for it is testimonium fidelis citationis as Sanctius a good Expositour observeth upon the place Our Apostle happily thought it to have the weight of a morall argument towards the perswading of the Heathens unto the truth of religion to exhibite to them a signe of the truth of his quotation He is so farre from concealing any thing which should make against him that he taketh in the small words also of the hemistich although they be of no use in the sentence We have hence first an occasion of an observation secondly we have hence the use of a divine example First we have an occasion of an observation That our Apostle differeth in the quoting of the Heathens from his quoting of Scripture the Old Testament The Heathens he quoteth punctually without any alteration ad verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He quoteth places of Scripture not so but sometimes with amplification sometimes with omission sometimes with alteration And so do the other Penmen of the New Testament Now the reason why S. Paul and the rest did not cite strictly the words and terms of the Old but rendred the sense of the places with some variation was because they being appointed to be Teachers of the Gospel were inspired with infallible knowledge and enabled with full authority not onely to quote and produce but also to expound and not onely to expound but also to apply the Testimonies of the Old Instrument or Covenant for the manifestation and use of the New according to their purpose as is observed 1. Cor. ii 9. our Apostle quoteth a place in Isaiah But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The place is written Isaiah lxiv. 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him S. Paul in this one place omitteth somewhat which was written in the Prophet and varieth somewhat and addeth neither hath it entred into the heart of man and this addition is for greater amplification and emphasis of the matter Isaiah lii 7. How beautifull upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings S. Paul Rom. x. 15. maketh use of this Scripture As it is written How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace He leaveth out upon the mountains which Isaiah hath and also the Prophet Nahum speaking of the same thing chap. i. vers 15. And S. Paul leaveth out that because the Prophets as is observed were to preach onely unto the Jews in a mountainous countrey the Apostles were to go to preach the Gospel to all the world Likewise S. Paul differeth from the text in alteration as Eph. iv 8. Wherefore he saith When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men This is said Psal lxviii 18. Thou art gone up on high thou hast led captivity captive and received gifts for men The Psalmist saith Thou hast received S. Paul saith He gave Now that he gave gifts to men explaineth the end of his receiving gifts He received that he might give With which if we compare that of S. John in the first of his Gospel at the sixteenth verse Of his fulnesse we have all received and grace for grace we may make an other manner of exposition of it then those who interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace upon grace against the propriety of the Greek or then those who can here find any Merit on our part as if God gave us more grace for the merit of what we have or then he who expoundeth by the former grace the Old Testament by the latter the New as if Christs fulnesse of grace should not rather inferre our receiving of grace from him by the merit of his grace then that we should receive the New Testament for the Old since under ALL VVE have received are included also those faithfull that lived before Christ who indeed had received grace though not the Gospel rem Evangelii though not Evangelium not in exhibition actuall they had received it in a promise and in types and by prophecie Thus our Apostle in his quotations of Scripture addeth for illustration and amplification omitteth for pertinence altereth for explanation but he doth not in the Poet here he reciteth the very words in their order he taketh the testimony whole that the Philosophers should have nothing to except against the quotation Secondly therefore we have from hence a divine rule and example or a rule divine by example concerning an honest and faithfull and ingenuous citing of anthours S. Paul produceth the very words the very particles which yet were of no moment towards his drift of inference Whereby I believe our Apostle read the authour himself And to this end that I may cite an authour truly and certainly let me reade the authour and the originall let me reade them my self The quotations of others which they make of authours may be false and therefore will deceive The connexion the interpunction the accent the sense of the term in the writers time may turn the sense of the place and so what I reade of an authour at the second hand may seem to be the authours but peradventure it is the quoters therefore let me reade the authour or at least quote the quoter Let me reade the originall Translations may vary They may be either false or slender inexpressive obscure obscurer sometimes then the Text. As one answered being asked whether he should reade such a comment upon Aristotle answered Yes said he when Aristotle is understood then reade the comment So interpretations may be as perplexed as the text And by S. Pauls particular usage of an authour here in the text I might take a rise unto a generall treating in way of reprehension of the Abuse of authours contrary to our Apostles practice And then I might note who and how and wherein and who most and how farre they have proceeded in this most disingenuous injury unto writers deceased or living But this would be a theme for some grave Aristarchus and learned Critick not for a man of yesterday Besides I might be afraid of that of Solomon He that reproveth the wicked getteth to himself a blot Surely Solomon was herein a Prophets sonne in an extraordinary sense in the Scripture-phrase that is a young Prophet as if he had prophesied of a generation which make it as true as they are false who if one hath but chanced to rase in his writing the utmost skin and to wipe but as it were the superficies of their doctrine or manners though never so deservedly have given him a blot in their Indices Expurgatorii DELEATVR DELEATVR The Pontifician falsifications Chamier reduceth unto two heads a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
distinction therefore God saith Exod. xxxii 8. to Moses concerning the people of Israel They have made them a molten calf and have worshipped it IT God would not own that worship and service exhibited under the representation of that calf Deut. iv 15. God biddeth the people of Israel take notice that when he spake unto them out of the midst of the fire they saw no similitude of him Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire No manner of similitude as if he should have told them that he on purpose did not appear unto them under any visible form or similitude lest they should represent him by that form and under it worship him which he so much warneth them of in that place For that of Varro upon this point is very true the worshipping of the Gods by images increased the errour took away the fear of the Gods Qui primi Deorum simulacra induxerunt errorem auxerunt metum demserunt as Calvine citeth his words Thus we have in some sort given you the reason and ground of our Apostles interpretation of the Poet. Now by this though hasty and short discourse of the Gentile worship occasioned by S. Pauls expression we may in some manner calculate and decipher the difference betwixt the false worship of Rome Pagane and Rome Christian of Gentiles and of Papists which difference in a Pontifician eye is so wide and mighty All the distinction must either be in the object worshipped or the manner of worshipping Christian Rome worshippeth God So did Rome Pagane as we have heard Christian Rome by Images so Rome Pagane Pagane Rome worshipped by men though not onely by men Christian Rome by the form of an old man worship God the Father And Christian Rome worshippeth God by men-saints besides by Angels and some of those Saints happily as bad for Christians as the other were for Heathens nay such some of them were who had onely Christian names but Heathen lives The sillier of the Heathen might worship the men for true Gods the best of Rome Christian give a kind of Divine worship to Saints The sillier of the Heathen might worship the Images of their feigned Gods the sillier of the Papists distinguish not betwixt the Image of the Saint and the Saint as Parisiensis confesseth But the Heathens worshipped by other creatures but Aquinas giveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper Divine worship to the Wood to the Crosse and to the Bread But the Heathen worshipped by a multitude of Gods but the Papists by more Saints and Angels The Heathen had for every occasion a severall Tutelar Mediatour the Papists likewise have a severall Saint beside their particular Angel But Tertullian saith Multi Dii habuerunt Caesaremiratum what is this to our purpose and yet we can answer them Multi Caesares habuerunt Papam iratum and more then angry too they have felt his anger and his furie and his state and his cruelty But the Romane Senate as Eusebius saith made Gods of men just as the Pontifician Senate maketh Gods of Saints But the Papists sinne not yet in worshipping by Images For sinne being a transgression of the Law and where no law is there is no transgression Rom. iv 15. they have taken an order to take away the law by which they are forbidden to worship by Images namely the second Commandment for they leave out this in their Catechisme Is this thy pietie O Rome Christian Is this the difference of thy Religion from Paganisme Plutarch saith it is sacriledge to worship by Images who was an Heathen and thou blottest out the Law of God whereby it is forbidden that thou mayest do it more freely Thus to thy doing what God and Nature hath forbidden thou addest a transcendent offense in proscribing in a manner what God hath written with his own hand This unfaithfull and sacrilegious dealing with sacred Scripture hinteth me to the next particle in our text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a testimony of a faithfull quotation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Philosopher told his friends when they came into his little and mean cottage for their comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gods are even here with me So there is Divinity and a sacred use even in this little slender particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus magnus in minimis and there is much importance in this little word It may be taken as other words either formally or materially formally and so it is significative materially so not It may be taken in this place significatively in reference unto the former words of the verse In him we live we move and have our being In him we live and move and have our being FOR because we are his offspring This sense is good as Hushai said to Absalom of Achitophels counsel it is good but not at this time Severall senses in Scripture may be true in the thesis but not proper in the hypothesis in the particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and connexion of the words so neither this Because 1. the former words in him we live and move and have our being do render the cause of the precedent verses as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth there therefore have more immediate and necessary respect unto them 2. Because our Apostle here intendeth to produce onely the authority of some Heathen to be symbolicall to what he had said before out of which testimony he would deduce his inference against Idolatry as he doth make use of this saying to that purpose in the next verse unto my text 3. Because it is very likely that the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be taken in the same manner as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text Now we cannot well conceive any use of the significativenesse of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semblably is not significative It is significative and connexive in the Poet not in the Apostle To what end serveth it then it may be demanded Are there any redundances in Scripture Is S. Paul to please the Philosophers become Homericall in his expletives There is a painted heaven and a printed heaven an heaven painted with starres an heaven printed the sacred Scripture And as God a most intellectuall Agent intellectuall above our understanding wrought neither magnitude nor multitude without some end and reason so neither such a number of starres in the heaven above was made without good purpose so neither such a number of words in the heaven below The Jews as it is said of them numbred the verses the words the letters in the Old Testament and is it not written in the New Not an Iῶta shall perish as not an Iῶta put in If so Arius might have urged the place Whatsoever is written is written for our instruction The very unsignificativenesse of the particle is significative
the Quoter S. Paul 2. the Quoted certain of your own Poets 3. the Form of quotation as they have said In the Quoted we have again 1. the Manner of speech touching them certain 2. the Profession of them Poets 3. the Appropriation of them your own Poets As certain also of your own Poets Certain there is the manner of speech concerning the quoted And in this we have subincluded three considerations First it soundeth plurality certain not one onely Secondly it importeth restriction certain not all certain not many Thirdly it representeth a kind of disrespectivenesse an overly speaking not so much as honouring them with their naming certain of your own Poets This is the division of the first part of the text the indefinite Quotation Concerning the second part the rationall Aphorisme we shall first propound an Exposition and then raise three Propositions An exposition first of the HIS in the text who this HE is whose offspring we are secondly of the particles FOR and ALSO which seem to be of no use since the sense of the Aphorisme is entire without them The propositions do issue out of the severall respects wherein we may be said to be his off-spring his that is Gods as we shall hereafter declare The three respects make the three propositions We are Gods offspring in respect of our bodies We are Gods offspring in respect of our souls We are Gods offspring in respect of both together First now of the first particular of the first part of the text the Quoter S. Paul I have formerly spoken of him upon another text but he deserveth second and third thoughts Surely never can be said enough of so devout so seraphicall so industrious so eloquent so learned an Apostle Learned I say and eloquent these qualities are considerable in our present purpose As Moses the promulger of the Law unto the Jews was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians so S. Paul the Preacher of the Gospel unto the Gentiles was learned in all the learning of the Heathens Neither could he well otherwise confute them As one saith somewhat quaintly of Logick that we cannot prove it to be unnecessary but by it semblably neither could the Gentiles be refuted in their idolatry but by the knowledge of them and the use of their knowledge It is very remarkable what is said of Apollos in the next chapter and the 24 verse that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eloquent man and potent in the Scriptures as we reade it And an effect and successe proportionable to this his abilitie we have in the last verse he mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ How did he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mightily confute them but by his potencie in the Scriptures how was he potent in the Scriptures but in that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the notion of the term may import two things skill in the words that he could expound well and facultie of speech that he could expresse well his exposition Matter and Form do all in nature matter and form do all in art our Apostle was furnished with them both and abundantly so that he who was to teach the Gentiles Christ might have taught them humane knowledge might have taught them also Rhetorick Scholarship we see is not out of date neither in the times of the Law for Moses had it nor in the times of the Gospel for S. Paul expresseth it here Though in respect of the glorious and fun-like light of the holy Scriptures it be but as straminea candela as one saith a rush-candle a mean light a small light and soon out yet some light it giveth S. Paul useth the mention of the Poets And thus briefly we passe from the Quoter to the Quoted And in the quoted we have first the manner of speech concerning them certain And in the manner we observed three branches of discourse First as it soundeth plurality certain not one onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernardus non videt omnia Two are better then one saith the Preacher Multitude of witnesses maketh an evidence more probable Alas Master what shall we do saith Elisha's servant when the host of the Syrians environed the city Elisha soon resolveth the question Fear not for those that be with us are more then those that be with them 2. Kings vi 15 16. Exemplatrahunt Many draw much It was a very strange speech of him that said Malo errare cum Origene quà m cum aliis vera sentire Extraordinary partiality to hold with one against many with one erring against many having truth on their side Plato speaketh well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So truth is truth say it you or say it you not be we more or be we fewer that affirm it And the reason is Bëcause truth is fundamentally in the thing not in the words Neverthelesse an assertion confirmed by many voices sooner taketh off suspension of consent sooner perswadeth the belief of it Multiplication of testimonies doth not increase the truth yet it increaseth assent The Church of Rome understandeth the virtue of this plurality too well It is none of the least of her flourishes wherein she so bravingly vaunteth that she hath ever had a world of authoritie for her religion multitudes of Professours and that little petty England thrust up into a corner of the world enterteineth a religion which now hath not so great a number of followers one century ago and a little more had scarce enough to conserve the species Seculis omnino quindecim non oppidum non villam non domum ullam reperiunt suâ doctrinâ imbutam But we shall have a restriction for Campian by and by Before we leave this point of plurality it is not unworthy of some disquisition why our Doctour intimating more suffragants then one yet produceth the testimony onely of Aratus There is none here that bringeth glory to God but this Aratus I can scarce imagine I dare not pronounce but that our Apostle knew there were more of the Poets of the same mind He could have produced a long list of those authours all agreeing in the same position and sentence as Homers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Hesiods authoritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Another also calleth God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best Artist either in generall in respect of the frame of the world or specially of mans body So * Hymno cui titulus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orpheus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he would make confession of his faith O glorious and immortall Jupiter this testimony and expiatory supplication we present unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O King by thy wisdome were all things easily produced the Earth the sacred mother and the high-topped mountains the sea and whatsoever is comprehended
viii 13. concerning Trismegist I know not how to determine I leave it in medio Concerning the other kind of Gentile writers which we named before it may also be said that some of them had read the five books of Moses as likely S. Paul had read some or many of them But whether so or not whether some of them had borrowed their expressions from Scripture and whether again S. Paul borrowed some of his other expressions from some of them without mentioning any way such Authours as he maketh use of Menanders sentence 1. Cor. xv 33. without any notice from whence he had it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evil words corrupt good manners I referre to better judgements Onely this I may say that Zanchy indeed thinketh that Pythagoras and Trismegist and Plato had read some part of Scripture and peradventure had learned some notions from the Jews but he nameth none else in that place And one of the passages we mentioned out of Plato beareth a similitude unto such another in the Epistle of S. Paul to the Philippians Now that could not be taken from S. Paul And as for Trismegist he speaketh more clearly concerning the mystery of the Trinitie then any place of the Old Testament But suppose we now that all these places quoted out of them were absolutely theirs and not deduced from any higher doctrine and not revealed by a supernaturall way and suppose we a great many more of such divine passages in them what then Happily it is expected now that from this little survey of their knowledge some conclusion should arise towards the eternall state and condition of those Heathens and a conclusion also very favourable and charitable as if by the small posie we have gathered and made up of the best flowers in Natures garden we might collect that their knowledge and goodnesse and virtues and education were means likely able to put them not onely into a saveable estate but also into a hopefull condition For this I answer I am not engaged any way by the text to speak at all much lesse definitively touching the finall end of the Gentiles But he that thinketh too well of them understandeth not sufficiently the priviledge of the Gospel And God who is best able to judge accounted the times of Paganisme before Christ for all their knowledge even times of ignorance and accordingly he respected them as our Apostle in the second verse unto our text And the times of this ignorance God winked at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the originall which we may expound of a neglect as if God looked over or beyond those times and had respect onely unto the times of Christianity And they have left Christians to do in the rights what they have said And if we should take a note of what they have not said we should rather pitie their blindnesse then admire their knowledge God Creatour they might know per species Creaturarum as they speak either in way of Negation or Causalitie or Eminence but God Redeemer is not so perceiveable by light of nature For nature is not able to see the need of a Saviour it being ignorant of the lapse of mankind of which there appeareth not a word not a syllable in a direct expression not in any of their massie volumes And where find we any mention of Faith in a Christian notion Insomuch that what we even now demurred of from whence Trismegists the Sibylls speaking of Christ should flow we may here resolve negatively That they spake not so of Christ by the virtue onely of rationall knowledge For first they could not by the light of humane reason see the use of any Saviour Secondly they could not moreover foresee a Saviour by light of nature if we account them to have been Prophets And if some of them were as Christians amongst Heathens yet Heathens they are amongst Christians We might use somewhat of their science they needed some of our Scripture For in a particle of the Poets saying there lyeth a grand errour of idolatry There is a Jupiter in the HIS in the ΤΟ through whom yet S. Paul discerneth the true God better understood then spoken So we may passe here from the Form of quoting to the Sentence quoted For we are also his generation But because of dependance with our former discourse we will consider the words in way of exposition according to the order in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the little particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we said is couched a little God one Jupiter and yet Saint Paul interpreteth the Poet as speaking of the true God That the Poet seemed to speak it of Jupiter appeareth by his beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us beginne from Jupiter or with Jupiter And that Saint Paul interpreteth him of the true God appeareth by the context For having in the twenty fourth verse of this chapter described the onely true God by his effects of Creation and Sovereignty of governance in the twenty fifth verse by his All-sufficiency in himself in the two next verses by the manner of creation of man and end of that creation and in the former part of this verse whereof our text is a part epitomizing all by three expressions wherein we are referred unto God In him we live we move we have our being he superaddeth to refute their false tenets against the one true God by the testimony of their Aratus although the intention of the Poet at the first sight appeareth to be otherwise directed So that what these Philosophers said to our Apostle preaching Jesus and the resurrection He seemeth to be a setter-forth of strange Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very well be retorted on their Poet He seemeth to be a setter-forth of a strange God telling us of one Jupiter What shall we say then The Heathen speaketh of the Heathen God the Apostle understandeth him of the true What doth our Apostle mingle seeds Is there any fellowship betwixt God and Belial Can the Ark and Dagon stand together Shall that sonne of Saturn Jupiter be as the Sonne of God Christ God-man God forbid But as our Saviour answered the Jews thoughts oftentimes not the outward tenour and drift of their words whereby he manifested his Divinity so S. Paul by a Divine Spirit searcheth the Poets intimate or ultimate intendment and giveth not the sense according to the strict importance of the terms The reason and ground of this exposition we are now briefly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discourse of The Scholiast upon the Poet saith it may be interpreted of the Aire S. Paul otherwise The ground and lawfulnesse of S. Pauls exposition dependeth upon the discussion of this question Whether the Gentiles did absolutely and ultimately determine their adorations and worships in those false those made Gods or whether they did not through them aim at a true Deitie Towards the determining of this Probleme I may premise a proposition or two first That
Deo in the two former ex Deo not de Deo IV. Another sort would have the souls to be made by the Angels ex igne spiritu neither de Deo nor ex Deo So Seleucus Hermeas and the Carpocratians who held that all the world was made by the Angels These foure opinions the Authour saith are antiquated with those who professe assent unto sacred Scripture V. The first of the other quaternion mainteined the first soul indeed to be created by God of nothing and breathed into Adam but the rest to be propagated successively with the propagation of the body yet to be immortall These also were divided in their conceipts Some thought the soul to be corporeall and corporeally generated Some thought it to be a Spirit and spiritually produced somewhat like as one candle is lighted by another Thus Apollinaris and others in the western Churches as Zanchie faith VI. Others denied the production of it per traducem affirming that new souls are created simply by God and each put into their proper bodies This Jerome saith was the generall tenet and doctrine of the Church in his time VII Augustine neither condemned those who say that it cometh per traducem nor those that say that souls are created de novo by God yet he saith he could not see how this opinion of the absolute creation of the soul could be confirmed by Scripture therefore he desired Jerome to help him in this point with his advice VIII Lastly some thought that the souls are dayly created by God But some of these again imagined that the souls are created without the body extra corpus afterwards put in others that they are created in the infusion and infused in the creation But amidst and maugre all the rest this is Zanchie's and may be our determination That rationall souls are created immediately by God of nothing after the organizing of the body or when the body is entirely organized in the body Not to meddle with the anasceuasticall or refutative part of the contrary assertions For rectum est index sui obliqui this thesis may seem more consonant to Scripture to Ecclesiastick writers to reason to Heathen Authours by all which we shall in order but very briefly try it Onely we must premise here That the time of the creation of the soul beareth an intimate respect unto the latter proposition and that we need not make a distinct proving that it is created of nothing since thus we have Zanchie for our praecedent and 2. because those who contend for a matter out of which the soul should be made by God are more exotick authours and 3. their matter is altogether inconvenient and 4. Creation in a proper sense which is an absolute and simple creation excludeth whatsoever matter and 5. because by this creation abstracting the consideration ex quo from whence it is created namely out of nothing we shall conclude against the way of production per traducem which is the principall opposite opinion So that now to the second proposition as at first we named it That God is the Authour of our souls we shall adde in our discourse a differencing of his efficiency of the body and the soul Of our body he is the Authour by our Parents of our soul absolutely by himself by creation This we endeavour to prove first by Scripture And the first place in Scripture should be Exod. xxi 22. wherein God giveth them a law concerning the striking of a woman with child But then we must reade the Scripture in the Septuagints translation and then two things are to be granted first that we have the right and true translation of the Septuagint and secondly that this translation is true which indeed great Ecclesiastick writers have followed The words in their version are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If two men strive together and strike a woman with child and the child abortively cometh forth not shaped he shall be mulcted but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the child shall be fully shaped then thou shalt pay life for life Whereupon is inferred by this Greek version that during the time of the embryo there is no soul in it and therefore if it perish by the stroke the woman escape the punishment must be but pecuniary because no murther because of no man because the soul is not in it but if the child proveth abortive and cometh out fully shaped both must die because then the body is animated and therefore it is murther So that the soul is not propagated with the seed for then the soul should successively grow to perfection with the body and then there could be thus no abortive without murther This reading the Greek Fathers and others who generally do follow the Septuagint do follow Yet since the originall which our English translation followeth maketh not at all for our purpose we will passe over this place without any urging of it and without any observation how the Interpreters and in how many respects were here mistaken Onely by the way we may take notice that we have here the judgement of the Septuagint delivered in favour of our cause and also the judgement of the Greek Fathers and others who use their interpretation of Scripture and also the determination of Canon law grounded as one noteth upon this place according to the Septuagint That he is not a murtherer who maketh an abortive before the infusion of the soul The second authority in Scripture may be Zach. xii 1. The burthen of the word of the Lord for Israel saith the Lord which stretcheth forth the heavens and layeth the foundation of the earth and frameth the spirit of man within him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in interiori ejus as Montanus rendreth it in medio as Pagnine This place seemeth not onely to conclude the peculiar production of the soul by God but the time also especially the manner in the body nay in the heart likely which is as they say primum vivens ultimum moriens Isa lvii 16. For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth for the Spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made In this sacred testimony I conceive two objections excluded That it may be understood of the souls of our first Parents this may be the first But then it is to be answered Dicit pluraliter he speaketh in generall SOULS and he speaketh as de futuro I VVILL not contend FOR EVER I VVILL not be ALVVAYES wroth Secondly It may be objected That God may be said to be the Authour of our souls and to make our souls although our parents do conduce as God is said to be the Authour of our bodies It may be answereed that God speaketh here of the making of the souls signanter in way of especiall appropriation which I have made I have made them Eccles xii 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return