the Church prove the Scriptures to be Divine and these are of two sorts eyther Heretickes or Infidels First the testimonies of Heretickes prove the Scriptures Hereticks prove the Scripture to be Divine ex accidente to be Divine for Heretickes labour alwayes to ground themselves upon the Scriptures The habite goeth alwayes before the privation omne falsum innititur vero every falshood laboureth to cover it selfe under the Truth When the Husbandman had sowne his good seede then came the evill one and did sow his Tares when Heretickes labour to ground themselves upon the Scriptures it is as when a theefe goeth to cover himselfe under the pretence of Law This argueth the Law to be just and equall The testimonies also of the Heathen history proveth the Scriptures to be Divine Observe the discent of the Babylonian and Assyrian Kings and looke backe againe to the holy Scriptures yee shall see clearely how they jumpe with the Scriptures and as those who sayle along the Coast have a pleasant view of the Land but those who stand Simile upon the Land and behold the Shippes sayling along the Coast have a more setled and pleasant sight of the Succession of Heathen Kings proved out of the Scripture Shippes so when we looke from the Heathen history and marke the discent of the Heathen Kings wee shall see a pleasant sight but a farre more delectable and sure sight when we looke from the Scriptures to the Heathen history Marke the discent Belochus the third called Pul King of Assyria came against Menahem and tooke his sonne 2 King 15. Then Pileser called Tiglath came against Hoshea King of Samaria and tooke him in the sixt yeare of the reigne of King Ezekias and then Shalmaneser who caried away the ten Tribes into captivity in the ninth yeare of Hoshea 2 King 17. and his sonne Sennacherib 2 King 18. came against Iuda in the foureteenth yeare of Zedekias and Esarhaddon succeeded his father Sennacherib and his sonne Berodach-baladon sent letters and a present to Hezekias then Berodach 2 Chro. 33. caried away Iechonias and then Nebuchadnezzer caried away Zedekias then Nabuchadnezzer the great burnt Ierusalem and caried away the people captive Then Evil Merodach who succeeded him had three sonnes Ragasar Babasar and Belshassar of whom we reade Dan. 5. and in Belshassers time the kingdome was translated to the Medes and Persians Here we see the descent of the Heathen history agreeing with the holy Scriptures There are other testimonies of the Heathen to prove How the Heathen testimonies prove the Scriptures to be divine the Scripture to be Scripture but not so clearely when we finde the rubbish of some old monuments wee gather that there hath beene some great building there So when we finde some darke footesteps of holy Scripture amongst the Heathen we may gather that once the holy Scriptures have beene read amongst them although they have depraved and corrupted them Example 1. They of the East Indians have this fable Montan. in his Essayes amongst them that the Gods drowned the world for sinne and that they tooke some just men and put them up in the clifts of Rockes to save them those men to try whether the waters were abated or not sent forth some mastive Dogges and the Dogges returning as cleane as they went out they gathered by this that the waters were not yet abated they sent them forth the second time then they returned full of mudde by this they gathered that the waters were abated then they sent them forth the third time and they returned no more Here we see how this fable is taken out of the history of the deluge and from Noahs sending forth the Dove out of the Arke and that this history was knowne of old amongst the Heathen we may perceive because the Dove and the Raven are called the messengers of the Gods by the Heathen Poets Example 2. Gen. 36. 24. This is Anah who found out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hajemim mules in the Wildernesse others reade it Iamin◠waters now because it was hard to finde out the right translation of the word some translating it Mules and some translating it Water the Heathen made up a notable lye on the Iewes saying when Anah was feeding his Asses in the Wildernesse because the Mules and Asses found out water in the Wildernesse for them to Tacitus lib. 5. Plutarch in symposiasis 4. cap. 5. drinke therefore the Iewes worshipped the golden head of an Asse see how some shaddow of holy histostory was still amongst the Heathen Example 3. When the destroying Angell destroyed the first borne of their children beasts in Aegypt the Lord caused to sprinkle the blood of the paschall Lamb upon the Lintels of the doores that so their first borne might be saved Exod. 12. 13. Epiphanius recordeth Epipha contra hareses lib. 18. that the Egyptians afterwards although they had forgotten the history of the worke of God yet they rub'd over their Cattell with a red sort of Keill to save them that no evill should befall them that yeare ignorantly counterfeitting that blood which saved the Israelites once in Egypt which fable letteth us to understand that this Scripture was once taught amongst them Example 4. Plato did hold that in the revolution of so many yeares men should be just in the same estate wherein they were before which is drawne obscurely from the resurrection when we shall be in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we were in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 19. 28. Example 5. Clemens Alexandrinus and Basill note The Heathen grounded many of their fables upon the Scriptures that the Heathen Philosophers did make their fables counterfeitting the Scriptures and founded their falsehoods upon the truth of God that men might give credit to their lies as upon this Ionas was swallowed up by the Whale they made up this fable of Arion sitting upon a Delphin and playing upon an harpe and a thousand such Conclusion The Conclusion of this is Seeing the Scriptures are Divine we must pray with David Psal 119. 18. open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things out of thy Law in the originall it is Devolue ab oculis meis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velamen scilicet caliginis and let us be diligent searchers and dwell in them as Paul biddeth Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Panormitan writeth of Alphonsus King of Arragon that in the midst of all his princely affayres hee read over the Bible fourteene times with the glosse and commentaries upon it The Iewes say let a man divide his life in three parts a third part for the Scriptures a third part for mishneth and a third part for gemara 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is two for the Talmud and one for the Scriptures see how well they were exercised in reading of the Law EXERCITAT X. In what languages the Scriptures were written originally Gen. 11. 1. And the whole earth was of
of things geometry the quantity and arithmeticke the number Thirdly the Physicks consider onely naturall properties of the body These who are exercised in actions and morall philosophie are lawes and such Arts which are exercised in operation are rhetoricke and grammer Metaphysicke considereth God onely ut ens vnum A comparison betwixt Divinity and Metaphysicks verum et bonum as he hath a being as he is one as hee is truth and goodnesse but it considereth not God as Creator Christ as Redeemer it considereth not God in his attributes as Divinity doth therefore they say metaphysica parit scientiam tantum sed theologia fidem Secondly compare Divinity with physicke and A comparison betwixt Divinity Mathematicks and Physicks the mathematicks the mathematician searcheth visible formes in visible things the Physition invisible formes in visible things but the Divine invisible formes in visible things Thirdly let us compare the Divine the Lawyer and A comparison betwixt the Divine the Lawyer and the Physition Physitian the Physitian est minister naturae the servant of nature the Lawyer est minister justitiae but the Divine est minister gratiae and looke how farre grace exceedeth nature or justice so as farre doth Divinity surpasse the Physitian or the Lawyer Fourthly let us compare Divinity and morall philosophy A comparison betwixt the Divine and morall Philosopher the Philosopher saith that Iuvenis non est idoneus auditor moralis Philosophiae that a young man is not fit to heare morall philosophy but David saith Psal 119 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his wayes Chrysostome hath a good observation to shew the force of Divinity above all morall philosophie when he compareth Plato the moralist and Paul the Apostle together Plato saith he that wise Philosopher came three times to Sicilie to convert Dionysius the tyrant to morall philosophy yet he went away without any successe but Paul a Tent-maker did not onely convert Sicilie but ran from Ierusalem to Illyricum Rom. 15. 19. and converted thousands of soules by the preaching of the Gospel See how farre Divinity excelleth morall philosophie August de Civitate Dei lib. 6. cap. 11. And Augustine observeth how Seneca the most excellent of all the moralists mocked the Iewes because they spent as hee thought the seventh part of their life in idlenesse which was the Sabbath day Iustine Martyr being first a philosopher and after a martyr searched thorow all the sects of philosophy and could never find contentment to his soule till hee came to Divinity First he came to the sect of the Stoickes and gave himselfe to be a scholler in that schoole but hearing nothing of God in Stoa in that schoole he turned to be a Peripatetick but when he entred with the Peripateticks he perceived his master nundinantem sapientiam mercede as he speakes selling his wisedome for gaine then hee left that sect also Thirdly he came to the sect of the Pythagoreans but having no skill in geometrie which knowledge Pythagoras required of his Schollers before he taught them philosophy he left the Pythagoreans and fell into the society of the Platonickes at last he met with a Christian Divine Philosopher who perswaded him to cast aside all these circular disciplines and to studie Divinity which should give him greater contentment than all the philosophy in the world and he renouncing all gave himselfe to the studying of the holy Scriptures and of a Philosopher became both a Christian and a Martyr A comparison betwixt Divinity and Physicke alone Fiftly let us compare Divinity and Physicke alone they say ubi desinit physicus ibi incipit medicus Where the naturall philosopher leaveth there the Physitian beginneth but we may say ubi desinit Physicus ibi incipit Theologus where the Physitian leaveth off there the Divine beginneth for when the Physitian hath done his last cure and given over the patient heresignes him into the hands of the Divine or if he be a religious Physition hee is glad to play the Divine to him himselfe the Physitian sheweth the patient that his health consisteth in letting of blood but the Divine sheweth that the health of his patient consisteth by the letting of the blood of Christ Sixtly compare Divinity and the mathematicks the A comparison betwixt Divinity and the Mathematicks alone mathematician considereth the length the height and the breadth of things but be never considereth what is the height the breadth and the length of the love of Christ Ephes 3. 8. he never teacheth a man to number his dayes that he may apply his heart to wisedome Psal 90. 12. as the Divine doth A comparison betwixt Divinity Grammer and Rhetorick Lastly compare Divinity with grammer and rhetoricke hearing of others teacheth us to speake grammer teacheth us to speake congruously and rhetoricke teacheth us to speake eloquently but Divinity teacheth us to speake the language of Canaan Esay 19. 18. Whether commeth Lawes or Physicke nearer to Quest Divinity Wee must answer here by distinction the Law Answ hath two parts in it the first is that which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of constituting and making of lawes the second is that ligitious part which is exercised about the Pars legis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleading of causes the first part commeth nearer to Divinity than physicke doth because the Physitian is exercised onely about the health of the body and if he speake any thing to his patient of temperance or restraining of his passions all this he doth but for his patients health But the nomotheticke or maker of the law doth all things for the well ordering of the people and looke how much more excellent it is to live well than to live in good health so much more that part of the law excelleth physicke But physicke againe is to be preferred to that part of the Law which is called litigiosa or the litigious part of the law because that part of the law doth not respect the commonwealth or the manners of the people but to give this or that particular man his right But to cure this or that particular man is better than to restore this or that particular man to his goods for skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Iob. 1. therefore physicke excelleth the litigious part of the Law It may be said that Divinity borroweth many things Object of other Sciences therefore it may seeme not to be so absolute in perfection This argueth no want in Divinity but onely a defect Ans in our understanding for by these inferiour things we are led to the knowledge of more divine things Divinity is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a generall summe of all Sciences and Arts or one universall director to all our actions as they are naturall civill or oeconomicall But Paul biddeth Timothy take a little wine to comfort Object him 1 Tim. 5. 23. So Moyses setteth
came nearest to him in somes things Salomon came nearest unto him and in some things Daniel in some things Ioseph but Christ the second Adam excelled them in all In the knowledge and sight of God and his attributes Moyses came nearest to him Exod. 33. 13. Teach mee thy A comparison betwixt Moses and Adam wayes that is thy attributes So Psal 103. 7. He made knowne to Moyses his wayes that is his attributes for hee subjoyneth the Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and full of compassion and he chideth not for ever here his wayes are his attributes Moyses came nearest to Adam in this knowledge Salomon in the knowledge of the politickes came nearer to Adams knowledge than Moyses did Moyses sate A comparison betwixt Salomon and Adam all the day long to judge the people Exod. 18. and hee stoode in need of Iethro's counsell to make choyse of helpers but Salomon could have found out all these things by himselfe without the helpe of another Salomon begged wisedome of God and it was granted unto him he desired wisedome to be his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be president of his counsell and to be his assister or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rule happily Wisedom 9. 4. Salomon came nearest to the knowledge of Adam in the Politickes and he is preferred to the wisest within the Church as to Heman and Dedan 1 King 4. 3. and to the wisest without the Church as to the Egyptians As he came nearest to Adams knowledge in the Politickes Salomon came neerest to Adams knowledge in the Politicks so likewise in the knowledge of naturall things for as he wrote from the Cedar of Lebanus to the Hyssope that grew out of the Wall 2 King 4. 33. that is as Iosephus explaineth it he wrote parables and similitudes taken from every one of these kinds and Tertullian saith well Familiare est sacris scriptoribus ut sublimiores veritates explicent per sensibilia nam idem qui est author naturae est author gratiae It is an usuall thing to the holy writers to illustrate heavenly things by earthly comparisons for he that is the God of nature is also the God of grace Salomon wrote from the tall Cedar to the small Hyssope that groweth out of the wall that is from the greatest to the smallest then he passeth by none of them for it is the manner of the Hebrews to marke The Hebrewes marke the two extreames and leave the midst for brevity the two extreames and to leave the midst for brevities cause as Num. 6 4 from the kernell to the huske here the Scripture omitteth the wine which is the midst betwixt the kernell and the huske Another example Exod. 11. 5. And all the first borne of the land of Egypt shall dye from the first borne of Pharoah that sitteth upon the throne unto the first borne of the maidservant that sitteth behind the Mill. The Scripture omitteth the midst here the rest of the people for shortnesse and expresseth onely the two extreames the highest and the lowest A third example Iob 24. 20. The wombe shall forget him and the wormes shall feede sweetly upon him the birth and the grave the two extreames include the whole life So Psal 121. 8. The Lord shall keepe thy going in and going out that is all thy wayes So Salomon writing of the two extreames the tallest and the least includeth all the rest Now if Salomon had such knowledge of these naturall things much more had Adam Adam had such knowledge of the creatures that he Adam gave fit names to the creatures knowing their qualities and nature gave them fit names in the Hebrew expressing their natures he was a good nomenclator to give every thing the right name Plato in Cratillo sheweth that he who giveth the right name to a thing must know the nature of it very well but since the fall men impose wrong names to things as they call light darknesse and darknesse light When hee gave names to the creatures hee gave To what things Adam gave names and to what he gave no names not names to these creatures in particular that had not principium individuationis in se and which differed not something in subsistence from others as all hearbes of the same kind and trees and stones of the same kind he gave not a name to every one of them in particular but gave one name to them all of the same kind but these who differed not in essence but in the manner of their subsisting to these he gave diverse names as hee called himselfe Adam and his wife Eve And wee are to observe that there are many names which Adam Adam gave names to many things which are not found now in the Scripture gave to the creatures in the first imposition which are not found in the Scriptures now the Elephant the greatest beast upon the earth yet it hath no proper name given to it in the Scripture it is called Behemoth Iob 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dens eboris compositum ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ebur 15. and the teeth of the Elephant are called Shenhabbim the teeth of Ivorie but not the teeth of the Elephant and usually the Scripture expresseth onely the word teeth as 1 King 10. 18. he made a Throne of teeth but not of the teeth of the Elephant because the Elephant was not so knowne to the Iewes therefore the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cornua dentis Ezek. 27. Scripture doth onely circumscribe this beast and the hornes of it but Adam gave the greatest beast a proper name when he imposed names to the beasts When Adam imposed names to the beasts he imposed proper names to them not circumscribing them Adam gave proper namer to the creatures as the Scripture doth now for our capacity example Shemamith with the hands of it takes hold on kings houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seemeth to be Simia and Solomon sent for such 1 King 10. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because this word is a hard word to be understood and may signifie eyther a Spyder weaving with her hands or else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Monkie with a long tayle for kings are delighted in their palaces with such when they see them hung by the hands because wee cannot take up the nature of this beast by the name alone therefore the Scriptures by the effects and properties of it describeth it more at large for our capacity but Adam at the first imposed the simple name These names which Adam gave to the beasts at the Names which Adam gave were perfect names first were most perfect names therefore yee shall see other languages to keepe some footesteppe still of the first imposition as 1 King 10. 22. Tukkijm are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peacoks the Talmud calleth
sayd to him wherefore commeth this madde fellow 2 King 9. 11 they tooke the Prophets to be madde like unto the Heathish Prophets but they were inlightened by the Spirit when they prophesied and the Lord rectified their understanding and tooke not away from them the right use of their will It is sayd of Saul when he prophesied that the evill spirit of Lord came upon him 1 Sam. 18. 10. And the Chaldie Paraphrast paraphraseth it caepit furere he began to be mad the Divell stopping the passages of his body he wrought upon his melancholious humor which is called Esca diaboli the Divels baite and then it is sayd ijthnabbe impulit se ad prophetandum which is never spoken of the true Prophets in this Conjugation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Although the Lords Secretaries had libertatem exercitij yet they had not libertatem specificationis that is they might not leave that subject which they were called to write and write any other thing as they pleased they were necessitated onely to write that although they wrote it freely Againe these men when they wrote as the holy Ghost enspired them they did it not with paine and The Prophts did not write with paine and studie study as we doe but it came freely from them without any paine or vexation of their spirit The Princes when they heard Baruch read the prophesie of Ieremiah after that it was endited they asked how did he write all these words at his mouth and Baruch answered them He pronounced all these words to me with his mouth and I wrote them with inke into the Booke Iere. 36. 17. 18. Salomon saith Eccles. 12. 12. In making many bookes and in reading there is much wearinesse of the flesh but this was no wearinesse to them for they wrote this without any paine or labour and hence it followeth that those to whom their writing hath beene troublesome and painfull have not beene the Secretaries of the holy Ghost as Mac. 2. 26. He that assayed to abbridge the five Bookes of Iason sayd that it was not an easie thing to make this abridgement but it required both sweate and labon Seeing all that wrote the holy Scriptures were enspired Quest by the holy Ghost why was this Epithete appropriate Why was Iohn called a Divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Iohn to be called a Divine Revela 1. 1. For they were all Divines who wrote the holy Scriptures The Greeke Fathers when they spake of Christ Answ and specially Chrysostome they distinguish betweene Quomodo differunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they say Apud caeteros aeconomiae fulmen sed apud Iohannem theologiae tonitrua extare The rest when they discribe the humanity of Christ they doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when Iohn discribeth the Divinity of Christ hee doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they say Mattheus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohannes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incipit Observe a difference betwixt these speeches The The Lord came to the wicked but the word of the Lord came to his Prophets Word of the Lord came to Esay to Ieremiah and this phrase The Lord came to Balaam to Abimelech to Laban The first signifieth that the Lord put these holy men in trust with his Word to be his Prophets but he never concredited his word to these prophaine wretches therefore it is sayd onely He came to them but never the Word of the Lord came to them Hee concredited his Word to his Prophets as to Esay and Ieremiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as a pupill is concredited to the trust of his Tutor but he never concredited his Word to these wretches The Lord spake in his Prophets Hosea 1. 1. The Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notat internam revelationem of the Lord spake in me that is inwardly revealed his secrets to me Marke a difference betwixt these two phrases Loqui in aliquo Loqui in aliquem Loqui in aliquo is when the Spirit of the Lord speaketh inwardly to the Prophets sed Loqui in aliquem est Loqui in alique loqui in aliquem vt differunt maledicere to raile against him thus Num. 12. Miriam loquuta est in Mosem id est maledixit Mosi The conclusion of this is Matth. 10. 20. It is not yee Conclusion that speake but the Spirit of our Father which speaketh in you So it was not they who wrote but the Spirit of the Lord in them 2 King 13. When Ioash the King of Israel tooke a Bow in his hand Elisha laid his hands upon the Kings hands and Elisha bad him shoote and he sayd the Arrow of the Lords deliverance and the Arrow of the deliverance from Syria it was not the Kings hand that directed the Arrow here but it was the hand of the Prophet laid upon the Kings hand which gave this mighty blow so it was the hand of the Lord laid upon the hands of his Secretaries which directed them to write the holy Word of God EXERCITAT IX Arguments proving the Scriptures to bee Divine 1 Thess 2. 13. Yee received it not as the Word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God THe Testimonies which prove the Scriptures to be Divine are first the Testimonie of God himselfe when he approved them by his Spirit and when they were laid before him by Vrim and Thummim Secondly arguments drawne out of the Scriptures themselves Thirdly the Testimonie of the Church Fourthly the Testimonie of those who were without the Church Deus testatur Scriptura contestatur Ecclesia subtestatur God beareth witnesse to the Scriptures two wayes Deus testatur First by the internall Testimony of his Spirit Secondly by his externall Testimony When the Spirit testifieth unto us such Bookes to be Quest his Word whether is this a publike or a private Testimony This is a publike Testimony which the Spirit Testifieth Ans to the whole Church and to the severall members of it that these Bookes are holy Scripture for the same Spirit which endited the Scriptures to the Church testifieth still to the Church and to the particular members thereof that the Scriptures are the Word of God The second Testimony which God gave to the Scriptures was his externall testimony given by Vrim and Thummim testifying these Bookes of Moyses and the Prophets to be the holy Scriptures What are we to thinke of these Bookes written and Quest set in order after the captivitie seeing they had not the approbation of the Lord by Vrim and Thummim These Bookes were called Ketubhim written Bookes Answ to put a difference betweene them and these Bookes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were confirmed by Vrim and Thummim they who wrote these Bookes were inspired by the holy Ghost as well as these who wrote the former and they were confirmed by the
in the Church Patriarches Prophets The agreement of the writers of the holy Scriptures and Apostles Amongst the Patriarches Abraham was the cheefe therefore the revelations made to the rest of the Patriarches as to Isaack and to Iacob had alwayes relation to the promises made to Abraham Amongst the Prophets Moyses was the cheefe and therefore all the Prophets grounded themselves upon Moyses And upon the revelations made to the Apostles the faith of the Church is grounded under the New Testament and yee shall never finde any contradictions amongst these holy writers there may seeme some contradiction amongst them but indeed there is none Epiphanius useth a good comparison to this purpose when a man saith he is drawing water out Simile of a deepe Well with two Vessels of a different metall the water at the first seemeth to be of a different colour but when he draweth up the Vessels nearer to him this Although there seeme some contradiction in the Scriptures we should labour to reconcile them diversity of colours vanisheth and the waters appeare both of one colour and when we taste them they have but one relish So saith he although at the first there seeme some contradiction in the holy Scriptures yet when we looke nearer and nearer unto them wee shall finde no contrarietie in them but a perfect harmonie When we see the Heathen history or Apocryphall Bookes contradicting the holy History wee should stand for the holy Scriptures against them but when wee see any appearance of contradiction in the Scriptures we should labour to reconcile them when Moyses saw an Aegyptian and an Israelite striving together he killed the Aegyptian and saved the Israelite Exod. 2. 12. But when be saw two Israelits striving together he laboured to reconcile them saying yee are brethren why doe yee strive So when we see the Apocryphall Bookes or heathen History to contradict the Scriptures we should kill the Aegyptian and save the Israelite Example Iacob cursed Simeon and Levi for murthering of the Sichemites Gen. 49. 7. but Iudith blessed Simeon for killing of them Iudith 9. So Ieremiah saith they shall returne in the third generation Ier. 27. 7. but Baruch saith they shall returne in the seventh generation Baruch 6. here let us kill the Aegyptian but save the Israelite but when wee see any appearance of contradiction in the holy Scriptures wee should labour to reconcile them because they are brethren The heavenly order set downe in the Scriptures Reason 7 showeth them to be divine there is in the Scriptures Ordo naturae Ordo conjugalis thori Ordo historiae Ordo dignitatis all these the Scriptures marke and for sundry Ordo natura conjugalis thori historiae dignitatis reasons setteth one before another and although there be not prius posterius in Scriptura as the Iewes say in respect of the particular occasions yet there is still prius posterius in respect of the generall end of the history First in setting downe the Patriarches it observeth ordinem naturae as they were borne as Ruben in the first place because he was the first borne and then Simeon thirdly Levi and fourthly Iudah c. Secondly The Tribes are set downe sometimes according to their nativity and sometimes as they were borne of free women there is Ordo conjugalis thori according to their birthes and so the free womens sonnes are set first in the Brestplate of Aaron Exod. 28. Thirdly there is Ordo dignitatis as Sem is placed before Iaphet for dignitie although he was younger So the Scripture else where observeth this order Matth. 13. He bringeth fourth new and old Ephe. 2. Apostles and Prophets So the Scripture observeth the order of history Matth. 1. 1. The Booke of the generation of Iesus Christ the Sonne of David the Sonne of Abraham why is Abraham put last after David because the history is to begin at him So 1 Chro. 3. 5. Salomon is placed last amongst his brethren because the history was to begin at him and if we shall marke the heavenly order that is amongst the Evangelists they The heavenly order amongst the Evangelists shew the Scriptures to be Divine will show us that the Scriptures are divine Marke beginneth at the workes of Christ Matthew ascendeth higher to the birth of Christ Luke goeth higher to the conception of Christ and Iohn goeth highest of all to the divinity of Christ and his eternall generation Who would not admire here the steps of Iacobs heavenly ladder ascended from Ioseph to Adam and from Adam to God The matter contained in the Scriptures shewes them Reason 8 to be divine and to make a wonderfull change in man which no other booke can doe Iam. 4. 6. The spirit in us lusteth after envie yet the Scriptures offer more grace The Scriptures offer grace to resist sinne that is the Scriptures offer grace and ability to doe more then nature can doe Nature cannot heale a Spirit that lusteth after envie or after money or after uncleanesse but the Scriptures offer more grace to overcome any of these sinnes be they never so strong The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule Psal 19. 17. when it is dead in sinne it quickneth and reviveth it againe and when it is decayed in grace it The Word of God is a restorer of the spirituall life restoreth it againe even as Boaz is sayd to be a restorer of the life of Naomi and a nurisher of her old age Ruth 4. 15. The rubukes and threatnings of the holy Ghost in Reason 9 the Scriptures fall never to the ground in vaine but take alwayes effect when people stand out against them And as Ionathans bow did never turne backe and the Sword of Saul never returned empty 2 Sam. 1. 22. So the Arrowes of the King are sharpe to pierce his enemies Psal 45. 5. Ioh. 10. 35. The Scriptures cannot be broken the arguments Reason 10 set downe in the Scripture are so strong that all the heretickes in the world could never breake them and they stand like a brasen wall against all oppositions therefore the Lord challengeth men to bring forth their strongest reasons Esa 41. 21. produce your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Iacob The Church is the Pillar of Truth shee holdeth out Ecclesia subtestatur the Truth to be seene shee expoundeth and interpreteth the Scriptures yet her testimony in but an inducing testimony and not a perswading testimony shee can teach the Truth but shee cannot seale up the truth in our hearts and make us to beleeve the Truth of the Scripture Her testimony is but in actu exercito but non Actus exercitus signatus signato Her testimony is informativum sen directivum it informeth and directeth us sed non certificativum terminativum fidei that is shee cannot perswade us of the Truth by her Testimony Testimonies of these also who are without
perpetuum amongst the Heathen why doe they then translate it For ever because Amos 8. 7. and 2 Sam. 2. 26. Lament 5. 20. the word Netzahh signifieth both Victory and Eternitie A third example Gen. 8. 21. Dixit ad cor suum dominus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Victoria Aeternitas but the Chaldee saith Bemeria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which phrase the Evangelist Iohn followeth but this is not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phrase used amongst the Greekes A fourth example Give us this day our daily bread Matth. 6. 11. The Greeks say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Panem quotidianum but the Syriacke hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crastinum panem that bread which may feede us to day and to morrow So Iam. 4. 6. The Lord exalteth the humble but according to the Hebrew and Syriacke phrase to Exalt is to lift up on the Crosse Ioh. 8. 28. When yee have lift up the Sonne of man or exalted the Sonne of man that is lifted him up on the Crosse These particular phrases used by the Seventy would be marked And besides these if we shall looke more nearely to the stile of the Scripture as to the simplicity of it then we The simplicity of the stile of the Scripture is admirable shall much more admire it 1 Cor. 2. 4. My preaching was not with inticing words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power Againe the Evidence of the stile the judgements of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oculata fides cum qu◠ipse videt God are set downe so vively in the Scripture as if a man were looking on with his eyes this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Greekes as we may see in the deludge the overthrow of Sodome and the miracles in the Wilderdernesse set downe so clearely before us as if we had beene eye witnesses of them See a notable example Psal 7. 12. 13. By a borrowed kind of speech he setteth forth the judgements of God which were to over take the wicked as if we were looking on If he turne not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he hath ordained his arrowes against the persecutors Eightly the Fulnesse of the speech The Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 call this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein nothing is wanting neyther in the enumeration of the parts or explication of the causes or reciting of the circumstances for the holy The holy Ghost setteth downe all circumstances belonging to the purpose whereof hee intreateth Ghost setteth downe all the circumstances belonging to the purpose So the Apostle Rom. 1. describeth at large the vanity and impiety of the Gentiles And Rom. 2. the hypocrisie of the Iewes and Cap. 3. he maketh a full description of the corruptions of man reckoning up the parts There is none righteous no not one vers 10. There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God vers 11. They are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Vers 12. Their throate is an open Sepulcher with their tongues have they used deceit the poyson of Aspes is under their lippes Vers 13. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse Vers 14. Their feete is swift to shed blood Vers 15. Destruction and misery are in their wayes Vers 16. And the way of peace they have not knowne Vers 17. And there is no feare of the Lord before their eyes Vers 18. Ninthly the Shortnesse of the speech and here we cannot enough admire the fulnesse of the stile and the shortnesse of it that which Cicero sayd of Thucycides Every word of the Scripture carrieth a weight may here be applyed fitly Eum esse adeo plenum refertumque rebus ut prope verborum numerum numero rerum exaequet That every word carried a weight with it and therefore we may call it Laconica Scriptura Tenthly the Coherence all things in the Scriptures are fitly joyned and coupled together The Heathen All things in the Scripare fitly joyned sayd that there were three things unpossible Eripere Iovi fulmen Herculi clavam Homero versum to pull Iupiters Thunder-bolt out of his hand Hercules Club out of his hand and a verse from Homer for they thought that there was such a connexion betweene Homers verses that not one verse could be taken away without a great breach in the whole worke but this may bee much more sayd of the Scriptures of God which have such a dependance and connexion that if yee take away but one verse the whole shall be marred But it may be sayd that there are sentences which Ob. seeme not to cohere or agree fitly together Gen. 48. 7. And as for me when I came from Padan Rachel died by me in the Land of Canaan in the way when there was but yet a little way to come to Ephrath and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath the same is Bethlehem Vers 8. And Israel beheld Iosephs sonnes How doth this cohere with that which goeth before it would seeme that there is no dependance here They cohere well enough with the words going before for Iacob had adopted two of Iosephs children Ans How sentences in the Scripture seeming to disagree cohere very well then hee giveth the reason of this adoption in these words as if he should say whereas I might have had moe children by my first wife Rachel if shee had lived it is great reason that I supply this defect in her by placing some in sted of these children which she might have borne to me and I adopt those thy sonnes since she is dead The second place which seemeth to have no coherence with things going before Esa 39. 21. Take a lumpe of figges and lay it for a plaister unto the boyle and he shall recover vers 22. Ezekias also had sayd what is the signe that I shall goe up into the house of the Lord. What coherence is betwixt these words and the words going before There is a right coherence here and hee setteth downe that last which was first for brevities cause which is more at large set downe in the booke of the Kings and therefore Iunius translateth it well Vajomer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In plusquam perfecto Esay had sayd Ier. 40. 1. The word which came to Ieremiah from the Object Lord c. The words following seeme not to cohere with the former The beginning of the fortieth Chapter with the seventh Answ Verse of the fortiesecond Chapter and these things which are insert betweene them doe containe but the occasion of the prophesie to wit when Godoliah was killed the rest of the Iewes would have gone into Aegypt which Ieremiah forbiddeth them to doe And it came to passe ten dayes after Chap. 42. 7 c. This should be joyned
signe betweene me and the children of Israel for ever for in sixe dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Observe the forme of this writing of the Samaritans and yee shall finde it to be meere Cabbalisticall by which they would finde out the diverse readings in framing the lines words and letters and setting them downe after such a curious forme as the Cabbalists doe by their Gematrija notaricon and temura that is by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 number of letters the diverse significations of them and the diverse situation and placing of them they make diverse senses in the Scriptures as by elbham and ethbhash sometimes putting the last letters for the first and the first for the last sometimes reading up and downe sometimes crosswayes and sometimes from the left hand to the right this we may see in this example of the Samaritan Copie where they summe up the observation the breach and punishment of the Sabbath in a round circle which curiosity the Spirit of God never used in writing the holy Scriptures Christ speaking of the originall Text and the perpetuity of the Law which we have he saith One jote or one title of the Law shall not passe in the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answerable to the Hebrew Iod and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not properly translated A tittle as if it made a difference betwixt some letters as the top of Daleth from Resh for the Syriacke calleth it Sharat incisura vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incisio the small lines which are in ones hand The meaning is then that not one part of a letter neyther the least letter nor any part of the least letter shall perish hence we may reason from Christs words In that copie whereof the Lord speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Iod must be the least letter but in the Samaritan copie Iod is not the least but the biggest of all the Letters therefore the Samaritan copie is not that copie which Christ spake of but the Hebrew as we may see by the difference of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebrae the Letters in the margent here hence we may gather that this Samaritan letter was abolished in Christs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samarit time and therefore wee ought neyther to imbrace the copie nor the Characters as authenticke or originall The Conclusion of this is If the light that is in the Conclusion body be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse Matth. 6. 23. The Scriptures are the light of the Church and if the originall Text were corrupted how great were the darkenesse of the body God hath Conjuncta instrumenta Instrumenta gratiae conjuncta remota remota instrumenta gratiae Remota instrumenta gratiae are the Preachers and their writings and they may be corrupted But Conjuncta instrumenta gratiae are the Prophets and Apostles and their writings these the Lord kept from errour and corruption for the good of his Church EXERCITAT XIII That no Canonicall booke is perished Matth. 5. 18. Heaven and earth shall passe one jote or one tittle shall no wayes passe from the Law till all be fulfilled WHen a thing wanteth an essentiall part this is the greatest want Secondly when it wanteth an integrall part this is likewise a great defect And thirdly when it wanteth accidentall ornaments When Defectus partis essentialis partis integratis ornamenti accidentalis the soule is separated from the body here is a separation of the essentiall parts When a man wanteth a hand or a foote then he wanteth an integrall part And when hee wanteth his cloathes hee wanteth some ornaments There is no booke in the Scripture that wanteth any No booke in the Scripture wanteth any essentiall part essentiall part for the Law and the Gospel which are essentiall parts are found in every booke Secondly the Scripture wanteth no integrall part Vide Iunium in Iudam and Perkins reformed Catholike since the Canon was sealed before the Canon was sealed they had as much as served for their infancie but after that it was sealed the whole Canon was compleate and none of those Bookes perished Great was the care which the Lord had to preserve Gods care in preserving the Scriptures the Scriptures First hee commanded the Levites to take the booke of the Law written by Moyses and to put it in the side of the Arke of the covenant of the Lord Deut. 31. 26. Secondly the Lord commanded the King when he should sit upon the Throne of his kingdome to write a Copie of this Law Deut. 17. 18. and the Iewes adde further that he was bound to write out two copies one which he should keepe in his treasurie and another which he should carry about with him and they say moreover if Printing had beene found out then yet hee was bound to write them out with his owne hand Thirdly the Lord commanded the Prophets to write their visions upon Tables and to make them plaine Habak 2. 2. Esay 8. 1. and the Seventy read it to be graven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant Graeci upon the bush tree which is a sort of wood that corrupteth not and it will preserve that which is written upon it and it were to the worlds end Fourthly when any booke which was necessary for Bookes necessary for the Church albeit lost yet they were found againe the use of the Church was lost the Lord had a care that that booke should be found againe as the booke of the law found by Hilkiah 2 King 22. 8. Or the Lord endited it a new againe when it was lost as when Iehojakim cut the roule of the lamentations of Ieremie yet the Lord inspired him a new againe to indite this booke to his Scribe Baruch Iere. 36. 32. because he thought it necessary still for the Church therefore he would not have it to perish Fiftly in that generall destruction which the Babylonians made at Ierusalem burning their houses and robbing them of their goods yet as Hierome and Basil observe well it was a speciall providence of God that The Israelites kept the musicall instruments in the captivity to put them in minde of the worship of God they should leave to those captives their instruments of Musicke wherewith they used to serve God in the Temple that they might preserve some memorie of their former worship they brought these instruments to Babel with them Psal 137. 2. we hung our harpes on willowes If the Lord had such a care of these instruments to have them preserved for his praise much more care had he to have the Scriptures preserved which taught them to worship and he who had a particular care of the parts of the Scripture before it was compleate and numbreth the haires of our heads Matth. 10. 30. and the starres of the heavens Psal 147. 4. will he not have a speciall care that
right sense of the Scripture When it is objected to us by the Church Diverse reading make not up diverse sense in the Scripture of Rome that we have not the true meaning of the Scriptures because of our diverse translations Our Divines answer that these diverse translations make not diverse senses in the Scriptures for the sense is still one and the same but these diverse translations helpe us onely to come to the true meaning of the Scriptures and so we must use these marginall and line readings as we use these interpretations When we see a blanke left in the the Text and supplyed in the Margent this addeth nothing to the Text as a word added sometime by a translatour addeth nothing to the Text So when the Masoreth putteth another word in the Margent A word set downe for explanation addeth nothing to the text which is not in the Text that word is set downe onely for explanation and it addeth nothing to the Text. We take up the meaning of the Text by the antecedent The meaning of the text is knowne by the antecedent and consequent and consequent Example Prov. 4. 3. Tender and young was I Liphni before my Mother but in the Margent it is Tender and young was I Libhni amongst the Sonnes of my Mother for Salomon had moe brethren 1 Chron. 3. 6. But these readings may stand he was tender and young 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before his Mother and best beloved of all his Mothers Sonnes The Conclusion of this A certaine Iew gave God thankes for foure things First that hee was a Iew and Conclusion not a Samaritane Secondly that he was bred at Ierusalem and not at Pambiditha Thirdly that he said Shibbeth and not Sibboleth Fourthly that hee needed not ex Tihni-deni cap. 7 the helps of Tiberias meaning the Points and Accents But we who are not naturall Iewes should bee thankefull to God because wee have these helpes to further us in the reading EXERCITAT XV. Of the meanes which God useth to make the Scripture plaine unto us 1 Cor. 14. 11. If I know not the meaning of the voyce I shall be to him that speaketh a Barbarian c. THere are three speciall meanes by which God maketh the Scriptures plaine unto us The first is translation of the Scripture The second is paraprasing Three speciall meanes for making the Scriptures plaine of the Scripture and the third is the interpretation of the Scripture In the Translation of the Scripture consider first What things are necessary for translation what is a Translation Secondly the necessitie of translation Thirdly what things a Translator should observe and what things he should shunne Fourthly who they were who translated the Scriptures Fiftly the authority of the translation of the Seventy Sixtly the authority of the vulgar Latine translation First what is a translation We translate when we What is translation change out of one language into another and it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Translator consider the words a part then it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is great force in the words and therefore the Translatour must observe them Plato was wont to call Socrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu obstetricem because when he sought out the words then he brought forth the truth Secondly let us consider the necessity of Translation The necessitie of translation proved by sundry reasons without a Translation wee can not understand a strange language but it is barbarous to us Reasons proving the necessitie of translation First when the old testament hath words altogether Reason 1 unknowne to the Iewes it useth to interpret them Example Words in the old Testament unknowne to the Iewes are interpreted Purim was a Persicke word unknowne to the Iewes therefore the Holy Ghost interpreteth it calling it a Lot So the Evangelists writing in Greeke and having sundrie Hebrew and Chaldee words they expound them in Greeke as Siloe that is sent Ioh. 9. 7. Abba interpreted by Pater Rom. 8. So Tabitha kumi by interpretation Daughter arise Mark 5. 21. So Thomas called Didymus See Mark 7. 34. and Act. 1. 27. and Revela 1. 7. amen by nai So Abaddon be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reve. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9. 11. So Rabboni by Master Ioh. 20. 16. why doth the holy Ghost interpret these names but to teach us that he would have the Scriptures translated into knowne tongues that the people might understand them Why doth the holy Ghost interpret Elymas by Magus Quest Act. 13. 8. But Elymas the Sorcerer for so his name is by interpretation withstood them Seeing all translations should be in a more knowne tongue but Magus is as obscure as Elymas Magus was first a Persicke word but afterwards it Answ was well enough knowne to the Iewes Elymas was but a part of Persia so called from Elam the sonne of The Persians are called Elamites Sem therefore the Persians are called Elamites Act. 2. and Luke interpreteth Elymas by Magus as by that which was well enough knowne to the Iewes and to us now for we take Magus commonly for a Magitian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magus a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formare vel fingere the Arabick translateth Magus by Hhartom from Hharat fingere or formare because the Magitians draw figures and circles when they conjure Why is the prayer of Christ upon the Crosse set Quest downe in Hebrew by the Evangelists Eli Eli lama sabacthani Matth. 27. 46. The Evangelist doth this that we may perceive the Ans Why the prayer of Christ upon the crosse is set downe in Hebrew bitter mocke that the Iewes used against Christ saying He calleth upon Elias for in no other language the mocke will so appeare Secondly it was a curse pronounced against the people of God when the Lord should send strangers against Vnknowne tongues were a curse pronounced against the people of the Iewes them who should speake unto them in an unknowne tongue Esa 28. 11. So it is a curse to the Church as the Apostle applyeth it to speake to the people the misteries of their salvation in an unknowne tongue 1 Cor. 14. 21. The Lord at the Pentecost gave the gift of tongues to the Apostles that they might speake to the people Reason 3 in a knowne language Every man heard them speake in his owne language Act. 2. 6. And to some hee gave the tongues but not the interpretation of them but lest the people should not understand these languages he gave God gave the gift of tongues to some and to others he gave the interpretation of them to others the gift of interpretation 1 Cor. 12. 10. but the Church of Rome studieth of purpose to keepe the Scriptures in an unknowne tongue and thinketh that thereby the mindes of the people are more affected and stirred up to
may be seene before in the postscripts added to the Syriacke translation Secondly they charge him that he tooke away the Calender for the reading of the Gospel upon holy dayes but neyther the Hebrew Calender nor the Syriacke Calender are Divine Scripture and that use for which they say this Calender served for reading of the Gospel upon holy dayes was onely used in the westerne Romish Churches but not in the Easterne Churches Thirdly they say that he committed Plagium in stealing his translation from Guido Fabricius and setting it out under his owne name but what diligence he used in translation of the Syriack he who wrote his life testifieth And will any man thinke that he who was a native Iew borne and trained up in these tongues was so ignorant that he had no skill but that which he did steall from another and Gretserus addeth that first he was a Iew and then he became a Monke thirdly a Calvanist or Hugonite and lastly that hee returned to his vomite againe and dyed a Iew. But that yee may perceive what a Railer this was who spared neyther the living nor the dead I will set downe a memorable proofe of his death he who wrote Apophthegmata morientium the notable sayings which sundry uttered at the last houre of their death relateth this of him When they demanded of him what confession hee would make of his faith he sayd Vivat Christus pereat Barabbas Whereas the rest of the Iewes cryed Vivat Barabbas pereat Christus this he sayd to signifie that he renounced Iudaisme and tooke him onely to the merites of Christ Was this to dye like a Iew the Name of this worthy man should smell to us as the Wine of Lebanon Hos 14. 7. Of a Paraphrase THe second way how God maketh the Scripture plaine unto us is by paraphrasing it which goeth in a larger circuit of words than a translation doth and this is called tirgam a Paraphrase An Ecphrasis is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exposition of this Paraphrase The first Paraphrase was the Paraphrase of Ionathan the sonne of Vzziel who paraphrased the great Prophets thirty yeeres before Christ both plainely and without Allegories but upon the small Prophets hee runneth out more upon Allegories The seeond Paraphrase was the Paraphrase of Onkelos otherwise called Rabbi Aquila adding Nun and changing a into o as Aquila Onkelos as Bonarges Bannarges It was hee who translated the Old Testament into Greeke also he paraphrased the five bookes of Moyses ninety yeeres after Christ not long after the destruction of the Temple The third Paraphrase was Targum Hierosolymitanum upon the five bookes of Moyses most fabulous and most impure but because Targum Ionathan was in great request among the Iewes and not so fabulous as this Targum the Printers amongst the Iewes put these two letters Tau Iod before that Paraphrase to make the Reader beleeve that it was Targum Ionathan Ionathans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paraphase for these two letters stand both for Targum Ionathan and for Targum Hierosolymitanum Lastly Rabbi Ioseph Caecus paraphrased Cetubhim or the written bookes All these Paraphrases if yee will respect the language were eyther in the Babylonian or Hierosolymitan tongue three in the Babylonian and Turgum Hierosolymitanum in the Hierosolymitan tongue These Paraphrases where they paraphrase against Paraphrases when they are blasphemous are to rejected Christ are to be detested Exam. 1. Gen. 4. Incaeptum est nomen domini profanari but Targum Hierosolymitanum paraphraseth it blaspemously In diebus illis coeperunt Idola colere fecerunt sibi Deos erroneos quos cognominabant de nomine Sermonis domini And here he implyeth Christ who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sermo dei This paraphrase is blasphemous against the Sonne of God and therefore to be detested Example 2 Can. 4. 5. Thy two breasts are like two young Roes Targum paraphraseth these two Roes to be two Messiases the one the sonne of Ioseph the other the sonne of David the one Poore and the other mighty that is a blasphemous Paraphrase and therefore to bee detested Example 2. Iob. 23. 9. He paraphraseth it this wayes Michael is upon his right hand and Gabriel upon his left hand Michael is upon his right hand and he is fire and Gabriel is upon his left hand and he is water and the holy creatures are partly fire and partly water This Paraphrase is blasphemous because it maketh the Sonne of God but a Creature and matcheth Gabriel with Michael Secondly where these Paraphrases are fabulous they Paraphrases when they are ridiculous are to be rejected are to be rejected Example 1 Gen. 3. 21. The Lord made coates of skin for Adam and Eve Targum Hierosolymitanum paraphraseth it this wayes The Lord made glorious cloathes which he put upon the skin of their flesh that they might cover themselves Example 2. Gen. 32. 26. Dimitte me quia ascendit aurora The Paraphrast maketh this to be one of the seven Angels who stand before the Lord singing continually holy holy Lord of Hoasts and he maketh this Angell to be cheefe of the Quire Example 3. Exod. 13. 19. And Moyses tooke the bones of Ioseph with him Targum Hierosolymitanum paraphraseth it thus Ascendere fecit Moses vrnam ossium Iosephi ex intimo Nili abauxit secum Hence the Talmudists make a great question how they could finde this Chest of Ioseph being sunke so deepe in the flood Nilus and they flye to their shift of Shem hamphorash and R Bechai upon this saith that Moyses tooke a plate and wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon it and sayd ascende Be◠meaning Ioseph who was called Bos Dei Deut. 33. 17. did cast this plate into Nilus saying O Ioseph thy brethren which are redeemed are waiting for thee and the cloud of glory is waiting for thee if thou wilt not goe up with us now wee are free of our oath Example 4. Deut. 28. 18. Decaudicabat debiles Hee cut off the taile or the weake of the hoast but Targum Hierosolymitanum paraphraseth it this wayes sed accepit eos Amalek amputavit loca virilitatis corum projecitque sursum versus coelum dicens tolle quod elegisti meaning that part which was commanded by the Lord to be circumcised they threw it up into the heavens in contempt and spite against the Lord. Example 5. 1 Sam. 15. And he numbred them Battelahim but Targum paraphraseth it thus He numbred them by the lambes For Telahim is called lambes also and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they say that Saul would not number the people for feare of a plague upon him and his people as it fell out afterwards upon David and his people therefore he caused every one of them to bring a lambe and he numbred all the lambes and so he knew the number of the people such Iewish fables as these the Apostle willeth us to take heede of Tit. 1. 14. But where
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 104 μ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 131 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 135 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 175 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u74 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 105 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 131 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 139 ν 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 139 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 104 ο 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 134 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 141 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 135 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 45 ῶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 126 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 137 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 139 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 100 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28 ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 101 σ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 181 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 99 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 177 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 162 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 100 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 181 Ï„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 176 Ï… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 135 φ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 45 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 72 An alphabeticall Table of the principall distinctions and chiefe matters contained in this Booke A Action of the will twofold 20. action of the mind twofold 84. Adam his knowledge before his fall 25 the measure of his knowledge 26 he gave fit names to all the creaturis 30. Adam compared with the most excellent men 28. 29 Analogie of faith twofold 179. Angels appeared in the likenesse of men but not of women 45. they appeared more glorious than a man ibid what Angell stirred the poole 60. Apostles considered two wayes 70. they are set in order before the Prophets 82. Arabick translation addeth postscripts to the Evangelists 150. the errour of the Arabicke postscrips Aristophanes keper of Ptolomens librarie in Egypt 144. Ark not alwayes with urim and thummin 54 they turned their faces to the ark when they asked counsell ibid. it was not in the second temple 59 they sang psalmes when it was carried to the temple 168. 169. Assurance twofold 14. B Beginning of things twofold 79. Booke signifieth a relation by word or writ 120 no canonicall booke lost 117 no booke in the scripture wanteth any essentiall part 118 bookes necessarie for the church albeit lost yet they were found or written again ibid. Blood not to be eaten a precept given to Noâ—h 41. how this precept is to be understood ibid. why the apostles forbid to eat it 42. Breastplate distinguished from Vrim Thummim 51. the letters made not up the answer ibid. the forme of it 52. C Canaan a land blessed of god 2. Chapters and verses not cited by the ancient fathers 176. at the first called titles and the verses were called chapters ibid. Characters in which the scriptures were written first 88. the Samaritan Character and why so called ibid. why Esdras changed the character 89. diverse characters 91. Christ useth the helpe of reason against the Sadduces 16. he excelled Adam in all things 32. the true Salomon 174. the end of the law the prophets ibid. Church compared to Canaan 2. taught by tradition 4. how the pillar of truth 84 not the last resolution of our faith 62. her estate considered three wayes 61. Conscience what 35. a twofold act of the conscience ibid. it is called a painted thing in the Syriack 36. the diverse sorts of conscience 36 37. the good conscience not made up by the light of nature since the fall 37. when the bad conscience accuseth 38. how the bad conscience bindeth a man and how long 39. the conscience gods herauld 38. Conclusions drawne from the first and second principles how they differ 35. conclusions of practise drawne from practicall principles 21. D David came nearest to Adam in prudencie 31. he wrote two books of the psalmes and set them in order 166. Daniel compared with Adam 31. he excelled in the interpretation of dreams ibid Defect threefold 117. Divinitie compared to manna 1. the excellencie of it above all sciences and arts 1 2. compared with Metaphysickes 6. with the mathematicks and physicks ibid. with the lawyer and the physitian ibid. with morall philosophie ibid. and 7. with grammer and rhetorick 8. it rectifieth all other sciences 9. Dough of Egypt called the bread of the poore 2. Dreams whether more excellent then visions 49. the prophets had the dreams with the interpretation of them 48. the difference of them ibid. why god taught his prophets by dreames 49. E Egypt watered with the feet of men 2. it resembleth the world ibid. the people of god vnderstood not the language of it 93. Elephant hath no proper name in the hebrew 30. it is circumscribed by other words Esdras wrote none of the books over againe which were written before the captivitie but onely set them in order 119. F Faith the daughter of divinitie 5 the farther it goeth from sense and reason the more distinct lesse vniversall 4. how faith sense and reason apprehend things 3. the articles of faith taken generally or speciallie 63. Fast of the Iewes for the translation of the bible in greeke 146. Feast of tabernacles the last day the greatest 174 that day the Iewes read three parashoth ibid. Salomon blessed the people that day ibid. Christ the true Salomon taught the people that great day of the feast ibid. G Gate of knowledge foure fold 26. Generation three fold 15. God appeared immediately or mediately by an angell 45. hee appeared in the likenesse of an old man 26. the name god put to expresse any great thing 27. H Haphtorah the originall of it mistaken 157. Hebrew tongue the originall 92. the dialects of it 93. many words in the Hebrew haue a contrarie signification 103. Hedge fourefold 129. Hellenismes and grecismes how they differ 104 Hereticks labour to ground their heresies on the scripture I Iewes orientall and occidentall 109. faithfull keepers of the scriptures 110. bad interpreters ibid. the fable of the grecizing Iewes concerning the translation of the Seventy 146. they would write no language but in Hebrew letters 111. Ignorance damnable 64. ignorance of infirmitie ibid. Iohn why called a divine 75. he saw Christ three wayes 43. Ioseph came nearest to Adam in oeconomie 31. Ioseph put for the whole Iewes 93. Instruments of musick the Israelites kept them in captivitie 119. Interpretation the necesseitie of it 162. words vnknowne to the Iewes in the old testament interpreted 132. Iustin martyr of a philosopher became a divine 7 he standeth for the translation of the Seventie 143. K King wrote a copie of the law 118. Knowledge of the prophets kept by reading 66. Korahs posteritie died not with him 176. they wrote some of the psalmes ibid. L Language originall the Hebrew 89 90. Languages that haue affinitie with the Hebrew 93. and know in what language any book is written 99. Latine words made Greeke Latine translation vide translation Law or physicke whether more
than ours is This wee grant they disputed against those Answ who acknowledged not their authority but yeelded onely to them in respect of the force of the arguments is it not lawfull for us to doe the same against our adversaries which Christ did against the Sadduces and Paul against the Iewes But whatsoever was pronounced by Christ against Object the Sadduces or by Paul against the Iewes it became by and by holy Scripture which we cannot say of our conclusions Although arguments used by Christ and his Apostles Answ became by and by the Word of God yet it will not follow that we may not use these midsts brought forth by reason although they become not Scripture but then that would follow if wee brought forth these principles of reason to make them the object of our saving faith Whether were the Sadduces bound to beleeve this Quest argument of Christs as an article of their faith or not By the force of this consequence as it were the Ans worke of reason they were not bound to beleeve it but as it was proved to them out of the Scriptures they were bound to beleeve it Seeing humane midsts have no force to binde of Quest themselves why are they used in proofe against men This is done for the infirmity of man who is hard Answ to beleeve and the Divine midsts will not serve to refute the naturall man These who have good and perfect Simile sight need no other midst to see by but the light but a man who is of a weake sight and purblind useth Spectacles as a helpe to his sight so the perverse heriticks make us to bring in these humane midsts whereas the midsts taken out of the Word of God should serve by themselves to convince When Christ rose againe Thomas doubted of the resurrection and thought that his body had beene but a Spirit but Christ bearing with his infirmity by this humane midst proveth that hee is flesh because hee may bee touched and felt Observe againe that in Divinity some propositions are merely Divine and some are mixtly Divine These that are merely Divine reason can doe little thing here it can but joyne the tearmes together but it cannot take up these great mysteries example if I were disputing against the Monothelites who denyed that there were two natures in Christ and should reason thus Where there are two natures there are two wils but in Christ there are two natures therefore two wils That in Christ there are two wils this is a proposition merely Divine reason can never take up this yet reason sheweth this much where there are two natures there must bee two wills and it judgeth onely of the connexion of these two but it cannot judge of the verity of this whether there be two wills in Christ or not Yee will say then what doth reason in the verity Quest of these propositions which are merely Divine Reason in a regenerate man concludeth not that to Ans be false which is above her reach but onely admireth and resteth in this great mystery and reformed reason enlightened by the Word of God goeth this farre on that she beleeveth these things to be possible with God which shee cannot comprehend but reason in a corrupt man will scorne and mocke these things which shee cannot comprehend as the Stoicke called Paul a babler Act. 17. 18 when hee disputed against them for the resurrection and called it a new doctrine In these propositions againe which are mixtly Divine reason hath a further hand example No naturall body can be in moe places at once Christs body is a naturall body therefore it cannot be in moe places at once this is mixtly Divine for the properties of a naturall body sheweth us that it cannot be in moe places at once and the Scripture also sheweth us that Christs body is a naturall body But is not this a mixture of Divinity and humane Quest reason together when wee borrow a midst out of the Scriptures and then confirme the selfesame thing by reason This maketh not a mixture of Divinity and philosophie Answ but maketh onely philosophie to serve Divinity When we use reason to helpe our weaknesse we doe not ground our faith upon reason or upon the light of nature but upon that supernaturall light and the light of nature commeth in but as in the second roome Simile to confirme our weaknesse and as we ascribe not the price of the Ring or the worthinesse of it to the Hammer which beateth it out but to the Gold it selfe so our faith is not grounded upon humane reason or the light of nature but upon the Word of God it selfe How can reason serve in Divinity seeing the naturall Quest man perceiveth not the things of God and the greater Philosophers the greater enemies of grace Wee must distinguish inter concretum abstractum Ans betwixt philosophie and the Philosopher many of the Philosophers oppugned the mysteries of Divinity by their corrupt and naturall reason but true philosophie impugneth it not and the greater light extinguisheth not the lesser and verity doth not contradict it selfe and truth in philosophie is but the footestep of that truth which is in God by way of excellency The conclusion of this is contra rationem nemo sobrius Conclusi dicit contra scripturam nemo christianus contra ecclesiam nemo pacisicus we must learne then to give every one of these their owne place and not to reject reason altogether from Divinity but to captivate her and make her a handmaid to Divinity EXERCITAT III That the end of Divinity here consisteth rather in practise than in contemplation Luke 11. 28. Blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keepe it THe end of our Divinity here consisteth in doing rather than contemplation If we speake properly doing is not in the understanding but in the will when reason divideth compoundeth or frameth any proposition within it selfe then the understanding is not sayd The understanding is speculative and setteth the will on worke properly to doe but contenting it selfe within it selfe then it is speculative but when the understanding setteth the will on worke then the will doth the understanding but directeth the will and when the understanding reasoneth within it selfe they call this actus elicitus Actus elicitus imperatus but when the understanding setteth the will on worke they call this actus imperatus A proposition in Divinity commandeth us eyther A proposition in Divinity commandeth practise virtually or formally virtually to practise or else formally Virtually it commandeth us to practise example This is life eternall to know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Christ Ioh. 17. 3. 11. This is a proposition which virtually includeth in it practise for as the Hebrewes say verba notitiae includunt verba affectus Words of knowledge include words of affection if it be life eternall for us to know God then it is life eternall also
part of the Law and the Apostles in the councill Act. 15. forbiddeth them to eate any thing that was strangled whereby they meant the ceremoniall part of the Law Whether are we to take these precepts as ceremoniall or as morrall Quest The most of these are morrall precepts and the Answ same which are set downe againe in the Law For when the Apostles biddeth them abstaine from fornication Act. 15. It is the same that is forbidden in the fourth See Beza Act. 15. precept given to Noah not revelare turpitudinem and to interpret here fornication for eating of things sacrificed to Idols seemeth to be a strained sense for that is forbidden already by the first precept to Noah And to uncover the nakednesse according to the phrase of the Scripture is meant of bodily pollution and not of spirituall fornication Now besides these morrall precepts set downe by Of eating of blood see more in the appendix of Command 6. the councill they interlace this ceremoniall precept de suffocato forbidding to eate things strangled and they give the reason wherefore the Gentiles should abstaine from these Act. 15. 21. For Moyses is read in their Synagogues every Sabbath as if Iames should say they Why the Apostles forbid to eate blood or things strangled professe not onely the morrall Law but also the ceremoniall Law yet therefore yee Gentiles shall doe well to abstaine from these things which may give them offence The Iewes respected these precepts most because they were kept in the Church even from Noahs dayes The Hebrewes adde further that there was no other precept given untill Abrahams dayes then God added the precept of circumcision and afterwards taught them to separate tithes The Lord taught his Church in her infancie this God at the beginning taught his Church by tradition and not by write wayes by traditions and not be write and even as parents teach their children the first elements by word Simila and afterwards by write so the Lord taught his Church first by word and then by write The conclusion of this is The Lord never left his Conclusion Church without his word to direct her before the fall he spake immediatly to Adam and Eve taught them In the second period he taught them by these seven precepts In the third period by the Law written and in the fourth period by the Gospel EXERCITAT VII Of the diverse wayes how God revealed himselfe extraordinarily to his Church Heb. 1. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets GOd manifested himselfe to his Church first by prophesie secondly by the holy Spirit thirdly by God revealed himselfe to his Church foure wayes Vrim and Thummim and fourthly by the poole Bethesda First by prophesie There were sundry sorts of prophecie Sundry sorts of prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first was lepi face to face to Moyses onely This sort of prophesie was the highest degree of revelation and it drew nearest to that sort of vision which we shall get of God in the heavens He manifested himselfe to Moyses face to face and hee knew How the Lord manifested himselfe to Moses him by his name that is not onely by the face as Princes know many of their Subjects but he knew him inwardly and liked him this was notitia approbationis Moyses saw God face to face yet he saw not the essence of God for hee dwelleth in a light inaccessable Iohn saw Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn saw God three manner of wayes First in his incarnation he saw God dwelling amongst men in the flesh here Secondly in his transfiguration upon the Mount Thirdly in the Spirit upon the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Although Iohn lay in the bosome of Christ and was his beloved Disciple yet he saith No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Ioh. 1. 18. When God spake to Moyses he spake to his underderstanding Differences betwixt the revelations made to Moses and to the rest of the Prophets immediatly A man hath a right eare and a left eare the understanding is like the right eare and the phantasie is like the left eare hee spake to Moyses Differ 1 right eare to his understanding but when he spake to the rest of the Prophets by some shapes and visible formes he spake first to their left eare Moyses saw no visible shapes nor formes except onely in the entry of his calling when he saw the bush burning Exod. 3. 6. and the Angell comming to kill him in the Inne Exod. 4. 24. and when he saw the paterne of the Tabernacle in the Mount Heb. 9. but usually God manifested himselfe to his understanding Secondly the other Prophets were astonished and weakned at the sight of God Dan. 8. 27. and I Daniel Differ 2 fainted and was sicke certaine dayes and I was astonished at the visions So Ezekiel fell upon his face when the Lord revealed himselfe unto him Chap. 3. 27. But Moyses was never affrayd at the sight of God but thrice First when he was to enter in his calling when he saw the bush burning Exod. 3. 2. Secondly at the giving of the Law Heb. 12. 21. Thirdly in the Inne Thirdly Moyses needed not such preparations before he prophesied as some of the other Prophets did Elisha Differ 3 before he prophesied called for a Minstrell to settle his passions that he might be the more fit to receive his prophesie 2 King 3. 15. But Moyses needed not such a preperation So Paul when he was ravished to the third heaven this knowledge which he got was intellectuall and it was neyther by the sight nor by the phantasie and whether the soule was in the body here tanquam in organo vel tanquam in sede onely it may be See Iunius de purgatorie doubted The second sort of prophesie was by vision as when Moyses saw the bush burning this was presented to him when he a was awake this was the meanest sort of revelation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The third sort was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when something Visio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was presented to their phantasie in a dreame These visions which he shew to the Prophets sometimes they were of things which really existed as Zacharie saw Iosuah the high Priest and Sathan standing at his right hand Zach. 3. Sometimes of things that might be and was not as Zacharie saw two women carrying an Ephath Zach. 5. 5. and sometimes of things that were not nor never could be as the monstrous beasts showne to Daniel and to Iohn in the revelation When the Lord revealed himselfe to the Prophets The Lord appeared to his Prophets sometimes immediately and sometimes by an Angell in these visions sometimes he spake mediatly to them by an Angel As Exod. 3. 2. God is sayd there
in the second Temple The last way how God revealed himselfe in the second How the Lord revealed himselfe by the poole Bethesda Temple was by the poole Bethesda when the Angel came downe at certaine times to stirre the poole then whosoever after the first troubling of the water stepped in he was cured of whatsoever disease Ioh. 5. 4. It was not the Angell that cured them here for it is a true Axiome of the Schoolemen pars natur a non potest super are naturam An Angell cannot worke a Miracle an Angell is but a part of nature therefore hee cannot worke a miracle which is above nature It was Christ himselfe who wrought the miracle it was hee What Angell wrought this Miracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who loosed the prisoners Psal 146. Mattir is so to loose the bound that they have use both of their hands and feete to leape as freely as the Grashopper doth which hath legges to leape upon the earth Levit. 11. 21. So the diseased were loosed that they might leape and goe streight upon their owne feete By Angell here some understand the power of God who useth his Angels as his ministers to worke many things below here and therefore the Seventy put God in place of the Angell as Eccles 5. 6. Say not before the Angell that it was an errour But the Seventy translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Chaldes use to ascribe the worke of God to his ministers the Angels But it is better to ascribe this miracle here to the Angell of the covenant Iesus Christ Tertullian saith that the operation of the fish-poole being now to cease and to loose the vertue of it our Saviour curing him who had beene long diseased being at the poole gave thereby an entrance to all sicke persons to come unto him as if he should have sayd he that desires to be whole let him not come to the poole or expect the comming downe of the Angell for when he commeth he healeth but one but come unto me and I shall heale you all The conclusion of this is seeing wee have a more Conclusion cleare manifestation of the will of God by Christ than they had under the Law let us beware to offend him now He that despised Moyses law Heb. 10. 28. dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment shall we be thought worthy of if we treade under foot the Sonne of God EXERCITAT VIII Of the necessity of the Word written Ioh. 20. 31. But these are written that yee might beleeve GOd thought it necessary after that he had taught his Church by Word next to teach her by write There is a twofold necessity The first is called an absolute necessity the second of expedience Againe Necessitas absoluta expedientia Gods revealed will was necessary to all men as a cause but his written word was necessary as an instrumentall Scriptura est necessaria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbnm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word considered essentially or accidentally cause and this word is considered eyther essentially or accidentally Essentially for the written word this written and unwritten word differ onely as a man naked and cloathed for there is no change in the nature Simile and substance here And that we may the better underderstand the necessity of the writing of the word wee must distinguish here the states of the Church First The estate of the Church considered three wayes shee was in a family or oeconomike Secondly she was Nationall dispersed through the countrey of the Iewes Thirdly she was Ecomenicall or Catholicke dispersed through the whole world So long as shee was in a family and the Patriarches lived long to record to the posterity the word and the workes of God then God taught his Church by his word unwritten But when his Church began to be enlarged first through Iudea then through the whole world then he would have his word set downe in write because then the Fathers Why God would have his word written were not of so long a life to record to the posterity the word and the workes of God Againe he did this to obviat the craft of the Divell and the counterfeite writings of the false Apostles It was necessary then that the word should be written God revealeth himselfe most surely to us by his word that the Church might have a greater certainety of their salvation See how farre the Lord commendeth unto us the certainety which wee have by the Scriptures above all other sort of revelation 2 Pet. 1-19 We have also a more sure word of prophesie here the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certainety of the Scriptures is preferred to the transfiguration in the mount Secondly the Apostle Gal. 1. 8. preferreth it to the revelation made by Angels If an Angell should come from heaven and teach any other Gospel let him be accursed Thirdly Christ himselfe preferred the certainety of it to Moyses and the Prophets If one should come from the dead and teach us Luke 16. 31. The Church of Rome then doth great wrong to Christians The Church is not the last resolution of our faith when they would make the last ground and stay of Christian faith to be the Church onely But wee are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Ephe. 2. 20. the Lord when he dwelt betweene the Cherubims he set the Candlesticke upon his right hand and the table with the shewbread upon his left hand to teach us that the Scriptures are to be preferred still to the testimony of the Church and that wee must rest upon their testimony primariò Whether is it an Article of our faith to beleeve that Quest the Scriptures are the Word of God or not Some things are both de fide de verbo fidei as Ans Christ is Emmanuel Secondly somethings are de verbo Something 's de fide de verbo fidej somethings de verbo fidej but not de fide primario somethings neither de fide neither de verbo fidej fidei but not de fide primariò as Paul left his cloake at Troas Thirdly somethings are de fide but non de verbo fidei which are the conclusions drawne from the canonicall word by consequence And these are eyther drawne from the word generally as this that the Scriptures are the word of God for this is evident from the whole word generally and although this be a principle in it selfe which ought first to be beleeved yet in my conception and manner of taking up it is a conclusion arising from that majesty and Divine character which is in the word it selfe or the particular conclusions drawne from the word They are de fide non de verbo fidei as when a man concludeth his owne particular justification from the word as I Iames am justified est de fide mea and not a part of the canonicall word
the Prophets and Aopostles knowledge differed frō the knowledge of Christ this was visio vnionis this excelled the knowledge of all creatures even of the Angels this was not called prophesie as he was comprehensor but as he was viator here upon the earth this his illumination is called Prophesie he is called the great Prophet Deut. 18. 15. and in this sort of knowledge hee excelled both men and Angels Secondly their knowledge differed from the knowledge of Angels and the glorified Spirits for prophesie as Peter saith 2 Pet. 1. 19. is like a light shining in a darke place but in Visio vnionis gloria raptus prophetiae Heaven there is no darkenesse Thirdly their knowledge differed from the knowledge that Paul had when he was taken up to the third heaven and this was called visio raptus their knowledge was farre inferiour to all these sorts of knowledge but it farre exceeded all the knowledge that we have Whether had the Prophets of God and the Secretaries Quest of the holy Ghost this their Prophesie and divine knowledge by way of habit or no Answ They had not this gift of prophesie by way of habit The Prophets had not the gift of prophesie by habite as the children of God have their faith and as Bezaliell and Aholiab although they had their knowledge immediatly from God to worke all curious workes in the Tabernacle yet they kept still this their knowledge as an ordinary habit but this gift of prophesie the Prophets had it not as a habit but they had neede still of new illumination when they prophesied Peter compareth prophesie to a light shining in a darke place 2 Pet. 1. 19. how long continueth light in a darke house no longer then a candle is there so this coruscation Simile or glimpse of the Spirit continued no longer with them but when the Spirit was illuminating them and teaching them they had the gift of prophesie even as they had the gift of healing but they could not heale when and where they pleased Paul saith I have left Trophimus sicke at Miletum 2 Tim 4. 20. So they could not prophesie when and where they pleased 2 King 4. 27. The Lord hath hid it from me and hath not told it me they had not this prophesie as a permanent habit but as that which was now and then revealed unto them Ier. 42. 7. And it came to passe after ten dayes here the Prophets behoved to attend untill he got a new revelation from the Lord and sometimes they waited longer and sometimes shorter for this revelation How differed the Prophets then from other men Quest when they prophesied not First yee shall see a difference betweene them and Ans others who prophesied Num. 17. It is sayd of those Prophets prophetarunt non addiderunt that is they Prophetia momentanea prophesied but that day onely that the Spirit came upon them but never after as the Hebrews expound it but the Prophets of the Lord prophesied often So 2 King 2. 3. The children of the Prophets came forth they prophesied but this gift of prophesie continued not with them but these Prophets of the Lord often prophesied And although they had not the habit of prophecie yet they were separated by God for that purpose to expect still for new illumination The third prerogative which the holy men of God had was this that they could not erre in their writing Prorogat 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 21. The holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holy Ghost Matth. 10 2. Luk. 21. 15. Luk. 1. 17. The Peophets erred not in writing the Scriptures therefore the Prophets were called the mouth of God Luk. 1. 70. Ier. 15. 19. thou shalt be as my mouth Hee spake not onely by their mouthes but also they were The Prophets are called the mouth of God his mouth And contrary to this is that lieing Spirit in the mouth of the false Prophets 1 King 22. 22. The secretaries of the holy Ghost erred sometimes in some of their purposes and in some circumstances Wherein the Prophets and Apostles erred of their calling but in the doctrine it selfe they never erred Peter in the transfiguration knew not what hee sayd Luk. 9. 33. David was minded to build an house to God he asked of Nathan if he should doe so 1 Chro. 17. 2. Nathan sayd to him doe what is in thine heart So when Eliab stood before Samuel 1 Sam. 16. 6. Samuel sayd surely the Lords annointed is before me So the Disciples erred in their counsell which they gave to Paul forbidding him to goe up to Ierusalem Act. 21. 4. But the spirit of God taught the contrary by Agabus vers 17. David Psal 116. sayd in his hast that all men are lyars he meant that Samuel the man of God had made a lye to him because hee thought the promise too long defferred in getting of the kingdome So when he wrote a letter to Ioab with Vriah in this he was not Gods secretary but the Divels But as they were the secretaries of God and spake by divine inspiration they could not erre But it may seeme that all which they wrote in holy Object Scriptures was not done by divine inspiration for Paul wrote that he would come to Spaine Rom. 15. 24. and yet he never came to Spaine We must distinguish betweene their purposes externall Answ and their doctrine they might erre in these externall purposes and resolutions but all which they wrote of Christ and matters of salvation was yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. He wrote that he was purposed to come to Spaine and so he was but he was let that he could not come But Paul repented that he wrote the Epistle to the Object Corinthians to grieve them 2 Cor. 7. 8. If this was written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost why did he repent of it Paul wrote this Epistle to humble them and when Answ he saw them excessively sorrowfull that was the thing that greeved him but it greeved him not simply that he wrote to them to humble them When a Chyrurgian commeth to cure a wounded man he putteth the Simile poore patient to great paine and maketh him to cry out that grieveth him but it greeveth him not when he cureth him So it repented not Paul that he had written to the Corinthians but it repented him to see them so swallowed up with greefe But if the Scriptures be Divinely inspired how say Object they Iud. 16. 17. there were about three thousand upon the roofe of the house So Act. 2. 40. and that day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules Is not the number of all things certainely knowne to God The Scriptures set downe the number that way because Answ it is little matter whether we know the number or not And secondly the Lord speaketh to us this way in the Scripture after the manner of men Peter
one language and of one speech THe Old Testament was written originally in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greeke The Character in which the Old Testament was In what character the Scriptures were written at the first written first was the Samaritane Character It was called the Samaritane Character not because the Samaritans used it first but because it was left to the Samaritans after the Iewes refused it This Samaritane Character was the first Character as may be seene by the inscriptions upon their shekels set Why called the Samaritane character downe by Arius Montanus Beza and Willet upon Ezekiel And sundry of the Iewes ancient monuments have these letters upon them The Character at the first was the Iewes and not the Samaritans as is proved by the inscriptions of the shekels The inscriptions upon the Shekels shew the Samaritane character to be the first The inscription is this Ierusalem hakkodesh but no Samaritan would have put this inscription upon it for they hated Ierusalem and the Iewes therefore this inscription must bee the Iewes and not the Samaritans Secondly most of these ancient shekels are found about Ierusalem therefore the shekel and letters upon it The Iewes kept the Samaritane character in the captivitie was at the first the Iewes and not the Samaritans This Samaritane Character the Iewes kept still in the time of the captivity when Belshasser saw fingers writing upon the wall Mene mene tekel c. Dan. 5. 25. These Characters were the Samaritan Characters therefore the Babylonians could not reade them because they knew not that Character neyther could the Iewes understand the matter although they knew the letters to the Babylonians it was like a sealed booke and to the Iewes it was like an open booke to an unlearned man because they understood it not Esa 29. 11. But Daniel read it and understood it both because he knew the letters and also understood the Chaldee tongue Esdras changed this Character after the captivity Hieron in â—erfat lib. regune and left it Idiotis to the Samaritans and he set downe this new Character which before was the Chaldee Character The reason why he changed it was this because being long in the captivitie they forgot their owne language that they could neyther reade it rightly nor write it rightly and therefore he changed the Characters in these which we have now But the ancient Samaritan Character seemeth to bee Why Esdras changed the Character kept still in Lamina sacerdotali in the plate of Gold which was upon the forehead of the Highpriest after the captivity for they might change none of the ornaments of the Highpriest So neyther that which was written upon the plate of Gold Kokesh Laihova holinesse to the Lord because the Lord commanded these cloathes and ornaments to be made for him and his seede after him Exod. 28. 43. The Inscription which was upon the Plate of Gold in the forehead of the Highpriest The New Testament was written originally in the Greeke Character and there were two translations of it Syriacke and Arabicke the Syriacke was written in the Syriacke Character which differed much from that which is called Alphabetum Salomonis or the Character which Salomon found out This Character Pineda setteth downe in his booke De rebus Salomonis These diverse Characters may be seene setdowne here as followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Character Antiquier Mosis sive Samaritanorum Recentior Samaritanorum Hebraeorum sive Merâ—bha Ezrae recentior Chaldaeorum antiquorum nunc Rabbinorum Antiquorum Arabum seu Alphabetum Salomonis Arabum Recentior Syrorum Graecorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew tongue and some of it in the tongues derived from the Hebrew as Chaldee We may know the Hebrew was the first originall tongue because it hath fewest Radicall letters whatsoever tongue is derived from thence it addeth some letters to the first originall as from the Hebrew word Galal commeth Golgotha the Syriacke word So Gabbatha Bethsaida from Gabha and Chased Secondly that language which the Lord spake to Adam Abraham and Moyses and they to him must be the originall language But God spake to them in the Hebrew and he wrote the two Tables with his owne hand in this language And thirdly that language which expresseth the nature of things and their affections most clearely and in fewest words that must be the originall language but the Hebrew doth this therefore it is the first language These tongues which were Propagines and Dialects of The Iewes understood these tongues which had affinity with the Hebrew the Hebrew the Iewes understood them when they heard them spoken and when they read them but they understood not the strange tongues which had but small affinity with the Hebrew When Laban and Iacob made a covenant Laban called the heape of stones jegar Sagadutha in the Aramean tongue which had small affinitie with the Hebrew but Iacob called it Galeed Gen. 31. 47. But if there was little affinity betwixt the Aramean Object language and the Hebrew how is it that they say 2. King 18. 26. Speake to thy servants in the Syrian language for we understand it They might understand it for they were Courtiours and States men and so learned it as we learne now the Answ The Hebrewes understood not the Syrian language but by learning Italians and French language And Abrahams servant spake to Nachor in the Aramean language hee being borne in Damascus which was in Cylo-Syria and wee may thinke that Nachor and his house understood the Hebrew tongue being of the posterity of Heber and keepe that tongue as Abraham did who came out of Vr of the Chaldees Assyria or Syria hebraice Aram comprehended all Palestina The large extent of the Syrian language Damascus the Kingdome of Assyria Chaldea babylon Arabia Cylo-Lyria and Antiochia Zoba Adiabena therefore all the languages which were spoken in these parts tooke their generall denomination from Syria as Syro-aramaea the language which Laban spake in Mesopotania Syro-Chaldaea or Babylonica was that which they spake in Babylon Syro-Antiochena which they spake in Antioch or Phoenicia although they were Propagines or Dialects of the Hebrew yet they understood them not while they were taught therefore Nabuchadnezzer caused to instruct the children of the Iewes in the Chaldee tongue Dan. 1 4. but the Syro-Arabean and the Palestine or Cananitish language they might understand it because it came nearer to their owne language The Aegyptian tongue differed much from the Hebrew The Iewes understood not the Egyptian tongue Psal 81. 5. Ioseph heard a language in Aegypt which he understood not Ioseph here is put for the whole people of the Iewes because there was no affinity betwixt the Hebrew and the Aegyptian tongue therefore they understood
not this tongue So Psal 114. 1. they departed from a people of a strange language or a barbarous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 people they called them all barbarous whom they understood not and because the Iewes understood not the Aegyptian tongue therefore Ioseph made him to speake to his brethren by an Interpreter Genesis 42. 23. The Cananitish language was a daughter of the Hebrew The Cananites language a diolect of the Hebrew tongue or rather one with the Hebrew tongue and this we may perceive by the names of the townes men and places which were imposed to them by the Cananites as Iericho Salem Kiriath-arba Kiriath-Sepher Beth-dagon so the names of men Melchizedeck Adonibezek Abimelech And if the Cananitish tongue had not beene all one with the Hebrew how could the Patriarches have kept conference with those in Canaan and made their Bargaines and Contracts with them this is cleare also by the example of Rahab who could speake to the Spyes and they understood her and so Ioshua to the Gibionites The Lord would have this tongue continued amongst the Cananites because the Hebrewes were shortly to inhabite that land and to converse with the Cananites for a while untill they had rooted them out There is some of the Old Testament written in the Some of the Old Testament written in the Chaldee tongue Chaldee tongue which hath great affiance with the Hebrew and some of it written in the Syrian dialect as Iob which the Idumeans used and it differed little from the Hebrew tongue but it differed much from the Syrian language now but more from Arabia Ismaelitica which the Turkes speake now in Asia and Africa There are some words found in the Old Testament which are Egyptian Gen. 41. 43. Some Phaenitian as Chabbul 1 King 9. 13. Some Persian words as Pur Esth 9. 24. and some moabitish There is one verse in Ieremy originally written in the One Verse in Ieremie originally written in the Chaldee tongue Chaldee tongue Ier. 10. 11. whereas all the rest of that prophesie is written in the Hebrew tongue The gods that have not made the heaven and earth even they shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens The reason why this verse was written in the Chaldee tongue was this because the Iewes now were to be carried to Babylon and when they should be sollicitated there to worship their gods they should answer them in their owne language cursed be your gods for they made neyther heaven nor earth That of Daniel and Ezra which is written in the Chaldee tongue was transcribed out of the roules and registers Something 's taken of the registers of the Chaldeans and insert in the Scriptures of the Chaldeans and insert in the bookes of God but that which the holy Ghost indited originally to Daniel and Ezra was written in the Hebrew tongue the rest was borrowed but out of their registers as first Nebuchad-nezzers dreames Dan. 2. So Nebuchad-nezzer setteth up a golden image Cap. 3. So Nebuchad-nezzers dreame Cap. 4. and Belshassers visions Cap. 5. all these were written in the Chaldee tongue the seventh Chapter is onely excepted it is written also in the Chaldee tongue although it was originally endited to Daniel because it is a more cleare exposition of the monarchies revealed before to Nebuchad-nezzer and Belshasser and set downe in their owne Registers in the Chaldee tongue but the eight Chapter and the rest are wholly written in the Hebrew tongue which were indited immediatly by God to Daniel and not transcribed out of their registers as the rest were So that part of Ezra which is written in the Chaldee tongue is but transcribed and written out of the decrees and letters of the Kings of Media and Persia from the eleventh verse of the fourth Chapter to the seventh Chapter The Chaldeans and Persians used to register and keepe a Chronicle of all their memorable deedes and what befell them and so of their visions and dreames and they caused to write them and interpret them so did the Persians Esth 9. 32. and Daniel wrote these visions in the Chaldee tongue and he set them downe for the good of the Church that they might understand that their conditions should be under the Heathish Kings The holy Ghost borrowed somethings first from Something 's in the Scriptures borrowed from the Heathen History the Poets and secondly from the history of the Heathen and the Secretaries of the holy Ghost insert them in the Booke of God From the Poets as Paul borrowed from Aratus Menander Epimenides or Callimachus some verses and inserted them in his Epistles So the Scriptures borrow from the history which were eyther Heathenish or Iewish Heathenish againe were of two sorts eyther Chaldean or Persian Daniel borroweth from the Chaldeans So from the history of the Persians as that memorable history of the deliverance of the Iewes under Haman was first written in the Persian language Esth 9. 32. and he who wrote the Booke of Esther borrowed the history out of that booke These things which are borrowed from the Something 's in the Scripture borrowed from the Iewish History Iewish history as the facts of those registrate in the Bookes of the Maccabees Heb. 11. So Iude out of the prophesie of Enoch borrowed the history of the strife betweene Michael and the Divell about the body of Moyses So the Apostle Heb. 11. out of the traditions of the Iewes borroweth that Esay was cut with a saw under Menasse So there are sundry proverbiall speeches in the Talmud as Cast out the beame which is in thine owne eye and then thou shalt see chearely to cast out the mote that is in they neighbours eye Matth. 7. 5. So it is easier for a Camell to goe thorow the eye ef a Needle Matth. 19. 24. So it is hard to kicke against prickes Act. 9. 5. Some of our Divines to prove that the Apocryphall Bookes are not Canonicall Scripture use this midst because they are not cited by the Apostles in the New Testament but this is false for the Apostle citeth them Heb. 11. And Scaliger in his Eusebianis proveth out of Georgius See Scaliger Euseb Pag. 245. Cyncellus that the Apostle citeth many testimonies out of the Apocryphall Bookes and out of the traditions of the Iewes As Matthew that Salmon maried Rahab Salmon his genealogie is set downe 1 Chro. 2. but not whom he maried this Matthew had by tradition Matth. 1. 5. Things in the Heathen history which are not necessary to be knowne to the Church the Scripture passeth by them and remitteth us to Heathen History and saith still The rest are they not written in the bookes of the Chronicles of Iuda and Israel and when the knowledge of them is necessary to the Church it borroweth them out of the Heathen history and inserteth them in the booke of God These things which were written out of the Iewish Heathen sentences were sanctified by the
learned Scribes and saith to one of them How readest thou Luk. 10. 26. But afterwards Shammai and Hellel were the first of the Shammai and Hillel the first of the Sects of the Scribes and Pharisees Scribes and Pharisees who were the originall of these sects Shammai was the first of these Scribes who drew out the Cabbalisticall readings and Hillel was the first who gathered their traditions together Because the Text wanted the Vowels before the Masorets time hence arose these diverse readings marginall and Textuall here wee must take heed of two errores The first is of those who hold that both the Two errors to be shunned concerning the Marginall and Text reading Textuall and Marginall reading were from the beginning and both authenticke and originall from Moses The second error which we must shunne is this that the marginall reading implyeth some corruption where as it serveth for illustration of the Text. There is but small difference betwixt the Marginall and the line reading There are three sorts of reading The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there is no difference at all in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there is some small difference in the reading And the third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there is a contrarie reading Now for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may see it in the originall Text it selfe as 2 Sam. 22. and Psal 18. the same argument is handled almost word by word in both these places there is some diversitie of words onely for 2 Sam. 22. 43. It is Adikem I did stampe them as the myre of the streetes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evacuare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comminuere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutatur in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 18. 42. it is Arikem I did cast them out as the myre in the streets Here is but small difference Daleth is onely changed into Resh the sense is all one So 2 Sam. 22. 11. and Psal 18. 11. So 2 Sam. 22. 27. and Psal 18. 26. So 2 Sam. 22. 8. and Psal 18. 9. here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but The Marginall and the Text reading make not a contrary but a diverse reading not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Marginall reading and the Text reading makes not a contrary reading but a diverse reading therefore ye shall see that the Translaters follow sometimes the Marginall reading in their first translations as Iunius 2 King 8. 10. in his first translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non he saith abi dic ei but in this second translation he saith abi dic non So Ezr. 4. 2. In his first edition sacrificabimus eidem which is the marginall reading but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fecit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decem in his second translation non sacrificabimus alt eri which is in the Text. Example 3. 1 King 22. 49. Iehosaphat prepared shipes Gnasha fecit but in his second translation Translaters sometime joyne both the marginall and text reading together Iehosaphat made decem naves which is in the Text. So Prov. 31. 4. Eccles 3. 4. Ier. 2. 20. and 5. 8. He followeth Ketibh in his last Edition that is as it is written and not read in all these places And sometimes ye shall see them joyne both the Marginall and Text reading together Psal 22. 17. They Lyon like digged So the Chaldee Paraphrast and the Seventie readeth it So Iunius Exod. 21. 8. If she please not her Master who hath not betrothed her unto himselfe non sibi joyneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non sibi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluit est ketibh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custodivit est keri lo lo both together both the Text and Marginall reading So Iosh 8. 12. The line reading hath gnir vrbs and the Marginall reading hath Hai and hee joyneth them both together vrbs Hai. So Prov. 23. 26. Let thine eyes observe my wayes Ratza and Natzar he joyneth them both together studiose custodivit So Eze. 22. 16. They joyne them both together So 1 King 22. 18. the Tigurin joyneth them both together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Masoreth put the vowels some times in the text and the consonants in the margent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the English joyne them both together Prov. 19. 7. They are wanting to him In these diverse readings set downe by the Masoreth sometimes the Points are put in the Text and the Consonants in the Margent as Ier. 31. 39. Behold the day saith the Lord. Here is a blanke in the Text the vowels are onely set downe and the word Baim is understood by the Points of it which are in the Text and so it is Baim although it be not expresly written in the Text. The reason why they set the consonants in the Margent and the vowels in the Text was to signifie that they enclined rather to follow the Marginall reading than the Text and yet not to exclude the Text reading therefore they set the vowels in the Text. Againe when the Masoreth thinke that some words The Masoreth put not points to a word which they thinke doth redound abound they set downe the Consonants of the word in the Text but they point not the word which they would have to be be omitted Example Ier. 51. 3. Against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him that bended let the Archer bend his bow El ijddroch ijddroch hadderech And thus the Masoreth keepe us that we goe not amisse and their observations are a hedge to the Law therefore the Iewes say Sejag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lahhochma shethea Silence is the hedge of wisedome for when a man holdeth his peace he is then thought to be wise So they say Megnasheroth sejag legnosher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tythes are the hedge of our riches and therefore pay thy Tythes and bee rich So Nedarim sejag liphrishoth vowes are the hedge of the first fruites Lastly they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say Masoreth sejag latora that the Masoreth is the hedge to the Law By great paines and wonderfull care those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masoreth numbred the letters and words of the Scripture that none of them might perish and as in a well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constituted family the master of the family taketh a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 note of all the things in his house from the greatest to the least So did these Masoreth of the whole Law therefore the Hebrewes say Gnim shimmureth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hatorah that is the studie of the Masoreth was Cum conservatione legis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the preserving of the Law from corruption These diverse readings make not up diverse senses but helpe us better to come by the
error of this Syrack and Arabiack postscript Arabick say that this Gospel was written in Hebrew first whereas it was written originally in Greeke Secondly that the Arabick calleth Matthew an Apostle whereas he was an Evangelist The Postscript of the Evangelist Marke in the Syriack The postscript of Marke in the Syriack and Arabiack Translationes is this Absolutum est Evangelium Sancti Marci qui loquutus est Evangelizavit Romae That is here endeth the Gospel of S. Marke which he spake and preached at Rome The Arabick hath it thus Finitum est exemplar Marci quod scripsit in ditione romana occidentali in vrbe Romana anno duodecimo postquaÌ„ dominus noster Iesus Christus carne in Caelos ascendit quarto anno Claudij Caesaris That is here endeth the exemplar of Marke which hee wrote in the province of westerne Rome in the City of Rome it selfe twelve yeares after our Lord Iesus Christ ascended into heaven in the flesh in the fourth yeere of Claudius Caesar But this Postscript is not probable for Marke lived The errour of these two postscripts in the Church of Alexandria in Egypt therefore it is more probable that he wrote his Gospel there than at Rome The Postscript of Luke in the Syriack is this Scriptum The postscript of Luke In the Arabiack and Syriack Translation est Alexandriae magnae quindecem annis a Christi ascensione It was written in the great City of Alexandria fifty yeares after Christs ascention The Arabick is Scriptum est graece in civitate Macedonia vigesimo secundo anno post ascensionem Domini in caelum vigesimo quarto anno Claudij Caesaris This Gospell was written in Greeke in the City of Macedonia twenty two yeares after the Lords ascension into the heavens the twenty fourth yeare of Claudius Caesar Here we may see the difference betwixt these two The error of these two postscripts Postscripts the Syriack saith it was written in Alexandria in Egypt and the Arabick saith it was written in Macedonia in Greece what credite then should wee give to these Postscripts The Postscript of Iohn the Syriack is Iohannes Evangelista hoc Evangelium edidit Graece Ephesi That is the The postscript of Iohn in the Arabiack and Syriak Translation Evangelist set forth this Gospel in Greeke at Ephesus the Arabick is Iohannes filius Zebedaei vnus ex duodecem Apostolis scripsit idgraece Incolis Ephesi anno post ascensionem domini in Caelos tricesimo imperante Nero. Iohn the son of Zebedaeus one of the twelve Apostles wrote this in Greeke to the inhabitants of Ephesus thirty yeares after Christs ascension in the reigne of Nero. The Syriack translation is read in Syria Mesopotamea Chaldea and Egypt and it was sent first in to Europe by Ignatius Patriarch of Antioche These who translated the Bible in latter times were The latter Translaters of the Bible Popish or Orthodoxe eyther Popish or Orthodoxe Popish the Latine translation established by the councill of Trent Vatablus Arias Montanus Pagninus and Isiodorus Clarius By the reformed as by Munster Ecolampadius by Leo Iuda who dying before the worke was finished Bibliander and Conradus Pellicanus finished it and then they are called Biblia Tigurina And lastly by Iunius and Tremellius Of the Vulgar Latine translation VVHen light arose to them who sate in darkenesse and in the shadow of death to the Protestants who lived before in Popery they began to search the originall Text and to looke into the fountaines the Hebrew and Greeke and they charged the adversaries to bring their proofes out of the originall Text in their disputations with them The Church of Rome to obviat this made a decree The Church of Rome decreed that the Vulgar Latin translation should be the originall in the Councill of Trent Anno. 1546. that the Vulgar Latine should be holden for the originall which was as base a change as when Rehoboam changed the golden Sheilds in the Temple into Sheilds of brasse 1 King 14. 27. So have they changed the originall into the Vulgar Latine translation and made it authenticke which in many places is corrupted After that they had inacted that the Vulgar Latine should be onely the touchstone to try all controversies and that they should use it in their readings and disputations then Sixtus Quintus the Pope tooke great paines about the correcting of this Vulgar Latine Pius the fourth and Pius Quintus had done something before in the correcting of this Vulgar translation but it was Sixtus Quintus that finished it Anno 1590. So Forty foure yeeres betwixt the act of the Councill and the finishing of the Latin translation that there were forty foure yeares betwixt the Act made in the Councill and the finishing of the translation Bishop Morton saith that the Canon Law forbiddeth that a child shall be baptized before it bee borne yet they will make this Vulgar translation to be originall and authenticke before it be finished and perfected by the Popes And what will they say here wanted the Church an authenticke translation all this while untill it was concluded in the Councill of Trent When Sixtus Quintus had taken all this paines in correcting the vulgar Latine and had proclamed it as authenticke by his Bull and cursed them who held otherwise yet Clemens the eight came afterwards and Clemens the eight corrected the vulgar translation corrected many things which were left uncorrected by Sixtus Quintus and he set out a more perfect Edition than that of Sixtus Quintus and there was great difference betwixt these two Editions as Docter Iames the Overseer of the Library of Oxford hath marked in his booke which is intituled De Bâ—llo antipapali These were not errors in the Print as some would salve up the matter but they are materiall differences as may bee seene in that booke by conferring their translations We may demand of the Catholickes whether did the Councill make this translation Authenticke which was not Authenticke before or did they onely declare it to be Authenticke Some of them say that the Councill Diverse â—udgements of the Catholicks concerning the vulgar Latin translation promulgated it to be Authenticke and that the Lord so directed the hand of the first Translator that he erred not in these things that the Councill was to approve afterwards But Bannes the Iesuite saith that it is of Pag. 537. greater authority that is approved by the Church than that which was immediatly written by these who were infallibly directed by the Spirit but can there be any greater authority than to be infallibly directed by the In â—oâ—is theologicis lib. 2. cap. 14. Spirit Canus holdeth that they were immediatly and infallibly directed by the Spirit who translated the Scripture first into the vulgar Latine And Gretserus goeth further and sticketh not to say that Theodosion who translated the Bible into Greeke erred not in his Defensionâ— Bellarm. contra
Whittakerum lib. 1. cap. 2. pag. â—37 translation but was assisted by the holy Spirit that hee could not erre yet hee was a Iew and an enemy to Christ Serrarius saith he who translated the Vulgar Latine had but the generall concurse of the Spirit of Serrarius in Prolegom bibliac Pag. 110. God as the rest of the servants of God had but was not infallibly directed by the Spirit in his translation And Iohannes Dreido proposit 3. 4. and Andradius fol. 255. and Bellarmin Lib. 2. 11. admittimus eum interpretem fuisse sed non vatem and yet some of them hold that he erred not in the versions which the Church approved afterward Againe wee may demande of them whether will they preferre the Vulgar translation to the Hebrew and Greeke The grosser of the Papists are not ashamed to preferre it to them both and they say wee have no neede to have recourse to the originall to try whether it be Authenticke or not the Vulgar Latine being now established by the Councill And Ludovicus a Tena saith although the books in the originall both Hebrew and In Isagoge ad Scripturam lib. 1. diff 6 sect 1. Greeke were not corrupted yet seeing they have words of diverse significations which the Church hath not approved or rejected therefore wee are to hold that the Vulgar Latine is Authenticke onely because the Church hath concluded it to be so And Osorius saith if we should grant that the Interpreter Osorius Instit Moral Lib. 8. Cap. 3. might have erred in his versions yet the Church cannot erre in approving his Version The Moderne Papists preferre it not simply to the Hebrew and Greeke as Gretserus saith Sufficit aequatio non praelatio But they say that they will not have their translation examined and tryed by the Hebrew and Greeke for how know we say they that these Copies which we have now agree with the first originall Copie we have the judgement of the Church concerning this translation but not concerning the Hebrew and Greeke But if it bee in the Churches power to make a translation or to authorize it why will they not authorize the Hebrew and Greeke rather than the Vulgar Latine translation And if they inact the Vulgar Latine to be Authenticke and the onely rule to decide controversies what shall become of all the Churches in the East that understand not the Latine shall they under the paine of a curse receive this translation When the Vulgar translation was concluded in the Councill of Trent onely to be the Authenticke translation in their Disputations Sermons and Conferences Some opposed against this and said that it was a hard thing for the Church to judge that onely to bee Authenticke which one man had done And Aloysius Catenaas sayd that no man could know what a Version meant but by the Originall and he alledged for himselfe Cajetans authority in the Councill who being Legate for the Pope in Germanie Anno 1523. was wont to say that the onely remedy to refell Heretickes was to understand the literall sense out of the originall tongues and he sayd now that the Cardinall would spend the rest of his dayes in studying of the tongues that hee might bee the more fit to convince the Heretickes which he did and he gave himselfe to this studie eleven yeares before he dyed Againe there was much contention among them concerning the meaning of this Canon made in the Councill of Trent whether this translation was the judge in matters of faith or manners onely or was it so strictly to be taken that it failed not one jote and that Mathematice it was so perfect and not Moraliter onely Andreas vega who was present at the Councill of Trent holden under Pope Paul the third saith when the Tridentine Fathers call the vulgar Latine translation the Authenticke translation they meane no other thing but this that it was not corrupted with errours and that it might bee safely read and used to a mans salvation and he concludeth that the authority which the Councill gave to this translation is not to be taken infinitivè but definitivè with certaine limitations But if this was the meaning of the Councill that the faithfull might safely read it because there was no danger of errour then what authority or prerogative had this version by the Councill above that translation of Pagnine for the Doctors of Lovan by the approbation of the Pope put the translation of Pagnine with the Hebrew Text. But the former Catholickes say that hee who translated the Hebrew into the Vulgar Latine was not an Interpreter but a Prophet but how commeth it that others say now that this Interpreter might erre although not grossely that he might erre not in fide moralibus but in lesser matters and so they will have the Councill to be understood but they of old sayd plainely that in every thing this translation was Authenticke Lastly when wee demand of them whether the Church may make a new Version yet or not or mend that which is alreadie done Gretserus who taketh the defence of Bellarmine against Whittaker denyeth that Lib. 2. cap. 10. pag. 540. there can be any thing added to this translation or be In Prolegom bibli made more perfect But Serrarius holdeth that this Version may be yet helped and that it is not come yet to such a perfection but that it may grow to a greater if the Church would condescend The translation of the Seventy although the Apostles themselves followed it in many things yet it was never holden to be Originall and Divine by the Church neyther were the Churches commanded to receive it under the paine of a curse Hierome marketh in his Preface upon the first of the Chronicles that the Churches of Alexandria in Egypt followed the Translation of Hesychius which was a translation set forth after the Seventies translation rather then the translation of the Seventy but froÌ„ Constantinople to Antioche they followed the translation of Lucian the Martyr but the Churches of Palestina which lay betwixt these two followed Origens Hexapla And so he saith the whole world was divided into these three then what great presumption is it in the Church of Rome to make the Vulgar Latine Authenticke and Originall and to injoyne it to be read in all the Churches Franciscus Ximenius Cardinal of Toledo in his Preface before the Bible set out at Complutum in Spaine saith that he set the Vulgar Latine betwixt the Hebrew and the Greeke as Christ was set betwixt two Theeves is not this a fine comparison to preferre the Vulgar Latine to the Hebrew and Greeke The Syriack translation was first translated into Latine by Guido Fabricius and afterwards by Tremellius Genebrard and Serarius taking occasion upon this translation charged Tremellius with great forgerie First that he tooke away all the Titles from the Epistles but this was no forgerie for neyther the Superscriptions nor the Subscriptions are any part of the Canonicall Scripture as