King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 32
CAP. XXXII.
Zadok anſwereth to certaine Obiections and expoundeth thoſe wordes Vanitie of Vanities.
Abiather.THen Abiather the Prieſt, who had before obiected againſt the king and his wordes, roſe vp againe and ſaide. But yet (my Lords) before we collect and record thoſe the kings words, that our labour therein may not be in vaine, & beſeech you, let vsus further heare, what my Lorde Zadok will anſwere to thoſe particular Exceptions, which are taken and may be vrged hereafter for ſome preſumption againſt the Kings Words (eſpecially againſt this his ordinary talke) towards the ratification of diuers erronious opinions: that ſo, all things being made plaine by vsus (by whom thoſe the Kings Words muſt be gathered, recorded & commended to the church) there may hereafter no iuſt aduantages bee taken, nor any exceptions be admitted againſt any thing in the ſame.The princes And we are well pleaſed (ſaid the Princes) if it ſhall pleaſe my Lorde Zadok to vouchſafe vsus his learned iudgement & patience therein.zadok And I alſo (ſaid Zadok) ſhall not be vnwilling to anſwere Abiather in theſe things as the Lord ſhall enable me, for the better ſetting foorth of his glorie, and the truth of the Kings wiſedome vttered in thoſe his words. What is the firſt Exception, The firſt exception. Eccles. 1.2.tell me Abiather? The firſt Exception, (ſaid Abiather) is taken againſt thoſe words of the king, where hee ſaide, and yet dayly ſaith, Vanitie of vanities, and all is moſt plaine vanitie. There is not any of you all, but hauehave heard him vtter theſe words, aſwell as myſelfe: wherein (howſoeuer the king entendeth it) there be, which thinke that the king therein condemneth all the Creatures of God in the worlde, with all thoſe functions which, in the law of God, we are commanded to vſe and to exerciſe our ſelues in, to his high glorie, the good of his Church, and the benefite of the common-wealth. And this he would prooue by many Arguments, and in the ende ſo concludeth againe, Ʋanitie of vanities. Ye hauehave ſaid (quod zadok), Eccles. 12.9. The anſwere.but by your leaue Abiather, and by your patience (my Lordes all) Séeing it is your good pleaſure I ſhall anſwere, I am the more willing (as I ſaid) and ready to ſpeake for my Lord the Kings Wordes: It is true, that the King hath ſaide and dayly ruminateth this propoſition, Vanitie of vanities, Vanitie of vanities.and all is but vanitie: as the ground or concluſion of thoſe his Words. But doth that conclude a contempt of the Creatures, and of the holy functions and gifts of God, which in their natures are good? Nothing leſſe. Nor (indéed) hath the king ſpoken therein of thoſe Creatures, or of the true vſe of them in their kinde, nor of thoſe lawfull functions either in the Church, or in the Common wealth: But the wordes (hauing a large ſcope) doe neuertheleſſe include in them all thoſe things which are placed vnderunder the Sunne onelyonly: that is to ſay, within the kingdome of vanitie: Vanities kingdome.Wherein is found to reigne much malice and little wiſedome, wherin all things be vicious, all things be loathſome, al things are full of obſcuritie and ſnares, wherein ſoules bee endangered, bodyes be afflicted; wherein all things be vanitie, and affliction of the ſpirite: and within the which are not comprehended any of thoſe workes or wayes of God.foreign The labour of man vnderunder the ſunne. And this the king hath ſometime noted by the foreign or labour of man vnderunder the Sun: which word (as ye well know) noteth rather the affliction of the minde, then a worke of the body, or any other labor. But to make this yet more plaine, let vsus conſider firſt what the King meaneth by this word Vanitie, and then, what the things are, which he comprehendeth vnderunder the ſame. For why ſhould men contende about that, whereof they knowe neither the meaning, nor the reaſon? Therefore yee ſhall vnderſtand, that this worde foreign Ʋanitie, foreign vanitie.(which the king vſeth ſingularly and abſolutely ſignifieth a very light thing, that which ſoone vaniſheth away as the ſmoke, or as a bubble of the water, and as touching any profite, is worth nothing.pſal 144 The vanitie of Adams ſonnes, (as ſaide the Pſalmiſt). Thus Adam and Hevah repoſing all their hope of the promiſed ſeede in Cain their firſt borne, whom they called, a man of the Lord, they thought of the next Sonne, but as of a meere trifle, or tranſitorie thing in reſpect of him, and therefore they named him Habel, Gen. 4.1.2.vanitie. But the King here ſpeaketh of an exceeding great vanitie, the which to declare, hee duplicateth the worde, and ſaith Vanitie of vanities: that is, beholde a notable and wonderfull great vanitie!
what things he comprehendeth vnderunder vanitie.Secondly, What things are comprehended by him within this vanitie, the next worde plainely ſheweth vsus: for in foreign Haccol: where it is to bee noted (I will ſpeake it rather to teach others, then any of you to whom the Phraſes of our tongue are ſo well knowne) that this word foreign Col, put abſolutely without He, foreignis a ſigne vniuerſall, whereby the totall ſumme of things is ſignified, and is ſo much to ſay, as All, or Altogether: Haccol.but hauing He prefixed, as Haccol, the ſame is abridged and reſtrained to ſome ſpeciall or particular ſumme of things: as not All generally or vniuerſally, but All that, that whole, that all, which is either ſpoken of before, or comprehended within ſuch a predicament, place, or time. Neither may any man thinke, but that the particle in this place, is referred to ſome particular or ſpeciall ſumme of things, or to ſome notable perſon: as when pointing to ſuch perſons, or ſuch matters, wee vſe to ſay: foreign That ſinguler, or ſpeciciall Prophet. foreign That worde, or that ſinguler, or notable worde, Ille ſermo That word.or matter. So ſaide the Gréekes foreign. So, by this, wee may not ſay that the King hath included all things vnderunder vanitie: but onelyonly a particular ſumme of things. Séeing therfore, that all things are not drawne vnderunder this vanity, but ſome things:what things are excluded from vanitie, and what not. we may conſider, firſt what the things are which are excluded, and ſtand without the compaſſe of this All: & then, what thoſe things are, which are comprehended within the ſame: both the which are to be gathered and vnderſtood, by the drift and ſcope of the Kings owne words. Firſt, therefore it may be known,1 the creatures are excluded. that all the Creatures of God are excluded, which in regard aſwell of the Creatour, beeing the beſt good; as of the perfection of the things thēſelues, being in their natures good, together with the conſeruation of them by the diuine prouidence, to and for good vſes, may not be vaine. So the king many times teacheth the true vſe of them, and willeth men neither to contemne, nor to abuſe: but to embrace, enioy, and vſe them in the feare of God.2 Subſtances of things. Neither are the Substances of things concluded in this particle All, the which notwithſtanding the diuerſitie of accidents remaine the ſame, as the Lorde hath ordained them from the beginning. Nor may we bring vnderunder this particle All, the workes and wayes of God, 3 Gods works and wayes.either ſpirituall within vsus, or externall without vsus, the which (as Moſes teſtifieth) are perfite and good. Eccles. 3.14For whatſoeuer God doth (as the King himſelfe alſo conſidered) it continueth for euer, and nothing can be put vntounto it, nor taken from it.4 Solomons temple. Nor doth this particle comprehend the Temple of God in Ieruſalem, which the King hath built and dedicated according to the will, wiſedome, and purpoſe of God, to be a type and Figure of that Church, which the true Solomon, namely Meſſiah ſhall build and dedicated to the eternall God, although that when the thing figured is effected, the figure ceaſeth and vaniſheth. Nor is the Worde of God preached, 5 Gods word preached, and the words therin comended. 6 The ſeuerall functions which are lawfull.nor the godly workes and labours therein taught and commanded to bee done, ſubiect to this partilce: nor the ſeuerall functions of the Miniſters in the Church, or of the Magiſtrates in the Common-wealth, or of huſbands, wiues, maiſters, ſeruantes, parents, cihldrē, &c. Neither may theſe things be eſteemed or called vaine without the abuſe of the things, and an offence to the Creator, and inſtitutor of the ſame, who hath made them all perfite and good in their nature, to be vſed & enioyed with thankſgiuing, and prayer in the feare of God. On the other ſide, theſe are the things which the king comprehendeth within this particle All, as namely, The counſels, the ſtudies, the endevors, Theſe things are vaine.the driftes, the devices, the purpoſes of man, aſſaying to effect and bring to paſſe all things, by, and after his owne wit, wiſedom,1 Mans purpoſes and ſtudies. and by his owne power, policies, engines, and abilitie, without the word and counſaile of Gods Spirit. Alſo all thoſe works and buildings which the King hath wrought & made for the luſt of his eyes, the luſt of his fleſh, and for the pride of life, 2 Idle workes and buildings.as thoſe which hee builded for the abhomination of his ſtrange Women, with all his labours, expences and delights, in and about the ſame. Alſo man himſelfe (as nowe vnderunder tranſgreſſion a ſtranger from the Lorde) hauing vaine thoughtes,3 Man himſelfe is vaine. vaine wordes, vaine deedes, as of whom ſaid the Kings father: Man is altogether vanitie, yea, and lighter then vanitie it ſelfe) is ſurely herein comprehended.4 The abuſes which Solomon toucheth in this Booke. Finally, the King here noteth all thoſe deviſes, counſels, studies, workes, matters and things, the which are deſcried & found to be within Vanities kingdome, and particularly noted in his Catalogue thereof, to the which this particle Col, ſo abridged and reſtrained by He, hath a ſpeciall relation. And ſurely, this is a mayne and mightie ſtroke againſt the prudence and vertues of the naturall man: to abate his pride, to humble him, to teach him to admitte correction, to hearken to good counſaile, to meditate of his owne condition, to diſtruſt his owne wayes, to vſe the Creatures, and not to abuſe them, to turne himſelfe from thoſe things of vanities kingdome, which are tranſitorie and vaine, and to affect and follow after the things ſpirituall and heauenly, which are permanent for euer, and of the greateſt price to all effects and purpoſes. * Then replyed Abiather, Abiather.and ſayde vntounto Zadok, In that ye hauehave denyed the conſequence (moſt reuerend Father yee, hauehave right well ſatiſfied vsus; neither (indeede) perceiue I how of the Kings Wordes (as yee hauehave expounded them) wee may conclude the contempt of the Creatures of God: or the condemnation of thoſe ordinarie functions in the Church and Common-wealth.