Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Theological treatise · Chapter 25 · Doctrines – Confutations
4. Places of Doctrine.
1. Doct. Of the divine nature of Christ.
Vers. 9. ACcording to all that I shall shew thee, so shall they make the forme of the Tabernacle, &c. As God appointed the forme and fashion of the Tabernacle: but the matter thereof was offered by the Israelites: So Christ tooke his humanitie from among men: Divinita…, quae mera forma est, à Deo patre ab at…rno genita est: but his divine nature, which is as the forme, was begotten of God his Father from all eternitie, Simler. As touching his humanitie the Apostle saith:Heb. 2.14▪ For as much as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud, he also himselfe tooke part with them. Of his divine and everlasting being the Evangelist speaketh: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and that Word was God, Ioh. 1.1.
2. Doct. God will not be worshipped with will-worship.
FUrther it is hence gathered, Forma Tabernaculi non relicta est hominum arbitrio, &c. The forme of the Tabernacle is not left to the will of man, no not to the judgement of Moses: to teach us, that God will not be served with will-worship, according to the devices and inventions of men, but as he himselfe hath prescribed, Pelarg. Piscat…r. So our blessed Saviour alleageth in the Gospell out of the Prophet: They worship me in vaine, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men, Mark. 7.7.
3. Doct. Of the ministerie of Angels.
Vers. 18. THou shalt make two Cherubims of gold. Which sheweth that God useth the ministerie of Angels in protecting of his Church, Piscator. As the Apostle saith, Are they not all ministring spirits, sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall be heires of salvation? Heb. 1.14.
4. Doct. Our sinnes are covered in Christ.
Vers. 21. ANd thou shalt put the MercieMercy seat upon the Arke. This MercieMercy seat signifieth Christ; that as it covered the Arke where the tables of the law were kept, so our sinnes which are discovered by the law, Tecta sunt operculo illo gratia & reconciliationis, are covered by that covering of grace and reconciliation: as it is in the Psalme, Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiven, and whose sinne is covered, Psal. 32.1. Borrh.
5. Places of Controversie.
1. Confut. Against the sumptuous decking and adorning of Churches.
Vers. 3. THis is the offering which you shall take of them, gold and silver. This is no warrant now, because the Tabernacle in the old Testament was adorned with silver and gold, and other precious things, that now the Temples of Christians should be set forth with such ornaments: Vbi enim verbum, ubi mandatum? Where have they any word, or warrant for these things, as Moses had then? Gallas. The houses of prayer are to bee reverently kept, and decently set forth: but superfluous and sumptuous ornaments doe not beseeme the house of God: he looketh not to faire and beautifull Churches, but unto the humble and contrite heart, as the Prophet saith, Isa. 66.2.
2. Confut. Against the Manichees, who refused the old Testament.
Vers. 8. THat I may dwell among them. The Manichees who tooke exception to the old Testament, said, that herein it was contrarie to the New; that God should dwell in houses made with hands: whereas our Saviour saith in the New Testament, that heaven is Gods seat, and the earth is his footstoole, Matth. 5. there can be then no house made for God to dwell in. This objection Augustine returneth upon them againe, shewing that this testimonie is first alleaged in the old Testament, Heaven is my throne, earth is my footstoole, where is that house that you will build for me? Isa. 66.1. And therefore therein the old Testament and new concurre, that God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands: and yet both in the old and new Testament God is said to have his house: therefore he concludeth, Adaliquam significationem in utro que testamento accipi, &c. that is so said and taken to signifie some other thing, &c. God then is said to dwell in the Tabernacle,August. contra Adimant. c. 10. not because any place can comprehend his Majestie, but because there it pleased him by some visible signes to manifest his presence.
3. Confut. Against the superstitious opinion of the vertue of ceremonies.
Vers. 22. THere will I appoint with thee. Though the Arke were the place where the Lord revealed himselfe, and shewed evident signes of his presence: yet the Israelites were too superstitiously afterward addicted to the externall ceremonie: and thought themselves sufficiently protected, if the Arke were with them. As in Heli his time, when they brought the Arke into the campe, they thought themselves sure of the victorie against the Philistims:1 Sam. …. but the Lord caused both them and the Arke to come into their enemies hand, to teach them to lay aside all carnall confidence, and to seeke unto the Lord. As the superstitious Israelites in this respect abused the Arke; so the Romanists put their confidence in their breaden god, consecrated host, going with it in procession, and carrying it about in the fields. But this is to attribute too much unto signes, Simlerus.
4. Confut. That Moses Arke is not at Rome in S. Iohn Laterans Church.
THis Arke which Moses made, the author of the Scholasticall historie thinketh to bee in Rome in the Church of S. Iohn L…teran, under the Altar there; and by that supposed evidence, would prove that the Arke was not made according to the measure of the Geometricall cubit. But Tostatus sheweth that not to be so,Tostat. qu. 14. in 25. cap. because it is mentioned, 2 Maccab. 2. how Ieremie hid the Arke in a cave, which afterward could not be found. This authoritie presseth them, because they hold the first and second books of the Macchabees to be canonicall. And howsoever it standeth for the truth of this report, it is evident that the Arke was lost before or in the captivitie of Babylon, and that the second Temple built after the captivitie never had it. By this then it appeareth what small credit is to bee given unto those relikes, which are so much boasted of in the Papall Church.
5. Confut. Against the erecting and setting up of Images.
Vers. 22. BEtweene the two Cherubims. The idolatrous Romanists have no warrant from hence for their Images, which they set up to be adored in their Churches: 1. Moses had Gods commandement to doe it, they have no such direction. 2. That was a time of figures and ceremonies, and typicall representations: but now in the cleere light of the Gospell all such types and figures are ceased. 3. Those Cherubims were not set forth publikly in the peoples view, but kept in the most holy place, whither none had accesse but the high Priest: neither was it lawfull for any other Priest or Levite to gaze or looke upon it. Therefore this is no warrant for the setting up of Images in Churches in the open sight and view of the people, who thereby are bewitched, and withdrawne from the true spirituall worship, Simler. Gallas.
6. Confut. Against the Iewes, that they are cast off for crucifying of Christ.
Vers. 22. THere will I appoint with thee, or, meet thee. Chrysostome from hence doth notably convince the Jewes, that God hath forsaken them, and cast them off, because now they have not the Arke nor Propitiatorie seat, from whence the Lord used to speake. And if the Jewes should, hominibus imputare rerum suarum vastation…m, impute unto men the ruine and destruction of their state; hee thus answereth: First, that men could not have destroyed their Citie, Nisi Deus permisisset, unlesse the Lord had permitted it to be done. Secondly he saith: But be it granted that men pulled downe your walles, Num ignem ex alto d…vehi vetuit homo? Did man f…bid fire to be brought from heaven? Num vocem ex propitiatorio audiri solitam inhibuit homo? &c. Did man forbid that a voice should be heard out of the Propitiatorie? Did man take away the declaration of Gods will by the precious stones in the Priests breast-plate, and the sacred unction? &c. An non Deus haec omniae submovit? &c. Did not God take all these away? Thirdly, if the Jewes shall answer, Quoniam civitate …aremus, caremus & istis, &c. Because we are without a Citie, we want these things also, &c. He addeth further: yet after the Temple was destroyed, and the Altar broken downe, there were Prophets in the captivitie, Daniel and Ezechiel▪ say then, Qu…m ob causam nunc non habetis Prophetas? What is the cause that now ye have no Prophets? Is it not evident by this, Quòd Deus vos repulerit, that God hath cast your off? And why hath he cast you off? Ob illum crucifixum, & impium illud facium: because of that impious fact in the crucifying of Christ And whence doth this appeare? because before, when ye lived wickedly, ye obtained many things, now, cum videamini modestiùs vivere, when yee seeme to live more soberly, yet ye suffer more grievous punishment, noc quicquam eorum contigit hab…re, quae prius habebatis, Orat. 3. … Jud…s.and ye enjoy none of those things which before ye had, &c. To this purpose Chrysost.
7. Confut. Against the Romanists, concerning their ni… orders of Angels.
NOw further, whereas these winged pictures, which were made upon the MercieMercy seat, are called Cher…bim, which is a name indifferently given to the blessed Angels in generall; it is evident, that it is no speciall order, as the Romanists have curiously …orted the Angels into nine orders: whereof the Cherubim, Seraphim, and Thrones, are the three highest. And Tostatus, one of their owne writers, confesseth,Quaest. 19. in c. 25. Exod. that in this place, Aequaliter Cherubim ad omnes …eato… spiritus referantur ▪ That the Cherubim here equally may be referred to all the blessed Spirits, &c. And as in this place, so in other also, the Cherubim and Seraphim are names and titles given to the Angels in generall, as Isai. 6. Ezech. 1. and 10. See more hereof elsewhere, Synops. C…ntur. 2. err. 1.
8. Confut. Against the superstitious use of candles in Churches.
Vers. 37. THou shalt make thee seven lamps thereof, &c. to give light, &c. The use then of this candlesticke and the lamps thereof, was to no other end than to give light in the Sanctuarie, which was covered. Tostatus addeth further,Quaest. 30. i… cap. 25. Non solùm lumen candelarum est ad necessitatem toll …id…um tenebrarum, sed etiam ad honestatem & cultum, &c. The light of candles is not onelyonly for necessitie to remove the darknesse, but for more comelinesse, and it belongeth unto worship, &c. Which superstitious conceit is convinced in this place. These lamps were ordained onelyonly to give light: therefore at noone day when there is no use of candle light, to set up tapers and candles, is a superfluous and a superstitious use.