4. Places of doctrine.
1. Doct. That God onely hath the knowledge of things to come.
Vers. 11. There is none that can declare it except the gods: Hierome hence inferreth, that euen in the opinion of the wisemen and Soothsayers of Babylon, none hath the know∣ledge of things to come, but onely God, by the which it is euident, that the Prophets fore∣telling things to come spake by the spirit of God, Bulling. By this argument the Prophet sheweth the vanitie of the Idols of the heathen, and conuinceth them to be no gods, Isay, 41. 23. shewe the things that are to come hereafter, that we may knowe, that yee are gods.
2. Doct. Of the immortalitie of the soule.
Vers. 4. O King liue for euer: These heathen men voide of the true knowledge of God, in wishing eternall life vnto the king, doe shewe their opinion of the immortalitie of the soule: which shall further be prooued, 1. by the testimonie of Scripture. 2. by the demon∣stration of reason. 3. and by the euidence of forren and heathen witnesses.
1. The Scripture plentifully testifieth, that the soule liueth after it is separated from the bodie: as in that the Lord calleth himselfe, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iaacob, long after their death, Exod. 3. 6. whereupon our Sauiour inferreth, that he is not God of the dead, but of the liuing: So Elias prayed vnto God to haue his hostesses child restored to life in these words, I pray thee let this childs soule returne vnto him againe, 1. King 17. 22. his soule then was aliue, for otherwise it could not returne to his bodie. Salomon saith that the spirit returneth to God that gaue it, Eccle. 12. 7. In the parable Luk. 16. the soule of La∣zarus was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome.
2. 1. Seeing God is most iust, and will recompence euerie man according to his life, the righteous shall haue reward, and the wicked punishment, which is not alwaies seene in this life, it must needs be, that God should execute his iustice in another life. 2. Seeing ver∣tue, which is in the minde is immortall; the subject also thereof, the soule must also needes be immortall. 3. And the soule beeing not subiect to corruption, is consequently immor∣tall: for that which is incorruptible is immortall. 4. All things haue a place of rest, as the center is vnto bodies: the soule is restlesse in the bodie, and neuer is at quiet; if then it should not haue a place of rest elswhere, it should be more miserable then any other creature. 5. And how could the soule thinke of things immortall or desire them, if it were not it selfe im∣mortall.
3. By these reasons, and such like the heathen beeing perswaded, beleeued the immor∣talitie of the soule: as Antiochus in his epistle to Lysias, that beginneth, Since our father is translated to the gods, &c. 2. Macchab. 11. 23. In the funeralls of such Romane Emperours as had deserued well of the commonwealth, they vsed to set an eagle, and to put fire vnder, which the eagle feeling soared aloft: whereby was signified, that the soule or spirit ascended vp into heauen: Herodian, Pythagoras, and Thales Milesius, were strong maintainers of the immortalitie of the soule, likewise Plutarkain epistol. consola. and Seneca, lib. de morte immatura. Euripides held coelos esse aeterna animarum domicilia, that the heauens, are the eternall houses of the soules. Many such like testimonies and examples might be brought from the heathen to this purpose.
3. Doctrine. Of the vanitie of Soothsayers.
Vers. 4. Shew thy seruants the dreame, and we shall shewe thee the interpretntion. These foolish Soothsayers promise much vnto the king, but they were able to performe nothing: for afterward cap. 4. when the king told them his dreame, they could say nothing: so they are liberales in verbis, &c. liberall in words, but they can not performe that which they promise: It is euident then, that there is no art or certaine rule to interpret dreames, or to coniecture of things to come; but it is an extraordinarie gift, that commeth from God. Po. So the Lord saith by his Prophet: Isay 44. 25. I destroy the takens of the Soothsayers, and