THE BOOKE OF Lamentations. Inspice quid portem: nihil hîc nisi Triste videbis, Ovid. Trist. lib. 3. Eleg. 1. Or, [...]. A Treatise of Hell.

AMONG other parts of Scrip­ture, none more excellent then The booke of the Psalmes; inasmuch as S. Austin Psalmorum liber—ut bre­vites dicam, communis qui­dam bonae do­ctrinae the sun­rus est. Pro­log. in lib. Psal. calls it, a common trea­surie of good doctrine: and [Page 2] why Common? but that no doctrine whatsoe­ver, which is good and necessary to bee taught, or learned, is there wan­ting, as he renders the rea­son Quid autem est quod non discatur in Psalmis? Non omnis magni­ [...] [...]; there is, saith he, the magnitude of vertue, the square of justice, the perfection of prudence, the rule of patience, the per­fect knowledge of God, predictions of Christ to come, the common hope of the resurrection, revelati­on of mysteries, the promise of glory, feare of punish­ments. And for this last, no place more pregnant then my Text,

The wicked shall bee tur­ned into Hell,

The punishment of all [Page 3] punishments Or [...]u [...] malo­rum omnium extremum. Plato Gorg. sive de Rhet. Cogita, homo, quo slibet mū ­di cruciatus, intende animo quas (que) saeculi paenas, quos (que) tormentorum dolores, qu [...]s­cun (que) dolo [...]uns acerbitates compara hoc totum gehe [...] ­nae, & leve est. Isid. So [...] loq. sive Sy­nonym. lib. 1. Sicut nullum gaudium re­rum tempora­lium ex aliqua parte fimile potest inveniri gaudio vitae aeternae: ita nullus cruciatus poenarū tem­poraliū potest sempiternis iniquorum cruciatibus com­parari. Aug. de Catechizan rudibus, cap. 24.

I am not ignorant that some (and they both ancient and moderne) doe understand it of the grave, and their destructi­on by a temporall death: The Hebrew word [She­ol] bearing both signifi­cations, as well of the Grave, as of the place and state of the Damned. But I thinke it better [...]. Nestor. Hom. II. to take it in this latter sense, being led by these rea­sons.

First; because, as I conceive, 'tis Davids pur­pose [Page 4] here to consolate the faithfull, and excite them to thankes-giving, by the consideration of Gods dealing with their enemies and oppressours; Such as, in those times, were the Philistines, Amo­rites, Moabites, Syrians, &c. that though he suffer them for a while to bee prickes in their eyes, and thornes in their sides, using them as Rods to scourge them; yet, those Rods shall not alwayes rest upon their lot, but, Tandem diphtheram in­spiciet, at length hee will call them to account, and give them their reward; dealing with them as sometimes a Father doth [Page 5] with the Rod, after hee hath corrected his child, viz. breake it, and throw it into the fire Facit hoc Deus quod plerun (que) facit & homo. A­liquando ira­tus homo ap­prehendit virgam jacen­tem in medio fortassè qua lecun (que) sar­mentum, caedit inde filium su­um, ac deinde projicit sar­mentum in ig­nem. Aug. in Psal 74.4..

That pit which they have made for others, to pro­cure their overthrow and destruction, they shall fall into themselves; and so perish here: and more then so Nec finire licet tantos si­bi Morte dolo­res. Ovid. Metamor. lib. 1. fab. 10.; hereafter suffer the vengeance of eternall fire in Hell, be turned thi­ther.

2. Albeit, as Chryso­stome Mors nomen tantùm fideli­bus. Hom. 29. in Gen. speakes, that Death is only a Name to the faithfull; the nature of it being changed. (So as, it is no more now Interitus, but Introitus Ducit ad ae­ternam te mors brevis, ut via, vitam; ut mors Inte­ritus non fit, at Introitus. Owen lib. 3. ad D. Mari­am Neville Epigr. 77., [Page 6] not Meth but Thom, by inversion, which signifies perfection:) yet, being common to them with the wicked, by the Statute enacted primo Adami, for all men once to die Hebr. 9.27.; were it here understood, it did not so fully set forth the judgement of God upon the wicked, mentioned in the 16 verse, which is the verse before my Text.

3. A third reason I ga­ther from the word here used Turned, Where­in the Psalmist seemes to allude to the forme of the Sentence at the latter day, Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire.

4. The learned Weemse Exercitati­ons divine: Exer. 15. pag. 138. ob­serve, [Page 7] that whensoever this word [Sheol] is spoken of the wicked, and hath He locale added to it, (as here, Lesheolah;) it alwayes signifies Hell, and not the Grave.

My last reason is taken from the reading of the Septuagint; (unto whose authoritie I cannot but subscribe — Veterum dignè veneror cùm scripta virorum. O­vid. Trist. lib. 5. Eleg. 3., when I con­sider, in how great ac­count they were had a­mong the Ancients, e­steeming them no lesse then Prophets Iren. adver­sus haereses, lib 3. cap. 25. Epiph. lib. de Mensur. & ponder. post med. Aug. de Civit. Dei, lib. 18. cap 43 & 44. & in Psal. 88.10.: especial­ly, seeing the writers of the New Test. honour them so farre, as in quo­ting the old to follow their translation Apostolicon­sonant praedi­ctae interpre­tationi. Ete­nim Petrus, & Iohannes, & Paulus, & reliqui prophetica omnia ita an­nunciaverunt, quemadmodē Seniorum in­terpretatio continet. Iren. d. l., forsa­king the Hebrew; onely [Page 8] Matthew excepted, who writ in Hebrew, as S. Ie­rome Lib. de vi­ris illust. C. Ma [...]eus. observes.) They reading it by a word which seldome (especial­ly among Ecclesiastick and Hagiographal Wri­ters) is taken in any other acception, then for Hell, the place of the damned. [ [...]].

So then; the Sense and true Interpretation of the words being (as I hope) cleered Quod certi­às probamus, hoc & praedi­camus securi­us. Bernar. A­polog. ad Gu­lielmum, ali­as, Guiller­m [...] abba­te.; like the great Citie in the Apoca­lyps [...]. 19., they may be divi­ded into three parts: The Subject, the Adjunct, and Application of the one unto the other, or Con­nexion [Page 9] of both together. The Subject, Hell; The Adjunct, The wicked; The Application of the Adjunct to the Subject, Shall be turned.

Hell is the Subject; and here wee will shew you by way of preface and explication,

• 1. What it is;
• 2. Where it is;
• 3. The Punishments of them that are in it, shall be turned into it;

Before we come to the proofe and application of the Proposition, that ‘The wicked shall be tur­ned into Hell — Jer quid [...] nisi Trifle. [...]llus? Ovid T [...]f [...]. lib. 5. Eleg. 1..’

And for the first; Hell may bee thus described, to bee

[Page 10]A place of infinite and extreame torment, crea­ted by God, and appoin­ted for the punishment of the wicked after this life, to the glory and manife­station of his justice.

It is a place of Tor­ment. Mat. 8.29. Art thou come to Torment us be­fore the time? say the divels to our Saviour: i. e. to send us to the place of Torment whence wee came.

For 'tis certaine, before the day of judgement, they are sometimes loo­sed from their bonds, and permitted to come upon the earth, for our exercise, triall, and tempta­tion Lombar. lib. 2. distinc. 6. e. Thomas [...]. quaest. 64. art. 4. corp. art..

[Page 11]Againe, 'tis said of the rich man, Luke 16. that being in Hell in Torments, hee lift up his eyes.

It was created by God too. Iohn 1.3. All things were made by him, &c. But when it should bee created, is uncertaine — [...]. Hom. non semel. Theiologi certant, & adhuc sub ju­dice lis est. Horat. de arte Poet.. Hee in S. Austin Respondeo dicenti, quid faciebat Deus antequam fa­ceret coelum & terram, non illud quòd quidam re­spondissè per­hibetur, Jocu­lariter eludens quaestionis vi­olentiam, Al­ta, inquit, scrutantibus gehennam pa­rabat, &c. Conses. lib. 2. cap. 12. who, being askt, What God did before hee made the world? answered, Hee made Hell for such curious inquisi­tors; spoke in jest. The Rabbins Lyra lib. contra Iudae­os. circa med. say in good earnest, there were seven things created before the world: The Law, Repen­tance, The house of the Sanctuarie, The throne of glorie, The garden of plea­sure, The name Messiah, and Hell.

S. Austin himselfe is of opinion, it was created the sixth day Quando est praeparatus ille ignis, nisi per­fectione crea­turarum om­nium? nisi fortè dicamus, post sexti diei perfectionem Deum aliquid creasse, quod absit, &c. lib. 1. de mira­bilibus Scrip. cap. 2., after God had finished all the rest of his works. Cornelius à La pide (Comment. in Gen. 1.) referres it to the first day: forasmuch as the Angels, in all probabili­tie, being then created, then sinned, and were cast into it; they could not bee cast into a place that was not. Others thinke, it was created the second day, which was the first that had a Yesterday: from that in Esay Cap. 30.33. vid. Lyra in locum., Tophet is ordained of old, or from Yesterday, as the word Meethmul. signifieth. But by the [Page 13] same reason Nil agit ex­emplum litem quod lite re­solvit. Ho­rat. Serm. lib 2. Sat. 3., we may as well conclude that it was Created the first day. The words indifferently bearing both senses; ei­ther, that it was Created upon that day, which first had the name of yesterday, (could bee so called,) to wit, the first day: or, upon that day which next succeeded it (was the first from it,) to wit, the second day.

Some againe would have it Created the se­cond day still, but upon another ground: because the same Epiphonema is o­mitted, which is added to the workes of all the o­ther dayes; God saw that it was good Vid. Wal­ther. harm. S. Scrip. in Gen. 1, 6, 7, 8.. Others [Page 14] (supposing it to bee in the center of the earth) thinke it was created the third day, when God ador­ned the same, and ap­pointed the places or parts thereof to their se­verall uses. All that wee can say is this — [...]— Me­nel. Hom. Od. δ— Non est ultra narrabi­le quicquam. Ovid de Ponto, lib. 2. Eleg. 2., that the Scriptures herein are silent, and who shall reveale that which God hath hidden Quis enim revelabit quod Deus texit? Tertul. lib. de anima, cap. 1.?

2. Where it is. And here too I meet with diversitie of opinions: Some placing it above the earth, because, where men sinne they shall receive punishment. Tis true; in this world, God, some­times, in the punishment of sinne, observes such a [Page 15] [...]orrespondence and pro­ [...]ortion, as, where it was [...]ommitted, to manifest [...]he tokens of his displea­sure, 1 Kings 21.19. In the place, &c. And Iose­ [...]hus reports of Aristobu­lus, that, causing his brother Antigonus most cru­elly to bee murthered; his disease (being sick be­fore) suddenly so farre increased, that hee fell into a vomiting of bloud in great abundance: which one of his servants carying forth; he fell and spilt it, in the very place where Antigonus lately had beene slaine Quidam è ministris effe­rens, divina, opinor, ita vo­lente provi­dentia, prolap­sus, in eo ipso loco effudit, qui Antigoni caedis cruenta habebat vesti­gia. Antiq. lib. 13. cap. 19 Vbi Antigo­nus erat occi­sus, super ex­tantes adhuc caedis maculas cruorem in­terfectoris ef­fudit. de bello Iud. lib. 1. cap. 3.. Thus I say, God sometimes deales in this world. But, that hereafter it shall be [Page 16] his generall and constant course; I find no ground for it in Scripture, not can imagine any in rea­son, especially, if the opi­nion of some (among whom is S. Austin De Civit. Dei. lib. 20. cap. 16. —Ne (que) ego illi detrabere aufim Haeren­tem capiti multa cum laude coro­nam. Horat. Serm. lib. 1. Sat. 10.) be true; that, the earth, after the resurrection (being purged from the state of mutabilitie and corrup­tion, wherein it now stands) shall lie open with heaven, and so, be part of the seat of Saints beatifi­ed: which is the meaning of those new heavens, and that new-earth wee read of Esay 65.17.66.22. 2 Pet. 3 13. Revel. 21.1.; though, I know, some understand them other­wise [...]. Evenus..

Some againe thinke it to be in the Caves of [Page 17] [...]he earth, and Conduits of the Sea; also the most [...]ast and spacious regions [...]bove the superficies of [...]he earth: All these put [...]ogether; fearing else, [...]here would not bee [...]oome enough for such [...] multitudinous number, [...]s shall be turned into it; The number of fooles being infinite Vet. interp. ita legit lo­cum. eccles. 1.15. Stulto­rum infinitus est numerus..

I remember a storie, how Iulius Caesar creating divers new Senatours in Rome, among whom was [...]ne Laberius, and sending him into the Senate-house [...]o take his place; Tullie, [...]s hee passed by, gave him this gird, You should sit by mee, but that I should sit too strait Reciperem te nisi angustè sederem. Bru­sonius, lib. 5. cap. 16.: alluding to [Page 18] the number of the Sena­tours newly made, which was so great, that the house could scarce con­taine them. But there is no such thing in Hell, where ere it is Stultitiae hoc magis est quàm rectae o­pinionis. Vt Methodius de Origene apud Epiph. haer. 64. post med..

As the Poet Ovid. Me­tamor. lib. 4. fab. 13. describes it. It is capable of all that come, and never straitned, be they never so many. Agreeable Quis Poe­tarum, qui non omninò de prophetarum fonte pota ve­rit? in de sitim ingenii sui ri­gaverunt. Tertul. Apol. cap. 47. Aliun­de scilicet lo­qui possent de rebus fidei, ni­si ex literis fi­dei? Idem de praescript. adv haeret. cap. 15. Poetae— quamvis ve­ritatis arcana in parte cor­ruperint, ta­men ipsi res eo verier in­venitur, quòd cum prophet is in parte con­sentunt. La­ctan. Instit. lib. 7. cap. 22. to that of So­lomon and the Prophet: the one affirming it to bee [Page 19] never full Pro. 27.20.; the other that [...] is deepe and large Esay 30.33..

Others would have it [...]o bee, betwixt the upper [...]egion of the ayre, and [...]lobe of the Moone; in [...]he sphere and element of [...]re: drawne by that axi­ [...]me of Philosophie Errorem (que) suum quo tue antur habent Ovid. Fast. lib. 1., [...]ullum violentum perpe­ [...]uum. Forasmuch as the [...]re of Hell is everlasting, Hell must either be in the [...]roper place of fire, or it [...]annot be so.

Fire indeed, in its owne [...]ature, cannot last ever, [...]ut of its proper place; [...]et by a Superiour and more excellent principle, [...]t may: as this fire, being by the justice of God, his power and providence [Page 20] preserved; which is excellently laid downe Esay [...]0.23. Tophet is ordained of old—, the pi [...] thereof, is fire and muc [...] wood, and the breath o [...] the Lord — doth kindle i [...] Besides; although th [...] Schoolemen Thom. sup­plem. 3 ae. quaest. 97. art. 6. hold, th [...] fire of Hell to be, ejusde [...] specici, of the same kind with our fire both Elementarie and culinari [...] or focal: yet the ancient Tertul. A­pol. cap. 48. Orig. hom. 9. in diversos. Hieron. com­ment. in Iob 20.26. Greg. Moral. lib. 15. cap. 17. (so farre as I find) agre [...] in the contrarie, that it i [...] not; but created by God of purpose, and created so, as having naturally within it selfe a divin [...] subministration of incorruptibilitie; they are Ter­tullians words.

[Page 21]The Poets fained it to [...]e under the earth; equal­ [...] so farre distant from [...]e surface, as heaven is [...]ove it — [...]. Hesiod. [...]..

And surely, that it is [...]nder the earth, seemes [...] mee, an opinion, the [...]ost probable. (For I [...]n determine nothing [...]ertainly Res est ar­bitrio non di­rimenda meo. Ovid. Fast. lib. 6. Non nostrum— tantas compo­nere lites. Virg. Ec­log. 3.: To use S. Au­ [...]ins Quod dici­mus, fratres, non tanquam certus expono; — Infernum nec ego exper­tus sum adhuc nec vos in Psal. 86.13. words, What I [...]eake, my brethren, I [...]e not speake as being cer­ [...]ine; neither I nor you [...]ve knowne Hell as yet, and I pray God wee ever may.) The most [...]robable opinion there­ [...]re I say is; that it is un­ [...]er the earth.)

1. Because the Scrip­ [...]re seems to intimate as [Page 22] much; calling it Eret [...] tachtith, the lower earth▪ Ezek. 31.18. speaking o [...] it as a lower place; Th [...] way of life is above to th [...] wise, that hee may depar [...] from Hell beneath, Prov [...] 15.24. But plainly, Phi­lip. 2.10. That at the nam [...] of Iesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth, i.e. in Hell; So S. Austin In Psal. 110.1. with divers others Et plures quorum nomi­na magna vi­gent. Ovid. Trist. lib. 5. Eleg. 1. viz. Ambros. Haymo. Theophy­lact. Dionys. Carthus. in locum. Nova­tian. lib. de Trinit. cap. 14. & 17. inter opera Tertul..

2. Heaven being a place of chiefest happinesse, Hell of the greatest mi­serie; without doubt, they are directly oppo­site, and as farre disjoy­ned as may bee. The rich man, Luke 16. saw Abra­ham [Page 23] a farre off, and Laza­rus in his bosome. In inferio­ribus terrae inferi esse per­hibentur, undè & inferi no­minati sunt. Hieron. in Job 26.5. Vndè Inferi appellantur, si sub terris non sunt, me­ritò quaeritur. Aug. de Ge­nesi ad lite­ram, lib. 12. cap. 33. Inferi eo quod infra sint Latinè appellantur. ibid. cap. 34. Si idcirco In­fernum dici­mus quia in­feriùs jacet: quod terra à [...]elo est, hoc esse infernus debet à terra. Greg. dia­ [...]og. lib. 4. cap. 42.

3. The name Infernus imports it; so called, quia infra, or inferiùs ja­cet, because it lies un­der us.

And S. Austin Sicut, secundum corpus, si [...]onderis sui ordinem teneant, inferiora sunt [...]mnia graviora; Ita, secundum spiritum, inferiora [...]ant omnia tristiora. de Gen. ad lit. lib. 12. cap 34. addes another reason, to this ef­fect. As there is Gravitie & Levitie, heavinesse and [...]ightnesse, in bodies; so is there answerably sorrow and joy in spirits; sorrow answering heavinesse, Ioy [...]ightnesse: now in bodies [...]he heaviest are the low­est; therefore in Spirits [...]ikewise, the sorrowfullest [Page 24] are the lowest; and, thes [...] being the Damned spirits▪ by consequence, Hel [...] where they are, the lowes [...] place.

3. Follow now the Pu­nishments of them tha [...] are in it, shall be turned into it.

Tullie observes, tha [...] the Poets, in his time▪ who writ of Rome, did us [...] praeterire calamitatem Sinite hoc loco, Quiri­tes, (Sicut Poetae solent quires Roma­nas scribunt) praeterire me nostram cala­mitatem. Orat. 13. pro lege Manilia., to passe by the calamitie, where any hapned. I cannot doe so, in speaking of Hell; but must tell you the miserable calamiti [...] of them that are there▪ and the punishments (a [...] least some of them) which they endure, (for

[...]f I had a hundred [...]ongues, I could not ex­ [...]resse the mall.)

Keckerm. System. The­ol lib. 2. cap. 7The usuall distinction [...] into two; by some [...] they are reduced to [...]hree kinds. There is Poe­ [...]a damni, poena sensus; & [...]oena separationis: The pu­ [...]ishment of Losse; Sense; [...]nd Separation.

1. The punishment of [...]osse; consisting in their [...]eprival of Gods pre­ [...]ence, and the joyes un­ [...]peakable of Heaven. The [...]hilosopher Arist. Phy­sic. sive, de na­turali auscul­tatione, lib. 1. cap. 7. puts Pri­ [...]ation in the number of [Page 26] naturall Principles. It may be called a Principle her too, being both part, an [...] the beginning of thei [...] sorrow. They that obey n [...] the Gospell—shall be punished —from the presenc [...] of the Lord, 2 Thess. 1. [...] And S. Bernard Prius Be­nedicti voca­buntur in reg­num, quàm Maledicti in caminum deij­cîantur ignis aeterni: quò acrius doleant videntes quid amiserint. Serm. 8. in Psal. Qui habitat. ob­serves the method of th [...] finall sentence; that, Th [...] Saved shall first bee called into the kingdom [...] of GOD, before the Dam­ned bee sent into ever­lasting fire (It shall first be said, Come yee blessed, be­fore, Goe yee cursed:) t [...] aggravate their griefe by the sight of their losse. For as blacke compared with white seemes more black [...]. Arist. Rhet. lib. 3. cap. 2.. So the sight of that which [Page 27] [...]hey have lost, makes that which they shall sustaine, much more grievous Sic nimirum sibi invicem collatacon­traria, suae quidem u­trum (que) vide­tur suscepisse augmentum a­liquod quali­tatis: ut al­bum nigro si conferas, & hoc candidius, & illudtetri­us apparebit. Bernar. d. l., to wit,

2. The punishment of Sense; consisting in those actuall torments, which [...]hey suffer and endure. Which, as David speaks of Gods works, Psal. 40.5. or Nestor of the miseries they suffered at the siege of Troy — [...]; Hom. Od. γ, are more then can [...]e numbred. No punishment [...]an be imagined, saith Gre­gorie, which is there want­ [...]ing De poenis excogitari non potest, quod ibi non erit.. You must not expect [...]herefore, I should capi­ [...]ulate them all; Non mihi [...] centum— as I said be­ [...]ore: I will onely name [...]he chiefe; dealing with [...]he rest, as Timanthes, in [Page 28] drawing the picture of Agamemnon mourning for his daughter Iphige­nia; who concealed his countenance, because hee could not expresse in it the greatnesse of his sorrow Vultum ve­lavit quem dignè non po­tuit ostendere. Plin. hist. nat. lib. 35. cap. 10. Cùm patris dolorem se non posse penicillo exprimere ar­bitraretur eximius arti­fex—, vela­mento vestis os occultavit. Nat. Com. mythol. lib 7 cap. 16. finem versus..

And the first is this; The scorching hear of fire. It is bet [...]er to enter into life with one eye, then, having two eyes, to bee cast into Hell fire. Mat. 18 9. Goe yee cursed into everla­sting fire. chap. 25.41. And the rich man, Luke 16, is said to bee tormented in a flame. Some have held the fire of Hell to bee no true materiall, and cor­poreall fire; But, qualem novit Deus: or else only that extreame anguish, [Page 29] [...]d compunction of Spi­ [...], proceeding from the [...]nse and deep apprehen­ [...]n of Gods wrath (the [...]rment of which is like [...]e burning of fire, and [...]erefore by a Metaphor [...] called;) herein follow­ [...]g Damascene Ortho­doxae fidei, lib. 4. cap. 28. ad finem..

To whom wee oppose [...]e authoritie of others Plurium cal­culus vincit. Eras. Adag. [...]. Hesiod. [...]. lib. 1., [...]ore ancient Quis inter nos determi­nabit, nisi temporis ra­tio, ei prae­scribens au­ctoritatem quod antiqui­us, &c? Ter­tul. advers. [...]arcion. lib. 4. cap. 4: to wit, [...]ertullian Apol. cap. 48., Origen Hom. 9. in­verso. ad finem., La­ [...]antius Instit. lib. 7. cap. 21., S. Austin De Ci­ [...]. Dei, lib. 21. cap. 10., [...]d Gregorie Dialog. lib. 4. cap. 29. [...]., ( Such men [...] I never saw, or shall [...]e [...]om. Il α. as Nestor speakes of [...]erithous, with some o­ [...]er Worthies;) who all [Page 30] conspire Plurimum facit multo­rum in una resententia at (que) consensus. Hieron. Comment. in Gal. 1. [...]. Neptun. Hom. Il. γ. in the contr [...] rie tenent. Nor witho [...] reason; in regard, Bodiare to bee punisht by it which, were it not corpreal, cannot bee Corpori non potest adaptari poe [...]a nist cor­porea. Thom. Supplem. 3 ae. q. 97. art. 5. Conclus.. B [...] how then can it agere Spiritum, you will say The Soules of men b [...] fore the resurrection; a [...] the Divels, Ignem ge­hennae corpo­reum esse non ambigo, in quo certum est cor­pora cruciari. Greg. Vbi. supra. who are Sp [...] rits, and want bodie how can it worke upo [...] them, and they suffer [...] it? That it doth so [...] S. Gregorie Dialog. lib. 4. cap. 29., and the M [...] ster of the Sentences Lib. 4. di­stinct. 44. g. e [...] emplifie in the rich ma [...] whose Soule (though h [...] body be yet in the grave is said to bee tormented [...] that flame, Luke 16. An [...] how it comes to doe s [...] [Page 31] Thomas Supplem. 3 ae. q. 70. art. 3. corp. art. & q. 97. art. 5. Resp. ad 3 ^m. tells us, viz. [...]yperphysicè; not by its [...]wne nature, but as it is [...]n instrument of Gods ju­ [...]ice, which hath given [...]hat power and propertie [...]o it, for their punish­ment: For an instrument doth worke (as he goes on) [...]ot by its owne proper [...]ower and nature onely, but by vertue of the principall [...]gent, as it is regulated thereby; Yet I thinke it more safe Praestat per Deum nescire quia non re­velaverit, quàm per ho­minem scire, quia ipse prae­sumpserit. Tertull. lib. de anima. cap. 1. to sit downe with S. Austin Cur non di­camus, quam­vis miris, ta­men veris mo­dis spiritus incorporeos posse poena corporalis ig­nis affligi? De Civit. Dei. lib. 21. cap. 10. admiring the mysterie.

Well then; the fire of Hell is no Metaphoricall thing: but a Material, true, proper, reall, and corporeall Diversa vo­cabula poni­mus, ne quis erret in nomi­ne. Hieron. epist. ad Fa­biolam. fire.

Now the paine of fire is [Page 32] great. But, what is our fire, to the fire of Hell? It was the fond conceit of a Frier, that one might feele it burne seven miles off [...]. Aesop. fab..

Demonax the Philoso­pher being asked, what kind of place Hell was? answered, When I come there, I'le write thee a let­ter, and let thee know Percontanti, qualia putaret esse apud infe­ros: expecta, inquit, & si­mulat (que); illue vener [...], perli­teras tibi sig­nifica [...]o om­nia. Krasm. A­potheg. lib. 8.. And so, if the Frier had beene there, or yet so nigh it, we might beleeve him. Yet I thinke with S. Au­stin, that for vehemencie of heat, it exceeds ours, as farre as It doth fire that's painted upon a wall. And with S. Bernard, that one sparke of it doth more tor­ment, then if a woman [Page 33] [...]ould continue in travell, [...]nd the very pangs and [...]roes of child bearing, thousand yeares together. [...]his is the first punish­ment per [...]aining to Sense, [...]s I said, The scorching [...]eate of fire.

The second is, Extre­mitie of Cold — mistâ cum frigore flammâ. O­vid. Meta­mor. lib. 1. fab. 2., Mat. 8. [...]2, 13.42, 50.22.13.24.51. [...]5.30. There shall bee weeping, and gnashing of [...]eeth. Weeping; from heat, the paine of fire: gnash­ing, from Cold: so the Fathers Haymo in Mat. 8. Remi­gius in Mat. 13. Hieron. venerab. Bed. Raban. Mau­rus in Mat. 24 Greg. hom. 2. in Evang.. Some collect as much likewise, from the name Tartarus: [...], properly signifying, to shake and quiver for cold Plutarch. opusc. de pri­mo frigido.. But, is not this a [...]mitigation of their for­mer [Page 34] paine? Cold being [...] remedie against heat; th [...] rich man Luke, 16. conceiv'd no better cure fo [...] his torment in the flame then that Lazarus shoul [...] but even dip the tip of hi [...] finger in water, and touc [...] his tongue to coole it. A [...] for this, it is a parable, and therefore, according to the rule in Schooles, no argumentative Theologia parabolica non est argu­mentativa., being stretched beyond its en [...] and scope. And, to th [...] other, Thomas Supplem. 3 ae. q 97. art. 1 resp. ad 3 ^•. again [...] makes answer; that i [...] shall bee no mitigation of their paine at all; in re­gard, it shall not be, by the changing and transmuta­tion of the body from its former disposition and pas­sion: [Page 35] but, by bringing a new passion upon it, the old remaining. Which it doth, saith hee, per actio­nem Spiritualem, by a Spirituall action; For, by its naturall action, being contrarie to heat, it quen­ches it, and mitigates the paine of it: but, by its Spi­ritual action (which it hath from the principall A­gent, Gods justice, where­of it is the instrument, and whereby it doth agere in corpus, seize upon the bo­dy) it doth not.

3. The third is Famine and Hunger. Luke 6.25. Woe unto you that are full: for yee shall hunger. In the 24. of Ieremie Ver. 10. there are mentioned three grand [Page 36] calamities; [...], Famine, Pesti­lence, and the Sword. In the 14 of Ezek. Ver. 21. foure; these three and the noi­some beast: How much more when I send my foure sore judgements, the Sword, the Famine, &c. And, as it is one of those which carry account of the greatest punishments: So, neither is it the least among them. David places the pesti­lence under it; choosing the one rather then the o­ther, when they were both put to his option, 2 Sam. 24.13. Ieremie pre­ferres the sword before it; Lament. 4.9. They that bee staine with the sword, are better then those that bee [Page 37] slaine with hunger. And Vlysses in Homer, of all deaths makes it the most miserable; All deaths are miserable, saith he: yet the most miserable of all is to die for hun­ger [...] Od. μ..

4. The fourth is Bonds and imprisonment. Mat. 22.13. Take him,—Cast him into utter darknesse: but what must be done to him before? bind him hand and foot. 1 Pet. 3.19. Christ by his Spirit prea­ching to the soules that are now in Hell, but were alive in the dayes of Noah (saith the learned Scali­ger Notis in N. Test ad locum.:) is said to preach unto the Spirits in prison. The Angels too that sin­ned, [Page 38] being cast downe to Hell, were delivered into chaines, 2 Pet. 2.4. Diogenes, being askt, what was the best thing in a mans life? answered, His li­bertie Lacit. de vit. Philos. lib. 6.. And hee in the Comedie, compares a cap­tive to a bird in a cage: If once he get at libertie, hee will be past catching a­gaine Heg. Liber captivus avis ferae consimi­lis est: Semel fugien­di si data est occasio, Satis est, nun­quam pose il­lam possis prendere. Lor. Omnes profecto liberi lubentius samus, quàm servimus. Plaut. in Captivis. act. 1. Scen. 2.; that condition is so hatefull to him. But, more grievous is it to a man, & miserable he that's put into a loathsome dun­geon, without hope of being ever enlarged or removed. Such is Hell, and such they that shall be turn'd into it Vt niger in niveum nulla redit arte co­l [...]rem: Spectat ab in­ferno sic via nulla retro. Owen. lib. 3. ad. D. Mari­am Neville. Epigr. 180.. Poets and Historians may faine, of some who have gone thi­ther, [Page 39] and returned back, (as Orpheus that fetch't his wife Euridice from thence Ovid. Me­tamor. lib. 10 fab 1. Virg. Georg. lib. 4. ad finem. Se­nec. Here. fur act. 2. scen. 4. Nat. Com. my­thol. lib. 7. cap. 14. Lod. Vives in lib. 18. de Civit. Dei. cap. 14.. Hercules, that going thither, brought Theseus away with him, with the dogge Cerbe­rus Ovid Me­tamor. lib. 7. fab. 22. Senec. Herc. fur. Plin. hist. Nat. lib. 27. cap. 2. Nat. Com. my­thol. lib. 7. cap. 1. & lib. 3 cap. 5. Lod. Vives in lib. 18. de Civit. Dei. cap. 13.. Vlysses that went thither to consult with Tiresias Hom. Od. λ. Horat. Serm. lib. 2. Sat. 5. Nat. Com. mythol. lib. 9. cap 1.. Aeneas that went thither, to talke with his father Anchises Virg. Aeneid. lib. 6. Ovid. Metamor lib. 14 fab. 4.. Pythagoras also, that go­ing thither, saw Hesiod tied to a brazen pillar, and Homer hanging on a tree full of snakes, for faining such things upon the Gods Laert. de Vit. Philos. lib. 8. in Pythag. Tertul. lib. de anima. cap. 28.:) and Papists [Page 40] fable è Dama­scen Serm. de his qui in fide hinc migra­runt. Circamed., that Traian was delivered thence by the prayers of Gregorie, and Falconilla by the votes of Thecla.

Admiranda canunt, sed non credenda — Cato lib. 3. distich [...] 17.. Betwixt us and you, saith Abraham to the rich man, Luke 16. there is a great gulfe: so as they which would come from you to us, cannot. What is this gulfe, but, (as the Master of the Sen­tences Lib 4. di­stinct. 50. f. expounds it) the justice of God, which holds them in chaines, and will never suffer them to bee loosed?

The fift and last is that Occultum flagellum Poena autem vehemens, & multo saevior illis, quas & Ceditius gra­vis invenit, aut Rhada­manthus. Iuven. Sat. 13., the wound of Conscience, conceived by the full and [Page 41] perfect sense and appre­hension of Gods wrath. This the Poets Hom. Od. λ Ovid. Meta­mor. lib. 4. fab. 13 lib. 10 fab 1. & lib. in Ibin ante med. Horat. Carm. lib. 3. Ode. 11. Virg. Aeneid lib. 6. Tibullus lib. 1. Eleg. 3. Senec. Hip­polyt. act. 5. & Herc. fur. act. 3. scen. 2. set out, in their fiction of Tityus, who hath Vultures fee­ding upon his liver; which is mentioned by Lactantius Instit, lib. 7 cap. 21.: And this is the Worme spoken of, Esay 66.24. Marke 9.44, 46, 48. Non piguit uno leco eadem verba ter di­cere. Quem non terreat ista re­petitio, & il­lius poenae comminatio tum vehe­mens? Aug de Civit. Dei. lib. 21. cap. 9.. The greatnesse of which punishment, tan­quam per transennam, wee may see in the shadow and first-fruits of it in this life, by those that are di­strest in conscience. Ma­ster Iames Bainam (the Martyr, as hee was after­wards) having recanted out of weaknesse, and ab­jured his opinions; open­ly in the Church (bewai­ling [Page 42] his fall) among other things, intreated all good Christians rather to die, then doe as hee had done: for hee would not feele such a Hell againe, (so he tearmed it) in his consci­ence, as hee did feele be­fore hee repented, for all the worlds good M ^r Foxe Acts & Mon. vol. 2. pag. 300. Col. 1. Edit. ult.; which puts me in mind of S. Ber­nards Infernus quidam animae rea conscien­tia est. Serm. 4 de assump. beatae Virg. saying, A guiltie conscience is a certaine Hell of the soule. And M ^r Green­ham In his grave Coun­sels, and god­ly observa­tions. mentions one in the like case, who said, his continuall agonies were as great, as the paines of a man, when the pangs of death are upon him: that hee could be content also, his body should live in burning fire till the day of [Page 43] judgement, so hee might then be assur'd of Gods fa­vour Heu quan­tum poenae mi­sero mens con­scia donat! Lucan. lib 7.. Briefly thus; Do­lor corporis, corpus doloris: dolor anima, doloris anima. Bodily griefe is but the Body of griefe: the soule of it, is that of the Soul. The spirit of a man, saith Solomon, may sustaine his infirmities: but a wounded spirit who can beare? Pro. 18.14. And so much for the punishment of Sense.

The third is, the punishment of Separation; con­sisting in their being re­moved from the societie of Saints and Angels, and conjoyn'd to the com­pany of Divels. Man, saith the Philosopher, is a [Page 44] Sociable creature [...]. Arist. Polit. lib. 1. cap 2.; that delights in companie: and herein is his felicitie [...], &c. Idem. E­thic. ad Nico­mach. lib. 9. cap 9., to have good companie. But this, the Damned are de­prived of. True it is; in this life, good and bad are mixt together Mixta te­nax segeti crescere lappa solet. Ovid de Ponto, lib. 2. Eleg. 1 Genus humanum in duo genera distribuimus: unum, eorum qui secundum hominem; alterum, eorum qui secundum Deum, vi­uant. Quas etiam mysticè appellamus, Civitates duas. Aug. de Civit. Dei. lib. 15. cap. 1. Tria sunt loca, Coelum. Terra, Infernus; & habent singula habita­tores suos: Coelum, solos bonos; Infernus, solos malo [...] terra mixtos. Bernat. in Sententijs.. Or, as the sonne of Syrach Ecclus. 33.14, 15. ex­presses it, Good is set a­gainst evill; the godly a­gainst the sinner, and the sinner against the godly: So there are two and two, one against another. But hereafter it shall not be so: At the end of the world the [Page 45] wicked shall bee severed from among the just Mat. 13.49.; When Christ shall say to the reapers, his angels, Bind the tares in bundles to bee burnt, but gather the wheat into my barne Ver. 30..

Now, all these punish­ments are aggravated fur­ther from three Circum­stances.

The place where;

The manner how;

And the Time or Con­tinuance how long; they must be suffered.

1. From the Place Et fient ipso tristia fata lo­co. Ovid. Trist. lib. 3. Eleg. 3. Sive locum spectes: locus est ina­mabilis, & quo Esse nihil toto trislius orbe potest. ibid. lib. 5. Eleg. 7.; A place of Darknesse, (a thing disconsolate in it selfe, light being comfor­table Eccles. 11.7: and the Sense of seeing, of all senses, the most delectable [...] Arist. Meta­phys. lib 1. cap. 1..) How [Page 46] camest thou hither, saith Anticlea to her sonne V­lysses (seeing thou art yet alive, and not dead) into this place of obscure dark­nesse [...]—; Hom. Od. λ.? There are houses, saith Hesiod, of obscure night, covered with black clouds [...].. In regard of which obscuritie, it hath the name in Greeke of [...], because there they see not: and is called Darknesse Mat. 8.12.22.13.25.30. 2 Pet. 2.7. Jude ver. 6.13., in the Abstract (as if the Concrete were not enough but too low an expression.) The Poet when hee would set out the wicked­nesse of a carping, male­volent Detractour, calls him not vitious, but vice it selfe Mentitur, qui te vitio­sum, Zoïle, dixit: Non vitiosus homo es Zoïle, sed vitium. Mart. lib. 11. Epigr. 93.: so here. But how [Page 47] [...] it then, you'le say, that [...]hey that are turned into [...] are said to see? There [...]all bee weeping and gna [...]ing of teeth, when yee shall [...]ee Abraham, and Isaac, [...]nd Iacob— in the king­ [...]ome of God, and you your [...]elves thrust out, Luke 13. [...]8. Againe, chap. 16. The [...]ich man lifting up his [...]yes saw Abraham a farre [...]ff, &c. To this the Fa­ [...]hers Isid. Sen­tent. sive de summo bono. Lib. 3. cap. 31 Greg. mor. lib. 9. cap. 39. Bernar. lib. 5. de Consid. ad Eugenium. answer, They shall [...]e, so farre forth as it [...]akes for the increase of [...]heir punishment, but not a­ [...]y thing for their comfort. And that too, if Thomas [...] say true, not cleerely; Supplem. 3 ae. q. 97 art. 4. Corp. art. [...]ut under a certaine umbro­ [...]itie, and filthy mist, or [...]moke. S. Iohn saw a [Page 48] smoke ascend out of the bottomlesse pit Revel. 9.2.: and else­where we reade of a mi [...] of darknesse 2 Pet. 2.17..

2. From the Manner Bis emori sed est mori sic turpiter. Quintilli im­perat. symbo­lum. Alsted. Arithmolo­gia Ethica. Encyclop. lib. 16 Nam (que) pati poenam, quàm meruisse minu [...]. Ovid. de Ponto. lib. 1. Eleg 1. which is, with Disgrace and Contempt. They tha [...] sleepe in the dust shall a wake: Some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting cōtempt, Dan ▪ 12.2. Men may play the Hypocrites here Noctem pec­catis & frau­dibus obijcere nubem. Ho­rat. lib. 1. Epist. 16. (and it is too usual [...]. Theog. ver. 959.;) beare a faire outside to the world, when their inward part is full of wickedn sse Luke 2.39. Introrsùm turpes, speciosi pelle deco­ra. Horat. lib. 1. Epist. 16.; wherby it comes to passe, that they are never the [Page 49] worse thought of, and ta­ [...]n to bee what they are [...]ot [...]. The­og. ver. 117. & 128.: But then all things [...]all bee revealed (their [...]ults, even their most se­ [...]ret and hidden faults Iudicium faciet gesto­rum quis (que) su­orum: Cuncta (que) cun­ctorum cun­ctis orcana patebunt. apud Hug. de S. Vi­ctore. lib. 1. de anima. cap. 2., [...]eing written in their [...]reheads, and presented [...] the view and eye of all [...]e world) to their perpe­ [...]all reproach, disgrace, [...]nd shame. For, although [...]he just in glory, by the [...]oodnesse of their nature [...]e mercifull: yet, being [...]njoyned to the justice of [...]od in such a rectitude; [...]hey cannot bee moved with [...]ny compassion at all to­ [...]ard them, saith S Grego­ [...]ie Hom. 40. in Evang,. They shall rather [...]athe, and abhorre them, [...]say 66.24.

[Page 50]3. From the Time Et gravior longâ fit sua poena morâ. Ovid. de Ponto. lib. 1. Eleg. 2. Leve est miserias ferre, perferre est grave. Se­nec. Thyest. act. 2. Scoen. 1; which is, to all Eternitie, even for ever and ever, Revel. 20.10. The Fire is unquenchable. Mat. 3 12. and everlasting. chap. 25.41. The Burning everla­sting. Esay 33.14. Their Contempt everlasting. [...]ā. 12.2. Their Chaines ever­lasting, Iude 6. The Worme everlasting, Esay 66.24. Marke 9.44. All their paines, their whole de­struction everlasting, 2 Thess. 1.9. The Poets Hom. Od. λ. Ovid. Me­tamor. lib. 4. fab. 13. lib. 10 fab. 1. & lib. in Ibin. ante med. Virg. Aeneid. lib. 6. Horat. Carm. lib. 2. Ode 14. & lib. 3. Ode 11 Tibullus lib. 1. Eleg. 3. Senec. Hip­polit. act. 5. & Here. fur. act. 3. Scoen. 2. saw a glimpse of this, in their fiction of Sisiphus, who in Hell doth roule a stone up a hill, which he no soo­ner hath at the top, but it tumbles downe againe upon him, and so conti­nually [Page 51] renewes his la­ [...]our: of Danaus his [...]aughters, the Belides, who are awarded to fill a [...]ubbe full of holes with water, and with vessels full of holes (whence the Greekes tooke their Pro­ [...]erb to signifie endless la­bour, [...]:) [...]nd of Tityus, who hath Vultures feeding upon his [...]iver, which yet consumes [...]ot, but increases with the Moone: the mytho­logie of all which, is no­thing else but a Perpetuitie of punishment; as Ovid Lib. in Ibin. makes it,

[Page 52] Origen's Peri ar­chôn, sive de Princip. lib. 3. cap. 6. & hom. 8. in Ios. Doctore­gregius Ori­gines audet docere, diabo­lum id rursum futurum esse quod fuerat, & ad eandem rediturum dignitatem, & conscensu­rum regna coe­lorum, &c. Epiph. Epist. ad Johan. Constant. Episc. errour, and his followers (holding that Hell in the end shall bee broken up; and the Divels with all the Dam­ned, Saved, and received into Heaven) hath beene long since exploded in the Church; Being condem­ned for heresie by the fifth generall Councell a [...] Constantinople under the Emperour Iustinian Osiand. Cent. 6. lib. 3 cap. 4. Ca­non. 9. & 10.: and largely refuted by (that hammer of heretiques Augustinus —validissi­mus malleus haereticorum. Bernar. Serm. 80 in Cant. post. med..) S. Austin in his learned Bookes de Civitate Dei Praesertìm, lib. 21. cap 17.23. & 24. De qua vanissima impietate—in libris de Civitate Dei diligentissimè disputavi, haer. 43. de Originianis..

Now hope deferred, saith Solomon, maketh the [Page 53] [...]eart sicke, Prov. 13.12. [...]f therefore there were a­ [...]y hope of having their punishments terminated, though it were after ma­ny millions of thousands of yeares, it were a com­fort: but when they are expired, there is never the lesse behind; they are e­ven as new to begin a­gaine. The Ancients ex­presse it thus Alsted. en­cyclop. lib. 6. Pneumat. parte 4. cap. 7.; If the Sea were by many parts big­ger then it is, and once in every ten thousand years, biberet ex eo vel unica a­vicula unam saltèm guttu­lam, A little bird should drinke but a little drop of it, at length it would bee exhausted: Or, if all the world were a mountaine, [Page 54] and a Wren, once in every hundred thousan [...] yeares, should fetch a li [...] tle of it in her mouth, i [...] the end it would be wasted; But of Eternit [...] there is no end ever to be expected. Quanta haec d [...] ratio! Consider this y [...] that forget God.

And thus you have th [...] three particulars (thoug [...] imperfectly Materia vi­res exuperan­temeas, Ovid. Trist. lib. 1. Eleg. 4. Grandes ma­terias ingenia parva non su­stinent, & in ipso conatu ul­tra vires ausa succumbunt, &c. & post multa. Vin­citur Sermo rei magnitu­dine, & mi­nus est omne quod dicimus. Hieron. E­pist. ad Heli­odor. de lan­dibus Nepo­tian.) unfolded What Hell is; where it is and the punishments o [...] them that are in it, Sha [...] bee turned into it. Which are The wicked, saith my Text, ‘ The wicked shall be tur­ned into hell.’

[Page 55]What remaines brief­ [...] Non faciet longas fabula nostra moras. Ovid. Fast. lib. 2. Veritas odit moras. Senec. Oedip. act. 4. Scoen. 3; in regard I desire so neere as is possible) [...]o hold to the Custome Consuetudo etiam in civi­libus rebus pro lege suscipitur. Tertul. de corona mili­tis cap. 4. Non possumus re­spuere consue­tudinem quam damnare non possumus. I­dem de virg. Velan. cap. 2., [...]nd Chrysostomes rule, Preaching but an houre Concionan­dum est adho­ram. Hom. 17. in Epist. ad Rom..

It is Scripture, and ad­mits no other testimonie, The Law, as the Iewes speake, needing no fortifi­cation. Onely, (to shew [...]he harmonie, and sweet consent, [...] that is in that sacred volume Concordant Prophetica Apostolicis, & Apostolica Evangelicis, & Evangeli­ca Apostolicis, & Apostolica Propheticis. Epiph. haer. 57. post med., it might bee parallel'd with divers other places: but I proceed unto the reasons, which are twofold.

In regard of

• God.
• Themselves.

[Page 56]That in regard of God is his Iustice. For, albei [...] hee have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, Ezek. 33.11. Neither is willing that any should perish Vt Agamem. apud Hom. [...]., 2 Pet. 3.9. Yet, they li­ving impenitently in the transgression of his Law, and continuall breach of his Commandements; (ac­cording to the eleventh article of the Iewish Creed Credo per­fecta fide quòd Deus— pu­niturus sit omnes quot­quot interdi­cta ejus trans­gressi suerint. Buxdorf. Sy­nag. Iud. cap. 1. pag. 4., hee will not suf­fer them to goe without condigne punishment.

But perhaps some will here object, Punishmen [...] must be adequated to the fault — Adsit Regula pec ca­tis, quae poenas irroget aequas: Nec, scutica, dignum, hor­ribili, secte­re flagello. Horat. Serm. lib. 1. Sat. 3.: how then can it stand with Iustice, that The wicked (their sinnes being both finite and temporarie) [Page 57] should bee turned [...]nto Hell, there to suffer [...]unishments infinite and [...]ternall [...]. Arist. de coe­lo. lib. 1. cap. 6 [...]. ibid. cap. 7. Quid appen­dis cum infini­to quantum­cun (que) finitum? Aug. in Psal. 37.23.? Hereunto I [...]nswer Ne (que) enim alitèr veritas intelligi po­test, quàm si falsa e [...] esse, quae veritati objecta sunt, detegantur. Hilar. de Trin lib 5. ferè initio..

And first I may say with [...]he Apostle Rom. 9.20., Nay but, ô man, who art thou that dis­ [...]utest against God? It is not lawfull for mortall creatures to call his acti­ons into question: even a heathen man could af­firme it [...]. Theog. ver. 687.. Hee giveth not account of any of his mat­ters Job 33.13..

2. I might say with [Page 58] S. Austin Adeo summa est justitiae regula Dei voluntas, ut quicquid vult, eo ipso quòd vult, justum habendum sit. De Gene­si contra Ma­nich. lib. 1. cap 3. Quic­quid fecerit justum est, & ex hoc quia fe­cit Deus cre­de justum esse. In Psal. 62. ver. ult., that His w [...] is the rule of Iustice: So [...] a thing is just, even becaus [...] hee doth or will doe it, we [...] there no other reason t [...] be rendred.

3. But to give so [...] cleerer resolutions [...]. Achil. Hom. H. 1.. P [...] nishment (being a part o [...] distributive justice) consists, saith the Philos [...] pher Arist. E­thic. ad Ni­comach. lib. 5. cap. 3., in a Geometric [...] proportion relating to a [...] the circumstances of th [...] crime, but especially t [...] dignitie of the person against whom it is committed. If one strike magistrate (as afterward hee makes instance Ibid. cap. 5., it i [...] more then if hee struc [...] an ordinarie man, and deserves extraordinarie punishment. [Page 59] Worthily ther­ [...]ore shall the wicked bee [...]djudged to infinite and [...]ternall punishment, who [...]nne against an infinite [...]d eternall Majestie, which is, God.

4. They sinne too, [...]aith S. Austin Homo factus est malo dig­nus aeterno, qui hoc in se peremit bonum quod esse posset aeternum. De Civit. Dei. lib. 21. cap. 12., against [...]n infinite and eternall Good; to wit, Life eter­nall, which they con­ [...]emne, and wilfully re­ [...]use.

5. Their disposition and desire of sinning, saith [...]. Gregorie Quoniam peccator peccat in Suo aeter­no, ideo Deus punit ipsum in Suo aeterno. &c. Dialog. [...]b 4. cap. 44. Paulò alitèr, Bernar. Ob hoc procul­ubio obstinatae mentis punitur eternalitèr malum, [...]uià quod breve fuit tempore, longum esse constat in [...]ertinaci voluntate, ita ut, si nun quam moreretur, unquam velle peccare defineret. Epist. ad Garinum [...]bbat. Has patitu [...] poenas peccandi sola voluntas. [...]uven. Sat. 13., is eternall, [Page 60] (which hee calls Their Eternitie;) for if they could live alwayes, they would sinne alwayes: and because they sinne in their Eternitie, it is just with God t [...] punish them in His Eternitie.

6. There is a kind o [...] Eternall Infinitie, or Infinite Eternitie in Sinne being a breach of tha [...] Order, which stood in a [...] absolute, and perfect conformitie of the Will o [...] man, to the Will and Law of God; Which brea [...] is irreparable Vid. Thom. 12 ae. q 87. art. 1. & 3. corp.. True indeed, it is restored in th [...] regenerate, yet not in th [...] same manner; their righteousnesse now not being Inhesively and Subjectively [Page 61] in themselves, but Objectively in ano­ [...]her Esa. 45.24.25. Jerem. 23.6.33.16. Act. 13.19. Rom. 3.21, 22, 23, 24 25, 26.4.6.5.17, 18, 19.9.30.10.3. 1 Cor. 1.30. Gal. 2.16.3. [...]1. Philip. 3.9. 2 Cor. 5.21 ut nos simus, &c. Videte duo, Justitiam Dei, & non nostram: In ipso, non in nobis. Aug. Serm. 6. de verbis Apost. Ipse peccatum, ut nos ju­stitia, non nostra, sed Dei: nec in nobis, sed in ipso Idem. Enchir ad Lauren. cap. 41., (not Propria, but Appropriata,) whence it is said to bee imputed Gen 15.6. Rom. 4. in that chap. 8. times. Gal. 3.6. James 2 23.: But, in the wicked, who have no part in Christ Psal. 94.20. Ephes. 2.12. Rom. 8.9. Mat. 7.23.25. [...]. John 3.36.17.9. 2 Cor. 13.5. Colos. 1.21.4.5. 1 Thes. 4.12. Philip. 3.18. Hebr. 10.29. Iude ver. 4. Redemptor noster pro bonis misericorditer incarna­ [...]us: nihil igitur haec margarita ad porcos & canes. Greg hom. 13. in Ezech., it is not restored at all; where­upon they stand liable to infinite and eternall pu­nishment.

Suffer mee a little, and I will shew, what I have yet to speake on Gods behalfe Job. 36.2.: to use his words whom [Page 62] some Hieron. quaest. Hebr. in Gen. 22. Philippus Presbyter praef. in Iob, & in cap. 32. Rupertus in Gen. 34. Lyra. in Psal. 9.4 thinke (not with­out probabilitie) to bee Balaam.

And to all these I adde another Solution out of S. Austin De Civit. Dei, lib. 21. cap. 11.. Even in temporall, and civill Courts of men, few crimes but they deserve punishment of longer continuance then the Commission of them. To thinke there­fore that the punishment of sinne should bee pro­portionated according to the time wherein it is per­petrated, what greater follie Non sani esse hominis, non sanus ju­ret Orestes. Pers. Sat. 3, in fine.— Dic quae dementia major. Bapti­sta Mantuan. Eclog. 1.? Some faults, saith that Father, deserve imprisonment, some pro­scription and banishment: shall the partie peccant be exiled, or remaine in du­rance, [Page 63] no longer then they are in committing? Mur­ [...]her is soone committed; so is sacriledge, and seve­rall other sinnes: Shall the punishment in respect of time and continuance bee accordingly? Surely no; It is to bee measured, as he concludes, not by length of time, but the greatnesse of the offence Non tempo­ris longitu­dene, sed ini­quitatis & impietatis magnitudine.. And so much for the reason in re­gard of God.

Those in respect of them selves are

• Positive.
• Privative.

For that they Have; or for that they want, and Have not.

That which they have, [Page 64] is their sinne and wickednesse. Hecuba, the mothe [...] of Paris, dreaming whe [...] she was with child, tha [...] shee brought forth a bur­ning torch; told it to he [...] husband Priamus, wh [...] received answer from the Southsayer, that, H [...] whom shee bore in he [...] wombe should bee the caus [...] of the destruction of his countrey Quem in u­tero geslabat esset causa ex­cidij suae pa­triae. Nat. Com my­thol lib 6. cap. 23. Epist. Parid. ad He­len apud. O­vid inter He­roid. 15.. Nothing so sure, but the sinne which the wicked harbour in their breasts, will bee th [...] cause of their destruction It is an observable plac [...] in the 20 of Iob the 16 where Zophar speaking o [...] the wicked, saith, Hee shal [...] sucke the poyson of aspes [...] Some Vetus in­terp. Xantes Pagninus. reade it, Hee shal [...] [Page 65] [...]ck the head of aspes, (The [...]ebrew word [Rosh] sig­ [...]fying both Caput & [...]enenum.) Now what is to sucke the head of [...]pes? The Aspe or shee­ [...]iper engendring with [...]e male, takes his head in [...]er mouth, and (being o­ [...]ercome with the plea­ [...]re of the act) bites it off; thereby hee perishes: af­ [...]er shee hath conceived [...]re young within her, [...]rditatis impatientes per­ [...]mpunt latera occisa pa­ [...]ente, not abiding to stay [...]heir time, eate out her [...]des, and abortively de­ [...]ver themselves; where­ [...]y shee perishes Plin hist. nat. lib. 10. cap. 62. Pie­rius Hierogl. lib. 14. cap. 20. Epiph haer. 26 ad finem. Ae­lian. de ani­mal. lib. 1. cap. 24.. And [...] it is with the wicked; [...]hough wickednesse be sweet [Page 66] in their mouth, as it is [...] the 12 ver. they comm [...] it with greedinesse and d [...] light: yet, it is but as were a Sucking of t [...] head of aspes; they sha [...] perish by it, it will b [...] their everlasting ove [...] throw, and destructio [...] Plainly, Prov. 11.5. T [...] wicked shall fall by [...] owne wickednesse. Again [...] chap. 13.6. Wickednesse verthroweth the sinne [...] And againe chap. 21.1 [...] God overthroweth the wi [...] ked for their wickednesse.

Other reasons ther [...] are againe for that whic [...] they want, and have no [...] as

1. Because they wan [...] Christ. Hee that hath u [...] [Page 67] the sonne hath not life, Iohn 5.12. Neither is [...]ere salvation in any o­ [...]er, Acts 4.12.

2. Because they want [...]ith. Hee that beleeveth [...]t shall be damned, Mark. 6.16. Is condemned al­ [...]ady Quia cer­tum est, asseri­tur ut jam praeteritum. Aug. de a­gone Chri­stiano. cap. 27., Iohn 3.18.

3. Because they want [...]e Sanctification and [...]olinesse of life, without [...]hich no man shall see the [...]ord, Heb. 12.14. For, [...]very tree that bringeth [...]ot forth good fruit, is [...]ewen downe and cast into be fire, Mat. 3.10.

Now for Application. And if ‘The wicked shall be tur­ned into Hell:’

[Page 68]1. It serves for Conf [...] tation Nemo non, contrarium e­jus quod pro­baverit, re­probat. Ter­tul. advers. Marcion. lib. 4. cap. 15. Non sufficit nohis docuisse quae pia sunt, nisi pijssima ea esse per id intelli­gantur dum quae impia sunt refellun­tur. Hilar. lib. 8. de Tri­nit. ferè ini­tio.. And first [...] those who either denie or have denied, (directl [...] too, in terminis) that ther [...] is any Hell at all [...]. Evenus.. (Omitting them who are [...] jusdem farinae, of the sam [...] mold, and annihilate it b [...] Consequence, denyin [...] the resurrection, the immortalitie of the Soule or the like.) So did Cai [...] the first wicked man; (among other things,) i [...] his conference with Abe [...] (implied in the text Gen. 4 8., an [...] supplied by some Targum Ionathan & Hierosoly­mit.: No [...] est judicium, non est judex non est ultio impijs, &c So did Epicurus, holdin [...] it to bee but The fiction [...] Poets, and whatsoever [...] [Page 69] spoken of it, to bee under­ [...]od of this world, and the [...]e that wee now lead Lactan. In­stit. lib 7. cap 7.: [...]et one of them Lucret. — Quaecun (que) A­cheronte pro­fundo prodita sunt esse, in vita sunt om nia nobis. Et post pauca. Haec ne (que) sunt usquam, ne (que) possunt esse profecto: Sed metus in vita poenarum pro malesactis. de natura re­rum, lib. 3. ferè in fine. is [...]f his opinion; together [...]ith those anonymous [...]ereticks in Irenaeus Lib. 5 cap. 26. Quomodo non confun­dentur qui di­cunt Inferos [...]idem esse hunc mundum, &c?. [...]o did the heathen Pai­ [...]ms in Tertullians time; [...]aking it a laughing mat­ [...]r Si gehennam [...]mminemur,— proinde decachinnamur. Apol. p. 47.. So did Almaricus [...]d his Sectaries; hol­ [...]ng, there is neither Hea­ [...]en nor Hell: but he that [...]ath the knowledge of [...]od, hath Heaven within [...]mselfe; and he that hath [...]ortall sinne, hath Hell [...]ithin himselfe; Sicut [...]entem in ore putridum, [Page 70] as a rotten tooth in th [...] head Osiand. Cent. 13. lib. 1. cap. 3.. So did the holy Father of Rome, Bonifac [...] the eighth; which wa [...] objected against him (among other crimes) in [...] Councell held at Pari [...] under Philip the Faire Osiand. Cent. 13. lib. 4. cap. 7.: ‘— Intestabilis & Sacer esto Horat. Serm. lib. 2. Sat. 3.’

So did his Successor [...] in the seat and same im­pietie Dignum pa­tella opercu­lum. Erasm. Adag. [...]. Me­lanthius. Hom. Od. [...]., Paul the third, who lying on his death bed, said hee should now make triall of three things, whereof hee had doubted all his life, — Pudet fari Catoniana, Chreste, quod faecis, lingua. Mart. lib. 9. Epigr. 28. Grave crimen eti­am cum dictum est leviter nocet. Senec. lib. Proverb. An anima immortalis, An sit Deus, An Infernus: I feare to English them ^x. [Page 71] So doth Costerus the Ie­ [...]ite Instit. lib. 5.; holding that Christ by his descension [...]to Hell hath abolisht it, [...]nd turned it into Para­ [...]ise: Something like that [...]eresie in S. Austin Haer. 79. A­l [...]a (haeresis) descendente ad inferos Christo, credi­d [...]sse incredu­los, & omnes inde, existi­mat, liberatos. of [...]hose who held, that Christ descending into Hell, [...]ll the damned beleeved, [...]nd were forthwith set at [...]bertie. So doe the Fa­ [...]ilists Rogers. Art. 5. Prop. 4. holding there is [...]o other Hell then the hor­ [...]or of Conscience in this [...]ife, by the sense and ap­prehension of GODS wrath: much like the opi­ [...]ion which S. Ierome Epist. ad A­vitum de er­ror. Orig. a­ [...]cribes to O igen, but how [...]ruly I know not. And so [...]oe many in these dayes; [...]iving if as it were a meere [Page 72] fable Heu vivunt homines tan­quam mors nulla sequa­tur, aut velut Infernus fa­bula vana fo­ret! and bare flying report.

2. For Confutation o [...] the Misericordians (o [...] whom S. Austin in hi [...] 21. Booke De Civitat [...] Dei chap. 18.) who held that (though there bee [...] Hell, yet, The wicked shall not bee turned into it. [...] shall indeed bee shown them at the latter day, and they shall be adjudged worthy of it: but by the pray­ers and intercession of the Saints, find mercie, and b [...] delivered from it; Mer­cie, as S. Iames Chap 2.13. speakes rejoycing against judge­ment. You heard before Quid opus est me diutiùs in his tempus terere? Cùm confutatio ac subverfio faci­lis (sit) ex praedictis, &c. Epiph. haer. 32. in fine. out of Gregorie; tha [...] the glorified Saints are so addicted to the ju­stice [Page 73] of God, that they [...]nnot compassionate them, [...]uch lesse intercede for [...]hem. And the Master [...]f the Sentences Lib. 4. di­stinct. 50. f. ob­ [...]rves (by Abrahams [...]nswer to the rich man, Luke 16. Betwixt us and [...]ou there is a great gulfe, &c.) that, although they [...]ee them in torments, yet, [...]hey neither pittie them, [...]or desire their delive­ [...]ance.

[...]. The second use is for In [...]ructiō; to shew the mise­ [...]able Coelestis ira quos premit miseros facit. Senec. Herc. Oetae. act. 2. Scoen. 1. estate of all wicked [...]hen, What though they [...]rosper here, and flourish? Their seed bee established [...]n their fight; Their hou­ [...]es safe from feare; They [...]pend their dayes in [Page 75] wealth, &c? as Iob describes them, chap. 21 or as David, Psal. 73 They bee not in trouble [...] other men, they have man [...] then heart can wish? Thi [...] is no true Happinesse Nemo ma­lus Foelix— Iuven. Sat. 4. [...]. Asinus Sylvest. asino domest. Aesop. (and false happinesse, saith S. Austin Falsi foelices veri infoelices: falsa foelicitas vera miseria est. Aug. in Psal 86. ver. ult. Fallax foelicitas ipsa est major in­foelicitas. I­dem in Psal. 130.1., is true miserie;) for ‘Ad mala servantur no [...] moritura:—’

Their judgement lingers not, nor do [...]h their damnation slumber; their feet at last shall goe down to death, and their step take hold on Hell; it shal [...] bee their portion.

The wicked, saith my Text, shall bee turned in to Hell.

[Page 74]And in very deed, this is the reason why the su­preme disposer of all things, doth suffer them to enjoy such prosperitie and outward happinesse here in this world, while his children (to use his words in Iob Chap. 36.8.,) are held in cords of affliction. See it plainly, Psal. 92.7. When the wicked spring as the grasse, and the workers of iniquitie doe flourish, it is that they shall bee de­stroyed for ever. Vt vituli occidendi saginantur, saith S. Gregorie Moral. lib. 22., They are fed as beasts for the slaugh­ter. 'Tis folly therefore, as David deemes it, Psal. 73.22. to grudge, re­pine, or envie at it; a [Page 76] thing neverthelesse, which Gods children Obruit in­gentes ista procella viros. Ovid. Fast. lib. 1. (even the best of them — Quibus arte benigna Et meliore luto finxit praecordia Titan. Iuven. Sat. 14.) are prone unto. As wee may see in the same Da­vid, (otherwise, a man after Gods owne heart) in the third ver. of that Psal. the 73. I was envi­ous at the foolish, when I saw the prosperitie of the wicked. And in Iob (the None such of his time) by his Counterplea with GOD about it, Chap. 21. 7. Wherefore doe the wic­ked live, become old; yea, are mightie in power? And in that Prophet, who was sanctified in the wombe, by the like, Ierem. 12.1. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked [Page 77] prosper? wherefore are all they happie that deale ve­ry treacherously? Is it not better rather to Wish with Origen Ego opto, ut dum in hoc sae­culo sum, visi­tet Dominus peccata mea; ut ibi dicat e­tiam de me A­braham, sicut dixit de pau­pere Lazaro ad divitem; Memento fili, &c. hom. 8. in Exod. ad finem., that the Lord would visit our sins in this life; that hereafter Abraham may say concer­ning us, as hee did to the rich man concerning La­zarus; Sonne, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst good things, and Lazarus evill things, but now hee is comforted, and thou art tormented? Or pray with S. Austin, Hîc ure, hîc seca, ut in aeternum pareas; Punish mee here, that I may bee spared hereafter, and not punisht eternally with ‘ [Page 78]The wicked, who shall bee turned into Hell?’

3. The third and last Vse is, for every one that tenders his owne salvati­on, and would escape the damnation of Hell Ecce quae maneat dam­natos poenae cognovimus:— Sed quid pro­dest ista prae­nosse, si non contingat e­vadere? Greg. Mor. lib. 9. cap. ult., to enforce Zophar's Admo­nition upon him, Iob 11.14. If iniquitie bee in thine hand, put it farre away, and let not Wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacles, turning unto God by mature and true repentance.

When the silver cord is loosed, and the golden boule broken, our earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved; it will be too late Quando i­stinc excessum suerit, nullus iam locus poe­nitentiae est: hîc vita aut amittitur, aut tenetur, hîc saluti aeternae —providetur Cyprian. tract. 1. contra Demetrian. [...]. Theocrit. Eidyl. δ!. Eccles. 9.10. What­soever [Page 79] thine hand findeth [...] doe, doe it with thy [...]ight; for there is no [...]orke nor device in the [...]rave whither thou goest. [...]t was a saying which our [...]aviour, saith Iustin Mar­ [...]yr Dialogo cum Try­phone. [...]., often used to his Disciples; As I find you, so I'le judge you: and S. Austin Epist. 80. ad Hesychium. In quo quem (que) invenerit suus novissimus dies, in hoc eum compre­hendet mundi novissimus dies, quoniam qualis in die isto quis (que) mo­ritur, talis in die illo iudi­cabitur. seemes to scholie upon it; Every man, as the last day of his life finds him, so shall hee be found at the last day of the world, and as hee dies so shall hee bee judged. If hee die godly; judge­ment shall passe upon him, as godly, among those on the right hand, Come yee blessed of my Father, &c. if hee die wic­ked, [Page 80] judgement shall pass [...] upon him, as Wicked, a­mong those on the left, Depart from mee yee cur­sed into everlasting fire, for ‘The wicked shall be turned into Hell.’

Oh what Lamentation will there then bee! more then the mourning of Ha­dadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon, or Rachels weeping for her children.

[...]aith Tertullian Lib. de Ju­dicio; Domi­ni carm. con­script. cap. 10.; Then, [...]ey'le repent of all their [...]isdeeds, desire, then, to [...]ow God and feare him which before they re­ [...]sed,) and (lifting up [...]eir hands to heaven) [...]ewaile the time that e­ [...]er they were wicked; but [...]l in vaine: Hath not [...]od himselfe said it [...]. Helenus. Hom. Il. η.? [...]hat as hee cried and they [...]ould not heare, so they [...]all crie, and he will not [...]are, Zachar. 7.13. A­ [...]aine, Because hee called [...]nd they refused, hee will [...]ugh at their Calami­ [...]e, and mocke when their [Page 82] feare commeth, when di­stresse and anguish commeth upon them, Prov. 1.24. 26, 27.

Our onely time and opportunitie is, this life New, saith the Apostle is the accepted time, non is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2. —Nunc, nunc prope­randus & a­cri Fingendus fine fine rota — Pers. Sat. 3.; Againe Hebr. 4.7. To day if yee will heare his voice, harden no [...] your hearts: hee limiteth saith hee, a certaine day. Well then, you will say; If the time of repentanc [...] bee onely in this life, s [...] I repent before I die, it i [...] sufficient. But wilt tho [...] know, O vaine man, tha [...] though God hath promise [...] pardon to the penitent, y [...] hath hee not promised, T [...] [Page 83] [...]row, to the sinner that [...] off his repentance, as it [...]n S. Austin Noli dicere, Cras me con­vertam, cras Deo placebo—. verum quidem dicis, quia Deus conver­sioni tuae in­dulgentiam promisit, sed dilationi tuae diem crasti­num non pro­misit. in Psal. 145.8. Qui enim poeniten­tenti promisit indulgentiam, dissimulāti di­em Crastinum non spospon­dit. Prosper. Aquit. lib. Sentent. ex [...]gust. Sent. 7.. The He­wes have a saying Schub iom echad liphne [...]echa Alsted. Lex. Theol cap. 9., [...]ent the day before thy [...]h: meaning that a [...]n should repent pre­ [...]tly, in regard, for [...]ght hee knowes, that [...]y, is the day of his [...]ath, or if not it, yet the [...]t, so as every day hee [...]y expect it Ne­ [...] tam divos habuit faventes, Crastinum ut sit sibi polliceri. Senec. Thyest. act. 3. Scoen.. Besides, [...]e longer thou puttest it [...], the lesse able shalt [...]ou bee to doe it: Ne­ [...]r did Hee speake more [...]ly, ‘ [Page 84]Qui non est hodiè, Qui non est hodiè cras mi­nus aptus e­rit. Ovid de remed. amo­ris, lib. 1. &c’

The Divel, saith Ve [...] rable Bede Diabolus in quanto di­utiùs posse­dit hominem, in tanto diffi­ciliùs cum di­mittit. Com­ment. in Luc., the long hee hath possessed a m [...] doth the hardlier let [...] goe. Againe, thy sin [...] grow stronger and hevier, and increase in nu [...] ber; which makes t [...] worke and taske the gr [...] ter. There is a storie this purpose, in vitis p [...] trum Lib. Hie­ron ascript. at malè, & [...]. (but for the tru [...] of it I will not dispute of S. Arsenius, who [...] ving in the Wilderne [...] of Syria, on a time hea [...] a voyce speaking un [...] him, Goe forth and I w [...] shew thee the workes men: So going forth he [...] [Page 85] [...]aw a blacke Ethiope with a hatchet cutting downe wood, and making it into a bundle to take up and bee gone: it was so hea­vie that hee could not [...]ift it, what doth he then, [...]ut take his hatchet a­gaine, and cutting downe more wood, make it big­ger? which while Arse [...]ius wondred at, the An­gel thus expounds it to him, This man represents [...]very impenitent sinner, who to the bundle and bur­ [...]hen of his sinnes, which [...]lready is importable, is continually, and daily ad­ [...]ing more.

[Page 86]'Tis time we had done. Onely one thing Sed tamen hoc dictis ad­jungo priori­bus unum. O­vid de Ponto, lib. 3. Eleg. 1. is to bee observed further in my Text (which I will but name:) that the origi­nal word Iashùbu. doth signifie, to be re [...]turned, ‘The wicked shall bee re­turned into Hell.’

The reason is, as Bellarmine In locum. would have it, because they came from Hell (For God made man [...] righteous, but the Divell made him wicked: You ar [...] of your father the Divel [...] Iohn 8.44.) and therefore may be said to bee Re-turned thither. But the bar [...] and naked truth, I take rather to be this; a Compound [Page 87] put for a Simple, [...]eturn'd for Turn'd, which usuall among the He­ [...]rewes: So to ascend and [...]scend, signifie some­ [...]mes simply to goe and [...]ove from one place to [...]nother. Iephta's daugh­ [...]r, Iudges 11.37 saith she [...]till goe downe Iarad, de­scendit. to the [...]ountaines; The men of [...]udah went downe to the [...]p of the rock, chap. 15.11. And Ios. 7.24. 'tis said [...]at Ioshua with the Israe­ [...]tes tooke Acham, and his [...]ons and daughters, and [...]rought them (vaijagnalu, [...]ade them to ascend Gnalah, ascendit.) in­ [...]o the valley of Achor.

I will conclude my Ser­mon therefore at this [...]ime, as Chrysostome con­cludes [Page 88] his 74 Sermon, Nolite ge­hennam in­cendere; nolite ignem inex­tinguibilem vobis praepa­rare: Respi­ciamus, ut o­portet, ad fu­tura, oculorum lippitudine di­ligenter deter­sa; ut & hanc vitam honestè ac piè peraga­mus, & futu­ris bonis poti­amur, gratia & misericor­dia, &c. o [...] Homilie upon Matthew [...]

Doe not kindle Hell d [...] not prepare for your selve [...] the inextinguible (the unquenchable) fire: Let a [...] looke, as wee ought, to th [...] which is to come, the di [...] nesse of our eyes being diligently wiped away, that [...] may passe this life both p [...] ously and honestly, and hereafter enjoy those good thing [...] which God hath prepared for them that lov [...] him, by the grace and mercie of our Lord Iesu [...] Christ.

THE BOOKE OF GENESIS [...]. Hesiod. [...]. ver. 33 Or, [...]. Christ's Genealogie.

IN the first of Ezekiel wee reade of the Prophets vi­sion of foure Creatures; each of which [Page 2] had foure faces: the face of a Man, of a Lion, of an Oxe, and of an Eagle. Which many of the Fathers (among the rest, Irenaeus Lib. 3. ad­vers. haereses. Cap. 11., S Ambrose Iraesat. Comment. in Luc. ad fi­ [...]em. S. Ierome Prooem. Comment in Mat. ad Eu­seb. & pro­log. in Mat. incipiente, Matthaeus cum primo, &c., and Gregorie Hom. 4. in Ezech. ▪ mystically interpret of the foure Evangelists. Iohn is the Eagle Hieron. dictis locis.; so [...] ring aloft to the sp [...]cu [...] on of Chri [...]s divinitie: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word wa [...] with God, and the Word was God. Luke, the Oxe Hieron. dictis locis. beginning his Gospel with Zacharies sacrificature and treating principally of his priesthood. Marke the Lion Hieron. dictis locis.; insisting upon his resurrection, (wherein was showne his power [Page 3] [...]d more then Leonine [...]rength:) in the fronti­ [...]iece of whose gospell [...]so, the voice of a Lion is [...]ard, as it were roaring in [...]e wildernesse, Prepare yee [...]he way of the Lord, make [...]is paths streight: Mat­thew, the Man Hieron. dictis locis. who sets [...]t his humanitie, begin­ [...]ing

The booke of the genera­tion of Iesus Christ, the Sonne of David, the Son of Abraham.

Living in Iudaea, for [...]heir sakes that beleeved of the Circumcision, hee writ in Hebrew the ver­ [...]acular tongue, (though there want not some Osiand. Cent. 1. lib. 2. cap. [...]1. Lo­rin. prole­gom. in 1 E­pist. Johan. cap 3. in fine. Zanch. de S. scrip. quaest. 4. prop. 2. pag. 355. tom 8. who are of opinion, hee [Page 4] writ, originally in Greek [...] Eusebius Hist. eccles. lib. 5. cap. 10. shewes ho [...] Pantenus found his gospe [...] in Hebrew, among th [...] Indians (being brough [...] thither by Thomas, o [...] some of the other Apostles, as Casaubo [...] Exercit. 15. ad annal. Ba­ron. pag. mihi 279. Col. 2. thinkes): S. Ierome Lib. de viris illustribus C. Matthaeus. likewise testifies, that in his time it was at Caesaria in the Librarie there; and at Beraea, a Citie in Syria, where hee saw it. Theo­phylact Initio com­ment. in Mat. Chrysost. se­cutus (prolog. in Mat.) cu­jus abbrevia­tor Bellarmi­no dicitur. lib. de Scrip. Ecclesiast. ad annum 1071. thinkes it was translated into Greeke by S. Iohn; Athanasius Synop. scripturae. re­ferres it to S. Iames; Some to Barnabas; some to S. Paul; others to Luke, S. Paul's scholer: but it is uncertaine, saith S. Ie­rome Quis posted in Graecum trans-tolerit non satis cer­tum est. lib. de vit. Iliust., who translated it.

[Page 5]Howsoever, it was recei­ved in the Church as the more authenticke text; and the Hebrew rejected, being corrupt and imper­fect: for Epiphanius re­lates how it was corrup­ted by the Nazarites Haeres. 29. in fine., cutting off the Genealo­gies from Abraham to Christ; and againe by the Ebionites Haeres 30. ante med., in divers pla­ces and passages.

So writing in Hebrew, for their sakes, as I said, that beleeved among the Iewes; inasmuch as no­thing would please them better then to heare that Christ was the descendent of their father Abraham; he falls upon it at the very first, faith Chrysostome Statim ab ipsa genera­tione Christi. sumit exordi­um. Nihil enim magis dele­c [...]are Iudaeum poterat, quàm si Christum Abrabae nepo­tem esse dice­ret. Hom. 1. in Mat..

[Page 6] The booke of the generati­on of Iesus Christ, the sonne of David, the sonne of Abraham.

Parts.The title and inscrip [...]ion of S. Mathewes gospel is a Booke; the Contents or subject of that booke is a Generation: the subject of that generation is se [...] forth first by his names the one of nature, the other of office; so di [...]in­guished by some: though indeed they bee both names of office Traxit ab officio nomen utrum (que) suo. Owen lib. 2. ad D. Muriam Neville. E­pigt. 184.,) Iesus Christ; secondly, by his descent, lineage, and an­cestrie, the Sonne of Da­vid, the sonne of Abraham.

Singula verba plena sunt sensibus; as S. Ierome Epist ad Paulinum de omnibus divi­nae hist. lib. of [Page 7] [...]e booke of Iob: every [...]ord hath his weight, be [...]g full of sense and mat [...]er. First therefore of the [...]rst Singula quae (que) locum tencant di­cenda decen­tèr. Horat. de arte Poetica.; the title and in­ [...]cription of S. Matthews [...]ospel, a Booke.

Some Marlorat. Musculus. Beza. alij (que). would have Booke here to signifie a Catalogue, Rehearsall, or Enumeration: and so not [...]o bee the title of the whole historie; but onely of the Genealogie insu­ [...]ng in the chapter. I ra­ther thinke with Eras­mus Annot. in locum.; that S. Matthew begins his narration after a propheticall manner: the Prophets usually be­ginning their bookes with the title; The vision of I­saiah the sonne of Amos, [Page 8] The words of Ieremiah, the sonne of Hilkiah, to whom the word of the Lord came, &c. Yet saith Theophy­lact In locum., hee calls it not, as they, a vision, or The word of the Lord; but meerely & simply a Booke. For first They, spake to the unbe­leeving, hard-hearted, re­bellious and disobedient; therefore back't their sayings with divine authori­tie, to procure the more re­verence, and avoid con­tempt: Hee, to the obedient and beleeving, and had no such need. 2. They, had those things which they de­clared, revealed to their mindes by the secret and inward inspiration of the Spirit; therefore called [Page 9] [...]em visions: whereas he, [...]ing corporally present, [...] conversant with Christ the flesh, sensibly both [...]ard and saw him act [...]d speake that which [...]ee relates; so that Fa­ [...]er.

Now, why would God [...]ave the historie of his [...]onnes incarnation (with [...]he rest of his Word) [...]ritten in a booke?

A question which (as [...]inon speakes in the Poet [...]. Tryphy­od. de Ilij excidio.) [...] am most willing to re­solve; and the reasons [...] may bee these;

1. That the Church, [...]nd wee her children, night have a more cer­ [...]aine rule, as well for [...]octrines of faith, as [Page 10] matters of practise an [...] good life Quadruplex est effectus sa­crae scripturae, sci: docere veritatem, ar­guere falsita­tem; quantum ad speculati­vam: eripere a malo, & in­ducere ad bo­num; quan­tum ad pra­cticā. Thom. Aquin. in 2 Tim. 3. lect. 3..

1. For doctrines of fait [...] If they speake not acco [...] ding to this Word, there [...] no light in them, Esay 8 20. If an Angel Non suffe­cerat ad custo­diam traditae semel fidei hu­manae conditi­onis comme­morasse natu­ram, nisi ange­licam quo (que) excellentiam comprehendis­set: non quia angeli peccare jam possunt; sed hoc est quod dicit, si fiat quod non po­test fieri. Vincent. Lirin contra haeres. cap. 12. fr [...] heaven preach any oth [...] doctrine, let him bee an [...] thema, Gal. 1.8. Henc [...] S Iohns Caveat 1 Epist. 4.1., B [...] leeve not every Spirit, b [...] trie the Spirits (that is, b [...] the Scripture, saith Zan [...] chie De sacra scrip. quoest. 7. pag. 365. tom. 8,) whether they ar [...] of God. So did the Ber [...] ans, searching the Scrip­tures whether those things were so that Paul had prea­ched, Acts 17.11.

[Page 11]2. For matters of pra­ [...]ise and good life. As [...]any as walke according to [...]is rule, peace be on them, [...]al. 6.16. This is the way, [...]alke yee in it, Esay 30.21 [...]herewithall shall a young [...]an (that is, every man, [...]ith S. Austin Quid sibi vult iste ju­nior? despe­randus est se­nior, aut in a­lio corrigit vi­tam suam, quam in custo­diendo verba Dei? an forte admonitio est qua aetate po­tissimùm fieri debeat? est & alius intelle­ctus, ut ille hîc agnoscatur fi­lius Evangeli­cus junior, qui profectus à Patre, &c. in locum.; the youn­ [...]er sonne in the gospel [...]ho going from his father [...]to a farre countrey, hath [...]asted his substance with [...]arlots, and is returned to [...]imselfe) cleanse his way? [...]y taking heed thereto ac­ [...]ording to thy word, Psal. 19.9. The judgements of [...]he Lord are true, &c. Moreover by them is thy [...]ervant warned, Psal. 19. [...]1. Warned; what to fol­ [...]ow: forewarned; what [Page 12] to flie. Yee have receive [...] of us, how yee ought [...] walke, 1 Thes. 4.1. en [...] it is compared to a Candle Psal. 119.105. Pro. 6.23., and a lanterne [...] which serve, [...]. 2 Pet. 1.19. you know to guide us in the way and keepe us from stumbling Vt melius cernam porto de nocte lucer­nam. Carm. proverb.. Hence the actions of a Christian are sai [...] to be wrought in God John 3.2.1., o [...] according to God, as some Beza. read it; that is, accor­ding to the rule and pre­script of his Word. And hence it is called, the word of life Philip. 2.16; not onely be­cause it is a meanes to conferre life, but because it is the rule of life: and this I conceive is rather the Apostles meaning; by the metapher of holding [Page 13] out, taken from a man that [...]olds one a light to see [...]is steps.

It was alwayes the [...]ropertie of hereticks, Tertullian Ista haeresis non recipit quasdā scrip­turas, & si­quas recipit, adiectionibus, & detractio­nibus ad dis­positionem in­stituti sui in­tervertit. Lib. de praescrip. advers. haeret. cap. 17. hath obser­ [...]ed it long agoe) by ad­ [...]ing and detracting (ta­ [...]ing in and leaving out, [...]hat and where they list) [...]o make the Scripture suit [...]ith their opinions; rather [...]hen regulate their opini­ [...]ns by it [...]. Erasm. adag.: like Procru­ [...]es in Plutarch In vita Thesei., who [...]tretcht his guests to the [...]ength of his bed if they [...]ere too short; and cut [...]hem shorter if they were [...]oo long. The Arians [...]crap't out that place in [...] Iohn, (1 Epist. 5.7.) There are three that beare [Page 14] record in heaven, the f [...] ther, the Word, and the [...] ly Ghost, and these three [...] one (which is the reason [...] is wanting in the Syriac [...] and divers old Cree [...] Copies: being so evide [...] a testimonie against the [...] of Christs divinitie an [...] Consubstantialitie wi [...] the Father Junius no­tis in translat. Syr. Tremel. ad locum.: and the li [...] hereunto hath beene do [...] by some of the Papists, [...] it were easie to demo [...] strate; greater presumpt [...] on Non audet Stygius Pluto tentare quod audent. Carm. proverb., then in the Grammarian-Criticke An [...] starchus Ovid. de Ponto, lib. 3. Eleg. ult. to undertak [...] the correcting of Homer [...] Nor is this all. Besides corrupting the Scripture [...] in regard of the letter an [...] Matter of it, they deprav [...] [Page 15] [...] too in regard of the [...]orm Scripturae non in legendo sunt, sed in intelligendo. Hilar. lib. al­tero ad Con­stan. August. quem Con­stantio ipse tradidit, ferè in fine. Nec putemus in verbis Scrip­turarumesse Evangelium, sed in sensu. Hieron. Cō ­ment. in Gal. 1.; depriving it of the [...]rue sense intended by the [...]pirit of God in it. It is [...]ot enough to eate up the [...]ood pasture, but they will tread downe the resi­ [...]ue with their feet. Ire­ [...]aeus Lib. 1. cap. 1. post. med. & [...]xeo Epiph. Haeres. 31. hath observed this [...]kewise long agoe; that [...]hey doe ex arena restes [...]onnectere, make ropes of [...]and, dissolving the mem­ [...]ers of truth, by accommo­lating the sayings of the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles to their opinions, for the confirmation of [...]hem, lest they should seeme [...]o want testimonie, and to [...]ake men beleeve they are [...]he Oracles of God. Quem­dinodū siquis pulchram [Page 16] regis imaginem, &c. Eve [...] as if one should oblitera [...] and deface the comely image of a King pourtray'd in costly stone by the cu [...] ning hand of an artificer and in stead thereof ingrave the forme of a dogge or foxe, ill favouredly to [...] and then say, it is the imag [...] of a King, the same the was wrought by the forme [...] Artificer, being the sam [...] stone. His meaning is the same with that of Epiphenius De purissimo scripturarum fonte assumen­tes testimonia, non ita inter­pretantur ut scripta sunt, sed simplicita­tem sermonis ecclesiastici id volunt signifi­care quod ipsi sentiunt. E­piph. epist. ad Johan. Con­stantinop. Episc.; fetching proofes o [...] of the Scripture, they d [...] not interpret them as the [...] are written, but according to their owne fancie: O [...] with that of S. Ierome Ad sensum suum incon­grua aptant testimonia, quasi vitiosis­simum non sit dicendi genus depraevare sententias, & ad volunta­tem suam sa­cram scriptu­ram trahere repugnantem. Epist. ad Paulinum. they patch up certaine t [...] stimonies according to the [...] [Page 17] [...]ne sense, as though it [...]ere not vitious, and a great [...]pietie, to deprave the [...]cripture, and draw it, [...]hough repugnant, to their [...]wne purpose. S. Peter cals [...] wresting of the Scrip­ [...]res, 2 Epist. 3.6. The [...]ord [...]. is taken from tor­ [...]urers, when they put an [...]nnocent man upon the [...]cke, and make him [...]peake things hee never [...]eant nor knew; confesse [...]hat whereof hee is no [...]ayes guiltie, whereto no wayes accessarie Etiam in­nocentes cogit mentiri dolor. Senec. lib. proverb. Ex­pressa per tor­menta confes­sio nihili aesti­matur.— Quidvis po­tius à se ge­stum profite­buntur, quam ut cruciatui obnoxij ampli­us esse ve­lint. Thom. Smith. de rep. Angl. lib. 2. cap. 27. An­non frequen­ [...]s quotidie videmus, qui mortem perpeti malint, [...]im tormenta? Et fateantur fictum crimen, de [...]pplicio certi. ne torqueantur? Lod. vives in lib. 19. [...] C [...]vit. Dei, cap. 6. Fit enim saepe numero ut qui­ [...]m, doloris impatientia fracti, in quovis potius men­ [...]antur, quàm ut torturam denuò subire velint. Al­ [...]ed. Encyclop. lib. 18. System. Polit. 2. cap. 7. reg. 4..

[Page 18]Now, if they dare so doe when God hath committed his truth to writing; how much mor [...] (as wee may suppose would they, were it no [...] written, and sealed up b [...] the sacred impression o [...] letters in a Booke? T [...] is the first reason.

And observe a second which is of great forc [...] weight, and moment Sensibus hoc imis (non est res parva) re­ponas. Virg. Eclog. 3. That the Church, whe [...] Christ was come and e [...] hibited in the flesh, migh [...] have a certaine testimonie [...]. Eras. adag., that he indeed w [...] The Christ and true Messi­ah. There have beene m [...] ny False-christs, you kno [...] who foretold it, Mat. 24 The Herodians held He [...]d [Page 19] to bee he Messiah; [...]hen they saw him a [...]ranger possesse the king­ [...]ome, being deceived by [...] that prophecie, The [...]epter shall not depart [...]um Iudah, &c. Gen. 49 Tertul. de praescrip. cap. 45. Epiphan: haeres. 20. ad initium.. [...] Iudas of Galilee, men­ [...]oned in the fifth of the Acts, by his follow­ [...]rs was accounted The [...]hrist Orig. hom 25. in Luc.. So was the Sa­ [...]aritan sectarie Dosithe­ [...]s Orig. ibid. & tract. 27. in Mat. circa med.. Simon Magus af­ [...]rmed of himselfe that [...]ee was The Christ; who [...]n shew onely suffered in [...]udea, and that men by the [...]nowledge of him should [...]ttaine salvation Iren. lib. 1. cap. 20. Ter­tul. de prae­scrip. cap. 46. Orig. tract. 27 in Mat. Aug. ad Quod vult Deum, hae­res. 1.. So did [...]is scholer Menander, af­firming himselfe likewise to bee The Christ; who [Page 20] was sent to bee the savi­our of the world, and that none could bee saved, un­lesse they were baptized in his name Iren. lib. 1. cap. 21. Ter­tul. de prae­scrip. cap. 46.. Manes the hereticke (of whom the Manichees tooke denomi­nation) boasted himselfe to bee The Christ; and tooke unto him twelve, whom hee named his A­postles Euseb. hist. Eccles. lib. 7. cap. 27..

In the time of Adria [...] the Emperour, there was a famous Pseudo-Christ, who applied that prophe­cie to himselfe in the 24. of Numbers, There shall come a starre out out of Ia­cob, and a Scepter shall arise out of Israel, &c. for which he was called Ben, or Bar-chochab, The sonne [Page 21] [...]f a Starre: and gathering [...]n armie of 24 thousand [...]all which hee named his [...]isciples, who to testifie [...]heir love and fidelitie to [...]im, cut off every one a [...]nger from his hand) [...]ent about to restore the [...]ingdome to Israel; and [...]et up his regall seat in the Citie Bitter, called in Scripture Bethoron. (S. Ie­ [...]ome saith, hee had a jug­ [...]ing trick to kindle straw [...]n his mouth, and breathe [...]t forth as if hee had spit [...]ire Apolog. advers. Russin. lib. 3. cap 9. Stipu­lam in ore suc­censam anhe­litu ventila­bat, ut flam­mas evomere putaretur.. But being with his Confederates discomfi­ted and slaine; they that were left (as doe the Iewes to this day) in stead of Bar-chochab, The sonne of [...]a starre, called him Bar-chozab, [Page 22] The sonne of a lie Buxdorf. Synag. Jud. cap 36. pag. 514, 515. Euseb. hist. Ec­cles. lib. 4. cap. 6. Carri­on Chron. parte 2. lib. 3..

Severus Sulpitius Lib. 1. de vita S. Martini, fere in fi­ne. (who was Coetanie with S. Ie­rome) speakes of a Spani­ard in those tim [...]s who profest himselfe first to be the Prophet Eliah; then, when hee had gained au­thoritie, to be The Christ: carrying himselfe so cun­ningly, that a Bishop His name was Ruffus. was led away with the errour, beleeving in him, and adoring him as God for which hee was after­wards deprived of his dignitie.

In the yeare 549, at Burdeaux in France there was on Desiderius who profest himselfe The Christ Osiand. Cent. 6. lib. 2. cap. 22..

[Page 23]In the yeare 593. there [...]as another in Aquitane a Province in the same [...]ountrey) who did the [...]ke; having a woman [...]ith him whom hee na­ [...]ed The virgin Marie Osiand. Ibid. lib. 4. cap. 19..

In the yeare 722. a Sy­ [...]ian seeing the Iewes long [...]o for their Messiah, pro­ [...]est that hee was hee; till [...]ee was detected, and his [...]ollowers, for their la­ [...]our, made a mocking­ [...]tocke Idem cent. 8. lib. 1. cap. 19..

In the yeare 1148. there was one who went out of Britaine into France, na­med Eun, who said hee was The Christ, and should judge the quicke and the dead; those words in Ecclesiasticall exorcisme [Page 24] (falsly written,) Per Eu [...] qui venturus est judicar [...] vivos & mortuos, bei [...] literally understood o [...] him: Per eum, said hee whereas it should bee Pe [...] Eun; for which hee wa [...] sentenced to die, by th [...] decree of a Councell held at Rhemes Osiand. Cent. 12. lib. 2. cap. 10..

Benjamin Tudelensis In intine­ratio., (that wandring Iew, wh [...] lived much about the same time) mentions on [...] David Elroi, in the Citi [...] Gamaria in Media, who profest himselfe to be Th [...] Messiah and Redeemer of Israel; but (to appease the wrath of the King of Per­sia, threatning the de­struction of all the Iewes throughout his domini­ons [Page 25] unlesse he were taken [...]way) hee was slaine by his father-in-law as he lay [...]n bed.

In the yeare 1221. un­der the reigne of Henry [...]he third, here in England, there was a young man, who shewing the markes of wounds in his hands, feet, and side, profest himselfe to be The Christ; hee brought also two wo­men with him, one where­of tooke upon her to bee The virgin Marie, the o­ther Marie Magdalene: for which hee was con­demned by a Councell at Oxford to bee crucified Osiand. Cent. 13. lib. 1. cap. 9. Godwin in the life of Steven Lang­ton, Archbi­shop of Can­terbury. Yet Master Speed saith hee was not crucified (in which kind of death Christianitie it selfe might seeme to su­staine some re­proach) but immured betweene two walls, as a monster too impi­ous and unworthy to die by any humane hand. Hist. of great Britaine, lib. 9. cap. 9. sect. 1 [...].; [Page 26] so resembling the true Christ, whom hee had counterfeited, in the man­ner of his death.

In the yeare 1559. Da­vid George borne at Delft in Holland, but afterwards living at Basil in high Ger­manie, where hee changed his name to Iohn de Bruck profest himselfe to be The Christ; who should judge the world, could forgive sinnes, and give salvation: for which three yeares af­ter his death, his bones were taken up and burnt Osiand. Cent. 16. lib. 2 cap. 4. & lib. 3. cap. 25..

And to returne againe into our owne countrey In (que) suo no­ster pulvere cureat equus. Ovid. Fast. lib. 2., The stories of Iohn Moore in the third of Q. Eliza­beth, with his disciple Wil­liam Ieffrey Stow's Chron. or Annals In the life and reigne of Q. Elizab.; and of [Page 27] William Hacket in the [...]3. of her reigne, with [...]is two disciples Edmund [...]oppinger, and Henry Ar­ [...]ington, Stow ibid. Also the booke entitled, Con­spiracie for pretended re­formation., I suppose are [...]ommonly knowne; e­ [...]pecially among the elder. [...]or Farneham and Bull in [...]aster terme, two yeares goe Anno [...]636, I thinke they are ot worth the naming Quam non ingenio nomi­na digna tuo! Ovid. Trist. lib. 3. eleg. 10..

You see there have been [...]ivers Fals Christs, which [...] have collected out of [...]ny little reading: and no [...]uestion but others better [...]ers't in stories and anti­quitie can adde divers more. Now what should [...]he Church doe in such cases? how should shee discover the Coven and prestigious impostures of [Page 28] such, but by the Written Word? All things that were prophecied before of the Messiah and Savi­our to come, being fulfil­led in Iesus of Nazareth Christus est signaculum omnium pro­phetarum, ad­implens omnia quae retrò e­rant de eo nunciata. Ter­tul. lib. ad. vers. Judaeos cap. 8 & 11. Venit Chri­stus; com­plentur in ejus ortu, vita, di­ctis, factis, passionibus, morte, resur­rectione, as­censione, omnia praeconia pro­phetarum. Aug. Epist. 3. ad Volusia­num. Disce i­gitur, non idcirco à nobis Deum creditum Christum quia mirabilia fecit; Sed quia vidimus in eo facto esse omnia quae nobis annuntiata sunt vaticinio pro­phetarum, Lactan. instit. lib. 5. cap. 3., he onely must bee the Christ, that Saviour and Messiah. Hence it is that his Historiographers, the Evangelists, when they relate any thing, which he did or suffered, cite the Scripture which foretold it; This was done that it might bee fulfilled which is written. Hence it is that to his two disciples going to Emaus (one of them is [Page 29] named in the text, Ver. 18. Cleo­phas; the other, saith Epi­phanius Haeres. 23. ad finem., writing against the Saturninians was Na­thaneel: yet Haymo Homil. parte aestiv [...]. feria secunda post pascha, ad ini­tium. and Lyranus In Luc. 24 13. thinke rather it was S. Luke, the writer of the storie; whoever it was, to them two) be­ginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded in all the Scriptures, the things concerning him­selfe, Luke 24. (For the Scriptures testifie of him, Iohn 5.39. Moses wrote of him, ver. 46, and to him give all the Prophets wit­nesse, Acts 10.43. Inseminatus est ubi (que) in scripturis fili­us Dei, Iren. lib. 4. cap. 23..) Had God imparted his truth by dreames, visions, re­velations, lively voyce, or tradition; who would [Page 30] pretend these more then those seducers? Satan transforming himselfe in­to an angel of light, 2. Cor. 11.14.

A Booke, it is thirdly to confirme and settle us in a more sure perswasion of the divine authoritie of it. S. Austin Quis non miretur delata voce de coelo certiorem propheticum sermonem di­ctum esse? quid est certi­orem? nisi in quo magis con­firmetur audi­tor: quare hoc? quoniam sunt homines infi­deles, qui sic detrahunt Christo, ut dicant eum magicis artibus fecisse quae fe­cit; possent ergo infideles etiam islam vocem delatam de coelo per conjecturas humanas, & illicitas curiosi­tates ad magicas artes referre—.Ecce quare ait Ha­bem us certiorem propheticum sermonem,— quo infideles convincantur. Serm. 27. de verbis apostoli., handling that place of S. Peter [2 Epist. 1.19.] Wee have a more sure word of pro­phesie, &c, observes that the word written is said to bee more sure then a voice from heaven; whereof in the former verse. If Christ [Page 31] himselfe should speake [...]om heaven to us, as hee [...]id some times before the [...]criptures were written, it [...]ere not so sure: for [...]hy? wee are this way [...]ore confirmed; and why [...]hat? for unbeleevers, who [...]re alwayes ready to con­ [...]radict him, and detract [...]om him, might say, a [...]oice from heaven were [...]y conjuration, and art Ma­ [...]icke, whereas by the wri­ [...]ings of the Prophets they [...]re convinc'd. So hee.

4. For continuance.

Note it in a book, that it may be for time to come, for [...]ver and ever, Esay 30.8. [Page 32] The Iewes have a saying, that God hath more respect to the letters of the Law, then the starres of heaven: and our Lord, either al­ludes to, or confirmes it in the fifth of Mat. Heaven and earth shall passe away, before one [...] (the least letter) or title of the law passe. Some bookes in­deed wee reade of which are lost. The Prophesie of Enoch, Iude 14. The booke of the warres of the Lord, Numb. 21.14. The booke of Iasher, Iosh. 10.13. 2 Sam. 1.18. (though some Lyra. in Ioca. thinke it to bee the booke of Genesis.) Solomons bookes of the nature of trees, plants, beasts, fowle, and fishes: [Page 33] with sundrie other Pro­ [...]erbs and Canticles, 1 [...]ings 4.32, 33. The booke [...] the acts of Solomon, [...] Kings 11.41. The bookes [...]f Nathan the Prophet, and [...]ad the Seer, 1 Chron. 29. [...]9. The Prophesie of Ahi­ [...]th the Shilonite, and the [...]isions of Iddo, 2 Chron. [...].29. The booke of Shemai­ [...]h, 2 Chron. 12.15. The [...]ooke of Iehu the sonne of Hanani, 2 Chron. 20.34. The booke of the Chronicles [...]f the Kings of Israel and [...]udah so often mentioned: which is not those bookes of Chronicles in the Bi­ble Bullinger. Epit. temp. parte 2. tab. 2.; though they for­merly were but one book, which was afterwards, be cause of the greatnesse [...].? [Page 35] divided into two Hieron. Praefat. in Chron. ad Domnion. & Rogat.. A third Epistle of S. Paul (or first rather) to the Co­rinthians, 1 Cor. 5 9, 11. compared with 2 Cor. 13.1. A second (or first) to the Ephesians, chap. 3.3. An Epistle likewise, say some, to the Laodiceans, Colos. 4.16. The gospels of S. Philip Epiph. hae­res. 16 post med., of Thomas and Matthias Euseb hist Eccles. lib. 3. cap 25. Am­bros. com­ment. in Luc. ad initium. Hieron. prooem. com­ment. in Mat. ad Euseb., of Bar­tholmew Hieron. prooem. com­ment. in Mat. ad Euseb., Peter Orig. comment. in Mat. 13. non procul à fine. Eu­seb. hist. eccles. lib. 3. cap. 3. Hieron. lib. de viris illust. A. Simon Petrus., and all the twelve Ambros. initio comment. in Luc. Hieron prooem. comment. in Mat. ad Euseb..

Concerning these last; they are rejected by the Fathers, where they are mentioned, as spurious and pseudepigraphal. So [Page 35] [...]s the Prophecie of Enoch by all that I can find Orig hom. 28. in Num. Hieron com­ment. in Tit. 1. Aug. de Civit. Dei. lib. 15. cap. 23 & lib. 18. cap. 38. Vene­rab Bed. comment in Epist. Judae.; ex­cept Tertullian Lib. de ha­bitu mulie­bri, cap 3. & lib. de ido­latr. cap. 4. & 15.: yet S. Iude speakes not (as is well observed by o­thers Dionys. Carthusian. in Judae, ver. 14. Zanch. de S Scriptura. quaest. 4 prop 2 pag. 353. tom. 8.) of a booke, but onely a Prophecie, which might come to his know­ledge, either by divine re­velation, or constant Ec­clesiasticall tradition. And for all the other (this too, if you will, if that which is said suffice not,) I an­swer, they were not Testa­mentarie [...]., that is, recei­ved into the Canon; and by consequence no part of Scripture: for if they had, they could never fi­nally have beene lost or perished. The booke of the Law that lay hid so long a [Page 36] time in the Temple, wa [...] found at last under th [...] reigne of Iosiah, 2 King [...] 22. The tyrant Antiochus commanding Quid jus sit rex at (que) pium confiderat ae­quus; Quid jussit memori in mente tyran­nus habet. Owen. lib. 3. ad D. Roger. Owen. Epigr. 94. all the Bi­bles to be burnt, that could bee found, 1 Maccab. 1.56 and Dioclesian the like so as they made fires of them in the midst of the streetes (which Eusebius Hist Eccles. lib. 8. cap. 1. saw with his eyes:) yet, maugre their malice, some remained, and by Gods mercie were transmitted to posteritie. When Achilles had got new armour which the god Vulcan bestowed upon him, and Aeneas, in their combat together, striking with all his might, could not pierce it; he was a foole, [Page 38] [...]ith Homer [...]. Il. υ., not conside­ [...]ng that Gods excellent [...]ifts could not bee over­ [...]ome, or yeeld to the stroke [...]f mortall men. More [...]oles they, who did not [...]onsider, that such an ex­ [...]ellent gift as the Scrip­ [...]ure, which God hath be­ [...]towed upon his Church [...]nd people, could not be [...]nnulled, defeas'd, or quite extinguisht by any mortall creature whatsoever: sooner, saith [...]hry­sostome, may hee lay fet­ [...]ers on the beames of the sunne. Origens Sive proe o quòd aliqua supra huma­nam intelli­gentiam conti­nebant placuit spiritui sancto auferri de me­dio: sive pro eo quòd multa [...]n eis corrupta, & contra fidem veram inveniuntur, [...]on placuit eis dari locum, nec admitti ad auctoritatem. Prolog. in Cant. ad finem. solutions are in no wise to bee ap­proved, that, it pleased the [Page 38] spirit of God they shoul [...] bee taken away: either because they conteined matter which humane capacit [...] was not able to comprehend or else in regard there wer [...] divers corrupt and unsoūd doctrines in them contrarie to the true faith. For without doubt, they wer [...] both pious and profita­ble; yet, as I said b fore, not Testamentarie, if you will, not Canonical: be­ing written out of an histo­ricall diligence, for more plentifull knowledge; not by divine inspiration, for the authoritie of religion, as S. Austin —Nec ta­men inveni­untur in ca­none — Sanctus uti (que) spiritus reve­labat; alia si­cut homines historica dili­gentia, aliá si­cut prophe­tas inspirati­one divina scribere potu­isse: at (que) haec ita fuisse di­stincta, ut illa tanquam ipsis, ista tanquam Deo per ipsos loquenti judi­carentur esse tribuenda; ac sic, illa pertinerent ad ubertatem cog­nitionis, haec ad religionis auctoritatem de Civit Dei. lib. 18. cap. 38. excellently.

[Page 39]5. It is a Booke, lest there should seeme to bee any deficiencie for our full and perfect instruction in the way of salvation. Whatsoever was written a­foretime, was written for our learning, Rom. 15.4. The Philosopher affirmes, the knowledge of things divine, though in part, and wee have but a little of it, to bee farre more excellent, sweet, and delightfull, then the very perfection of all humane knowledge, the knowledge of all worldly things whatsoever [...] ( sci. [...]) [...]. Arist. de par­tibus anima­lium. lib. 1 cap. 5.. Yet see a meanes for the knowledge of things tru­ly divine (such as con­cerne the salvation of the soule,) not scant or [Page 40] defective Psal. 19.7. Iames 1.25. Deut. 4.2. Prov. 30.6. Revel. 22.18. 2 Tim. 3.15. John 15.15.20.31. Scrip­turae quidem perfectae sunt, quippe à verbo Dei, & Spiri­tu ejus dictae. Iren. lib. 2. cap. 47. Nobis curiositate o­pus non est post Christum Je­sum, nec in­quisitione post Evangelium. Cum credemus nihil desi­deramus ultra credere, &c. Tertul. de praescript. cap. 8., but to furnish us in fulnesse Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem. Tertul. advers. Hermog. cap. 22. and great abundance, the written word. If they speake not according to this word there is no light in them, Esay 8 20. Is the sunne ecclipst because hee that's blind sees no light Solem noctuae nosciunt oculis: aquilae ita sustinent, ut natorum suorum gene­rositatem de pupillarum audacia judicent, —. Qued aquila confiteatur neget noctua, non tamen praejudi­cans aquilae. Tertul. de anima, cap. 8. Ab obscuritate oculi ad obscuritatem objecti visibilis nulla est conse­quentia. Alsted. Didac. sect. 1. cap. 10. reg. 5.? Ig­norance or errour suppo­ses not defect in it, but our owne spirituall blindnesse and incapacitie Scrip­tura veluti fol quidam spiritualis, clara est per se & natura sua, nobis verò non est clara propter impedien­tes tenebras tum naturales, tum adventitias at (que) cir­cumstantes, a tenebrarum principe. Al­sted. Polem. parte 4. Con­trov. 6. de S. Scrip. antidot. Visu carentem magna pars verilatet. Se­nec. Oedip. act. 2. scen. 2..

[Page 41]Lastly, that the chil­dren of God might have a heavenly magasin, as I may call it, a storehouse and repositorie neere at hand, out of which, tan­quam de narthecio, they may fetch comfort in all their afflictions outward or inward. It is not in hea­ven, that thou shouldest [...]say, Who shall goe up for us to heaven and bring it unto us? neither is it be­yond the sea, that thou shouldst say, Who shall goe over the sea for us, and bring it unto us? but the Word is nigh thee. This followes in the fore-named place, Rom. 15. Whatsoever was written aforetime was writ­ten [Page 42] for our learning, that wee through patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. They were Davids comfort. This is my comfort in mine affliction, thy Word hath quickned mee, Psal. 119.50. againe ver. 92. Vnlesse thy law had beene my de­light, I had perished in mine affliction. And they were Chrysostomes com­fort in his banishment, as hee writes to Cyriacus Epist. ad Cyriac. a­nother Bishop. Let the Empresse Eudoxia., saith hee, doe with mee what shee plea­ses, I have learn'd to bee content. As for my ex­ile; the earth is the Lords, and the fulnesse thereof. If I bee sawen asunder; [Page 43] [...] remember the Prophet say Testantur hoc de Esaia prae­ter Chrysost. Tertul. de patientia, cap. 14. Scorp. advers. Gnost. cap. 8. & advers. Marcion. lib. 3. carmine cō ­scripto. cap 6. Orig. hom. 1. in Esa. & comment. in Mar. 13. V­trubi ad fi­nem. Hilar. lib. 5. de Tri­nit. fere in fine. Epiph. de propheta­rum vita & interitu. Hie­ [...]on. in Esa. 57.1. & in Mat. 26.8. Comest. hist. Scho­ [...]ast. lib. Reg 2. cap. 32. Lyra. in 2 Reg. 21. & in [...]sa. 1. Lod. Vives in lib. 18. de Civit. Dei, cap. 29. & [...]xpositorum vulgus in Hebr. 11.37.. If I bee cast into [...]e Sea; I remember Io­ [...]h. If I bee burnt; I re­ [...]ember the three Sala­ [...]anders that had no hurt [...] the fire. If I bee devou­ [...]d with wild beasts; I re­ [...]ember Daniel in the den. [...] I bee ston'd; I remem­ [...]er Steven. If I bee be­ [...]aded; I remember Iohn [...]e Baptist.

Many other reasons [...]ight bee given, but I [...]ust not bee totus in sin­ [...]ulis Hîc alias po­ [...]ram & plures subnectere causas: Sed jumenta vo­ [...]nt, &c. Juven. Sat 3. Caetera praetereo a nec enim [...]rmonibus istis Omnia complecti slatuo. Baptista [...]lantuan Eclog. 8. —.

[Page 44] Vse.Seeing therefore th [...] God would have the h [...] storie of his Sonne's i [...] carnation (with the re [...] of his Word) written [...] a Booke, the applicatio [...] Generales doctrinae exi­gui sunt ad­modum mo­menti ad per­movendos ho­minum ani­mos, nisi fiat specialis illa­rum applicatio ad auditores. Nam quod Philosophi di­cere solent, Omnis actio fit per conta­ctum, id in sa­cra. praedican­di actione vel maxime locum habet, &c. E­pisc. Dave­nant. in Co­los. 1.21.22. pag. 135. briefly followes

1. Shewing unto us h [...] great love and care bot [...] towards and over h [...] Church, so providing f [...] her instruction. The bla [...] phemie of those Bellar. de verbo D [...] lib. 4. cap 4. sect. 8. Eckius Enchir cap. 1. prop 4. Lib eorum hoc bibent, & finegant, leguntur & convicuntur. Vt de Manich. Aug. in Psal. 141.4. is i [...] tolerable, who denie th [...] the Apostles and Pen-me [...] of the New Testamen [...] wrote any thing by Go [...] command. Irenaeus and S Austin otherwise (who [...] authorities yet they a [...] [...] [Page 45] loath to denie;) both af­firming, with one mouth [...]. Theocrit. Eidyl. η. — Arcades ambo. Et cantare pa­res & respon­dere parari. Virg. Eglog. 7. as it were, that they did it not without divine pre­cept and appointment: for they did it by the will of God, saith one Non enim per alios dis­positionem sa­lutis nostrae cognovimus, quàm per eos per quos Evā ­gelium perve­nit ad nos, quod quidem tunc praeconi­averunt, postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scripturis nobis tradiderunt. Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1.; Christ so commanded them, saith the other Quic quid Christus de suis factis & dictis nos legere voluit, hoc Apostolis, tanquam manibos suis scribendū imperavit. Aug. de consensu Evangel. lib. 1. cap. ult..

2. Teaching the Church to answer God in this his care, by her reciprocal care in keeping and pre­serving it from corrupti­on. For this cause she is cal­led The pillar of the truth, 1 Tim. 3.15. Not archite­ctonicè, as the Papists would, as though shee [Page 46] upheld it as a pillar doth the building Delphinum Sylvis appin­gunt, fluctibus aprum. Horat. de arte Poet. Calceamenta quidem capiti circundant, co­ronam autem pedibus. Epiph. haeres. 59., for it up­holds her rather she being built upon it, Ephes. 2.20. but ministerialiter; be­cause shee is the publisher and preserver of it. The word being taken ratione forensi: as in Law-courts and places of common justice, there are pillars, upon which when Edicts are made, being writ in Tables, they may be hung to bee openly read of all. The ancient Iews were ve­ry zealous this way, it be­ing, saith Iosephus Apud nos autem positam legem divina voluntate, ni­hil aliud pium est, quam hanc sub integritate reservare. contra Api­on. lib. 2. post. med., their chiefest care. The Rabbin found it by experience; who, in that place Deut. 25.19. reading, Zachar, masculos, Thou shalt blot out [Page 47] the males in stead of Ze­ [...]cher, memoriam, Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek; was slain in a sud­den furie by his disciple Ioab, because he seemed to corrupt the Scripture Martin. [...]. cap. 1.. But above all, the Masorites do merit perpetual prais, who to preserve the text from corruption, did number, not onely the words, but all the letters Moses & Aaron, lib. 6. cap. 7. Weemse ex­ercitat. divine Exer. 14. pag. 129. Light­foot. Erub­hin. cap. 13. Buxdorf. Ti­ber. sive com­ment. Masor. cap. 18. in the old Testament: for which the Iews call them, Seiag lathe­rah, the fence of the Law.

3. Exhorting every Christian to get it. I will not say with Chryso­stome Quemad­modum arma regalia reposi­ta, etiamsi ne­mo fuerit qui possideat, ta­men, ijs qui habitant in aedibus, mul­tam praebent custodiam ac tutamen, dum ne (que) latrones, ne (que) parietū perfossores, ne (que) alius quispiā sceleratorū audet eam aggredi domum: sic ubicun (que) fue­rint libri spirituales (Apostolorū ac Prophetarū) illino omnis expellitur vis diabelica, &c. hom. 3. de Lazaro., that, the Bible of [Page 48] it selfe doth expell wicked spirits, so as the divell hath no power in that place or house where it is; but, with­out question, great is the comfort that accrews, and benefit redounding by it. Blessed are the times wherein wee live, that it may be procured easily, and purchased at so small a rate. It was once About the yeare 1518 at the beginning of the refor­mation. here in England when Bibles were so scant, that one was usually sold for five markes or more: and poore people that wanted mo­ney, were glad to buy pieces, giving such com­modities for them as they had; among the rest, the Epistle of Iames, (which yet is but a little one, con­taining [Page 49] onely 5. chapters) was sold for a load of hay, as Mr. Foxe Acts & Mon. Vol. 2. pag. 32. col. 1. Edit. ult. relates. The word of the Lord was pretious in those dayes.

And fourthly, being gotten, to reade it. What are Bookes for but to bee read [...]; Diana ad A­pol. Hom. Il. φ Non scribit cujus carmin [...] nemo legit. Mart. lib. 3. Epigr. 9.? If an earthly king, saith S. Gregorie Quid est sa­cra Scriptura nisi quaedam Epistola omni potentis De ad creaturan suam? Et certè sicubi esses & scripta terreni imperatoris acciperes; non cessores, non quiesceres, non oculis somnum dares, nisi prius quid tibi scripssset, agnovisses. Imperator coeli Deus, pro vita tua tibi sua episiolas transmisit; Et casd mardenter legere negligū lib. 4. Epist. 40. ad Theodorum medicum., should send his letters to a man, hee would not bee quiet, nor give sleep to his eyes, till he had perus'd them to know his pleasure. The King of heaven, God omnipotent, hath writ an Epistle to us for our good, which is the [Page 50] Scripture; and shall wee neglect to reade it? The Iewes of old, as Iosephus Nostrorum quemlibet, Si­quis leges in­terroget, faci­lius quàm no­men suum re­citat. Vniver­sas quidem mox à primo sensu eus dis­centes, in ani­mo velut in­scriptas habe­mus. Contra. Apion. lib. 2. post med. testifies, were so expert in the law, that they had it as ready as their owne names. S Ierome calls the books of Kings his owne; because by the frequent use and reading of them, hee had got them by heart, and, as it were, made them his owne Lege Mala­chim meum; meum inquam meum: quic­quid enim di­dicimus & tenemus. no­strum est. Prolog. in lib. Reg.. Alphonsus king of Arragon read the Bible, with glosses and commentaries upon it, four­teene times over Panormitan. lib. 2. de dictis & factis Al­phonsi.. M. Foxe Acts & Monum. Vol. 2. pag. 623. Col. 1. reports of Adam Wallace alias, Iohn Fean, a Scottish [...] martyr, that hee had all [Page 51] Davids Psalmes by heart. Dr. Ridley had all the Ca­tholick Epistles, and al­most all Pauls Epistles by heart; as he testifies in his Farewell to Pembroke-Hall Acts & Mon. Vol. 3. pag. 508. Col. 1., where he was once Master. Cromwell Earle of Essex, in his journey to Rome, going and retur­ning, got all the New Te­stament by heart Acts & Mon. Vol. 2. pag. 498. col. 2.. And the aforsaid S. Ierome testi­fies of Paula, that shee had most of the Scripture by heart Scripturas sanctas memo­ritèr tenebat. Epist. ad Eu­stoch Epi­taph. Paulae. matris.. Of Nepotian like­wise, that, with daily rea­ding and continuall medi­tation, hee had made his heart. The Librarie of Christ Lectione as­sidua, & me­ditatione diu­turna pectus suum biblio­thecam fece­rat Christi. Epist. ad He­liodor. Epi­taph. Nepo­tiani. — [...].— Theocrit. Eidyl [...].

But some perhaps will object; I am not book lear­ned, [Page 52] and cannot reade, as those in the Prophet Esay 29.12. To which I an­swer, that, notwithstan­ding, God hath given them eares to heare it read. It is memorable which Mr. Foxe Acts & Mon. Vol. 3. pag. 757. Col. 1. againe reports, of a poore wo­man in Darbishire named Ioan Waste, who being blind, and having nothing to live on but her hand­labour; yet spared so much as would buy a te­stament: and because, by reason of her blindnesse shee could not reade her selfe, shee hired others with money to reade unto her; covenanting with them before, how long together, or how many [Page 53] chapters they should reade, at such a rate. And of Rawlins White Acts & Mon. Vol. 3. pag. 218. Col. 1., a fi­sherman in Wales; who in regard hee could not reade himselfe, caused a little boy that was his sonne, every night after supper, to reade some part of the Scripture to him: by which meanes (with the working of Gods Spirit) hee was converted, and af­terwards became a con­stant martyr. Reading is of more effect then by many it is taken for. You see what it wrought in him. The same authour Acts & Mon. Vol. 2. pag. 294. Col. 1. relates too of Iohn Tewkesbury, Leather-sel­ler in London, that he was converted by reading of the [Page 54] Testament translated by Tindall. Mr. Bilney (Bles­sed S. Bilney, as Latimer used to called him Acts & Mon. Vol. 2. pag. 278. col. 2.) was Converted by reading of Erasmus his testament; So hee testifies in a letter to Cutbert Tonstal Bishop of London Acts & Mon. Vol. 2. pag. 266. col. 2. Lat. pag. 268. col. 1. Eng.. S Cyprian by reading of the Prophet Io­nah Osiand. Cent. 3. lib. 2. cap. 14. Iunius by reading the former part of the first chapter of S. Iohns gospel In vita Ju­nij ab ipso conscripta & operib prae­fixa.; and S. Austin by reading the latter part of the 13. to the Romans Confess. lib. 8. cap. 12.: if wee will beleeve their owne confessions —De se si creditur ipsis. Ovid. Fast. lib 1.. The law of the Lord, saith David [Psal. 19.7.] is per­fect converting the soule: which learned Davenant In Colos. 4.16. pag. 522 understands of the word [Page 55] read. And now wee are come ad umbilicum, to the end of The booke [...]. Diog. apud Laert. de vit. Phil of. lib. 6. Obe jam satis est, obe libelle. Iam perveni­mus us (que) ad umbilicos. Mart. lib. 4. Epigr. 91., which is the Title and Inscripti­on of S. Mathewes Gos­pel Et jam pri­ma meipars est exacta laboris. Ovid. Fast. lib. 1 in fine..

I have given a double portion to my eldst son Palladis ex­emplo de me sine matre creata Carmina sunt: stirps haec progen [...] esq; mea. I­dem. Trist. lib. 3 Eleg. ult.; insisting largely upon the first part of my Text. In those which follow I shall bee more briefe, that I may not transgresse the li­mits of time.

The subject of The book is a Generation. And why doth the Evangelist call his booke, The booke of the Generation of Iesus Christ, seeing hee handles not his Generation onely, but mā ­ner of life, miracles, suffe­rings, death, resurrection, [Page 56] and ascention also? Chry­sostome Hom. 2. in Mat. answers; because his Generation is the root; the head, the fountaine, and beginning of all these. Yet Remigius In locum. saith, he calls it, The booke of the Gene­ration of Iesus Christ, in allusion to that which is written, Gen. 5.1. The book of the Generation of A­dam: that he might oppose one booke to another, and the new Adam to the old; because the one restored what the other corrupted Omnes Ge­nerationes [Toldoth] in sacra Scrip­tura diminu­tae sunt (cum puncto loco literae pe­nult.) praeter duas quae ple­nariè scribun­tur; sci: Istae sunt genera­tiones coeli & terrae, Gen. 2.4. I­stae sunt ge­nerationes Pharez, Ruth 4.18. In quo osten­ditur, quò li­cet in primordio, omnia creata fuerunt secundum pleni­tudinem at (que) perfectionem; tamen quia peccavit Adam diminuta sunt at (que) corrupta, & non revertentur ad de­centë dispositione donec veniat filius Pharez i.c. Chri­stus. Paulus Burgen. è Rabbi Salmai, addit. 2. ad Lyra. Postil. in. Rom. 5.. But, who shall declare his Generation? Esay 53.4. [Page 57] Wee must not thinke, saith S. Ierome Comment. in Mat. ad hunc locum., the Evange­list to bee contrarie to the Prophet; as though hee be­gun to declare that which the other saith is impossi­ble: in regard the Prophet speaketh of his divine ge­neration, whereby being God of the substance of the Father, he was begot­ten before the worlds; S. Mathew of his humane, whereby being Man of the substance of his Mo­ther, hee was borne in the world. Or admit that the Prophet speakes of his humane and temporall Generation; its ineffable too, saith Chrysostome Hom. 2. in Mat.: so great a mysterie, God in­carnate. Or, Who shall de­clare [Page 58] his generation? that is, But a few, saith Remi­gius In hunc locum Mat., Matthew and Luke onely Vel duo vel nemo —. Pers. Sat. 1. in princip..

The Generation of Iesus Christ (whereby, being the eternall Son of God, hee was in time borne of a woman, and became Man) is here, you see, asserted in my Text.

Which makes good that saying of Paris in the Poet (trulier spoken then hee was aware of;) The gods, comming downe from heaven, become mens guests, doing much service many times, and divers good offices for them, though they themselves bee immortall — [...]. Colu­thus de raptu Helenae.. The enemie of mankind, Satan, had [Page 59] not beene justly or truly overcome, had hee not beene overcome by Man. 2. God and man being se­parated, could not bee u­nited againe, or reconci­led together, but by him that participated of both natures. 3 Our adopti­on so requiring; for how should man bee made the Sonne of God, if God had not beene made the sonne of man? 4. So requiring too the justice of God; Man having sinned that Man should satisfie. All which reasons are laid downe by Irenaeus Lib. 3. cap. 20., an Authour so ancient, as he is thought by some Lyra. in Apoc. 2.18. to bee The Angel of the Church of Thyatira, to [Page 60] whom S. Iohn writes. Vse.

The use is this;

1. For Confutation Agnoscimus adimpleri pro­pheticam vo­cem Simeonis super adhuc re­centem infan­tem dominum pronuntiatam; ecce hic positus est in ruinam, &c. & in sig­num cui con­tradicetur. Signum enim nativitas Christi, secun­dum Esaiam, propterea dabit vobis Dominus ipse signum, ecce vir­go concipiet, &c. Agnoscimus ergo signum contradici­bile. Tertul. lib. de carne Christi. cap. 23.. And first of those who denie him the truth of a humane body; holding that hee tooke flesh puta­tively and imaginarily in shew and appearance one­ly Nec na­tivitas sine carne, nec caro sine nativitate. Tertul de carne Christi, cap. 1.. So did the Valenti­nians Tertul. de carne Chri­sti, cap. 15. Aug. haeres. 11., Gnosticks Epiph. haeres 26., Cer­donians, Saturninians Iren. lib. 1. cap. 22. Tertul. de praescrip. cap. 46., Marcionites Tertul. de carne Christi. cap. 1. & advers. Marcion. lib. 3. cap. 8. Orig. hom. 17. in Luc., Manichees Epiph. haeres. 66. Prudentius Apotheo. hym. advers. Phan­tasmaticos. Aug. haer. 46. & lib. de continentia, cap 9. & contra Faustum Manich. lib. 14. cap. 7. Vin­cent. Lirin. contra haereses, cap. 20., Tertul. de praescrip. cap. 51 Epiph. haeres 41. Aug. haeres. 21. [Page 61] Marcosians Tertul. de praescrip. cap. 50., Basilidi­ans Tertul. de praescrip. cap. 46. Epiph. haer. 24., and Ophites Tertul. de praescrip. cap. 47.: of whom I may say truly (as the Polonian hereticke Franciscus Stancarus fals­ly & audaciously of those grave worthies, Luther, Melancthon, Bullinger, Pe­ter Martyr, and Calvin,) that, if they were all braid together in a mortar, they would not yeeld an ounce of true divinitie Qui omnes si in mortario contunderen­tur, non ex­primeretur u­nauncia verae theologiae. O­siand. Cent. 16. lib. 3. cap. 23..

2. Of those who held that hee passed through the wombe of the Virgin, ut aqua per canalem, as water through a conduit; or in Tertullians phrase Lib. advers. Valentin. cap. 47., transmeatorio potius quàm generatorio more: his bo­dy either being of a Side­real (howsoever a Coele­stial) [Page 62] substance; or of the same substance and coes­sentiall with the Father, while hee became man by conversion of the God­head into flesh, not by ta­king the Manhood into God. Of the former sort were Apelles Tertul. de praescrip. cap. 51. & lib. de carne Christi cap 6. & 8., the Valentinians Iren lib. 1. cap. 1. Ter­tul. de prae­scrip. cap. 49. lib. advers. Valentin. cap. 27. & lib. de carne Christi, cap. 20. Epiph. haer. 31. Aug. haer. 11. againe, and Eutiches, Archimandrite or Abbat of Constantinople; for which hee was con­demned by the fourth ge­nerall Councell at Chal­cedon, called by the Emperour Martian of pur­pose against him Osiand. Cent. 5. lib 3. cap. 10.: of the latter, the Apollinarists Epiph. hae­res. 77. Aug. haeres. 55. Vincent. Li­rin. contra haeres. cap. 17., and late Anabaptists Bellar. de Christo, lib. 3 cap. 1. sect. 1. & 2. Alsted. Polem. parte 6. sect. 3. in Germanie.

3. Of those who affirme that Christ is not yet [Page 63] come in the fl [...]sh 2 Epist. of John 7.. As did the Proclianitae Aug. haeres. 60. of old, and doe the Iewes at this day. It is the twelfth [...]rticle of their Creed Credo per­fecta fide quòd Messias ille veniurus ad huc sit. Bux­dorf. Syn Jud cap. 1. pag. 4., I beleeve with a perfect faith that the Messiah is yet to come. Yet many (because hee staies so long, and all [...]he Prophesies are fulfil­led, being convict in their consciences) confesse he is Borne; but somewhere lies hid, and will not ap­peare, by reason of their sinnes. Some of them say, hee staies in Paradise, be­ing tied to the haire of the woman: for which they alledge that in Cant. 7.5. Thine head is like Carmel, and the haire of thine head like purple, the king is held [Page 64] (or bound) in the galle­ries. Others say hee lies at Rome under the gate of the Citie, among the le­prous, and otherwise dis­eased: alledging for it that in Esay 53.4. He hath borne our griefes, and car­ried our sorrowes, we estee­med him smitten, &c Buxdorf. Syn. Jud. cap. 36. pag. 516.517. Lyra. in Esa. 66.7.. No marvell if the Apo­stle would not have us ig­norant, that blindnesse is hapned unto Israel Rom. 11.25. Jn (Judaeis) impletur quod in Psalmo [69.23] scriptum est, Obscurentur oculi eorum ne videant, &c. quae non optando sunt dicta, sed optandi specie prophetando praedicta. Aug de Civit. Dei. lib. 17. cap. 19..

2. The second use is for Instruction; to shew his great and infinite love Pri­usquam appareret Dei humanitas, latebat ejus benig­nitas: Vbi autem innotescit Dei humanitas, benigni­tas latere non potest. Bernar. Serm. 1. de Epi­phan. towards us. How ever it [Page 65] is said of true love in ge­nerall, wee may more tru­ly say of this in particu­lar, ‘—Nullum novit habere modum Verus amor nullum, &c. Propert. lib. 2. Eleg. 12..’

It was not enough to make us men, but hee was made man for us Parum tibi enim erat quòd hominem te fecit, nisi & homo pro te fieret. Aug. in Psal. 37.23.: not disdaining that which was contrary to his nature and divinitie, as a father speakes, for our sakes Alienum e­rat à natura, & divinitate ejus sangui­nem & [...]ar­rem susci­per [...] propter [...]o [...] autem ea quae sibi erant aliena susce­pit. &c. Orig. hom 7. in E­sa..

3. For exhortation Veritas docendo persuadet. Tertul. lib. advers. Valentin. cap. 1.; and first to humilitie in our conversation. It is the Apostles inference, Phi­lip. 2. Let the same mind bee in you which was also in Christ Iesus, who being [Page 66] in the forme of God, tooke upon him the forme of a servant, and was made in the likenesse of men. And certainly, no greater ab­surditie Intolerabilis impudentiae est, ut cum se­se exinanivit majestas, ver­miculus infletur & intumescat Ber­nar Serm. 1. de na [...]vit. Domini., while Princes goe on foot, for servants to ride on horseback, Ec­cles. 10.7. 2. To avoid and eschew sinne. 'Tis a sweet passage in William of Lyons; that now since hrists incarnation, man hath more reason to avoid it, and preserve himselfe pure from it then before: great reason had he before, in regard of the dignitie of his nature, being created after Gods owne image; but much more now, in re­gard humanitie is insepara­bly conjoyned to divinitie. [Page 67] Before, man was made af­ter the image and simili­tude of God: now, God is made after the image and similitude of man, ( [...], in the likenesse of men, Phil. 2.7.) whereby his nature is higher exalted Demonstra­vit nobis De­us quam ex­celsum locum inter creatu­ras habeat hu­mana natura, in hoc, quod hominibus in vero homine apparuit. Aug. lib. de vera religio­ne, cap 16.. And so much for his Generation, the Subject of S. Mat­thewes Booke.

The Subject of that generation is set forth first by his names [...]. Alcin. Hom. Od. θ.. Iesus Christ. It's Chrysostomes Nomina, eti­amsi sola recenseantur in Scriptura, non contemnan­tur. Hom. 4. in Gen. rule; that names in Scrip­ture [Page 68] should not bee negle­cted. First therefore of the name Iesus.

Which S. Bernard Si scribas, non sapit mi­hi, nisi legero ibi Jesum; Si disputes aut conferas, non sapit mihi, nisi sonuerit ibi Jesus: Jesus melin ore, me­los in aure, &c. Serm. 15. Cant. was so affected with, that hee could not relish any wri­ting, conference, or dispu­tation, where it was not mentioned. Whether it be true or no, which is re­ported of Ignatius, S. Iohns scholler, that he was so enamoured with it, that after hee was dead, it was found written in his heart Vincent. Spec. histori­alis, lib. 10. cap. 57.; I dare not averre (Omitting the mysteries fetch't from it by calcula­ting the number of the letters Vid. Iren. lib. 1. cap. 12. & lib. 2. cap. 41. Ex eo (que) Epiph haeres. 34. Haymo. parte hyema­li. homil. in Circumcis. domini..) Some would have it derived of [...] the future of [...], which signifies Sano, to heale. [Page 69] True; the sunne of righte­ousnesse arises with healing in his wings, Mal. 4.2. Yet Iesus, is not originally Greek, saith Chrysostome Jesus non est Graci ser­monis vocabu­lum, sed He­braica lingua Jesus dicitur. hom. 2. in Mat., but an Hebrew name. And it is written Ieshuang or Ie­hoshuang. From Isch say some, which signifies, vir, a man; because hee was man. From the name of God, Iehovah say others, the letter Shin being in­serted; because hee was God. Castalio (upon Mat­thew) makes a third deri­vation out of both these, from Iehovah and Isch; because hee was [...], or as Tertullian Apolog. cap. 21., homo Deo mistus, God and Man. More truly they —Accipe causam Nominis: ex ipso est cogni­ta causa Deo. Ovid. Fast. lib. 5. who fetch it from Iashang, [Page 70] Servavit; because hee is the onely and sole Savi­our of mankind: the An­gel himselfe giving this Etymologie in the 21. verse of this chapter; Thou shalt call his name Iesus, for hee shall Save his people from their sinnes. Others there were that were so called too: as Ioshua, or in the Greek, Iesus the sonne of Nun; Iesus, or Ioshua the High-priest; Iesus the sonne of Sirach; and Iesus surnamed Iustus, Colos. 4.11. But either they had the name without the thing; it being imposed on them by custome, as other names, at the will of their parents: or else, they were temporall Saviours, [Page 71] delivering onely from outward miserie, corpo­rall bondage, slaverie and servitude: or types Dum Mosi successor desti­naretur Auses filius Nave, transfertur de pristino no­mine & inci­pit vocari Ie­sus. Hanc pri­ùs dicimus fi­guram futuri fuisse. Et Pau­lo post. Ideo is vir qui in hu­jus Sacramen­ti imagine pa­rabatur, etiam nominis dominici inauguratus est figura, &c. Tertul. lib. advers. Iudaeos, cap. 9. & advers. Marcion. lib. 3 cap. 16. Vbi eadem totidem verbis. At Iesus Nave filius, Auses ante vocatus, &c. Nominis exemplum Christi, virtutis imago. Idem advers. Marcion. lib. 3. Carmine conscrip. cap. 3. Sed & Moses Iesum cognominavit eum qui priùs Auses fue­rat vocitatus, sciens quòd in hujus vocabuli sacra­mento, cujusdam majoris gloriae rex poneretur. Euseb. hist. Eccles. lib. 1. cap. 1. of this Saviour, to whom the denomination univo­cally and by way of ex­cellence is onely appro­priated; For there is no o­ther name under heaven whereby wee must bee sa­ved, Acts 4.12. The an­cients Tertul. lib. de baptis­mo, cap. 1. Aug. de Civit. Dei, lib. 18. cap. 23., to signifie this his office and benefit [Page 72] brought by him into the world, called him (by afictitious Debemus omnino ubi res postulat verbis imperare, non servire. Io­hannes The­ophilus prae­fat. in Theo­logiam. Ger­man. Vse. name) [...]: each letter standing for a word, thus, [...], Iesus Christ the Sonne of God a Savi­our.

The Use may serve

1. For Instruction; to shew that of our selves we are no better then Lost. The Sonne of man is come to seeke and to Save that which was lost, Luke 19.10, See how they relate one unto the other: and you were, saith S. Peter, as sheepe going astray, but are now returned unto the shep­herd and Bishop of your soules. The Iewes, both [Page 73] prophanely and impro­perly, call those amongst them who convert to Christianitie and beleeve in Iesus, Meshumadim Buxdorf. Syn. Iud. cap. 5. pag. 171.; which signifies, perditi, lost Of Sha­mad, Ferdi­dit.: whereas they are saved by him, being in­deed lost without him.

2. To bind up the bro­ken-hearted, and preach good tidings unto such as groane under the burden of sinne — Quos diri consciafacti Mens habet attonitos, & surdo ver­bere caedit, Occultum [...]uatiente ani­mo tortore flagellum. Iu­ven. Sat. 13., giving unto them the oyle of joy for mourning. Oleum effusum nomen tuum, saith the Spouse in the Canticles (1.3.) Thy name is as ointment poured forth. Christ is Iesus, a Saviour; and who is hee that con­demnes, or shall lay any [Page 74] thing to our charge? Doth Satan like a stur­die sergeant take mee by the throat, and bid mee pay what I owe to the ju­stice of God? here is my counterpledge and surety, who, in regard of my owne inabilitie, will doe it for mee. This was it that made Maries Spirit rejoyce, Luke 1.47. (for shee was more happie, saith S. Austin Beatior Ma­ria percipiendo fidem Christi, quàm conci­piendo carnem Christi. lib. de sancta virgi­nitate, cap. 3., in bearing him in her heart by faith, then in her womb by con­ception:) and this was it that revived the heart of old Simeon, so as hee desi­red no longer to live; Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seene [Page 75] thy salvation. Hee is cal­led, saith Irenaeus Agnitio sa­lutis est agni­tio filij Dei; qui & Salus & Salvator, & Salutare verè & dici­tur & est, lib. 3. cap. 11., both a Saviour and Salvation it selfe.

3. For Confutation; of those who denie hee is a Saviour. So the blasphe­ming Iewes Blasphemant in Dominum. abscindentes & dividentes Jesum à Chri­sto, & Chri­stum à Salva­tore. Vt de Valentin. Iren. praefat. in lib. 4. Cur­etiam Jesus voluit appel­lari, non tam expectabili a­pud Judaeos nomine? Et post pauca. Deni (que) ad hodiernum Chri­stum sperant, non Iesum, &c. Tertul. advers. Mar­cion. lib. 3. cap. 16. againe. For which cause they take a­way part of his name (to make it insignificant;) lea­ving out the last letter Vna sit ut proprio litera dempta loco. Ovid. Fast lib. 1. Ngaijn, and pronoun­cing it, not Ieshuang, but Ieshu Lightfoot Erubhin. cap. 2.: and when hee is called, Ieshugnath, Salva­tion (or Salvations syl­leptically in the plural In Scriptura per singularem numerum pluralis saepè significari solet: & è converso per pluralem singularis Lombard. ex Aug. lib. 2. distinct. 33. e.) [Page 76] as Gen. 49.18. they di­vide the word into two, making it Ieshugnavath Weemse. Treatise of the 4 degene­rate sonnes. sect. 4. pa. 315., as if he were not a Savi­our, but a Sinner Gnavah. Perverfitas. iniquitas.; calling them too that turne unto him, Meshumadim, as I said, Lost. And so the (herein Iudaizing [...]. Hesych. sive Illust in Phi­lone. Fre­quenter & nunc videre licet, eos qui maximè dis­crepant opini­onibus appare­re concordes, ut irrideant, oppugnent (que) Iesum Christum. Orig. Comment. in Mat. 16. ad init.) Turkes: calling their Con­verts from Christianitie, Musulmanin, which signi­fieth, saith a learned man Weemse. Exposition of the Morall law. 1. part. Exercit. 5 pag 34., Servati; as though they were Saved then, and not before.

Concerning the law­fulnesse of outward ado­ration by bowing of the knee at this holy and salu­tiferous [Page 77] name, this name above every name, I pur­posely omit to speake; not intending to write Iliads after Homer. It is largely handled by that learned Prelate, and reverend Fa­ther, the late Lord Bishop of Winchester Bishop An­drewes, Ser­mon 9. of the resurrection, upon Philip 2.8, 9, 10, 11. pag. 475., to whom I referre the reader —Tenuis mihi campus aratur: Est illud mag­nae fertilitatis opus. Ovid. Trist. lib. 2.: passing from the proper name of Iesus to his Ap­pellative,

For so Tertullian Si tamen no­men est Chri­stus, & non appellatio potiùs, unctus enim signifi­catur Et post pauca. Quo­rum nominum alterum est propriū, quod ab angelo im­positum est, alterum acci­dens, quod ab unctione con­venit. Advers. Praexean. cap. 28.; Christ is not so much a name as an appellation, signifying anointed. From [...], ungo. Which the heathen of old not under­standing, pronounc'd it Chrestus: calling his fol­lowers and professours al­so, Chrestians, not Chri­stians; [Page 78] as I reade againe in Tertullian Apolog. cap. 3., and Lactan­tius Institut. lib. 4. cap. 7..

Now there were three sorts of persons anoin­ted in the old Testa­ment Non solùm Pontifices ur­guento Chris­matis apud Hebraeos con­secrabantur, verùm & Reges —. Sed & in Prophetarum ordine inveni­mus nonnullos simili modo consecratos, &c. Euseb. hist. Eccles. lib. 1. cap. 1.. 1 Kings; so wee reade of Saul, David, Solo­mon, & others. 2. Prophets; So wee reade of Elisha, 1 Kings 19.16. 3 Priests; so is the commandement, Exod. [...]9.7. And the a­nointing of the Saviour of the world, was to sig­nifie this his three-fold office Filius Dei quia verus Rex, & ve­rus Pontifex, & verus Propheta, ideo verè & Christus nominatus est: Cujus nominis per eos quos supra enumeravimus, pontifices, Prophetas, & Reges, typus & imago prae­cesserat. Euseb. ibid.: of being King, to rule and governe his Church; a Prophet, to teach and instruct it; and [Page 79] Priest, to intercede and offer sacrifice for it; not bulls and goats, but his owne selfe, bearing our sins, as S. Peter speakes, in his owne body upon the tree. Nor yet was hee anointed with material, typical, and naturall oyle Christus non humanis opi­bus quaesita sumit urguen­ta, sed Pater­no spiritu in­fusus & un­ctus, Christus efficitur. Eu­seb. ubi supra., so wee reade not in Scripture: But first, destinated and set apart to these offices, which, as an honorificall re­lation, say the Schoole­men, doth nothing dero­gate from the Majestie of his divinitie; secondly, re­ceived the gifts of the Spirit into his manhood, whereby hee was enabled to execute, discharge and undergoe them. So wee reade Acts. 10.38. that [Page 80] hee was anointed with the holy Ghost, and with power; Againe, Hebr. 1 7. Psal. 45 7. with the oyle of glad­nesse, by which is under­stood, The holy Spirit Olco laeti­tiae in sacris voluminibus, intellectu my­stico Spiritus sanctus desig­natur. Euseb. d.l. Vng [...]o­leo laecitiae non aliud in­telligitur quam spiritu sancto repleri. Aug. lib 2. de incarnatione verbi. ferè initio. and that too hee is said to bee anointed with, praeconsortibus, above his fellowes. Above them two wayes. 1. Intensivè. They receiving it, in measure, Rom. 12. [...]. Hee, without measure, Iohn 3.34. Hee, in fulnesse, Col. 2.9. They, of his fulnesse, Iohn 1.16. 2 Extensivè; Melchisedec was King and Priest, Da­vid, King and Prophet; Moses, so Samuel, Priest and Prophet: never any, King, Priest, and Prophet, but onely hee.

[Page 81]If time would permit Bonum esset audire, sed ho­ra non pari­tur. Bernar. in Cant. Serm. 48. Dat mora quod non dat hora Pro­verb., I might here (besides o­ther uses) detect the im­pietie of them who (in effect) deprive him of all these offices.

1. For his kingly of­fice Judaei a­perte regem Christum re­cusaverunt, & regem Coe­sa [...]em elege­gerunt. Data sunt quidem in [...]llis quasi primitiva ex­empla, &c. Aug. in titu­lum, Psal. 56.; with the souldiers, Mat. 27. putting a reed, in stead of a scepter, into his hand, by setting up a pro­rex, his Vice-roy, a visi­ble head of the Church Romanus Pontifex est pastor & caput, non solùm omnium Ecclesiarum par­ticularium, sed etiam, totius universalis Ecclesiae f [...]nul congregatae à Christo immediatè constitutus. Bellar. de conciliis & Ecclesia, lib. 2. cap. 15. sect. 1. upon earth, who hath a coactive power of making lawes necessarily binding the conscience Bellar de Rom Pontif. lib. 4. cap. 15. Quaest. An summus Pontifex habeat jurisdictionem verè Coacti­vam, ita ut possit leges condere quae obligent in consci­entia?. Let him [Page 82] bee with them, for supre macie [...]bel, for gove [...]ning [...]he Arke Noah, for Patri archship Abraham, for or­der Melchisedech, for dig­nitie Aaron, for authoritie Moses, for justice Samuel, for power Peter, and for unction Christ Bellar. ap­pen. ad libros de Summo Pontif. cap. 9. Ex Bernar. lib. 2. de con­fid. ad Eugen.? yet un­to us, as there is but one God the Father of whom are all things, so but one Lord Iesus Christ, by whom are all things 1 Cor. 8.6.

2. For his Priestly of­fice, 1. By making other intercessours, as Saints, especially The virgin Ma­ry. It is in the Canon of the Masse; By the inter­cession of the blessed and ever glorious virgin Ma­rie, the mother of God, and [Page 83] thy blessed Apostles Peter, Paul, and Andrew, and all thy Saints, give peace in our time, O Lord Musc. loc. de Canone Missae.. 2. By holding a propitia­torie sacrifice for the quick and dead daily offe­red in the Masse. It is the fifth article Also I confesse, that in the masse is offered to God, a true, proper, and propitia­torie sacrifice for the quicke and dead. White way to the true Church. Pref. to the reader. of their new Creed (in expresse words) devised by Pius the fourth: and if any shall say, saith the Councell of Trent Sess. die 17. Septemb. anno 1562. Can. [...]. & 3. apud O­siand. Cent. 16. lib. 3. cap. 50., that in the Masse there is not offered to God, a true, proper, and propitia­torie sacrifice, for the quick and dead, for sinnes, pu­nishments, satisfactions, and other necessities, let him be Anathema.

3. For his Propheticall office. 1. By advancing [Page 84] their traditions to the same dignitie and authoritie with the Scripture. They divide the word in­to written, and not writ­ten (even as the Iewes have their Thorah Shebi­ctab, and Thorah begnalpe, written and unwritten, or traditionall law Lyra lib. contra Judae­os, fere ini­tio, Buxdorf. Syn. Iud. cap. 1. Alsted. Polem parte 1. Controv. 1. Moses & Aa­ron, lib 4. cap. 8. Light­foot. Erub­hin. cap. 7. Purchas Pil­grim. lib. 2. cap. 12.,) ballancing the one also in the scale of reverence and ve­neration equally with the other Onnes traditiones, & omnes Scripturae sunt aequa les quantum ad fidem, & venerationem quae illis de­betur. Bellar. de verbo Dei. lib. 4. cap. 7. sect. 17. Nec absimile, cap. 2. sect. 6. Sacrosancta Tridentina Syno­dus —omnes libros tam Veteris quam Novi Testa­menti, necnon traditiones ipsas, tum ad fidem tumad mores pertinentes pari pietatis affectu, ac reverentia suscipit ac veneratur. 4. Sess. 5 April. anno 1546. decret. 1. apud Osiand. Cent. 16. lib. 2. cap. 58.. 2. While they hold a Pastour of the [Page 85] Church (priviledged with more then a humane [...]—. Rhianus. Homines su­mus; unde a­liquid aliter: sapere quàm se res habet, humana tentatio est— in nullo autem aliter sapere quàm res se habet, angelica perfectio. Aug. lib. 2. de Baptis. contra Do­natist. cap. 5. propertie) who is infal­lible, and cannot erre; at least judicially, and de­terminatively, in Cathe­dra Summus Pontifex cùm totam Ec­clesiam docet, in his quae ad fidem pertinent, nullo ca­su errare potest. Bellar. de Rom. Pont lib. 4. cap. 3. sect. 1. Non solum in decretis fidei errare non po­test, sed ne (que) in praeceptis morum, &c. ibid. cap. 5. sect. 1. Verbum Ecclesiae, id est, concilij vel Pontifi­cis docentis ex Cathedra, non est omnino verbum ho­minis, id est, verbum errori obnoxium, sed aliquo modo verbum Dei, &c. Idem de verbo Dei, lib. 3. cap. 10. resp. ad. 15 ^m. argumentum.. Eberhardus Bishop of Saltzburge, in the Councell of Ratisbone, ce­lebrated in the yeare 1241. openly avouch't the Pope to be Antichrist, [Page 86] against Albertus his Le­gate here; the name of blasphemie being written in his forehead, Deus sum, errare non possum, I am God, and cannot erre Osiand. Cent 3. lib. 2. cap. 5.. But so much for the name Christ.

A word An Id si potes verbo ex [...]edi. Ge [...] Faciam. Te­rent Phorm act. 1. scen. 4. of the last, and then I have done Nam vere­or tardae causa fuisse morae. Ovid. Trist. lib. 1. Eleg. 1.: his lineage and pedigree.

The Sonne of David, The Sonne of Abraham.

Erasmus In locum. notes that these words admit of a twofold meaning, either thus, The sonne of David who was the sonne of Abraham: or may bee applied to one and the same person (which is prope [...] [Page 87] in this place) to wit, Iesus Christ, who was the Sonne both of David and Abra­ham. Now why are these two Fathers mentioned alone by themselves, be­ing singled and culled out as it were, from all the rest? Hereof Chrysostome (or whoever was the au­thour operis imperfecti in Matthaeum Hom. 1.) gives two reasons. 1. Because the pro­mise of Christ was made principally, chiefely and most cleerely to them. (As for Abraham; that in his seed all the families of the earth should bee blessed, Gen. 22.18. which the A­postle expounds of Christ, Gal. 3.16. And for Da­vid; that of the fruit of [Page 88] his body hee would set up­on his throne, Psal. [...]32.11. which S. Peter againe expounds of Christ, Acts 2.30.) 2. To shew that the severall dignities and prerogatives of these two p r­sons, by an originall right did descend upon Christ. David was King and Pro­phet, but no Priest; Abra­ham Priest As appeares by his sacri­ficing, Gen. 15 and Prophet Gen. 20.7., but no King: Christ, the sonne of both, all three, King, Priest, and Prophet, their particular priviled­ges being concentrick in him,

A third is rendred by S. Ierome Argumento in Matthae­um.; because A­braham [Page 89] was the first that received Circumcision, Da­vid the first King whose e­lection was according to Gods owne heart (for Saul was chosen by reason of the clamour, tumult and importunitie of the peo­ple:) and so to shew (as Aquinas 3 ^•. quaest. 3 [...] art. 2. corp. art. addes,) that, Christ was sent, for sal­vation, both to the Cir­cumcision of the Iewes, and election of the Gentiles. 2. It may bee demanded, why David is put before Abraham, The Sonne of David, the sonne of Abra­ham, and not rather, the sonne of Abraham, The sonne of David, seeing A­braham was before him? First in generall I may say [Page 90] out of that learned Pre­late Bishop An­drewes Ser­mon 4. of the Nativitie; upon Gal. 4.4, 5. pag. 29., before mentioned, that, in the idiome of the Scriptures, it is usuall, two things which are to bee resumed againe being set downe, to place that last, (without respect to the order of time In Scriptu­re non est prius & posterius. Proverbium Rabbinicum.,) which is to begin the narration in­sequent; so here, The sonne of David, The sonne of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac, &c: but of this like­wise in particular Chryso­stome Hom. 2. in Mat. gives two reasons. 1. Because David was a King; and therefore to bee preferred as the more worthie and honoura­ble — [...]. Telem. Hom. Od. α. person. 2. Because he was more talk't of among the Iewes, being of later [Page 91] time, and fresh in their memories; and though God made the same promise to both; yet that to him, as more new, was more cele­brated, the other, as more ancient, silently pretermit­ted. Hence (as he goes on) they usually called him, not The sonne of Abraham, but, The sonne of David, ( Mat. 9.27.15.22.20.30.21.9.22.42:) and had an ordinarie saying amongst them, Doth not Christ come, &c. Iohn 7.42.

The Use may serve

1. For Confutation; Vse. of those againe who held that hee brought his bo­dy with him from heaven. So did the Apelletians, Valentinians, and Eutychi­ans, [Page 92] as you heard. This very argument of being The Sonne of David, The Sonne of Abraham, Ter­tullian Ipse Mat­thaeus— ut nos originis Christi carna­lis compotes faceret, ita ex­orsus est: Li­ber geniturae Jesu Christi, filij David, fi­lij Abraham —. Qui haec legimus & credimus, quam debemus & possumus ag­noscere in Christo carnis qualitatem? uti (que) non ali­am quàm A­braham —; nec aliam quàm David. Lib. de carne Christi, cap. 22. urges against that heresie.

2. For Instruction; doing us to wit, that God is faithfull to performe all and every of his promi­ses —Sanctus haberi, Justitiae (que) renax, factis, dictis (que) meretur. Juven. Sat. 8.. If hee say to Abra­ham, that In his seed all the families of the earth shall bee blessed, and to David, that, of his seed he will set upon his throne: in the fulnesse of time, ac­cording to his promise Acts 13 23., shall bee raised unto Israel, a Saviour Iesus, The Sonne [Page 93] of both. Hee deales not with us, as Penelope in Homer Od. β & ν. did with her suiters,

Promis'd every one, put them all in good hopes but meant no such matter, never intended to bee as good as her word: hath he said, and shall hee not doe it? hath hee spoken, and shall hee not make it good? Numb. 23 19.

I could easily here en­large my selfe — Consu­mere longa lo­quendo Tem­pora— O­vid. Trist. lib. 5. Eleg. 13. [...]. Aeneas. Hom. Il. [...].: but, as S. Bernard concludes Aiebat Scaurus, non minus magnam virtutem esse scire desinere, quam scire di­cere. Senec. declam. lib. 9. declam. 5., his [Page 94] 23 ^d Sermon upon the Canticles Sufficiant quae dicta sunt; ne in fastidium ve­niant ea quae proferuntur ad laudem & gloriam Domi­ni nostri, &c.,

Let this suffice; lest it should bee irkesome what is spoken to the praise and glory of our Lord Iesus Christ, who is God above all, blessed for ever.