Idolatry The decrease of this Idolatrie Iud. 3.15 then they cryed to the Lord The decrease and the Lord sent Ehud a man left handed to deliver them In the originall it is Ittar Iad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shut of the right hand It is not well translated Ambidexter a man who could use both the hands he was not like those who could hurle stones both with the right hand and with the left 1 Chron. 12.2 he had the use of the left hand onely but he was lame in his right hand or his right hand was shut together and hee only used his left hand the strok whereof is most dangerous God in delivering of his owne chooseth often times weake meanes that his glory may appeare the more as heere when Gideon was to fight against the Madianites he cashired two and twenty thousand and then there remained ten thousand and they were too many therefore hee made onely choise of three hundreth and the Lord said I will trie them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iud. 7.4 Hebraice constabo eos that is I will separate the drosse from the gold that is the weake from the strong and I will choose the drosse that al the glory may returne to me in the victorie for the fewer there was in number the greater was the Lords glory So when hee delivered his Church by Gideon that barley cake and when hee overthrew the enemie by Samgars oxe goad Iudg. 3.31 by Deborah a woman when there was neither speare nor shield seene in Israel Iudg. 5.8 and when there was no smith in Israel to make sword or speare yet they overthrew the Philistines who were in number like the sand of the sea 1. Sam. 13.5 The third increase of Idolatrie was in Deborah her time Iud. 5.8 when they chose new gods The third increase of Idolatry A difference betweene nest gods and strange gods that is strange gods So new tongues are called strange tongues Mar. 16.17 Acts 2.4 They may be called strange gods which are not new gods for the Idoles which their fathers worshipped cannot be called new gods yet they were strange gods what ever god they fained to themselves that was a strange god The Iewes who worshipped Idoles were of three sorts The Iewes who worshipped Idols were of three sorts First those who worshipped Iebovah by their Idods First those who worshipped Iehovah the true God by the Idoles Iudg. 17.13 Then said Micha now know I that the Lord will doe me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest so 2 King 17.28 One of the Priests whom they carried out of Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should feare the Lord That is how to worship the calfe whom they thought represented the Lord. So when they set up the calfe in the wildernes they said to morrow shall be afeast to the Lord Exod. 32.5 they thought they worshipped the Lord by that calfe The second were those who worshipped strange Gods but not the gods of their fathers The second sort of Idolaters amongst the Iewes were those who worshipped strange gods but not the gods of their fathers Deut. 32.17 they sacrificed to new gods whom their fathers knew not Thirdly those who willingly chose new gods and not by the perswasion of others The third sort were those who willingly made choise of new gods they were worse than those who choose new gods by the perswasion of others as Amaziaâ— who tooke the gods of the King of Edom and worshipped them after he had come from the killing of the Edomites and carried away their gods 2 Chron. 25.14 he did this freely and of his owne choise but Salomon when he fell to Idolatrie he did it by the perswasion of others 1 King 9.48 Chron. 25.4 Whether those sinned more who worshâ—pped the true God by false meanes or those who worshipped false gods by false meanes Quest. Whether sinned they more who worshipped the true God Iehovah by false meanes then those who worshipped the false gods by false meanes Ans In one respect they sinned more who worshipped the true God by false meanes because they had a greater knowledge of the true God that made their sinne the greater but in those againe who worshipped false gods by false meanes there was a double sinne first in respect of the object because they worshipped a false god Secondly in respect of the meanes because they chose false meanes to worship their God by Quest If one man should sweare a falsehood by the true God and another should sweare a truth by a false God which of these two sinnes were the greater Answ The sin of him who sweares a truth by the false god is greater than his sin who sweares a falsehood by the true God the reason is because Idolatrie is a greater sin than perjurie The sinne of him who sweare a truth by a false god is greater than his sinne who sweares a falsehood by the true god Perjurie is but a sin against the third command and Idolatry is a sin against the second commandement which is greater than perjurie He that sweares a falsehood by the true God denieth but the verity of God but he that sweares the truth by false gods he doth wrong to the very essence of God for he gives to a creature that which is true only to God The Lord objects to his people Ier. 5. that they sweare by false Gods they that sweare by false gods professe that their Idols know all things and cannot be deceived which is onely proper to God if we respect perjurie it is a greater evill to sweare a falsehood by the true God then to sweare a truth by the false gods But Idolatrie is alwayes a greater sinne then perjury therefore to sweare the truth by a false god must be a greatter sin then to sweare a falsehood by the true God The decrease The decrease of this Idolatry When the children of Israel cried unto the Lord for the oppression of Iabin King of Canaan the Lord sent Deborah and Baracke to deliver them Iudg. 4. The fourth increase of Idolatry under the Iudges The fourth increase of Idolatry was when the children of Israel did evill in the sight of the Lord Iudg. 6. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven yeares The decrease The decrease ver 7. And it came to passe when the children of Israel cryed unto the Lord because of the Midianites that the Lord sent the Prophet Gideon to the children of Israel to deliver them Gideon cast down Baals altar and sets up an altar to the Lord and calls it Iehovah Shalom that is the Lord send peace Iudg. 7. â—4 He would not suffer the altar of peace to stand with the alter of strife no more than the Lord would suffer Dagon to stand with the arke of God what communion hath light with darknesse and what communion hath the temple of God
him and untill he bee devested of those usurped titles his edicts have strength to bind the subjects so long as the tyrant stands they are to obey him and implicitâ— he hath the approbation of the subjects that is they wish that hee may doe Iustice so long as he rules The Romans subdued the Iewes and made them their captives and the Iewes by their tacite consent acknowledged them as their Lords and masters therefore Christ bidds them gave tribute to Caesar Mat. 22. So when they were carried captives to Babylon the Lord bidds them pray for the peace of Babylon Ier. 29.7 the people gave there tacite consent to the Babylonians and although they led them captive yet they were to pray for them as there superiors so the Priests although they sinned in usurpation of the priesthood as not being descended of Aaron yet durante tali statu so long as they continued their consecration was valide and they had gotten the tacite consent of the people by prescription of tyme. Quest 3. Who consecrated the high Priest after his fathers death Answ An inferiour Priest did consecrate him see Exod. 29.29 Num. 20.26.28 Quest 4. When the Idolatrous Priests hand was filled and a peece of flesh put therein whether had bee right to sacrifice and consecrate or not Answ None at â—ll for out of the Church there is no consecration therfore Ionathan in his 〈◊〉 Paraphrase calles him not Cohen but Cumer that is No consecration 〈◊〉 of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a heathen then Priest Iud. 18.30 the same phrase of sitting of the hand is used in consecrating of Ieroboams Priests a Chro. 13.9 and yet Ieroboam had no power to consecrate them the water which came out of the rocke 3 Cor. 10. was a sacrament to the Israelites when they dranke of it but when the beasts dranke of it it was no Sacrament to them so this consecration was no consecration to them who were out of the true Church And as Ishmael although hee was truly circumcised by Abraham yet to his posteritie who left the true Church and used circumcision still it was no Sacrament So this consecration out of the Church was no consecration to them and they had no more right to it then the theefe hath to the true mans purse when he takes it The third irregularitie in this consecration was this that he made an Ephod for his sonne to serve this Idoll with There were three sorts of Ephods the first was a religious Ephod such was the Ephod of the Priests Three sorts of Ephod The second sort of Ephod was a politicke or civill Ephod which David wore when he danced before the arke and that which Gidâ—on made and left at Ophrah The third was an Idolatrous Ephod which is joyned here with Teraphim and not with Vriâ—â— and Thaâ—â—â—â—â—â— as the Lords Ephod was The fourth irregularitie was this when hee were consecrate he sacrificed in a private place his fathers house and not in Shilo in the place where the worship of God was performed at that time and this was as badde as if hee had sacrificed in the high places or in the groves Then it was added they did this because there was no king in Israel Kingly governement of the best governement Observe here first that Kingly governement is the best governement and a King here is put for a best magistrate because the Lord was to bring in this kingly governement amongst them Therefore they were called Kings before the institution of Kings as Moses is called a King Gen. 36.31 Deut. 33.5 And because Kingly governement was the most excellent governement therfore it is that sundry things take their denomination from a King at the King lawes Iam. 2.8 so the Kings highway Num. 20.17 so the shout of a King Num. 23.22 that is a joyfull shout as when they were choosing a King A magistrate must have a care both for maintenance of religion and Iustice They committed this Idolatrie because there was no King in Israel so they abused the Levites wife because there was no King in Israel Iudg. 19.1 Here wee see thâ—â— the magistrate is custos utrinsque tabulae and it belongs to him to vindicate the worship of God Idolatrie is iniquitâ—s Iudicum Iob 31.28 That is it is to bee punished by the Iudge and to punish wrongs done by men to men there are two pillars strong like Iakin and Bagâ—as 1 King 7.21 Iustice and religion when these two faile then the landâ—elts Psal 75.3 the Hebrewes say the world is upholden by three things Super lege super cultusacro super retributione benificiorum when these three faile then the world goes to decoy Now Micah will have another Priest then his sonne a Levite of Iudah to be his Priest Quest How could he be a Levite and of Iudah for the Levites were not of the tribe of Iudah Answ Hee hath beene of the tribe of Levi by his mother for women of one tribe might marie with men of another tribe providing that they were not heretickes then they were alwaies bound to marrie within their owne tribe to keepe the inheritance distinct Micah chused this Levit to sacrifice but the Levites might not sacrifice nor inquire any thing of the Lord The Levites might not sacrifice but by the priests When the Tabernacle was to be taken up or set downe no stranger might come neare it here all are called strangers who are not priests or Levites Num. 1.51 But when they were to sacrifice no stranger might sacrifice that is neither Israelite nor Levite Num. 3.10 Therfore when he chose a Levite to sacrifice here there was a great irregularitie their callings were two distinct callings The calling of the Levites and the priests were two distinct callings the Levites did some things which the priests might not doe as to carry the Arke therefore Vzza was killed who touched the Arke being a priest and the Levites might not sacrifice under the paine of death Num. 3.10 This wandering Levite was redacted to great miserie and he was content with a poore portion It was a great curse upon the posterity of Eli when they should come and crouch for a peece of silver and a morsell of bread and should say Put me I pray thee into one of the priests offices that I may eate a peece of bread 1 Sam. 2.36 So when this base Levite sought to be a priest and was content with ten shekells of silver a yeare and a suite of apparell and his victuals Iudg. 17.10 then he came and crouched downe for a peece of silver and a morsell of bread None that served in the temple or tabernacle in the basest office did it for nought as they that shut the doores and kindled the fire Mal. 1.10 or the Nethinims Iosh 9.27 who hewed the wood for the sacrifices and drew water for the temple or the Levites that flead the beasts or the Priests that offered the
Lastly A comparison betwixt the dâ—vill alone and the Atheist let us compare the Atheist and the devill alone the devill acknowledged Christ to be the Sonne of the most high God Mark 5.7 Secondly he worshipped vers 6. Thirdly adjures Christ v. 7. and acknowledged that an oath is the bond of the soule Num. 30.2 Lastly he knowes that there is a day appointed when God shall come to judge the world Matth. 8.29 but the Atheist neither acknowledge Christ to be the Sonne of the most high God neither worships he Christ He cares not for an oath which is the bond of the soule neither expects hee the last day of Iudgement therefore in these he is worse then the devill The Atheist should die the death These Atheists should die the death Whosoever worshipped strange Gods should die the death Deut. 13.9 And Asa 2 Chro. 15.15 enlarges this threatning Whosoever would not seeke to the Lord God of Israel should die the death Much more then should these die the death who denies the true God And the Heathens judged that Atheists should die the death as Laertius witnesseth of that wicked Theodorus who was condemned in Areopago propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was condemned for Atheisme and Socrates as this same Laertius witnesseth quod non eosdem atque civitas deos pictaret quod nova numina inveheret hee because hee beleeves not in these gods which the rest of the citie beleeved in and studied to bring in new gods amongst them When there was no king in Israel every man did that which seemed good in his owne eyes Iudg. 17.6 So when men beleeve that there is no good what marvell is it that they runne not into all sinnes and abominations Atheisme is the center of all sinnes This Atheism is the center of all sinnes and the Atheist is the vilest of all creatures wherefore let us abhorre Atheisme above all other sinnes and shunne the company of these damnable Atheistes who are appointed for hell and damnation SECT 3. Of Superstition THe ignorance of God hath two rivers proceeding from it the one is Atheisme The ignorance of God breeds Atheisme and superstition and the other is Superstition and as seed sowne in some hard ground brings forth no fruit at all but in other ground it grows so ranke and luxurian that the labourer reapes no profit of it The Atheist is like unto hard ground where no corne growes the Superstitious againe exceedes in his worship and runnes as farre unto the other extremitie This superstition is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 timeo metuo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 numen It is a good observation of Tertullian Verity in the midst suffereth betweene two extreames that as Christ suffered betwixt two theeves so veritie suffereth betwixt the two extremes The Heathen held a multitude of gods to be worshipped and they denied unitie The Iews again holds unitie worshipping one God but denies the Trinity of persons Here trinitie and unitie suffereth in the middest betwixt the two extremes as Christ did in the middest betwixt two theeves So Eutiches confounded the persons and Nestorius divided Christ into two persons veritie suffered in the midst here so in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 1.12 Some held that they were onely Christs others called themselves after Apollo and others Cephas veritie suffered in the midst here for we must foâ—â—â—nour Christ that we despise not his Ministers and wee must so respect his Ministers Atheisme and superstition are the two extreames and true religion suffereth in the midst that we depend not upon them in matters of salvation and so here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atheisme and Superstition are the two extremes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the true worship of God suffers in the midst This Superstition exceedes in worship and offers more to God than he requires at their hand Esa 1.12 and as the Lord forbids to be too just Eccles 7.16 so he forbids men to exceede this way and to runne into superstition Quest How can a man exceede in the worship of God Answ in theogicall vertues as they are theologicall a man cannot exceede but onely in the circumstances as when a man hopes hee must take heede what hee hopes for how he hopes and when so a man cannot exceede in justice in respect of justice it selfe but in respect of the circumstances This justice may degenerate and may exceed as when the Iudge considers not where or whom he should judge or how hee should judge No theologicall nor morall vertue can exceede in it selfe but onely in respect of circumstances men does exceede This superstition the mother of it is ignorance Ioh. 4. Yee worship yee know not what the companion of it is hypocrisies the daughters of it are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will worworship and idolatrey and it is found more in women then in men Act. 13.50 and in the ignorant more than the learned and it is like wine which runnes into a mans head and makes him giddy whereas true worship is like wine which goes to the heart and cheares it What are the mother and daughters of superstition This superstition is hardly rooted out jelousie frensie and heresie and superstition are hardly rooted out take but the example of the Iewes who will not eate of the hollow of the thigh never since Iacob halted upon his thigh saith Moses untill this day Gen. 32.32 and it continues amongst the Iewes untill this day now for they will not eate of that at all but sels it to the Christians Superstition is hardly rooted out of the heart The superstitious are sinistrous in their conclusions and if the Christians will not buy it they throw it to the dogges The superstitious are most sinistrous in their conclusions because the nailes pierced the Lords hands and feete and the whip whipped him therefore they will worship them The Philistims will not set their foote upon the thresholds of the doore 1 Sam. 5.5 because Dagon fell and brake his necke upon the threshold of the doore but they should rather have set their foote upon the necke of Dagon and treade upon him because that Dagon could not preserve himselfe that he breake not his necke Let us compare the religious A comparison betwixt the religious and superstitious Plutarch de superstitione and the superstitious together the superstitious finds no comfort in his Religion as the religious doth The Church to the religious is a place of pleasure but to the superstitious it is a place of torment and therefore their Idols are called terriculamenta Ier. 50.38 tormina in the temple hee is punished and vexed there he holds up his trembling hands and he goes no otherwayes to the temple than if hee were going to the den of Beares or Lyons The labourer after his labour findes his sleepe comfortable unto him Eccles 5.12
to save us from the devill then we know the devill hath no power to hurt us we expect no positive effect here from him but only that he hurt us not and the man when he removes the signe he expects nothing by reason of the covenant made betwixt the witch and the devill but by breaking this signe he breaks the covenant betwixt Satan and the witch Therefore when he expects that the devil should hurt no more he doth not as if he should say performe thou that which thou promised seeing I have plaid my part but rather thus I breake off the covenant which thou madest with the witch and hath removed this signe which thou appointedst for hurt therefore thou must hurt no more SECT 6. Of the indirect covenant with the devill What is the indirect covenant with the devill HEe makes the indirect covenant with the devill who useth foolish signes or write or words trusting in them although he hath not made a covenant directly with the devill When the Idolaters offered cakes to the queene of heaven they who offered the cakes made a direct covenant with the Idoll but the little children who gathered the stickes Ier. 7.18 made but an indirect covenant with the Idoll So the witnesses that stoned Stephen Act. 7. directly killed him but Saul who kept the cloathes of those who stoned him was indirectly guilty of his death but as Saul became a most cruell wolfe and persecuted the Church Act. 26.10 So these who enters into the implicit or indirect covenant with the devill may afterward easily enter into the direct covenant with him he who enters into direct covenant with the devil takes his marke in his forehead and hee who enters into the indirect covenant with him takes but his marke in his hand The Casuists of the Romane Church doth not condemne this indirect covenant altogether for if any use these signes which they use of probable ignorance they take this to be but a veniall sinne SECT 7. Of the diverse sorts of divination VVHen God forbiddes his Church to commit any sort of Idolatry or to worship any creature he forbids all creatures to be worshipped either which are in heaven or in earth or under the earth In heaven as the Sunne the Moone and the Starres in earth as men beasts foules neither under the earth in the waters So the Lord forbids all sort of divination in the heaven and this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudiciall astrologie is forbidden or Iudiciall Astrologie So in the earth when men observe dreames and this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So when they observed the intrales of beasts and this was called extispitium so when they marked the flying of the foules and this was called Augurium So when hee gave his answers by lot and this was called Sortilegium And lastly when hee gave his answers by those who are under the earth by the dead and this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes he gave his answers by the skull of a dead man and this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scripture gives diverse names to these Astrologers and condemnes them What names are given to these Iudiciall astrologues in the Scripture F rst they are called Meggnonenin Mic. 5.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agnanan which signifieth a cloud because they give their answers under pretext of the clouds Secondly this Iudiciall astrologie is called haiidgnoni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 20.27 and the 70. translate him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he is joyned with obh which signifieth ventriloquious him or her who gave their answer out of the bellie and he is joyned often with the Pithonise and with the Magitian therefore they called this judiciall Astrologie clavim magiae the key that openeth the way to all Magick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly they are called hachozim bakokebhim intuentes stellas beholders of the starres Esay 47.13 chaza signifieth not onely to see but also to foretell things contingent and therefore the Prophets were called chozim videntes 1 Sam. 9.9 Fourthly they were called modignim lachodashim monethly prognosticators 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 47.13 they made their predictions by the moneths They reduced all things which they had to doe to severall monethes observing their Epimerides and so Haman cast his lot to fall in the twelfe moneth in the thirteenth day of the moneth for the destruction of the Iewes Esth 9.1 And they tooke nothing in hand before they observed those monethly prognostications These the Chaldees called Astagnine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these were they who said this day is an unluckie day to undergoe any businesse and this day is a good day so they said we will not take a businesse in hand but in the first day of the moneth or the Kalends Fiftly they are called Asaphim Dan. 2.2 and they were so called because in the twilight they marked the heavens most Nasaph signifies the twilight Iudiciall astrologie came first from Idolatrie This Iudiciall Astrologie came first from Idolatrie for Idolaters worshiping the Sun the Moone and the Starres as gods they ascribed more to them then naturall influx that by them things contingent might be foretold The religion of the Babylonians was no other thing then the science of the Chaldeans and they gave the selfesame names to the starres which they gave to their gods The Babylonian priests in their sacrifices Vide valesium pag. 211 said these same things of their Gods which the astrologer said of the stars When the Priests were asked who had stolen the oxe they said it was Mercurie that had stolen him and the Astrologue said that he was born under Mercurie who had stolne the oxe Therefore Ier. 10.2 the Idolater and the Astrologue are joyned together Learne not the way of the heathen and be not afraid of the signes of heaven here he puts the way of the heathen their Idolatry with the feare of the starres As this Iudiciall astrologie came from Idolatry Who enlarged this Iudiciall astrologie so it was inlarged much afterward by the Chaldeans therefore a Chaldean is put for a Genethliacke Dan. 2.10 He sent for the Chaldeans that is the Genethliackes as an Arabian is put for a theefe Ier. 3.2 Thou lay like a Arabian by the way that is like a theefe as a Cananite is put for a merchant or one that tradeth Hos 12.7 and the Iewes learned much of their Iudiciall Astrologie from the Chaldeans Iudg. 5. the Starres fight against Sisera Vide Michol in radice Maschah They say that these Starres were unluckie Starres to him And that the Astrologues foresaw his ruine in the Starres and forbade him to goe out to battell that day but the Lord they say hardened his heart and drew him to the river Kison where he was killed And lastly the wicked Mahumitans have much more enlarged this Iudiciall astrologie This devilish art is first injurious
Iudas kisse to the Iewes whomsoever I kisse Matth. 26.48 so from the devill to man as when they foretell by the flying of the foules the events of things and things contingent and so when they called upon the Flie dominus muscae the devill answered them 2 King 1.4 There was one sort of divination by the foules very strange amongst them they caused to write twenty foure letters in the ground and layed a graine of barley upon every letter and the Magitian set forth a cocke using certaine conjurations in verses and marking what graine the cocke did picke up Pecerus pag 322. these letters they joyned together The master of Iamlicus Proclus by this sort of divination would know who should be Emperour after Valence and when as the cocke had picked up onely the graines of the foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was uncertaine whether this was Theodosius Theodotus Theodorus or Theodectes Valence being uncertain who was meant caused to put to death many who were named by these names fearing that some of them should surprise him in his Empire and Iamlicus fearing the Emperours wrath dranke poyson and made himselfe away There was something naturall in this action as for the cocke to eate something casuall as to picke up such a graine and something ex instituto humano by mans appointment that the letters being joyned together should signifie such a name and something diabolicall as who should be Emperour This kinde of divination hath beene derided by sundry It is memorable which is reported by Herateus of Mausellanus how hee mocked these diviners by the foules for when he was travelling towards the red sea with Alexander the great Vide Petrum Cunaeum pag. a Diviner seeing a bird sitting by the way desired the armie to stay for a while and hee should shortly tell them what successe they should have in the warre Mausellanus being skilfull in archerie bends his bow and killed the bird and this way mocked the Diviner saying how could this poore bird foretell what should become of the armie when it could not foretell its owne death Cato was wont to say that he marvelled when one of these diviners met another that they could abstaine from laughing who so deluded and mocked the people This kinde of divination by the foules When the divination ceased ceased most when the Roman Empire ceased the Romans were much given to it So to divine by the intrales of beasts good or bad successe is unlawfull Ezech. 21.26 To divine by the intrals of beastes is unlawfull he looked into the liver this is extispitium the Priests of the Lord when they were to sacrifice a beast they looked first whether it was whole and sound or not Secondly whether it wanted hornes and hoofes or not Psal 69.21 if it wanted these they would not sacrifice it Thirdly if it was not found within they would not offer it And lastly when it was burnt they observed whether it was wholely burnt to ashes or not then they tooke this for a good signe therefore David prayes Psal 20.3 Remember all the offerings and turne thy sacrifice to ashes So the heathen counterfeiting them looked to the intrals of beasts and to try the events of things contingent by them The last sort of divination forbidden is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they asked counsell of the dead or did divine by the skull of a dead mans head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this the Hebrews cals Begolgola and by Teraphim Elias in Tishbi tels the manner how these Teraphim were made they tooke a child uncircumcised whose head they pinched off with their nailes and they put a little plate of gold under his tongue and wrote upon the plate the name of the spirit which they called upon How many wayes this Teraphim is taken in the Scripture This word Teraphim is taken three manner of wayes in the Scripture first univoce for the Teraphimes which the Magitians used such was Labans Teraphim which he consulted with Gen. 31.19 Secondly this word Teraphim is taken Analogice for the Idols which the Idolaters worshipped Iudg. 18.14 These were not like Labans Teraphim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by way of analogie they are called Teraphim for the worshipping of idols is the worshipping of devils 1 Cor. 10.21 Thirdly the word Teraphim is taken aequivoce Such was the Teraphim which Michol kept in her house 1 Sam. 19.13 made only to the forme of a man for it is not likely that David who had a care to purge his house of all abominations Psa 101. would have suffered his house to have bin polluted with Teraphim either in the first or second sense Theodoret turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seemes to containe the corps of the dead man and yet the corps is not there So this Teraphim was like unto a man yet there was nothing within it to resemble a man This word devill is taken three wayes in the Scripture So this word devill is taken three wayes in Scripture first univoce as the devill put it in the heart of Iudas Ioh. 13.2 Secondly Analogice Ioh. 6.70 Iudas analogice is called a devill there And thirdly aequivoce when Christ calls Peter Satan Math. 16.23 SECT 10. Of the power of the devill what Satan can doe by himselfe and by his instruments THere is a twofold power an absolute power There is an absolute and a limitate power and a limitate power Gods power is an absolute power therefore power is put for God Matth. 26.64 At the right hadn of the power that is at the right hand of God and Satans power is a limitate power How Gods power is limitate and the devils power is limitate God limitates his owne power sometimes ad intra as Gen. 19.22 hee saith hee could doe nothing while Lot came to Zoa◠God by his absolute power might have destroyed Lot in Sodome but by his limitate power hee could not because it made more for the glory of God to save Lot then to destroy him but the devils power is a limitate power from without for God who is more strong and mighty than hee linitates and bindes him and farre exceedes the devill in power First God can onely create things of nothing God can onely create things of nothing Satan cannot doe this God when by his mighty power hee doth create presupposeth nothing to worke upon and his action in creation depends upon no other thing for if he presupposed any other thing then hee should not create absolutely by himselfe How God Nature and Art worketh This his action must be answerable to his infinite power Art when it worketh must have some subject actually to worke upon nature must have some thing potentially to worke upon but God when he worketh needeth nothing either actually or potentially to worke upon The Serpents which were brought before Pharaoh by the Magitians
cattle horses and sheepe when they cannot hurt the men themselves So he envies our good name The devill in the Syriacke Vide Buxtor in radice gnug Math. 4. is called A kal Kartza commedens accusationes and the reason of the name was this because they gave these Sycophantes and accusers pasties baked with honie that they might accuse and caluminat the more freely It was hee who objected to the Chrians Thiestaeas caenas incestus Oedipodeas promiscuas libidines conjurationes in principes And therfore he is a most impudent accuser Satan stood at the right hand of Ioshua to accuse him Zach. 3.1 for the accusers stood at the right hand of him whom they accused Ps 106 The devil is Ptyas Tertul quiquid publice utilitati infamis erat that spitting serpent Psa 144 who spits his venome a far off Tam absentes laedit quam praesentes pungit And therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rimâ—nator criminatio non sit sine veâ—bis sed Satan adâ—ersotur verbis factis a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies traijcere because with his venemous dart he peirces the children of God he is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Susurro who whispers privately against the children of God but he is an open calumniator who markes the wants and defects of the children of God when Ioshua stood with soule cloaths before the Lord Satan was ready to accuse him Zach. 3.3 when he was new come out of the Captivity like a firebrand new taken out of the fire Satan hath no pitty on him but he is then ready to accuse him if Ioshua's cloathes be sulled he is ready to marke that so he watches for our halting Ier. 20.10 and is glad when he sees us halt Psal 35.15 and if there be a hole in our coate he will say we are ragged and if we halt but a little he will say wee are creeples Therefore we had neede to pray Psalme 120.2 Deliver my soule O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitfull tongue So he envies our life in the policie an evill spirit of discention came betwixt Abimelech and the men of Sechem Iudge 9.23 But above all he envies our spirituall life Satan above all envies our Spirituall life Therefore it was that hee let Saint Paul that he might not come to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2.18 for he knew well that where there is no vision the people are naked Pro. 29.18 and this was the reason why he was a lying spirit in the mouthes of the false Prophets And when the pastors are present with their flockes and sowing their good seede Satan comes in and pickes up the good seede which is sowne Math. 13.19 and when they have sowne their good seede then the wicked one comes and sowes his kockell and his darnell and when the seede hath taken roote Satan leaves not off here he sought to winnow Peters faith Luke 22.31 so he labours to corrupt the pastors to teach hereticall doctrine and this is called a doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. Satan envies our spirituall life as our hearing of the Word he possesseth a man with a deafe devill Marke 9.25 The Lord takes the greatest paines about our eares more than any of the rest of all our senses to open our eare Esay 50.5 to uncover our eare Iob 33.16 To circumcise our eare Ierem. 6.10 To unstop the eare Esay 35.5 To boare our eare Psal 40.6 So stillare in aurem to drope into our eare Ezeck 21.2 Deut. 32. Hence it is that so often it is repeated in the Scripture He that hath eares to heare let him heare But the Devill shutes the eare he possessed a man with a deafe devill Marke 9.25 The eare is Ianua vitae the gate of life Faith commeth by hearing he stoppeth this sense that he might not heare and so get faith He temptes us in our faith 1 Thes 3.5 I sent to know your faith least by some meanes the tempter should have tempted you Sometimes he drawes us to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we have no faith when hee pickes up the seede when it is new sowne Math. 13. here there can be no faith sometimes he drawes us ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to little faith O thou of little faith Math. 14.31 and sometimes hee drawes us ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wavering when the ballance goes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up and downe and keepes not an equall measure when Peter said to Christ Math. 26.35 If all should leave thee yet would not I here the ballance goes up and when he denied him at the voice of a Damsell Math. 26.69 here the ballance goes downe So when he said to Christ Iohn 13.6 Thou shalt never wash my feete here the ballance goes downe and when he said unto him wash head feete and all Iohn 13.9 here the ballance goes up So when he said Master bid mee come to thee on the water Math. 14.28 here the ballance goes up but when he said I sinke Master Math. 14.30 here the ballance goes downe But he suffers few to come to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great faith Christ gives that commendation but to two and they were both strangers to the Cananitish woman Math. 15.28 and to the Centurion Math. 8.10 And how earnest he is against our spirituall life we may see it by his often tempting of Christ He left him for a season Luke 4.13 Yet he tempted him againe by the Pharisees and Saduces and by Peter Math. 16.23 And when Christ was about to offer himselfe a sacrifice to God his Father then came the Prince of this world to discourage him Iohn 14.13 actantius in Alen. So Satan hates the Christians and the Christian religion above all religion Lactantius saith when the heathen were sacrificing to their gods if a Christian had beene present they facrificed not Hence was that saying brought in into their mysteries exeant Christiani let the Christians goe forth he hated so the Christians that he could not abide them nor their religion The Scripture gives Satan many strange and terrible names first he is called Satan The Scripture gives Satan many terrible names because intestino odio homines prosequitur he hates man with a deadly hatred he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hater of men but we have to oppose to him Christ who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of men Secondly he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accuser of the brethten Revel 12.10 This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not any sort of accuser but such an accuser who accuses before a King In the Revel 12.10 hee is called the accuser before the Lord So he accused Ioshua before the Lord Zach. 3.3 and opposite to him we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who interceeds with the King for us Christ is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or
advocate 1 Ioh. 2.1 Thirdly the devill is called Abaddon and Apollyon Revel 9.12 and the Devils are called Sheddim Deut. 32.17 Psal 105.37 from Shadad evertere praedari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daemon vastare Esay 16.22.23 And in the Historie of Tobias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vastabit the devill is cald Ashmodeus from Shamad vastare because he makes havocke and wastes all and opposit to him is Christ who is our Saviour and saves us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dominus muscae Fourthly the devill is called Beelzebub dominus muscarum lord of flies the Legions of the devills flies in the middle Region of the aire But the Lord of Hostes is opposit to him who hath commandment over all the creatures Fiftly he is that old Serpent Revel 12.19 And the Serpent opposit to him is Christ lift up in the wildernesse Ioh. 3.14 Last Satan is a roaring Lyon and Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah is opposite to him Revel 15.15 When Zacharie saw foure hornes lifted up to scatter Israel he saw foure Carpenters ready to beate them downe Zach. 1.10 So whatsoever hornes Satan lifts up against the Church The Lord is ready to beate them downe and if there be poyson in the Serpent Christ is our Antidote In every fight it is most fit that wee know our owne weakenesse and the strength of our adversarie It was of old a most fearefull thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fight with beasts 1 Cor. 15.32 we have to fight with a roaring Lyon and an old serpent qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est who useth both craft and malice in his fight against us Therefore seeing we are not able to withstand him in this fight we should pray to the Lord God who is Ish milthama vir belli that hee would stand for us least wee fall in this combat SECT 15. By what meanes Satan is to be resisted THe weapons wherewith Satan is to be resisted are not carnall weapons 2 Cor. 10.4 for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holdes First wee will handle here the counterfeit and false weapons by which men have gone about to resist Satan and next the true weapons by which he is to bee resisted The counterfeit weapons which have beene used to resist the devill The counterfeite weapons by which men have gone about to resist Satan were either in the Iewish synagogue or Christian Church The counterfeit weapons in the Iewish synagogue In the Iewish synagogue God commanded the Iewes to weare Phylacteries to put them in remembrance to observe the Law of God out they abused these Tephilim or Phylacteries they made them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or helps to prayer as though they were derived from Palal precari to pray and not from Taphal apponere which is the right root and the 70. translate them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if as ye would say immobilia things that could not be removed but afterward they abused them to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remedies against enchantments which varro called Praebia quasi brevia hence comes our word briefe which Satan gives to men for to save themselves from hurts Therefore it was altogether prohibited in the Councill of Laodicea to make Phylacteries The Chaldee paraphrast paraphrasing upon Cant. 3.8 brings in the synagogue of the Iewes speaking after this manner I am beloved above all people because I binde my Tephilim upon my left hand and the paper is affixed to my right side and the third part of it looks towards my bed that there may be no power in the Devils to hurt me Here they abuse their phylicteries as a remedy against Magicke Secondly they abused their circumcision making it a remedy against Satan the Chaldee paraphrast paraphrasing upon the words of Soloman Cant. 3.8 Every one hath his sword upon his thigh for the feare of the night he notes this word upon the thigh to be the seale of circumcision in the flesh whereby they prevaile and doe not feare the devils that walke abroad in the night Thirdly they abused incense making it a meanes to banish the devill Cant. 4.6 I will get me to the hill of incense The Chaldee paraphrast pharaphrasing upon this place saith Omni tempore quo populus domus Israel tenebat manibus suis artem patrum suorū justorū fugiebant daemones nocentes tenebriones matutini meridiani eo quod majestas gloriae domini residebat in domo sanctuarij quae aedificata est in monte Moriah omnes daemones spiritus nocentes sugiebant ab odore incensi aromatum that is all the time that the house of Israel kept the Art of their holy Fathers the devils fled away both the morning devils and those of the midde day because the majestie of God dwelt in the sanctuarie which was built upon mount Moriah and all the devils fled away when they smelled the smell of this incense Fourthly they held that rootes and hearbes had power to expell the devill Iosephus lib. 7. cap. 23. Radix quae bara dicitur ◠statim expellit daemonia The roote called Bara presently drives out the devill And the same Iosephus in his book 8. of Antiquity cap. 7. shewes that Salomon had skill in exorcising and conjuring of spirits which he got from the Lord as the rest of his knowledge and that he used to hold these rootes to the nostrells of the possessed that by the smell or smoake of these the devils might bee driven out Thus we see how the Iewes in these times were too much given to magicke Fiftly they tooke the Liver of a fish whereby they might cast out Satan Tob. 7. but these are carnall weapons and the devill doth no more care for such weapons than the Leviathan doth who esteemeth Iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood Iob 41.27 The arrow cannot make him flie slingstones are turned with him into stubble and he laugheth at the shaking of a speare Object But they say because the Angels assume bodies upon them therefore bodily things may affect them and please them or displease them Answ The bodies which they tooke upon them were not the bodies of flesh and blood as ours are Luk 24. a Spirit hath not flesh and bones Ephes 6.12 Wee wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers when the spirits assumed bodies they were but Aeriall bodies they could neither bee drowned burned nor hurt they were onely dissolved againe into the Element No bodily thing could hurt them when the Seraphin tooke a coale from the Altar with a paire of tongs the Seraphin did not this for feare of burning Esay 6. But onely to shew that he would use the ordinary meanes which were appointed for the Altar when he tooke the coale from it So the Angell when hee appeared in a bodie to Manoah he went up in the fire but was not burnt by it Iudge 13.20 No externall
said that the Pharisees and Iohns disciples fasted but not Christs disciples the meaning is they fasted not usually as Iohns disciples and the Pharisees did but yet they fasted The third weapon to beate the devill is the sword of the spirit Ephes 6.16 take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Cant. 2.8 It is called the sword of the spirit because it is directed immediately by the spirit and because this sword pierceth to the heart This sword differeth from the magistrates sword this sword proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord Rev. 1.10 and it is called the rod of his mouth Esay 11. but the magistrate carries his sword onely in his hand Thirdly this sword is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a two edged sword it can both kill and save The Magistrates sword can onely kill but never quicken to restore a man to life Sauls sword never returned emptie from the bloud of the slaine 2 Sam. 1.20 It alwayes killed but it could never quicken but this sword can doe both therefore it hath not beene unfitly compared to the bitter waters when the woman that was guiltie of adulterie dranke them her thigh rotted and she died but if shee had beene an honest woman then having dranke of these bitter waters she conceived and brought forth a child so this sword both killeth and quickneth This sword divides betwixt the soule and the spirit but the Magistrates sword divides onely the head from the body This sword is of greatest force against the devils tentations It was by this sword that Christ beat Satan and all his tentations Mat. 4. when the disciples returned backe from the preaching of the Gospel then Christ saith Luke 10.18 I saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven the preaching of the Gospel is the speciall meane to make Satan fall when David gat the sword of Goliah in his hand having experience of it before he said there is no sword like that 1 Sam. 21.10 so there is no sword like this sword in the spirituall combate against the devill Quest What if the Lord should suffer Satan to appeare to us in a visible shape whether might wee use the sword of the word against him or not Answ We may not Satan is a very subtill enemie and can easily circumvent us therefore wee should not reason with him did hee not deceive Eva in her best estate when she reasoned with him how shall wee be able then to resist him Our part onely then in such a case is this to turne about our faces to the Lord and weepe upon him and desire the Lord to rebuke him Object If it be said why may wee not use this sword against Satan if he should visilby appeare to us as wel as when wee are commanded to use it against his tentations Answ His tentations are not so subtill when hee tempts us as when hee appeares visibly to us face to face for his tentations are mixed with our corruptions which are not as subtill as Satan himselfe is and therefore it is easier to resist these tentations by the word than to resist Satan himselfe SECT 16. That Sorcerers and Witches should be put to death THere are three sorts of people whom Satan tempts first those whom he tempts contrary to their will as those who were possessed in the primitive Church called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those should not be put to death those they pittied and placed inter Catechumenos amongst those who were catechized in the Church The second sort are those who enter in an indirect covenant with the devill those were not put to death sed admonebantur tantum they were onely admonished Those who enter in direct covenant with the devill should die the death The third sort were those who entred into the direct covenant with the devill and those were to die the death Deut. 18.11 For all that doe these things are abomination to the Lord. So Lev. 20.27 The Iewes in their thirteene rules of expounding of the Scripture this is the eight rule when a precept is set downe it is not set downe ut doceat de se non exivit sed ut docrat de toto universâ— exivit Their meaning is if a thing be spoken generally elsewhere and then be explained more plainely this clearer explanation is to be referred to the generall Example the Magitians indefinitely are commanded to die the death Exo. 22.18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live But Lev. 20.27 A man also or a woman that had a familiar spirit or that is a wizzard shall be surely put to death they shall stone them with stones and their bloud shall be upon them Hence they conclude that all sort of Magitians should die the death The diviners they hold should not die the death first they say that Kesem who is a diviner and who takes upon him onely to foretell things to come hee should not die the death but be admonished onely Secondly they say that Menaches Maimonides hujusmodi artium sectatores vel lapidibus obruendi erunt ut lidgnom Bagnal Oâ—h Mekasheph vel mitiori poena mulctandi ut Cosem Menaches Megnonan who markes the flying of the foules ought not to die the death hee is to be admonished and other wayes censured Thirdly incantator the charmer is not to die the death non facit opus peccatoris as they say in phesikta that is they doe not any thing that deserves death Fourthly Hamegronen qui observat nubes he is not to die the death and they say of him Non moritur est liber etiam a plagis that is hee should not die and he is free from stripes And lastly they say Qui perstringit â—oâ—lâ—s who deceives the sight as Inglers non moritur sed admonetur he is not to die the death but onely to be admonished But these three were alwayes to be put to death first Mekasheph malefitus or pharmacus they are called veneficae Exod. 22.18 Secondly Obh those who had a familiar spirit Thirdly Iidgnoni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui multa novit praedicit Targum translates him Ariolus these were alwayes put to death as in Sauls dayes he cut off the wizzards and those who had familiar spirits 1 Sam. 28.9 and Iosias tooke away the workers with familiar spirits and wizzards 2 King 23.24 Saul who caused before familiar spirits and wizzards to be taken away now because he falls to consult with them againe therefore justly he falls into the hands of the Philistines and is killed When Tiberius was Emperor hee caused to hang up those sorcerers and put them to death ad sacros lucos suspendebantur Magitians should lose their temporary estate As the Magitians should be put to death so should they lose their temporall estate and inheritance the Canaanites for their same was cast out of Canaan Deut. 18.12 Because of these abhominations the Lord thy God did drive out the
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
head of the calfe here or the whole calfe and the reason of the doubt is because S. Cyprian in his book De bona conscientia sub finem S. Ambrose Epist. 6. Lactantius lib. 4.10 S. Augustine in Psal 73. hold that it was not an oxe but caput bubuli which they worshipped But this seemes not to be probable seeing the Scripture every where calles it a calfe and hee resembleth him to an oxe eating grasse Psal 106.20 The head of an oxe alone cannot eate grasse and they resembled an oxe as neare as they could This oxe which they worshipped in Egypt was marked with strange spots Bos inquit in Egypto numinis vice colitur Apin vocant insigne ei in dextro latere candicans macula similis cornibus Lunae crescere incipientis nodus sub lingua quem cantbarum appellant There is an oxe in Egypt which is worshipped as a God and they call him Apis he hath upon his right side a white spot which is like the hornes of the Moone when shee beginneth to grow and he hath under his tongue a knot which they call Cantharus By what slight the devill continued this Idolatry in Egypt to worship the calfe And S. Augustine holdes that the devill whereby this Idolatrie might be continued in Egypt used this slight Phantasiam talis tauri vaccae concipienti ostendere ut libido ejus attraheret quod in ejus faetujam corporaliter appareret that is he presented before the Cow when she was ingendering and in her heat August de civit dei lib. 18. cap. 5. a Bull marked after the same manner that the oxe of Egypt was which markes the Cow apprehending in her phantasie transmitted to the calfe and by that meanes the calfe was marked after the same manner that the oxe was and so the divill by his slight and cunning continued this Idolatry in Egypt But marke the foolishnesse of these Idolaters this oxe which they worshipped when hee grew old they used to drowne him in some lake or poole and then they lamented for his death in mourning apparel knocking upon their breasts and renting their cloathes but when they had found annother marked after the same manner then they rejoyced exceedingly this was great madnesse Peucerus de divinatione pag. 223. One jested at the gods of Egypt when he saw them lament for their gods Si dii sunt cur plangitis si mortui cur adoratis if they be gods what neede you to lament if they be dead why doe you worship them The decrease of this Idolatrie This Idolatrous worship decreased when Moses caused the calfe to be beaten to powder and given to the people to drinke Exod. 32.20 thus hee would let them see when this Idoll was turned to excrements It was but a god of dung Lev. 26.30 Deut. 29.17 and because these Idolls were but gods of dung therefore the Lord commanded that Baals house should be turned into a privie 2 King 10.27 and so when the Levites consecrated their hands to kill their neighbours and brethren Exod. 32.29 that were Idolaters their hands were consecrated with the bloud of their brethren as that day when they were ordained priestes and the bloud of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the thumbe of their right hand Exod. 29.20 and this was as acceptable a consecration to the Lord as that day when they were consecrated priests unto him The second increase of Idolatrie in the wildernesse The second increase of Idolatrie in the wildernes was when God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven as it is written in the booke of the Prophets O ye house of Israel have ye offered unto me slaine beasts and sacrifices by the space of fortie yeares in the wildernesse yea yee tooke up the tabernacle of Moloch and the starre of your god Rempham figures which yee made to worship them How are the Israelites charged by Amos and by Stephen to have worshipped the host of heaven in the wildernesse when there is no mention made of this by Moses Here first wee are to enquire how the Israelites are charged by the Prophet Amos Chap. 5. vers 25. and by Stephen Acts 7. that they worshipped the host of heaven in the wildernesse when as the Lord never charged them with this sort of Idolatry in the bookes of Moses Secondly how they are said never to have sacrificed all the time that they were in the wildernesse when as they sacrificed to the Lord in the wildernesse Exo. 24.5 and Levit. 8.21 and 9.2 Thirdly what these Idolls were which they worshipped and sacrificed to in the wildernesse As to the first How can they be said by the Prophet and by Stephen to offer to the host of heaven seeing the Lord blames them not for that and we read nothing in the historie of Moses of it An. Rabbi Salomon reades it in the future tense portabitis ye shall beare as though the Lord were threatning a judgement against them for the time to come but this is neither the meaning of the Prophet nor of S. Stephen for they charged the Israelites with that Idolatry which they cōmitted whiles they were in the wildernes Beza upon the 7. Act. holds that the Israelites committed not this Idolatrie while they were in the wildernesse but the Prophet blames them that they worshipped God but hypocritically and not sincerely in the wildernesse and so David blames them Psal 95. and Psal 106. and therefore the Lord gave them up afterward to this open Idolatrie to worship the host of heaven But the Prophet Amos expresly saith Amos 5.25 that they worshipped the host of heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a particular wildernesse the wildernesse of Arabian where they wandered fortie yeares Object But if it be said that there is no mention of this Idolatrie in the history of Exodus neither are they charged with it as with other Idolatrie I answer that the Scripture The Scripture sets downe in some places that which is omitted in others and that makes up the full sense of the Scriptures sometimes sets downe in one place that which is omitted in another Example it is set downe in Exodus how the Magitians were called who resisted Moses and yet the Apostle calls them Iannes and Iambres 2 Tim. 3.8 So the strife which was betwixt the devill and Michael about the body of Moses the Apostle Iude sets it downe ver 9. So it is set not downe in the history of Genesis that Ioseph when he was in prison his feete were put into the stockes and Iron entred into his soule and yet David sets it downe Psal 105.18 So the Israelites worshipping of the Hoste of heaven in the wildernesse although it be not mentioned by Moses yet it is set downe by Amos and by Saint Stephen Act. 7. and many things are omitted in some places of Scriptures which are clearely set downe in other places which being conferred together makes up the full sense of
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
consecrate by the prophets and the Priests it became heavenlie fire The Iewes are uncertaine concerning the fire of the second temple for some say 2 Mac. 1.19 that the Priests hidde the fire of the first temple in a pit and that it was kindled againe in the second temple after the captivity R. David Hag. 1.8 But others of them hold that there were five things wanting in the second temple which were in the first the Arke Vrim Thummim the holy fire and Shechina the majestie of God who dwelt betweene the Cherubines Because this fire came from heaven therefore when they wanted it they studied by rubbing the stones of the altar one upon another to kindle the fire againe 2 Mac. 10.3 and the vest all virgins imitating them when their holy fire went out they kindled it againe with the beames of the sunne contracted into a christall glasse The third thing which Elijah did was this He caused all the Priests of Baal to bee kild this was Opimum Sacrificium Deo when the Levites consecrated their hands to kill their neighbours and brethren that were Idolaters Exod. 32.29 their hands were consecrate with their blood of the brethren as that day when they were ordained Priests the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the thumbe of their right hand Exod. 29.20 And this was as acceptable a consecration to the Lord as that day when they were consecrate priests unto him so the shedding of the blood of these Idolatrous Priests was as acceptable a sacrifice to the Lord as any could be Elijah for his good service done to God in that great famine the Lord preserves him wonderfully first by Ravens at the river Cherith who brought him bread and flesh twice in the day secondlie by the widow of Zarepta who had but a little meale which shee was to dresse and then to die 1 King 17.12 Chrysostome considering the fact of this widow Homil 19. 2. Cor. markes the great charitie of this widow that she gives not out of her povertie to helpe the prophet but out of her meere necessitie when both she and her child were like to starve neither having any hope to be helped by her neighbours and here hee compares Abraham his fact and her fact when Abraham intertained the strangers and hee preferres her charitie to Abrahams shee ranne not to the flocke as Abraham 〈…〉 â—nely to her poore handfull of meale which was reserved for her and her sonne Wee are bound to give of things that are profitable for us to helpe our neighboures necessitie as the Samaritan tooke his oyle and his wine and powred it into the hurt mans wounds So hee who hath two coates should impart to him that hath none Luke 3.11 but this poore widow gaver her one coate consumsit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 15.13 to save the Prophets life thirdly he was fed by the Angell The bowed their knees to Baal The Idolaters in Ahabs time bowed their knees to Baal The Hebrewes have foure words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which they expresse the signes of bodily worship The first is Barach the bowing of the knee The second is Cadad the bowing of the head from the necke upward The third is Carang the bowing downe of the head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the bulke of the bodie and the fourth is hishtahave to cast downe the whole body before them The Apostle Rom. 6.13 wills us that we should make all our members instruments of righteousnesse to God but the Idolaters made all their members the instruments of sinne to worship their Idols The steod with their heads uncovered before their Idols First their head they prayed before their Idols with their heads covered because the people of the East worshipped their great men with their heads covered therefore they prayed after the same manner and honoured their Idols standing before them with their heads covered Mishna Tom. 1. l. 2. Maymonides saith that religious outward worship should be given after the same manner as they worshipped great men and he addes nisi forte sit mos illius loci ut quis stet coram magnatibus aperto capite that is unlesse it be the manner of men in that place to stand bareheaded when they doe reverence to great men where wee see that the gesture and the manner of praying is to be accommodated to the custome of the place where one lives and they should testifie their outward reverence bâ— such signes as men testifie their reverence to greâ—◠〈…〉 This manner of worship varies in sundry parts Maymonides wrote his Mishna in Egypt and amongst the Mahumetans who uncover not their heads before great men but bow only their head before them and therefore when they pray they uncover not their head So the Iewes both the priests and people uncover not the head in time of divine service The priests had such bonnets upon their heads which could not easily be taken off and put on as ours and when they came abroad they never uncovered their heades but when they made great lamentation they uncovered their heads and cast ashes upon them But the Christians in the West when they doe reverence to their superiours they alwayes uncover their heads and therefore it is the fittest gesture for us to uncover our heads when we pray The Iewes who live here in Europe when they are in their synagogues they never uncover their heads which is altogether contrary to the custome of Europe They salute great men here uncovering their heads and so should they pray according to the canon of Maimonides but they do this in despight of the Christians The Apostle 1 Cor. 11. wills men to be uncovered and women to be covered when they pray because that was the usuall forme amongst the Grecians for the men did uncover their heads when they did any reverence to their superiours and the women had vailes which covered their heads and faces when they came abroad therefore he would not have them uncovered in time of prayer Secondly They worshipped their Idolls turning their faces to them they worshipped their Idolls by turning their faces to them and this is properly adorare ad os orare So the Lord commands his people that they should not turne their backes to him but their faces Ier. 2.27 And the Iewes say that it was not lawfull for anie when they came to the temple to worship if they entered in at the East gate to goe out at the same gate againe but to goe out at the North gate least they should turne their backs upon the Lord. The Iewes were commanded when they worshipped the Lord to turne their faces towards the temple when they were without it 1 King 8. This was to be understood only in their publique worship then they were bound to turne their faces towards the temple and so when they worshipped in their synagogues they turned their faces alwaies towards the temple and Daniel
The Iewes when they worshipped God publiquely turned their faces towards the temple which they did not in their private prayers when he was in captivitie opened his window and looked towards the temple when he worshipped but when they worshipped privately in their chambers they did not this as when Ezekias turned his face towards the wall and prayed to the Lord So David in his secret chamber prayed to the Lord and watered his couch with teares and Manasseh when he was prisoner in Babylon repented and prayed to the Lord we cannot thinke that he did this they turned not their faces towards the temple then They lifted up their eyes to their Idols Si dederis mihi cor oculos suos meus eris dicit dominum Occulus corsunt proxinetae peccati Thirdly they lifted up their eyes to their Idols Eze. 18.15 neither hath lifted up his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel The eye is the messenger of the minde when the eye is lifted up to the Idols it testifies that it hath a directon from the minde The Lord forbiddes them to goe a whoring after their owne eyes Num. 15.39 When David testifies that he worshipped God sincerely be saith unto thee I lift up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Ps 123.1 Our eyes then should waite upon the Lord as the eyes of the servants looke unto the hands of their masters and as the eye of the handmaind unto the hand of her mistrisse Psal 123. They honoured their Idols with their mouth kissing the Idoll Fourthly they kissed their Idols 1 King 19.18 Hos 13.2 they kissed the calves This kissing was an usuall thing in worshipping of their Idolls and they used to kisse either the mouth of the Idoll or their owne hand for when they could not reach to kisse the Idoll they kissed their owne hand in signe of homage to their Idoll and Iob purged himselfe of this kinde of Idolatry neither kissed I my hand Iob 31. They gave this kisse to their Idols which is due onely to Christ Kisse the sonne Psal 2. So to eate before the Idolls this is called eating upon the mountaines Ezech. 22.9 and this is Idolatrie They praysed God three manner of wayes Fiftly they praised their gods and that three manner of wayes first they called upon them with a loud voyce as they did to Baal 1 King 18.16 they called upon him from the morning to the noonetide of the day and then they were vocales Secondly they played upon instruments before their Idols Dan. 3.15 and then they had vocem femivocalem Thirdly they called upon their Idolls secretly within themselves and then they were muti this they called favere linguis in their Liturgie So the Church of God had these three sorts of wroship which they gave to the true God First they had ther publique prayers to the Lord and there they were vocales Secondly they offered the burnt offerings and played upon all sorts of instruments then they were semivocales 2 Chron. 29.27 28. And lastly they prayed within themselves for so long as the incense was in offering all the people prayed privately by themselves and all this while there was no voyce heard Luke 1.10 then they were muti and Iohn Revel 8. seemes to allude to this custome when he saith there was silence in the heavens for halfe an houre Sixtly they carried their Idols upon their shoulders Ier. 10.5 Acts 7.43 Bajulastis in humeris vestris even as the Levites carried the Arke of the covenant upon their shoulders 1 Kin. 2.26 So they carried their Idols Seventhly they held up their hands to their Idols The hand is instrumentum instrumentorum They held up their hands to their Iodols by it saith Fabius pollicemur we promise vocamus we call in vocamus we incal dimittimus we dismis Minamur we threaten supplicania we intreate timemus we feare interrogamus we aske negamus we deny by the hand we shew our sadnes our confession and our repentance we speake by the hand Prov. 6.13 He reacheth by his fingers and he promiseth by his hand we sweare holding up our hand or laying on the hand other parts of the body helpe a man to speake but a hand seemes to speake for it selfe we stretch out the hand to that which we would most earnestly apprehend Psal 119.47 Mine hands also will I lâ—ft up to thy Commandements whom I have loved that is to the Commandements which I desire most earnestly to embrace and lay hold on So Lament 3.41 We lift up our heart with our hands to thee Lord Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands to God Psal 68.31 but the Idolaters lifted their hand to their Idols Eightly they bowed their knees to them that is They bowed their knees to their Idols 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 17.14 they that came to sute for any thing they tooke their Lord by the knees because the knees was a signe of mercy power and life and therefore the knees were dedicated to mercy Servius Aenead 3. Dixerat genua amplexus genibusque volutans Haerebat He saith that the gods had sundry parts of the body dedicated to them as the eare was dedicated to memory the forehead was dedicated to Genius and the knees to mercie therefore when they begged for any thing they tooke them by the knees of whom they begged in our knees lyeth our abilitie to goe they are a signe of strength Esay 35.3 Strengthen our weake knees and when the Lord threatens a judgement that their strength shall faile them then he saith All knees shall be weake like water Ezeck 7.17 And as to bow the knee is a signe of weakenesse and indigencie so to bow the knee is a signe of dignity and power And therefore the Egyptians made choise to put the Elephant in their colours which was a signe of their Kingly power that bowed not his knee nor needed not to supplicate or begge any thing from another therefore when the Idolaters bowed their knees before Baal and touched his knee they acknowledged his power that he had knees like the Elephant that could not bow and also their owne weakenesse falling downe and bowing the knee to him to seeke his helpe Contrary to this bowing before the Idoll is the bowing of the knee to the Lord Iesus Christ Philip. 3. To whom all knees in heaven and earth should bow Act. 20.36 2 Chron. 6.13 All bowed their knees in the Temple of Ierusalem or stood but none sate but the King onely 2 Sam. 7.18 Psal 135.2 They stood barefooted before their Idols Ninthly they stood barefooted before their Idols The people of God when they came before the Lord he commanded them to reverence his sanctuary and the Iewes inferre from this that they stoode bare-footed in the Temple Exod. 3.7 Take off thy shooes because the place where thou standest is holy So the Temple is a holy place therefore they inferre that they stood bare-footed in
5.16 But the name of Iesus they hold in execration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They mocke his sirname Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so they hate the name of Christ they will not call their Messias Christus but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dilibutus Sixtlie they mocke the crosse of Christ and they call it Tramen stamen because those two resemble the crosse and when they dare not directly speake against Christ crucified yet they will closely under those termes mocke him Seventhly they despise the imputed righteousnesse of Christ and they jest at this that one should be punished for anothers fault then they say Tobias deliquit Sigog plectitur and yet the Lord saies Isa 53.5 By his stripes we were healed And they say It is good reason that every fox pay his owne skinne to the fleaer They deny our Lords resurrection Eightly they denie our Lords resurrection and they say he was stolen away by night and this saying is commonly reported amongst the Iewes unto this day Nynthly they hate the Sacrament of our Lords Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Iewes drinke not now the wine of the Christians and they reckon the wine in the supper inter libamina gentium which they may not drinke of and because that wine seales up to us the memorie of our Lords blood shed upon theÌ„ crosse therefore they most of all detest it Lastly they detest us Christians who are called after the name of Christ and they call us minnim haereticos and Nazarets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Idumeans and goi mamzer a bastardly people and they curse those who are converted from Iudaisme to Christianity thrice in the day they curse us Christians after this manner Anathema sit externis in serpente that is they wish to us who are not of their Religion the curse of the serpent and they say that there are foure uncleane beasts named in the Law Rabbi Bechai parteshamini Lev. 11.4 5 6 7. The Camell the Conie the Hare and the Sow These they say signifie the foure captivities which they were under The Camell signifieth the Babylonian Empyre The Hare signifieth the Medes and the Persians The Conie signifieth the Greeke Empyre and so the Romans And all us Christians they detest as the uncleane sow They thinke not themselves bound to keepe an oath to a Christian and they are absolved by their Rabbines of all guilt in the day of expiation if they perjure themselves to a Christian so they hold it not lawfull for a Iew to take Physicke of a christian no not in the greatest danger of death Schechardus in pâ—oemio regum Persie On Bendema a Iew being stung with a serpent a Christian named Iacobus Stephanites came to heale him but hee refusing his helpe hee died and his uncle said unto him when he was dying Blessed art thou my sonne for thou hast a pure soule this day going out of a pure body for now thou shewest that thou hast not transgressed the traditions of thy fathers who sayes Eccles 10.8 he that breakes downe the hedge the serpent shall sting him Thus they call their traditions the hedge yea they goe further against us Christians judging of us as reprobats because we eate things Forbidden in the law and they shew this by a parable Rabbi bechai in parte Shemini They say that a Physitian having two patients under his hand at once knew certainelie that one of them would die and that the other would shortly recover his health he permitted to him that was to die to eate what hee pleased but hee injoyned to him that was to live a more strict dyet as having a regard to his health So say they the Lord the great Physitian had two patients committed to his charge the Iew and the Gentile hee permitted the Gentile to eate what he pleased because there was no hope of his salvation but the Iew who was to live he restraines and puts to a dyet and commands him to eate no uncleane thing but the Lord taught Peter otherwise Acts 10. call not that uncleane which the Lord hath sanctified and made cleane Why Christ forbad to tell any that he was the Christ Quest The knowledge of Christ being so necessary to the salvation of man what was the reason that Iesus forbad his disciples to tell any man that hee was Iesus the Christ Mat. 16.20 Answ He forbade them not to tell of the Messias but that he was the Messias for it was enough for the people to know as yet that they should bee saved by the Messias although they knew not in particular Iesus the sonne of Marie to bee the Messias when Christ sent forth his Disciples Iohn 10.6 7. to preach this was not to preach the Gospel properly so called for that Christ reserved for himselfe to do while Christ was alive his Disciples were not to teach in their masters presence hee sent them foorth only in their first commission to prepare the hearts of the people against his comming therefore Mat. 10.23 Christ sayes yee shall not have gone over the Cities of Israel till the sonne of man come that is till hee come and teach that he was the Messias Error conditionis The last error concerning Christ is error conditionis when they tooke Christ to be a worldlie King or a Prince the Apostles themselves were overtaken with this error for a time and this made them to strive amongst themselves who should bee the greatest and this made the mother of the sonnes of Zebedee to desire of Christ that one of her sonnes might sit at his right hand and another at his left hand and the Apostles continued in this error till after Christs resurrection When wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel Acts 1.6 This error conditionis is the lightest of the three A man marrieth a woman hoping that she is rich or that she is a free woman when in the meane time shee is a bond woman and a poore woman this dissolves not the marriage as the errors of the person doth although the Apostles beleeved for a time that Christ should be a temporarie king yet that brake not off the covenant betwixt him and them The Iewes to this day hope that their Messias shall restore the Kingdome of David to the wonted dignitie and that hee shall build the sanctuary againe What the Iewes hope for in their Messias to come and restore their genealogies and reduce every one to their owne tribes and that he shall expell the strangers from amongst them as Esdras did and that hee shall bee most skilfull in the Law Mei Hal Melach cap. 22 post medium and the gift of prophecie shall be restored to them when hee comes which they have not now in their captivity and that hee shall bee a mighty warriour but yet they say that hee shall not have power to worke miracles neither to cause the sunne to stand still
reconciled again but he hath put this enmitie and deadly hatred betwixt them therefore they should never be reconciled It is an unlawfull thing to make a league of peace where God hath proclaimed perpetuall warre This warre is a most lawfull warre Two sorts of warre amongst the Iewes The warres amongst the Iewes were either bell◠spontanea or bella praecepti Bella spontanea were these which they undertooke willingly at their owne hand but bella praecepti were those which they undertooke at the commandement of God This warre is bellum praecepti and not spontaneum It is bellum praecepti Therefore the Lord saith Iam. 4.7 Resist the devill and he will flie from you A warre may be unlawfull three manner of wayes A Warre may be undertaken three manner of wayes unlawfully first when it is rashly undertaken without authoritie or command Secondly when it is prosecuted cruelly cum medicina excedit modum when the physicke exceedes measure And thirdly when the end is unlawfull when men respects onely vaine glorie gaine or revenge But this warre is lawfull both in respect of the commander secondly in respect of the manner we cannot be too eager in prosecuting this warre against this enemie And cursed is who doth this worke of the Lord negligently Ier. 48.10 The Lord proclaimed a perpetuall warre betwixt Israel and Amalecke Exod. 17.16 and he caused him to write a booke of this for a memoriall and the reason was because the Amalekites cut off the taile of the host of the Israelites that is the faint and the sicke and the straggling that came behinde The Chaldee paraphrast paraphraseth this place after this maner Targum Ionath cap. 25. v. 18. the Amalekites cut of from the Iewes that part in which they were circumcised and wherin they bare the marke of the Covenant of God threw it up in despight against the Lord. And doth not this Amalekite Satan hate the badge of Gods Covenant in Gods children and in contempt exposes the bodies of the Saints baptized to all shame and ignominie Therefore the Lord hath registred this in his Booke that there shall be perpetuall warre with this Amalekite the devill and herein wee should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implacable never to be reconciled or to make a covenant with him God hath promised us the victorie against Satan therefore wee should never take peace with him Fourthly God in this warre hath promised us the victory Rom. 16. The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feete And shall wee be so base minded then as to yeeld to Satan when God hath promised us the victorie In other warres the event is doubtfull and therefore the Scripture saith Ne glorietur induens arma sed exuens 1 King 20.11 but in this fight we are sure of the victory when wee strive earnestly against the devill And here we may rejoyce when we put on our armour and when we lay them not aside and preferre Iustissimum bellum injustissimae paci Fiftly We contend for an everlasting inheritance therefore we should be earnest in this fight against Satan the thing which we contend for should move us to be earnest in this fight Non controvertitur de limitibus sedde ipsa haereditate wee contend not here for the landmarkes but for the inheritance it selfe When Themistocles was to fight againg the Barbarians he saw two Cockes fighting most keenely and then he tooke occasion to speake to his Souldiers after this manner Hi neque pro patria neque pro paenatibus nec pro sepulchris majorum neque pro libertate aut filiispugnant sed tantum ne vincantur neuter cedit alteri His ergo dictis Atheniensibus ingentes animos fecit These poore creatures neither strives for their countrey nor for their gods nor for heir fathers sepulchres nor for thet liberty of their children but they strive onely for the victorie In this combate with the devill wee strive not for an earthly kingdome nor for our parents nor for the sepulchres of our antecessors nor for our libertie or for our children but for an immortall inheritance and incorruptible and should we not then be most eager in this fight Sixtly when people who hath beene long at variance If we take truce with Satan nothing will serve in hostage but our soules what can we offer to him then in a finall peace mindes to make peace first they make inducias seu treugas and here they use to give in hostage their children which are called filii oppignorationis 1 King 1.14 When we enter in parly of peace with the devill what can we lay in hostage to him will we offer him rivers of oyle that will not content him Mic. 6.7 if we offer him our first borne that will not content him untill we offer to him unicam nostram or our darling Psal 22. and what can he seeke more of us Therefore these who concludes a finall peace with him are most desperate It is well said by Cajetan the conversing with the Angels in this life is the beginning of eternall happinesse so the conversing with the devils in this life is the beginning of eternall damnation SECT 3. Of the sorts of Covenants made with the devill first of the direct covenant and then of the indirect THese who enters into the direct covenant with the devill first they expresly renounce God Our baptisme saith S. Peter 1 Pet. 3.21 Est stipulatio bonae conscientiae These who expresly covenant with the devill renounces God The answer of a good conscience towards God where the Apostle aludes to the custome that was in the Primitive Church for these who were catechized were demanded of the catechist after this manner Credisne beleevest thou And they answered Credo I beleeve So abrenunciasne dost thou not renounce the devill And they answered abrenuncio I doe renounce him Therefore Tertullian in his booke de resurrectione saith Anima non lavatione sed responsione sancitur the soule is not established by washing but by answering And the devill being Gods Ape when he drawes his slaves after him he initiates them this wayes Dost thou renounce the true God They answer I renounce him His second demand to them is this Beleeves thou in me They answer I beleeve this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when one promises and the other restipulates These who enters into the direct covenant with him kisses him Secondly these who enter into this direct covenant with Satan they give him the kisse of homage as the children of God are bidden to kisse the sonne Psal 2.12 Thirdly they offer gifts to him Thirdly they who enter into this direct covenant with Satan offer gifts to him as the three wise men offered gold incense and myrre to Christ Num. 22. The Iewes used to offer to their new crowned kings gifts 1 Sam. 10.27 And his divination was in his hand that is the gift which he offered to the devill when
he was divining So Ezech. 22.7 his divination was in his right hand And as we may offer nothing to the devill so wee may take nothing from him The Targum of Ierusalem Paraphrasing this place Eccles 2.5 I planted mee Orchards and trees in them of all kindes is most injurious to Salomon paraphrasing the place this wayes I planted me trees which the Ptolomei and the devils brought me out of India This pharaphrase is most false for although Salomon fell from the Lord yet he fell never to covenant with the devill either to offer any thing to him or to receive any thing from him and when he repents him of all the vanities he never reckons up Magicke amongst them Fourthly Fourthly they take his marke upon them these who enters into a direct covenant with the devill takes his marke upon them And as God set his marke of circumcision in the flesh of his children so the devill sets his marke upon witches When the false apostles perswaded the Galatians to be circumcised then S. Paul saith That they gloried in the flesh of the Galatians because they were circumcised Gal. 6.13 So when Satan hath set his marke upon his slaves he glories in their flesh Markes are imposed for foure ends first Markes are imposed for foure ends they are notes of propertie to discerne on mans goods from another to whom they belong Secondly they are notes of distinction Therefore neatheardes and shepheards are called punctatores Amos 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 punctatores The words of Amos who was amongst the heardmâ—n of Tekoa inter punctatores this was not a note of propertie but a note of distinction which they set upon their beasts Thirdly for homage as the marke of the beast Rev. 16.2 Fourthly for ignominie and shame Such was the markes which S. Paul bare about in his body which hee calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi Gal. 6.17 they inflicted them for his shame but he thought them to be his greatest honour and credit These markes of Satan are markes of shame of propertie and of homage they are commonly in some secret place of the bodie and not sensible in that place although ye thrust a bodkin in the place which is marked and when he markes them they have intollerable paine as they confesse untill Satan appeare to them the second time and then the place marked is past feeling and hath no paine at all It is true that there may be some naturall cause why the part affected is not so sensible But when this marke and other presumptions concurres together it should not be lightly rejected and it may be Semiplena probatio Fiftly they eate and drinke with him Fiftly they enter into such familiaritie with him that they sit downe to eate and drinke with him and rise to play The Apostle forbiddes the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5.11 If a man be called a brother and be a fornicator or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner not to eate with such a one farre lesse to eate with him who is without whom God himselfe Iudges onely and whom the Church medles not with To eate with the devill who is judged already who lies under that fearefull Anathema maranatha 1 Cor. 13.22 and under that eternall curse and malediction of God Lastly they lie with him And lastly these who lies with the devill If a man commit incest it is a greater sin then adultery because he observes not the degrees of consanguinitie Levit 18.6 If a male lie with a maâ—e this is a greater sinne than incest Quia hic non observatur sexus because the sexe is not observed here If a man lie with a beast this is a greater sinne this is confusion Lev. 18.23 quia hic non observatur species It was a greater sin in Anah Gen. 36.24 to set beasts of divers kindes to engender together as the horse and the asse who beget a mule a monstrous generation And the Prophet alludes to this sort of generation Hos 4.4 For they themselves are separate with harlots 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mulus cum merciricibus separationem faciunt liparedum they shall beget bastards such as the mule is Pered is a mule or they shall be unfruitfull as the mule much more monstrous is that generation when a man lies with a beast When all the beasts were brought before Adam there was not one of them a match for Adam to teach man that he should never match with a beast When the Prophet Ieremie would expresse the filthinesse of the Iewes in their whooredomes Ier. 5.8 he saith Every man neighed after his neighbours wife This adultery made them like stoned horses running after a mare So he compares them to salt bitches or filthy dogges The price of a dogge shall not come unto the house of the Lord thy God Deut. 23.17 That is of a whore or whoremonger who are filthy as dogges what is it then for a man to lie with a beast But if onely with the devill this is abomination of abominations Quia hic non observatur genus Quest An chobher chobharim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 18.11 Psal 58.6 be meant here of the expresse covenant with the devill because it is said there ligant ligaturas Answ They are not said there ligare ligaturas because they enter in a direct covenant with the devill the 70. translates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the serpents when they are enchanted runnes together in a knot and wimples themselves one within another SECT 4. In what manner Satan appeares to those with whom he enters into the direct covenant SAtan appeares to his confederates three manner of wayes Satan appeares three manner of wayes to these with whom hee enters in the direct covenant First by some visible body in show First per apparentiam Secondly per assistentiam and thirdly per in existentiam First Satan appeares to his confederates per apparentiam when hee takes some visible shape of a body upon him which is not a body indeede but a body in show and this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because a body it selfe is not presented to the eyes but onely a body in show this is called spectrum umbra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the heathen idolum Lev. 17.7 Neither sacrifice your children hereafter Lashegnirim hirsutis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The devils are called hoarie ones because they appeared in the likenesse of Satyres hence afterward came this word Satyre and hee appeares commonly to them in some terrible and fearefull shape In the Syriacke there is but one word which signifies both the devill and Inke because commonly he appeares to men in some blacke and terrible shape The word in the Syriacke is daiiva which signifies both the devill and inke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chal debija atramentum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diabolus Syriace but yet this subtill Protheus can change himself into any forme
the same sacrifice 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils When the whore would intice the young maâ— to commit folly with her Prov. 7.14 she saies I have peace offerings with me and this day have I payed my vowes In the peace offerings God got a part the Priest got a part and the offerer got a part and to this part of the offering which belonged to her she invites this fooâ—e the whore and the whoremonger shall they have a part of Gods peace offerings the Lord will not have a share in such a sacrifice So the Lord will not have a share in a sacrifice where this spirituall adultery is committed Fourthly he will not be served with the same Priests The Lord would never accept of the Levites that went backe from the Lord when Israel went astray after their Idols to slay the burnt offerings and sacrifice for the people but onely to keepe the gates of his house and minister in these base offices Ezech. 44.10 And as Ioshua when he fought against the Cananites Iosh 11.6 tooke their horses and did hough them that they might not serve the enemie for warre any more yet they might serve for baser uses as to carry loades So the Lord would not have those Priests who had dishonoured him in serving Idolls to serve at his altar any more but to serve in base offices as to keep the gates in the house of God So they served the Groves Iudges 3.7 they are called there Ashera because they thought themselves happie Why the groves are called Ashera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they worshipped their Idols there but the groves may bee called happie per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they were unhappie who worshipped there So it is called Lucus quod minime Luceat So Iob 39. Struthio camelus is called Chasida per antiphrasin because she hatches not her egges as other foules doe but leave them in the sand It is said they served the groves that is their Idoles in the groves There was a tree also amongst the midest of the trees of the grove which they worshipped Isa 66.17 they that sanctifie and purifie themselves in the garden behind one tree in the midst This tree in the midst they worshipped as they did the other Idoles and they esteemed it as the tree of knowledg of good and evill that was in the midst of the garden They planted groves for their Idoles These Idolaters alleadged Abrahams example Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba and worshiped there Gen. 21.33 So when they would sacrifice their children to Molech they alledged the example of Abraham The Idolaters pretended the example of the saints for their Idolatrie who would have offered his sonne Isaake to the Lord So when Ieroboam set up his Idoll at Bethel he alledged the example of Iacob who worshiped in Bethel So when the Prophet rebuked the prophane musicke of the Iewes Amos 6.5 they alledged the example of David why might not they play on instruments as well as David These vile Idolaters did still pretend the example of the saints of God and laboured to shelter themselves under them They planted groves that they might worship their Idoles there Deut. 16.21 Iudg. 6.25 The Rabbines tell us in Zonorenna that Salomones throne of Ivorie was gilded P. Shophet and had sixe steppes by the which hee ascended into it as we see 1 King 10.9 And when the King stood in the lowest steppe the Herauld cried unto him Iudicium ne inclinato wrest not iudgement when hee stood upon the second steppe hee cryed unto him accept not persons in Iudgement when hee stood upon the third step he cryed unto him take no gifts when hee ascended to the fourth steppe hee said unto him Noli plantare Lucum plant no groves for Idols and when he stood upon the fift steppe he cryed unto him Noli erigere statuam erect not any piller to an Idoll and when hee stood upon the highest steppe hee said unto him noli mactare bovem that is take not the priests part upon thee to offer sacrifice And so the King was admonished heere both to have a care of Iustice and Religion and these may be fitly called admonitiones graduum as they were called Psalmes of degrees which the Priests sang when they ascended by staires into the Temple The decrease of this Idolatry the children of Israel cryed to the Lord The decrease of this Idolatry then the spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel and he delivered them Judg. 3.10 So the spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon Iudg. 6.34 so 2 Chro. 24. the spirit of the Lord came upon Zachariah and we say indifferently either he put on the spirit Act. 1.8 or the spirit came upon him So hee put on Iustice or the spirit of Iustice came upon him This spirit which came upon him was the spirit of Iudgement and the spirit of strength the spirit of Iudgement Iudge the people aright and the spirit of strength to defend them Because those Iudges were but extraordinarie and for a time therefore the Lord sent his spirit upon them in a singular manner for the deliverance of his people The spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel Five illapses of the spirit There are foure illapses of the spirit noted in the scripture which hath fallen upon men The first is illapsus spiritus roboris the illaps of the spirit of strength So the spirit came upon the Iudges and upon Amasa Davids chiefe captaine 1 Chro. 12.18 The second is illapsus spiritus regiminis illaps of the spirit of governement which came upon Saul and David when they became to be Kings 1 Sam. 16.13 The third illapse is spiritus illuminationis of the spirit of illumination as the spirit of the Lord came upon Baalam when his eyes were shut were opened Num. 24.3 And the fourth is illapsus spiritus sanctificationis illuminationis the illapse of sanctification and illumination as when the spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah the sonne of Iehoiada the priest when he said unto the people Why transgresse ye the commandement of the Lord 2 Chro. 24.20 When the spirit came upon them then they were said to be cloathed with the spirit 1 Chron. 12.18 The spirit of the Lord cloathed Amasai so Christ bids his Disciples stay at Ierusalem donec induamini virtute ex alto Luke 24.49 Tarry yee at Ierusalem till ye bee indued with power from on high or untill ye bee cloathed from on high The second increase of Idolatrie The second increase of Idolatry under the Iudges was Iudg. 3.12 And the children Israel committed evill againe in the sight of the Lord. It is not specified in particular what Idolatrie they committed at this time but onely it is sayd that they committed evill which is meant of Idolatrie for in a speciall manner it is called evill So Ieroboam caused Israel to sinne that is to commit