sciences and hath nothing of its owne Vt format ostentiones suas that is as he makes his houses in the heavens he is directly subordinate to the Mathematitian here and borrowes his principles from him as he foretels naturall things he is subordinate to physicke But when he foretels contingent things which he ascribes as proper to himselfe then he is subordinate to the devill The Persian Priests were called Chobharim astrologi prognostici from Chabhar Isa 47.5 There is no science into this devillish art for all sciences are resolved into principles knowne by themselves or demonstrate into some other science or knowne by experience or revealed by the first Verity But none of these are found in judiciall astrologie therefore it cannot be a science that these principles are not knowne by themselves or demonstrate in some superior science these two they will grant but some will perhaps say this skill was revealed by an Angel to Adam or to Enoch but who told them this or out of what Scripture have they learned it It rests then that they say they know this onely by experience The Chaldees that they might perswade this their art to the Greekes and to the Romans said that they had experience of these things for so many hundred thousand yeares as Cicero testifies in his booke de divinatione And so they said truely for there is need of many more yeares then these for to observe the figures situations and oppositions of every one of these in particular before the heavens shall be turned about to the same point againe And all the particular events which they would demonstrate by them shal never fall out although the heavens should be in a perpetuall motion for ever Quest How could Daniel be made Master of the Magicians Astrologers Chaldeans and Soothsayers Dan. 5.11 seeing these were damnable arts Answ Daniel was set over these as they were gazâ—rim Astrologers foretelling naturall things and not as they were Soothsayers foretelling things contingent but these curious and damnable arts no doubt he condemned altogether as unlawfull These iudiciall astrologers were excommunicate out of the Church and banished out of the commonwealth For this damnable art Aquila who
Physitian studieth physicke onely to know his science that is Curiositas when he studieth to know his science onely that he may bee knowne this is ambitio When hee studies his science that hee may cure others this is Charitas but if hee should studie his science to poyson others this were Crudelitas All the studie of Satan is under faire pretences to destroy man Revel 17.4 The whore is said to have in her hand a cup of gold full of abhominations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Plenum philtris impuris for these philtra and pocula amatoria were mixed commonly with most impure and filthy things tending to bewitch men So when Satan presents a gilded cup to us wherein he promiseth most wholesome Physicke to us and most skilfully tempered yet mors est in olla SECT 13. Of the craft of the Devill THe Scripture saith Let no man deceive you in sublime discourse touching the worshipping of Angels pressing to that he knoweth not Col. 2.18 Here is forbidden the adoration of Angels and an opinion Phantasticall of them either to extoll them further then appertaineth to the degree of a creature or to extoll a mans knowledg of them further than he hath a ground but to enquire so far as the Scriptures teacheth us or nature it selfe either of the good angels or of these revolted Devils that is not forbidden To converse with them to imploy them to covenant with them or to worship them that is forbidden but the contemplation of their nature their power their illusions either by scripture or reason is a part of spirituall wisedome for the Apostle sayes wee are not ignorant of his stratagems We may enquire of the nature of the devills although we may not covenant with them or worship them and it is no more unlawfull to enquire the nature of evil spirits then it is to enquire the force of poyson in nature or the nature of sinne and vice in moralitie First let us consider what instruments Satan made choise of to deceive the woman by he made choise of the Serpent the craftiest beast in the field As Ioab made choise of the wise woman of Tecga and put a Parable in her mouth for to begge pardon for Absolon at the Kings hand he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes taken in a good sense gnarum Prov. 27.12 the crafty seeeth the Plague and hideth him and sometimes in a bad sense Ier. 4.22 they are crafty to doe evill Sathan is crafty in this sense Sathan makes choise of the subtillest heads to be his instruments Satan makes choise of the subtilest heads to be his instruments And as the moath breeds in finest cloath so Sathan commonly imployes the craftiest and best wittes to be his instruments to trouble and vexe the Church of God As he choosed Vlpian that great Lawyer to write bookes against the Christians so he made choise of Porphir that great philosopher to write against the Christians and Galen the Physitian and Lucian the scoffer and Iulian the Apostate But God makes choise of the foolish things of the world to confound the wise the Angell spake out of the mouth of Baalam's Asse these crafty tentations of Sathan are called his snares 1 Tim. 3.7 Satan observes the humours of the body Satan in his tentations he observes the humors of the body of man and that humour which predominates most in the body that humor he observes and takes occasion to tempt men by it When God converts a man to grace he doth not take away the naturall humors of the body but onely rectifies them But Satan perverts the humors of the body that by them he may worke mans destruction and especially he workes by melancholy upon the body and therefore melancholy is called esca diaboli by the Fathers such was the melancholy of Saul the devill wrought upon his constitution and troubled him sundry times and Math. 17.15 this melancholicke in the Syriacke is called Bar Agara and they translate it commonly filium agri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extra tectum the sonne of the field but not rightly for filius agri signifieth properly an husband man as filius civitatis signifieth a Citizen Luke 15.15 Therefore they translate it better who translate it Bar extra agar a domum because the uncleane spirits made the melancholious man flye out of the houses and to live amongst the graves These devils they call Sorodaemones that is sepulchrales larvae who drove the melancholickes to live amongst the graves Math. 8.29 and tombes of the deâ—â— These sometimes are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Greeke Physitians call this disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nebuchadnezer was vexed with this When Satan possesseth these melancholickes there is some naturall thing in this disease and some spirituall When Satan possesses the melancholicke the naturall cause would be helped by physicke and the devill cast out by prayer and both would be removed both the next cause and the remote cause A man is taken with a feaver the cheefe cause is the abundance of choller and the second cause is because hee hath walked too much in the heate of the sunne first his choller must bee purged and then he must be removed to a place where there is more shadow and not so much heate These melancholickes are not cured but by prayer and fasting as by a spirituall Antidote There must also Physicke bee used for the purging of this melancholy which is the Devills bait An evill spirit came upon Saul and David played upon his Harpe and then the evill spirit left him Vtimur musica vel pro disciplina vel pro delectatione vel pro aenimi purgatione vel pro sedandis affectionibus morum composit one 2 King 3.15 1 Sam. 16.24 David used a double remedy heere to helpe this trouble of Saul first the sweete singer of Israel sang Psalmes 2 Sam. 23.1 by his calling upon the name of the Lord he cast out this devill Secondly by his musicke he setled his melancholy Tarantula iâ—ti quam primum audiuntur instrumenta musica levatur dolor Mathiolus in Dioscoridem lib. 1. 57. when the Physitian prescribed to the melancholean to absteine from such and such meates because they either increase or at least doth irritat this humour of melancholy They may doe this not onely because it is wholesome to the body but also because it is the Devils baite therefore they prescribe abstinence from such No sort of dyet displeaseth or pleaseth Satan but by accident because by them the humour is increased which makes way for his tentation Satan observes the full moone and then vexeth the Lunatickes The second sort were those whom Satan vexed not monethly as he did the Lunatickes but oftentimes whensoever it taketh him it castes him into the fire Mark 9.18.22 Those whom he vexed in the full moone were called Lunatici or Siderati
Canaanites before thee Although children should not be put to death for their fathers offences 2 King 14.6 yet they may be other wayes punished for their fathers offences as to be forfeited and to lose their fathers inheritance Lessius pag. 53. not 66. as the imperiall lawes have ordained the Casuists adde that if a Magitian should find a treasure hid in the ground whereas a third part of it should fall to the finder yet neither the Magitian nor his children should have any part of it ea pars quae inventoris fuit adjudicatur fisco that is that part which should have befallen to the finder is adjudged to the common treasure and besides all these temporary evils Sorcerers and Witches should not enter within the holy city Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wayes enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abhominationâ— the greatest abhomination that God abhorred Magitians are excluded from the kingdome of God is witchcraft Dâ—â—t 18.12 therefore they shall never enter within the holy citie Of the third degenerate Son the IDOLATER IT is not knowne whence the river Nilus springs all condescend upon this that this river springs first out of the hills called montes Lunae but out of what spring it aryseth first no man can tell But yet we see that out of these small beginnings it aryseth to a great river and runnes through Ethiopia turning the course now this way now that way and then runneth into Egypt at last it divides it selfe into seven branches and runnes into the Mediterranean sea And soe we may judge of the beginning of Idolatrie and progresse thereof This we know in generall that Idolatrie is a worke of the flesh Whence Idolatrie tooke the beginning Gal. 5.20 and it comes from a mind obscured with darkenesse Iohn 4.24 and from a corrupt understanding Hose 13.2 and they made them Idolles according to their owne understanding and from a will corrupted therefore it is called will worship Col. 2.23 and from the senses corrupted and especially from the sight therefore we are forbidden to goe a whoring after our owne eyes Num. 15.35 But in particular to tell who invented this Idolatrie first or where it was invented that we cannot doe for while men slept the enemie came and sowed tares Mat. 13.25 But as men know that Nilus tooke the beginning from a small originall and peece and peece increaseth unto a great river Such is the beginning and progresse of Idolatrie that it hath now overspread the most part of the world SECT 1. Of the beginning of Idolatry IT is most probable that this Idolatrie tooke the beginning from the love which men carie to their dead parents to set up images and statues to them in remembrance of them which Satan afterward moved them to worship and then they began to say to the stocke thou art my father Ier. 2.27 and to the stone that thou hast brought mee forth Men set up first images in remembrance of their fathers and afterward fell to worship them and hence it was that they were commanded to forget their fathers house when they were to leave Idolatrie Psal 45.10 That is the religion which they had from their parents and which was continued amongst them in remembrance of their fathers And those Idolaters are more blamed who chose new Gods which their fathers knew not Deut. 32.17 The devill made them beleeve that images were sent downe from God Secondly the subtill devill deluded people and made them beleeve that the gods sent downe images from Heaven which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming downe from Iupiter Act. 19.35 So hee made them beleeve that gods came downe to them in the likenesse of men The devill made men beleeve that images made with mens hands had some divine power assisting them Act. 14.11 and so they worshipped them Thirdly hee made them beleeve that those images which were made with mens hands had some divine power assisting them and that they were not lyke other workes of mens hands Acts 19.26 It is naturall for all men to have some god or other and men according to their severall inclinations found gods to themselves some one way and some another Men fained gods to themselves according to their severall inclinations Those who were inclined to warre made Mars for their God and the Scythians a belicouse people worshipped their sword and those who inclined to filthinesse or lust made Venus for their godesse And the Iewes worshipped Tammuz Ezech. 8.14 with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from hence sprang all their fabulous theologie as Varro calles it of the incests adulteries and rapts of their Gods So men inclining to coveteousnesse made their gods accordingly as the Philistines made Dagon a fish their god because they lay neare the sea coast and used fishing So some worshipped a sheepe as the Syrians worshiped gnashtoroth a sheepe So in Egypt they worshiped an oxe an oxe was a signe to them of plenie of corne Pro. 14.4 where no oxen are the crib is cleane but much increase is by the strength of the oxe and those who were given to drunkennesse made Bacchus their god Vide Amianum dego es de rebus ethiopicis lib. 3 And even as the Ethiopians because they are blacke themselves paint the good Angels blacke like themselves and the devills white So did men imagine of their gods and made them like unto themselves and that which they affected most foolish man imagine that God is like unto him Psal 50. because I held my peace thou thoughtest I was like unto thee When men beheld the starres first they observed the influx of the starres and that bred Physicke secondly they observed the course of the starres and that bred Astronomie Thirdly they used predictions by the starres and that bred Astrologie Fourthly they worshipped the starres and that was Idolatry They worshipped their gods of gold silver yron wood and stone Dan. 5.4 they represented Iupiter by gold Venus or Diana by silver they made silver shrines to Diana They represented Caeres by wood and Pluto and the infernall gods by stone To these Idols they gave all honour which was due to God they called them their husbandes Hos 2.7 they called them their kings Zeph. 1.5 and their gods and their kings and their great men tooke names from those Idoles as Nebuchadnezer and Nebuch palassar tooke their names from their Idoll Nebo Isa 46.1 So Balthasar Hanniball Hasdruball tooke their names from Baal so the King of the Sidonians was called Ethbaal 1 Sam. 6.31 and others tooke their names from Bell which is the contraction of Baal So they bestowed their goods upon their Idoles they sacrificed their children unto them and powred out all their affections upon them and they held that all which they did possesse they possessed it by their Idols Iud. 11.24 SECT 2. How great a sinne this sinne of Idolatrie is GOd who is the
those which are praeter fundamentum and a man ought not to leave a Church for these Secondly there are errours in doctrine 2 Circa fundamentum circa fundamentum which weakens the foundation although they overthrow it not and for these men should not leave a Church 3 Contra fundamentum Thirdly there are errors contra fundamentum and raseth the foundation for these a man shold not leave a Church if the Church be not wholly infected with them totally There were amongst the Galathians some who maintained the doctrin of Iustification by works but because all maintained it not therefore they were not to leave the Church for that error So in the Church of Corinth there were who maintained that there was no resurrection from the dead but because this was not holden by all therefore the Church was not to be left for this So there were in the Church of Pergamus who held the doctrine of Balaam yet all held it not therefore the Church was not to be left for that The whole head may be sicke and the whole heart faint Esay 1.5 and yet may recover againe as the Church of Thyatira was ready to die yet the Lord exhorts her to repent and to watch Rev. 3.3 and to strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to die but when once shee is dead and no life to be found in her then men are to separate themselves from her Hence it was that the Priests and Levites in this case left Israel and came to Iudah 2 Cor. 11.13 because shee was a dead Church and not a decaying Therefore the Lords soule hath no delight in those who separate themselves from the Church and make a rent finding but small blemish in her Quest But was not this against nature for Abraham to leave his countrey and old parents Answ This is onely against corrupt nature Abraham left his father and countrey for Gods cause Primum vinculum est fortius secundo which preferreth it selfe to God but hee that loves father or mother better than God is not worthy of him The nearest conjunction of all is betwixt God and man and therefore he should leave all for God It is said of Levi Deut. 33.9 That he said unto his father and to his mother I have not seene him neither did hee acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children for they have observed thy word and kept thy covenant So the disciples Matth. 4.23 When Christ called them left their fathers and the ship and followed Christ When Hanna wept because shee had no children her husband comforted her saying Am I not better to thee than ten sonnes 1 Sam. 1.8 A man should love his wife better nor his father or his mother yea than tenne sonnes what love then should we carrie to God who should be deater to us than tenne fathers tenne wives twentie sonnes and all the world God can chuse out of any societie some to himselfe except out of hell He called him from the Idolaters there is no societie so bad but the Lord can choose out some from amongst them except onely out of hell As in Nero's court hee had some Phil. 4.22 Salute them of Cesars house And in Creete although they were slow bellies and wilde beasts there yet the Lord planted a Church there and in Ahabs house he had Obadiah who feared the Lord greatly 1 King 18.3 And amongst the Pharisees the Lord had Nicodemus and in superstitious Athens he had Dionisius Areopagita and Damaris Act. 17.34 By this we may see that the Lord reignes even amongst the midst of his enemies Psal 110.2 He called Abraham and Sarai out of Chaldea when they were Idolaters When God would teach his people thankfulnesse he wills them to looke backe first to their naturall estate Iosh 24.2 The Lord when hee would teach his people thankefulnesse bids them looke backe to their former estate first how hee multiplied them out of a drie stocke Esa 51.2 Looke unto Abraham your father and to Sarai who bare you and hee called him alone and blessed him and encreased him Looke to the rocke whence ye are hewen and to the hole of the pit whence yee are digged Secondly to their poore estate So he willeth them to looke backe to their poore estate that they may be thankefull to pay their first fruites Deut. 26.4 And the Priest shall take the basket out of thine hand and set it downe before the altar of the Lord thy God and thou shalt speake and say before the Lorh thy God Iacob was called a Syrian not that he was borne there but because he dwelt there with Laban So Christ is called a Nazaret because he dwelt there I professe this day unto the Lord a Syrian ready to perish was my father Syrus perditionis non Syrus perdens meaning Iacob that served in Syria under Laban and then he brought him downe to Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a mighty and a great people for this the Lord would have him to be thankefull And thirdly to remember their Idolatry And lastly hee calls them backe to remember their Idolatrie how their fathers were Idolaters and served Idols beyond the flood Ios 24.2 So the Apostle wills the Corinthians to looke backe to their former estate how they were Idolaters 1 Cor. 12.2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto dumbe Idols even as ye were led SECT 6. Of the increase and decrease of Idolatrie in the family of Jacob. THis Idolatry tooke increase in the family of Iacob The increase when Rachel stole her fathers Idolls Gen. 31.19 and in his retinue was polluted with these strange gods the Idolls that shee brought from her father Labans house shee was not free of Idolatry yet neither was her sister Leah and her handmaid Zilpah free of that Idolatrie Gen. 30.11 Bagad is read two wayes first bagad venit turma vel exercitus Secondly it is reade conjunctim bagad i.e. fortuna vel fortunate and Rabbi Salomon reades it Venit sidus bonum seu planeta bonus and she acknowledged this her child fortunae influentis donum a good gift from fortune Esa â—5 11 gad they interpret fortunam and the Arabians as Abenezra witnesseth cald God Gad or Mars hence come this word God and Leah called this her sonne Gad or good fortune because in Labans family they worshipped Gad or Fortune as a God Rachel brought these Idols from her father Labans house Idols are a dangerous treasure to carrie about which was a dangerous treasure for her to carrie about with her Saint Iohn saith in his first Epistle Chap. 5. vers 21. Little children keepe your selves from Idolls they are soone insnared with them and as children delights much to play with puppets so Idolaters are much delighted with their Idols Q. But did she not wel in taking away her fathers Idols Answ She was but a private woman and had no
revived againe and the saints who would not take the marke of the beast neither in their hand nor in their forehead Rev. 13. This strife about religion will set the fathers against the children and the children against the parents Satan would have set up Moses his body to have made an Idoll of it The bodies of the saints may bee made Idols both living and dead The bodies of the saints may bee made Idoles both when they are dead as heere of the body of Moses when they are alive as when Cornelius fell downe at Peters feete and worshipped him Peter refused that worship Act. 10.26 27. and said stand up for I my selfe am a man Peter refused this worship because it was divine worship or inclining too farre to it So when the Priests would have sacrificed to the Apostles Act. 14. they rent their cloathes and ran in amongst the people crying and saying why doe ye these things we are men of like passions with you preaching to you that yee should turne from these vanities They would have made the Apostles to bee in the number of these Idoll vanities when they would have given him divine worship Satan goes from an exteâ—mitie to another Againe yee may observe heere how Satan goes from one extremitie to another when Moses was alive how often moved he the people to have stoned him but now when he is dead hee would have him to make an Idoll of his body so the Iewes in die Palmarum did sing Hosanna to Christ and the next day they cried Crucifige So when the viper lept on Pauls hand they said he was a murtherer but when he shooke it off and it hurt him not they said he was a God and those are unstable in all their waies Iam. 1.8 He would have set up Moses his body to have beene worshipped if the Lord had suffered this body to have remained in the Church how would the devill afterward have made up a ground for the continuance of Idolatrie in the Church then hee would have said If all sort of worship be denied to the bodies of the saints why would the Lord have suffered the body of Moses the man of God to stand this way in the Church as a stocke without all honour to be given to it would hee not rather have throwne it downe as hee did the Idoll Dagon The Lord forbad onely this divine worship to be given to the heathen gods as to Iupiter Mars Venus But it was never his minde that the divine worship should not bee given to the bodies of the saints departed and if Moses himselfe were redivivus hee would explaine himselfe in this point that it was forbidden onely to give this worship to heathen Idoles but not to saints which is forbidden in the Law for hee communicating so many dignities with the saints would not refuse to communicate with them a part of his honour Michael resisted the devill and would not suffer him to take the bodie of Moses and make an Idoll thereof The Apostle Iude 5. borrows from the Apocripha book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libro 3. cap. 2. Pethirath moshe dimissio mosis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This strife which was betwixt Michael and the devill about the body of Moses What duties wee are bound to perfore to the dead Quest. What duties are wee bound to performe to the bodies of the Saints when they are dead Answ We are to use them with comlinesse Acts 9.37 they washed the bodie of Dorcas and layed her in an upper chamber and to wrap them in linnen as Christs bodie was and to bury them in an honest buriall place we ought to esteeme reverendly of their bodies because they are the members of Christs mysticall bodie and they waite for the blessed resurection and to suffer them to rest in peace in their graves 2 Kin. 22.20 But we are never to worship them or their reliques if we follow the example of Michael who would not suffer Moses his body to bee worshipped The decrease of this Idolatrie The decrease of this Idolatry was when Michaell buried the body of Moses where no man knew Great is the care which the Lord hath over his children in their infancie in their old age in their death and after they are dead and as the eyes of the Lord was upon Canaan from the beginning of the yeare to the end Deut. 11.12 so are the eyes of the Lord upon his children from their infancie to their old age from their old age to their death and after they are dead and first from their infancie to their old age Esay 46.3 Heare O house of Iacob and the remnant of the house of Israel which are borne by me from the wombe and brought up with me from the birth therefore untill thy old age I the same even I will carrie you to your hoarie heades the Prophet points at these two times of our life especially because these two periods are most weake in all our life our infancie and decrepit age then the death of his Saints is precious in the fight of the Lord Psal 116.18 and then after they are dead the Lord hath a singular care of them What a care had the Lord of Moses in his birth when hee was cast out to be drowned The Lord preserved him and drew him out of many waters therefore he was called Moshe from Masha extrahere and David alludes to this Psal 18.16 Thou hast drawne me out of many waters Hence the Poets from this faine that some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne in the waters because Moses was drawne out of the waters and in his death the Lord shewes his singular love to * It is said of Moses Dâ—ut 34.7 that he dyed ad osculum oris dei which Salomon Iarchi paraphraseth at a kisse of the mouth of God Death was a kisse of the mouth of God to him him and here after he is dead the Lord suffers not his body to be made an Idoll of Good King Iosias when hee was killed in the battell a man might have thought that the Lord had little respect unto him who made him fall before his enemies but see what respect the Lord carried unto him when he saith Thou shalt be gathered in peace to thy fathers 2 King 22.20 Who would have thought that the Lord had such a care of him and yet his soule was bound up in the bundell of life and he was gathered in peace to his fathers So he had a great care of the body of Iacob he promised to goe downe to Egypt with him and to bring him backe again Gen. 46.4 But how is it said that he brought him backe againe then seeing he died in Egypt The Lord attended his very corpes when he brought it backe and saw it buried in Machpelah in the place which Abraham bought for a buriall place Gen. 50.13 The Lord buried Moses his body It is
sacrifices all had plenty enough there was bread enough in their fathers house but this miserable man contents himselfe in his Idoll service with a sute of apparell his victualls and tenne peeces of silver Hee desires to be a priest that he might eate bread 1 Sam. 2.26 When they desired to be in this holy calling onely to eate and not to serve God in it then they were mercenaries The Moralists observe that some games and recreations are honest when men use them onely for recreation as to fish and to hunt but if a man doe fish onely for gaine or goe a hunting onely to make profit by it then it becomes ignoble questus est sordidus it is base gaine much more if a man turne this high calling to gaine it becomes a base calling When these greedy dogges Esay 56.11 cannot be satisfied and when they seeke the peoples goods but not themselves 2 Cor. 13.14 and fleece the flocke but feede it not Ezech. 34.3 tunc mercantur animas they sell the foules of men 2 Pet. 2.3 and sell the soules of the people for handfulls of barley and peeces of bread Ezech. 13.19 then they feed the flocke for filthy lucre 1 Pet. 5.2 The eight increase The eight increase of Idolatry when the whole tribe of Dan fell to Idolatry Iudg. 18. and went a whoring after those Teraphims Ionathan who was a priest to a poore family before now he becomes a priest to the whole family of Dan. This Ionathan was the grand child of Moses Moses begat Gershon and Gershon begat Manasseh and Manasseh begat Ionathan Iudg. 18.30 This Menasseth was the father of Ionathan but because he and his son Ionathan were so unlike to Moses therefore they write him in the text Manasseh but in the margine they write him Moshe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manasses studio imitatione impietatis Mosis silius prosapia elevating the Nun they write him Manasseth because they held him to be an Idolater like Manasseh and they write him in the margine Moshe because hee was naturally descended of Moses This might seeme strange that Moses who was such a faithfull servant in all the house of God Heb. 3.5 and alwayes hated Idolatrie should have a grandchild who is such an apostate and open Idolater this a man might thinke should breed great discouragement in the hearts of faithfull men when they see their posteritie so degenerate from the truth The faithfull who are within the covenant must comfort themselves by looking up to their good predecessors and not to their bad posterity but men who are faithfull and stand within the covenant must comfort themselves not by looking downe to those who come of them but by looking up and marking their antecessors of whom they are descended And even as in the right succession of the inheritance in Israel they reckoned upward alwayes So must we doe in the spirituall covenant The Iewes saith if a man died and had no children then the inheritance came to the father both the inheritance of the male and the female unlesse there came in one who married his brothers wife after his death and they make the dead father as though he were alive that the right order of succession might be known and so the male children succeeded and if there were no males then the females succeeded and if they failed then the inheritance ascended to the grandfather and to his other children if he had any moe and they ascended still up to Adam therefore the Iewes say that there is not a man in Israel who wants an heire but he may reckon it up to Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Esau Levi Dina a daughter Noah Gershon Merari Ccohebed a daughter Amram Izzar Hebron Vzziel Moses Aaron Miriam a daughter Now in this genealogie Amram dying the question is who shall be his heire If Moses and Aaron be alive first Vide Sheldan de sucsuccessione haebreorum Moses succeeds and if he die Aaron and if both die then Miram but if all the three die without posteritie then from him it descends to the sonnes of Amram Izzar Hebron and Vzziel and so at last ascends to Abraham So here in this spirituall reckoning we must ascend upward although Manasseh be an Idolater and his sonne Ionathan Iudg. 18.30 yet Moses will not want an heire Let him looke to his faithfull predecessors they are his heires and hee may reckon up to them This will minister great comfort to the faithfull parents Verna domus quid who have bad children that they are descended of godly parents This was Davids comfort who had leud children Psal 86.16 Have mercy upon me and give strength unto thy servant and save the sonne of thy handmaid The children of the handmaid were their masters and David alludes to this This was his comfort that he was the sonne of the Lords handmaid for they that were the children of the handmaides were their masters Exod. 21.4 and they were said to be home borne Ier. 2.14 So David being borne within the Church of the Lords handmaid rejoyceth that hee is Gods child and although these pedegrees in our ascending be often broken off yet the covenant is valid and of force still in respect of the first promise Esay 64.3 Thou art our father although Abraham hath forgotten us and Israel doth not know us that is although we have broken the covenant and have not followed the footsteeps of our faithfull predecessors Abram and Isaac who if they were alive would not acknowledge us for their children neither doe we thinke ourselves worthy so to be reckoned we leane only on the free promise of God in Christ Iesus which we know to be most sure as God himselfe is constant Ianathan descending of Moses fell to Idolatry All fathers transmit to their children originall sinne Gen. 5. Fathers transmits to their children originall sinne onely It is said of Adam that he begat a sonne to his owne Image that is to his corrupt Image but other things parents cannot trasmit to their children as a seeing father sometimes begets a blind sonne Iohn 9. neither can he transmit those things which hee hath acquired by Art to his child as a Musitian begets not a Musitian So he cannot transmit his infused gifts to his child as Salomon could not transmit his wisedome to his foolish sonne Rehoboam far lesse can he transmit grace unto his posterity as Abraham could not transmit grace to Ishmael neither could Moses to his grandchild Ionathan but God only can beget children to his owne Image Therefore the Lord saith Be ye holy as your heavenly Father is holy 1 Pet. 1.16 In this last increase of Idolatry under the Iudges it is to be considered that first the Danites commit sin in taking away Micahs Idols and by seducing his Priest Secondly that Ionathan and his sonnes become Priests to the tribe And lastly how long this Idoll remained in Dan. First they take away Micah his
Idols by violence Iudg. 18.18 they stole them not away secretly but tooke them by violence sixe hundred men came to take them away these were called aggressores who came by force to take a thing They steale his gods The Idolaters preferred their Idols to all that which was most deare to them the gods which they affected so much and loved so dearely See how Laban expostulates with Rachel for stealing his gods The Idolaters preferred their Idoll gods to all their ornaments and comelinesse when the Gaulles beseiged the Capitoll because they had no strings to their crosebowes Caelius pag. 689. the women caused to shave off their haire to make strings thereof in defence of their Palladium and their gods And they preferred their Idols to their deare parents When the Grecians burnt Troy pittying their captive enemies they gave every one their choise to carry away that which they liked best Aeneas made choise to carry away his gods before his old father and therefore he was called Pius Aeneas they preferred not onely their gods to their Parents but also to their lives As Metellus when he saw the temple of Vesta burning Seneca declamationum 4 he ranne into the fire to save the Palladium and very hardly he escaped with his life yet he lost his eyes and his Priesthood for no man who wanted a member might be a Priest in the temple of Vesta They tooke away his gods If a Christian should steale the Idols of an Idolater that were but theft but for an Idolater who holds Idols to be gods to steale Idols were sacrilegious theft And they being men of the same profession and zealous as it might seeme in their profession this aggravates their sinne for the unitie of profession should bind men one to another In Israel they had sundry dialects whereby they were discerned They knew the Levites voyce In Israel they had sundry dialects as some said Shibboleth and others said Sibboleth The Ephraimites were discerned by their lisping and Peter was knowne to be a Galilaean by his speech And so they had about Ierusalem a peculiar dialect of their owne Act. 2.8 some of them said Aceldama and others Akaldama so here they knew the Levite by his peculiar dialect They desire this Priest to aske counsâ—ll of God for them And he answers them according to their humour Goe in peace for the Lord is in your way where ye goe hee will goe before you and assist you flattering Prophets spake alwayes placentia as the false Prophets did to Ahab These are bad Physitians who give alwayes phisick according to the patients humour Next they perswade him to goe with them and to leave Micah his house Micah and his family follow tO restore their gods and Micah seeing that he was not able to recover them he falles out into this pitifull speech Ye have taken away my gods and my priest and what have I move We may learne of this Idolater Micah to esteeme more of God and his worship then of all things beside Eli his daughter in law when the Arke of God was taken called her sonne Ichabod no glory That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Arke was taken all glory was gone from Israel She was more sorry for the taking of the Arke then for the death of her father in law and of her husband They disswade Micah from following of them for feare of his life verse 25. Least thou lose thy life with the lives of thy houshould In the originall it is What the Hebrewes meane by gathering of the soule Ne colligas animam tuam animam domus tuae that is least thou dye and thy houshold to gather is usually put for to dye in the Scripture as Gen. 49.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iacob is said to bee gathered unto his people So Psal 26.9 Gather not my soule with sinners neither my life with bloody men So. Num. 20.24 Aaron shall be gathered to his people So Hosea 4.3 fishes shall be gathered that is they shall be taken away This phrase to be gathered to their fathers is as well spoken of the wicked as of the godly as Ishmael was as wel gathered to his fathers as Abraham Gen. 25.17 Therefore this will not follow such a man was gathered to his fathers therefore he was elect and chosen of God this is meant onely of death which is common both to the good and the bad Ionathan and his sones become Priests to this tribe of Dan. This tribe fell first to Idolatry The Tribe of Dan fell first to Idolatry and therefore were carried away first to captivity and therefore was first carried away to the captivitie Ier. 8.16 the snorting of the horses is heard in Dan that is of Salmanassar who carried away this tribe first So that when all the tribes were sealed in the forehead This Idolatry of the tribe of Dan laffed to the captivitie Dan is omitted Revelation 7. which wants not a mysterie Lastly this Idolatry lasted in the tribe of Dan unto the day of the Captivity of the Land and verse 31. all the time that the house of God was in Shilo By the day of the captivity of the Land here is meant that time when the Philistimes oppressed Israel mightily it must not be taken here for captivity which was in the time of Senacherib By the day of the captivity is meant the captivity of the Phistimes when the Arke was taken for David would not have suffered this Idoll to have beene in Dan all this time it must bee taken then for this captivitie of the Philistimes and all the time that the house of God was in Shilo then the scourge of the Philistimes came upon Israel conferre 1 Sam. 4.3 with Psal 78.60 and ye will see this clearely Psal 78.58 He gave his strength to the captivity and they provoked him with their high places and mooved him to Iealousie with their graven Images This Micah his image was one of them that moved the Lord to Iealousie most The Arke of the Lord was in Gilgal Shilo Nob Gibeon It was in Gilgal all the time that they were subduing the Land and dividing of it for foure and twenty yeares it was in Shilo till the death of Eli three hundred sixty and nine yeares after the death of Eli Shilo was destroyed and the Arke was carried to Nob where it remained to the death of Saul thirteene yeeres and it stayed in Gibeon untill the Temple of Salomon was builded fifty yeares after Eli his death fell this captivity of the Land the Arke was taken then the Lord forsooke the habitation of Shilo and delivered his power and strength to the captivity Psal 78. The greatest Iudgment befell them when the Arke was taken away Greater was the judgement which fell upon Israel for this Idolatry then for all the former for this Idolatry he left Shilo the Arke was taken captive and the people Eli brake his
the Kings of Egypt the kings of Israel and the kings of Iudah as Abrahams Pharaoh Iacobs Pharaoh and Iosephes Pharaoh Others of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 badde as Pharaoh Ophrah Ier. 44. and Pharaoh Neco Ier. 46. and some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Moses his Pharaoh Among the Kings of Israel there were none good they were either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were either bad or very bad none of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not evill They suckt the milke of Idolatrous superstition in the daies of Ieroboam whereunto they were addicted alwaies so long as the common wealth indured even the reigne of ninteene Kings But amongst the Kings of Iudah some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 optimi as David Ezekias and Iosias some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boni as Iehosaphat Asa and Manasseh Manasseh is reckoned amongst the good kings because his end was good Eze. 18. Some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Vzziah was who began well but his heart was lifted up and he fell away from the Lord afterward and some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most wicked as Ammon and Ahaz but there were none of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minime mali Object But it may be said of Iosias that the remnants of Baal were not taken away in his tyme Zepha 1.4 why then should he be reckoned amongst the best Kings Answ He studies to cut away the remnants of Baal which he could not finde out at the first because Idolaters are very subject to cover their Idolatry The first increase of Idolatry under the Kings was in Salomons dayes 1 Kings 11.5 The first increase of Idolatry amongst the kings was in Salomon time When Salomon went after Ashtaroth the goddesse of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites The Lord gave Salomon wisedome above any he exceelled the wisedome of the East country What great blessings the Lord bestowed upon Salomon before hee fell and all the wisedome of Egypt in naturall wisedome The Lord gave him a heart as large as the sand of the sea 1 Kin. 4.29 the Lord loved him and called his name Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 The Lord appeared twice to him 1 King 9.10 The Lord made choise of him to be one of his secretaries to write a part of the holy scriptures It was hee who builded the temple and bestowed infinite charges upon building of it It was he who consecrated the Temple It was he who offered when the Temple was consecrated â—0000 oxen 1 King 8.63 and 120000. sheepe It was he who prayed for the people and blessed them 1. King 8.55 It was hee who was a speciall type of Christ It was hee who fell not away untill his old age and although the Lord threatned him that hee would rent his Kingdome for this his Idolatrie yet hee continued still in it 1 King 9.11 and was not a whit bettered by the threatnings of the prophet and herein he seemes to be worse then his foolish sonne Rehoboam for when the Prophet Semajah came to diswade him for to fight against Ieroboam hee left off his purpose and went backe againe but Salomon lay long in a Lethargie before he awoke who would have thought that the dragon with his taile could have pulled downe so farre this shining starre and when we see such a great Cedar of Lebanon as this to have fallen Let us with feare and reverence worke out our salvation The decrease of this Idolatry when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes The decrease of this Idolatry was when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes in a publike testimony of his repentance Salomon wrote three bookes the first is his Proverbes and it is intituled The Proverbs of Salomon the sonne of David King of Israel a fit booke of morall instructions for a King to write to his subjects then he wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes to the Church after his fall when he was gathered to the Church againe Coheâ—eth from Cabal congregare and he beginnes this booke thus Vanity of vanities and by vanities here he meanes especially Idolatrie for Idolls are the Gentiles vanities Ionah 2. and 〈◊〉 Act. 14.15 and he shuts up this booke thus feare God and keepe his commandements which shewes that Salomon renounced the vanities of those Idols And the last booke which he wrote was the Song of Songs which is the most excellent of all songs yea and of all Salomons Songs wherein his heart is elevated in describing this spirituall conjunction betweene Christ and his Church under the termes of a marriage made with his queene when he married Pharaos daughter Reasons proving that Salomon wrote this booke after his repentance It is cleare that Salomon wrote his booke after his repentance and after that hee had tried all sorts of vanities and not before his fall for in this booke hee describes his wisedome his power the buildings and the glory of his house which answers to that which is spoken of him 1 King 7.9 10. at the least he spent twentie yeares before all these things were done then he spent thirteene yeares in building of his house then adde to these five or sixe in repairing the citie and in building of the cities in the desert so that by this time hee had beene fortie or fiftie yeares old and adde to these the sending of the ships to Ophir which hee sent to fetch home gold Eccles 2. then hee tells how much hee was given to women J found a woman more bitter than death Eccles 7.26 and of a thousand wives and concubines which he had there was not one which he could trust Eccles 7 and these all he found but vanities Hee could not doe all those things and have experience of all these vanities but in a long time Bellarmine goes about to prove out of the text that this booke was written before Salomons fall because he saith my wisedome remained with me Eccles 2.9 but his wisedome could not remaine with him when he fell so filthily therefore saith hee this booke was written before his fall Answ The wisedome which remained with him so long as he went astray from the Lord was his carnall wisedome and his spirituall wisedome was buried all this while untill the time that he repented The reasons in particular which shewes Salomon his repentance are those First Salomon was a Prophet of God Salomon was a holy Prophet of God therefore he was not a reprobate and a Pen man of holy Scriptures now all the Prophets of God were holy men Luke 1.70 therefore Salomon was a holy man although he was overtaken with those vanities for a while The second reason is taken from the promise of God The second reason that hee was not a reprobate is taken from the promise of God made to him 2 Sam. 7.14 I will be his father saith the Lord and hee shall be my sonne if he
people to this fearefull Idolatry therefore the Lord threatens that none of his posterity shall succeede The Lord punisheth the Idolatry of the fathers upon the children There is a personall sinne The Lord punishes the Idolatry of the fathers upon the children in haereditarie sinnes but not in personall and there is an haereditary sinne A personall sinne is that which the father is onely guilty of and not the sonne an haereditary sinne is that which both the father and the children are guilty of but in a personall sinne the posterity followes not the father it is said of Zelophehad Num. 27 3. That he dyed in his owne sinne that is in a sinne which his posterity was not guilty of it was not that common sinne in murmuring against God through misbeleefe for the which none of them entered into Canaan but it was a peculiar sinne of his owne which his posterity was not guilty of but if they doe follow the foote steppes of their wicked fathers then it is an haereditary sinne and it is imputed to them If the Idolatrous sonne follow the Idolatrous father then he is guilty of his fathers sin as Ammon was guilty of Manasseh his sinne So if they follow the footesteppes of their Idolatrous mother then they are guilry of her Idolatry when the mother 's baked the cakes to the Queene of heaven Ier. 7.18 The children gathered the stickes to kindle the fire here they were guilty of their mothers Idolatry it is a terrible imprecation of David Psal 109.14 Let the iniquitie of his father be remembred and let not the sinne of his mother be blotted out when the Idolaters have to answere both for their fathers Idolatry and for their mothers this is a fearefull case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then they receive Kephalaiim Esay 40. double for all their sinnes that is both for their owne sinnes and for the sinnes of their parents Although the Idolater repent him of his Idolatry yet his sonne may be punished for it And it is to be marked that although the Idolater repent him of his Idolatry yet the Lord may charge his posterity with that sinne Manasseh was a great Idolater and shed innocent blood these sinnes were pardoned in Manasseh yet his posterity were punished according to all that he did that is both for his Idolatry and for shedding of innocent blood and these sinnes were not pardoned in his posterity There was never any decrease of Idolatry in the ten tribes but it overspread all their Kings as a Leprosie The Kings of Israel all of them successively for nineteene generations were Idolaters yet amongst them all there was none like Ahab who did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord 1 King chap. 21. ver 25 Of the sinnes of Ahab the wickedest King in Israel This Ahab persecuted the Prophets of God and killed them Secondly hee threw downe the Altars of the Lord. Thirdly hee intertained foure hundred Priests of Baal at his table and fourthly he worshipped Baal Ahab persecuted the Prophets and killed them First he persecuted the Prophets of God and killed them Those who are most deare to the Lord whom the Lord expresly forbad to meddle with Psal 105 15. Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme And they that touched them touched the Aple of his eye Zach. 2.8 He that receiveth a Prophet saith Christ Math. 10.41 in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward Then Ahab who killed the Prophets knowing that they were Prophets what reward got he The Prophets of God most resemble the great Prophet the Lord Iesus Christ who did two things for us first the things which he did from God to us in revealing Gods will to us The second is which he did from us to god interceding at his hands for us So the Prophets of God first they revealed the will of God to us and secondly they interceded for us Gen. 20.7 He is a Prophet and he will pray for thee therefore the Prophets were called the strength and the Chariots of Israel 2 King 13.14 and where prophecie was wanting there the people were naked Prov. 20.12 Secondly Ahab threw downe the Altars of God 1 King 19.10 Quest What Altars of God were in Israel at this time Answ 1 King 18.30 And Elijah repaired the Altar of the Lord that was broken downe which Altar Elijah erected in Carmell There were many that were injurious to the Lords Altars Ahab threw downe the Lords Altar Whosoever medled with the Altar of the Lord the Lord plagued them Achaz caused to remove the Lords Altar Vzziah went about to offer incense at the Lords golden Altar Vriah the high priest offered upon the Altar of Damascus in place of the Altar of the Lord Nadab and Abihu that brought strange fire to the Lords Altar and there was never one of these who medled with the Lords Altar but the Lord plagued them for it The Altar of God was called Arriel Ezch. 43.15 the Lyon of god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whosoever medled with this Lyon he devoured them when Esaiah was called to be a Prophet Esay 6. there came an Angell flying from the Altar with a paire of tongs in his hand and a living coale in it and touched the lippes of the Prophet and sanctified him But when God was wroth with those for medling with his Altar there came a messenger of Gods wrath from the altar and plagued them as the leprosie came flying from the Altar and smote Vzzia and fire came from the Altar and burnt Nadab and Abihu and so upon the rest who medled with this Altar who ever threw it downe or polluted it Ahaz medled with the brasen Altar a type of Christs death and Vzziah medled with the golden Altar a type of Christs intercession therefore God poured out his wrath upon them plagued them both Marke a difference betwixt the Prophets of the Lord and Baals Priests A difference betwixt the Lords Prophets and the Priests of Baal if ye will respect their number they are eight hundreth and fifty The prophets of the Lord were but few in respect of them Obadiah tooke an hundreth Prophets and hidde them by fifties in a cave 1 King 18.4 If yee will respect their fare there was a great difference also the poore Prophets were fed onely with bread and water but the Priests of the groves were fed at the court 1 King 18.19 Thirdly if ye will respect their apparell and the places where they lived yee shall see great difference the Prophets of God went in sheepe skinnes and goate skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the world was not worthy of they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in dennes and caves of the earth Heb. 11.37.38 But Baals priests lived daintily in all plenty But if wee shall looke to their end and how they were miserably killed and how the Prophets of God were delivered
of Idolatry in Iudah The first increase of Idolatry in Iudah after the separation of the ten tribes after the division of the tenne tribes was in the dayes of Rehoboam 1 King 14.22 And Iudah did evill in the sight of the Lord and they provoked him to jealousie with their sinnes which they had committed above all that their fathers had done for they also built high places and Images and groves on every high hill and under every greene tree The decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Asa 1 King 15.11 The decrease Hee did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord as did David his father Hee tooke away the Idols and destroyed them and burnt thm by the brooke Kidron and his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes vers 14. Quest How could his heart be said to be a perfect heart seeing hee is taxed with so many grosse sinnes First the high places were not removed in his time 2 Chron. 15.7 Then he was wroth with the Seer and put him in prison because he reproved him 2 Chron. 16. he oppressed the people at that same time vers 10. and in his disease hee sought not the Lord but to the Physitians vers 12. how could his heart then be a perfect heart with the Lord all his dayes An. A perfect heart is cald in the scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sincerum non fucatum cor and it is composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the brightnesse of the Sunne and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because in brightnesse it studieth to follow the Sun The Sunne may sometimes be overclouded What is a sincere heart but yet appeares in his brightnesse againe So a sincere and a perfect heart although sometimes it be overclouded with sinne yet it strives to recover its brightnesse againe Every sinne makes not a heart cease to be a perfect heart but a man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a double minde or having cor divisum a divided heart Hos 10.2 or a heart and a heart Psalm 12.2 hee cannot be said to have a perfect heart The Lord saith Deut. 25.13 Thou shalt not have in thy bagge a stone and a stone that is a false weight So vers 15. Thou shalt not have an Ephah and an Ephah that is as false measure so thou shalt not have a heart and a heart that is a false heart Those the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.10 calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double tongued The Philosopher proves that a creature is to be judged to be one or moe by the heart and not by the braine for if the heart be one then the creature is but one but if there be two hearts then the creatures are two There have beene men who have had two heads but one heart such a one was but one man although he had two heads and having but one heart his motion was but one and his imagination one Duo corda exposcunt duo capita non contra Serpens qui habet â—â—â—â—dam linguam habet â—â—â—plicem gustum reste Aristot So he that haâ—â— two hearts c. But if one have two hearts of a necessitie he must have two heads Animal est unum per unam animam So it is in the spirituall life of a man if a man have a heart and a heart then he cannot be said to have a perfect heart then he makes two men one for God and another for the devill and he hath two sorts of motion and imagination Salomon calls such a man perversus duarum viarum Prov. 28.6 and Syrac 2. Vae peccatori ingredienti duas vias A tree if the roote and the stocke be one although the grafts be diverse yet it is but one tree So the heart if it be one although it bring forth some good and some bad fruit yet it may be a perfect heart The heart The heart so long as it falles not to Idolatrie may be a sinceere heart although it be blotted with the sinnes against the second table as David was in the matter of Vriah yet if it be not tainted with Idolatry it may be a perfect heart still Secondly a perfect heart may come short in the internall duties of the first table through incredulitie and misbeleefe as Asa put too much trust in the Physitians in his disease yet his heart was a perfect heart Thirdly a man may have a perfect heart notwithstanding that sinnes of omission be found in him in the worship of God but not sinnes of commission as Asa tooke not away the high places yet his heart was perfect with the Lord. Let us make a comparison betwixt David Iosiah A comparison betwixt David Iosias and Asa and Asa David when he brought the Arke from Baal of Iudah to the house of Obed Edom he brought it upon a new cart 2 Sam. 6.3 The Philistines carried the Arke of the Lord upon a cart It should have beene carried upon the Levites shoulders David tooke away the Philistines Emrods and Mice which they put with the Arke but he left the cart Iosiah tooke not away the remnants of Baal Zephan 1.4 and Asa left the high places unremoved A comparison betwixt Amaziah Vzziah and Asa Secondly let us compare these three Kings together Amaziah Vzziah and Asa Amaziah did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25.2 the Lord liked of his worke but not of his heart he did bonum opus sed non bene sed Deus magis delectatur adverbiis quam nominibus as the Schoolemen speake Secondly Vzziah hee sought the Lord and prospered 2 Chron. 26.5 hee had some beginnings of Grace in him this was more than Amaziah had yet his heart was lifted up and hee fell away from the Lord vers 16. but Asa his heart was a perfect heart with the Lord all the dayes of his life These three Kings have beene not unfitly compared to the three sort of fruite which the vine brings forth The first is called Samadar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uva minutula a little berrie but very imperfect which appeares first when the floure falls away and it withereth and decaieth with the least cold or frost The second fruit of the vine is called Bozer Omphax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omphax librusca which is a soure grape but draweth neare to the nature of the ripe grape yet when it ripens not it sets mens teeth on edge and the third is gnanabh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uva matura the ripe grape and they say that Amaziah was but uva minutula and that Vzziah was Omphax and Asa was uva matura Whether did Asa sinne when he made a league with Benhabad or not Quest Did not Asa sinne when he made a league with Benhadad King of Syria he being an Idolater 1 King 15.19 Answ All leagues with Idolaters are not unlawfull Abraham made a league with Eshcol and
to Moloch The second thing which Ahaz is blamed for is this that hee caused to bring the paterne of the altar of Damascus and to make the like and set it up at Ierusalem We must add nothing to the worship of God Ahaz is blamed heere for adding to Gods worship In measuring of things the Lord commands that there be a just measure and that the thing sold bee sufficient in quantity and qualitie a thing may be sufficient in quantitie but not in qualitie As when they mixed their wine with water and their silver with drosse Isa 1. heere they sold enough in quantitie but the qualitie was badde So when they sold that which was good but not enough of it with a Leane measure as the Prophet calles it The Lord requires the full measure heere and hee would have it to runne over Luke 6.38 But hee that had any thing superfluous in his body could not bee a Priest to the Lord Lev. 21.18 So no beast that had any superfluous part might be offered to the Lord Lev. 21.18 That is that which the Lord himselfe forbiddes Deut. 4.2 The worship of God must be kept in puncto mathematico Yee shall neither adde nor pare from my Law Prov. 30.16 put nothing to his words least hee reprove thee and thou be found a lyer They say that morall vertues admitt Latitudinem quandam But Gods worship must be observed in puncto mathematico there must nothing be added to it or taken from it Ahaz removed the Altar of God and put the altar of Damascus in place of it Ahaz caused the Altar to be removed hee tooke away the Altar and put the Altar of Damascus in the place of the altar which was the speciall place of Gods worship therfore the Lord appropriates it to himself and calles it his altar Mal. 1.10 as they are called his Priests and Prophets Psal 105.15 The Altar was the place that sanctified the sacrifice and not the sacrifice the Altar Mat. 23.19 The Altar was the place where God shewed signes of his mercy Jsa 6.6 and there slew one of the Seraphimes unto mee having a live coale in his hand which hee had taken with the tonges from off the altar and layed it upon my mouth and said Loe this hath touched thy lippes and thy iniquitie is taken away and thy sinne purged heere the altar was a type of Iesus Christ of whom we get all sanctifying graces This was done in the dayes of Ahaz Isa 6.10 and yet Ahaz nothing respects the Altar The altar was the place of refuge to save poore men yet Ahaz was not afraid to meddle with it He reserved the Lords altar to his owne private uses 2 King 16.15 But Mica reserved the altar of Damascus for all the sacrifices both of the King and of the people Ahaz plaies the politician making religion to serve policie onely this is a just paterne of politickes who make religion but a handmaid to them they will use it how and where they list he will keepe the brasen altar still but it was of no great request with him hee will not thrust it out of dores least he might seeme altogether to dsepise the religion of his fathers yet he preferres the altar of Damascus to it as being more glorious in show and for friendship with the King of Damascus The third thing which Ahaz is blamed for is this Ahaz offered to the gods of Damascus who smote him that hee offered to the gods of Damascus who smote him 2 Chron. 28.23 This is that Ahaz verse 22. kimhi writing upon the 119 Psal notes when This is set before some names in Scripture it signifies some great Apostasie and defection as Gen. 36.49 This is Esau the father of the Edomites So Num. 26.9 This is Dathan So 2 Chron. 28.22 This is Ahaz The Hebrewes compare Ahaz and Amaziha together which points that he was a notable Idolater and the Hebrewes compare Ahaz and Amaziah together and they apply that proverbe to these two Kings We have weeped unto you and yee have not mourned wee have piped unto you and yee have not danced I was angry with Ahaz and gave him into the hand of the King of Damascus yet he went and worshipped his gods there was all the mourning which I got for my weeping Then I piped to Amaziah and gave him that was King of Edom captive into his hands yet hee went and worshipped his gods when he had taken them captive and there was all the dancing which I got for my piping The decrease The decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Ezekias 2 King 18.4 He removed the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groves c. Why God deferres the judgements of wicked men Ezekias succeeded Ahaz Moses Gerundensis commenting upon Deut. 7. saith that God deferres to punish wicked men in this life for three causes First hee gives them this way leasure to repent them of their sinnes Secondly he deferres their judgements because of some act which they have to doe as the Iudge spareth the malefactor with child untill she have brought forth her birth Agricola non excidit spinam prius quam inde asparagum procerpserit And thirdly because some good men are to come of them And so he deferred the punishment of Ahaz because Ezekias was to come of him and of Shimei because Mordecai was to come of him Ezekias did foure things in reformation of religion There are foure things recorded of Ezekias his zeale First this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he brake the brasen serpent because the people worshipped it although it was a type of Iesus Christ who was the serpent lift up in the wildernesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nun diminuit in fine Ioh. 3.14 and calls it in contempt Nehushtan that little peece of brasse for the Hebrewes when they forme their diminitives they adde Nun to them as Ieshurun Deut. 33.5 Et fuit Rex apud rectulum So Ishon pupilla Sabbaton Sabbatulum The second thing which Ezekias did was when he took away the booke which Salomon wrote of Hearbs and Physicke which was affixed on the gates of the Temple Ezekias pulled it downe Vide Suidam in Ezekia because the people neglected the Lord to seeke their health of him and did trust too much in this booke The third thing which Ezekias did was that he shut the gates of the temple that the King of Ashur might not enter into them The fourth thing which he did was quod traxerat ossa patris sui super lecto funium he caused a bed of cords to be made and drew his fathers bones up and downe in it he did this in detestation of his fathers Idolatry he would not burne his bones as he did the bones of the Idolatrous Kings Ier. 8.1 Nor let them lye unburied but this much he did to them and then buried them againe this
is set downe in the Thalmud of him The next increase of Idolatry was under Manasseh 2 King 21.2 And hee did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord after the abhominations of the heathen The increase of Idololatry under Manasseh whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel for he built up againe the high places which Ezekias his father had destroyed and he reared up Altars to Baal and made a grove as did Ahab King of Israel and worshipped all the host of heaven and served them And he built Altars in the house of the Lord of which the Lord said in Ierusalem will I put my name and he built Altars for all the Host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord and he made his sonne passe through the fire and observed times and used inchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizzards he wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger and hee set a graven Image of the grove which he had made in the house of which the Lord said to David and Salomon his sonne In this house and in Ierusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel will I put my name for ever There are three speciall sinnes marked in Manasseh Three sinnes especially marked in Manasses first that hee built altars for all the host of heaven into the two courts of the house of the Lord Secondly that hee worshiped the Sunne the Moone and the starres And thirdly that he worshipped the devilles First he set up Idolls both in the court of the people and the court of the Priests The Hebrewes observe divers degrees of holinesse which they kept in the land of Canaan first the land it selfe is called holy Zach. 2.16 and the land of Iehovah Hos 3. and the land of Immanuel Isa 8.8 All other lands were called a polluted land Amos 7.17 The second degree of holinesse within the land of Canaan they observe to be within the walled townes for they suffered no leaper to bee within them neither buried they their dead within them therefore they counted them more holie then the rest of the land The third degree they make to be in Ierusalem there were some things which they might eate in Ierusalem but not in the rest of the Land they were holie things but not holy in the highest kinde which they might eate there as the Paschall lambe and the tythes of the third yeare These they eate in Ierusalem but not in the temple The fourth degree of holinesse that they make to bee in the temple was that it was lawfull for no stranger to come within the court of the Israelites And their were keepers appointed who suffered them not to come in there 1 Cor. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And these were called â—agnale pekudoth domini prafectura they suffered no strangers to come in here neither in Israelite if he were uncleane this was a holier place then the court of the Gentiles and if an Israelite were uncleane he behoved to wash himself and he was uncleane till the evening Levi. 15.16 The fift degree of holinesse was that no Israelite might come within the court of the Priests which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sixt degree of holinesse was betwixt the porch and the altar where Zacharie was stoned no Priest might enter heere if he had a blemish in his body or whose head was uncovered or if his cloathes were torne The seventh degree of holinesse was the holy place it selfe where the golden altar stood no Priest might enter in heere unlesse his feete and hands were washed By these degrees wee may understand how abhominable a thing it was for the Kings of Israel and Iudah to have defiled his land with their Idols Ier. 16.18 and first I will recompence their sin and their iniquity double because they have defiled my land they have filled mine inheritance with the carcasses of the detestable and abominable things And then Manasseh his Idolatry exceeded who set up Idoles both in the court of the people and in the court of the priests Manasseh also sacrificed to all the host of heaven Amongst the rest of Gods names hee is called in the Scripture Gueliion supreme or high Lord and the greek is framed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from this And they worshipped the sun which they called the queene of heaven they called her the queene because Shemesh the sunne is in the faeminine gender The heavens are the Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 115.16 but he hath given the earth to the sonnes of men Man hath a commandement in the earth and the Lord hath put under his feet all the beasts of the field and the fishes of the sea Psal 8. These corruptible things the Lord hath made subject to man and hee hath power over them and may use them as their Lord for his service and maintenance but hee hath not granted such dominion to man over the Sunne the Moone and the Starrs He is but heere Vsuarius hee is partaker of the heate and light of the sunne he who hinders him from that doth him wrong Thus farre the sunne serves him and therefore the sunne is called Shemesh from Shamesh ministrare but yet man hath absolute dominion over the Sun the Moone therefore Christ Matth. 5. saith that God causeth his Sun so rise upon the good and the bad the dominion over the sunne belongs only to God These are groser Idolaters who worships beasts then those who worships the Sunne and the Moone Hence it followes that they are grosser Idolaters who worship those bodies over which they have dominion then those who worships the Sun and the Moone They are full Lords of the first but they are usuarij Tenents who hath the use onely of the second These Idolaters had Images for the Sunne Isa 17.8 which they call Chammanim And Beniamin in Itinerario describes them after this manner there is a people in the land of Cush which much beholds the starres and worships the Sunne as their God having many altars built without the towne of great stones and earlie in the morning they goe out of the towne to see the Sun and they have Images consecrate to the Sunne upon every altar made round like the Sun built by magick The manner how they worshipped the Sunne and when the Sun riseth these round circles seeme to burne and they make a great noyse and every one both man woman hath a censere in his hand offers some incense to the Sun they have horses also dedicate to the Sun after the manner of the Persians Iosias tooke away these horses dedicate to the Sun 2 King 23.11 they used to ride upon these horses when they went to worship the Sunne The Lord promises Ier. 13. that he would breake down the image of Beth Shemesh which was the house of the sunne and the Egyptians met yearely to
asuphim collectos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those were called Collecti by the Hebrewes who were cast out by their parents but yet others tooke them up when their father and their mother left them Psal 27.10 my father and mother have left me but the Lord hath gathered me up Those by the Greekes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast out by their mothers and projecti Psal 71.9 Cast me not off Thirdly naturall and not Legitimate sonnes were those who were not begotten in lawfull marriage yet the mother contented her selfe with one and was not common to many And those children were called beni neker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 144. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filii extranei The fourth were those who were neither naturall nor Legitimate Spurius filius non filius Ben Syra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were borne of common harlots Such a one the Hebrewes called mamzer from mum zer aliena labes and the Latines called them incertos and filios vulgi and varit Quia ex vario semine and from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia nihil divinum in illis The Lord adopted them When God chose them to be his sonnes he adopted them Adoption was found out for the comfort of those who had not children 2 Sam. 21.8 Barren Micoll had five sonnes that is five legall or adopted sonnes So the daughter of Pharaoh adopted Moses Act. 7. But God although he had a naturall sonne of his owne yet he adopted the Iewes for his sonnes When men adopt children it is for want but Gods adoption of his children comes of abundance of his grace As the Lord adopted them so hee would have them brought up under his law as under a tutor Gal. 4. He taught them And as a man teacheth his sonne so the Lord taught them Deut. 5.5 And as Pharaoh his daughter when she adopted Moses to be her sonne Act. 7. caused him to bee brought up in all the sciences of Egypt So the Lord when he adopted the Iewes for his children he taught them by his Law When they were his people many were converted from Gentilsme to Judaisme and they were called Proselytes This they thought to be the greatest honour to be made members of the Church the Queene of the South came from a farre Country to see the wisedome of Salomon and the order of his house and of his servants 2 Chron. 9.4 So the proselytes came from farre Countries to heare the wisedome of God and to see the order of his house and the comelinesse thereof David thought the swallow and the sparrow happie that built their nests neare the Altar of God Psal 84.3 might not they then thinke themselves happie who came so neare to the house of God as to heare his Law expounded unto them and to have these mysteries of salvation revealed unto them which the Gentiles knew not of The proselytes were those The Proselytes that came to the Iewish Church of the Madianites Iethro of the Huzzites Iob of the Syrians Naaman the Syrian of the Iebusites Arauna the Iebusite of the Hittites Vriah the Hittite of the Gittites Ittai 2 Sam. 18.2 of the Canaanites the woman of Canaan of the Ethiopians Ebedmelech the Blacke-moore and the Eunuch of the Queene of Candaces an Ethiopian Act. 8.27 of the Philistines David had the Cherethites for his guard 2 Sam. 15. of the Moabites Ruth of the Samaritanes the tenth man of the Lepers Luke 17. and the Samaritane woman Iohn 4. of the Idumeans Herod and of the Gibeonites the Nethinim who hewed the wood and drew the water for the Temple Iohn 9.21 And at the birth of Christ the three wise men that came from the East to worship Math. 2.11 And the Grecians from the West Iohn 12 20. of the Romans Cornelius the centurion and from Antioch Nicolas a proselyte Act. 6.5 and on Kelos the sisters sonne of Titus who pharaphrased in Chaldee the prophets Women proselytes So the women proselytes as Hagar the hand-maid of Sara Ashuer the wife of Ioseph Zipporah Moses his wife Siphrah and Puah the two mid-wives of Egypt so the daughter of Pharaoh Rachab Ruth Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite Now the whelps beganne to eate of the crummes which fell from the childrens table but it was a miserable case when the children refused the meate which was set upon the Table and began onely to gnaw the bones as Ierome speakes of them SECT 2. The second estate of the Iewes when they are lognammi not my people Lognammi What dignities they lost when they were not his people WHen they are lognammi now they are the tayle and not the head Deut. 28.37 now the crowne is fallen from their head Lam. 5.16 and now the Lord hath made them a by word amongst the heathen and a shaking of the head amongst the people Psal 44.14 when the Iewes of old used to imprecate any thing they used their imprecations wishing that such things might befall them as befell most miserable men Ier. 29.22 and of them shall bee taken up a curse by all the captivitie of Iudah which are in Babylon saying The Lord make thee like unto Zedekiah and like unto Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire because they committed villanie in Israel and adultery with their neighbours wives So the Iewes now are become a parable and a hissing to all nations and when they wish any misery to a man they wish that hee may be like a miserable Iew and the name is now in detestation to all the world When they were his people the Lord forbade them to marrie with the heathen but now no man will marrie with them no not the Turkes Of old they detested the Publicans as most vile sinners but now they are the onely Publicans who serve under the Turkes no man will trust them now they are so perfidious and their faith is punica fides and they carrie the markes of gods vengeance When men turne from darkenesse to light A bappie change when men turne from darkenesse to light this is a happie change as when they turned from Paganisme to Iudaisme and then they were called prosylites So when they turned from Iudaisme to Christianitie they were called fratres Iudaei Act. 15. and beleevers of the circumcision Act 10.45 So when they turned from Gentilisme to Christianitie they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.6 But when men fall from light to darkenesse that is A miserable change when men fall from light to darkenesse a miserable change as when they fell from the Iewish religion to Paganisme so when they fell from the Iewish religion to the Samaritans So when they fell from the Iewish religion to Saducisme so when they fell from Christian religion to Iudaisme Iosephus lib. 13. tit cap. 18. To fall from the Iewish religion to Paganisme so when they fell from Christianitie to Turkisme and lastly when
untill this last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Racematio was gathered in they had fallen away from the Lord a long time before he gave them this bill of divorce and upon their part they were not his people but yet upon Gods part they were still his people untill he gave them the bill of divorce he did not as yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but suffered them a while hee said not to them as yet Esto expulsa ame licita cuivis viro which were the words of the bill of divorce The Lord gave the Iewes sundry warnings before their rejection He gave them sundry warnings of their rejection before he rejected them The first was Matth. 12.16 And he charged them not to make him knowne that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Isaias Behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my soule is well pleased I will put my spirit upon him and hee shall shew judgement to the Gentiles The Lord forbade the clouds to droppe any more upon his Vineyard Esa 5. because he was to turne himself to the Gentiles this was the first warning of their rejection The second warning Math. 21.41 Marke 12.9 They say unto him hee will miserably destroy those wicked servants When they understood that this parable was spoken of them then they would not answer least they should seeme to condemne themselves but Christ pronounced this sentence that hee would destroy those wicked men which when the Pharisees heard they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbidde understanding that this was spoken against them Mat. 21.25 Wherefore when Mathew saith the Pharisees answered to Christ malos male perdat he respects the Pharisees mind and what they thought but they repressed themselves and there is a trajection here for after the 41. vers the 43. should be subjoyned and then the 42. and then the 44. and so Christs speech is made plaine which otherwise seemes to be obscure The third warning of the rejection of the Iewes is Matth. 23.38 Behold your house is left unto you desolate for I say unto you yee shall not see mee henceforth untill yee say Blessed is he who commeth in the name of the Lord. The last warning was Act. 13.46 Seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life Loe we turne to the Gentiles Then the Apostles shooke off the dust of their feet against them v. 51. which was a military signe of old wherby they knew that the enemy was approching for their destruction when they saw the horses approaching neare unto them and raising the dust with their feet against them then they might know that their destruction was at hand So the Iewes might know by the Apostles shaking off the dust of their feete that there was no peace for them any more but their destruction was at hand when they had fallen away now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SECT 6. Whether the Jewes are to be suffered in a Christian common wealth or not THe Iewes are to be tollerated amongst Christians now when they are out of the Covenant as they did tolerate us Gentiles when wee were out of the covenant When the gentiles were out of the covenant there were three sorts of them We should use the Iewes now as they used us gentiles when we were out of the covenant first the strangers that were strangers by birth by affection and religion secondly those who were strangers by birth and religion but not in affection that is those strangers who dwelt peaceable amongst them although they were not Proselytes and converted to their religion yet they permitted them to dwell amongst them the third sort were Proselytes and gentiles converted and they injoyed all the priviledges which the Iewes themselves enjoyed These that were Iewes by birth they called Hebraeos ex haebreis Phil. 3.5 That is whose parents were both hebrewes so hee whose father was an Hebrew and his mother a stranger he needed not to be made a proselyte he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indigena a naturall Israelite but if his father was a stranger and his mother an Israelite he was but alienigena and behooved to be made a Proselyte before he was to be admitted to the societie of Israel but most of all those whose Parents both father and mother were strangers were not to be admitted to their society untill they were made proselytes and those they called bagbag by a contraction for ben gar filius gentilis viri the sonne of a man who was a Gentile and ben giorith that is the sonne of a woman who was a Gentile The Iewes who are Iewes both by birth religion and affection should not be tollerate amongst Christians So the Jewes now who are Iewes by birth religion and affection that is who hate Christ and Christian religion who raile against him and blaspheme him these should not be tollerated in a Christian Common-wealth who say they are Iewes but they are of the Synagogue of Satan Revel 2.9 These should be put to death as the blasphemer who blasphemed the name of the Lord was put to death Levit. 24. So should they now and if a Christian who incalls upon Christ and blasphemes God the father should dye the death So should a Iew who incalls upon God and blasphemes Christ dye the death Nehemiah when he heard the children speake halfe the language of Ashdod he contended with the men and pluckt off their haire Nehem. 13.25 Much more should the Christian Magistrate cut off the heads of these blasphemers who blaspheme the name of Christ Those that were strangers by birth and religion but not in affection were tollerated amongst them The second sort of strangers who dwelt among the Iewes and were tollerated by them were Gentiles by birth and religion but not in affection and they were called advenae portae the strangers within thy gate Exo. 20. Those strangers were bound to cease from their labours upon the Sabbath Maimo Hall cap. 8.12 13. and to learn the seven precepts of Noah that they might be drawn peece peece to aliking of the Iewish religion so the Iewes who live amongst the Christians now who are Iewes both by birth religion but not in affection they may be advenae portae to us strangers permitted to dwell within our gates If they dwell peaceably amongst us and abstaine from offences and some short principles of Christian religion should be taught unto them as the gentiles who were advenae portae learned the seven precepts of Noah Obj. Hee that worships not the true God should not be permitted in a christian common weale those Iewes worship not the true God therefore they are not to be suffered in a christian common wealth Answ Those who through ignorance worship not the true God and of whose conversion there is hope those may bee suffered in a christian common wealth
to bee desired then that gift which is bestowed upon the penitent yet that gift which is bestowed upon him is greater then the gift of continency in goodnesse and therfore in this respect Whether they are more bound to be thankefull to God who have not fallen or those who have fallen and are restored againe the penitent is more bound to thanksgiving The penitent before he fell he had the same gift of grace bestowed upon him which hee had who stands and when the penitent fell it was not for defect or want of grace but onely because he abused this liberty freedome and did not use that grace which was offered to him and so in the time of his fall he was equally obliged to God with him who stood for it was a greater benefit to him that the Lord suffered him all the time and gave him leasure to repent stirring him up againe to repentance then pardoning him of his sinne and restoring him to righteousnesse all these being considered hee was more bound to thankefulnesse then hee that continued still and fell not for the remission of one sinne to a sinner should bee highlier thought of then the hope of life eternall and the righteousnesse that others stand in for as the malefactor when hee is delivered from the fire to the which he was adjudged will no lesse esteeme of that benefit then a good man would doe if a kingdome were bestowed upon him for the freeing of a man from the greatest evill is even as he should bestow the greatest good upon him this is the case betwixt the Angels who have not fallen and man Whether the Iewes or Gentiles bee more bound to God for offering pardon to them Now the second case is betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles which of them are most obliged to God in offering pardon of sinne to them Christ cleares this by the parable of the two debtors hee to whom most was forgiven was bound to love most now if wee shall consider the great sinnes of the Iewes and the pardon offered to them and calling of them to repentance they are more bound to thanksgiving then the gentiles Neither can that parable of the forlorne sonne and of his eldest brother who stayed at home bee applyed to the Iewes and the Christians although the Iewes were the elder brother who stayed at home alwaies with their father and the gentiles the younger brother who went away as the forlorne sonne The prayer of THEODORVS BEZA for the conversion of the Iewes LOrd Iesus thou justly revengest the contempt of thy truth and that ungratefull people of the Iewes deserves most severely to be punished but Lord remember thou thy ancient covenant and looke upon those poore wretches for thy Names sake and grant Lord unto us upon whom thou hast bestowed such great mercies that we may daily grow in grace and that wee be not instruments of thy wrath against them but rather by the knowledge of thy word and by our holy conversation they may be drawne to the right way againe and so at last that thou maist be acknowledged of all nations and people and may be glorified for ever Amen FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedictus qui dat lasso robur Et cui non sunt vires ei rubur multiplicat Perlegi hunc librum cui titulus est tractatus de quadrageminis filijs degeneribus Atheo Mago Jdololatra Judeo in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus cum utilitate publica imprimatur Tho. Weekes R. P. Episcop Lond. Capell domest Errata Page 3. line 11. for Acharon read Acharai p. 113. l. 24. for farthest r. farther ibid. l. 23. for both r. but. p. 135. in the mar dele all lunaticks are not daemoniacks p. 150. l. 6. adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 207. adde in mar le pi Iehova in mar p. 113 l. 22. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 259. l. 14. adde to worship Baal or to halt betwixt God and Baal p. 279. l. 20. for or r. and. p. 319. l. 5. for so r. Sow p. 336. l. 13. for the world is able to containe those bookes which he wrote r. the world could not containe the bookes that should be written of him p. 9. l. 21. for Iohn r. Ioshua p. 300. l. 3. for might revenge r. might not revenge p. 32. l. 34. for greater r. great p. 146. l 1. dele therefore ibid. l. 13. for circularum r. circularem