Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons, Treatise · Part 3 · Section 6 (3 of 3)

Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons · Treatise · Part 3 · Section 6 (3 of 3)

p. 258Marke a difference betwixt the Prophets of the Lord and Baals Prieſts;A difference betwixt the Lords Prophets and the Prieſts of Baal. if ye will reſpect their number, they are eight hundreth and fifty, The prophets of the Lord were but few in reſpect of them, Obadiah tooke an hundreth Prophets and hidde them by fifties in a cave, 1 King 18.4. If yee will reſpect their fare; there was a great difference alſo, the poore Prophets were fed onelyonly with bread and water; but the Prieſts of the groves were fed at the court. 1 King. 18.19. Thirdly, if ye will reſpect their apparell, and the places where they lived; yee ſhall ſee great difference, the Prophets of God went in ſheepe skinnes, and goate skinnes, being deſtitute, afflicted, and tormented, of whom the world was not worthy of, they wandred in deſerts, and in mountaines, and in dennes and caves of the earth, Heb. 11.37.38. But Baals prieſts lived daintily in all plenty: But if wee ſhall looke to their end; and how they were miſerably killed, and how the Prophets of God were delivered, how they were ſeparate for the day of ſlaughter, and all killed in one day; then wee would make choiſe rather with Moſes to ſuffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon, Heb. 11.25. and with David rather to be a doorekeeper in the houſe of God, then to dwell p. 259in the tents of wickedneſſe, Pſal. 84.10.

Fourthly, Achab worſhiped Baall: In the ſcripture wee reade of three ſorts that were diverſly affected to Baal, Three ſorts that were diverſly affected towards Baal.firſt thoſe who pleaded againſt Baal, as Gideon called Ierubaal, of Ierubaſh…th, 2 Sam. 9.23. and Elijah; ſecondly thoſe who ſtoop for Baal, as Ahab and Iezebell, and the Prieſts of Baal. And thirdly thoſe who halted betwixt God & Baal, in the politickes they were ſaid foreign as Dion ſaid of Cicero, becauſe he now clave to the people, and now to the Senate, and Homer called ſuch a one foreign, that is he who cleaves to this point, and now to that, and this was called foreign when the mind is carried now this way now that way.

Queſt. Which of thoſe two was worſt?

An: Thoſe who halted betwixt God & Baal; therfore the Lord ſayes, Reve. 3. I would thou wert hot or cold, but becauſe thou art lukewarme, I wil ſpue thee out of my mouth; lukewarmenes here is not the midſt betwixt hotte and cold, as it is in Phyſicall things, but it is fartheſt from the vertue, heate, & the Lord deteſts more the lukewarme then the cold; The Phyloſopher Ethic. 7. markes foure ſorts of men, the firſt is continens & temperans, The worſt ſort of all were thoſe, who halted betwixt God and Baal.the ſecond is incontinens & intemperans, the third is, temperans & incontinens, the fourth is, continens & intemperans. Continens & temperans is hee who bridles his paſſions, & ſuffers them not to burſt forth into action. Incontinens & intēperans, is he who rules not his paſſions, but ſuffers them to burſt forth into action. Incontinens & tēperans, is he who rules not his paſſion, but yet ſuffers not his paſſion to burſt forth into action, as hee that ſuffers not the ſun to goe down upon his wrath, Pſal. 4. Be angry, but ſin not, as if hee ſhould ſay, when ye are angry (for to this paſſion of anger all men are prone) ſin not, that is, execut not this your anger with a deliberate purpoſe; the fourth is, continens & intemperans, and he refraines his paſſion, p. 260and bridles it, yet executes it in action, as he who killes in cold blood.

Queſt. Which of theſe foure ſorts are worſt?

Anſw. A man would thinke that hee were worſt, who were both incontinent and temperate, but yet it is not ſo, for hee that is continent and bridles his paſſions and intemperate and refraines not from the action hee is the worſt ſort of men, for hee does deliberately ſinne, and not miſcarried by his paſſion: ſo hee that is lukewarme in the ſervice of God, is farther from the vertue, then he that is cold, and hee that halts betwixt God and Baal, is by the Lord more abhorred then he who directly ſtands for Baal: The people that were brought from ſtrange nations to Samaria, they are ſaid to have feared the Lord, and worſhipped their owne Gods, 2 King. 17.33. yet becauſe they worſhipped both, it is ſaid, ver. 34. that they feared not the Lord, for the Lord deteſts thoſe moſt of all; ſo thoſe lukewarme people are moſt hated of him: and as the ſtomacke cannot brooke lukewarme things, ſo well as it does hot or cold, for hot or cold things do contract the ſtomack, and make it keepe things the better; but lukewarme things delates the ſtomacke, and makes it ſpew them out; ſo the Lord ſpewes out theſe lukewarme people, and cannot brooke them by any people.

Elijah reproved Ahab to his face.Now Elijah, who oppoſeth himſelfe to Baal and to Ahab the maintainer of Baal, comes and reprooves Ahab to his face, and ſays that it was hee that troubled Iſrael; So Paul came and withſtood Peter to his face: Theſe are called the faithfull woundes of a friend; The Phyſitians call the woundes oppoſit to theſe foreign unfaithfull; Thoſe that are given behind a mans backe, as detraction or backbiting are moſt dangerous wounds.Elijah conteſteth with the Priſtes of Baal, for the worſhip of God.

The ſecond thing which Elijah did here, was his p. 261conteſte with the Prieſts of Baal. There was a great diſpute heere about Religion, and to end the controverſie they will try it this way, that the Lord would be pleaſed to ſend downe a fire from heaven to burne their ſacrifices who were accepted of him, but not upon theirs who were not excepted.

By this ſigne of ſending down fire upon the ſacrifices,The people knew that God accepted of their ſacrifices when he ſent downe fire from heaven to burne them. the people of God knew when their ſacrifices were accepted; it is ſaid, Gen. 4. that the Lord looked upon Abel, and upon his ſacrifice. Aquila tranſlates it, foreign hee ſet it on fire, ſo when the tabernacle was erected, the Lord ſent downe a fire upon their ſacrifices, and when the temple was erected, he ſent down a fire upon their ſacrifices, and ordinarily when there ſacrifices were burnt to aſhes, then they knew that God accepted of them, Pſal. 20.3. Remember all thy offerings, and turne to aſhes thy burnt ſacrifice.

There came downe a fire & burnt Elijah his ſacrifice,The fire came downe foure times upon the Altar to burne the ſacrifices. this fire came downe foure times from heaven upon their ſacrifices: Firſt upon Abel his ſacrifice, ſecondly upon the ſacrifice of the Tabernacle, when they had ſacrificed ſeven dayes, Le. 8.33. Then the glory of the Lord appeared on the eight day, and the fire came down upon their ſacrifice; Levit. 9.23, 24. Thirdly the fire came down upon their ſacrifice when the Temple was erected, and fourthly the fire came downe upon Elijah his ſacrifice; But the fire came not downe in the ſecond Temple to burne the ſacrifices.

Quest. How was their ſacrifices then accepted in the ſecond Temple,The Hebrewes hold that the fire in the tabernable went up to heaven againe from whence it came downe 2 Chro. 7.1.2 Chr 7:1 ſeeing the fire came not downe from heaven to burne them?

Anſw. The Prophets and the Preiſts conſecrated this fire in the ſecond Temple, and then it was an heavenly fire, and whoſoever brought any other fire into the altar, that was ſtrange fire: The fire in the firſt temple p. 262was divinohumanus ignis, How the fire in the ſecond temple, was accepted when it came not downe from heaven.that is, it came from heaven; but it was maintained by wood, as our fire is; but the fire in the ſecond temple was humanodivinus, that is, it was at the firſt but humane fire, which came not from heaven, but being conſecrate by the prophets, and the Prieſts it became heavenlie fire.

The Iewes are uncertaine concerning the fire of the ſecond temple; for ſome ſay, 2 Mac. 1.19. that the Prieſts hidde the fire of the firſt temple in a pit, and that it was kindled againe in the ſecond temple after the captivity;R. David, Hag. 1.8.Hag 1:8 But others of them hold that there were five things wanting in the ſecond temple, which were in the firſt; the Arke, Vrim, Thummim, the holy fire, and Shechina the majeſtie of God who dwelt betweene the Cherubines.

Becauſe this fire came from heaven, therefore when they wanted it, they ſtudied by rubbing the ſtones of the altar one upon another to kindle the fire againe, 2 Mac. 10.3. and the veſt all virgins imitating them, (when their holy fire went out) they kindled it againe with the beames of the ſunne contracted into a chriſtall glaſſe.

The third thing which Elijah did was this, He cauſed all the Prieſts of Baal to bee kild; this was Opimum Sacrificium Deo; when the Levites conſecrated their hands to kill their neighbours and brethren that were Idolaters, Exod. 32.29. their hands were conſecrate with their blood of the brethren, as that day when they were ordained Prieſts, the blood of the ſacrifice was ſprinkled upon the thumbe of their right hand, Exod. 29.20. And this was as acceptable a conſecration to the Lord, as that day when they were conſecrate prieſts unto him; ſo the ſhedding of the blood of theſe Idolatrous Prieſts was as acceptable a ſacrifice to the Lord as any could be.

p. 263Elijah for his good ſervice done to God in that great famine, the Lord preſerves him wonderfully; firſt by Ravens at the river Cherith, who brought him bread and fleſh twice in the day: ſecondlie by the widow of Zarepta, who had but a little meale which ſhee was to dreſſe, and then to die, 1 King. 17.12. Chryſoſtome conſidering the fact of this widow,Homil 19. 2. Cor. markes the great charitie of this widow, that ſhe gives not out of her povertie to helpe the prophet, but out of her meere neceſſitie, when both ſhe and her child were like to ſtarve, neither having any hope to be helped by her neighbours; and here hee compares Abraham his fact, and her fact when Abraham intertained the ſtrangers, and hee preferres her charitie to Abrahams, ſhee ranne not to the flocke as Abraham … …nely to her poore handfull of meale which was reſerved for her and her ſonne. Wee are bound to give of things that are profitable for us, to helpe our neighboures neceſſitie, as the Samaritan tooke his oyle and his wine, and powred it into the hurt mans wounds. So hee who hath two coates ſhould impart to him that hath none, Luke 3.11. but this poore widow gaver her one coate, & conſumſit foreign, Luke 15.13. to ſave the Prophets life; thirdly he was fed by the Angell.The bowed their knees to Baal.

The Idolaters in Ahabs time bowed their knees to Baal. The Hebrewes have foure words,foreign by the which they expreſſe the ſignes of bodily worſhip. The firſt is Barach, the bowing of the knee. The ſecond is Cadad, the bowing of the head, from the necke upward. The third is Carang, the bowing downe of the head,foreign with the bulke of the bodie: and the fourth is hiſhtahave, to caſt downe the whole body before them. The Apoſtle, Rom. 6.13. wills us that we ſhould make all our members inſtruments of righteouſneſſe to God; but the Idolaters made all their members the inſtruments of ſinne to worſhip their Idols.

p. 264The ſteod with their heads uncovered before their Idols.Firſt, their head; they prayed before their Idols with their heads covered, becauſe the people of the Eaſt worſhipped their great men with their heads covered, therefore they prayed after the ſame manner, and honoured their Idols ſtanding before them with their heads covered.Miſhna Tom. 1. l. 2. Maymonides ſaith, that religious outward worſhip ſhould be given after the ſame manner as they worſhipped great men, and he addes, niſi forte ſit mos illius loci, ut quis ſtet coram magnatibus aperto capite, that is, unleſſe it be the manner of men in that place to ſtand bareheaded, when they doe reverence to great men; where wee ſee that the geſture and the manner of praying is to be accommodated to the cuſtome of the place where one lives, and they ſhould teſtifie their outward reverence b… ſuch ſignes as men teſtifie their reverence to gre… …. This manner of worſhip varies in ſundry parts. Maymonides wrote his Miſhna in Egypt, and amongſt the Mahumetans who uncover not their heads before great men, but bow only their head before them; and therefore when they pray they uncover not their head: So the Iewes both the prieſts and people uncover, not the head in time of divine ſervice. The prieſts had ſuch bonnets upon their heads which could not eaſily be taken off and put on as ours, and when they came abroad they never uncovered their heades; but when they made great lamentation they uncovered their heads, and caſt aſhes upon them: But the Chriſtians in the Weſt, when they doe reverence to their ſuperiours, they alwayes uncover their heads; and therefore it is the fitteſt geſture for us to uncover our heads when we pray. The Iewes who live here in Europe, when they are in their ſynagogues, they never uncover their heads, which is altogether contrary to the cuſtome of Europe: They ſalute great men here uncovering their heads, and ſo ſhould they pray according to the canon of Maimonides; but p. 265they do this in deſpight of the Chriſtians: The Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 11. wills men to be uncovered, and women to be covered, when they pray, becauſe that was the uſuall forme amongſt the Grecians, for the men did uncover their heads, when they did any reverence to their ſuperiours; and the women had vailes which covered their heads and faces when they came abroad: therefore he would not have them uncovered in time of prayer.

Secondly,They worſhipped their Idolls turning their faces to them. they worſhipped their Idolls by turning their faces to them, and this is properly adorare, ad os orare. So the Lord commands his people that they ſhould not turne their backes to him, but their faces, Ier. 2.27. And the Iewes ſay, that it was not lawfull for anie when they came to the temple to worſhip (if they entered in at the Eaſt gate) to goe out at the ſame gate againe, but to goe out at the North gate, leaſt they ſhould turne their backs upon the Lord. The Iewes were commanded when they worſhipped the Lord, to turne their faces towards the temple, when they were without it, 1 King. 8. This was to be underſtood only in their publique worſhip, then they were bound to turne their faces towards the temple: and ſo when they worſhipped in their ſynagogues, they turned their faces alwaies towards the temple; and Daniel, The Iewes when they worſhipped God publiquely, turned their faces towards the temple, which they did not in their private prayers.when he was in captivitie opened his window and looked towards the temple when he worſhipped; but when they worſhipped privately in their chambers, they did not this, as when Ezekias turned his face towards the wall and prayed to the Lord: So David in his ſecret chamber prayed to the Lord, and watered his couch with teares; and Manaſſeh when he was priſoner in Babylon, repented, and prayed to the Lord, we cannot thinke that he did this, they turned not their faces towards the temple then.

p. 266They lifted up their eyes to their Idols. Si dederis mihi cor & oculos suos meus eris dicit dominum. Occulus & corſunt proxinetae peccati.Thirdly, they lifted up their eyes to their Idols, Eze. 18.15. neither hath lifted up his eyes to the Idols of the houſe of Iſrael. The eye is the meſſenger of the minde, when the eye is lifted up to the Idols, it teſtifies that it hath a directon from the minde: The Lord forbiddes them to goe a whoring after their owne eyes, Num. 15.39. When David teſtifies that he worſhipped God ſincerely, be ſaith, unto thee I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwelleſt in the heavens, Pſ. 123.1. Our eyes then ſhould waite upon the Lord, as the eyes of the ſervants looke unto the hands of their maſters, and as the eye of the handmaind unto the hand of her miſtriſſe, Pſal. 123.

They honoured their Idols with their mouth, kiſſing the Idoll.Fourthly, they kiſſed their Idols, 1 King. 19.18. Hoſ. 13.2. they kiſſed the calves. This kiſſing was an uſuall thing in worſhipping of their Idolls, and they uſed to kiſſe, either the mouth of the Idoll, or their owne hand; for when they could not reach to kiſſe the Idoll, they kiſſed their owne hand in ſigne of homage to their Idoll: and Iob purged himſelfe of this kinde of Idolatry, neither kiſſed I my hand, Iob 31. They gave this kiſſe to their Idols which is due onelyonly to Chriſt, Kiſſe the ſonne, Pſal. 2. So to eate before the Idolls, this is called eating upon the mountaines, Ezech. 22.9. and this is Idolatrie.

They prayſed God three manner of wayes.Fiftly, they praiſed their gods, and that three manner of wayes: firſt, they called upon them with a loud voyce, as they did to Baal, 1 King. 18.16. they called upon him from the morning to the noonetide of the day, and then they were vocales. Secondly, they played upon inſtruments before their Idols, Dan. 3.15. and then they had vocem femivocalem. Thirdly, they called upon their Idolls ſecretly within themſelves, and then they were muti; & this they called favere linguis in their Liturgie. So the Church of God had theſe three ſorts of wroſhip which they gave to the true God. Firſt, they had ther publique prayers to the Lord, and there they p. 267were vocales. Secondly, they offered the burnt offerings, and played upon all ſorts of inſtruments; then they were ſemivocales, 2 Chron. 29.27, 28. And laſtly, they prayed within themſelves, for ſo long as the incenſe was in offering all the people prayed privately by themſelves, and all this while there was no voyce heard Luke 1.10. then they were muti, and Iohn Revel. 8. ſeemes to allude to this cuſtome when he ſaith, there was ſilence in the heavens for halfe an houre.

Sixtly, they carried their Idols upon their ſhoulders; Ier. 10.5. Acts 7.43. Bajulaſtis in humeris veſtris even as the Levites carried the Arke of the covenant upon their ſhoulders, 1 Kin. 2.26. So they carried their Idols.

Seventhly, they held up their hands to their Idols: The hand is instrumentum inſtrumentorum, They held up their hands to their Iodols.by it (ſaith Fabius) pollicemur, we promiſe, vocamus we call, in vocamus we incal, dimittimus we diſmis; Minamur we threaten, ſupplicania we intreate, timemus we feare, interrogamus we aske, negamus we deny; by the hand we ſhew our ſadnes, our confeſſion, and our repentance; we ſpeake by the hand, Prov. 6.13. He reacheth by his fingers, and he promiſeth by his hand, we ſweare holding up our hand, or laying on the hand; other parts of the body helpe a man to ſpeake, but a hand ſeemes to ſpeake for it ſelfe; we ſtretch out the hand to that which we would moſt earneſtly apprehend Pſal. 119.47. Mine hands alſo will I l…ft up to thy Commandements whom I have loved, that is, to the Commandements which I deſire moſt earneſtly to embrace and lay hold on: So Lament. 3.41. We lift up our heart with our hands to thee Lord: Ethiopia ſhall stretch out her hands to God, Pſal. 68.31. but the Idolaters lifted their hand to their Idols.

Eightly, they bowed their knees to them, that is,They bowed their knees to their Idols. foreign, Math. 17.14. they that came to ſute for any thing they tooke their Lord by the knees; becauſe p. 268the knees was a ſigne of mercy, power, and life: and therefore the knees were dedicated to mercy, Servius Aenead. 3.

Dixerat, & genua amplexus genibuſque volutans Haerebat.

He ſaith that the gods had ſundry parts of the body dedicated to them, as the eare was dedicated to memory; the forehead was dedicated to Genius, and the knees to merciemercy: therefore when they begged for any thing, they tooke them by the knees of whom they begged: in our knees lyeth our abilitie to goe; they are a ſigne of ſtrength, Eſay 35.3. Strengthen our weake knees; and when the Lord threatens a judgement that their ſtrength ſhall faile them, then he ſaith, All knees ſhall be weake like water, Ezeck. 7.17. And as to bow the knee is a ſigne of weakeneſſe, and indigencie; ſo to bow the knee is a ſigne of dignity and power; And therefore the Egyptians made choiſe to put the Elephant in their colours, which was a ſigne of their Kingly power that bowed not his knee, nor needed not to ſupplicate or begge any thing from another; therefore when the Idolaters bowed their knees before Baal, and touched his knee, they acknowledged his power, that he had knees like the Elephant, that could not bow; and alſo their owne weakeneſſe, falling downe and bowing the knee to him to ſeeke his helpe: Contrary to this bowing before the Idoll, is the bowing of the knee to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, Philip. 3. To whom all knees in heaven and earth ſhould bow, Act. 20.36. 2 Chron. 6.13. All bowed their knees in the Temple of Ieruſalem, or ſtood, but none ſate but the King onelyonly, 2 Sam. 7.18. Pſal. 135.2.

They ſtood barefooted before their Idols.Ninthly, they ſtood barefooted before their Idols: The people of God when they came before the Lord, he commanded them to reverence his ſanctuary; and p. 269the Iewes inferre from this, that they ſtoode bare-footed in the Temple, Exod. 3.7. Take off thy ſhooes becauſe the place where thou ſtandeſt is holy. So the Temple is a holy place, therefore they inferre that they ſtood barefooted in the Temple: And Exod. 30.19. the Prieſts are commanded to waſh their feete morning and evening; Therefore it ſeemes that they ſtood bare-footed before the Lord; and when all the Prieſts cloathes are reckoned up, there is nothing ſpoken of their ſhooes; by which we may probably gather, that the Iews ſtood barefooted before the Lord: as that of Iuvenal. Satyr. 7.

Obſervant ubi feſta mero pede Sabbatha Reges,

Et vetus indulget ſenibus clementia porcis.

And Salomon ſeemes to allude to this, Eccleſ. 5.1. when he ſaith, When thou comeſt to the houſe of the Lord looke to thy feete; and with what great reverence thou aſcends to the houſe of Lord: the Chaldee paraphraſt paraphraſing upon Cant. 7.2. (how beautifull are thy feete) paraphraſeth it thus: How beautifull are thy feete, when thou goeſt up three times in the yeare to the feaſts with thy ſhooes of badgers skinnes: ſhooes of badgers skinnes were the moſt excellent ſhooes, Ezech. 16.10. but when they entred into the Temple they layd aſide their ſhooes and ſtood bare-footed. The Iewes at this day before their Synagogues have Iron faſtned in the wall wherewith they make cleane their ſhooes, before they enter into the Synagogue: the Idolatrous Prieſts of Egypt wore nothing but ſhooes of paper, when they went to worſhip their Idoll:Herodotus lib. 2. cap. 5. and amongſt the Romans it was not lawfull for the Prieſts to weare any ſhooes made of the skinne of the beaſt which dyed of it ſelfe:Apollonius lib. 5. and the Sarafeus learned this from the Iewes, that enter not into their Temple but barefooted: ſo when the Prieſts goe bare-footed in p. 270their proceſſion, they do this for the honour of ſom Idol.

They leaned downe before their Idols.Laſtly, they diſhonoured God with their whole body, and worſhipped their Idols, Amos 2.8. and they lay downe upon cloathes, taken into pledge at every Altar, and dranke the wine of the condemned, firſt they leaned themſelves when they did eate at their feaſts, this is foreign, Luke 24.30. and then they dranke the wine of the condemned; that is the moſt excellent wine; for they gave the moſt excellent wine to thoſe who were going to execution; according to Salomons counſell, Prov. 31.6. Give wine to him that is of a ſad heart: This religious falling downe is dew onelyonly to God. 1 Cor. 14.25, he falleth downe upon his face and worſhippeth God.

Whether it be lawfull to be preſent at Idoll ſervice and to give externall worſhip there having no intention to worſhip the Idoll.A queſtion may be moved here, whether it be lawfull to be preſent at Idoll ſervice or not, and to give externall worſhip to the Idoll by bowing before it, providing that in their mind they have no reſpect to it, but doe it for ſome other civill ends? Some goe about by the example of Naaman the Syrian to ſhew that this is lawfull: Caietan chiefely labours to prove that this fact of Naamans was lawfull;Cajetan goes about to prove Naamans fact. and firſt he ſaith that this word hiſhtakave, which the Greekes tranſlate foreign to bow downe, ſignifies as well civill worſhip as ſpirituall, and that Naaman minded nothing elſe than ſpirituall worſhip, he confeſſeth the true God, and promiſeth that hee will ſerve none but the true God, and that hee would erect an altar after he returned to his Countrey to the true God, and intended onelyonly after his accuſtomed manner to goe to the temple of Rimmon, Cajetan makes two ſorts of bowing of the knee, the firſt for obedience, the ſecond for imitation.and there to performe civill homage to his King as before; he makes a double bowing of the knee, the firſt is genuflexio imitationis, the ſecond is genuflexio obſequij: that is, the one for imitation, and the other for obedience: Naamans bowing, of his knee was not for imitation, but onelyonly for obedience, and it was not of the ſame p. 271kind with the Kings bowing: The queſtion is then only de genuflexione obſequij, and that is, for bowing for obedience, and this bowing he holds altogether to bee lawfull, and that he bowed himſelfe with the King having no reſpect to the Idoll; but onelyonly the reſpect which hee carried to the King made him to bow. The ſervant bowed himſelfe with the King, and performed that homage to him which he ought; for that is Adoratio abſoluta: But when he bowes & worſhips with him, this is cultus relativus a relative worſhip, having relation to the Idoll: and hee goes about to cleare the matter by this compariſon; If a noble man ſhould goe to a baudy-houſe, and commit villanie there, the ſervants follow their maſter now as at other tymes, but not as he goes to a whore, but if they ſhould flatter their Lord and approve this fact, then they ſhould bee guiltie of his ſinne, ſo (ſaith he) Naaman goes to the houſe of Rimmon now as at other times, and it was onelyonly but civill worſhip which he performed there: And when it is objected that it had a ſhew of evill to bow in ſuch a place; at ſuch a time with the King; Cajetane anſwers, that Naaman proteſted the contrary both in word and deede; but Cajetans compariſon halts downe right here; for if the Noble mans ſervant ſhould goe into the baudi-houſe with him, and ſee him commit that villanie, could they excuſe themſelves after this manner, that they gave him but onelyonly civill homage, and reſpect heere. Therefore this that Cajetan pleades for Naaman, will not ſerve the turne.

Now for the Prophets anſwere to Naaman (Goe in peace) Naaman comes to be reſolved in a caſe of conſcience by the Prophet:What is the meaning of the Prophets anſwere to Naaman (goe in peace.) The caſe is whether he may goe with the King to the houſe of Rimmon or not, and the Prophet is bound to ſatisfie him in this caſe, and to ſetle his conſcience. Now for the better underſtanding of p. 272this, wee muſt remember that there are foure ſorts of conſcience,There are foure ſorts of conſciences. firſt a good conſcience; Secondly, a badde conſcience; Thirdly, a doubtfull conſcience; Fourthly,A good conſcience. a ſcrupulous conſcience: A good conſcience is that conſcience which concludes truely and comfortablie after this manner; Every commandement of God is to be kept; but to love God is the principall and cheefe command, therefore it is to be kept.

A bad conſcience.A bad conſcience is that which reaſoneth quite contrary to the truth; as when the Anabaptiſt reaſoneth thus, a man muſt do no unlawfull thing; to ſweare is an unlawfull thing, therefore wee muſt not ſweare: Hee takes to ſweare, to be an unlawfull thing, miſtaking the place,A Doubtful conſcience. Mat. 5. Sweare not at all. A doubtfull conſcience knoweth not which way to incline, but yet it inclines more to the one then the other, Sed cum formidine ad oppoſitum; that is with ſome feare to the contrary; Example, when the weake Chriſtian doubted in conſcience whether hee might eate of that part of the fleſh which was ſold in the ſhambles or not, ſeeing the other parts had beene offered to the Idoll, heere hee doubts whether he might eate or not eate, and yet hee inclines more not to eate, but with ſome feare to the oppoſite parts.

A ſcrupulous conſcience.A ſcrupulous conſcience is that which cleaves onlie to one part, yet ſo cleaves to it, that it troubles the mind: A ſuperſtitious minde although it bee ſetled in that ſuperſtion, yet that conſcience is never free without ſome ſcruple.

Now to apply this to the queſtion in hand; the prophet had not to doe heere with a man that had a good conſcience, as yet, neither had hee to doe with a man that had a badde conſcience, neither with a man that had a ſcrupulous conſcience; but with a man of a doubtfull conſcience, doubting which way he ſhould incline; p. 273but yet hee inclined more to goe with the King to the houſe of Rimmon, as he uſed to doe before,The Prophet had to deale with a man who had a doubtfull conſcience as yet. rather then not to goe: Now if the Prophet ſhould have anſwered him this way, Goe in peace, that is, goe there for civill worſhip, and reſerve your ſpirituall worſhip to God, were not this to daube with untempered morter, Eze. 13.10. he could not doe both civill worſhip and ſpirituall worſhip at once, and at one act: Naaman ſought two things of the Prophet, that hee might have ſo much of that earth to carry with him, that he might build an Altar within his owne countrie. Now apply the Prophets anſwere (goe in peace) to this,Goe in peace, is not concedentis but optantis would the Prophet grant that to him, to erect an Altar to the worſhip of God by himſelfe? It cannot bee concedentis heere; granting to him that which he ſeekes, but it is onelyonly optantis: The Lord grant you peace in minde, and trouble not your ſelves with theſe things, that might breede greater trouble in your conſcience: The Prophet ſometimes ſayes, Lech be Shalom, abi in pace, foreignand ſometimes Lech le ſhalom vade ad pacem, Exo. 4.18.foreign which are optantis pacem.

If the Prophet had approved that deede of his,The martyres of God would not communicate with Idols in the leaſt peece of ſervice. wee marvell, and that juſtlie, why the martyrs have ſuffered ſuch cruell torments, rather then they would communicate with the Idolles in the leaſt peece of ſervice. The Iewes would not ſo much as caſt one ſtone to the Idoll Mercurius, Ʋide in lexico Iuris quid mercalis dicitur cuius cullos fie bat hoc modo.The which the heathen uſed in token of homage: The primitive Church held them who burnt but three graines of frankincenſe to an Idoll, to bee apoſtates:Suidas in Auxentio. There was a fountaine very curiouſly built (in the time of Licinius the Emperour) in the mideſt of the Kings court, and the Image of Bacchus placed above it, and a vine tree had ſpread her branches round about the court▪ It was a fit place to walke in the ſhadow in the time of heate: Licinius the Emperour p. 274comes in into the court attended with a great number; amongſt the reſt was Auxentius a Chriſtian; Licinius (perceiving a branch laden with a cluſter of grapes) hee biddes Auxentius cut it downe, which he doth preſently. Secondly, he biddes Auxentius ſet that branch at the feet of Bacchus, what anſwers Auxentius? God forbidde Emperour that I ſhould doe this, for I am a Chriſtian; Then Licinius ſayes unto him, either doe this, or get you gone and ſerve me no more; and he preſently looſing his militarie girdle went his way. Thoſe who ſtuddie to be holy, will neither eate the ſwines fleſh, nor keepe the broth in their veſſels, Iſa. 55.4. In this new convert Naaman, there was many infirmities yet, firſt he refuſeth the meane which the Prophet commanded him to uſe, to waſh him ſeven times in Iordan; then hee preſcribes meanes which he would have the prophet to uſe in curing of him;The Lord beares with this new convert although there were many infirmities in him. Thirdly, he thinkes that the place of Gods worſhip may be changed, yet notwithſtanding the Lord will not quench this ſmoaking flax; and as in weighing of things, wee grant ſomething to ſupply the defect of the thing weighed; ſo the Lord favours his owne, although many things be wanting in them. When a man beholds his face in a round glaſſe like a boule, his face ſeemes much leſſe then it is, but when a man beholds his face in ſpeculo concavo, in a hollow glaſſe, then it ſeemes more then it is; but when hee beholds it in a plaine glaſſe, it ſeemes juſt as it is, neither more nor leſſe; ſo when God lookes upon the ſinnes of his children, either he ſees them not at all, or they ſeeme very little in his ſight, hee lookes upon them as in a round glaſſe; but when Satan lookes upon the ſinnes of the children of God, they appeare to him in a hollow glaſſe, and they ſeeme more to him then they are; but when God lookes upon the ſinnes of the wicked, he ſees them in a plaine glaſſe juſt as they are. p. 275Although Iehu did deſtroy Baals prieſts,There was no decreaſe of Idolatry in Iehu his time. and overthrew his altars, yet there was no decreaſe of Idolatry all this while, for he out of a blind devotion bleſſed himſelfe in his evill, faining that he was high in Gods favour, and ſhould have peace, although he walked in the obſtinacie of his owne heart, Deut. 20.19. and becauſe hee was innocent, therefore Gods wrath ſhould turne from him, Ier. 2.35. For he followed no Idolls (what ever men ſay) Ier. 2.23. but he ſweares the Lord liveth, Ier. 5.2. and hee will ſhow by his workes the zeale that hee had for the Lord againſt Idolaters, 2 King. 10.16. hee will bring his ſacrifices and his tithes, Amos 4.5. proclaime free offerings: yea, willing he is to pleaſe the Lord, although it ſhould coſt him thouſands of rammes, or ten thouſand rivers of oyle, and to give his firſt borne the fruite of his body for the ſinne of his ſoule, Micah 6.7. and though he burne incenſe unto Baal, yet will he come and ſtand before God in the houſe whereupon his name is called; and ſay, I am delivered, Ier. 7.9.10. he will leane upon the Lord and ſay, Is not the Lord with me, no evill ſhall come upon mee, neither ſhall the plague come unto me, neither ſhall I ſee the famine, Ier. 5.12. Iehu all this time flattered himſelfe, as zealous for the Lord, and he clave ſtill to the ſinnes of Ieroboam the ſon of Nebat, who made Iſrael to ſin, and never ſaid, there is a lie in my right hand, Eſ 4….10.29.

Leaving the Kings of Iſrael, let us now proceed to the Kings of Iudah.

The firſt increaſe of Idolatry in Iudah, The firſt increaſe of Idolatry in Iudah after the ſeparation of the ten tribes.after the diviſion of the tenne tribes, was in the dayes of Rehoboam, 1 King. 14.22. And Iudah did evill in the ſight of the Lord,—and they provoked him to jealouſie with their ſinnes which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done; for they alſo built high places, and Images, and groves on every high hill, and under every greene tree.

The decreaſe of this Idolatry was in the dayes of p. 276Aſa 1 King. 15.11.The decreaſe. Hee did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father, Hee tooke away the Idols and deſtroyed them, and burnt thm by the brooke Kidron, and his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes, verſ. 14.

Queſt. How could his heart be ſaid to be a perfect heart, ſeeing hee is taxed with ſo many groſſe ſinnes; Firſt, the high places were not removed in his time, 2 Chron. 15.7. Then he was wroth with the Seer, and put him in priſon, becauſe he reproved him, 2 Chron. 16. he oppreſſed the people at that ſame time, verſ. 10. and in his diſeaſe hee ſought not the Lord but to the Phyſitians, verſ. 12. how could his heart then be a perfect heart with the Lord all his dayes?

An. A perfect heart is cald in the ſcripture, foreign Sincerum non fucatum cor, and it is compoſed of foreign, which ſignifieth the brightneſſe of the Sunne, and foreign becauſe in brightneſſe it ſtudieth to follow the Sun. The Sunne may ſometimes be overclouded,What is a ſincere heart but yet appeares in his brightneſſe againe. So a ſincere and a perfect heart, although ſometimes it be overclouded with ſinne, yet it ſtrives to recover its brightneſſe againe. Every ſinne makes not a heart ceaſe to be a perfect heart; but a man that is foreign, of a double minde, or having cor diviſum, a divided heart, Hoſ. 10.2. or a heart and a heart, Pſalm. 12.2. hee cannot be ſaid to have a perfect heart. The Lord ſaith, Deut. 25.13. Thou ſhalt not have in thy bagge, a ſtone and a ſtone, that is, a falſe weight. So verſ. 15. Thou ſhalt not have an Ephah, and an Ephah, that is, as falſe meaſure: ſo thou ſhalt not have a heart and a heart, that is a falſe heart. Thoſe the Apoſtle, 1 Tim. 3.10. calls foreign, double tongued. The Philoſopher proves that a creature is to be judged to be one or moe by the heart, and not by the braine, for if the heart be one, then the creature is p. 277but one, but if there be two hearts, then the creatures are two. There have beene men who have had two heads but one heart; ſuch a one was but one man, although he had two heads, and having but one heart his motion was but one, and his imagination one.Duo corda expoſcunt duo capita non contra Serpens qui habet … dam linguam habet … plicem guſtum reſte Ariſtot. So he that ha… two hearts, &c. But if one have two hearts of a neceſſitie he muſt have two heads; Animal est unum per unam animam: So it is in the ſpirituall life of a man, if a man have a heart and a heart, then he cannot be ſaid to have a perfect heart, then he makes two men, one for God, and another for the devill, and he hath two ſorts of motion and imagination; Salomon calls ſuch a man perverſus duarum viarum, Prov. 28.6. and Syrac. 2. Vae peccatori ingredienti duas vias: A tree if the roote and the ſtocke be one, although the grafts be diverſe, yet it is but one tree. So the heart if it be one, although it bring forth ſome good and ſome bad fruit, yet it may be a perfect heart.

The heart,The heart ſo long as it falles not to Idolatrie may be a ſinceere heart. although it be blotted with the ſinnes againſt the ſecond table, as David was in the matter of Vriah; yet if it be not tainted with Idolatry, it may be a perfect heart ſtill. Secondly, a perfect heart may come ſhort in the internall duties of the firſt table through incredulitie and misbeleefe; as Aſa put too much truſt in the Phyſitians in his diſeaſe; yet his heart was a perfect heart. Thirdly, a man may have a perfect heart, notwithſtanding that ſinnes of omiſſion be found in him in the worſhip of God, but not ſinnes of commiſſion, as Aſa tooke not away the high places, yet his heart was perfect with the Lord.

Let us make a compariſon betwixt David, Ioſiah, A compariſon betwixt David, Ioſias, and Aſa.and Aſa: David when he brought the Arke from Baal of Iudah, to the houſe of Obed Edom, he brought it upon a new cart, 2 Sam. 6.3. The Philiſtines carried the Arke of the Lord upon a cart (It ſhould have beene carried upon the Levites ſhoulders) David tooke away the p. 278Philiſtines Emrods and Mice which they put with the Arke, but he left the cart. Ioſiah tooke not away the remnants of Baal, Zephan. 1.4. and Aſa left the high places unremoved.

A compariſon betwixt Amaziah, Vzziah, and Aſa.Secondly, let us compare theſe three Kings together, Amaziah, Vzziah, and Aſa; Amaziah did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart, 2 Chron. 25.2. the Lord liked of his worke, but not of his heart, he did bonum opus, ſed non bene, ſed Deus magis delectatur adverbiis quam nominibus, as the Schoolemen ſpeake. Secondly, Vzziah, hee ſought the Lord and proſpered, 2 Chron. 26.5. hee had ſome beginnings of Grace in him; this was more than Amaziah had, yet his heart was lifted up, and hee fell away from the Lord, verſ. 16. but Aſa his heart was a perfect heart with the Lord all the dayes of his life. Theſe three Kings have beene not unfitly compared to the three ſort of fruite which the vine brings forth; The firſt is called Samadar, foreignuva minutula, a little berrie, but very imperfect, which appeares firſt when the floure falls away, and it withereth and decaieth with the leaſt cold or froſt. The ſecond fruit of the vine, is called Bozer Omphax, foreign Omphax libruſcawhich is a ſoure grape, but draweth neare to the nature of the ripe grape, yet when it ripens not, it ſets mens teeth on edge, and the third is gnanabh, foreignuva matura, the ripe grape; and they ſay that Amaziah was but uva minutula, and that Vzziah was Omphax, and Aſa was uva matura.

Whether did Aſa ſinne when he made a league with Benhabad or not?Queſt. Did not Aſa ſinne when he made a league with Benhadad King of Syria, he being an Idolater, 1 King. 15.19?

Anſw. All leagues with Idolaters are not unlawfull; Abraham made a league with Eſhcol, and Aner, Gen. 13.18. So with Abimelech and Phicol, Geneſ. 21.24. So Iſaac with Abimelech, Gen. 26.28. So Iacob with Laban, p. 279and David with the King of Ammon; 2 Sam. 10.1. and Aſa with Benhadad.

Object. Deut. 17.3. Ye ſhall not make a league with thoſe nations?

Anſw. That is, with the Canaanites, whom they were commanded to deſtroy. Secondly, the Lord commands, Exod. 22.32. Ye ſhall not make a covenant with them, and their gods; if their gods came within the covenant, then it was not lawfull to covenant with them, for they would have alwayes worſhip given to their gods: Aſa is reprooved 2 Chron. 16.2.7. for diſtruſting the Lord, and truſting in the King of Syria; Aſa ſinned truſting more in Benhaded than in the Lord.So he is blamed for putting his truſt too much in the Phyſitians in his ſickeneſſe; and not in the Lord; it was no more unlawfull for Aſa to make a covenant with Benhadad the King of Syria, no more than it was unlawfull for him to ſend for the Phyſitians in his ſickneſſe; But to diſtruſt the Lord and truſt too much in the King of Syria, that was Aſa his fault.

It was never lawfull to make a league offenſive or defenſive with Idolaters,It was never lawfull to make a league offenſive or defenſive with Idolaters. Such was the league which was made betwixt Iehoſaphat and Ahab, King of Iſrael, when Iehoſaphat ſaid to Ahab, 1 King. 22.4. I am as thou art, and my people as thy people. When the Hebrewes compare two things,Quid valet ſicut geminatum apud haebreos. and would ſignifie a paritie betwixt them, then they double the particle Sicut, and the firſt ſignifies the foreign, and the ſecond the foreign as Gen. 44.18. Sicut tu, ſicut Pharaoh, that is, Pharaoh is like thee, and thou art like Pharaoh, So Deut. 1.17. Ye ſhall reſpect no perſons in Iudgement, ſed ſicut parvum, Sicut magnum judicato, that is, have no more reſpect to the one then to the other, So Gen. 13.10. Sicut hortus domini, ſicut terra Egypti, that is, Egypt was like Canaan, and Canaan was like Egypt; So Eſay 24.2. Sicut ſacerdos, ſicut populus, that is, the Prieſt was like the people, p. 280and the people were like the prieſt; So 1 King. 22.4. I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, that is, thy cauſe ſhall be my cauſe, and my cauſe ſhall be thy cauſe. This league offenſiue and defenſive was not lawfull, and Iehoſaphat his league which he made with Ahaziah, 1 King. 22.29. ſeemes to be more than a league of peace; for firſt, he refuſeth to joyne with Ahaziah, but afterward he yeelded and joyned with him; and when he was about to ſend his ſhippes to the ſea, 2 Chron. 2.25. Eleazer the Prophet propheſied againſt him, ſaying, Becauſe thou haſt joyned thy ſelf with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works that they were not able to goe to Tarſhis.

Queſt. What ſort of confederacie was this when the Church gave her hand to Egypt? Lament. 5.6.

Dare manum quid ſignificat aliquando eſt mendicantis ſignum vel ſubiectionis.Anſw. It was not the hand of confederacie, or a league that they made with Egypt here, but they held out their hand here to begge of the Egyptians, or they gave their hand, that is, they acknowledged them to be ſubject to the Egyptians, Ter. 50.15. So they gave their hand to Aſhur, and begged to be ſatisfied with bread from him, verſ. 6.

The ſecond increaſe of Idolatry in Iudah after the diviſion of the tribes.The ſecond increaſe of Idolatrie under the Kings of Iudah, was under Ahaz, 2 King: 16.3. He walked in the wayes of the Kings of Iſrael, and made his ſonne to paſſe through the fire.

Of the ſinnes of Ahaz.There are three things eſpecially layed to the charge of Ahaz: firſt, that he made his ſonnes paſſe through the fire: Secondly, that he brought the paterne of the altar from Damaſcus, and cauſed them to make the like, and ſet it up in Ieruſalem: Thirdly, that he ſacrificed to the gods of Damaſcus who ſmote him, 2 Chron. 28.23.

He cauſed his children to paſſe through the fire.Firſt, hee cauſed his children to paſſe through the fire according to the abominations of the Gentiles: The Gentiles uſed firſt to carrie their children round about the fire, and theſe were called p. 281foreign: Secondly, they cauſed their children to paſſe through the fire, and this was called Luſtratio: Thirdly ſome of them cruelly murthered and offered their children to Moloch, Pſal. 130.4.Praeſtat deos non credere quam crudeles opinari & ſanguinarios. The Lord complained Ezech. 16.21. that they ſlew his children and cauſed them to paſſe through the fire: They offered the Lords children to Baal.hee cals them his children, that is, the firſt borne who opened the wombe who belonged to the Lord; They did not onelyonly offer foreign that is, the child who was first borne, But alſo foreign the firſt begotten childe, 2 Kings 1.23. they were not onelyonly content to offer foreign, and foreign, yea if they had but one ſonne foreign they would have offered him to Moloch; Abraham had but one ſonne who was his foreign whom he begat in his old age; and him he would have offered to the Lord, So they neither ſpared foreign, nor foreign. The Carthaginians ſacrificed their children to Moloch; and thoſe who had no children of their owne, they would goe and buy the poore children, as though they had beene Lambes, and the mother ſtood by not weeping or crying; and if they cryed there was a fine ſet upon their head, and there was nothing heard in the meane time, but beating of drummes, and ſounding of inſtruments, that they might not heare the ſcreaches of the poore infants;Plutarch de ſuperſtitione this was juſt after the manner of the Iewes, who burnt their children in Tophet, and beate upon drummes, and ſounded inſtruments,foreign that they ſhould not heare their cries, and therefore the place was called Tophet from Taphath pulſare.

When the father offered one of the children to Moloch, When the father offered one of his children to Moloch he thought all the reſt ſhould be ſaved, but God threatens the ſubverſion of all for that ſinne.he beleeved that for the offering of this one child God would bleſſe all the reſt; But ſee what the Lord ſayes againſt this abhomination, Levit. 20.5. I will ſet my face againſt that man and againſt his familie. The Lord threatens not onelyonly to cut him off, that p. 282wrought ſuch abomination, but his family alſo; The Lord threatned Ier. 7.32. that Tophet ſhould no more be called ſo, but Aceldama foreign, vallis occiſorum; becauſe the Idolatrous Kings were killed there who offered their children to Moloch.

The ſecond thing which Ahaz is blamed for, is this, that hee cauſed to bring the paterne of the altar of Damaſcus, and to make the like, and ſet it up at Ieruſalem.

We muſt add nothing to the worſhip of God.Ahaz is blamed heere for adding to Gods worſhip: In meaſuring of things the Lord commands that there be a juſt meaſure, and that the thing ſold bee ſufficient in quantity and qualitie: a thing may be ſufficient in quantitie, but not in qualitie; As when they mixed their wine with water, and their ſilver with droſſe, Iſa. 1. heere they ſold enough in quantitie, but the qualitie was badde: So when they ſold that which was good, but not enough of it, with a Leane meaſure as the Prophet calles it.

The Lord requires the full meaſure heere, and hee would have it to runne over, Luke 6.38. But hee that had any thing ſuperfluous in his body could not bee a Prieſt to the Lord, Lev. 21.18. So no beaſt that had any ſuperfluous part might be offered to the Lord, Lev. 21.18. That is that which the Lord himſelfe forbiddes Deut. 4.2.The worſhip of God muſt be kept in puncto mathematico. Yee ſhall neither adde nor pare from my Law, Prov. 30.16. put nothing to his words, leaſt hee reprove thee, and thou be found a lyer: They ſay that morall vertues admitt Latitudinem quandam, But Gods worſhip muſt be obſerved in puncto mathematico, there muſt nothing be added to it, or taken from it.

Ahaz removed the Altar of God, and put the altar of Damaſcus in place of it.Ahaz cauſed the Altar to be removed, hee tooke away the Altar and put the Altar of Damaſcus in the place of the altar which was the ſpeciall place of Gods worſhip, & therfore the Lord appropriates it to himſelf and calles it his altar, Mal. 1.10. as they are called his p. 283Priests, and Prophets, Pſal. 105.15. The Altar was the place that ſanctified the ſacrifice, and not the ſacrifice the Altar, Mat. 23.19. The Altar was the place where God ſhewed ſignes of his mercy, Jſa. 6.6. and there ſlew one of the Seraphimes unto mee, having a live coale in his hand, which hee had taken with the tonges from off the altar and layed it upon my mouth, and ſaid, Loe, this hath touched thy lippes, and thy iniquitie is taken away, and thy ſinne purged; heere the altar was a type of Ieſus Chriſt, of whom we get all ſanctifying graces: This was done in the dayes of Ahaz, Iſa. 6.10. and yet Ahaz nothing reſpects the Altar: The altar was the place of refuge to ſave poore men, yet Ahaz was not afraid to meddle with it.

He reſerved the Lords altar to his owne private uſes, 2 King. 16.15. But Mica reſerved the altar of Damaſcus for all the ſacrifices both of the King and of the people,Ahaz plaies the politician, making religion to ſerve policie onelyonly. this is a juſt paterne of politickes who make religion but a handmaid to them, they will uſe it how and where they liſt; he will keepe the braſen altar ſtill, but it was of no great requeſt with him, hee will not thruſt it out of dores, leaſt he might ſeeme altogether to dſepiſe the religion of his fathers; yet he preferres the altar of Damaſcus to it, as being more glorious in ſhow, and for friendſhip with the King of Damaſcus.

The third thing which Ahaz is blamed for is this,Ahaz offered to the gods of Damaſcus who ſmote him. that hee offered to the gods of Damaſcus who ſmote him, 2 Chron. 28.23. This is that Ahaz, verſe 22. kimhi writing upon the 119 Pſal. notes, when (This) is ſet before ſome names in Scripture, it ſignifies ſome great Apoſtaſie and defection, as Gen. 36.49. This is Eſau the father of the Edomites, So Num. 26.9. This is Dathan, So 2 Chron. 28.22. This is Ahaz, The Hebrewes compare Ahaz and Amaziha together.which points that he was a notable Idolater, and the Hebrewes compare Ahaz and Amaziah together; and they apply p. 284that proverbe to theſe two Kings (We have weeped unto you, and yee have not mourned, wee have piped unto you, and yee have not danced) I was angry with Ahaz, and gave him into the hand of the King of Damaſcus, yet he went and worſhipped his gods; there was all the mourning which I got for my weeping: Then I piped to Amaziah, and gave him that was King of Edom captive into his hands, yet hee went and worſhipped his gods when he had taken them captive; and there was all the dancing which I got for my piping.The decreaſe.

The decreaſe of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Ezekias, 2 King. 18.4. He removed the high places, and brake the Images, and cut downe the groves, &c.

Why God deferres the judgements of wicked men.Ezekias ſucceeded Ahaz: Moſes Gerundenſis commenting upon Deut. 7. ſaith, that God deferres to puniſh wicked men in this life for three cauſes; Firſt, hee gives them this way leaſure to repent them of their ſinnes. Secondly, he deferres their judgements, becauſe of ſome act which they have to doe, as the Iudge ſpareth the malefactor with child, untill ſhe have brought forth her birth.Agricola non excidit ſpinam prius quam inde aſparagum procerpſerit. And thirdly, becauſe ſome good men are to come of them: And ſo he deferred the puniſhment of Ahaz, becauſe Ezekias was to come of him; and of Shimei, becauſe Mordecai was to come of him.

Ezekias did foure things in reformation of religion.There are foure things recorded of Ezekias his zeale; Firſt, this foreign, he brake the braſen ſerpent, becauſe the people worſhipped it, although it was a type of Ieſus Chriſt, who was the ſerpent lift up in the wilderneſſe,foreign Nun diminuit in fine. Ioh. 3.14. and calls it in contempt Nehuſhtan, that little peece of braſſe; for the Hebrewes when they forme their diminitives, they adde Nun to them, as Ieſhurun, Deut. 33.5. Et fuit Rex apud rectulum. So Iſhon pupilla, & Sabbaton Sabbatulum.

The ſecond thing which Ezekias did was when he took away the booke which Salomon wrote of Hearbs and p. 285Phyſicke, which was affixed on the gates of the Temple; Ezekias pulled it downe,Vide Suidam in Ezekia. becauſe the people neglected the Lord to ſeeke their health of him, and did truſt too much in this booke.

The third thing which Ezekias did, was that he ſhut the gates of the temple that the King of Aſhur might not enter into them.

The fourth thing which he did was quod traxerat oſſa patris ſui ſuper lecto funium, he cauſed a bed of cords to be made, and drew his fathers bones up and downe in it; he did this in deteſtation of his fathers Idolatry, he would not burne his bones as he did the bones of the Idolatrous Kings, Ier. 8.1. Nor let them lye unburied, but this much he did to them and then buried them againe; this is ſet downe in the Thalmud of him.

The next increaſe of Idolatry was under Manaſſeh, 2 King. 21.2. And hee did that which was evill in the ſight of the Lord, after the abhominations of the heathen, The increaſe of Idololatry under Manaſſeh.whom the Lord caſt out before the children of Iſrael; for he built up againe the high places which Ezekias his father had deſtroyed, and he reared up Altars to Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab King of Iſrael, and worſhipped all the hoſt of heaven, and ſerved them. And he built Altars in the houſe of the Lord, of which the Lord ſaid, in Ieruſalem will I put my name: and he built Altars for all the Hoſt of heaven, in the two courts of the houſe of the Lord: and he made his ſonne paſſe through the fire, and obſerved times, and uſed inchantments, and dealt with familiar ſpirits, and wizzards, he wrought much evill in the ſight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger, and hee ſet a graven Image of the grove which he had made, in the houſe, of which the Lord ſaid to David, and Salomon his ſonne, In this houſe and in Ieruſalem, which I have choſen out of all the tribes of Iſrael will I put my name for ever.

There are three ſpeciall ſinnes marked in Manaſſeh, p. 286Three ſinnes eſpecially marked in Manaſſes.firſt that hee built altars for all the hoſt of heaven into the two courts of the houſe of the Lord: Secondly, that hee worſhiped the Sunne, the Moone, and the ſtarres: And thirdly, that he worſhipped the devilles.

Firſt, he ſet up Idolls both in the court of the people, and the court of the Prieſts: The Hebrewes obſerve divers degrees of holineſſe, which they kept in the land of Canaan; firſt the land it ſelfe is called holy, Zach. 2.16. and the land of Iehovah, Hoſ. 3. and the land of Immanuel, Iſa. 8.8. All other lands were called a polluted land, Amos 7.17. The ſecond degree of holineſſe within the land of Canaan, they obſerve to be within the walled townes; for they ſuffered no leaper to bee within them; neither buried they their dead within them, therefore they counted them more holie then the reſt of the land. The third degree they make to be in Ieruſalem; there were ſome things which they might eate in Ieruſalem, but not in the reſt of the Land, they were holie things, but not holy in the higheſt kinde which they might eate there, as the Paſchall lambe, and the tythes of the third yeare; Theſe they eate in Ieruſalem, but not in the temple: The fourth degree of holineſſe that they make to bee in the temple, was, that it was lawfull for no ſtranger to come within the court of the Iſraelites; And their were keepers appointed, who ſuffered them not to come in there. 1 Cor. 9.foreign And theſe were called …agnale pekudoth, domini prafectura; they ſuffered no ſtrangers to come in here, neither in Iſraelite if he were uncleane; this was a holier place then the court of the Gentiles, and if an Iſraelite were uncleane, he behoved to waſh himſelf, and he was uncleane till the evening, Levi. 15.16. The fift degree of holineſſe was, that no Iſraelite might come within the court of the Prieſts, which was called foreign. The ſixt degree of holineſſe was betwixt the porch and the altar p. 287where Zacharie was ſtoned, no Prieſt might enter heere if he had a blemiſh in his body, or whoſe head was uncovered, or if his cloathes were torne. The ſeventh degree of holineſſe was the holy place it ſelfe where the golden altar ſtood, no Prieſt might enter in heere, unleſſe his feete and hands were waſhed.

By theſe degrees wee may underſtand how abhominable a thing it was for the Kings of Iſrael and Iudah to have defiled his land with their Idols, Ier. 16.18. and firſt I will recompence their ſin and their iniquity double; becauſe they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcaſses of the deteſtable and abominable things. And then Manaſſeh his Idolatry exceeded, who ſet up Idoles both in the court of the people, and in the court of the prieſts.

Manaſſeh alſo ſacrificed to all the hoſt of heaven. Amongſt the reſt of Gods names, hee is called in the Scripture Gueliion ſupreme or high Lord, and the greek is framed foreign from this; And they worſhipped the ſun, which they called the queene of heaven; they called her the queene, becauſe Shemeſh the ſunne, is in the faeminine gender. The heavens are the Lords, foreignPſal. 115.16. but he hath given the earth to the ſonnes of men. Man hath a commandement in the earth, and the Lord hath put under his feet all the beaſts of the field, and the fiſhes of the ſea, Pſal. 8. Theſe corruptible things the Lord hath made ſubject to man, and hee hath power over them, and may uſe them as their Lord for his ſervice, and maintenance: but hee hath not granted ſuch dominion to man over the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starrs; He is but heere Vſuarius, hee is partaker of the heate and light of the ſunne, he who hinders him from that, doth him wrong; Thus farre the ſunne ſerves him, and therefore the ſunne is called Shemeſh from Shameſh miniſtrare, but yet man hath abſolute dominion over p. 288the Sun, & the Moone, therefore Chriſt Matth. 5. ſaith, that God cauſeth his Sun ſo riſe upon the good and the bad, the dominion over the ſunne belongs only to God.

Theſe are groſer Idolaters who worſhips beaſts, then thoſe who worſhips the Sunne and the Moone.Hence it followes, that they are groſſer Idolaters, who worſhip thoſe bodies over which they have dominion, then thoſe who worſhips the Sun and the Moone; They are full Lords of the firſt, but they are uſuarij Tenents, who hath the uſe onelyonly of the ſecond: Theſe Idolaters had Images for the Sunne, Iſa. 17.8. which they call Chammanim. And Beniamin in Itinerario deſcribes them after this manner, there is a people in the land of Cuſh, which much beholds the ſtarres, and worſhips the Sunne as their God, having many altars built without the towne of great ſtones, and earlie in the morning they goe out of the towne, to ſee the Sun, and they have Images conſecrate to the Sunne upon every altar made round like the Sun built by magick,The manner how they worſhipped the Sunne. and when the Sun riſeth, theſe round circles ſeeme to burne, and they make a great noyſe, and every one both man & woman, hath a cenſere in his hand, & offers ſome incenſe to the Sun, they have horſes alſo dedicate to the Sun after the manner of the Perſians; Ioſias tooke away theſe horſes dedicate to the Sun, 2 King. 23.11. they uſed to ride upon theſe horſes, when they went to worſhip the Sunne: The Lord promiſes, Ier. 13. that he would breake down the image of Beth Shemeſh, which was the houſe of the ſunne, and the Egyptians met yearely to worſhip the Sun in the temple, which was dedicated to the Sunne.

What partes man hath from the ſtarres, according to the opinion of ſome of the Phyſitians.So they worſhipped the ſtarres in Manaſſes time; they worſhiped the ſtarres; firſt becauſe of their great light and beauty: Secondly, becauſe of their influxe into the bodies below heere; and Thirdly, becauſe they thought them living creatures; and ſome Phyſitians held that man was opus ſiderum, and that in his conception and generation he got his ſpirit from the Sun, & his body from p. 289the Moone, and his concupiſcence from Venus, and his witt from Mercurie, and his deſire from Iupiter, and his blood from Mars, and his humours from Saturne.

Worſhipers of the ſtarres Gnobh de Kohabhim umaſaloth, cultores ſtellarum & planetarum, foreignof old they called all the gentiles,foreign Buxtor de abreviat. pag. 134. who had no knowledge of the true God, and now they appropriate this name to thoſe Chriſtians who worſhip Idoles.

Laſtly, Manaſſes worſhiped the infernall ſpirits, and herein he exceeded all the reſt of the Idolaters.

The decreaſe of this Idolatry was, when Manaſſes repented hartily before his death,The decreaſe. when he lay fettered in Babell, 2 Chron. 33. and being reſtored to the Kingdome, tooke away the ſtrange Gods, and Altars, and Images, which hee had made, and reſtored in Iudah Gods true religion, except onelyonly that the people ſacrificed in the high places.

So the decreaſe of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Ioſias. Ioſias did ſundry things for the purging of this Idolatry, 1 King. 23. firſt he put downe the Idolatrous Prieſts, their Chemarim, who were blacke with the ſmoake of their ſacrifices; ſecondly, he polluted, Tophet, that is, hee appointed it for a place to caſt out all their filth, and their dead carkaſſes; that ſo the people ſhould commit no more Idolatrie there: Hee polluted that place, that is, hee appointed it for pollution,What it is to pollute a place. ſee Lev. 13. the Prieſt ſhall pollute him, that is, he ſhall judge him to be polluted; ſo Deut. 20.6. He that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not prophaned it; that is, who hath not turned it to a prophane uſe, for the fruit trees, when they were planted in Iſrael, the firſt three yeares none might eate of them; for they were holden uncleane, and the fourth yeare they were holy for the Prieſt to eate of them, and then the fift yeare they were common and prophane, that the people might eate p. 290of them, Ier. 31.5. they ſhall plant vine trees upon the mountaines of Samaria, and ſhall eate them as prophane things.

Ioſias polluted this Tophet: It was called before Vallis Hinuom, afterward it was called Gehenna; there was in it Eſh tamid, foreigna continuall fire to burne the bones, and the fith which was caſt there; and becauſe of the cruell torments which was uſed in it:A reſemblance betwixt Tophet and Hell. therefore Gehenna is called hell, and Chriſt alludes to this, Mat. 5.22. He is worthie of the fire of Gehenna, ſo Iſa. 66.24. ſeemes to allude to the puniſhment of hell taken from the puniſhment of thoſe whoſe bodies were burnt there: And they ſhall goe forth and looke upon the Carkaſſes of the men that have tranſgreſſed againſt mee, for there worme ſhall not die, neither ſhall the fire be quenched, and they ſhall be an abhorring unto all fleſh. The carkaſſes of thoſe that were caſt into the valley of Tophet, were full of wormes, and the fire never died out there; ſo the fire of hell burnes continually, and the worme of one evill conſcience ſhall gnaw them continually.

Ieruſalem ſignifieth Heaven and the places without Ieruſalem ſignified Hell.The valley of Tophet, was called Gehenna; It is uſuall in the ſcripture to compare Ieruſalem Anagogice to the Church, Gal. 4.26. So thoſe places that are without Ieruſalem are compared to hell, and to the torments thereof catagogice, as the lake of Sodom which burnt with fire and brimſtone, Rev. 19.20. was a type of hell, ſo Gehenna, Mat. 5. So the winepreſſe of the wrath of God was without the citie, Rev. 14.20. ſo Mat. 8.12. he ſhall be caſt into utter darkeneſse: utter darkeneſſe is an alluſion to the darke priſon which Peter was put in without the city, Act. 12.10. And therefore the wicked are ſaid to be excluded out of the holy citie, new Ieruſalem, Le. 20. ſecondly hee polluted the graves of the Idolatrous Kings, Princes, and Prieſts, Ier. 8.1. hee cauſed to take out the bones of the Idolatrous Kings of Iudah, & of the p. 291Princes, and of the Prieſts, and ſpread them before the ſunne, and the moone, and all the hoſt of heaven whom they loved they ſhall not be gathered nor buried, but lie like dung upon the field.

Thirdly he brake to peeces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. 2 King. 25.14.

Fourthly, he cauſed to take the bones of the Prieſts out of the ſepulchers, & burne them upon the altars, 1. Kin. 23.18. but the ſepulcher of the man of God (who proclaimed theſe things, which Ioſias did againſt the altar of Bethel,) he touched not; Ioſias made a reformation here of the whole land; as well of Ieruſalem as of Bethell; Ioſias did uprightly as his father David had done, and trembled at Gods lawes and Iudgements, 2 Chron. 34.2. yet the people would not heare the words of the prophets, Ier. 25.3.4. calling them from their Idolatrie, They ſought, not the Lord but worſhipped the hoſt of heaven, Zeph. 1.5. remaining frozen in their dregges. ve. 12. and ſhewed themſelves to be a nation not worthy to be beloved, Zeph. 2.1.

The reſt of the Kings of Iudah untill the captivity ſet forward this Idolatrie more or leſſe,The reſt of the Kings of Iudah untill the captivity ſet forward this Idolatry. & Lyke a leproſie it overſpread them all, Pro. 24.30. I went by the field of the ſloathful, & by the vineyard of the man void of underſtanding & loe it was all growne over with thornes, and nettles, had covered the face thereof, and the ſtone wall thereof was broken downe. The Docters of the Iewes by way of Allegorie apply this to the Kingdome of Iudah, and to the Kings of it; And they ſay, Ahaz was the ſlothfull man, and Manaſſes was the fooliſh man, Ammon and Iehoiakim planted the nettles, and the thornes, and laſt the houſe it ſelfe, the temple was deſtroyed in the dayes of Zedekias, then the ſtone was broken downe. Now when the Church waxed old in her adulteries, God ſaid p. 292now ſhall ſhe and her fornications come to an end, Ezechiel 23.43.

Now all theſe things are written for enſamples and they are written for our admonitions, upon whom the endes of the world are come, 1 Cor. 10.11. that we ſhould not be Jdolaters as they, 1 Cor. 10.6.7.

This Idolatrie was buried in the captivity, and never revived againe.At laſt this Idolatrie was buried in the captivitie, and never revived againe amongſt the Iewes: The three children of Iſrael could not bee drawne by any meanes to bow before the golden image, which Nabuchadnazor ſet up, neither could the Iewes in Babylon be any wayes moved to doe any worſhippe to Belus; And Mordecai in the captivity refuſed to give religious honour to Haman; ſo after the captivity of Veſpatian they deteſted Idoles: Peter in his Epiſtle ſalutes the Iewes diſperſed through Pontus, Bithynia, Capadocia, which hee would not have done if they had beene Idolaters: and they gloried moſt in this, that they deteſted Idolls, Rom. 2.23. thou who abhorres Idoles, (he is ſpeaking here to the Iewes) And as often as they remember of the great judgements that have befallen them, they burſt forth in theſe words, Non accidit tibi O Iſrael ulla ultio, in qua non ſit uncia de iniquitate vituli, that is, there is no judgement which hath befallen thee O Iſrael in which there is not an ounce weight of the ſinne of the golden calfe, and they call the temples wherein Idoles are worſhipped,foreign Beth haturphan domum turpitudinis, the houſe of filthineſſe, and when they ſee the ſhaven popiſh prieſts they call them Kumarim; foreigntheſe Cemarim were the Prieſts who ſacrificed to the hoſt of heaven all in blacke or ſoiled with the ſmoake of the ſacrifices,The Iewes abhorres now all ſorts of Idolles. and they count them but like the heathen Prieſts and Camilli. The Iewes when they deteſt a thing they call it Peſall from Peſall, foreignwhich ſignifieth an Idoll. When Pilate and Petronius were preſidents of Iudea, they tryed p. 293by all meanes to ſet up the images of Caligula and Tiberias in the temple, but the Iewes withſtood them; Ioſephus, lib. 18. cap. 4. & 10. And the Iewes at this day will not ſuffer in their Kalenders not ſo much as theſe three markes, ☉ ☾ ⚹. As this Idolatry of the Jewes was buried in the captivitie, ſo wee hope that the Idolatrie which is now, ſhall bee buried and quite aboliſhed before the ſecond comming of Chriſt.