Exposition of the Laws of Moses, To the reader – Table of contents 11

Exposition of the Laws of Moses · To the reader – Table of contents 11

A loving advertiſement to young Students in Divinity, who deſire to come to the knowledge of the holy Scriptures.

LOving Brethren; There be three Schooles in which young Divines muſt bee exerciſed; the ſchoole of Arts and Sciences, the Schoole of grace, and the Schoole of your vocation. It is a great helpe and an introduction to Divinitie, to bee trained up in the firſt Schoole of Arts and Sciences: Moſes was learned in all the wiſedome of the Aegyptians, Daniel in the learning of the Chaldeans, and Dionyſius Areopagita was trained up in Philoſophie.Act. 7.22.Acts 7:22 A certaine Scholler amongſt the Jewes asked one of the R. His Maſter,Dan. 1.4.Dan 1:4 whether he might read any of the humane Writers or not?Act. 17.34.Acts 17:34 he gave him this Anſwere; you may reade them, providing you reade them neither day nor night: this was a fooliſh anſwere, for the Jewes hated all humane learning; therefore they ſay, maledictus qui aluerit Suem, aut didicerit Sapientiam Graecorum, they call all humane learning the wiſdome of the Greekes. But to ſhut up this Schoole, and to take away all humane learning from a Divine, were in effect to make him no Divine. The knowledge of all Arts and Sciences is neceſſarie for him, as of Geometrie, Arithmeticke, Geographie, the knowledge of Phyſicke, but above all the knowledge of the tongues is more neceſſary for him, becauſe they are Vehicula ſcientiarum. But here ye muſt not onelyonly ſtudie that part of the tongues which is called foreign, which is mere Grammer, as to ſtand upon Letters, Accents, Pronounciation and ſuch, but ye muſt goe farther to that part which is called foreign, the true meaning of the words, to interpret them out of one language into another, and to underſtand one Phraſe by another: neither ſhould ye ſtand here, but ye muſt goe further to that part which is called foreign, to cenſure and diſcerne the true reading from the falſe as the Maſoreth did who excelled in this. Jn the warres there are three ſorts of ſignes to direct the Souldiers, muta, ſemivocalia & vocalia: Muta, as the enſignes, Semivocalia, as the trumpets: Vocalia as the words of the Captaine: So ſome ſignes are Muta, as Arts and Sciences; Semivocalia, as the knowledge of the tongues; and Vocalia, as the meaning of the holy Ghoſt ſpeaking in the Scriptures. The knowledge of theſe is moſt neceſsarie for you who intend to apply your minds to the ſtudie of Divinitie: for by them ye ſhall underſtand the Properties and Phraſes of the holy Ghoſt, the ancient cuſtomes of the people of God, and the ſweet alluſions in the third, which otherwayes ye ſhall never bee able to underſtand. And if ye begin to learne theſe tongues when ye are young, to what great perfection may ye attaine unto before ye come to be teachers of others? Cicero maketh mention of Marcus Craſſus, Cicero De orators:who walking one day upon the ſea ſhore, ſaw a boy who had found a boate there, but he having no helpes to further him to ſaile; firſt he got Oares, then a Maſt, raes, ſailes, and ropes, and then he ſet to the Sea: ſo from little beginnings, if ye be willing, ye may attaine to a great meaſure of knowledge, having ſuch helpes in this age, which your Fathers never knew,Iud. 8:21Judg 8:21 and the gleanings of Ephraim now, are better than the vintage of Abiezer was then; ye have now many learned and skilfull guides. The Jewes ſay, Qui diſcit a junioribus cui ſimilis eſt? Edenti uvas acerbas, & bibenti è torculari: at qui diſcit à Senioribus cui ſimilis? Edenti uvas maturas & bibenti vinum vetus. Ye need not ſet your teeth on edge with ſowre Grapes, for now ye have ſtore of ripe Grapes gathered by your old Maſters. The ſluggard that keepeth his hand in his boſome, and ſaith, there is a Lyon in the way; alledgeth that the Jewes are but fabulous,Prov. 22.13.Prov 22:13 and that it is but loſt time to read them: but remember that hee ſaid well, who ſaid, Malogranatum inveni, corticem abjeci, & quod intus eſt comedi. Caſt away the unprofitable things and make choiſe of that which is profitable. Others ſay, they cannot attaine to ſuch perfection in theſe tongues as the Tranſlators have done who have Tranſlated, the Scriptures already: and therefore they will content themſelves with their travels; but how ſhall they know whether they have tranſlated well or not? They muſt give credit onelyonly to the bearer, and if the Trench-man faile them, then they are gone. The Queene of Sheba was much more delighted to heare Salomon himſelfe ſpeake than heare of him by report,1 King. 10.7.1 Kgs 10:7 for ſhe ſaid ſhe beleeved not that which was reported of him; and yet the halfe was not told her: ſo brethren, when ye heare an Interpreter ſpeake, ſcarce the halfe is told you: but when ye ſee it in the originall tongues, then ye will ſay; it was true which was ſpoken, and the wiſdome that is in them exceedeth the report which wee heard. There is ſuch profunditie in the Scriptures, that all the wits of men can never ſound the depth of them;1 King. 4.1 Kgs 4 it fareth with them as it did with the widdowes Oyle, it laſted as long as the Children brought veſſels: ſo there is much ſtore and plentie in them, that when they have filled the wits and underſtandings of the beſt, yet there is enough to bee gotten out of them, by thoſe who come after. And here J cannot let paſſe how much theſe honourable Patrons are to bee reſpected, who entertaine and cheriſh theſe profeſſors in the tongues, for without ſuch, knowledge would ſoone decay. David made a ſtatute in Iſrael, that they who taried by the ſtuffe ſhould part alike with thoſe who went to battell. The profeſſors of the tongues are they who keepe the ſtuffe, and they ſhould bee as well rewarded as they who goe to the field and fight in the miniſterie.1 Sam. 30.24.1 Sam 30:24 I have indevoured (brethren) according to my meane meaſure of knowledge to make a little path unto you, to encourage you, and to let you ſee what profit you may have by this kind of ſtudie, and how it may ſerue you in your miniſterie, and if ye reap any benefit by it, be thankefull to the God of heaven the Father of lights from whom all good things deſcend, and then to my Noble Patron my Lord Keeper who doth incourage me much to go on in this kinde of ſtudie. And now when we have made ſome progreſſe in this firſt Schoole, and have attained to ſome meaſure of knowledge, ſee that your knowledge turne not like the waters of Iordan that run into the dead Sea, but let them be like thoſe waters which come from the Sea and r…turne to the Sea againe, let them returne to the praiſe of him who gave them.Eccleſ. 17.Sir 17 Next when ye are in the Schoole of grace, that ye may underſtand the Spirituall meaning of the holy Scriptures, acquaint your ſelves with prayer. Elias was a man ſubject to the like paſſions as wee are,Iam. 5.17.Jas 5:17 yet he prayed, and the Heavens were opened and gaue raine: ſo although ye be men, ſubject to the ſame paſsions to which others are ſubject; yet if yee pray earneſtly to the Lord, he will open the heavens, and ſend downe that Spirituall raine upon you, and fit you for the Schoole of your calling.Ier. 2.8. foreignJer 2:8 And here ye muſt be carefull to ſtudie the Law of the Lord, and to handle it diligently. Ieremiah borroweth this ſpeach from thoſe who are trained in the warres, and they are ſaid Tractare bellum, ye muſt be skilfull and trained before ye enter into this calling,Num. 31.27.Num 31:27 that being entred in it, ye may begin to turne the key of knowledge to open the Scriptures to your headers, ſo that ye may have ſtore both of new and old to bring forth when your Lord and Maſter ſhall ſet you over his houſhold to give his ſervants their meat in due ſeaſon. And at laſt he will ſay unto you,Matth. 25.23:Matt 25:23 ye have beene faithfull over a few things, J will make you ruler over many things. Lectio ſtata juvat, Seneca:varia delecta.

Your Loving brother in the Lord, IOHN WEEMSE.

The firſt Table containing the inſcriptions of the particular Exercitations in this Booke.

EXERCITAT. I.

Of the excellency of Divinity above all ether Sciences and Arts. Pag. 1.

EXERCITAT. II.

What uſe reaſon hath in Divinity. p. 11

EXERCITAT. III.

That the end of Divinity here conſiſteth rather in practiſe than in contemplation. p. 20

EXERCITAT. IIII.

Of Adams knowledge before the fall. p. 25

EXERCITAT. V.

How the Law is ſaid to be written in the heart of man after the fall. p. 32

EXERCITAT. VI.

Of the ſeven Precepts given to Noah. p. 40

EXERCITAT. VII.

Of the divers wayes how God revealed himſelfe extraordinarily to his church. p. 43

EXERCITAT. VIII.

Of the neceſſity of the Word written. p. 61

EXERCITAT. VIIII.

Of the ſingular prerogatives which the ſecretaries of the holy Ghoſt had, who wrote the Scriptures. p. 65

EXERCITAT. IX.

Arguments proving the Scriptures to be divine. p. 76

EXERCITAT. X.

In what language the Scriptures were written. p. 88

EXERCITAT. XI.

Of the ſtyle of the Scriptures. p. 101

EXERCITAT. XII.

That the Hebrew Text is not corrupted. p. 109

EXERCITAT. XIII.

That no canonicall booke is periſhed. p. 117

EXERCITAT. XIIII.

That the points were not originally with the Letters from the beginning. p. 124

EXERCITAT. XV.

Of the meanes which God hath uſed to make the Scriptures plaine unto us, as

Of Tranſlation of Scriptures. p. 131

Of the Tranſlation of the Seventy. p. 143

Of the Vulgar Latine tranſlation. p. 152

Of paraphraſing of Scriptures. p. 158

Of interpretation of Scriptures. p. 162

EXERCITAT. XVI.

Of the diviſion of the Scriptures. p. 163

EXERCITAT. XVII.

Of the diviſion of the Pſalmes. p. 166

Of the inſcriptions of the Pſalmes. p. 168

EXERCITAT. XVIII.

Of the diviſion of the Law in haphtaroth and paraſhoth. p. 173

EXERCITAT. XIX.

Of the ſenſe of the Scriptures. p. 177

The Table of the places of Scripture cleared in this Booke, the firſt number ſheweth the Chapters, the ſecond the Verſe, and the third the Page.

Geneſis.

Exod.

Leviticus.

Numbers.

Deutero.

Ioſhua.

Iudg.

1 Sam.

2 Sam.

1 King.

2 King.

1 Chron.

2 Cron.

Ezra.

Nehem.

Eſth.

Iob.

Pſal.

Prover.

Eccleſ.

Cant.

Eſay.

Iere.

Ezek.

Dan.

Hoſe.

Ioel.

Ionah.

Mich.

Nahum.

Habak.

Zeph.

Hagg.

Zach.

Matth.

Mark.

Luk.

Iohn.

Act.

Rom.

1 Cor.

2 Cor.

Gala.

Epheſ.

Philip.

Coloſ.

1 Theſſ.

1 Timot.

2 Timot.

Heb.

Iames.

2 Pet.

1 Ioh.

Iud.

Revel.

A Table of the chiefe Hebrew words explained in this Booke.

א

foreign 41

foreign 58

foreign ibid

foreign 56

foreign ibid

foreign 27

ב

ב 75

foreign 30

foreign 161

נ

foreign 23

foreign 99

foreign 87

ח

foreign demonſt. 51

foreign locate 138

foreign 30

foreign 171

foreign 86

foreign 140

foreign 172

foreign 102

foreign 168

ז

foreign 182

foreign 126

ח

foreign 102

foreign 104

foreign 132

foreign ibid

י

י minima litera 116

foreign 86

foreign 52

foreign 32

foreign 74

ב

foreign 77

ζ

foreign 167

foreign 128

foreign 130

foreign 168

foreign 139

foreign 168

foreign 148

foreign 93

foreign 44 130

foreign 138

foreign Ibid

foreign 128

מ

foreign 126

foreign 125

foreign 60

foreign 168

foreign 136

foreign 176

foreign 164

foreign 163

foreign 168

נ

נ 170

foreign 164

foreign 80

foreign 104

ס

foreign 173

foreign 102

foreign 129

foreign 120

foreign 126

foreign 103

ע

foreign 32

foreign 137

foreign 141

foreign 41

foreign ib

foreign ibid

foreign ibid

foreign ibid

foreign 128

foreign ibid

ם

foreign 173

foreign 46

ק

foreign 99

foreign 163

foreign 30

ר

foreign 128

foreign 50

ש

foreign 162

foreign 101

foreign 31

foreign 116

foreign 139

foreign 45

ת

foreign 36

foreign ibid

foreign 56

foreign 31

foreign 182

foreign 146

foreign 156

A Table of the Greeke vvords expounded in this Booke.

α

foreign 73

foreign 56

foreign 77

foreign 181

foreign 139

foreign 173

foreign 132

foreign 142

foreign 105

β

foreign 4

foreign 77

foreign 101

γ

foreign 131

δ

foreign 56

foreign 72

ε

foreign 136

foreign 181

foreign 9

foreign 4

foreign 131

foreign 127

foreign 28

ζ

foreign 139

θ

foreign 75

foreign 47

foreign ibid.

foreign 104

ι

foreign 101

χ

foreign 135

foreign 108

foreign 99

foreign 31

foreign 23

λ

foreign 135

foreign 141

foreign 104

γ

foreign 131

foreign 135

foreign 175

foreign u74

foreign 105

foreign 131

foreign 139

ν

foreign 139

foreign 104

ο

foreign 134

foreign 141

foreign 48

foreign 135

foreign 45

α

foreign 28

foreign 126

foreign 137

foreign 139

foreign ibid

foreign 100

foreign ibid

foreign 28

ζ

foreign 101

σ

foreign 181

foreign 99

foreign 177

foreign 162

foreign 100

foreign ibid

foreign 181

λ

foreign 176

ν

foreign 135

φ

foreign 45

foreign 72