Grounds of Divinity Study, Part 1
A require Of conſent to agreement againſt Iewes, who by vsus are hardened, and periſh.
SOME of the beſt learned Iewes hauehave greatlie deſired to be taught our Goſpell. One Rabbi Elias of Germanie whole 21. yeres: with whom in Francfurt Synagogue 1589. I drew all the lawe to Chriſt, ſo that he denied nothing: but ſtill deſired to heare the matter enlarged. We diſputed vponupon this oath, That God ſhould ſtrike him preſently, that ſpake againſt conſcience. So he never denied any thing that I ſpake, but requeſted leave to moove doubtes: and departed with deſire to bee taught by printing. That our Conference was reported by Iewes to Constantinople, and by further inſtigation thence R. Abraham Ruben ſent his Epiſtle to England: which when I had printed in Baſil, Rabbi Elias came thither, & was ſo mooved by that Epiſtle, and longe talke vponupon the New Teſtament, that he brake into theſe wordes, ſaying: Oh that you would tranſlate the New Teſtament in ſuch Hebrew as now you ſpeake to me, ye ſhould turne all our Nation. On the morow I went to Zurick, and he renued his deſire. He deſired the Conſull to write to Zurick a requeſt of returning, to teach him further: But my occaſions could not ſuffer. And after my returne from Zurick, two Italian Iewes came thither: and ſeeing what I had printed, ſpecially vponupon Daniel, beleeved and were baptized, and came to Baſil to ſee me. An other is in England now, as I heare: who by my occaſion tooke the Goſpell. And in Wormes a milde & eloquent Iew tolde me, that if I could ſhewe that God was in Chriſt, in all other poinctes, Moſes ſhould giuegive place to the Goſpell. And generally it pleaſeth them to ſpeake to Princes of Germanie, that the Hebrew ſtyle which calleth them to faith, cōmeth nearer the Prophetes purenes, thē their beſt: forced for the ſimple Iewes to patch Languages. Thus far a doore is opened. But ſome are bent frowardly: wherof one requeſted diſputation in a great Hall, and had it. Others aunſwered with blame of our diſagreement for one article: our maine▪ Catelthein eis hajdou. Others demaund explication of Conſent: where Iewes conſent to all, is handled: and Epiſtle to the Hebrew, and Apocalyps.
The ſumme of Rabbi Farars diſputation: in Syllogiſmes of this:
I.
If the kindred of Chriſt (how he cometh of David) bee not in the Goſpell, it can not be from God.
But the firſt is true. Therefore the latter alſo.
II.
If Iechonias of Salomon begat Iechonias Neri of Nathan, Luc. 3. cannot be his father:
But moſt large conſent holdeth the firſt:
Therefore ſo the later is falſe.
III.
If the legges of Daniels Image figure the Romanes, the true Redeemer is not yet come. For all the Image muſt equally be broken to duſt.
But the firſt hath Chriſtians infinite conſent.
Therefore alſo the ſecond.
IV.
For Daniels ſeavens, whereby ye end Moſes ceremonies, that hey… are not to be vſed, ye hauehave no conſtant agreement.
But as Barbinel ſaith: ſo many opinions as heades: ſo many deny, all but one, your Goſpell to be from God.
But your diverſitie is endles. Two Vniverſitie Profeſſors of your countrey ſhalbe cited: and two of Marpurge in publike diſputation, profeſſors both are famous by Epiſtles of ſtudentes. Your two are D. Iohn Reinolds of Oxford, and Mai. Ed. Liuely of Cambridge. Both their wordes you hauehave printed. Reinolds beginneth the time at the meſſage of the Angel, or at the firſt of Cyrus, his ſpeech is long, but that is the ſum. And for the end thus he writeth: Septuaginta ſeptimanis completis exciſus est Chriſtus. So he muſt needes meane that 490. yeares after the Angells Meſſage to Daniel, Chriſt was kild: But, as not holding that true, he ſaith, the Angel meant no certen time: But, ſi Angelus dixiſſet, poſt octies 70. annos excidetur Chriſtus, praecisè & propriè locutus eſſet Angelus: quoniam praecisè ab eo tempore interceſſerunt anni 560. This Oxford ſchooles heard, and you cite the Page of his Lectures written. Maiſt. Ed. Liuely, and his commender whom you terme Bar. Lo. denieth Meſſias, Dan. 9 to meane the Redeemer, & beginneth the time at 137▪ yeres after the returne, & ended it as we doe at Iernſalems Flames, and as we doe, ſo he, denyeth any time certen, whē Meſſias ſhould come into the world, or to teach, and to redeeme: & Bar Lo is highly honored after commendation of his doctrine. Againe as we ſo they two, Liuely and Bar Lo teach that ſacrifices were lawfull in Emperour Veſpaſianes time. You can hauehave no conſcience in your Religion, if you ſuffre men to live, that denie all your religion, or them that ſell ſuch bookes as good. But Portugalles know, that Bar Lo was twiſe Buy-ſhoppe ſince that time. And ſo you know that a Preacher Lutheran of Francfurt ſaide, there, was no religion in England: wee Iewes thinke there can be none, till better doctrine here cometh.
V.
If the text of the New Teſtament bee corrupt, it can not be from God. But Th. B. ſpent ſixtie yeares to proove that it is moſt corrupt, & hath full many longe ſpeeches to prove that, and triumphet what infinite varietie of copies he hath ſeene, and him you holde your chief: and for him Quirites binde not the Greeke with our Ebrew, as holding Ieromes tranſlation better.
Therefore by this doctrine your New Teſtament ſhould not be frō God: for God would keepe that which he gave, as our Ebrew to every Iod.
VI.
If you hold moſt ridiculous Fables to bee part of Gods Hebrewes doctrine, where we Iewes never holde, I meane the Apocrypha, all fables, or trifling writers: how can wee thinke yours the Prophets of God? we can never doe it.
But the Apocrypha be, cheeck by cheeck with your New Teſtament: Therefore we are to thinke your New Teſtament to be no better.
The ſum of anſwer.In my booke of our Lordes Familie, I anſwered to moſt of theſe: and I make a ſole treatiſe of the Apocrypha: what vſe it hath, as your Midraſoth or Fables: and Col b…, in a treatiſe of ſentences, Syracides is no better.
Now I will brieflie lay downe a ſhort anſwere to all for the ſimpleſt.
To the firſt. Sainct Luke Chap. 3. telleth, that our Lord is of Ely properly, as Mary was his daughter: and that Ioſeph is not ther ſaide to be ſonne to anie, but Ieſus is ſonne to all, there: who were the pillers of heaven, as Iob termeth mountaines, in their ages.
The ſeconde. All Iewes of conſcience might ſee that in Ieremie God ſware Iechonias ſhould die childles, as theirs all there note, and that he begat Salathiel no more then he begate his Vncle Sedekias, elder then him ſelfe: yet by ſucceſſion is his ſonne, 1. Chron. 3. And Sainct Mathew beeing now not a Publican but a Doctor in Law, knew law phraſes: and that all learned would agree to his ſpeech, where the ſtorie was knowen.
To the third. All of Conſcience where my Commentaries vponupon Daniel come, which I gave the Iewe him ſelf, will ſweare, that Seleucidae and Logidae be figured by the Images legges: and my Ebrew bookes and many thouſandes in copies beſides, tell the ſame. What hauehave I to doe to defende mens dotage? The dead, died in the repentance of errours: Let the living anſwere for themſelves.
To the fourth. Oxford knoweth, how I forced D. R. to agree with mee for the limites of Daniels ſeavens. And D. Kennel can not forget that. I will record it. D. Kennel told me in London, thus: Our D R hath turned all vsus of all degrees againſt you. Then ſaid I: Preſently will I turne you to me: ſpeaking ſo, as calling for God to ſtrike you preſentlie, if you ſpeake againſt your conſcience. God forbid, ſayth he, that I ſhould denie that. Then marke, ſaid I, The Angell ſaith: Seaventie ſeavens of yeares (that is 490.) are ſhewed moſt exactly: For to ſeale ſinne and bring iuſtice by the death of Chriſt: when muſt the time begin? ſaid I: At the Angells houre of ſpeech, ſaith he. And when end? when Chriſt dieth, ſaith he. Tell D Reinolds he may as well deny God as thoſe limites: Hee telleth him, and D. R. ſo ſettleth them. ſo the ſtrife is ended. They who can not ſuffer him blamed for ſaying the Angell meant no certen time, ſhall anſwere me before God. I wrote an Epiſtle to Oxford Doctours, that ſuch doctrine deſerved to ſend Oxon to Helice and Bura. They complayned to Lord Will▪ Burghley, Chancelor of Cambridge. He cooled their courage, with report to my friends, what wiſe men they of Oxon were, that complayned to him of me. Now let Oxon anſwer the Iew for D. R. And all who countenance Bar Lo▪ who for M. Liuely raved againſt that conſent which GOD gaue to Scripture, I did but in part ſhewe it, ſhould thinke them ſelves ſo farre ſonnes of Gehenna with him. God will not be mocked, nor regardeth perſon, and holdeth thankles and godles neighbours. The ſight of Scriptures concent is more worth then all the golde in the world. So the mocking of it is one of the higheſt degrees of Atheiſine. And all who revenge not that, if they can, can not eſcape Gods revenge. When iuſt complaint is made for moſt manifeſt and moſt weightie iniurie againſt God: all that bee ſlow to revenge, ſhall finde God readie to revenge them. Though Doeg proſper a while: he that denieth conſent to be in ſcripture, may as well denie God to be the authour of it. And none but godles will ſuffer that. So the reioycers in the Libell, whē it was, who ſuffred the other, many had quicke paſſage hence: not as well dying. Moo ſhould weigh deſert for fellowſhip with wicked. All be Atheiſtes which deny concent of word to be from God.
To the fift. of Iakim Math. There is not a letter amiſſe, nor contraritie in the New Teſtament: The true copy ſaith: Iechonias (not Iakim) begot Salathiel, as Beza vnchecked his check, ſo the French, & Engliſh ſhould. Of this I hauehave elſwhere written.
Of Barachias and Ieremie, Math. 23. and 27. In Barachias for Iohaiadah, Saint Mathew followeth the notation Bleſſe God▪ for: God hath the knowledge. So Ammiel and Eliam, be one man. Iochanan & Ioachaz the King, by Kimchi: & Ichoiadah and Iohn, and Iohn and Chen in Zacharie, and about 60. propre names for notatiō diverſe are in the holy margent readings among the 848. the Ebrew double readings: whereof I hauehave much written. Now Exalt God, and remembrance God be of one force: as Ceplias & Peter. And ſo S. Mathew in a knowē perſon eloquently and ſtately by imitation of the old Teſtament ſheweth that hee wrote by the ſame Lordly ſpirit as penned the Law. Senſes exerciſed, would never ſtagger at that. As Ezra and Malachy are the ſame man by the Thalmud.
Of Rempham. And ſoules 75. Act. 7. Of theſe I hauehave written in my Conſent of Scripture. Well I trow though vcalegon Iſcariota ſchoph, that of Rempham. He that teacheth, Our Lord in Catacyrievo blamed Heathen Rulers of tyrānie: where Prov. 8. he ſaith, Princes by him decree Iuſtice, will litle regard what to ſcoph, for Gehēna.
Of yeares 450. after a ſort. Act. 13. This number hath bene blamed: And Rhemiſtes in the Martialcie requeſted Biſh. Elmer that ſome ſhould reproove them, if it could be done, for tranſlating after the Latin, and refuſing the Greeke copy: and they choſe that of Act. 450. Biſhop Elmer, that rarely favoured me, requeſted me to diſpute with them. I did ſo, and they ſoone yeelded. Iſcariofa libelled that I defended the 70. tranſlation, of a copie which I ſhould ſay was foūd in Geneva betwixt two walles, And that all laughed at me. I wonder what aſſe ever could be ſo vnlearned, as to thinke that ever any now 1300. yeares would defend the 70▪ which is no wher extant, but patched infinitely. And I marveile who ſhould dreame of any 70. found at Geneva betwixt two walles: the father of lies Belial taught Ben Belial ſo to lie. I complayned, but ſped no better then Abakuk. Ch 1. The blamed ſped wel in a thankfull people, who hauehave his nyſe learning in high eſteeme. Such Lactuce is fit for ſuch lippes.
Of Boanerges.Thus the Iewes diſpute, if Boanerges be corrupt, Chriſt was not God, who kept not the name which he gaue Iames & Iohn. But Geneva holdeth that name corrupt: and what ſcholes allow not the writer?
Therefore by ſuch Chriſt ſhould not be God.
Anſwere. Geneva was warned of this checking, to a Genevite in the way to their towne: when the Genevite bragged of deepe amending the holy text. But they could never bee quiet till they wearied the warner out of towne. Soone after GOD threatened by Savoy to take their towne. The anſwer is eaſie: that the Iewes to this day made Scheva O a, as Noabyim for Nebyim: ſo Boanerges, where Th. B. would hauehave Benerges, Iewes generally will defend our Goſpell.
Of Armageddon. Armageddon is vily vexed. Moſt of all by Danaeus, but I will not cite his corruption. Our Geneva had Arma-Geddon. Th. Beza noteth an huge companie of differences. That is iniurious, where Gods authoritie is ſo cleare by art.
Against Harmegiddo.If Origenes Octaploun were extant, where the Ebrew is expreſſed in Greeke notes: the letter Eh, by a weake ſpirit, as in Abel, Alleluja, Agar, Ephphata, Aman, Ararj, & Ar, in Euſebius, for oros a mountain we might well gueſſe by that which we hauehave, that many thouſands of exāples doe cheke the blame of Ar, to turne it into Har. So For ME as better then MA. many thouſand or Examples would ſhewe that ſhewa is oftener A then E. as in Iſaac, and twice in Nathanael. So for little Chirik, that it is many thouſand time E ſhort. And the whole word Mageddon with N. is in the 70. Eſay 10. and elſwhere. So the checking of God in all the ſyllables of Armageddon, againſt ſo many warrantes: to prove that wee hauehave not the New Teſtament that God gaue: this can but exceedingly greeue all that ſee Iewes hence made fewell for Gehenna, and many of our owne cooled from zeale.
Of Sabbaton act. blamed by M. Scaliger. that it ſhould be Sabbatωn, in the newter gendre. M. Scaliger greatly forgat him ſelfe for thinking that Tω ſabbatωn ωnos, could agree with Greek In all the tongue, the like is not, the text in all copies ſtandeth well.
Of the ſtorie of the adultereſſe, Iohn 8. In a Latin Epiſtle to the Princes of Germanie, I hauehave ſhewed that Saint Iohn by one Thalmudique rule ſheweth more learning then any forger could. I am loth to repeat it, to Anabrais. For it would be tedious and hard for the vnebrewed.
Of Cainan. Luc. 3. For this Cainan, I hauehave written at large vponupon our Lordes Familie. Thence the Reader may fetch my minde, againſt M. Scaliger, that held the Cainan ioyned to Arphaxad to be a corruptiō: Becauſe in deed the man was never in the world, and S. Luke knew that: and it would make any ſtagger why S. Luke ſhould bring, in that family, a forged name. That which I hauehave often handled, I think bitter in repetition.