A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 2
The Second Plot againſt the Church, in ABEL, Defeated by GOD.
CHAP. II.
WHen Satan ſaw his firſt Plot Defeated, (in as much as Man did not dye immediately, nor was made as miſerable as himſelf) and that (in deſpight of the Devil) God would have his Church in the World, to make up that Breach withal in the City of God, which Lucifer and his Apoſtate Angels had made therein; he takes other Meaſures, and projects a New Plot by his Serpentine ſubtilty, to wit, ſeeing he could not Hinder the Being of the Church, he (next) Endeavours to Divide it into a True and Falſe Church, that (at leaſt) he might thereby hinder the Well-being of it; if he could not make the Falſe Church Deſtroy the True One. This is held forth in Cain and Abel, both whom our firſt Parents had Religiouſly Trained up in the Worſhip of God by Sacrifice: they were (both) Worſhippers of the True God, Cain as well as Abel, Cain did not offer his Oblation to an Idol, but it was [Mincha la Jehovah] an Offering to the Lord, Gen. 4. 3. and we do not find that God blamed Cain, either for the Matter, Time, or Place of his Worſhip: Cain [Rectè obtulit, non Rectè Diviſit] offered right, but did not Divide aright, betwixt God and himſelf, he ſhould have given God firſt Se, and then de Suis, firſt Perſonam, and then opus Perſonae: Himſelf, and then of his Subſtance, as Abel did according to Gods Demand, [My Son, give me thy Heart] Prov. 23. 26. he dealt Fraudulently therefore with God, and ſo became the Head of the Falſe Church, as Abel was of the True: or as (Auguſt. de Civit. Dei. lib. 15. cap. 1.) expreſſeth it, Cain was the Author of the City of the World, both as he was Born firſt of faln Man, and was called Cain, which ſignifies Poſſeſſion; ſo he made the World his Poſſeſſion, and that firſt City which he Built therein: yea, and as he Plots againſt his Brother Abel, who was choſen out of the World; Born ſecond, and call'd Abel, i. e. Vanity, becauſe he look'd upon the World (in all its Pomps and Poſſeſſions) as Vanity, and he is called the Author of the City of God, and therefore is he driven out of the World by an Untimely Death, ſo early came Martyrdom into the World upon the True Church (which Abel repreſented) by the Falſe One, Cain. As the firſt Beaſt, that Dyed in the World, Dyed for a Sacrifice: (Figuring Chriſt the True Sacrifice for Sin, ut Suprà,) ſo the firſt Man that dyed in the World, dyed for Religion; 1 Joh. 3. 12. The firſt Righteous Man that went to Heaven, muſt ſwim thither in a River of his own Blood, Matth. 23. 35. The City of the World (which (at the beſt) onelyonly profeſſes Religion,) will perſecute the City of God, which both profeſſes and poſſeſſes the power and purity of Godlineſs: Or (as the Holy Scripture better then Augustin expreſſeth it,) Cain was the Head or top of the Seed of the Serpent, who was the firſt begotten of Adam in his faln Eſtate: And (as Rab. Menachem ſaith) was conceived of the Filth and Seed that the Serpent had conveyed into Eve: However Gods Word ſpeaks Infallibly, That Eve was much miſtaken at Cain's Birth, ſaying; She had got a Man from the Lord, Gen. 4. 7. or, that Famous Man, The Lord; as if ſhe had brought forth that promiſed Seed of the Woman, Gen. 3. 15. the Holy Child Jeſus: Theſe were Verba Spei, non Rei, her Hoping was better than her Having, for Cain was a Wicked One, and of the Wikced One, 1 Joh. 3. 10, 12. Joh. 8. 44. ſo was the Root of all the Reprobates in the World: but Abel was the Root of the Righteous, as Chriſt himſelf reckons him, Matth. 23. 35. And therefore the Devil (Cain's Father, Joh. 8. 44.) complotts with Cain to Root out Abel by Killing him, and in him all future Hope of the True Church, That Tree cannot grow, whoſe Root is Deſtroyed. This Head of the Black-Line, Cain, Clubbing wits with the Head of the Serpent, Satan, (whoſe Head was already Broken or Bruiſed by the Promiſe of Chriſt) Eſſays the 2d. Plot againſt Abel, the Head of the White-Line, to break his Head with his Club, and to Brain him therewith, yet even this Plot that came from the Devils Broken Head, prov'd (in the Iſſue) but a Broken Plot, God over-ſhooting him in his Bow.
The preparation to this 2d. Plot was, This Lucifer (that was come down from Heaven in great Rage, Rev. 12. 12.) enrages Cain, touching him with a live Coal from Hell, (as the Angel did the Prophets with one from Heaven, Iſai. 6. 5.) and ſets his Heart on Fire of Hell, Jam. 3. 6. This made him Hot, and Burn in Indignation, as the Word [Charah, Gen. 4. 5.] ſignifies, for of all the Eight Hebrew Words which ſignifies Anger; This Word [Charah] is the moſt Vehement. Cain's hot Diſpleaſure was firſt Inflamed againſt God, as being [foreign] a Reſpecter of Perſons, in ſending Fire from Heaven in Token of Accepting Abels Bloody Sacrifice, and yet rejecting his un-bloody Meat-Offering: Thus Cain's Eye was Evil, becauſe God's was Good, Matth. 20. 15. Yea, and ſuch was his Rage againſt God, that when he, not only told him, [If thou doſt well, ſhall thou not be accepted, v. 7.] but alſo asks him, Where is Abel thy Brother, v. 9. Cain Angerly Anſwers, and bids God Go look, as if God had ask'd him an Impertinent Queſtion, and as if he had put an Office upon him which belong'd not to him; yet he that diſdain'd to be his Brothers Keeper, diſdain'd not to be his Brothers Executioner, and the Wrath of Man, that never ſpeaks the Righteouſneſs of God, much leſs works it, Jam. 1. 20. tranſported Cain ſo far, as to tell the God of Truth a loud Lye, in his ſaying, [I know not where he is.] Thinking, by this frivolous Evaſion to blind the Eyes of the All-knowing God, as the God of this World had blinded his Eyes, and hardned his Heart too: and hereby he declared himſelf to be immediately deſcended from the Devil, who was both a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning, Joh. 8. 44. 2dly. His Rage againſt Abel, for though his Rage was great againſt God, inſomuch that he could have found in his heart to have pull'd God out of Heaven, (Omne peccatum eſt Deicidium, all ſin is a kind of God-Murther) for his partiality, but God was out of his Reach, yea, and of the Devil's too that ſet him on work; The Borrowing power can never match the Lending power: The Creature can never be too ſtrong for the Creator; Howbeit Abel was within his Reach, and he will Wound the Maſter in his Servant: The Rabbins ſay, The Devil was mad at Abel, becauſe Abel had ſlain the ſame Serpent, which he had lately poſſeſſed to ſeduce his Mother, yet not without a wound in his Heel, before he could break its Head.
This Satan takes as an high Affront, and therefore Plots to break Abels Head with a Club, as if not enough, his Heel was bruiſed by the Serpent: however this is certain, and beyond the Credit of a Jewiſh-Fable, That Cain was mad againſt Abel, becauſe his own Works were wicked, and his Brothers Righteous, 1 Joh. 3. 12. Now when he ſaw Abels Worſhip Received and his own Rejected, and thereby loſing the Bleſſing of the Primogeniture, and the Conſecration of the Firſt-Born; this Ripen'd him for the Devils poſſeſſion, who thereupon Enters and Fills his Heart (as Act. 5. 3.) from corner to corner, then falls Cain's Countenance from a cheerful to a churliſh one, Index animi Vultus: The Malignity of his Mind was bewrayed by his ſurly and lowring Look, Heu quàm Diſſicile eſt Animum non prodere Vultu: And being thus prepared, yea and Acted by the Devil's both craft and cruelty he falls upon plotting Abel's Death and Deſtruction.
The 1ſt. part of his Plot, was his Deep Diſſimulation, Talking with Abel after a Friendly and Brother-like manner, V. 8. In the Hebrew there is an Extraordinary pauſe, Intimating ſome Amicable Diſcourſe, and in the Word [Amar] an Inſinuating Invitation, as [Let us go into the Field.] This the Greek, Verſion & Thargum Jerus: addeth: his Rage by a Diabolical Fire lay now ſmothered, and he puts on as fair a Look as his Feſter'd Heart would admit, not unlike that of Abſolom to Amnon, who hated him with an Habit of Hatred, wherein the Venom of all Vice is ſteeped, yet ſpake he to his Brother neither Good nor Bad for Two full Years together, 2 Sam. 13. 22, 23. Yet all this time he Nouriſh'd a Reſolution for Revenge, and onelyonly waited for a fair opportunity to his foul Fratricide; ſo long did Inveterate Rancour lye lurking in Abſoloms Malicious Heart, and then could Invite his Brother to a Feaſt, V. 26, 27. which had ſowr Sauce in the end. Thus Cain covers with Diſſembled Courteſie his Deſign of Cruelty, and draws a fair Glove upon his foul Hand, Enticing Abel to walk hand in hand (as a Brother) with him into the Field, a convenient place for his bloody contrivance.
The 2d: part of the Plot, was, When Cain had got Abel thither, he picks a Quarrel with him, upon the occaſion of Abel's contradicting his Diſcourſe, ſaying, (as the Chaldee Paraphraſe adds,) That there was no Judge, nor Day of Judgement, nor World to come, nor Reward for Righteouſneſs, nor Puniſhment for Wickedneſs, &c. Thus he (as it were) Impriſoned thoſe [foreign] common principles of Nature in Ʋnrighteouſneſs, Rom. 1. 18. and Muzzl'd the Mouth of his own Conſcience, that he might gratifie his revengeful Spirit without controul. Hereupon he turns all his former Flattery into downright Railery and Chiding of Abel, for whoſe ſake he had been newly chidden of God, v. 6. 17. This done, he falls on
The 3d. part of the Plot, by Adding to his Craft in the Two former, his Cruelty in this later; who having Decoy'd his Brother far enough from his Fathers Houſe, from all ſight, noiſe, and relief, (none being nigh to Reſcue his Innocent Brother out of his nocent Hands) he Addreſſes himſelf to knock him down on the Head with his Clubb, or Plough-ſtaff, wherewith (as 'tis ſuppoſed) he, being an Huſbandman, uſually walked, Inter Amplexus Interfecit: or (as the Greek-Word foreign ſignifies, which we Read Slew,) He cut his Throat, 1 Joh. 3. 12. Now when Cain (the Devils firſt Patriarch) had Killed Abel God's firſt Martyr, and the OnelyOnly Hope of a Succeeding Church, Satan had ſeeming ſucceſs; yet this 2d. Plot is ſoon Blaſted, the Lord Laugh'd it to nothing, (though the Devil and his lmps had been Laughing together for laying Abel (their Tormenter, along on the Ground, as Revel. 11. 10.) and that by theſe Means: 1ſt. Though there was no Man an Eye-Witneſs of the Murder, and though Cain, (to keep it the more ſecret, (as Joſephus ſaith) did Bury the Murdered Body privately, yet God (who is foreign All-Eye ſaw it, and heard the Cry of Abel's Blood, (which had as many Tongues, as Drops, and every Drop crying for Vengeance,) v. 10. Heb. 11. 4, and 12. 24. Murder ever Bleeds freſh in the Eye of God: Surely (ſaith he) I have ſeen Yeſterday the Blood of Naboth, &c. 2 Kin. 9. 26. And crys as freſh in the Ear of God, whereby Abel, though Dead, yet ſpeaketh, Hebr. 11. 4. Hereupon God comes to make Inquiſition for this Freſh-bleeding and Freſh-ſpeaking, or crying Sin, (who is not ſaid to make Inquiſition after any other ſin, as after Murder,) Pſa. 9. 12. And God in his Inquiſition is more ſtrict and critical, than the Spaniſh-Inquiſition, Though that be done with utmoſt ſecreſie and ſeverity: The Lord looked upon it, and Required it, 2 Chron. 24. 22. Yea, and Requited it too, Mat. 23. 35. and 22. 6, 7. Revel. 16. 6. Even upon the Heads of every [Iſh-Damm…,] or Man of Bloods, Pſa. 5. 6. ſuch as the Damming Hectors of this Day moſtly be. 2dly. God (after his ſevere Inqueſt) paſſes a ſad Doom upon the Murderer, ver. 11. a more ſevere Sentence is not found in Sacred Scripture, Woe be to Cain, and to all that walk in his way, Jude. v. 11. The Judge of all the Earth will do right, Gen. 18. 25. Cain ſhall not eſcape Scot-free, (as he hoped,) God will appear (himſelf) when Man either doth not, will not, or cannot: The Judge of Quick and Dead (himſelf) Arraigns Cain at the Barr, denounces Iudgement (notwithſtanding all his Jeſuitical Evaſions as before) againſt him, which conſiſts of 3 Particulars. 1ſt. He is curſed in his Perſon, v. 11. and they whom God curſeth, ſhall be curſed, as they whom God bleſſeth, ſhall be bleſſed, Gen. 27. 33. Numb. 23. 20. Even the Grand Balaam of Rome (who Canonizeth Cains for Murdering Righteous Abels) cannot take off that Curſe which the great God lays on: better all the Witches in the World, and all the Devils in Hell or their Eldeſt Son the Pope, ſhould curſe us with Bell, Book, and Candle, than this one God whoſe Curſe is Irrevocable, and can never be Reverſed. This Cain was the firſt curſed Man upon Earth, curſed in his perſon: 2dly. He was curſed in his Patrimony, v. 12. his Land he Tilled, was curſed to him. The former curſe, laid upon the Earth for Adam's ſin, in general, Gen. 3. 17. was now Increaſed by Cain's Murder unto him in particular: This was a particular curſe upon Cain's Portion wherever he came, when he Tilled it as an Husbandman, it might Upbraid him as a Murderer in its barrenneſs: The Earth had been Kinder than Cain to Abel, for it had opened its Mouth to Receive his Blood from Cain's cruel hands, and ſo to give it an honorable Interrment, and now opens its Mouth again (in not yielding him its ſtrength) in a clamorous petition for Vengeance againſt him: As the curſed Fig-Tree loſt its Vigour, and Withered, Mark 11. 21. So a Fruitful Land is made barren for the Wickedneſs of its owners, and Occupiers, Pſal. 107. 34.
The 3d. Means God uſes to Defeat the Devils Deſign, is, He Excommunicates Cain (Satans prime Patriark) out of the Church, who would have Excommunicated the Church out of the World, (in God's proto Martyr Abel) and that with the greater Excommunication, v. 12. [A Vagrant, and a Vagabond ſhalt thou be. Thus his Doom Riſes higher, and falls heavier upon him, Pſa. 59. 12. and 109. 10. Cain (the firſt Apoſtate) went out from the Preſence of the Lord, and dwelt in the Land of Nod, (which ſignifies Wandring, v. 14. 16. So that he was a Vagrant from the Church (from his Fathers Family and Fellowſhip) as well as a Vagabond upon Earth: God would come and Talk with him no more, nor Vouchſafe one Gracious Glance towards him, nor Accept any one Oblation from him at any time.
4thly. God ſets a Brand upon him, v. 15. and thereby (as it were) Burns him in the Hand, and Stigmatizes him for a Rogue. This mark was not an Horn in his Forehead, (as the Jews feign) but 'twas an Hornet in his Conſcience, (as Exod. 23. 28.) ſtinging him with horrible Conviction and Compunction for his Murder: The words of the Septuagint [foreign] ſignifies Sighing and Trembling; as if God's Mark upon him had been (probably) a Trembling, not onelyonly of his Hands and Head, but alſo of his Heart and whole Body, which made all People pitty him: Some Rabbins ſay, Cain was continually Dogged with Abel's Dog, but Aſſuredly he was Haunted with his own Evil Ghoſt, which made him look with a moſt ghaſtly Countenance, having Horror in his Heart, and a very Hell in his Conſcience. This might make him Tremble every where, and fear every Buſh (he ſaw) was a Bayliff to Arreſt him, and every Man (he met) a Devil to Torment him; So that a longer Leaſe of his Life was no better than a lingring Death: nay, ſuch a Life (under the Guilt of ſuch a ſin, and under the ſenſe of ſuch a Curſe) was far worſe then a Temporal Death: Therefore God Dooms him to Live, and not immediately to Dye, that he might be a Land-Mark of Shame, and a Living-Monument againſt Murder and Murderers.
5thly. His Death after a Woful Life, was Woful alſo, as humane Teſtimony Reports, for though he us'd ſome Carnal Anodynes to Allay the unbearable pangs of his wounded Spirit, and to drown the horrible noiſe of his ſelf-condemning Conſcience, he falls upon Building a City, and call'd it Enoch, that his Son might be call'd Lord Enoch of Enoch, v. 17. Yet Vengeance would not ſuffer him to live, Act. 28. 4. Nor to Live out half his Days, Pſal. 55. 23. Nor to go down to the Grave in peace, 2 Kin. 2. 5. That he Dyed an Untimely death (all Hiſtorians concurr) about the Year 131. the manner how is Variouſly Reported; ſome ſay It was by the Fall of an Houſe which he was Building in his New City: Others ſay, He was ſlain by his Grand-child Lamech, who being a Blind Archer, was led to ſhoot him by a wicked Boy: Take it either way, and his Sin is Writ upon his Puniſhment, for either, as he that Deſigned to pull down Gods Houſe (the Church) ſo his own Houſe which he was rearing up, falls down upon him and knocks him down dead on the place, as he had done his Brother Abel: or, As he Diſdain'd to be his Brothers Keeper, but not to be his Executioner, Lives to beget a Son, whoſe Son became his Grand-Fathers Executioner: Thus when God makes Inquiſition for Blood, Pſal. 9. 12. ſhall not he Search it out? Pſal. 44. 21. Yea, he will, and wound the Hairy Scalp of ſuch as go on in their Iniquity, Pſal. 68. 21.
6thly. Neither doth Divine Vengeance upon him End here in his Untimely and Violent Death, but his laſt Doom is the moſt Woful of all Dooms; Cain muſt not onelyonly be doom'd out of the Church, and out of the World, but alſo he muſt be Doom'd to Hell, whither all wicked Men are turned, and all the People (though there be whole Nations of them) that forget God, (as Cain did) Pſa. 9. 17. Eſpecially Murderers, who are abhorred of the Lord, Pſal. 5. 6. He that ſat upon the Throne hath (himſelf) ſaid it, Rev. 21. 8. Murderers ſhall have their Lot in the Lake that Burneth with Fire and Brimſtone; more eſpecially ſuch as Murder Gods Image in his Servants, who have his Image upon them in a double manner, both by Generation, Gen. 9. 6. And alſo by Regeneration, Eph. 4. 24. God will (of all others) avenge their Blood, Rev 6. 10. and that ſpeedily, Luk 18. 7. Thus Cain was a wicked One, was of the wicked One, and went to the wicked One in Hell at laſt.
But the laſt Means whereby God Defeated the Devil's 2d. Plot, was, In raiſing up a Seth to Stand up in Abel's Stead, according to the Signification of his Name Seth, Hebr. Poſuit placed in his Brothers place for Upholding the Church; Sic Ʋno avulſo non Deficit Alter Aureus: Though one Branch (Abel) was lop'd off from the Tree of Mankind, (Adam) yet another Springs up (and that a Golden One) in his Stead; And out of the Aſhes of the Dying Phoenix another Phoenix Ariſeth to Continue its Kind in the World. Thus Seth or Sheth ſignifies, not onelyonly Poſuit, but Repoſuit, layd up, as his Godly Mother believingly Acknowledged, That the Church was layd up in him, and that he was the Foundation of it, a Type of Chriſt, Iſa. 28. 16. 1 Cor. 3. 11. out of whom Chriſt Sprung, Luk. 3. laſt. Gen. 4. 25. and, though Adam had many other Sons, Gen. 5. 4. yet none are Named, ſavely onelyonly Seth, as being the only Profeſſor of the True Religion, and Foundation of the Church.
Now when the Devil and his Agents had got Abel out of the Way and World, and ſaw Adam for an 130 Y. without an other in his ſtead, Gen. 5. 3. Oh what Rejoycing was there, and ſending of Gifts amongſt them, as Rev. 11. 10. But God Cut their Coxcombs, and Confuted their Confidences in Raiſing up Seth; by whoſe Means, with God's Bleſſing, the Devil loſt and the Church won Ground, for then ('tis ſaid) Men began to call upon the Name of the Lord, Gen. 4. 26. That is, Publickly and in Solemn Aſſemblies, making an Open Profeſſion, which hitherto had been but Privately done.