Select Observations Collected out of Several Authors, Century 7
THE Seventh Century.
1. AƲſtin makes this difference betwixt Ʋ … and Frui; Ʋti eſt in ordine ad aliud, Frui eſt quod propter ſe delectatur. So that we are to uſe the World, but enjoy God.
2. That an Artificer may learn and improve his Art, three things are required, Natura, Doctrina, Ʋſus; Natural Abilities, Teaching, and Practice: So to improve in Religion, requires a New Nature, Divine Inſtruction, and Spiritual Exerciſe.
3. Malum non habet cauſam efficientem, ſed deficientem; Sin ariſeth from Deficiency, rather than any Efficient Cauſe; as Darkneſs from a deficiency of Light; and therefore is rather a Privation, a Non-Entity, than any poſitive Being.
4. Auſtin, ſpeaking of the Souls of good Men departed, tells us his Opinion, Quod in ſecretis animarum receptaculis, ſedibuſque requieſcunt; That they are at reſt in ſome certain ſeats and receptacles of Souls provided for them. De Civ. Dei, l. 12. cap. 9.
5. It's ſaid of Claudianus, That he doubted of the Providence of God governing the World, till he ſaw the ſtrange Death and Fall of Ruffinus, who was a very wicked Man, yet in High Place. Whereupon he is reconciled in his thoughts about Providence, ſaying, Tolluntur in Altum, ut lapſugraviore ruant; Wicked Men are lifted up on high, that they may have the greater fall. Mollerus.
6. Man's Nature was perfect in the firſt Adam, but not being united to God, as it is now in Chriſt, fell from God.
7. A meer Doctrinal Repreſentation of God was not ſufficient to manifeſt him to us in his Love, Grace and Mercy, and therefore hath manifeſted theſe really in the Perſon of his Son.
8. Though Chriſt was the Son of Man, yet was not repreſented in Adam as the reſt of Mankind; for then he had ſin'd in him, as all others have done, he being a Legal as well as a Natural Head.
9. The Jews looking to the Law for Salvation, and to the Meſſiah only for Temporal Deliverance, was the great reaſon of their Fall. Owen of Juſt. p. 110.
10. The Heathen abuſed the upper World to Idolatry, and the lower World to Senſuality; and ſo diſhonoured the Creator by all his Creatures.
11. It is a Socinian Notion, That God intended not in the New-Covenant to raiſe Man to greater abilities to Obey God, but only to accommodate the Rule of Obedience to Man's weak and lapſed ſtate.
12. After Adam ſin'd, he ceaſed to be a Repreſentative-Head to his Poſterity: And therefore though it's thought he believed it the Promiſed Seed, and walked in obedience to God; yet this concerned not them, but himſelf only after his Fall.
13. Deus quieſcens agit, agens quieſcit, is a pithy ſaying of Auſtin; God always acts, though always at reſt; and always at reſt, though alway is acting. And, Deus viſibilia inviſibilitèr …pperatur, is a like ſententious Saying of the ſame Father. God effects viſible things invſibly. Operationes Dei deſcendunt ad nos, eſſen…ia tamen manet inacceſſa.
14. The Circulus Platonicus, or the groundleſs conceit of Plato, That after the Revolution of a certain number of years, all things ſhould return into their former ſtate, was too much favoured by Origen, and diſputed againſt by Auguſtin, de Civ. Dei, l. 12. c. 20.
15. Some have ſaid of the Syrens, That they will Sing when the Sea is ſtormy, and Mourn when it is calm; becauſe in the former they were chear'd with hope, in the latter caſt down with fear. Lud. de Dieu in Aug.
16. Every Man's Life moves with an equal pace to death, but ſome have a longer journey than others to it. And every moment of life is detractio vitae, a detraction of a part of Man's Life.
17. When God ſaid to Adam, Adam, where art thou? he did not ſay it, quaſi ignorando quaerere, but quaſi admonendo increpare, ſaith Auſtin; Not ſo much to enquire where he was, as to rebuke him for what he had done.
18. It was the Error of Apollinaris, That the Divine Nature did ſupply in Chriſt the place of an Humane Soul; corrupting the Tert John 1.14. The Word was made Fleſh.
19. Pride debaſeth Man, by turning Ma… from God to himſelf; but Humility exalteth him, by turning him from himſelf to God To forſake God, who is the Principle o… Man's Being; and to cleave to himſelf, as his Principle, is Perverſa Celſitudo, (ſaith Auſtin) A perverſe Exaltation of Man. Which made him ſay, That it was more profitable to a proud Man to fall into ſome ſin to humble him, than ſibi placere, to go on pleaſing himſelf in his pride.
20. Adam's ſin, in eating the forbidden Fruit, had theſe Aggravations. 1. Becauſe the Commandment was but One. 2. Eaſie. 3. The Threatning ſevere. 4. The Majeſty of God that commanded, infinite. 5. The Goodneſs God had ſhewed him was unſpeakable. 6. And to diſobey ſo ſuddenly after his Creation, and upon the firſt Temptation, &c.
21. A True Chriſtian is Civis ſursùm, peregrinus deorsùm; A Citizen above, but a Stranger here below. It was Cain and not Abel that went out from the preſence of the Lord, and built Cities; and Cain's Poſterity, that were the Inventers of Arts about earthly things.
22. Abraham might more eaſily believe God could raiſe Iſaac from the dead, becauſe he had before raiſed him out of his dead Body.
23. Immoderate deſire is ſinful, though of a ſmall thing; as of Eſau's Pottage.
24. A carnal Heart gathers evil, whence a good Heart will gather good. As from the ſhortneſs of Life, One will hence ſay, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we muſt die. Another is quickned by it to improve his time, and to be doing good.
25. It was diſputed among the Heathen Philoſophers, whether Vertue was to be loved for it ſelf or not? The Stoicks aſſerted it, and made an Idol of it; but Chriſtianity referrs all to God.
26. We find in daily Experience, That a Man by once refuſing a good offered to him, may loſe it for ever. Which makes the puniſhment of Hell Eternal, as it is, Poena damni, The puniſhment of Loſs, Men having refuſed the offers of Grace.
27. By paying the Debt of Obedience, we cannot be diſcharged of the debt of puniſhment due for Sin. Paying one debt, doth not diſcharge another. So that by our Obedience, we cannot merit Pardon.
28. Seeing that temporal Good and Evil are common to all, we ſhould ſtrive after that Good which is peculiar to good Men, and avoid that evil which is peculiar to evil Men.
29. Auſtin makes this difference betwixt the Firſt and Second Death: Prima mors animam nolentem pellit de corpore, ſecunda, animam nolentem tenet in corpore; The Firſt Death drives the Soul unwillingly out of the Body, the Second Death detains the Soul unwillingly in the Body.
30. In a certain Iſland in India, called Titon, they ſay the Trees never ſhed their Leaves. A good Emblem of perſeverance in Grace.
31. It is ſaid of the Primitive Chriſtians, Ligabantur, caedebantur, torquebantur, urebantur, laniabantur, trucidabantur, multiplicabantur; They were bound, beaten, tortured, burned, butchered, ſlain to death, and yet under all were multiplied. And Tertullian to the ſame purpoſe, Quò magis metimur eò magis creſcimus; The more we are mowed down, the faſter we grow up.
32. Origen was ſtyled Adamantine, for his undaunted Courage, that could not be broken by Perſecutions.
33. Socrates ſaid of Anitus and Melitus, who accus'd him to take away his life, Interficere me poſſunt, laedere non poſſunt; They may kill me, but cannot hurt me. He reckoning his Soul himſelf.
34. It was a good Anſwer of Zeno the Philoſopher to one who threatned him, and ſaid, Diſpeream ni malum tibi dedero; Let me periſh if I do not do thee a miſchief. He anſwered, Diſpeream ni te mihi conciliavero; Let me periſh if I do not reconcile thee to my ſelf. A good Example of overcoming Evil with Good. Origen. contra Celſum.
35. One Sir John Palmer, being brought to the Scaffold upon Tower-hill, to die there, in the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign, looking to the Tower where he had been a Priſoner, ſaid, I have learned more in a dark corner of yonder Tower, than ever I did in my life before. Stow.
36. When Theodoſius and Eugenius were to fight a Battel, St. Theophilus the Biſhop ſent his Man with two flattering Letters, and a rich Preſent, with direction to give the Letter and the Preſent to him that ſhould conquer. And ſome think the preſent delay of Chuſing the Pope, may ariſe from ſuch a Politick ground.
37. The four living Creatures in Ezekiel's Viſion, are ſaid to be full of Eyes within and without. Some Men have Eyes without, to ſee other Mens faults; but none within, to ſee their own.
38. When Traian the Emperor delivered the Sword to the Praetor at Rome, he ſaid to him, Hôc pro me utere ſi juſta imperavero, contra me ſi injuſta; Uſe this Sword for me, if I command juſt things; and againſt me, if I command what is unjuſt. A brave Speech of an Heathen Prince.
39. Of what uſe are practical Sciences, if not reduced into practice, as of Building, Meaſuring, Writing, Numbring? So what will meer Notions in Religion avail, if we bring them not forth in Practice?
40. Diſcipulus prioris poſterior dies; The following Day is the Diſciple of the Day before it. One day teacheth another. The Experience of one day, may make us wiſer for the Affairs of the next day.
41. The Socinian Hereſie, Of Chriſt's being only Man, and had no Exiſtence before he was born of the Virgin, was in the World before Socinus's dayes; it being before aſſerted by Samoſatenus, and others, long before his time; and though condemned by a Council at Antioch in the Year 272, yet it ſprung up again.
42. Marcellinus the Biſhop of Rome, was Cenſured in a Council of Three hundred Biſhops, for his ſacrificing to Jupiter and Saturn, in the Year 303. So that then the Biſhop of Rome was accountable.
43. The Roman Church, and other Weſtern Churches, did Faſt every Friday and Saturday; becauſe then they ſaid the Bridegroom was taken away from them, Chriſt lying in the Grave thoſe two days.
44. Some of the old Philoſophers thought that the heavenly Spheres made a very melodious Muſick in their Motion. And it was one of the Jewiſh Fables, That Moſes heard this Muſick when he was upon the Mount, and was ſuſtained by it forty days, without eating or drinking. And thoſe words in Job 38.37. Who can ſtay the Bottles of Heaven, ſome read, The Muſick of Heaven; the Hebrew word, foreign, which we render Bottles, ſignifying alſo a Muſical Inſtrument, Pſal. 33.2. Caryl.
45. Domus Dei credendo fundatur, ſperando erigitur, diligendo perſicitur, Aug. de Verb. Apoſt. Scr. 21. The Houſe, that is, the Church of God, is founded by Faith, raiſed up by Hope, and made perfect by Love.
46. When the Apoſtle ſaith, We are juſtified by Faith; other Graces are not excluded concomitantèr, but coefficientèr; Not as accompanying Faith, but only as co-operating to our Juſtification.
47. The Saying of Gregory, about the Sacrament, Chriſtus in ſeipſo immortalitèr vivens in hoc myſterio iterùm moritur; Chriſt, though in himſelf is Immortal, and dies not, yet in this Myſtery of the Sacrament dies again; ſavours of the Doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, and that Chriſt is often offered up.
48. When two Verbs are put together in the Hebrew Tongue without a Copulative, the firſt is to be taken Adverbially; as Pſal. 106.13. They made haſte, they forgat; that is, they forgot ſpeedily.
49. At the ſame time that Conſtantius t… Arian Emperor conſented to the Council, … bout taking away Chriſt's Divinity, the Rom… Empire was taken from him, and given t… Julian, by the Souldiers in France. Long… Coriolan. p. 270.
50. When there aroſe a difference betwi… the Latine and Greek Churches, about th… Names of Perſona and Hypoſtaſis, and they had jealouſies of one another; Athanaſius perceiving they both meant the ſame thing, h… compoſed the difference, by perſwading th… Greeks to uſe the word Perſona, and the Latines the word Hypoſtaſis, and after that the words were uſed promiſcuouſly.
51. Corrupt Blood in the Feet, by its Circulation may in time get into the Head, ſaith Michael de Montaignes. So Corruption in Practice may in time corrupt the Judgment.
52. That is a good ſentence I find in Ignatius's Epiſtle to the Romans: foreign: That I may not only be called a Chriſtian, but may be found truly ſo.
53. When the Philiſtines came upon Samſon, then came the Spirit of God to ſtrengthen him God uſually ſends his help to his People in the time of need, and ſits them for the Work and Tryals he calls them to.
54. Not being is better than a miſerable being, in a Metaphyſical, but not a Moral ſence.
55. Greg. Nazianzen, when he came to Conſtantinople, found it over-run with Arianiſm; but reſtoring it again from that Errour, he call'd the Church he was plac'd in, foreign, which ſignifies, Reſurrection.
56. The iſraelites put the Ark into a Cart, contrary to Rule, and then Ʋzza ſtretcht forth his hand to uphold it. So have Men ſought to uphold falſe Worſhip by external force.
57. When the Iſraelites came out of Egypt, in their march the Amalekites ſmote the hindermoſt of them, Deut. 25.18. A good Caution againſt Loytering in Religion.
58. The Phariſees call'd their Traditions, Sepimenta Legis, The Guardians of the Law. But our Saviour told them, They made void the Law by their Traditions, Mat. 15.3.
59. Pyrrhus King of Epirus built a Temple to Health, which he called Templum Sanitatis, and ſaid he would worſhip no God or Goddeſs but Health: If he had that, he could, he ſaid, do well enough for all other things.
60. Menecrates, a great Phyſician, told Philip King of Macedonia, That he was a greater King than himſelf; for he by his Sword could deſtroy Mens Lives, but he by his Art could ſave them.
61. Diogenes, obſerving a Man ſhooting in a Bow, and always wide of the Mark, went and ſet his Back againſt the Mark: And being ask'd the reaſon, he ſaid, He did it for his own ſafety. So, many Men do ſo miſs their Mark, that you may find them any where ſooner than in the way of their Duty.
62. No Man ſhould trouble himſelf for that which he can amend, much leſs for that which cannot be amended.
63. When the Apoſtle ſaith, They that preach the Goſpel, ſhould live of the Goſpel, foreign, 1 Cor. 9.14. Some Interpreters ſay that the word foreign is taken in Heathen Authors for the Gift that was given to Men that brought good News. And ſo Mede thinks (as we find in his Diatribe upon that place) it ought to be ſo taken here.
64. When our Saviour ſaith, Mat. 24.14. That the Goſpel of the Kingdom ſhall be preached to all Nations, and then the end ſhall come; It may be underſtood of the End of the Jewiſh Church, which muſt continue till another Church be ſet up among the Gentiles, by preaching the Goſpel to them. And it's ſaid, Gen. 49.10. That the Scepter ſhall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come, and the people gathered to him; and his Kingdom be ſet up among the Gentiles.
65. The Apoſtle, 2 Pet. 2.2, 3. ſpeaks of falſe Prophets to ariſe in the Goſpel Church, as there was in the Jewiſh Church, bringing in Idolatry and falſe Worſhip; ſo the Church of Rome hath done in the Goſpel Church, as the Falſe Prophets in the Jewiſh.
66. The Romans were not wont to expel the People out of the Countries they conquered, but only the Jews; which was done, partly for the fulfilling of Prophecies, and partly ſo ordered by the Providence of God, to make the things done and ſpoken by Chriſt in Judea to be made known in the World.
67. When God ſaith, He deſired Mercy, and not Sacrifice, Hoſ. 6.6. we muſt not underſtand it by the figure Anticheſis, but what is called in Greek foreign, Mercy, rather than Sacrifice.
68. The Offering under the Law, called Terumah, was a Free-will Offering, in way of Thankſgiving, wherein the Jews acknowledged God's Dominion over the whole Earth, and that all they had was from him. And ſuch was David's and the Princes Offering for the building of the Temple, 1 Chron. 29. wherein David acknowledgeth, Both riches and honour come of thee, ver. 12. And all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee, ver. 14.
69. It appears from Exod. 33.7. that there was a Tabernacle for the Congregation to meet with God in, before the great Tabernacle was made; which we read not of till chap. 35.
70. Fides primariò reſpicit veritatem Dei, ſpes bonitatem, ſay the Schoolmen; Faith chiefly reſpecteth God's Truth, but Hope his Goodneſs.
71. Extrema gaudii occupat luctus, is a true ſaying; Sorrow follows at the heel of Joy.
72. The Levites might not ſell any of the Land which belonged to them in the Land of Canaan, but what they had in any other Countrey they might ſell: As is probable from that Text, Acts 4.36, 37. where we read, That Barnabas, a Levite, ſold his Land among the reſt, and brought the Money to the Apoſtles.
73. The Jewiſh Doctors are not agreed of the reaſon, why upon an uncertain Murther the Heifer to be ſlain muſt be brought into a rough Valley, not eared nor ſown, and be ſlain there, Deut. 21.4. It may be God hereby would ſhew, that Murther would bring a Curſe upon the Land, and make it barren.
74. It is well known, that the Jews think not themſelves bound by their Oath, which is Vinculum Animae, unleſs they lay their Hand upon their Torah, their Law.
75. Auſtin tells us, that Seneca derided the Jews for their Sabbath, that they ſpent a ſeventh part of their time in Idleneſs; and upbraids them with it in this Diſtich:
Septima quaeque dies ſegni damnata veterno,
Ut delaſſati turpis Imago Dei:
Their Seventh Day was ſpent in Idleneſs, for a Repreſentation of their tired God.
76. It is ſomewhat ſtrange to obſerve how God ſets forth, in multipled Expreſſions, the zeal of Idolaters to their Idols, Jer. 8.2. Whom they have loved, whom they have ſerved, after whom they have walked, whom they have ſought, and whom they have worſhipped: Whereas all this divine Honour is due to God alone.
77. Moſes requires Parents to teach their Children God's Statutes, Deut. 6.7. where the Hebrew word foreign, ſignifies to ſharpen, to fix them in their Children by ſharp and earneſt Inſtruction, that may affect their Hearts, and leave ſome impreſſion.
78. One Father will better provide for Nine Children, than Nine Children for One Father. More is the pity; and they do not, foreign, imitate the Stork as they ought.
79. He that hath Neceſſaries, doth not want; for Superfluities are not wanted.
80. When Cambiſes asked his Councellors, Whether it was lawful for him to Marry his Siſter? They ſaid, No: but they ſaid there was a Law, that their King might do what he pleaſed.
81. When the Jews admitted Proſelytes, they would firſt acquaint them with the Praecepta Levia, the Light Commandments; and then with the Praecepta Gravia, the Heavy Commandments of the Law: and ſo inſtruct and initiate them by degrees into the True Religion. And in their Talmud is added, That they would tell their Proſelytes, That all Good was not rewarded, nor all Sin puniſht in this life.
82. It's ſaid of Eli, when his Children did wickedly, He reſtrained them not; He frowned not upon them, Heb. foreign, On whom Bernard hath this witty Reflection, Quia iraejus tepuit in Filios, ira De… exparſit in illum; Becauſe his Anger was but lukewarm againſt his Sons, the Anger of God did burn againſt him.
83. When Brutus, while he was Conſul at Rome, executed his own Sons for Treaſon; the Hiſtorian ſaith of him, Exuit Patrem ut indueret Conſulem; He put off the Father, and put on the Conſul. A good Example of impartial Juſtice.
84. When the Idolaters ſacrificed their Children to Moloch, they would firſt carry them about the Fire, and then lead them through the Fire, and then put them into the Arms of Moloch. Woems. So the Devil leads on Sinners gradually to their own Deſtruction.
85. Anima habitat in oculis, is a true Saying; The Soul dwells in the Eyes. Becauſe the Affections of the Soul are much ſeen there; as Anger, Sorrow, Envy, Love, Luſt, &c.
86. The Stoicks would not allow any Bodily Sufferings to be called Evils; and yet held it lawful for a Man to deſtroy his Life, to deliver himſelf from Priſon, Captivity, Pain, and ſuch bodily Evils.
87. The Iſraelites are called the Sons of Jacob and Joſeph, Pſal. 77.15. They came from Jacob, and were ſuſtained by Joſeph.
88. The Heathen were ambitious to have ſomething of the Name of their Gods inſerted in their own; as Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, from their God Nebo: And Bel…hazzar and Evilmerodach, from Bel and Me…odach, the Names of two Idols: And Benhadad, from their God Ahad, &c. Much more deſirable is it to partake of the Nature of the True God.
89. When the Prophet Zachariah was ſtoned by the Commandment of Joaſh, he ſaid, The Lord lock upon it, and require it, 2 Chron. 24.22. And it is very remarkable how his Blood was revenged upon Joaſh ſoon after; for the ſame year the Syrians invaded the Land, and he was ſmitten with Diſeaſes, and his own Servants conſpired againſt him, and ſlew him in his Bed, and he was not buried in the Sepulchres of the Kings.
90. Some things have been done, Heroico inſtinctu, and not to be imitated; as by Phinehas, Samſon, and Ehud.
91. He that killed a Man unawares, being in a lawful action, as Hewing of Wood, and the like, was ſecured by fleeing to the City of Refuge under the Law; but not if he was in an unlawful action, ſay the Rabbins.
92. The Cities of Refuge were ſet upon Hills, that they might be ſeen. So is Chriſt ſet up before Sinners in the Goſpel, that they may flee to him. And the Preachers of the Goſpel are as thoſe Mercurial Statues ſet up in Croſsways; having the word foreign written on them, which ſignifies Refuge, to point out the right way to the City.
93. There is the Blood of War, and the Blood of Reconciliation. Much of this latter Blood was ſhed and uſed in the Temple, but none of the former was allowed. As in the caſe of of Athaliah, 2 Kings 11.15. who was carried out of the Court of the Temple before ſlain.
94. The Romans were wont to chain the Priſoner and his Keeper together. A true Emblem of Sinners, who are as Priſoners chained faſt to Sin.
95. The ſame word in the Hebrew, ſignifies to repent, and comfort, foreign; for true repentance will bring comfort after it.
96. The Proceſſion of the Holy Ghoſt from the Father and the Son, is either, foreign, from Eternity; or, foreign, in Time, for the Uſe and Benefit of the Church; i. e. Perſonal and Oeconomical.
97. We read in Scripture of the Cords of Death, and the Pains of Death, and the ſame word, foreign, ſignifies both. Chriſt was freed from the latter when he died, but was held in the Cords of Death till his Reſurrection, Acts 2.24.
98. It's ſaid of Athanaſius, Sedem maluit mutare quam ſyllabam; He would rather quit his Seat and Countrey, than yield to Arrius in a ſyllable.
99. Conſilia callida primâ ſpecie laeta, tractatu dura, eventu triſtia: Tacitus. Crafty Counſels pleaſe at the firſt ſight, but are carried on with difficulty, and ſad in the event.
100. The red Heifer, for Expiation under the Law, was not accepted for a Sacrifice, if there were found upon it but two or three white or black Hairs, ſay the Jewiſh Doctors. In other Sacrifices the colour of the Beaſt was indifferent, but in the Sacrifice required of the red Heifer, Numb. 19.2. the Colour was by Inſtitution, as well as the Beaſt.