Select Observations Collected out of Several Authors, Century 6
THE Sixth Century.
1. THE Egyptian Iſis, or Goddeſs, was pictured multimammea, having many Breaſts; whereby they would repreſent the Deity as the Nouriſher and Maintainer of all things.
2. The Heathens gave to Jupiter their God ſeveral Epithets, according to the ſeveral Works of Nature; as foreign, from the Thunder; foreign, from the Lightning; foreign, from the Rain; and Stator, as he by whom all things ſtand; and the Stygian Ju…iter, as diſpoſing of the Souls of Men after death.
3. As …e Bodies of Men ſprung from the Earth, ſo do the Souls of Men from the Soul of the World; and thither again they return …n death, ſaid ſome of their Philoſophers, not knowing the Scriptures: And held, That Nature was only Deus Mundo permiſtus; God …ingled with the World: Or, Divina ratio …oti mundo inſita; A divine Reaſon planted in the whole World. And that God and th… World together makes one living Animal. Th… their Wiſe Men became vain in their Imagin… tions.
4. They feigned foreign, which ſignifies Juſti… to be the Wife of Jupiter, and placed in h… Throne. Which may have a good Moral in it.
5. It was one of Origen's fond Opinions, Tha… Chriſt's Soul had an Exiſtence before it wa… united to its Body; and by ſome extraordinary Acts of Holineſs and Duty to God, d… merit to be joyned in a perſonal Union wit… the Son of God; grounding it upon the Pſa… miſt's ſaying, Thou haſt loved righteouſneſs, an… hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, ha… anointed thee, &c. Pſal. 45.
6. That there are not three Hypoſtaſes, o… Perſons, in the Trinity, but only a threefol… mode of exiſting in the Godhead, was th… Error of Sabellius.
7. The Platoniſts aſſerted a Trinity in th… Godhead, which they termed foreign: but in this different from th… Chriſtian Trinity, in making them ſubordinate to one another; the firſt producing th… ſecond, and both producing the third in a S… ordination. But what this Subordination i… and whence it is, and their abſtruſe Notio… about it, is too myſterious for young Studen… in Divinity; yea, I think, for the moſt experienced Divines well to underſtand. Thoſe that pleaſe, may conſult Dr. Cudworth's Intellectual Syſtem, and his Diſcourſe of the Platonick Trinity.
8. Plotinus making the third Hppoſtaſis in the Godhead to be the Soul of the World, actuating all Creatures, laid the Foundation of Infinite Idolatry, To worſhip the Creatures, as having ſome Divinity in them.
9. It is too boldly ſaid of ſome, That tho all the Three Perſons in the Trinity are Omnipotent, ad extra; yet not ſo within themſelves; for the Second Perſon cannot produce the Firſt, nor the Third the Second. And to this ſence they refer thoſe words of our Saviour in the 10th. of John, My Father is greater than I.
10. It was a wicked ſaying of Epicurus, That the reaſon why he ſtudied to know the Cauſes of Natural Things, was to free himſelf from the fear of a Deity.
11. In Tertullian's time, there was uſed in the Church, Chalices or Cups, that had ingraven upon them the Picture of a Shepherd carrying a Sheep upon his back; alluding to the Parable in Luke 15.
12. Some Learned Men formerly, and ſome of late, have talked of the Souls being cloathed with two Bodies; a groſs heavy Body, and another that is aetherial; which is its inward indument, whereby it is connected to the groſs Body, and is a Vehicle to it after death. But this is no Article of Faith: Neither is that Opinion, That the Angels have ſuch Aetherial Bodies; and that Incenſe and ſweet Smells are grateful to the Devils, becauſe they are agreeable to their vaporous airy Bodies, and therefore were uſed in the Heather Sacrifices: And that ſeparate Souls may converſe together in theſe Aetherial Bodies after death.
13. Though a Man's End is extrinſecal to his Action; yet Moraliſts ſay, Dat ſpeciem is moralibus, It is as the Form in Natural Things to conſtitute its kind, and to denominate it either good or evil.
14. The Apoſtle Paul preached the Goſpel firſt in that place, to which he had a Commiſſion to perſecute, viz. Damaſcus.
15. Nullus eſt capitalior humani generis hoſte quam qui Evangelii curſum impedit: Menochius. Mankind hath not a more deadly Enemy than the Man that hinders the courſe o… the Goſpel.
16. foreign, Ar… Nothing is bad to a good Man, nor good to a bad Man. Boni benè utuntur malis mali utuntur bonis malè; Good Men make good uſe of evil things; but bad Men a… evil uſe of good things.
17. Wicked oppreſſing Rulers are called by Ariſtotle, foreign, "Devourers of the People.
18. Cum ſis humi limus, cur non es humilimus, as Bernard wittily ſpeaks, Man being made out of the Duſt, it ſhould make him lye in the Duſt.
19. Ptolomy called his great Library, foreign, The Phyſick-Shop of the Soul. It could not well be called ſo, until he had brought the Scriptures into it, which we call the Septuagint.
20. Godfrey, Duke of Boloign, having taken Jeruſalem from the Turks, the People would have ſet a Crown of Gold upon his Head: No (ſaith he) I will not there wear a Crown of Gold, where Jeſus Chriſt wore a Crown of Thorns. And Titus would not have a triumphant Arch to celebrate his Victory over the Jews, ſaying, That he was but an Inſtrument of God's Anger.
21. They ſay of Quickſilver, It hath in it ſelf Principium Motus, non Quietus; A Principle of Motion, not of Reſt. So we may ſay of ſome contentions Men and Women.
22. Some Jewiſh Writers tell us, That there was a Scare-Crow, called foreign, ſet upon the top of the Temple at Jeruſalem, to keep off the Fowls from it, leſt they any way defile it.
23. The Church is called Mahanaim, Cant. 6.13. which ſignifies two Armies; which may referr either to Jew and Gentile, or the Church Militant and Triumphant.
24. The Jews had the Name Jehovah firſt in foreign, then in foreign, abuſing it to Superſtition.
25. It's ſaid of the Apoſtle's Miniſtry, as of the courſe of the Heavens, the Sun and Firmament, Their Line went through all the Earth, to carry Light through the whole World, Pſal. 19.1, 2, 3. Rom. 10.18.
26. Ambroſe was made Biſhop of Millan in his youth; and therefore it's ſaid of him, Simul diſcebat & docebat; He taught and learned both together. A good Example to young Miniſters.
27. Optimi vini peſſimum acetum; The beſt Wine makes the ſharpeſt Vinegar. A good Emblem of the Church of Rome, and her Degeneracy, and Caution againſt Apoſtacy.
28. The Sadduces held, there were neither Angels, nor Spirits: And that good and bad Angels were good and bad Thoughts: And that the Soul was only as Quickſilver, to give the Body Motion; and Salt, to keep it from Putrefaction.
29. Bodily Infirmities are the Gentlemen-Ʋſhers of Death, and the ſound of their Maſters Feet is behind.
30. Some think God called Iſrael Jeſhurun, Deut. 32.15. not from Jaſhar, which ſignifies upright; but from the Hebrew word foreign, which ſignifies an Oxe, becauſe they waxed fat and kicked.
31. If Sin be neceſſary, and Men ſin by neceſſity, it is not ſin; if voluntarily, it may …e avoided; ſo Pelagius argues: And therefore it is poſſible a Man may live without ſin, as he argues.
32. Humane Nature is capable of Repentance, but not the Angelical Nature; for what the Devils will, they will immoveably; which is one reaſon why Chriſt came a Redeemer to Men, and not the fallen Angels. Polhill.
33. The Schoolmen tell us of three degrees of Miracles. The firſt, when that is produced which Nature never produced, as the Sun going back. The ſecond, when that is produced which once Nature had produced, but was extinguiſht, as the reſtoring Sight after it was loſt. The third is, the producing a thing ſooner only than could be done in Nature, as to make a Tree bring forth before its time, or to heal a Diſeaſe in an inſtant, or to make a Tree wither in a moment, as the Fig-Tree mentioned in the Goſpel, Mat. 21.20.
34. The croſſed Souldiers raiſed to recover the Holy Land out of the hands of the Saracens, were by the Pope employed againſt the diſſenting Chriſtians in Bohemia and Piedmont, and that was call'd an Holy War by his Holineſs.
35. God appear'd ſo eminently againſt the Perſecutors of the Picards in France, that it grew unto a Proverb, He that would haſten his Death, let him perſecute the Picards.
36. In the Work of Grace, God is not only an Orator to perſuade, but an Operator to work. Vox ſuaſiva abit in operativam; His ſuaſive word paſſeth into an operative word.
37. Upon the death of the Duke of Guiſe, Henry III. of France cried, Nunc demum Rex ſum; "Now I am King. So will Chriſt, when his Enemies are deſtroyed, have a more viſible Reign.
38. In the ſtate of Innocency, Temptations did only court the outward Senſe, but now they make nearer approaches to the Soul, finding ſomething within Man to entertain them: And Satan hath no power over us but Societate peccati. Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 10. c. 22.
39. The Trojans thought their City ſafe whilſt they kept their Palladium; which was the Image of Pallas, deſcended, as they fooliſhly imagin'd, from Heaven; but in the Siege of Troy, Diomedes and Ʋlyſſes did kill the Keepers of it, and ſtole it away. Whereupon Austin tells the Heathen, that they worſhip ſuch Gods, qui non poſſunt ſuos cuſtodire cuſtodes, That could not keep their Keepers, De Civ. Dei, cap. 1. lib. 1. But the True God is a Keeper of Iſrael.
40. Stir a Dunghil, and it ſtinks the more; but ſtir Oyntment, and it ſmells the ſweeter. So Afflictions in ſome do ſtir up Corruption, and in others it doth more actuate Grace. Aug. de Civ. Dei. l. 1. c. 8.
41. Auſtin, ſpeaking of Chriſtians baniſh'd for Religion, ſaith, Miſerrimum eſſet, ſi alicubi duci poterant, ubi Deum ſuum non invenirent; If they could be carried any whither, where they could not find their God. De Civ. Dei. lib. 1. cap. 14.
42. Cicero, the Roman Orator, complained in his time, That the Romans had loſt their Commonwealth, Non caſibus ſed criminibus, non vi ſed vitiis; Not by Caſualties, or the power of the Enemy, but their own Vice. Rempub. nomine tenemus ſed reipsâ amiſimus; We have only the Name of a Commonwealth.
43. Auſtin reckons up how many Calamities the Romans ſuſtained before Chriſt came into the World, De Civ. Dei, lib. 3. cap. 17. Now, ſaith he, if theſe had fallen out in our time, quae iſti & quanta dixiſſent, What things, and what great things would they have ſpoken againſt the Chriſtians, as if all theſe fell out for their ſake!
44. Lucretia, a chaſte Matron, was raviſh'd by the Son of Turquinius; of whom Auguſtin ſpeaks wittily, there were two in the fact, but one only the Adulterer. As the Apoſtle diſtinguiſheth concerning himſelf, It is not I, but ſin that dwelleth in me, Rom. 7.20.
45. Whatever evil befalls a good Man, Non eſt poena Criminis, ſed Virtutis examen, (ſaith Auſtin.) Not the puniſhment of a Crime, but the tryal of Vertue.
46. The Romans that worſhip'd many Gods within their City, yet built a Temple to Quies out of the City: Implying, that all the Religion and Worſhip of the Heathens Gods could not give true Reſt; but our God and Saviour whom we worſhip, gives it to all his true Diſciples, ſaith Aug. de Civ. Dei, lib. 4. cap. 16.
47. The learned Varro, who boaſted that he could teach the right way of Worſhipping all the Gods of the Heathen, yet knew not the right way of worſhipping the true God, ſaith Aug. de Civ. Dei, lib. 4. cap. 22.
48. After the appeaſing the Sedition of the Gracchi, the Romans built a Temple to Concord: Whereby they ſhewed how acceptable Concord was to them after their former Diſtractions, and how deſirous they were to fix it among them, and how thankful for it. But Diviſions will demoliſh this Temple.
49. The Heathen built a Temple to Felicitas, but alas were ignorant of the way of obtaining true Felicity, and the true nature of it. This only the Goſpel reveals to be found in Chriſt, and him crucified; which their Wiſe Men derided as fooliſhneſs.
50. What the Heathen called Fate, the Chriſtans called Decree and Providence; whereupon ſaith Auſtin, Sententiam teneant, ſed linguam corrigant; Let them hold their Opinion, but amend their Expreſſions.
51. Malè vivitur ſi non de Deo benè creditur; Men cannot live well, unleſs they believe well concerning God.
52. The Romans got their great Dominion by their Love of Liberty, and Ambition of Preheminence, ſaith the Hiſtorian.
53. They placed the Temples of Honour and Vertue near together, to ſhew that all true Honour ariſeth from Vertue.
54. It's ſaid of Cato, Quò minus petebat gloriam, eo magis eum ſequebatur; The leſs he affected Honour, the more it followed him.
55. Chriſt is ſaid to come to perform the Promiſes to the Fathers, but to ſhew Mercy to the Gentiles, to whom the Promiſes were not made, Rom. 15.8, 9.
56. If the Heathen did great things out of love to their Countrey, and the Chriſtians do leſs for the heavenly Countrey, Pudore pungantur, ſaid Auſtin, Let them be prick'd with ſhame: and if they do not leſs, Superbiâ non extollantur; Let them not be lifted up with pride: for there is no proportion betwixt the one Countrey and the other.
57. The Romans made Pleaſure the end of Virtue; which they repreſented in a Picture, where they ſet Pleaſure as a Lady ſitting upon a Throne, and all the Vertues attending and waiting upon her.
58. If we muſt captivate our Reaſon to the Myſteries of Providence, why not then to the Myſteries of the Goſpel, which the Socinian… deny.
49. The beſt things the Heathen expected from their Gods, were ſome temporal good as Wine from Bacchus, Corn from Ceres, good Voyages at Sea from Neptune, Victory from Mars, &c. But not Eternal Life, as Chriſtians do from their God and Saviour; an… all other good; not from ſeveral Gods, a they did, but from the One Living and Tru… God.
60. The Creation is upheld as well by th… Blood of Chriſt, as the Power of God; b… the work of Redemption, as well as Providence; for if Juſtice had not been ſatisfied i… the Blood of Chriſt, the World would hav… bin daſht in pieces by the Sin of Man. Polhill.
61. The Poets feigned of Saturn, That h… devoured his own Children: And this Satu… they call'd foreign, which ſignifies time; where by they meant, that Time devours the thing brought forth by it.
62. Auſtin reproves Seneca for conforming to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Heathen Worſhip, though he did not approve of them in his Judgment, and thought them not acceptable to their Gods, but only becauſe they were enjoyned by their Laws; he being a famous Senator, ſaid Auſtin, would comply with the common Practice, though he did diſlike it: Colebat quod reprehendebat, agebat quod arguebat, adorabat quod culpabat; He worſhip'd what he reproved, and practiſed what he blamed, &c. De Civ. Dei, lib. 6. cap. 10.
63. Nulla major & pejor eſt mors quam ubi mors non moritur; That is the worſt death, where death ever liveth, and never dies. As in Hell.
64. Auſtin commends Socrates above the other Philoſophers; becauſe he ſought by his wholſom Precepts to purge the Minds of Men, had make them capable of Divine Contemplations, and knowing all things in their firſt Original, and their Manners vertuous; whereas the other Philoſophers buſied themſelves about abſtruſe Speculations into Natural Cauſes; which tended little to puriſie their Minds, or regulate their Practice.
65. The Heathen accounted their Daemons to be middle Deities, betwixt Men and the Supream God; carrying up their Prayers and Sacrifices to God, and bringing dow… Rewards and divine Precepts unto Men, (a… the ſame that are called Baalim in Scripture, of whom a Greek Author gives this Deſcription: foreign Every Daemon is in a middle between Go… and Men. But there is but one Mediato… betwixt God and Men, the Man Chriſt Jeſus, to the Chriſtians.
66. Many of the Gods whom the Heathe… worſhipt, were dead Men; of whom the… made Images, and an Evil Spirit poſſeſſing them inſtead of their departed Souls, brough… the Heathen to Worſhip them as Gods.
67. The Stoicks would not have the thing of the World called Bona, Good Things, but only Commoda, Things Commodious to Man; as judging that only Bona Animi, The good things of the Mind, were worthy the name of being called good.
68. Ariſtippus the Philoſopher, once being at Sea, in company with a very bad Man, and a Tempeſt ariſing, Ariſtippus was afraid, and the other Man not; for which when ſome upbraided him, he anſwered, He had more reaſon to fear than the other Man, becauſe he had a more excellent Soul; ſaying, Se pre Ariſtippi animâ ſolicitum eſſe debere; He ought to be ſolicitous for his Soul, being of greater worth than the others was.
69. Plotinus reckoned it a mercy of God to Mankind, to make Man's Body Mortal, Ne ſemper hujus vitae miſeriis teneatur; That he might not be always held in the miſeries of this Life; but Evil Spirits having aerial Bodies, which are Immortal, are (ſaid he) thereby the more miſerable.
70. The Devils having great Knowledge, but without Love, are puft up with exceſſive Pride; which makes them ambitious of Divine Worſhip from Men, and to envy the Honour of God.
71. To ſeparate Friends is the work of the Devil, but Chriſt's work is to reconcile Enemies, Col. 1.21.
72. All our righteouſneſs cannot profit God; he needs it no more than he did the Beaſts offered to him in ſacrifice. And as he that drinks of a Spring profits not the Spring, and he that ſeeth by the light of the Sun profits not the Sun, but himſelf; ſo our Righteouſneſs may profit our ſelves, but not God.
73. Deus non vult ſacrificium trucidati pecoris, ſed ſacrificium contriti cordis; The Sacrifice God takes pleaſure in, is not a ſlain Beaſt, but a bleeding, broken Heart, Pſal. 50.17.
74. Some do ſay, though upon little ground, That when Moſes held up his Hand in Prayer upon the Hill, and Joſhua was fighting with Amaleck in the Valley, that he held them up in the figure of a Croſs, and that made Joſhua victorious. We have the Story, Exod. 17.11. but nothing of the Croſs.
75. What is the reaſon (ſaid Auſtin to the Philoſophers) that you will not be Chriſtians? but, Quia Chriſtus humilitèr venit in mundum, & vos ſuperbi eſtis; Chriſt came humbly into the World, and ye are proud. Not many wiſe men after the fleſh, &c. are called, 1 Cor. 1.26.
76. Chriſt is called the Word, Joh 1.1. and in Greek, foreign. The Platoniſts, as Chriſtians, acacknowledge a foreign, but ſpeak nothing of the Word made Fleſh; becauſe not known by Reaſon, but Revelation.
77. Auſtin makes the Image of the Trinity in Man, to conſiſt in theſe three things, I am, I know that I am, and I love my ſelf thus known.
78. Coeleſtis civitas in eternitate Dei viget, in veritate Dei lucet, in veritate Dei gaudet; The heavenly City above continually ſprings in the Eternity of God, ſhines in the Truth of God, and rejoyceth in the Goodneſs of God. So one of the Ancients.
79. Deus non more noſtro quod futurum eſt proſpicit, quod preſens eſt eô picit, quod praeteritum eſt reſpicit; God doth not behold things paſt, preſent, and to come, as Men do: And, Ejus ſcientia non trium temporum, preſentis, futuri, & praeteriti varietate mutatu; The variety that is in time, varies not his knowledge of time.
80. The Angels know themſelves, and all Creatures, better in God, than in their own diſtinct nature. So in the Reſurrection, the Saints will be like the Angels, (as our Saviour tells us.)
81. If Sin be a depravation of Nature, it …hews that Man's Nature was originally good: As blindneſs being a deprivation of Sight, it ſhews that the Eye had originally and naturally a viſive power: As ſomething may be ſeen of a ſtately Palace in its ruines.
82. All deficiencies in the Creatures are a gradual returning to their firſt Nothing: And would ſo return, if not prevented by a Di…ine Power: The ſame word that brought …hem out of Nothing into Being, upholds …hem in Being.
83. Deus tarditatem ſupplicii, gravitate com…enſat, & moram praemii ampliori gratiâ; God recompenſes the delays of Puniſhment, and the rewards of Virtue in the degrees of both when they come. Mollerus.
84. All Men will prefer Heaven before Hell, …ut few prefer Heaven before the Earth.
85. Non magnanimitas eſt magnos petere hono…es, ſed contemnere, (Lud. V.) It is not true Bravery to aſpire to great Honours, but to contemn them.
86. Tale-bearers are in Hebrew called foreign, alluding to Pedlars, who carry about their Wares from door to door.
87. Oedipodios Inceſtus, & Thyeſtaenas Coen… nobis objiciunt: Tertul. who ſpeaking of the Slanders the Heathen raiſed upon the Chriſtians, ſaith, They accuſe us of Inceſt, lik… Oedipus, who married Jocaſta, his own Mother; and of ſuch Suppers as Thyeſtes made who was ſaid to cat his own Children.
88. When there was a Contention in the Council of Conſtantinople, about Greg. Naziazen, he ſaid to the Council, I am willing with Jonah to be caſt into the Sea, to allay this ſtorm. A good Reproof to ſuch who raiſe ſtorms.
89. Qui fingit ſacros auro vel marmare v… tus, non facit ille Deos, qui rogat ille facit. Martial. He that frames the Image, doth not make it a God, but he that prays to it.
90. If God ſhould lead Men into their ow… hearts, they might there ſee greater Abomnations than Ezekiel ſaw, when he was in a Viſion carried into the Sanctuary, Ezek. 8. on… Affection committing Idolatry with Gait, another with Honour, another with Pleaſure, &c.
91. Socrates dreamed that a Swan hatche… in his Boſom, and then fled away. The nex… day the Father of Plato brought his Son to him: Now (ſaith he) my Dream is come to paſs. Vita Platonis.
92. Noah pitched the Ark within and without, to keep out the Waters; ſo we muſt guard our inward and outward Man, to keep out Temptations.
93. Cultus eſt à naturâ, modus à lege, virtus à gratiâ, ſay the Schoolmen; Worſhip in general is from Nature, the way of Worſhip from God's Law, the ability is from Grace.
94. Pliny ſpeaks of a certain Stone called Selenites, that encreaſeth and decreaſeth in whiteneſs, according to the encreaſe or decreaſe of the Moon. A ſit Emblem of them whoſe Religion changes with the Times.
95. Chriſt repeats theſe words three times, Where their Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not quenched, Mark 9. Upon which Auſtin hath this gloſs, Quem non terreat iſta trina repititio; Who may not be terrified with this threefold Repetition, as a threefold Teſtimony to the truth of it?
96. Nulla infelicitas frangit eum quem nulla felicitas corrumpit. (Aug. in Pſal. 83.) He will not be broken by Adverſity, that is not corrupted by Proſperity.
97. Auſtin calls Earthly Felicity, Luteam Foelicitatem, (l. 10. c. 25. de Civ. Dei) dirty or miry: or as the Prophet Habakkuk calls it, Thick Clay, chap. 2.6.
98. Porphyrius complained that there was not a way made known to Mankind, De purgandâ & liberandâ animâ humanâ; For the ſetting free, and purging the Soul of Man. Becauſe he was a Stranger to Chriſt, and embrac'd not the Chriſtian Religion.
99. To thoſe that ask, Why God made the World no ſooner? we may reply another Queſtion, Why he made it in the place where now it ſtands? For there was an infinite Space, as well as an infinite Duration, before the World was made.
100. The Sun is thought by ſome Aſtronomers to be nearer the Earth Twenty ſix thouſand Miles, than in the days of Ptolomy; becauſe it is grown older and colder than in his time, and ſo needs it.