The Christian Synagogue, Introduction – Book 1
PROLEGOMENA: OR INTRODVCTION TO THE Booke: wherein is discouered: first the diverse Periods of the World: secondly, the idolatrous, and true worship of God, which fell out in those Periods: thirdly, the language spoken in those Periods: fourthly, the manner hovv God revealed himselfe to his owne people, extraordinarily.
CAP. I.
The Periods of the World.
1. THE World hath beene Canon.divided by the Scriptures and later writers, in foure chiefe Periods.
By the Scriptures; the first Confir.Period was from the creation to the flood: The second from the flood to the promise made to Abraham: The third from the promise made to Abrahā to Christ: The fourth Period from Christ to the end of the world.
By the later Writers aScal Prol. in Euseb.. The first Period of time was called foreign obscurum, or not manifest The second foreign heroicum heroicke time. The third foreign historicum, the historicall time. The fourth, foreign manifestum, or manifest time.
The period of time not manifest, was that time, 1. foreign.wherein nothing of the heathen Historie was knowne, and very little of the History of the Church: this endured from the Creation to the Flood: and by some bVarro de re rusi.was called tempus inane emptie time.
The heroicke time (which likewise was called foreign fabulosum lying time) wherein the Heathen had little foreign.more certaintie then in the first period, concerning the valorous deeds of their great men. Therefore the Poets turned all this time into mythologie and fabulous Theologie, to delight their readers: but little truth can be gathered out of them.
The third period of time was called Historicall, because 3. foreign.the Historians of that time began to describe the liues and acts of great men. Truely veritie bred this sort of writing, as delight onelyonly bred the former two.
The fourth period of time, they called Manifest time: because in this period, things are much clearer, then in 4. foreign.any of the periods going before. For the Greekes had their Ephemerides or dayly Chronicles, in the which they wrote the things that fell out dayly: and the Romanes had their Annales or yearely Chronicles, in the which they wrote those things that fell out yearely worthy to be marked; so that nothing escaped their Records; whereby their Historie came to bee much more manifest, then those who wrote Histories in the periods praeceding.
CAP. II.
Of the Idolatrous worship which fell out in those foure Periods: and where the true Worship of God remained
2. THere were foure sorts of Idolatrous Worship, Canon.professed in those foure periods of time.
Barbarian, Scythian, Iew, or Grecian. Those Epiphanius Confir.cEpip. contra. bares. l. 1.calles foreign.Col. 3. 11.
foreign Barbarisme, was that Idolatrous worship, Canon.whereby they ascribed to great men divine worship, accounting them as gods.1 foreign.
Then began men by worshipping to prophane the name of the Lord.Confir.Gen. 4. 26.
Kimchi dKimchi in Gen.then began men vocare nomina deastrorum & Illust.idolorum de nomine Dei, (that is) to call men after they had put them as gods among the Starres, by the name of God, and to giuegive them divine worship, as R. eR. Salom. in Gen.Salomon speaketh.
It was called Barbarisme, because fHier. in l. quast.Bar, in the Syriack Language signifieth (without). gLyranus.For those Idolaters were strangers from the family of God, and without the covenant, and being doubled it augments the signification.
hEpiph. contra harest. l. ….This Barbarisme indured all the time of the first period after the fall to the Flood. iB…da.In particular we know not who those great men were, to whom they ascribed divine worship. Therefore this period was called tempus foreign.
The true worship of God in this period, was in the familie of Seth, Enach, &c.
foreign cythisme, was that Idolatrous worshippe, Canon.which they gaue to great Conquerours, after they were 2. foreigndead; as to Nimrod, Belus, Ninus, Semiramis, and such.
It was called foreign, because the kFull. Mistel.Persians called Illust.the Scythians, with whom they were conuersant, Saka's a sach vel saksach, which signifieth a multitude, because they were gathered together in multitudes. So the Arabians from gnarabh miscere, turba miscellanea, a confused multitude: for they were in this period of time a mightie Nation. Therefore Elam King of Persia Gen. 14.vsed them in his Warres: lSymmach. foreign.Symmachus translates, King of the nations, King of the Scythians. Those warring people worshipped as gods, those mightie Conquerours.
This Scythisme or Idolatrous worship mEpiph. contra. haeres. lib. 1.began after the Flood, and endured a long time in the world, even to Abraham. It consisted of foure things. First, the Altar, Secondly, Bowing. Thirdly, Offering of incense. Fourthly, the Drink-offering.
The worship of God was this second period in Noahs familie, and in his sonne Sems posteritie.
Noahs familie was directed all this time, by the precepts given by God to him.
The seven nTarg. in 2. Ruth. Hac sunt verba. Decem sunt pracepta, sicut … decem membra radicalia. 1 Cor. 2. Auris. 3. Os. 4. Cerebrum. 5. Manus. 6 Epar. 7. Faedus circumcisionis. 8. Pedes. 9. Oculus. 10. Renes. Deinde septem pracepta, qua pracepit filijs Noah. Iudicium Benedictio, &c. Shindler. Pentag.precepts given to Noah were these. First, Iudgement. Secondly, blessing, which was onelyonly to blesse the true God. Thirdly, that they should abstaine from strange worship (that is) from Idolatry. Fourthly, that they should not vncover nakednesse, (that is) to abstaine from incest and filthy lusts. Fiftly, from shedding of blood. Sixtly, from rapins. Seaventhly, Ne membrum de vivo (that is) that they should not pull a member from a liuing creature.
The Apostles hauehave reference to those precepts, when they command the Gentiles, to abstaine from strangled, Act. 15. 29.from fornication and Idols: Because these were most aunciently forbidden, and the Iewes respected them most, as delivered from Noah vntounto them: the Gentiles are commanded to abstaine from them, vntill perfect vnitie were made vp betwixt them and the Iewes: for (Moses is read in their Synagogues vntounto this day) Act. 15. 21. They professe the ceremoniall Law as yet, therefore the Gentiles shall abstaine from those, for giuing offence to the Iewes. But when the oConcil. Aurel. Can. 2.Councell of Orleans afterward commanded abstinence from blood, because the Apostles forbad it: It was not well concluded, Nam quod ambulatorium est in lege, Perit. That which hath no establishment in the Law perisheth.
foreign, or Iudaisme was that sort of false worship, Canon.3. foreign.which the Iewes devised contrary to the revealed will of God, first to Abraham, secondly to Moses; thirdly, to the Prophets.
When God entred in covenant with his people, he Canon.would onelyonly be worshipped.
Ye shall hauehave no other gods but me.Confir.
Here is commanded, first, that yee shall hauehave a God. Exod. 20. 3.Illust.Secondly, ye shall hauehave me for your God. Thirdly, ye shall hauehave me onelyonly for your God. Fourthly, ye shall hauehave me alwayes for your God.
Ye shall hauehave a God. This proposition condemneth the Barbarian, who liueth without the knowledge of the true God.
Ye shall hauehave me for your God. As this proposition iustifyeth the Iew and Proselyte, so it condemneth all heresie and schisme of the Sadduce, the Pharise, and Essaean, this was Iudaisme properly.
I. The Sadduces denyed the immortalitie of the soule, that there were no Spirits nor Angels pOrig. contra Cels.. They denied the Scriptures, except Moses. Non agnoscunt seculum nisi praesens (that is) they acknowledged not a time to come, when there shall be a Resurrection; when as Christ saith, Neither in this life, nor in the life to come. Mat 12. 31.Therefore by the Iewes they were called Menaim, vel probrosi, contentious, or calumnious. qTalm Phesikta.Gabia the sonne of Pesisa reasoneth against the Sadduces thus. Si quo… non fuit, id fuit. Ergo. quod fuit, erit, that is, If that which was not was. Therefore that which was, shall be. He meant, if God created the world of nothing, and made it, may he not make our bodies of something againe?
II. The Pharises were a sect so called, because they separated themselues from others, by a hypocriticall kinde of service and outward shew. rDrus…in Elench. trihar.Drusius maketh mention of seaven sorts of them, but there are onelyonly foure vsually made mention of.
1. The Pharise of praise, that did all, that he might be seene of men; of those Christ speakes. That they blew Mat. 6. 21.their Trumpets, when they gaue their Almes, that they might be seene of men.
2. The Pharise who saith (what is it that I hauehave not done (as if he should say:) I hauehave done that which the Law commands, and more. Such a Pharise was the yong man in the Gospell. All these hauehave I kept from my youth. Mat. 19. 20.Such are the new Pharises who say, they hauehave workes of supererogation: and as the old Pharises had their auctarium lepis *Additions to the Lavv.; so hauehave they good workes to spare to others.
3. The sEpip. advers. hares. l. 1.Pharise of blood, who knockt his head against the wall, so that the blood came: they carried thornes in their cloathes, and spread thornes in their beds, that they might sleepe the lesse, and attend their prayers the more. Such are the new Pharises, the paenitentiaries, who whip themselues vntill the blood come downe.
4. The tDrus. in El…nch. trihar.Pharise of feare, who abstained from doing of evill onelyonly, formidine poenae, for feare of punishment.
III. The Essaeans were the off-scouring of those Pharises, their Religion was, Taste not, touch not, handle Col. 2. 21.not. uFull. Miscel.They would be more precise then the Pharises, they would suffer no man to touch them, they said, Stand farre from me, for I am more holy then thou. They dwelt by themselues without Ierusalem: they eate nothing but roots, they dranke no wine. xR. S…m. in Gen.Handle not, tangere here is tangere ad edendum. So Gen. 3. 3. Levit. 21. Ye shall touch no holy thing, that is, yee shall not touch to eate it. So 2 Cor. 6. 17. Touch none vncleane thing.
Ye shall hauehave me onelyonly for your God.
This proposition condemneth the Samaritane or Cuttaean, who worshipped both the true God, and the Idols of the land; this was called by *Epiph. contra hares.Epiphanius Samaritismus, composed of Iudaisme and Paganisme.
Ye shall hauehave me alwayes for your God.
This proposition condemneth the Aramite; the Iewes called him the Aramite, who fell backe from the worship of the true God, he whose Father was a Iew, Lev. 24. 25. 27.and his Mother an Egyptian falling from the truth. yTarg. Ionathan in Gen.Targum translates him Arami. So Gal. 3. 28. the Graecian, the Syrian translates it Aramija. Such Apostates was Terah, the father of Abraham, Laban, and other such Aramites zIosephus. Drus. in Elench.. And afterwards the Gadarens, who made defection from the truth. They were called Kupharim, Apostates, and there were two sorts of them, *Mumerim. foreign.Voluntarij, or *Meshomad. foreign.coacti, Voluntary or compeld.
The true worship of God now continued first in Abrahams familie, then with the Patriarkes, then with the Iudges, then in the Temple, and so to Christ.
foreign, or Graecisme, is that false worship which is Canon.4. foreignopposite to the truth, revealed by Christ and his Apostles.
When Christ entred in covenant with his Elect, he Canon.would onelyonly be worshipped.
This is Life eternall to know thee onelyonly to be God, and Confir.whom thou hast sent Christ.Ioh. 17. 3.
Here is commanded: First, that yee shall hauehave a Illust.Christ. Secondly, yee shall hauehave me for your Christ. Thirdly, yee shall hauehave me onelyonly for your Christ. Fourthly, yee shall hauehave me alwayes for your Christ.
Ye shall hauehave a Christ. This proposition condemnes the Pagans, who know not a Christ.
Ye shall hauehave me for your Christ. This proposition condemnes the Iewes, who acknowledge not Iesus the Sonne of Mary, to be their Christ, so the Heretickes who set themselues against His natures, person, vnion and distinction of natures.
The Iewes reiect Iesus the Sonne of Mary, to be their Canon.Christ.
They expect Elias Tishbites, to be the fore-runner of Illust.Christ; and they hauehave a Proverbe, when they cannot resolue any hard question to their Schollers, they say. Tishbi solvet nodos. When Elias Tishbites shall come, he wil Mat 27. 12.resolue all doubts. But this will be as we say, Ad graecas calendas, foreign Solvet nodos, & quastioones.for Elias is alreadie come, and they hauehave done to him, what they please.Talmud sapiss…me.
They looke for a glorious kingdome, when he comes Act. 1. 6.When wilt thou restore the kingdome to Israel?
They raile against the person of Christ, calling him that hanged God: so they call him crucified, stamen, & subtemen, the woofe and the warpe, because these two Levit. … 3. 52.make the figure of the crosse.
Against his righteousnesse; They seeke to be iustified by their owne workes: And these latter Iewes being asked, Rom. 10. 23.whether they beleeue to be saued by Christs righteousnesse or not, answere, aBuxtorf. Synagog.That every Foxe must pay his owne skinne to the fleaer.
Against the Christians, who are called after his name, they call them (goijm) the abhominable Nation; they call the Turkes Ismaelites, the Moores Cushim, but vsus Christians in despite goijm.
The Heretickes, who impugne Christs natures, or his Canon.Person, they acknowledge not Christ for their Christ.
There were foure principall Heretickes. First, Arius. Illust.Secondly, Appollinaris. Thirdly, Nestorius. Fourthly, Eutiches. They were condemned in foure Councels, in Neece, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, by foure words, foreign, very truely, foreign, perfectly, foreign, indivisibiliter, indivisibly, foreign, incompositè, incomposedly, they denyed his Godhead, his Manhood, vnion of both, and distinction of both.
The Hereticks, who set themselues against His offices, they deny Christ to be their Christ, as the Papists doe.
They deny his Kingly office, they ascribe power to the Pope to giuegive lawes to binde the conscience immediately, When there is but one Law-giver.Iam. 4. 12.
His Priestly office, offering dayly a sacrifice for the quicke and the dead.
His Propheticall office, when they take vponupon them to supply the defects of the Scriptures (as they call them (by traditions.
Thou shalt hauehave me onelyonly for thy Christ. This proposition fights against the Church of Rome, for they seeke to be iustified by their owne righteousnesse, and the righteousnesse of Christ. They, hold that Christs righteousnesse merits, that our works should merite. And bBellarm. de Iustif.Bellarmine sayes, Opera Sanctorum tincta sanguine Christi merentur, that is, the workes of the Saints dipped in the blood of Christ doe merite.
Because they beleeued not the truth, he gaue them vp to 2 Thes. 3.beleeue *foreign.That lye. To teach vsus that Popery is nothing but a masse of errors, which make vp one great lye against His natures, person, offices, and righteousnesse.
Ye shall hauehave me alwayes for your Christ. The Apostates, who fall away from the knowne truth, hauehave him not alwayes for their Christ.
There are sundry degrees of these Apostates but the greatest is, when toti in toto & totaliter excidunt, *foreign Gracireddunt.such a When totally they fall away.one was Iulian the Apostate, such a one in Spanish is called rinnegado.
Christianisme, is that true worship, opposite to this Graecisme, it is only found in the true Orthodoxe Christian Church, not in the Synagogue of Sathan, or Antichristan Church.
CAP. III.
Of the language which the Fathers spake in the first period of time, vntill the confusion of Babel.
THE language which the Fathers spake from the Canon.creation to the confusion of Babel, was the Hebrew tongue.
The imposition of the first names, shewes it to bee Confir.the Hebrew tongue, as Adam, because he was taken out of the earth. So Chava signifies living, because she was Gen. 2. 7. Gen. 3. 20.the mother of all living. So Seth one put, because Seth was put in place of his brother Abel. So Peleg, division, Gen 5. 22.because the languages were divided in his time. cIoseph. l. 1. contra Appionem. Euseb. de Prapar. Evangelica. Cyril. l. 1. contra Iulianum.So the names of places shew, the first imposition of names to hauehave beene Hebrew, as Babel, Sinhar, Ninivie and such. So all antiquitie is of this iudgement.
1. This tongue was called the Hebrew tongue, after Esa. 19. 18.the confusion of Babel, from Heber.
2. dAugust. in libris, de Civitate Dei, lib. 16. cap. 11. tom. 5.It was called the language of Canaan, because the people of God spake this tongue in Canaan, not that they learned it of the Canaanites: for if the Lord would not hauehave them to speake the language of Ashdod; Neh. 13. 23, 24, 25. Deut 7. 2, 3 4, 5.farre lesse would he hauehave them to learne the language of the Canaanites, who were accursed of God. So, 2. Chron. 20. He blames them for counterfeiting the Ammonites in their speech, who were of Ammon, as these of Ashdod were.
Obiect. Obiect. But it may be sayd, that many of the ancient Answ. names of Townes and places in Canaan, were Hebrew names before Abraham came there, as we may see in the Booke of Genesis and Iosuah.
Answ. Although these names be Hebrew, yet wee Answ. deny that they were imposed by the Canaanites, but by the Hebrewes when they came to Canaan. Laban the Gen. 3. 47.Syrian called the hill Iegar Sahadutha, a heape of witnesses, but Iacob in Hebrew, changed the name of it, and called it Galeed, a watch Tower. So yee see the names might be changed from the Canaanitish into the Hebrew language.
3. This tongue was called the Iewish tongue. Speake 2 King. 18. 26.to vsus in the Iewish tongue, from the Patriarch Iudah.
In this tongue God spake to the Patriarches, in this tongue the Angels spake to men, in this tongue the Vt d…ta est lex in lingua sancta, ita creatus fuit Mimdus in lingua sancta. Talm. Ierus.Prophets wrote the old Testament, this tongue was kept still in the Church in the puritie from Sem to Arphaxad, from Arphaxad, to Peleg, This tongue was not a punishment of sinne, as other languages were, eAug. lib. 16 cap. 11. tom. 5.Alij propter peccatum voces dissonas habuerunt, other people for their sinne had their languages confused, but the Church retained her language in puritie, not pertaking with the rest in their presumption at Babel. All other tongues to the Church were but lingua subsannationis, a tongue of scorne. Because they were but as Barbarians Psal. 114. 1.vntounto them, they were populus peregrini sermonis, the Chaldie Paraphrast translates it, Barbari sermonis, a Barbarous speech.
At the confusion of Babel, God divided the languages Canon.1. Liagua materna.into divers maternall tongues.
A fVarro de Ling. Lat.maternall or mother tongue, was originally imposed: Canon.and was that tongue, which was not derived of another, and it differeth from a derived tongue, and a 2. Propago.dialect
A gScaliger in Opusculis Epist.propago or derived tongue, is that tongue which Canon.is derived from a Maternall tongue, either by addition, detraction, or interchange.
The Syrian, was the first derived tongue from the Hebrew, the Maternall tongue. Secondly, the Chaldie. Thirdly, the Phoenician. Fourthly, the Arabicke, which was also called Kederena, the tongue of Kedar.
Some hAug. tom. 9 tract. in Evang. Ioan. 15. cognatae sunt Linguae istae, Hebroica, Syriaca & punicae.tongues are derived from these againe, as Canon.from the Phoenician tongue, the Punicke or Carthaginian tongue.
Here we must marke a difference betwixt tradux lingua, a derived tongue, either mediately or immediately, and a borrowed tongue: for languages borrow one of another, words which are not derived one of another.
Kir in the Hebrew is called a Citie, but Kirija in the Syriack 1. Example.and Phoenician tongue, is called also a Citie: hence commeth Carthago in the Punicke tongue, of the second derivation or propago propaginis; but Vologesokarta, a Parthian word, a Citie set vponupon Volga; here it is not a derived word (for the Parthian tongue is a mother tongue) but onelyonly a borrowed word, so Tigranokarta a Tradux lingua. A borrowed tongue.Citie built by Tigranes, it is an Armenian word, which is a mother tongue, and therefore onelyonly borrowed.
Abib in the Hebrew tongue, is called spica virens, a 2. Example.Exod. 9. 31. Chal. Abub.greene head of corne, from hence is derived Abub, a whistle in the Chaldie, but Ambub in the Latine tongue, iHorat. lib. 1 Epist.Ambubaiarum collegia, companies of Minstrels playing vponupon whistles here it is not derived but borrowed, for the Latine tongue is not a derived tongue, but a mother tongue.
In a mother tongue, we aske kScaliger Coniect. in Varro.cur hoe est? why is this? Canon.for it giues the reason, why the name was so imposed, but in the derived tongue, we aske, vnde hoc est? from whence is this? and therefore many Etymologists are very impertinent, who seeke the reason of the names, out of derived tongues, and not out of the mother tongue.
This word lNat. …omes.Satyr, many verball Grammatists labour 1. Example.to deriue from the Greeke foreign titillatio, quia pro iad ve…erem, l…cherous, but we must deriue it from the first Maternall tongue, the Hebrew word Shagn…r. Ye shall not of Lev 17. 1.…er your children Leshegnirim, to the hairie ones, that is mAmbros. Nazian. La…lan.to the Devils, who appeared in the likenesse of hairie Goates, and therefore were called Satyres by some small interchange: This *…ausab. contra Baron.was some of the Fathers faults, who derived Hebrew words from Greeke, as pascha, from foreign patior, to suffer, so Iesus from foreign sano, to cure: so kephas from foreign. So Plutarchs fault, who derived Sabboth from foreign, Bacchanari.
The mother tongue giues the reason of the imposition Canon.of the name as being naturall: the derived tongue is but imposed ex arbitrio, at the pleasure of the imposer, and oftentimes by chance; but it never expresses the nature of the thing. nLib. 7. de Lingua Lat.Varro expresses the matter by this example. An Athenian bought from Artemidorus (who dwelt in Ephesus a Citie of Ionia) a slaue: he brings him home to Athens, but knowes not his name, whether he shall call him Ion from his Countrey, or Ephesius from the Citie where he dwelt, or Artemon from his master whom he served: he may call him any of these at his pleasure, but yet none of these names shewes the reason of the first imposition, as when the name was imposed to Ephesus, Artemidorus, &c.
A dialect is that speech, which differeth from the Canon.3. Dialectus.Maternall tongue onelyonly in pronunciation, and change of some Vowels and Consonants, in divers words of that language.
The dialects in the Hebrew, were first the Hierosolymitane, Illust.as Act. 1. foreign, in their owne Acts 1. 19.language: they pronounced akeldama, others said aceldama, so the lisping Ephraimites said Sibboleth; Iudg. 12.they of Beniamin said Shibboleth: So the Galilaeans had their dialect, for Peter was Mar. 14. 70.knowne to be a Galilaean by his speech.
∵
A CORROLARIE.
Of the Maternall Tongues in Europe.
In Europe there are eleven Maternall tongues, which are these.
| Latine. Spanish. Italian. French. Francicke. Wallous. Pictonicke. Tectosagick. Vascon. Limovicea. Perigurd. | Scalig. Opusc. Francick, commonly called Languidock most vsed. Wallous begins at Leige, while yee come to the confines of Paris. Pictonick, begins at the confines of Turone, and goes towards Burdeoux. Tectosagick, is that which is conteined from the Ryver Garunne, to the Pyrenie hils, and to the Aquitanian Ocean. |
| Greeke. Common. Attick. Ionick. And Sicilian. Rhegian. Cretan. Cyprian. Maccedenian. Syracusan, &c. Dorick. Aeolick. Baotick. |
Dutch.
Teutonicke.
Wester.
Easter.
Saxon.
North.
Frisian.
English.
Scotish.
Turingian.
Danes.
Denmarke.
Sweden.
Norway.
Island.
Slavonicke.
Muscovite.
Polonian.
Bohemian.
Illyrian.
Dalmatian, &c.
Epirote.
Tartar.
Hungarian.
Finnonick.
Irish.
Britaine.
Cantabrian.
Of all kindreds, tongues, and Nations, Praise the Lord.Psal. 117.
God is not an accepter of Persons, so, neither of Tongues.Act. 10.
CAP. IV.
The diverse wayes how God revealed himselfe to his servants extraordinarily.
GOD manifested himselfe to his servants Canon.sundry wayes.
God who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake Confir.in times past, vntounto the Fathers by the Prophets.Heb. 1. 1.
Foure manner of wayes. He revealed himselfe to Illust.his servants. oRab. David prafat. iulib Psalm. 2. Ruahh hakkodesh. 4. Bath Col. 1.First, by the gift of Prophecie. Secondly, by ordinary inspiration of the holy Spirit. Thirdly, by Vrim and Thummim, light and perfection. Fourthly, Per filiam vocis, by a little small voyce.
God manifested himselfe by Prophecie.
pDrus. in Gen.Prophecie was that gift which came vponupon the Prophets Canon.in their sleepe, and when they were awake, all Illust.their strength was taken from them, so that they saw one speaking (as it were) in vision with them, or saw nothing at all, but heard a voyce speaking to them.
Ruah hakkodesh, the holy Spirit, was that sort of Prophecie, which was revealed to the Prophets, when they had the vse of their senses, speaking and hearing as we doe: they were inspired also by the holy Spirit, but not in so high a degree as these, who had the gift of Prophecie, this sort of revelation was most vsuall in the second Temple.
There are sundry sorts of spirituall knowledge: the first is of Faith: the second of Prophecie: the third of Glory. That Prophecie which is intellectuall, shewing to the mind without means, is most perfect; that which is shewed to the sense is most imperfect, and it comes neerest to that knowledge which we hauehave by faith, (For faith comes by hearing, and confirmed by sight.) qPicus Mirandul.That intellectuall knowledge, comes nearest to the knowledge which we shall hauehave of God in glory; that Prophecie which was shewed to the imagination in dreame, when the senses were abstracted, was a meane betwixt the intellectuall, and that which was heard by the sense; as Ieremie saw a seething pot represented to his imagination: and Iacob saw a ladder in a dreame. The third of Glorie, which is most perfit, and intellectually shewed to the minde: the senses not abstracted nor dazeled. Moses came neerest to this knowledge.
The revelation by Vrim and Thummim is not expresly set downe: rLib. 3. c. 9.Iosephus thinkes, when they were to goe to battell, the Priest putting his Ephod vponupon him; if they were to march, then the stones did shine, but if the stones did not shine, then they were to stay: but this seemes not to hauehave bin a sufficient way to hauehave directed them in other cases: for when the Priest put vponupon him his Ephod, & consulted with the Lord whether they should goe against the Philistims, or not: the Lord answered, Thou shalt not ascend directly, but goe a compasse about. 2 Sam. 5. 1 King. 6. 3.How could these stones hauehave manifested all these things to them? Wherefore it is most probable, that the Priest having these stones vponupon his breast, that the Lord inspired him by his Spirit, what answere to make to every question asked him.
The last sort of revelation extraordinary, was by Bath col filia vocis, a little small voyce, or an eccho, whereby he answered his servants: Iob cals this vox in silentio, a silent Iob 4. 16. Mat. 17. 5.voyce, and there came a voyce from heaven. Syr. filia vocis, the daughter of a speech.
This last sort of revelation, was in the second Temple, Nota.a little before the destruction of it.
Thus God with-drew this revelation from his people by degrees, that they might cleaue to the Law of God: Malac. 4. 4.and so come to the ordinary meanes of vnderstanding his Will.
Thus farre hauehave we praeoccupied in the Prolegomena or Introduction: now we come to the subiect of the Booke.