Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons, Title page – Dedication
A TREATISE OF THE FOVRE DEGENERATE SONNES, VIZ.
the ATHEIST
the MAGICIAN
the IDOLATER.
and the JEW.
Wherein are handled many profitable queſtions concerning Atheiſme, Witchcraft, Idolatry, and Iudaiſme: and ſundry places of Scripture, cleared out of the Originall Tongues.
foreign, Math. 7.6.
Quaerite & invenietis.
foreign
foreign
foreign
Id eſt.
Non laboravi, & inveni: ne credito:
Laboravi & non inveni: ne credito:
Laboravi, & inveni, credito.
Seneca.
Lectio varia delectat, certa prodeſt.
Being the fourth Volume, of the Workes of Mr. IOH. WEEMSE of Lathocker in Scotland, and Prebend of Dunelm.
LONDON Printed by Thomas Cotes and are to be ſold by Iohn Bellamie, dwelling at the three golden Lyons in Corne-hill, neere the Royall Exchange. 1636.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, AND RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, WILLIAM Lord Biſhop of London, and Lord High Treaſurer of England, &c.
Right Honourable
THe Church of God in the Scriptures is not unfitly compared unto a Kingdome, and unto a family; And firſt unto a Kingdome, wherein there are filij regis Kings ſonnes, who ſucceede to their Father as heires of the Kingdome; ſecondly, filij regni the children of the Kingdome, who ſometimes mendaciter ſe ſubijciunt regi, Pſal. 18. Thirdly, exteri who doe not acknowledge the King, nor he them for his ſubjects. So in the Church there are filij regis, who are the true children of God, and heires of eternall inheritance, and filij regni, who make a ſhew and profeſſion of Religion, yet many of them may be caſt out of the Kingdome into utter darkeneſſe Mat. 8.12. Laſtly, there are exteri, who live altogether without the Church and hate her, thoſe doth God abhorre Secondly, ſhe is compared to a family wherein there are ſome who are begotten of the ſame father, borne of the ſame mother, and foreign, ſucking one milke, and thoſe are ſaid to be borne at home, or home borne Levit. 18.9. Jer. 2.14. Thoſe were heires ſucceeding to their fathers inheritance. Secondly there were thoſe who were borne of the ſame mother, but not begotten of the ſame father, and thoſe were called foris nati Levit. 18.9. becauſe familia matris (as the Hebrewes ſay) non eſt familia; and thirdly, thoſe who are caſt out of the family and belong not to it, as baſtards; ſuch a one was Jepthe Judg. 11.5. who got no poſſeſſion with his brethren in his fathers inheritance. So it is in the ſpirituall familie the Church, thoſe who are begotten of the immortall ſeede of the VVord by God their Father, and borne in the Church their mother, and foreign nurſed upon the ſincere milke, 1 Pet 2.2. thoſe are borne at home, or homeborne; There are others who are borne of the ſame mother foreign mothers children, but not begotten by one father, and many of them are foris nati, when they are members of the viſible Church onelyonly, who if they be not begotten of the immortall ſeed of the word, and are not members of the inviſible Church alſo, the Lord reckons them not as his children. The Church their mother beſtowes ſome outward favours upon them, but yet they are not thoſe true children who ſhall be partakers of the inheritance, and thoſe mothers children onelyonly oftentimes perſecute their brethren, Cant. 1.6. My mothers children were angry with me; but the third ſort are thoſe who are altogether out of the Church, and thoſe the Church acknowledgeth not as her children. Such are thoſe foure degenerate ſonnes, the Atheiſt, the Magician, the Jdolater, and the Jew, whom the Lord acknowledgeth not for his children, but will have them caſt out like Hagars brats. Thoſe foure doe hate the true Church moſt, perſecute her, and deteſt her; and the Church to them is like a ſpeckled bird or Owle Ier. 12.9. who all ſet themſelves againſt the Church; theſe foure are mightily increaſed now in the world, they are the bane both of the Church & Commonwealth, ſeeking like the Boare in the Forreſt to roote out the Lords Vineyard; but the Lord hath put a hedge about his Vineyard to ſave it from them, and hee hath ſet up a watch-tower within her, to diſcover thoſe enemies; he hath ſet the magiſtrate about her as a wall to defend her, and the Paſtors as watchmen to obſerve them, and it is a bleſſed thing when theſe two agree for the ſafetie of the Church, then Moſes and Aaron meete together and kiſſe one another, Exod. 4.16. there is a great relation betwixt theſe two, the Church and Commonwealth, and they have not beene unfitly compared to Hippocrates twinnes, when the one laughed ſo did the other, and when the one wept ſo did the other; ſo when the Church of God proſpereth ſo doth the Commonwealth, and when the Commonwealth decayeth ſo doth the Church, but when the care of both theſe is matched in one worthy perſon, that is an happie union, then they are like the two eyes in the head, which although they be two, yet they looke both one way, and although they be two, yet the radij viſuales draw both to one object. Your Lordſhip hath an intereſt in both, you are a chiefe foreign in the Church, an under rower under our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 4.1. and in the Commonwealth another Eliakim, in whoſe hands much of the governement is committed, Eſay 22.21. and the key of the houſe of the Kingdome is layd upon your ſhoulder, verſe 22. and upon whom all ſorts of veſſells great and ſmall doe hang, ver. 24. I have endeavoured my Lord to diſcribe thoſe foure ſonnes according to that gift which God hath beſtowed upon me, that men may abhorre thoſe vile ſonnes, and learne to become Chriſtians; And I have done here as the Painters doe when they draw their draughts, they draw firſt foreign, ſome darke lineaments, and afterward they adde foreign, and laſt they ſuperinduce the vive colours, and that is foreign: I have drawne the firſt draughts and lineaments of thoſe foure leud ſonnes, but if any would be pleaſed to adde to thoſe firſt draughts the vively colours, he ſhall doe a good worke, and profitable to the Church of God. I have taken the boldneſſe to Dedicate theſe my travels to your Lordſhip deſiring that you would be pleaſed to accept of them, remembring that Apologue of the Iewes; Cholin folio 92. 1.the Vine grapes of Babylon upon a time ſent to the Vine trees of Judea and beg'd ſome of their leaves to cover their grapes (for if there were not leaves to cover them, the grapes would quickely periſh; If ſuch as your Lordſhip doe not favour our poore grapes, they will ſuddenly goe to decay; accept therefore (my Lord) of theſe my travels, and looke upon them with a favourable eye, and when I ſhall ſee that they ſhall profit any thing the Church of God, and be approved by your Lordſhip then I have obteined my end.
Your Lordſhips in all Duty. IOHN WEEMSE.