Sermons on Jonah, Lecture 15
THE XV. LECTVRE.
The chiefe poynts. 1. Gods fatherly affection toward sinners. 4. He commandeth his creatures at his pleasure. 6. Ionas is cast on land. 7. A figure of Christs resurrection. 9. We also shall rise againe. 10. Comfort to the heauy heart. 11. A comparison betweene Ionas and Arion. 13. The whole narration of Arion is a fable. 15. Some wonders are wrought by the Diuell, 16. who doth much imitate God, 17. and seeketh to discredit Gods word by his fables. 19. How the Scriptures might be obscurely knowne, by the old Poets and Philosophers. 20. But they corrupt the diuine stories. 21. Humane learning is fit for a Minister.
Ionah. 2.10.
And the Lord spake vntounto the fish, and it cast vp Ionas vntounto the drye land.
IT is not without cause, that so oftentimes in the Scriptures, God is compared to a father, and called by that name, as Our father vvhichwhich art in heauen;Matth. 6.9. Cap. 5.48. and, Ye shall therefore be perfect as your father vvhichwhich is in heauen, is perfect: And,Psal. 103.13. as a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him: for he beareth a verie father-like and naturall affection, to all those who are chosen to be his. If they be led by weakenesse into diuerse temptations, or by infirmity of their flesh be stained with great transgressions, he looketh angrily for a time, and with a terrible countenance seuerely frowneth on them; but yet in the middle of his iustice, he remembreth mercy, and doth not vtterly reiect them, nor cast them away. It may be that he doth chastise them, with parent-like correction, according to the measure and qualitie of their crime; yea he layeth smart blowes on them, not sparing to strike them, till he hath brought them, and depressed them to the pit of death, and entrance of the graue; but there he maketh a stay, in his kindnesse being satisfied with iudgement,Ierem. 10.24. not with furie, rather topping them and shredding them with some short aduersitie, then plucking them vp by the root. And that is the maner of seuere, but yet naturall parents, in restraining their children from grosse & foule enormities, to bend thē not to breake them: to seeme more angry then indeed they be: or if they iustly be displeased, to be so but for a time, giuing pardon to such faults as be past, and expecting with much patience, that it may at length be better.
2 The righteous Lord of all, doth so looke here vponupon our Prophet with a fauourable eye. He had deprehended him long since, as a runne-agate from his charge: he made his owne mouth giuegive sentence, that he had deserued to be drowned: he had throwne him into the water, where as if it had bene, with a death vponupon a death, he had made a fish to deuoure him, and for three dayes space to keepe him close prisoner in his belly, in all the anguish and torment that his heart could imagine. He was as though he liued not, and yet he could not dye; hauing time enough to meditate in what miserie he was, but not knowing with all the wit which was in his vnderstanding, how to ridde himselfe from that sorrow. But at the last, lifting vp his thoughts to his Almightie maker, he flyeth by faith and repentance, to the throne of grace, desiring God to pitie him, and shew compassion on him, that once more returning to land, he might by open obedience, make some little recompence for his former fault. And the Lord graciously respecting his earnest and heartie prayer, doth content himselfe with the punishment past, and with a most free fauour restoreth him to libertie. As a dead man from the graue, as one buried from the sepulcher, so is this man brought foorth: his prison-doores shall be opened: his fetters shall be shaken off; he shall be ridde from the whale, and set on foote on the land: yea as he was a messenger before, so hee shall be a messenger still, a Prophet for the Highest, to goe and preach at Niniue. My charge at this time is, to shew the meanes of his deliuerance, which is set downe so briefly, and plainely in my text, that the words do neither need diuision, nor much interpretation, but that which shall be conuenient to be touched, you shall heare of in the doctrine.
Thē the Lord spake to the fish, & it cast vp Ionas to the dry land.
3 If otherwise we did doubt, what power and authoritie God hath ouer his creatures, yet it is assured to vsus in the end of the first chapter,Ionah. 1.17. as in that place I gathered: when the Lord had a whale as at a becke for his purpose prepared, and in a readinesse to swallow vp the Prophet, being throwne into the sea. And as he there vsed that fish for his instrument, so he might hauehave had obsequious to him any other thing in heauen, or in the earth, or in the sea: and as he might at that time, so might he at all times. That vnrestrained prerogatiue in God, is once more expressed to vsus in the selfe same fish, whom after that he had caused to keepe his burthen in him, for so many dayes & houres and moments of time, as himselfe had appointed, now he will hauehave him in a trice disburden his belly, and be eased of his cariage. But note with what facilitie he fulfilleth his designement, The Lord spake to the fish. Not the struggling of Ionas, nor his pricking of the fish within; no other receipt which should vrge him to disgorge, and cast vp his stomacke; no violence which was offered from man or fish, or ship, or any other thing without him, did extort or force him out of his belly: but one word spoken frō God, or lesse then that if it might be, did bring about that which was done. Which is not to be taken after the vnderstanding of the grosse Anthropomorphites, called otherwise Audaeani,Theodoret. Hist. Eccles. 4.9. (who did attribute to God the members and bodie of a man) as if the Lord had vsed some language, or talked to the fish, as men commonly do talke each to other, for that agreeth not with his spirituall nature, his impassible and pure and diuine being.Ioh. 4.24. God is a Spirit saith our Sauiour Christ. And although he assumed a voyce vntounto him, when he was pleased to proclaime the law of the ten Commaundements before the Israelites;Exod. 20.1. and may do the like againe when it seemeth good to himselfe,Ioh. 12.28. as when he was disposed with words vttered from heauen, to glorifie his Sonne Christ, yet that was not of his nature, but an action of his will, wherein extraordinarily he did take to himselfe some meanes, which are besides his essence, and which are not frequent with him. But here the word of speaking, is vsed to notifie vntounto vsus, who are of dull capacitie, and louelove our owne phrases best, that he signified and gaue inkling, in some sort or other (which was easie for him to do, but not for vsus to conceiue) to the whale, that it must performe that seruice. And that the Lord in such manner doth frame himselfe in the Scripture, vntounto our vnderstanding, as a rude one to the rude, as barbarous to Barbarians, as men to little infants do stammer and talke like children, is a veritie so apparant and so common an obseruation to those who reade the Bible, that it were but lost time to handle it:Lect. 11. and once before I hauehave said somewhat of that matter.
4 It is a thing more worth the knowing of vsus, to obserue his forcible power, that his saying is a doing, and his speech a commaunding. In the very beginning of Genesis,Genes. 1.3. God said, let there be light, that is, he did command it. The words of the tempter vntounto Christ were,Matth. 4.3. foreign. Do thou say, or do thou speake, that these stones should be made bread, that is, as it is commonly translated do thou commaund. The Lord said to the fish, he layed his cō maundement on him; and who or what is that which can resist his will? If he bid come, all commeth: if he bid go, all goeth: the greatest is within his compasse, the least is not exempted. If he will plague the Egyptians,Exod 8.6.24.17. Cap. 16.14. armies of frogges, and flyes, and swarmes of lice shall attend him: and if on the other side he do but put vp his finger, they shall all away in a moment. If he will feede the Israelites,& 17.6. Ios. 10.12. 2. Re. 20.11. Ios. 3.16. 2. Reg. 2.8. 1. Reg. 17 6. Daniel. 6.22.24. the heauen shall giuegive them bread, and the rocke shall bring them water. For Iosuah, the Sunne shall stand still, and it shall fly backe for Ezechiahs sake. For the passage of the children of Israel, Iordan shall part in two: and so it shall do for Eliah. And for the same Prophet, the rauens shall bring food in the morning and euening. The lyons mouthes shall be musled, when Daniel is among them, but they shall deuoure most greedily, when the wicked accusers are cast in vntounto them. He who hath the key of heauen, and hell, and death, to open when he pleaseth, and shut when he listeth, can so order his seruants and ministers which are vnderunder him, that sometimes they shall take, and sometimes they shall loose, here punish and there saue, this day sound out his iustice, and the next day teach his merciemercy.
5 Neither was it onelyonly in the time of the Prophets and Apostles, that God had all his creatures, miraculously if need be to execute his appointment; but also since their time they giuegive the selfe same assistance, although miracles be not common, as they were in former ages.Tertullian. Apolog. ca. 5 Euseb. Hist. Eccles. 5.5. Tertullian in his Apollogie, and Eusebius do witnesse that at the prayer of a legion of the Christians, the Emperour Marcus Aurelius, in his warres against the Germanes, had his armie relieued with raine, which was before in daunger to perish for want of water: and they adde, that at that time, certaine thunderbolts did strike and beate downe the enemie.In fine Apologiarum. In some Editions of the workes of Iustine Martyr, may be seene the copie of the Epistle of the Emperour himselfe who giueth witnesse thereunto.Chrysost. in Matth. Homil. 4. Socrat. Hist. Eccles. 3.17. Vide Grego. Nazianz. Orat. 48. When Iulian the Apostata, vponupon an intendment to crosse the faith of Iesus Christ, had set the Iewes on worke, to build againe the Temple at Hierusalem, as both Saint Chrysostome and Socrates write, at first an earth-quake marred their worke, and afterward fire from heauen did burne and spoile their instrumēts and tooles wherwith they wrought, so that they could not proceede. Yea something more then this is to be found in the storie, of the signe of the crosse appearing vponupon their garments.Ammianus Marcellinus. lib. 23. Ammianus Marcellinus who was no friend to the Christians, yet giueth testimony to some part thereof, sauing that he rather supposeth that the fire issued out of the earth; which commeth all to one end. When the barbarous Northren nations did breake into the bounds of the Romane Empire, in the dayes of Basile the Great,Basil. in Psal. 18. who liued in the time of Valens the Emperour, as Basile himselfe writeth, God destroyed them with fire and haile without the hand of man. And as we reade in the same place of that Father, the Lord did so by the Persians attempting to do the like. But in my iudgement there is no example more memorable or true, then that which fell out in our owne time, after that great Massacre in Fraunce, but especially at Paris,Anno. 1572. Comment. Relig. & Reip. in Gallia lib. 11. in the yeare seuenty and two. For at that time the whole power almost of that kingdome, being gathered together against the citie Rochel, and besieging them with extremitie who defended the towne, God in the time of famine and want of bread, did for some whole moneths together, daily cast vp a kind of fish vntounto them, out of the sea, wherewith so many hundreds were relieued, without any labour of their owne, euen as the Israelites were fed with Manna, eueryevery morning while they were in the wildernesse. And as all the while that the enemie was before them, this endured to their maruellous comfort, so to proclaime to the world Gods prouidence the more, when the enemies tents were once remooued, and the citie was open againe, this prouision immediatly did cease. It was a good testification, that the Lord of hostes would leaue a remnant, euen a seed of his faithfull in that land: and although he had sealed his truth, with the bloud of his other seruants, yet he would not deale so with them. To the end that all might not sinke in despaire, he ordained that when men failed, yet the sea should be a maintainer to them.
6 There God to shew his power, did fill a many with fish, and here to shew his power, he did emptie a fish of one, both declaring his louelove and greatnesse; which he purposing to complete, & make perfect in our Prophet, to whom I now returne, not only causeth the fish to free him from his stomake, and that not in the middest of the Ocean sea, that there once againe he might be shifting for his life, that is, if he could not swim, sinke, and drowne: but he so directeth this carier, as that he came to the shore. Of all liklyhood this was a chosen shore, where the water was so deepe, as that it could beare the whale, who swimmeth not in the shallow; and yet the banke withall so low, as that with putting vp his head, he might cast the prisoner to the land. When the Lord doth decree the substance of a matter, the circumstance shall not be wanting. He who made all the rest, will find a place for accomplishing of the deede. It is not much materiall, where or in what coast of the world the Prophet was cast on land,Ioseph. Antiquit. l. 9.11. but Iosephus saith that the report was, that this happened in Pontus Euxinus, as it is commonly called, and that it was that part of the Ocean, where he was put to shore. If it were so, then the whale did carie him a great way, from the sea towards Cilicia on the south side of Natolia, or Asia the lesser, through the Hellespont, and Propontis, & all the straights neare to Thrasia, and so into that Pontus Euxinus, which was a long space of way, in so short a time to be passed. But if this were so done, then the fish was as a shippe, as the fleetest and swiftest shippe, to conuey him forward on the way; that whereas toward Niniue the place whither he should go, the coast was East, he was brought backe againe to the East, on the Northside of Natolia, so much being recouered by the fish, as he was caried by the ship before toward the West. But this is onelyonly coniecturall, and therefore I do not follow it.
7 Thus farre the Spirit of God hath plainly said, that Ionas is gotten to the land: he is freed from the terrour and imprisonment of the whale, and now he is so set at libertie, as if there had neuer bene any such matter. Which whether we will in the figure apply to Christ, or by example to our selues, it is worthie consideration. Our Sauiour who is the best interpreter, and expositor of the Prophets, in the twelfth of Saint Mathew, doth compare this lying of Ionas for three dayes in the whale,Math. 12.40 to the burying of himselfe for three dayes in the graue. Then by the same Analogie or proportion, the restoring of Ionas from the belly of the fish, must represent Christs resurrection. As this sinner was designed, not for euer but for a time, to be kept within that ward, and when his houre was expired, his keeper might not hold him; so our Sauiour was shut vp in the tombe, not for euer, nor vntill the day of iudgement, but a set space was appointed, wherein he was to rest, and when that was consummated, the graue could no longer hold him. It had receiued a burthen, which it had no power to beare. It detained him for a little while, because it was his good pleasure, to be so detained there; but when he began to stirre, it felt it selfe ouercharged, and could last out no longer. And in my iudgement, the Metaphore which is vsed here in the type,foreign Vomere. foreign doth expresse this in Christ Iesus, for the Originall hath it Vajake eth-Ionah, which Vajake comming of Ko with Aleph in the end, signifying Vomere, is as much as if it were said, the fish did vomite vp Ionas: the qualitie of which word Vomite, doth imply that which I hauehave spoken. For when the stomake of any liuing thing, hath receiued that, which either for the weaknesse of it selfe, or by reason of the strength of the meat, it hath no power to digest, it doth cast it vp and vomite. The hardnesse for digestion, of that which is the ingredient, or the weaknesse of the part, receiuing more then it ought, doth cause that euacuation. The case was so with death and the graue, when they receiued Christ.
8 It was no common meat which it had taken into it, but that which it was impossible should be concocted by it: not an ordinarie man,Ruffinus de Symbolo A. postolorum. but one who had no fellowes. His body was but a bait, to entise the graue to swallow him, but vnderneath was the hooke of eternitie, and that Godhead which caught both graue and death, and made them glad to put vp such a one out of their bowels. Faine they were to be rid of him, because he did ouerbeare them:Act. 2.24. The Godhead raised him vp, & loosed the sorrowes of death, because it was impossible that he should be holden by them. Iudic. 16.9.When Samson was disposed, he brake the cordes and ropes wherewith he was tyed: they fittered and dissolued, euen as the flaxe which is burnt with the fire:3. he rent off the gates of Azzah, and postes and barres and all; and putting them on his shoulders, he caried them whither he pleased. So when Christ was disposed, be shooke off the graue-clothes from him, and bore vp all before him, the rocke which was about him, and the stone which was vponupon him, resigned their strength vntounto him, and he commeth foorth victorious, as a Champion who had slept, or a Giaunt refreshed with wine. As a tamed Lyon, he had suffered death, and Satan, and the infernall spirits, for a time to play with him, and disgrace him, and hauehave some hand vponupon him: but when it seemed good vntounto him, he rowzed vp his bodie, and roaring in his might, this he renteth and that he teareth, he knappeth their chaines in sunder, and maketh them glad to fly; happie he who could get farthest. The whale was not so glad to part here with our Ionas, as the earth was with our Iesus. Here the drowned man is restored; there the dead man is reuiued, being the first fruite of the resurrection.
9 As he dyed so we shall dy: and as he rose againe, so we also need not doubt but we shall rise againe. OnelyOnly he did it by his owne power, but we not by our owne force, but by the power of him. The head is gone before: the members shall follow after.Daniel. 12.2. Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to euerlasting life, and some to shame and perpetuall contempt. Gods children shall be translated into a better state, recouering the same puritie, which was giuen to Adam in Paradise, where he was after the image of God, in innocencie and integritie. But first by death they must be beate in sunder, and knocked in peeces, that so they may be remoulded, and new cast by the workeman, not onelyonly to their old figure, but to a better forme in the day of the resurrection. But as their captaine was, so must they first by death be dissolued and separated, that their bodies may be refined, and made a great deale better.Chrysost. in 2. ad Cor. Homil. 1. When we plucke downe a house (this is Saint Chrysostomes comparison) meaning to build it new, or repaire the ruines of it, we withdraw such from the house, as inhabited it before, lest they should be soyled with the dust, or offended with the noise, and bid them for a time to rest in some other place: but when we hauehave new trimmed and dressed it, wee bring them backe againe to a better habitation. So God when he ouer-turneth the rotten roome of our flesh, calleth out the soule for a little, and lodgeth it with himselfe, in some corner of his kingdome, but repaireth the brackes of our bodie, against the resurrection: and then hauing made it decent, yea glorions and incorruptible, hee doth put the soule backe againe, into her acquainted mansion. He hath determined this concerning vsus; that dust shall recouer breath, and rottennesse shall hauehave life: against all Atheists and Epicures, there shall be a resurrection. But I pursue this no farther, because in the end of the first Chapter,Ionah. 1.17. I handled it at large.
10 If in another sence we will turne the present example, to the benefite of our selues, this giueth great consolation to the deiected conscience, which groneth vnderunder the waight of her sinnes. Such things as are written, are written for our learning. This wretched suffering man had displeased the Lord most grieuously. For the haynousnesse of his fault, wrath was gone out against him. The Lord would not be satisfied, but with drowning and deuouring, in the belly of such a monster, where the feare of death, and almost the paines of hell were vponupon him. The passions of his heart had bene desperate and distrustfull, if faith had not come to the rescue. Yet we see that he did not perish, but when his woe was passed ouer him, he came to good againe. God did but giuegive signification, as small a thing as might be, as if a man should nodde, or winke vponupon another, and his sorrowes are shaked off from him: he is set aliue on the land. If griefe do assault our minds, that we thinke our hearts will breake, if temptation hauehave so rent vsus, that we suppose wee are all to shiuers; if pangs of desperation, with remembraunce of sinnes past, hauehave beate faith so out of countenance, that wee see no way, but our soules must be a pray to Sathan, yet there is hope with God, and merciemercy with the Highest. He bringeth men to the doore of death, but he doth not turne them in. Or he putteth them into the pit, that they are halfe way downe to the bottome; but his hand goeth along with them, and suddenly in a trice he draweth them backe againe. If we be within the iawes of Sathan, he putteth a gagge in his mouth, that it shall not close vponupon vsus. It is neuer too late for him to helpe, while life and soule hang together. He who bid the dust become Adam,Genes. 2.7. Iohan. 11.43. and Adam was made of dust: he who spake to the graue, and bad Lazarus come foorth from it, and Lazarus came out of the graue: he who commaunded the fish to loose Ionas, and Ionas was loosed in a moment. This Lord, if he speake to hell or diuell, or all the feends of darknesse, they shall not dare once to touch thee, but thou shalt escape from their clutches, as a bird from the snare. How much lesse shall mortall man oppresse thee, or triumph ouer thee, if it be he that doth vexe thee? God doth but cast an eye vponupon thee, and the mist before the Sunne, can not be dispersed so suddenly, as thy sorrow and heauinesse. In steed of sadnesse, ioy and mirth shall compasse thee & embrace thee. If once his refreshing spirit cast but an aspect vponupon thee, thou art as safe, as thy selfe wouldest euer desire to be. OnelyOnly to win God hereunto, be thou sorie for thy transgression, and grieue at thine owne iniquitie. If thou hauehave fallen with Dauid, spare not to sing with Dauid a Psalme of Miserere:Psal. 51.1. if thou hauehave offended with Peter,Math 26.75 with Peter go thou foorth, and cease not to weepe bitterly. With Ionas pray and call, and thou shalt be deliuered.
A comparison betweene the Prophet and Arion.
11 Looke what hath bene spoken hitherto, may manifestly be gathered by the plaine words of my text, and therefore as you hauehave seene, I hauehave passed it very briefly. But pondering farther on this Scripture, and looking nearer into it, yea withall, comparing it with some things of the Gentiles, it seemeth vntounto me to offer a farther doctrine. For thinking with my selfe, how strangely those mariners, who in the Chapter before threw him into the sea, and made account they had drowned him, would looke vponupon him, if they met him any where afterward, (as that was no impossible matter) maruelling how he should liue whom they left in the sea, and how he should be at land whom they cast into the water, and there relinquished him remedilesse and past hope; I called to mind the narration of Arion in Herodotus,Herodot. l. 1. who being said to be throwne into the Ocean by mariners, and supposed by them to be drowned, was afterward seene at Corinth, in the court of Periander, to the great amazement of them, who before had consented to his death. And I thought of this the rather, because Saint Austen in his first booke,August. de ciuit. Dei. lib. 1.14. De ciuitate Dei, doth compare this storie of Ionas, vntounto that of Arion, reproching the Gentiles, that whereas they would not beleeue this, which was written of our Prophet, yet they would giuegive credite to that, which their Poets and other writers reported of Arion. Whereupon conferring yet farther the likenesse of these two matters, although not in eueryevery circumstance, yet in the mainest points, I could not but suspect, that the Greeke tale of the one, meant the Hebrew truth of the other. And therein I imagined, that the Musitian of the Gentiles, was the Israelite mentioned here, although the storie were peeced vp with another narration, after the custome of the Heathens, in dealing with the Scriptures. And moreouer,Danaeus in Ionam. the note of a learned interpreter writing vponupon this place, did further this opinion, who nameth our Ionas here Arion Christianus, the Arion of the Christians. I find also, that this report is very auncient among the Greekes, and therefore might well sort with the antiquitie of the Prophet. Now, as if we will allow this to be true, it doth yeeld vsus fruitfull doctrine, fit to be handled in this place, before so learned and iudicious an auditorie; so being otherwise, that is, vntrue and false, it is also worthie of our consideration: and therefore giuegive me leaue to speake a little vntounto it. You shall see anon to what end.
12 Herodotus in his Clio,Herodot. li. … hath a narration to this purpose: that Arion a skilfull harper, going from Greece his owne countrey into Italy, there and in Sicilia, by the excellencie of his musicke, had gained a great deale of money. Being now desirous with his wealth to returne againe to Corinth, to his old Prince Periander, he found a vessell at Tarentum, which belonged to certaine ship-men of Corinth, who were returning home: and with them he agreeth for his fare. When they had him at sea, being men of ill conditions, and desirous of his money, they intended to drowne him. He now in this perill, maketh request for his life: but when nothing would serue those hard-hearted persons, but that such must be his doome, he begged this fauour of them, that yet before he died, he might cloth himselfe with his best clothes: which being done, he taketh his harpe, and singing and playing to it a most melodious song, then threw himselfe into the sea. There a Dolphin a kind of fish, delighted as it seemeth with the musicke, doth vndertake him, and ceassed not to beare him on her backe, till it landed him safe at Taenarus; whence he going to Periander the tyrant, then raigning at Corinth, so apparelled as he was when he came out of the water, informeth him of all the matter, who beleeued it not, till at length sending for the selfe same mariners, who were arriued in his countrey, and shewing them Arion (who vponupon the sight of him were exceedingly amazed, as indeed they had great cause) he learned that all was so. This▪ saith Herodotus is reported at Lesbos, and at Corinth; and at Taenarus there is a very great image made of brasse, which is a man sitting on a Dolphin: and that image was set vp there by Arion.Plin. Histor. Natur. 9.8. Plut. in conuiuio 7. sap. Ouid. fast. 2. Gell. 16.19. This tale with all his circumstaunces, is so common among the auncient, that Plinie, and Plutarke and Ouid, and Gellius both do report it at large, and Plinie giueth other examples, that Dolphines couching downe their pinnas, their sinnes, which as he seemeth to say go all along their backes, hauehave caried diuerse other ouer the water, and so saued them.
13 If I shall giuegive my iudgement concerning this, I do not at all doubt, but that it is a fable. The diuersitie of the report which is among the auncient, doth argue the vncertaintie. For although the most record it to be one Dolphines doing,Plutarch. vbi suprà. one that caried him all the while, yet Plutarke hath it otherwise, that they were diuerse Dolphines which caried him in the sea, meaning belike by turnes, or many at once supporting him. So they agree not in the manner. But whether it were one or many, why did not the mariners see it, that it was so straunge a thing vntounto them, when they met him on the land? If he went aboue the water, they of likelyhood might hauehave spied him, and so made some shift to vnhorse him: if it were vnderunder the water, how came it about that he was not drowned in all that time? The auncient full well saw, that this was but a fained thing. That made Suidas in Arion,Suidas in Arione. to say nothing of the fish, nor his escape from drowning: although he hauehave other things of him. Strabo in his thirteenth booke, saith plainely it is a fable. The late writers thinke no otherwise,Strabo Geograph. 13. Natal. Com. Mytholog. lib. 8.14. and hold these tales of Plinie to be but fained matters: and they giuegive this reason for it, because the nature of Dolphines, and of all other fishes, as also of all other creatures, is the same in our dayes, which it was in ages long agone: but since those auncient times, we heare not of any Dolphine, which delighted in Musicke, or saued any man in the sea, or caried any ouer the water. Besides that, Rondeletius whose worke is many times ioyned with Gesners, denieth that a Dolphine hath any such sinnes,Rondelet. in Gesner. de Aquatil. cap. de Delphino Plin. 9.8. as they in old time did describe him to hauehave, for that, saith he, there is onelyonly one in his backe, and it is not all along him, which may be thought vnfit to beare a man. But imagine that it were true which Plinie hath concerning them, yet his speech is, that they were brought to that custome by much practise, and feeding them with bread,Petr. Mart. Decad. 3. lib. 8. which agreeth with the qualities of that straunge fish Matum, which the Historian Peter Martyr reporteth to hauehave bene in the West Indies. But how could this acquaintance with men, and feeding by hand, happen to this fish of Arion, who was found at al-aduenture, in the midst of the Mediterrane sea?
14 Neither doth the report at Lesbos any whit confirme this tale. For who knoweth not that eueryevery countrie, hath straunge reports of it selfe, which by the common sort are reputed for great truths? If we looke on our owne land, how many things hauehave bene said of King Arthure, and of the Prophet Merlin, who although they may hauehave in them some ground of truth (which I will not stand to dispute) yet questionlesse much vanitie is mixed there withall. We need no better example, then the selfe same Herodotus, who although in his positiue declarations, he be held a good Historian,Tull. de Legib. lib. 1. and therefore is named by Tully Historiae pater, the father of storie, yet in his by-digressions by heare-saies and reports, he hath so many vntruths, that by other men he is termed with a censure too too gauling, mendaciorum pater, the father of lyes. That such fames hauehave gone for currant euen among Christians,1. Tim. 1.4. Cap. 4.7. Tit. 1.14. the words of Paule to Timothie, and Titus may shew, where he speaketh of fables and Iewish fables, and of old wiues fables also. Now for the picture or image of the Dolphin, and the man sitting vponupon it, that doth make a great deale lesse: for inuentions and wrong deuises, are wrought as well as truthes, by painters and image-makers. Saint Austen telleth how the Gentiles reported,August. de consensu Euangelistarū lib. 1.10. that Christ was a sorcerer, and that he did his workes by Magicke; and because they had seene Iesus in windowes, painted with Peter and Paule standing by him, they gaue out that hee wrote vntounto them, some things concerning Magicke, not knowing saith Saint Austen,Sic omninò errare meruerunt. Non in sanctis codicibus sed in pictis parietibus. that Paule was conuerted to the faith, somewhat after Christs death. But he maketh this conclusion vponupon them: Thus hauehave they deserued to erre, who hauehave sought Christ and his Apostles, not in holy bookes but in painted wals, and windowes. That which he iudged in a matter of farre greater importance, that I may say of this. A picture or image is not an argument of an approoued truth, although Maister Campian do call such in church windowes,Campian Ration. 10. Testes fenestrae Rondeletius in Delphino for witnesses of the veritie of his cause. So the song which is now extant, and said to be Arions, is as weake a proofe as any; for why might not another man, beleeuing the tale to be true, put it out in his name? Yea peraduenture if hee did not beleeue it, as in Poets we hauehave many speeches fayned on other mens persons. Then we may gather, that either the narration is altogether fabulous, or if he were so throwne by any into the water, that another shippe intercepted him, the badge whereof was a Dolphin (as in the Actes of the Apostles,Act. 28.11. the badge of that shippe wherein Paule sayled, was Castor and Pollux.Natal. Com. Mytholog. 8.14.) And thereupon together with the inuention of Antiquitie, grew the fable, as some other hauehave imagined.
15 To apply this somewhat nearer to my bresent purpose, and to a true vse in Diuinitie, if there were any such matter of the Dolphin and Arion, (as I in no sort do beleeue it) we must hold it for a miracle wrought by the Diuell, who by the Lords permission hath false wonders of his, as God hath true of his. Christ saith that false Christes, and false Prophets, shall shew great signes and wonders, Matth. 24.24so that if it were possible, they should deceiue the very elect. Apoc. 13.13 Exod. 7.11.The beast in the Reuelation, doth bring fire downe from heauen. When Moses was in Egypt, the sorcerers had their sleights, wrought by the finger of Sathan.Euseb. Hist. Eccles. 9.2. August. de ciuit. Dei. 10.16. Eusebius speaketh of straunge deedes, done by the Diuell and by Magicke. Saint Austen in his tenth booke De ciuitate Dei, doth attribute such credite to the stories of the Romanes, that he thinketh that the Troiane Penates (which were a kind of images) did go from place to place: and that Tarquine with a razor,Liuius. lib. 1. (Liuie saith it was Actius Nauius) did cut a whetstone in peeces, and other such like things named there,August. de vnitate Eccles. Tom. 7. Figmenta mē dacium hominum, vel portenta fallacium spirituum. but he addeth that these were done, by the power of infernall spirits. So in his booke De Vnitate Ecclesiae, speaking of miraculous matters, he maketh this diuision of them: Let these things be set aside, being either fained inuentions of lying men, or monstrous actes of cousining spirits, supposing that some strange reports, were fained and inuented by men, and some other things were indeed brought about and effected by the Diuell. If we would hold this, of the Musitian in Herodotus for a truth, then it teacheth vsus this doctrine, that as an Ape is the imitatour of man, in his acts and gestures, so is Sathan the Ape of God, to follow him in his powerfull workes. But how farre doth he come short of the originall which he looketh at? He followeth him indeed,Virgil. Aenci. 2. but it is non passibus aequis, with very vnequall steppes. He seeth that God is mightily glorified, in doing such straunge and rare deedes, as he pleaseth; and he will study to do the like, that himselfe also may be glorified among the sonnes of darkenesse. As the Lord shall hauehave his Ionas to be spoken of eueryevery where, so he will hauehave his Arion, both of them throwne downe into the sea, and both saued by a fish.
16 Hence it is, that we hauehave so many arguments of his suttle imitation. God hath appeared like an Angell: and Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light.Iudic. 6.11. 2. Cor. 11.14 Io…uah. 10.11 Liuius. lib. 25. & 30. God rayned stones on the enemies of Iosuah, when they fled before him from the battell; and Liuie writeth of credit, that in the time of the Romane wars with Hannibal, it rained stones for two dayes together on the hill called Mons Albanus. Hirtius de bello Africo.So Hirtius that great welwiller of Iulius Caesar, doth write that when Caesar was personally present in his wars in Africa, very stones fell on the armie, as it vseth to haile.Exod. 16.14. Genes. 19.24 Liuius. lib. 40. & lib. 3. Orosius. 7.32 Liu. lib. 27. Bozius lib. 2. contra Machiauellum. God rayned Manna from heauen, and fire and brimstone vponupon Sodome, the one to helpe, the other to hurt. So the stories of the Romanes do mention, that it rayned bloud, and rayned flesh, and wooll too saith Orosius, in the dayes of the Emperour Valentinian, and milke & other such stuffe: which (as the learned do gather) were of purpose caused by Sathan, that supplications might be made, and sacrifices to him, as the heathen people did commonly vse, in such fearefull & frightfull times, thinking that they had performed some deuotion to some Gods, when all was to the Diuell. Abraham was commaunded to sacrifice his sonne to please the Lord;Genes. 22.1. Ouid. Metamorph. 12. Iudic. 11.39. Agamemnon was bid to sacrifice his daughter, to please the prince of darknesse. A ram was slaine for Isaac: for Iphigenia an hind. As Iephthe offered vp his daughter, which was supposed by some to be a point of religion, so the Carthaginians and many other Gentiles,Plutarch. de Superstitione. did offer men to their idols, vponupon their altars. There came from God answers, in obscure and darke causes:1. Sam. 28.6. the Oracles of the heathen, as at Delphos and elsewhere did resemble that, when foule spirits did there giuegive answere. The true Temple at Hierusalem, had in imitation of it,Act. 19.27. a false temple at Ephesus to Diana, and in diuerse other places the like to other, as the Capitoll at Rome. Aulus Gellius in reckening vp the apparell, and ceremonies of the Romane Flamen Dialis, Gel. l. 10.15.hath many things meerely taken from the high Priest of the Iewes, as he may see who compareth them. Ambrose in his Commentarie on the eighth Chapter to the Romanes,Ambros. in Roman. 8. sheweth that as Christ was taken vp to his Father in a cloud, so Simon Magus also to procure himselfe credit, did flye aboue in the ayre, which no doubt was done by the speciall meanes of the Prince of the ayre,Ephes. 2.2. who aduaunced such a businesse. This is the fraude of him, who is the fountaine and welspring, and chiefe Lord of all deceipt. And as on the one side, by his vndertaking of such actions, or semblances rather, his great vaine-glorie doth appeare, and that the meanes whereby he seeketh it, is the imitation of God: so, on the other side, it is a great argument for the truth, against all Epicures, and Atheists, conuincing that in the bookes of the Bible, there is a diuine and most vndoubted veritie. For as counterfeits do euermore presuppose, that there be some such indeed, as whom they take on them to resemble, (as he who made shew to be the sonne of Herod the Great,Ioseph. Antiquit. 17.14. did argue that there had bene such a one, who was in truth called Alexander: and in England in the dayes of King Henry the seuenth, Perkin Warbecke, who pretended to be the Prince Edward the fifth,Holinshed in Henrico septimo. did manifestly declare that there had bene one of that name.) And as the coyners of false money, do imply by their attempt, that some of that stampe, is good and currant in one place or other. And as Alchimistes who do labour to make gold by proiection, do intend that there is naturall gold. Yea as painters howsoeuer they may somtimes make pictures of fained deuises, yet account their art to be a resemblance of that, which verily is, or hath bene: So the manifold and laborious affected imitation, of the sacred stories, and such things as were done in them, doth giuegive the wise and holy soule fully to vnderstand, that the patterne which is so followed, and curiously shadowed by so many inuentions, is a matter of truth, of iustifiable verity, and absolutely without exception. But I vrge not this any farther.
17 In the second place, if we will take the whole tale of Arion for an vntruth, which it much rather doth deserue, it doth remember vsus of as fruitfull instruction another way. And that is the wonderfull suttlety of Satan, to discredit the writings of the Scriptures, as farre as lyeth in him. For when it should be spoken ouer any part of the world, that such or such a thing was done, which was true in our Prophet, if he might be able to bring another matter, like to it in resemblance, which yet in truth should be but fabulous, the first might be disgraced with the common sort of men,Quintil. Orat. Instit. lib. 4.6. in comparing it with the second. Quintilian in his sixth booke of the Principles of Rhetoricke, going about to teach how one false thing, may be displaied and discouered with another, bringeth this for an example: When one Victoriatus had sayd, that in Sicily he had bought a Lamprey, which was fiue foote long, another called Galba did make him answer, that it was no maruell, for in that countrey saith he, the breed of them is commonly so large, that fishermen do vse them for the lines of their angles. Here if any man had inferred, that the latter tale was certainly a lye, Galba by and by would hauehave replied, so also is the other. The old and crafty serpent, saw this to be a good way, to bring the Scripture in doubt, by fables like to the Scripture. And this doth Iustinus Martyr assigne to be the reason, why so many things in the old tales, are like to the truths of the word of God. He principally insisteth in the person of Christ Iesus himselfe.Iustin. Mar. Apolog. 2. The diuels sayth he being taught by the Oracles of the Prophets, many things concerning Christ vvho was to come, caused like things to be spread touching diuerse sonnes of Iupiter, hoping that those who heard those monstrous trifles, would beleeue no more of Christ, then they did of the other. For an example he citeth that of Aesculapius, who by the Heathen was reported, to be able to cure any defect, and was held to be the sonne of God: which was drawne from hence, because it was fore-prophecied of Iesus,Isay. 42.7. that his power should be such, as to giuegive sight to the blind, to restore limmes to the lame, to raise vp those which were dead. He reputeth this to be the worke of Satan, that men might no more beleeue the true reports of our Sauiour, then the fained things of the other.
18 If we will looke on their old Poets, as well Latine as Greekes, we shall see how this purpose was pursued, in very many matters.Genes. 1.1. The confusion of all things which was before the world was made, and the manner of the creation, is shadowed and pointed at,Hesiod. in Theogonia. Ouid. Metamorph. 1. Genes. 3.22. Homer. Odis. E. Genes. 7.11. Ouid. Metamorphos. 1. Munster. lib. 5. Cosmogr. cap. de Babil. Genes. 11.3. Ouid. Metamorph. 1. Iust. Martyr. in cohortatione ad Graecos. Genes. 19.26. Ouid. Metamorph. 6. Iudic. 13.24. Diodor. Sic. lib 4.2. Virgil. 6. Aeneid. by the Chaos of Hesiodus, but most elegantly by Ouid, in the beginning of his Metamorphosis. If God hauehave a tree of life in Paradise, whereof who so euer eateth shall not dye, but by the restauratiue force thereof, shall be kept and euermore maintained in cheerefulnesse and fresh youth, the Poets will hauehave Nectar and Ambrosia, which shall worke with their Gods the like effect. The deluge in Noahs time, is quitted among the Greekes with the deluge of Deucalion. If Noah did see things before and after the floud, they will hauehave Ianus for him, who shall be double-faced, and looke forward and backward, for the learned do suppose that Noah was meant by their Ianus. If the people do go about, to build the tower of Babel vp to the heauē, so to get themselues a name, the Giants shall be sayd to lay Pelion vponupon Ossa, and Olympus on the top of both, so to plucke Iupiter out of heauen. Iustine Martyr who is auncient, sayth expresly that all the tale of the Giants piling vp those hils, was in imitation of the story of the tower of Babel. If Lots wife for her fault be turned into a salt-stone, their Niobe for her fault, shall be turned to a stone likewise. If there be a Sampson of the Israelites exceeding for his strength, there is a Hercules among the Gentiles, who shall do as much as he. If there be hell for the damned, and heauen for those that be blessed, Virgil will hauehave his Paradise, those Elysian fields, and tortures also for wicked ones, among the ghosts below. But if all of them should be serued, as Virgil was for his labour, they would gaine little by the bargaine; for as he had hell from vsus, so the Papists to be quit with him, hauehave Purgatory from him. And if in our Prophet here, there be any thing worth the looking on, both Satan and his Poets will not be behind hand with him. If he be in the whale for three dayes and three nights,Natales Comes Mythologiae. 8.3. their Hercules shall be also for three dayes in a whale. And if one will not serue thē turne, they will make it vp in two. If Ionas drenched in one place, be seene aliue in another, Arion cast into the sea, shall appeare againe at Corinth.
19 This is the deadly fraud of the enemy of our soule,Tertul. in Apolog. 22. who in suggesting lyes for truth, by himselfe and his instruments, would defame the word of God. For he himselfe being a suttle spirit, and eueryevery where at hand, knew the Scriptures well inough: where they lay he did reade them: where they were read, he could heare them: he knew them well inough, when he cited the text to Christ:Matth. 4.6. and he brought many of his agents and ministers in place, where they might heare what the Iewes receiued,Exod. 1.1. for the grounds of their religion. The Israelites were once in bondage vnderunder Pharao in Egypt, and afterward they liued not farre from that countrey, Palestina being a neare borderer, so that the Egyptians by a neighbourly conuersation with them, did well know the manners of the Israelites: and afterward by the intercession of king Ptolomee,Ioseph. Antiquit. 1.1. the bookes of their lawes, were by the Septuagint translated into Greeke, and by that meanes were well knowne in Egypt. And whither but into Egypt, did the great scholers of old time, trauell to increase their learning?Diodor. Sic. Antiquit. 1. I find in Diodorus Siculus, that the priests of the Egyptians had it in record, that Orpheus and Musaeus, and Homer, and Lycurgus, and Plato, and Democritus were there,Augustin. de doctr. Christ. lib. 2.28. to increase their knowledge. Saint Austen citeth it out of Ambrose, that Plato being in Egypt met with Ieremy the Prophet, and learned many things of him, concerning the faith of the Israelites;De ciuit. Dei lib. 8.11. but afterward that learned father, better looking into the Chronology or computation of yeares, reformeth that opinion. For indeede Plato was after Ieremy. As it was with the Egyptians,Ierem. 52.7. so it was with the Chaldeans. The Iewes in their Babylonish captiuity were in Chaldea, whereby they also of that nation, did heare of much in the Scripture. But the Chaldees as men studious of learning, did trauell often into other countries,Tullius de Diuinat. lib. 2. yea it seemeth as farre as Rome, by Tullies second booke de Diuinatione, where he nameth their figure-casters, by no name so much as Chaldees. Thus diuerse wayes, an ignorant kind of knowledge was spread among the Gentiles, which in their study of Poetry and Philosophy, gaue them occasion of many things for their bookes.Clemens Alexandr. Stromat. 5. Iust. Mar. Apolog. 2. Clemens Alexandrinus maketh it euident, that the old Philosophers did take all their diuiner matters, from the bookes and reports of Moses. Iustinus Martyr whom so oft before I hauehave named, sayth that whatsoeuer their Poets, and Philosophers did record, of the immortality of the soule, of the paines of hell, of things in heauen or any other matter of that kind, they tooke occasion from the Israelitish Prophets, both to thinke them and to speake them. By which it is plaine, that those old Ethnickes did heare some sound of the Scriptures, and whatsoeuer truth is in their bookes, they deriued it from this fountaine.
20 But when it was once come into the hands of heathen and polluted men, it must needes tast somewhat of their handling: some drosse must be mixed with the gold; some water powred in with the wine: it must tast of the caske. Sometimes the tale shall be told otherwise,Herodot. lib. 2. Isay 37.36. as that of Sennacherib is, in the second booke of Herodotus, whose losse of so many men, by the Ange…l of God striking them, at his siege against Hierusalem, is sayd to be in Egypt, and that by an army of mice, who did no other harme but this: in the night time they did eate vp the leathers of their armours, and targets, and horse-bridles, and thereupon he was glad to flye away, with great losse of his souldiers. Sometimes that shall be reported, to be deriued from the Gentilels to the Iewes, which cleane cōtrariwise came from the Iewes to the Gentiles.Plutarch. Symposiac. lib. 4. So Plutarke writeth, that some of the principall feasts amōg the Iewes, yea their very Sabaoth day, & the word Sabbos as he calleth it, were deriued from the feasts of Bacchus; whereas in truth the solemnities of Bacchus rather came from the other, being is no comparison so auncient, as those which were vnderunder Moses. Some other times, like must go for like; but a lye for a true story, shall be broched to the world, as this which I hauehave handled, Arion for our Ionas. Sathan thought that the story reported of him, was a very great miracle, and wrought the Lord much honour, and therefore he enuied it. And besides that, it had a reference to Christ who was afterward to come, and was to giuegive him a crush, and therefore he thought it a point which was very well worth his labour, to disgrace it if he could. If there had bene any foregoing prophecy of this matter, we should hauehave had a tricke before hand for our Ionas, as he made Iupiter many sonnes and daughters too for failing,Isay. 9.6. vponupon the words of Esay, that the Lord would send a child who should be the mighty God. But it was not spoke of before, vntill the deed were done; therefore he thought not of it; and therefore it must come after. And in the dayes of the Prophet, while himselfe liued, it had bene too grosse to speake it, therefore he will stay one age, or two ages at the most, before that he publish his fable. For Ionas liued a good time before the captiuity of Babylon, either in, or sooner then the dayes of the latter Ieroboam:2. Reg. 14.25. and Arion as it seemeth, liued in the time of the captiuity: for as we reade in Herodotus,Herodot. lib. 1. he liued with Periander, who liued with Halyattes, who was father vntounto Craesus, who was conquered by Cyrus, who gaue out the first proclamation,Ezra. 1.1. for restoring the Iewes from Babylon.
21 Thus not a misse as I suppose (especially in an auditory of such learning and iudgement as this is) by comparing our Prophet here, with that fable of the Gentiles, I hauehave shewed the apish quality of Satan, in his imitation of the mightiest workes of God, and his craftinesse otherwise, in seeking by his tales, and inuented reports, to withdraw credit from the Scriptures. Whereunto I might first adde, that since we hauehave to do with an enemy of that quality, we had neede be very circumspect in regard of our selues, that we yeeld not assent, to any of the leud motions of himselfe, or other his Atheisticall agents, in going about to extenuate the credit of the word, but pray to God still to guide vsus in his vndoubted truth, both that we may beleeue, and practise that which he hath taught vsus. Secondly I might shew the conueniency, or rather the necessity, that a Minister who should expound the Scriptures, should be furnished with liberall Arts and sciences, with histories and other humane learning, that when occasion directly serueth, such knots as this is, may be opened to the honour of the true God. In which respect, I do professe my iudgement to be cleane contrary to the opinions of such men, who thinke that the vnderstanding and vse of these matters is friuolous, and vaine for a Minister, and only for ostentation; and that it skilled not if there were no Vniuersities, or schooles where these things are studied. I repute them the great blessings of the Lord of heauen, affoorded to vsus, for the apparant furtherance of his ministery, and the profession of Diuinity. How can the Reuelation and the prophecy of Daniel be vnderstood without these? The like may be sayd of some other parts of Scripture. When with so many helpes of history, from the Greeke and from the Latine, the best and most laborious wits, cannot attaine to the depth of many matters in them, how vnperfect and vncertaine, nay how amazed plainely should he be, that would looke into them, & knoweth nothing of antiquitie? The positiō is most true, that arte and knowledge hath none so great an enemy, as that person which is ignorant. Take away these, and bring in barbarisme. But I hauehave no time to handle this, and therefore I do leaue it, desiring God to perpetuate these arts & skils among vsus; that the meanes of our studies here, in this vngodly age be not taken away from vsus, for our abusing of them; but that they may continue as handmaides to Diuinity, and seruants vntounto the Scriptures, till Christ Iesus come to iudgement. To him with his blessed father and his most holy Spirit be praise for euermore.