Vers. 21. Know yee nothing? Haue yee not heard it? Hath it not beene told you from the beginning? Haue yee not vnderstood it by the foundations of the earth?
HAuing scorned the beastly sottishnesse of the Gentiles, hee now turnes againe to the Iewes: for being all of vs by nature incli∣ned too much to superstitious vanities; so we also easilie fall, if any example be set before vs. The Iewes being captiues and mingled a∣mongst the Babylonians, were constrained to looke vpon horrible & damnable idolatries, which might soone draw them to a wicked imitation: Isaiah therefore as a good Prophet of God, speedilie preuents them, and warnes them that they bee no whit moued with such spectacles. He askes if they haue not bin taught and instructed concerning the true God. Ma∣nie expositors thinke that this is but one re∣petition; to wit, it appeares by the creation of the world, that there is not so much as anie appearance of seeking God in wood, stone, gold, or siluer: but wee may gather from the scope of the text, that these are two distinct members. For if he continued still to reproue the Gentiles, hee would then bring no other testimonies but heauen and earth against them: but speaking to the Iewes, who were familiarly acquainted with the law of God; for their reproofe hee vseth testimonies taken both from the order of nature, and from the word.
First, he askes in generall, if they knew no∣thing. Secondly, he propounds the meanes by which they ought to discerne the true God from the false. The first is from hearing the [ 1] word; and therefore he saith expresly, Haue ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? The last is from this faire theater of the vvorld, where Gods glory shines round a∣bout [ 2] and beneath vs. He would haue conten∣ted himselfe with this second demonstration, if he had had to deale with the profane Gen∣tiles; as Saint Paul also doth Act. 14.17. For speaking to them of Iconia, who had neuer heard word of the heauenly doctrine, he vseth arguments taken from the order of nature. How? That God left not himselfe vvithout vvit∣nesse, by giuing raine and fruitfull seasons. But our Prophet, who speakes of that true religion which was among the Iewes, could not omit the mentioning of the law, which was to make them double inexcusable, if they should for∣sake or despise it, to prophane themselues a∣mong infidels. For they were conuinced not onely by the sight of their eies, but also by the hearing of their eares: which were continually beaten vpon by God, in the preaching of his law amongst them. Seeing then that from their mothers breasts they had (with their mo∣thers milke) been nurced vp with the milke of the true knowledge of God, and were in∣structed by their fathers, by continuall suc∣cession, the Prophet telles them that they shall shew themselues too peruerse and vn∣thankfull, if such an helpe shall nothing pro∣fit them.
For that which he saith of the beginning, or long agoe, is to the same purpose; namely, that from their cradle, they had been nurced vp in Gods true worship: and besides, in ages succeeding they had such continuall tea∣ching, as would not suffer thē to erre; only, if they did but remember vvhat they had heard. As if he should haue said; You haue no new God, but the very same who manifested himselfe from the beginning to Abraham, Moses, and the rest of the Patriarks.
And here we haue an excellent confirma∣tion touching the antiquitie of that doctrine which hath continued so many ages among the faithfull: not that antiquitie is sufficient of it selfe to giue faith & assurance (for so the Gentiles might reply that their superstitions were no lesse ancient) but in respect that frō the beginning, the authoritie of the law hath been abundantly confirmed, and that God hath testified that himselfe is the author of it: for this cause, I say, it gets great confirma∣tion vnto it by long vse, in that the successors