An exposition by way of supplement, on the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth chapters of the prophecy of Amos where you have the text fully explained ... : together with a confutation of Dr. Holmes, and Sir Henry Vane, in the end of the commentary / by Tho. Hall ...

OBSERVATIONS.

1 God useth to retaliate Sinners, and to pay them in their owne coyn.

This we see here excellently exemplified in Amaziah.

1 He inticed Israel to Idolatry, which is Spiritual Harlo∣try, therefore his Wife shall be an Harlot.

2 He had destroyed those that were Gods Children by ex∣ternal profession, therefore his Children were destroyed.

3 He made his Goods his God, and was all for gain, there∣fore now he shall lose all.

4 He that had polluted Gods People, shall now dye in a polluted Land. He that would not follow the true God to his Salvation, shall follow false ones to his own destruction.

2 Silencing and persecuting of Gods faithful Ministers is a God-provoking Sin.

Thou sayest, Prophesie not, what follows? therefore thy Wife, thy Children, thy State, thy Self, and the Land of thy Nativity shall smart for it. Now, if Amaziah paid so dear for endeavouring to silence one faithful Amos, what may they ex∣pect who doe actually blow out many burning and shining Lights? &c. let such remember Pashur, Jer. 20.2, 3, 4. and the men of Anathoth, Ier. 11.21, 22, 23. and Ieroboam the first with his withered hand, which was smitten for stretching it forth against the Prophet, 1 King. 13. and Elimas the Sor∣cerer, who was smitten blind for opposing the truth, Acts 13.10, 11. never any man hardned himself against God, espe∣cially in this kind that ever prospered, Iob 9.4. Amaziah had many other sins, as Idolatry, Superstition, Covetousness, &c. but this Persecuting of Amos was his fatal sin, and ruined both him and his.

3 Wicked Parents bring a Curse upon their Posterity.

God oft punisheth the sins of the Fathers upon the Chil∣dren, to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him, Exod. 20.5. & 34.7. Deut. 28.18, 32, 41. Ier. 29.32. Hieron. on Exod. 34.7. & in my Com. on Hos. 13. ult. p. 80. and Dr. Gorge

Lam. 5.7. the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned, Isa. 14.20.

4 Goods ill gotten seldome prosper.

Treasures of wickednesse profit not, Prov. 10.2. Amaziah had scraped much wealth together, but his enemies became his heirs. And so it is with many Usurers, and oppressing Cor∣morants, who treasure up riches for their enemies.

5 Marriage is lawful in Ministers as well as others.

The Apostle tells us, that Marriage is honourable not only in some, but in all sorts and degrees of men, Heb. 13.4. Marriage is honourable 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in all men, and God himself hath appointed it for the comfort of all degrees, Gen. 1.28. & 2.18. and bids him that cannot contain, marry, 1 Cor. 7.2, 9. none can vow that which is not in his owne power; but continency is the gift of God, Matth. 19.11. all cannot re∣ceive this saying, and therefore not only Amaziah here, but the Priests and Prophets in the Old Testament had Wives; Zachariah the Priest hath an Elizabeth to his Wife, and shee descended of the Daughters of Aaron, Luke 1.5. Ieremiah was the Son of a Priest, Ier. 1.1. and Hophni and Phineas the Sons of Eli the Priest, 1 Sam. 1.3. and Iohn Baptist the Son of Zachariah the Priest; yea many of the Apostles had Wives, as Peter, Philip, Iames, and Barnabas, Mat. 8.14. Acts 13.2. Saint Ambrose affirms, that all the Apostles were married save Iohn and Paul, and the Apostle expresly saith, that he had power to marry as well as Cephas, 1 Cor. 9.5. and he allows a Bishop to have one wife, Titus 1.6. It is one mark of Antichrist to maintaine that Doctrine of Devils, in forbidding the marriage of Ministers, 1 Tim. 4.1, 3.

This Prohibition of Marriage hath filled the VVorld with VVhoredome, Sodomy, Bestiality and Incest, and there∣fore Paphnutius a famous Primitive Confessor, though him∣self were unmarried, yet mightily perswaded and prevai∣led with the Nicene Council, that they should not decree any thing against Priests Marriage.

The moderate sort of Papists have allowed of Priests

Marriages, as Gratian, Panormitan, and others, even Bellar∣mine himself confesseth, that there is no Precept in the Old or new Testament against Ministers marriage; and we in Eng∣land are bound to bless God for the married Clergy. How many Dods, Dykes, Wheatlies, Whitakers, Rogerses, Byfields, &c. and other eminent Lights is this Church furnisht withall, from the pious and reverend Clergy-men of this Land. It is a choyce Mercy to a Land, when the Lord shall raise up from amongst our selves Nazarites to serve in the Sanctuary, Amos 2.11.

Caut. Yet as all persons, so young Ministers especially should not be rash and hasty in their Marriages, but should get a competent Library first, and some gravity and soli∣dity, that they may be able to walk exemplarily before their Flocks, and that they may not dishonour this honourable Or∣dinance of God, with any levity or vanity.

[For the lawfulness of Ministers Marriage, See B. Hall, E∣pis. 3. Dec. 2. and his Treatise stiled, The Honour of the Mar∣ried Clerg. Zegedin loc. com. p. 444. Davenant. Determ. Quest. 43. Perkins 2. Vol. Demonstr. of the Problem, p. 574. Mornay de Missa. l. 2. c. 8. Erasmus Tom. 5. p. 513. D. Wil∣let. Synops. Papis. Error 83. p. 291, &c. ☜ and Mr. Fox Martyrolog. Vol. 2. p. 464, &c. See more in the Index of the Book of Martyrs, in the word Marriage. B. Morton Protest. Appeal, lib. 1. c. 2. Sect. 32. p. 38. ad 46. An••es. Bellarm. enervat. Tom. 2. l. 3. p. 131. Osiand. Enchirid. Controv. contra Pap. Q. 21. p. 417. ad 456. Paraeus in 1 Cor. 7. Q. 3. col. 448, Gerard. Loc. Com. Tom. 6. col. 369. ad 434.

CORONIS.

Hic praesentis Historiae sit usus, ut Amasias, qui hodie sibi in Ecclesia dominium vendicant, caveamus, & constanter retinea∣mus verae fidei confessionem, quam ex Dei verbo didicimus. Gualter.

Notes

• See more on ver. 13. Obs. 1.
• See more in Caryl on Job 5.5. p. 200. and on Heb. 11.28.
• Malè parta ma∣le dilabuntur.
• See th••s Point la••gely and learnedly de∣bated. Pro & con, by Mr Bell in his surv••y of Popery Part 3. Char. 3. p. 218, &c. Gravius peccat Sac••••dos si uxo••em ducat, quàm si domi concubinam foveat. Coster. Enchirid. cap. 17. propos. 9.
• Hist. Tripart. lib 2. c. 14. R••ffin. Hist. Ec∣cles. l. 10. c 4.
• Copula sacerdo∣talis, nec legali, nec Evangeli∣cá, nec Aposto∣licá authoritate prohibetur Gra∣tian. Q. 26. S. 2. Bellar. de Cle∣ricis, l. 1. c. 18. See Mr. Chancy his Ser. on A∣mos 2.11. printed 1655.