A treatise of the foure degenerate sonnes viz. the atheist the magician the idolater¨ and the Iew. VVherein are handled many profitable questions concerning atheisme, witchcraft, idolatry, and Iudaisme: and sundry places of Scripture, cleared out of the originall tongues. Being the fourth volume, of the Workes of Mr. Ioh. Weemse of Lathocker in Scotland, and Prebend of Dunelm.

Of the third degenerate Son, the IDOLATER.

IT is not knowne whence the river Nilus springs; all condescend upon this, that this river springs first out of the hills called montes Lunae; but out of what spring it aryseth first, no man can tell; But yet we see that out of these small beginnings it aryseth to a great river, and runnes through Ethiopia, turning the course now this way, now that way, and then runneth into Egypt: at last it divides it selfe into seven branches, and runnes in∣to the Mediterranean sea. And soe we may judge of the beginning of Idolatrie and progresse thereof: This we know in generall, that Idolatrie is a worke of the flesh,* 1.1 Gal. 5.20. and it comes from a mind obscured with darkenesse, Iohn 4.24. and from a corrupt understan∣ding, Hose. 13.2. and they made them Idolles accor∣ding to their owne understanding, and from a will cor∣rupted; therefore it is called will worship, Col. 2.23. and from the senses corrupted, and especially from the sight: therefore we are forbidden to goe a whoring af∣ter our owne eyes, Num. 15.35. But in particular to tell who invented this Idolatrie first, or where it was in∣vented, that we cannot doe, for while men slept, the enemie came and sowed tares, Mat. 13.25. But as men know that Nilus tooke the beginning from a small ori∣ginall, and peece and peece increaseth unto a great ri∣ver: Such is the beginning and progresse of Idola∣trie,

that it hath now overspread the most part of the world.

SECT. 1. Of the beginning of Idolatry.

IT is most probable that this Idolatrie tooke the be∣ginning from the love which men carie to their dead parents, to set up images and statues to them in remem∣brance of them, which Satan afterward moved them to worship: and then they began to say to the stocke thou art my father, Ier. 2.27. and to the stone that thou hast brought mee forth;* 1.2 and hence it was that they were commanded to forget their fathers house when they were to leave Idolatrie, Psal. 45.10. That is the religi∣on which they had from their parents, and which was continued amongst them in remembrance of their fa∣thers: And those Idolaters are more blamed who chose new Gods which their fathers knew not, Deut. 32.17.

* 1.3Secondly, the subtill devill deluded people; and made them beleeve that the gods sent downe images from Heaven, which they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 comming downe from Iupiter, Act. 19.35. So hee made them beleeve that gods came downe to them in the likenesse of men,* 1.4 Act. 14.11. and so they worshipped them. Thirdly, hee made them beleeve that those images which were made with mens hands had some divine power assisting them, and that they were not lyke other workes of mens hands; Acts 19.26. It is naturall for all men to have some god or other; and men according to their severall inclinations found gods to themselves,

some one way, and some another;* 1.5 Those who were inclined to warre made Mars for their God, and the Scythians a belicouse people worshipped their sword; and those who inclined to filthinesse or lust, made Venus for their godesse; And the Iewes worshipped Tammuz, Ezech. 8.14. with their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and from hence sprang all their fabulous theologie (as Varro calles it) of the incests, adulteries, and rapts of their Gods: So men inclining to coveteousnesse made their gods accordingly, as the Philistines made Dagon a fish their god, because they lay neare the sea coast and used fishing; So some worshipped a sheepe, as the Syri∣ans worshiped gnashtoroth a sheepe, So in Egypt they worshiped an oxe; an oxe was a signe to them of plenie of corne, Pro. 14.4. where no oxen are the crib is cleane, but much increase is by the strength of the oxe; and those who were given to drunkennesse made Bacchus their god;* 1.6 And even as the Ethiopians because they are blacke themselves, paint the good Angels blacke like themselves, and the devills white; So did men imagine of their gods, and made them like unto themselves, and that which they affected most, foolish man imagine that God is like unto him, Psal. 50. because I held my peace thou thoughtest I was like unto thee.

When men beheld the starres, first they observed the influx of the starres, and that bred Physicke: se∣condly they observed the course of the starres, and that bred Astronomie. Thirdly, they used predictions by the starres, and that bred Astrologie: Fourthly, they worshipped the starres, and that was Idolatry.

They worshipped their gods of gold; silver, yron, wood, and stone, Dan. 5.4. they represented Iupiter, by gold, Venus, or Diana, by silver, they made silver shrines to Diana; They represented Caeres, by wood, and Pluto and the infernall gods, by stone.

To these Idols they gave all honour which was due to God, they called them their husbandes, Hos. 2.7. they called them their kings, Zeph. 1.5. and their gods, and their kings and their great men tooke names from those Idoles, as Nebuchadnezer, and Nebuch palassar tooke their names from their Idoll Nebo, Isa. 46.1. So Balthasar, Hanniball, Hasdruball, tooke their names from Baal, so the King of the Sidonians was called Eth∣baal, 1 Sam. 6.31. and others tooke their names from Bell, which is the contraction of Baal; So they bestow∣ed their goods upon their Idoles, they sacrificed their children unto them, and powred out all their affections upon them, and they held that all which they did pos∣sesse they possessed it by their Idols, Iud. 11.24.

SECT. 2. How great a sinne this sinne of Idolatrie is.

GOd who is the supreame and independant cause, from whom are all things, by whom are all things, and for whom are all thinges, who is Alpha and Ome∣ga,* 1.7 is worthy of greatest honour; and he hath reserved three things to himselfe, which he will not communi∣cate with any creature. The first is absolute and su∣preme power in judging mans standing and falling; Who art thou that Iudgest another mans servant Rom. 14.4. there is a great wrong done to this supreme Lord, when man takes upon him to sit in his judicatorie, which onely belongeth to God.

The second thing, which God hath reserved to him∣selfe is vengeance, Rom. 12.19. Vengeance is mine, I will

repay (saith the Lord) when any creature takes upon him that which the Lord hath reserved for himselfe, then he dishonoureth God.* 1.8

The third and greatest of all, is his glory and wor∣ship; which he hath reserved for himselfe; and that he will communicate to no creature. God is liberall enough otherwaies to man; he communicates to him his goodnesse, his mercy, and bountifulnesse; but hee hath reserved his worship for himselfe: He gave Adam liberty to eate of all the trees of the garden, but he re∣served to himselfe the tree of knowledge of good and evill; and even as in the eucharisticall sacrifices, the Priest got a part, and the people got a part, but the Lord reserved the fat for himselfe, Levit. 3.3. So the Lord hath reserved his worship for himselfe, there∣fore when Idolaters bestow this divine worship upon creatures, this is a horrible and a fearefull sinne.

In every sinne there concurre two things, first aversio a Deo, a turning from God, and conversio ad creaturam,* 1.9 a turning to the creature; and the baser and vilder that the creatures be which a man turnes himselfe to, the sinne is the greater; when Demas imbraced this pre∣sent world, here was a great aversion from God, and a turning to the creature; but in Idolatry there is a greater aversion from God & a turning to the creature, for here he turnes himself to the Devill, who is most opposite to God; for the worshipping of Idols is the worshipping of Devils, Deut. 32.17. Psal. 106.7. 1 Cor. 10.21.

To refuse the most excellent, and to choose the vilest,* 1.10 this is great madnesse: when the trees of the field de∣spised the vine tree Iudges 9. which cheered both God and man, and the Olive tree for all his fatnesse, and the Figge tree for all his sweetnesse, and made choise of the bramble to raigne over them, what a miserable choise was this; there came a fire from the bramble

and burnt the trees of the field: So for a man to refuse the living God, and to make choise of a base Idoll, and worship it, what a bad choise was this: And what mar∣veile is it that there comes not a fire of the wrath of God, and consume these Idolaters.

* 1.11The most excellent creatures in heaven, the Angels have alwayes refused to accept of this divine worship, Rev. 19.10. If thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it to the Lord, Iudg. 13.16. but the devils have ta∣ken this worship unto themselves, and by all meanes sought it: The devill accepted of this spirituall worship at Sauls hand, when he bowed himselfe before him: so he sought it of Christ, Mat. 4. It must be a horrible sinne then to commit this Idolatry; the good Angels and glorified spirits are set downe to us for imitation, and not the devills.

* 1.12This Idolatrie is the greatest sinne, because it dissolves the marriage betwixt Christ and his Church: This ido∣latry is spirituall adultery; for the which the Lord re∣pudiates his Church: This sinne of Idolatry blots the children, and gives them place to plead against their whoorish mother, Hos. 2.2. Plead with your mother, pleade with your mother, for ye are the children of forni∣cation.

* 1.13In Religion there are foure things which we ought to consider: first, wee ought to consider the infinite maje∣stie of God, and that all things depend on him. Se∣condly, we should consider our own basenesse and vile∣nesse, and that we are nothing, and have nothing of our selves. Thirdly, there must be an earnest and true sub∣mission of the mind to God, which the mind must ac∣knowledge within it selfe. Fourthly, there are exter∣nall signes, and bodily gestures and actions required, testifying this inward reverence which wee carrie to God. The Angels having no bodies, testifie this their

reverence by internall and spirituall submission to God; and when the Angels appeared in visible shapes, they covered their faces before the Lord, in token of their submission to him: and man must testifie this his obedi∣ence both in minde and body. Now when man consi∣ders not the great and high majestie of God, then hee beginnes to resemble God to a creature, and hee gives the creatures that worship which is due onely to God,* 1.14 and this is Idolatry. Secondly, when hee considers not his owne basenesse and vilenesse, but ••ve, ••••••s himselfe above his owne condition, then he comm••••s Idolatrie; take for an example the King of Tyre, who elevated himselfe farre above his owne condition, Ezech. 28.3. who thought himselfe wiser than Daniel, and that there was no secrets hid from him; his contempt led him yet higher; hee thought himselfe more glorious than the high-priest for all the precious stones in his breast-plate; he thought himselfe wiser than Adam when he was in Eden, ver. 13. and yet he ascends more, hee thought himselfe like a Cherub, or an Angell of God, vers. 14. and lastly, when hee can goe no higher, hee thinkes himselfe not inferiour to God himselfe, verse 2. And so Antichrist takes that honour to him which is due onely to God,* 1.15 1 Thes. 2.4. when he sits in the house of God as God; when men consider not the majestie of God, but beginnes to resemble him to a creature, than the ballance goes downe, and they will give his worship to the very creeping things; but when man forgets himselfe; and elevates himselfe above his con∣dition, then the ballance goes up, and he never makes a stay untill he equall himselfe with God.

The Lord tanted and mocked those Idolaters,* 1.16 shew∣ing their madnesse, how with one peece of the tree hee warmed himselfe, and of another peece of the tree hee made a God, and worshipped; and so the heathen

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mocked these worshippers of Idols; Seneca, Quid (inquit) brutalius est, quam statuis sacrifices, statu∣arium vero mensa tua excludas, apud statuam ge∣nua tua flectis, pictorem aperto capite coram te stantem despicis & negligis, what is more senslesse and brutish (saith Seneca) then for thee to sacrifice to an Idoll, and yet thou will not suffer him who made the Image to come to thy table; thou bowest thy knee before the Image, and yet thou suffers him who made the Image to stand ba••••••ded before thee, and him thou despi∣sest and ••••g••••cts. So Diagoras jested at the Idolls of old, and when he saw the Image of Hercules, he pulled it downe, and threw it into the fire, and said, this shall be the thirteenth labour of Hercules: Thus we see every man a beast in his owne knowledge,* 1.17 Ier. 10.14.

There is no sinne that hath so many shiftes for it selfe as this sinne hath, as the whore wiped her mouth, and said, she did it not, Prov. 30.20. So they denie, extenuate, and cover this sinne; therefore it is that the Lord when he describes this spirituall whoredome;* 1.18 hee de∣scribes it in more plaine and open termes, then he doth bodily whoredome, Ezech. 16.15. Thou powrest out thy fornications upon every one that passeth by, his it was; and verse 25. Thou hast opened thy feete to every one that pas∣seth by; and verse 26. Thou hast committed fornications with thy neighbour, great of flesh; and Chap. 23.30. Shee doted upon their paramoures, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose Issue is as the issue of horses; but when the Lord speakes of bodily adultery, he speakes in more covered termes, as Prov. 9.17. Stolen waters are sweet. So hee describeth by eating, She eateth and wipeth her mouth, Prov. 30.20. and the reason is, because men are more sensselesse in taking up this spirituall adultery, and they use moe shifts to hide it; and therefore the Lord sets it downe in such plaine termes.

The Lord saith,* 1.19 Yee shall not make to thy selfe any gra∣ven image, gnal pani before me, gnal panai signifieth ei∣ther continuance of time, or noteth a place.* 1.20

First continuance of time, that so long as I am,* 1.21 ye shall not choose another god, Num. 3.4. And Elea∣zar and Ithamar ministered in the Priests office, in the sight of Aaron their father, gnal peni Aharon, vivente adhuc Aarone. So 1 Sam. 31, 1. and the child Samuel ministred unto the Lord before Eli, lipne gneli ante Eli, that is while Eli was alive, Deut. 21.16.* 1.22 yee may not make the sonne of the beloved first borne, before the sonne of the hated, gnal peni ben, juxta faciem filij exosae, that is, so long as the sonne of the ha∣ted liveth. So Exod. 20. Ye shall have no other Gods be∣fore me, gnal panai, ante seu coram me; that is, so long as I live.

So it is taken for a place;* 1.23 ye shall neither set up an Idoll before me, either privately or publickely, for Gods face is every where privately: the Lord forbid∣deth them, Deut. 27.15.* 1.24 Cursed be he that maketh any graven or molten image an abhomination of the Lord, the worke of the hand of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. So the Lord abhored the chamber of their imagerie Ezek. 8.12.* 1.25 and he forbids them publickely to commit that Idolatry in the visible Church; Cain fled from the face of the Lord Genes. 4.16. That is from the visible Church; So the propitiatorie in the Church of Ierusalem was called the face of God Exod. 25. they were called panes facierum, because they stood before the propitiatory the face of the Lord; therefore the Lord forbids to set up an Idol before him: It was a great malapertnesse in the Iewes to set up their Idoles in mount Olivet, just under the Lords nose; therefore it was called 2 Kings 23.23. not mens Oliverum hamishka unctionis, but chamishceth perditionis,* 1.26 God never loo∣ked

out of the holiest of all, but he saw this vile Idola∣try: to set up this image of jealousie in the sight of the Lord, was a vile abhomination Ezek. 18.

Before my face; the lawes of men at the first comman∣ded, if the husband should apprehend the adulterer with his wife, then he should kill them both; as Solon and Draco his Lawes ordained;* 1.27 but the Law of the twelve tables mitigates this afterward, Maechum in a∣dulterio deprehensum necato, si vilis est, the husband might kill the adulterer with the adulteresse, if he was a base person. So when the Lord apprehends his Church committing abhomination with these Idols, and apprehends her in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, may he not justly kill the adultresse?

Before my face, the Schoolemen have a good axiome, Bonum nisi ex causa integra, malū vero ex quocun{que} defectu pessimum vero ex defectu maximo. Circumstances doe much exaggerat a sin, for as in man it is not enough that the body have all the compleate parts to make up the perfection of it; but there is requisite likewise propor∣tion, colour, situation of partes, and if any of these be wanting, then a man is thought an uncomely man, Bo∣num hic ex integra causa nascitur; but if any thing bee wanting, then that breedes defect, but the greatest de∣fect ariseth of the greatest want, and which is farthest from the good: It was a great sinne in Absalon to lye with his fathers concubines in any place, but to lye with them in the sight of the sunne, before all the people, this was a double sinne and a deformitie 2 Sam. 16.23. So for Cozbi and Zimri to commit their wickednesse in any place, was a great sinne, but to commit this sinne in the sight of Moses and of all the congregation, when all the people were weeping before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, Num. 25.6. this was a fearefull sinne: So to commit this Idolatry in a private place was a

great sinne, but for the Israelites to have committed this sinne before the Lord in the sight of the whole Congregation, this was a sinne committed with a high hand against the Lord.

SECT. 3. Of the division of Idolaters.

AN Idolater is either a formall Idolater,* 1.28 or a mate∣riall Idolater; the formall Idolater is he who hath a false conception of God, and worshippes him false∣ly.

The conception of God is either verus, analogicus,* 1.29 or falsus. Wee have either a true conception of God; or a conception of God by way of Analogie;* 1.30 or a false conception of God. The true conception of God is that which God hath onely of himselfe; for he onely con∣ceives himselfe as he is;* 1.31 we take him up onely by way of analogie: this conception is not a false conception of God, for wee being but finite creatures, cannot com∣prehend the infinite God but finitely, and although our conception answere not to the infinite God, yet we conceive not here any Idoll; for this conception is judged here after the manner of him who conceives, and not after the manner of him who is conceived: Our eye when it beholds the fire it receives into it the image of the fire, but not the essence of the fire; So we conceive of God according to our conception: When the Cherubims represented the angels in the Temple, this representation was rather of their qualities and acti∣ons, then of their persons; they were painted with the faces of children to signifie their mildnesse; and with

wings, to signifie their agilitie, and with the crist of a Lyon, to signifie their strength: So when God is descri∣bed to us by way of analogie in the Scripture; the essence of God is not described to us, but onely his actions, that we may take him up by way of analogie.

* 1.32The false conception of God is this, when the Idola∣ter thinkes he may resemble God, by a creature, and so worship the creature, or him by the creature, Psal. 106.20. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth grasse; and this is a false con∣ception of God, as when these heretickes called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 thought that God had a body indeed as men have.

* 1.33But least our mindes should erre in conceiving of God, who is infinite, and we take him up but finitely, therefore let us set Christ God and man, as the object of our mind when we worship; He that seeth the Sonne seeth the Father Iohn 14.10. If a man should behold him∣selfe in a Cristall glasse, he should not see his face in it, but if we put steele in the backe of the glasse (as we see in looking glasses) then we behold the reflexe of our face perfectly in the glasse: So when we behold the divinitie by it selfe, our mindes waver, and there comes no comfortable reflex from it; but God assuming the hu∣manitie, this makes a comfortable reflexe as the steele does to the glasse, and this helpes our conception, when we looke this wayes upon God made man.

* 1.34The formall Idolater is he who worships the image, and the materiall Idolater is he who makes the image; the Israelites said to Aaron, make Gods to us who may goe before us; Aaron made the Calfe and he was the material Idolater: but the Israelites who worshipped the Calfe, they were the formall Idolaters: If one had come into the shop of Demetrius the silver smith, and had asked what he was doing, if he should have answered that he

was making gods, he should not have answered rightlie heere; for he that worships and adores the image pro∣perly makes a God of it.

Qui fingit sacros auro, vel marmore vultus Non facit ille deos; qui rogat, ille facit.

SECT. 4. Of the effects of Idolatry.

SVndry are the effects of Idolatrie;* 1.35 wherefore in the scripture the Idolls get sundry names, they are called gelilim, gods of dung, because they are loathsome, and defile the conscience of men proceeding as dung and excrements out of mans corrupt heart, Shickutsim,* 1.36 that is loathsome things, Ezeck. 20.8. and they are called Zirim, Isa. 45.16. as yee would say Tor∣mina, such as a woman hath in childbirth:* 1.37 And they are called gnazthamini sorrowes, Psal. 115.4. 1 Sam. 31.9. which brings nothing to a man but sorrow, Psal. 16.4. So they are bosheth pudor, Ier. 5.19. and 11.13.* 1.38 the same name which is given to a mans privie parts, Deut. 25.11. So they are called Miphlezeth horrenda Statua. 1 Kings 15.13. and Isa. 65.4.* 1.39 they are called custodita in contempt, because they cannot keep themselves, see Isa. 46.1.2. And Emim terriculamenta, 1 Chro. 15.16. Ier. 50.38. because they terrifie their worshippers, and they get no comfort by them, Apoc. 14.11. and they are called vanities and lies, Ier. 14.24. and 16.19. and Aven Iniqui∣tas, Hos. 10.8. and 4.15. And the people who worships them are called a foolish people, Deut. 32.11. and no people Hos. 2.23. and 1 Pet. 2.10. And their Idolatrie

is not onely called foolishnesse, but Summa malitia, Hos. 10.15. and Idolaters are said to eate the bread of lies, Hos. 10.13. that is a lie it self, such is that forme of speech Prov. 4.17. to eate the bread of sluggishnesse, that is to be a sluggard; So Ephraim is said to feede upon the wind, Hos. 12. that is to deceive himselfe, with vaine hopes, depending upon Idols: So he is said to follow the east winde; The east winde is the worst sort of any wind, for it brake their shipps; so the Idoles are cal∣led the spiders cobwebbes, which are easily swept away, Hos. 8.10. and 1 Pet. 4.3. they are called abhominable Idoles: this Epithite is added to them, not for distinction sake, as though there were some I∣dols which were not abhominable, but it is Adiecti∣vum perpetuum (as the Hebrewes call it) Such is that phrase he descended into the low graves; This distin∣guishes not one grave from another, but onely signifies a deepe grave, see Levit. 11. the creeping thing which is uncleane,* 1.40 here the adjectivum is adjectivum perpetu∣um, and not a note of distinction, Isa. 37.36. they are called dead corps, which makes not a distinction heere, but is adjectivum perpetuum: So Idols are called abho∣minatio stupenda, Dan. 9.27. and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 abhomina∣tiones, Mat. 24.15. so the wife that lies in thy bo∣some Mic. 7.5. this Epithite is not a note of distin∣ction.* 1.41

These Idols are nothing, 1. Cor. 8.4. They are no∣thing, not negative, but privative; they can neither hurt those who abhorre them, nor helpe those who worship them: therefore Psal. 106.28. they are called Dii mortui, dead gods, who could neither helpe their friends nor hurt their foes.

SECT. 5. Of the progresse of Idolatrie.

EPiphanius reckons up twentie heresies, which were before Christs comming in the flesh,* 1.42 which hee re∣duceth unto foure heads, Barbarisme, Schythisme, Hellenisme, and Samaritanisme.

First Barbarisme, which comes from Bar, and in the Syriack, signifieth extra, but being doubled makes barbar, as if yee would say, those who are altogether without the Church, and at this period of tyme there were but few gathered into the Church;* 1.43 Hee makes Barbarisme to have lasted from the creation of the world, to the dayes of Noah for ten generations: This first period of Idolatrie was before the flood, then they beganne to prophane the name of the Lord, Gen. 6.5. but seeing this time is tempus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.44 and few things are set downe by Moses of the progresse of the Church at this time, and the heathen historie be∣ginnes long after this time, therefore we will rest here, and enquire no further of it.* 1.45

Secondly, he makes Schythisme to have indured from Noah to the building of the tower of Babell.

Thirdly,* 1.46 he makes Hellenisme to have indured from Abraham to the carring away of the ten tribes.

This Grecian by the Syriack is called an Aramite, Col. 3.11. and so elsewhere an Aramite is put for a gentile, or an Idolater still in the Syriack; and the reason why they were so called is this; because the first Idolaters who are named in the scripture were Syrians, or Aramites, as Terah the father of Abraham was a Syrian, and Baalam was a Syrian, Deut. 25.5. and Naaman was a Syrian; all these were Idolaters.

* 1.47Fourthly, hee makes Samaritanisme to have indured from the captivity of the ten Tribes, unto the dayes of Christ.

The pure worship of God (so long as this Grecisme, or Aramites Idolatrous worshippe lasted) was in the family of Abraham, Melchisedecke, and a few others.* 1.48

The Church hath beene divided, first as shee lived in a familie, and then shee is called an oeconomicall Church.* 1.49 Secondly, when she was dispersed through a nation, and then shee was called a nationall Church. And thirdly when shee was scattered through the world,* 1.50 and then shee was called the Catholike Church.* 1.51

First, the Church was in a familie, as in Abrahams family, Isaackes familie, secondly in a nation, as when the Church was spread through Iudea: The Church when shee was in Egypt she was not a nationall Church, because the Church lived then but in a part of Egypt: So when she was in the wildernesse, she was not a nationall Church, but when the Church came to Canaan, and ex∣pelled the Cananites, then she was a nationall Church.

* 1.52The people of God were ruled three wayes, by Pa∣triarches, by Iudges, and by Kings: first wee will con∣sider how Idolatrie increased or decreased under the Patriarkes; Secondly, under the Iudges, and Thirdly under the Kings.

When Idolatrie spreads it selfe over the face of the earth, then it pleased the Lord to have pittie upon Abraham, and Sara, who lived in Chaldea, and worship∣ped the Moone, the Sunne, and the starres, to call them out of Caldea to Charran, and there hee taught them the true worship of God; They were first Idolaters as well as Terah was, & Nahor: Therfore Iosua saith Iosua 24.2. Your fathers dwelt beyond the flood of old time, even Te∣rah

the father of Abraham, and of Nahor, and they served other Gods, Amos 2.4. Their lies caused them to erre af∣ter the which their fathers have walked; that is, the I∣dols which their fathers worshipped: Abraham was an Idolater as well as Terah was, and as Nahor: therefore, Rom. 4.5. when the Lord justified him, he found him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an ungodly man; and Rembam testifies,* 1.53 that first he was a worshipper of the starres.

Abraham left not his Idolatrie, when he was in Meso∣potamia, when he dwelt in Vr, of the Chaldeans; but when he came to Carran; therefore the Lord brought him out of Mesopotamia, that he might leave that Idoll service; but as concerning Terah, and Nahor, they re∣tained something of their old Idolatrie, as Rachel did af∣terward, who although she was taught by her husband to renounce Idolatrie, yet she stoll her fathers Idols; & so there was some of this leaven of Idolatry in Iacobs fa∣mily, which he caused to be purged out, Ge. 15.2. Terah and Nahor got some knowledge of the truth, and they acknowledged Iehovah to be the true God, but they re∣tained with all their Idolls, and worshipped him in their Idolls: And Abraham when hee was to provide a wife for his sonne of the best that he could finde (abhorring the Canaanites altogether) hee made choise to send to his kinred of Nahors house, who (although hee was not free altogether of this Idolatry and superstition) yet he reckons him not as an infidell, and rather wills his sonne to marrie with him than with the vile Canaa∣nites. It is said, Gen. 11.31. that Terah the father of A∣braham went out of Vr of the Chaldees, to goe unto the land of Canaan, and they came to Haran and dwelt there, and yet it is said, Gen. 12.1. Now the Lord said to Abraham, Get thee out of thy countrey, and from thy kin∣red, into a land that I shall shew thee; but God comman∣ded this before Terah went out of Vr, to Haran as it is

cleare out of Act. 7.4. The rule of the Hebrewes holds here, Non esse prius & posterius in Scriptura; So Gen. 1.27. Male and female created he them, and Gen. 2.22. The rib which the Lord had taken from man made he a woman.

He called Abraham and Sarai out of Chaldea, that I∣dolatrous countrie; and commanded his people to flee out of Babylon, lest they should have beene partakers of her punishments, Ier. 51.6. Rev. 18.4.

Quest. For what sinnes should we leave a Church?

* 1.54Answ. There are two sorts of defects in a Church: The first is, defects in manners: The second in doctrine; for corruption of manners, a man should not separate himselfe from a Church, for then they might have left the Church of Ephesus, the Church of Pergamus, the Church of Thyatira, the Church of Laodicea; for the Lord laid something to the charge of all these Churches: But in this case men should separate them∣selves from their corruptions, and not defile their gar∣ments, but walke in white, Rev. 3.4. As for errors in doctrine they are three-fold;* 1.55 first, those which are prae∣ter fundamentum; and a man ought not to leave a Church for these. Secondly, there are errours in do∣ctrine,* 1.56 circa fundamentum, which weakens the founda∣tion, although they overthrow it not; and for these, men should not leave a Church.* 1.57 Thirdly, there are errors, contra fundamentum, and raseth the foundation, for these a man shold not leave a Church, if the Church be not wholly infected with them & totally. There were amongst the Galathians some who maintained the do∣ctrin of Iustification by works, but because all maintai∣ned it not, therefore they were not to leave the Church for that error. So in the Church of Corinth there were who maintained, that there was no resurrection from the dead, but because this was not holden by all, there∣fore

the Church was not to be left for this. So there were in the Church of Pergamus, who held the doctrine of Balaam, yet all held it not; therefore the Church was not to be left for that: The whole head may be sicke, and the whole heart faint, Esay 1.5. and yet may recover againe; as the Church of Thyatira was ready to die, yet the Lord exhorts her to repent, and to watch, Rev. 3.3. and to strengthen the things which remaine, that are ready to die; but when once shee is dead, and no life to be found in her, then men are to se∣parate themselves from her. Hence it was that the Priests and Levites in this case, left Israel and came to Iudah, 2 Cor. 11.13. because shee was a dead Church, and not a decaying: Therefore the Lords soule hath no delight in those who separate themselves from the Church, and make a rent, finding but small blemish in her.

Quest. But was not this against nature for Abraham to leave his countrey and old parents.

Answ. This is onely against corrupt nature,* 1.58 which preferreth it selfe to God; but hee that loves father or mother better than God, is not worthy of him. The nearest conjunction of all is betwixt God and man; and therefore he should leave all for God. It is said of Levi, Deut. 33.9. That he said unto his father, and to his mother, I have not seene him, neither did hee acknowledge his bre∣thren, nor knew his owne children, for they have observed thy word and kept thy covenant. So the disciples, Matth. 4.23. When Christ called them, left their fathers, and the ship, and followed Christ. When Hanna wept, because shee had no children, her husband comforted her, saying, Am I not better to thee than ten sonnes, 1 Sam. 1.8. A man should love his wife better, nor his father, or his mother, yea than tenne sonnes: what love then should we carrie to God, who should be dea∣ter

to us than tenne fathers, tenne wives, twentie sonnes, and all the world.

* 1.59He called him from the Idolaters; there is no socie∣tie so bad; but the Lord can choose out some from a∣mongst them, except onely out of hell: As in Nero's court, hee had some, Phil. 4.22. Salute them of Cesars house: And in Creete, although they were slow bellies, and wilde beasts there, yet the Lord planted a Church there; and in Ahabs house, he had Obadiah, who feared the Lord greatly, 1 King. 18.3. And amongst the Pha∣risees, the Lord had Nicodemus; and in superstitious Athens, he had Dionisius, Areopagita, and Damaris, Act. 17.34. By this we may see that the Lord reignes e∣ven amongst the midst of his enemies, Psal. 110.2.

He called Abraham and Sarai out of Chaldea, when they were Idolaters,* 1.60 Iosh. 24.2. The Lord when hee would teach his people thankefulnesse, bids them looke backe to their former estate; first, how hee multiplied them out of a drie stocke, Esa. 51.2. Looke unto Abraham your father, and to Sarai who bare you, and hee called him alone and blessed him, and encreased him: Looke to the rocke whence ye are hewen, and to the hole of the pit whence yee are digged:* 1.61 So he willeth them to looke backe to their poore estate, that they may be thankefull to pay their first fruites, Deut. 26.4. And the Priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it downe before the altar of the Lord thy God; and thou shalt speake and say before the Lorh thy God,* 1.62 I professe this day unto the Lord, a Syrian ready to perish was my father, Syrus perdi∣tionis, non Syrus perdens, meaning Iacob that served in Syria under Laban; and then he brought him downe to Egypt and sojourned there with a few, and became there a mighty and a great people; for this the Lord would have him to be thankefull.* 1.63 And lastly, hee calls them backe to remember their Idolatrie, how their fa∣thers

were Idolaters, and served Idols beyond the flood, Ios. 24.2. So the Apostle wills the Corinthians to looke backe to their former estate, how they were Idolaters, 1 Cor. 12.2. Ye know that ye were Gentiles car∣ried away unto dumbe Idols, even as ye were led.

SECT. 6. Of the increase and decrease of Idolatrie in the family of Jacob.

THis Idolatry tooke increase in the family of Iacob,* 1.64 when Rachel stole her fathers Idolls, Gen. 31.19. and in his retinue was polluted with these strange gods, the Idolls that shee brought from her father Labans house; shee was not free of Idolatry, yet neither was her sister Leah, and her handmaid Zilpah free of that I∣dolatrie, Gen. 30.11. Bagad is read two wayes; first, ba¦gad, venit turma, vel exercitus. Secondly, it is reade, conjunctim, bagad, i.e. fortuna vel fortunate: and Rabbi; Salomon reades it, Venit sidus bonum, seu planeta bo∣nus; and she acknowledged this her child, fortunae in∣fluentis donum, a good gift from fortune, Esa. ••5.11. gad, they interpret fortunam; and the Arabians (as Abenezra witnesseth) cald God, Gad, or Mars, & hence come this word God, and Leah called this her sonne Gad, or good fortune, because in Labans family they worshipped Gad or Fortune as a God.

Rachel brought these Idols from her father Labans house,* 1.65 which was a dangerous treasure for her to carrie about with her. Saint Iohn saith in his first Epistle, Chap. 5. vers. 21. Little children keepe your selves from Idolls, they are soone insnared with them; and as children de∣lights

much to play with puppets, so Idolaters are much delighted with their Idols.

Q. But did she not wel in taking away her fathers Idols?

Answ. She was but a private woman and had no authority to doe this;* 1.66 for a good action when it is done by these who have not a calling to doe it, be∣comes sinne. Theodoret tels us how one Abdas, in a pre∣posterous zeale threw downe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.67 or the chappell, which the Persians kept their fire in, and which they worshipped as a God; and he being commanded to build it up againe, he altogether refused: whereupon Iazdigard the Emperour being highly incensed, caused first to cast downe the Churches of the Christians, and search to be made for the Christians, whom he caused to be put to exquisite torments, which Theodoret de∣scribes most pathetically there, and shewes that it was a most foolish enterprise of Abdas to have cast downe this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and to give occasion this way to torment the poore Christians. Saint Paul when he saw the Ido∣latrous altar in Athens, Act. 17. he brake not downe the Altar, but reasoned against it out of the inscription that he reade into it.

Againe ye may marke here the vanity of these Ido∣laters, Laban cryed out that she had stollen his gods; if they were gods had they not power to save themselves; If Baal be God let him plead for himselfe, Iudge 6.21. Zephan. 1.13. Their Gods shall become a booty. But Idola∣ters are wondrous foolish in this case, as Amaziah when he had killed the Edomites, and taken their gods, yet he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed downe himselfe be∣fore them, and burnt incense unto them: These gods who could not defend themselves how could hee wor∣ship them? Although Dagon brake his necke upon the threshold of the doore, yet the Philistines would never

treade upon the threshold of the doore thereafter. Zeph. 1.9. I will punish all those that leape on the threshold But what respect should they have carried to that Idoll who brake his necke there? the Romans when they overcame any people, they tooke their gods and put them in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. But for them to have worshipped these gods whom they had taken captive, this was great madnesse.* 1.68

The decrease of this Idolatry was, when Iacob tooke their strange gods, and their earings, and hid them under an Oake which was by Sechem Gen. 35.4.

Iacob was a good father of a familie, he purged his house from all Idolatry: so should Christian magi∣strates purge the Church from Idolatrie.

When Ezekiah had removed the high places, Rab∣sakeh cryed out against him, and said that hee removed the Lords high places, and the Lords altars Esay 36.7. and because he said to Iudah and Ierusalem, ye shall worship before this Altar, Rabsakeh seemes here to plead for the Lord, as though the high places and the Idolatrous altars were instituted by the Lord, and not the altar of Ierusalem, and he blames Ezekiah for removing these, and he shewes v. 10. that he had a commandement from the Lord to come up and destroy this Land, because the high places were removed: So Papists plead against Christian magistrates, who have removed Idols out of the Church, crying that they have taken away the Lords holy images, and defaced his worship, and threaten judgements to come upon them, for defacing those high places of theirs.* 1.69

The next increase of Idolatry was, when the Church was in Egypt, for then the Israelites did secretly com∣mit Idolatry, Ezek. 23.3. and they committed whore∣dome in the land of Egypt; they committed whoredome, and had the teates of their virginity bruised.

Because they polluted themselves in Egypt, and lost their virginitie there: therefore the Lord was wroth with Idolatrous Egypt, and lifted up his hand to bring his people from amongst them, and to execute Iudge∣ment both upon their gods, and upon their first borne, Num. 33.4.

* 1.70The Lord reckoned it as one of his greatest favours showne to his Church that he delivered them out of Egypt, tenne times he reckoned up this great benefit, first in giving of the Law, Exod. 20.2. secondly when he instituted the sacrifices, Levit. 22.33. thirdly, when he makes the promise of blessings to them, Levit. 26.13. fourthly in reckoning up of his great workes, which he had done for them: fiftly he rockons this for the great signe of his love, Deut. 7.8. sixtly, when he disswades them from ingratitude, Deut. 8.14. seventhly, when he instituted the Paschall lambe, Deut. 16.6. eightly, when the Angell reproved the people, Iudg. 2.1. ninth∣ly, in hope of the victory against the Madianites, Iudg. 6.10. tenthly, when they were about to set up a King, 1 Sam. 10.18.

But see how forgetfull they were of this great bene∣fit, and how they longed to goe backe againe to Egypt, Exod. 14.11. Exod. 16.3. Exod. 17.3. Num. 11.3. and 14.4. and 20.3.

The Lord commanded them expressely that they should never goe backe againe to Egypt, Exod. 14.13. Deut. 28.68. Deut. 17.16.

Quest. Was it not lawfull for the people to goe into Egypt againe?

* 1.71Answ. Some of the Iewes (as Rabbi Bechai) affirme that it was not lawfull for them to goe into Eypt a∣gaine: Ye shall not henceforth returne any more that way to Egypt againe, Deut. 17.16. that is (saith he) ye shall not goe the same way againe which ye came out

of Egypt, but ye may goe out of other Countries to Egypt; but this interpretation is foolish, secondly May∣monides saith, that it was lawfull for them to dwell in Egypt, and to trade there, when they subdued the Egyptians, thirdly, others say that it was praeceptum ho∣rarium, which indured but for a while, but the prohibi∣tion seemes to forbid the whole body of the people to goe backe againe to Egypt, Num. 14.4. And they said one to another, let us make a Captaine, and let us returne to Egypt, this way they might not returne to Egypt. Deut. 17.16. The King shall not multiply horses unto himself, nor cause the people returne to Egypt, the King might not by his Princely authority send many of the people to Egypt, nor give occasion to the people of much trading there with the Egyptians; for this continuall intercourse with the Egyptians had beene all one as if they should have gone backe to Egypt againe to dwell.

But for private men to dwell there it was not simply unlawfull; Vriah the Prophet fled to Egypt Ier. 26.21. and Ieremiah himselfe was carried to Egypt, Ier. 43.6. and there were many famous schooles and Synagogues of the Iewes in Egypt, which the wise men of God would not have suffered, if it had beene simply unlaw∣full to dwell there: they might dwell there if they were not partakers of the unfruitfull workes of the darkenesse of the Egyptians Levit. 18.3. after the doings of the Land of Egypt ye shall not doe.* 1.72

The next increase of Idolatry in the wildernesse was when they set up a golden calf to worship there, because they saw the oxe worshipped in Egypt, Ezec. 23.19. Yet she multiplyed her whoredomes in calling to remembrance the dayes of her youth, wherein she played the harlot in the Land of Egypt.* 1.73

Many were the plagues which they got out of Egypt, first they brought out of Egypt the filthy leprosie or

scab, which lasted so long amongst them in the land of Canaan. Secondly, they forgat their circumcision for fourty yeares in the wildernesse; and this they lear∣ned from the Egyptians who circumcised not: There∣fore when they came to Gilgall, and were circumcised; the Lord said, Ios. 3.9. this day have Irolled away the reproach of the Egyptians from you. Thirdly the blasphemer who cursed the Lord, Levit. 24. his mo∣ther was an Egyptian; Fourthly, the greatest part of that Miscellanea turba (of whom they learned to speake with open mouth against the Lord) came out of Egypt, Exod, 12.38. Fiftly, they gate the patterne of this gol∣den calfe out of Egypt, and the second time Ieroboam brought the patterne of the golden calfes, which he fet up out of Egypt, and Sheshak King of Egypt was the first who robbed the temple of God, 1 King. 14.26.

The Lord objects to his people, Ier. 2.18. what hast thou to doe in the way of Egypt to drinke the waters of Sihor? Sihor was a river in Egypt, and to drinke the water of Sihor, was to commit whoredome, and spiri∣tuall Adulterie: So Salomon calles bodily Adultery wa∣ter, stolen waters are sweete, Prov. 9.7. and they say Abstine ab aqua aliena: This water was called Sihor, which signifieth blackenesse; when they dranke this water they committed a baser sort of Idolatrie,* 1.74 then when they dranke the water of the river Euphrates: for when they followed the Idolatrie of the Egyptians, they worshipped oxen, but when they dranke of the ri∣ver Euphrates and followed their Idolatrie, they wor∣shiped the Sunne, the Moone, and the starres: The E∣gyptians were the basest Idolaters, and Sihor was the blackest water; Therefore the Lord abhors Egypt and calles it the land of Cham, Psal. 105. Cham was ac∣cursed, so was the land of Egypt.

Now let us consider who made this Idoll; secondly

whereof they made it. And thirdly, how great a sinne this was in setting up this Idoll to worship it.

First, it was Aaron who made the calfe:* 1.75 It was nei∣ther ignorance nor complsiō that moved him to make this calfe, but feare onely, Metus gravis (say they) po∣test cadere in virum constantem, a great feare may over∣take a couragious man; But Aaron heere was overta∣ken with a small feare; Aaron saw not the people ston∣ning him, therefore his feare arose onely upon his owne apprehension.

Aaron was the man who committed this sinne;* 1.76 the high Priests lippes should preserve knowledge, Mal. 2.7. he had knowledge enough to resist the sinne; the ser∣vant that knowes his masters will and doth it not, is worthie of many stripes, Mat. 12. When a Prince doth against Iustice who should maintaine Iustice, there is a speciall repugnancie betwixt his act and his calling: So when Aaron to whom was concredit the puritie of Gods worship, committed Idolatrie, then there was a speciall repugnancie betwixt him and his profession: how scandalous then was Aarons fall to the whole peo∣ple, In exemplum culpa vehementer extenditur, quando pro reverentia peccator honoratur, The fault is much agra∣vated by the example, when the sinner is much re∣spected and honored.* 1.77

Againe, consider the greatnesse of Aarons sinne by the greatnesse of the sacrifice of the High Priest. Moses, Lev. 4. distinguishes sinnes according to the difference of persons, if a common man sinned, hee was to bring for one oblation a Kid of the goates, a female without blemish, ver. 28. but if a Prince of the people sinned he shall bring a Kid of the goates; a male without ble∣mish, ver. 23. and if the whole congregation sinned, then they shall bring a young bullocke for their sinne, ver. 14. and if the Priest who was annoynted sinne, (that

is the high Priest, for none was annoynted after the first institution as the high Priest was but he alone) hee was to bring a young bullocke; here the sacrifice of the Priest, was as great as the sacrifice of the whole people. If the eye be evill, the whole body is full of darkenesse, Matth. 6.23. and such Priests such people.

* 1.78Aaron made the calfe, hence wee may learne, what infirmitie was in the legall ceremonies, that they could bring nothing to perfection, Heb. 9.9. And this we may see in the ingresse, progresse, and ending of the Priest∣hood: Aaron when the Priesthood was first instituted hee committed Idolatrie, and Vrias in the progresse of the Priesthood hee committs Idolatrie; And Caja∣phas about the ending of the priesthood, hee con∣demnes the Lord Iesus: therefore Iesus Christ is our onely High Priest that must expiate our sinnes.

Secondly, consider whereof this Idoll was made; the people brought their Iewells and earings to Aaron, Exod. 32.3. and of these the Idoll was made. Idolaters are very profuse in the bestowing upon their Idoles all sort of cost,* 1.79 Ier. 10.9. they brought the most pretious gold from Vphaz or Ophir to make their images of; so from Tarshis they brought their most excellent silver, they spared noe cost. Nabuchadnezzer set up an Imag of gold, Da. 3.1. whose hight was threescore cubits, and the breadth therof sixe cubits; And that is it which the Lord layes to the charge of the whorish Church Israel, Ezech. 16.34. other whoores take gifts; but thou givest gifts.

* 1.80In the Church of Israel there were three ages, the golden age, the silver age, and the iron age.

The golden age they make to be that time when Da∣vid gathered all materialles for the building of the temple, and when Salomon built it. The silver age they hold begunne in Iohash his tyme, 2 King. 12. when he

repaired the temple, howbeit there was not made for the house of the Lord boules of silver, Snuffers, Bas∣sens, Trumpets, or vesselles of gold, or vesselles of sil∣ver, that was brought into the house of the Lord; this was but a silver age in respect of the former golden age, and now they had but shieldes of brasse in the temple, whereas in the first age they had shields of gold, 1 King. 14.27. The third age was the yron age, when they stole out of the house of God the sieling & sieled their own houses with it, Ier. 22.14. so when they dwelt in houses of Cedar, but the Lords house lay wast, Hagg. 1.4. and when they robbed him of his tithes, Mal. 3.8. wee live now under this yron age; If any man bestow any cost now for the maintenance of the worship of God misers cry out with Iudas Marke 14.4. what needes this wast, and they thinke it like bread cast upon the waters, Eccles. 11.1. But the Lord meetes with those who robs his Church, for when they have sowne much they find but little encrease, because they defraud him. Rabbi Al∣sack writing upon Malachi, telles us of a certaine man who had a peece of ground which brought forth yeare∣ly a thousand measures of graine, and when the time of paying his tythe to the Priests came, he payed but nintie bushels where he ought to have payed a hundred. The next yeare his increase was not so great, wherefore hee withdrew so much from the Priests: at last his increase came but to an hundreth, which was the first tenth that he was bound to pay the Priests: an old man by chance meeting with him, said unto him, that he was glad of the late dignity that was befallen to his house, how that God had gotten the increase, and he became the Priest of his familie to get the tenths;* 1.81 at which words he was ashamed and repented him of his former sacriledge.

The greatnesse of this sinne of Idolatry which they committed heere may be considered by the worthines

of the person against whom it is committed, for as in bodily diseases, those are most hurtfull that doe an∣noy the originall of our life most, as the heart; so in sinnes, those are the greatest which are committed a∣gainst God the fountaine of life.

* 1.82Againe we may know the greatnesse of this sinne by the nature of the sinne it selfe: There are some sinnes that are carnall sinnes; and some spirituall, Ephes. 6.12. and these are greater then carnall sinnes; Idolatrie is a spirituall sinne, and adulterie is a carnall sinne; The spirit being delighted with Idolatrie is a greater sinne, then when the flesh is delighted with Adultery, and there is a greater aversion from God in Idolatry,* 1.83 then the conversion and adhaering to sinne in Adulterie. A∣gaine, where there is a greater motive to sinne, the sin is the lesse. But these carnall sinnes hath Concupiscence which drawes them away, and moves them to sinne; but in spirituall wickednesse there is no such concupi∣scence to draw men to sinne, their sinne resembles the sin of the devill more, who is not led with lust or concu∣piscence to sin: He that killes a man in passion, he sinnes not so fearefull, as hee who killes him in cold blood: therefore those sinnes must bee the greatest which men are not led to by Concupiscence.

Notwithstanding Aaron committed Idolatrie in setting up this calfe, yet the Lord spared him, & alwaies shew∣ed great tokens of his mercy to the tribe of Levi; as to Aaron, Deut. 9.29. to the posterity of Corah. Numb. 26.11. and to Abiathar, 1. King. 2.26. and so Iosias, when the Priests had committed Idolatrie in sacrificing in the high places, hee did not kill them, as hee did the Idola∣trous Priests, who were not called by the Lord, 1 King. 23.20. but onely commanded that they should eate of the unleavened bread amongst their brethren, 2 King. 23.9. which was injoyned to those that had any ble∣mish

in their bodie, and they were forbidden to eate the bread of their God, Levit. 21.17.

They worshipped the calfe. The oxe was a signe of plenty, where the oxe is wanting the cribbe is emptie, but much increase is by the strength of the oxe, Prov. 4.4. Ioseph who provided corne in the time of famine is called Gods oxe, Deut. 33.17.* 1.84 His glorie is like the firstling of a bullocke, because he provided for the Egyp∣tians, and for his fathers family in the time of famine; therefore it is said, that the Egyptians placed the simi∣litude of an oxe hard by Iosephes buriall place.* 1.85

It may be asked whether this Idol which was set up, was made in the forme of a calfe or an oxe? And the rea∣son of the doubt is, because somtimes this Idol is called an oxe, Ps. 106.20. And they changed their glorie into the similitude of an oxe that eateth grasse; And sometimes it is called a calfe, vers. 14. they made a calfe in Horeb.

Answ.* 1.86 This word gnegel vitulus with the He∣brewes signifies, either vitulum subrumum, that is, a sucking calfe, or it signifies vitulam tertiam, Ier. 48.34. when it is three yeares old, and then it is called indifferently, Shor, or gnegel bos, or vitulus; but when it is seven yeare old, then it is onely called Shor,* 1.87 and not gnegel, that is an oxe, and not a calfe, Iudg. 6.4.6.

Againe, it may be asked whether it was a cow, calfe or an oxe calfe, which they worshipped: The reason of the doubt, is because, Hos. 10.5. he calls them gnegloth in the feminine gender, which they worshipped in Dan and Bethel, and they were made after the forme of this calfe which they worshipped in the wildernesse?

Answ. David, Esal. 106.20. calls this calfe Shor, an oxe calfe which they worshipped, and the 70. con∣vertes it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifies an oxe calfe, and they plowed with oxen and not with kine: And whereas

Hos. 10.5. puts them in the feminine gender, calling them gnegloth, this was spoken per Ligragnon, per contemptum (as the Iewes speak) that is in contempt.* 1.88 So Tob. 1.5. this calfe is put in the feminine gender, sacrificantes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, sacrificing to the Cow; it should not be reade 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, seu potestati, for what power is in an Idoll. In contempt this calfe is called a cow calfe, and not an oxe; So Rom. 9.5. I have reserved to me, 7000. men who have not bowed their knee to Baal, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the feminine gender; and he understands, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 noting the infirmitie of the sexe. So Virgil in his 9. booke, when hee expro∣brates to the Trojans their cowardlinesse, he calls them not Phryges, but Phrygias. So Homer calls them not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to signifie how farre degenerate and effeminate they were.

* 1.89Thirdly, it may be asked whether they worshipped the head of the calfe here, or the whole calfe, and the reason of the doubt is, because S. Cyprian in his book, De bona conscientia sub finem: S. Ambrose Epist. 6. La∣ctantius, lib. 4.10. S. Augustine in Psal. 73. hold that it was not an oxe, but caput bubuli which they worship∣ped: But this seemes not to be probable, seeing the Scripture every where calles it a calfe; and hee resem∣bleth him to an oxe eating grasse, Psal. 106.20. The head of an oxe alone cannot eate grasse; and they re∣sembled an oxe as neare as they could.

This oxe which they worshipped in Egypt, was mar∣ked with strange spots; Bos (inquit) in Egypto numinis vice colitur, Apin vocant, insigne ei in dextro latere candicans macula, similis cornibus Lunae crescere incipientis, nodus sub lingua quem cantbarum appellant; There is an oxe in Egypt which is worshipped as a God, and they call him Apis, he hath upon his right side a white spot, which is like the hornes of the Moone when shee beginneth to grow, and he hath under his tongue a knot which they

call Cantharus;* 1.90 And S. Augustine holdes that the de∣vill (whereby this Idolatrie might be continued in E∣gypt) used this slight, Phantasiam talis tauri vaccae con∣cipienti ostendere, ut libido ejus attraheret quod in ejus fae∣tujam corporaliter appareret, that is, he presented before the Cow, when she was ingendering, and in her heat,* 1.91 a Bull marked after the same manner that the oxe of Egypt was; which markes the Cow apprehending in her phantasie, transmitted to the calfe, and by that meanes the calfe was marked after the same manner that the oxe was; and so the divill by his slight and cunning, continued this Idolatry in Egypt. But marke the foo∣lishnesse of these Idolaters; this oxe which they wor∣shipped, when hee grew old, they used to drowne him in some lake or poole, and then they lamented for his death in mourning apparel, knocking upon their breasts, and renting their cloathes; but when they had found annother marked after the same manner, then they re∣joyced exceedingly; this was great madnesse.* 1.92 One je∣sted at the gods of Egypt, when he saw them lament for their gods, Si dii sunt cur plangitis, si mortui cur ado∣ratis, if they be gods, what neede you to lament, if they be dead, why doe you worship them.* 1.93

This Idolatrous worship decreased, when Moses caused the calfe to be beaten to powder, and given to the people to drinke, Exod. 32.20. thus hee would let them see when this Idoll was turned to excrements; It was but a god of dung, Lev. 26.30. Deut. 29.17. and because these Idolls were but gods of dung, therefore the Lord commanded that Baals house should be turned into a privie, 2 King. 10.27. and so when the Levites consecrated their hands to kill their neighbours and brethren, Exod. 32.29. that were Idolaters, their hands were consecrated with the bloud of their brethren; as that day when they were ordained priestes, and the

bloud of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the thumbe of their right hand, Exod. 29.20. and this was as accepta∣ble a consecration to the Lord, as that day when they were consecrated priests unto him.

* 1.94The second increase of Idolatrie in the wildernes was, when God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the booke of the Prophets; O ye house of Israel, have ye offered unto me slaine beasts, and sacrifices, by the space of fortie yeares in the wilder∣nesse; yea yee tooke up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the starre of your god Rempham, figures which yee made to worship them.

* 1.95Here first wee are to enquire how the Israelites are charged by the Prophet Amos, Chap. 5. vers. 25. and by Stephen, Acts 7. that they worshipped the host of heaven in the wildernesse; when as the Lord never charged them with this sort of Idolatry in the bookes of Moses. Secondly, how they are said never to have sa∣crificed all the time that they were in the wildernesse, when as they sacrificed to the Lord in the wildernesse? Exo. 24.5. and Levit. 8.21. and 9.2. Thirdly, what these Idolls were which they worshipped and sacrificed to in the wildernesse?

As to the first, How can they be said by the Prophet, and by Stephen, to offer to the host of heaven, seeing the Lord blames them not for that; and we read no∣thing in the historie of Moses of it?

An. Rabbi Salomon reades it in the future tense, porta∣bitis, ye shall beare, as though the Lord were threatning a judgement against them for the time to come, but this is neither the meaning of the Prophet, nor of S. Stephen for they charged the Israelites with that Idolatry which they cōmitted whiles they were in the wildernes. Beza upon the 7. Act. holds that the Israelites committed not this Idolatrie while they were in the wildernesse; but

the Prophet blames them that they worshipped God, but hypocritically, and not sincerely in the wildernesse; and so David blames them, Psal. 95. and Psal. 106. and therefore the Lord gave them up after∣ward to this open Idolatrie, to worship the host of hea∣ven: But the Prophet Amos expresly saith, Amos 5.25. that they worshipped the host of heaven 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifies a particular wildernesse; the wildernesse of Arabian, where they wandered fortie yeares.

Object. But if it be said that there is no mention of this Idolatrie in the history of Exodus, neither are they charged with it as with other Idolatrie?

I answer, that the Scripture,* 1.96 sometimes sets downe in one place, that which is omitted in another: Example, it is set downe in Exodus how the Magitians were called who resisted Moses, and yet the Apostle calls them Iannes and Iambres, 2 Tim. 3.8. So the strife which was betwixt the devill and Michael about the body of Mo∣ses, the Apostle Iude sets it downe, ver. 9. So it is set not downe in the history of Genesis, that Ioseph when he was in prison, his feete were put into the stockes, and Iron entred into his soule, and yet David sets it downe, Psal. 105.18. So the Israelites worshipping of the Hoste of heaven in the wildernesse, although it be not mentio∣ned by Moses; yet it is set downe by Amos, and by Saint Stephen Act. 7. and many things are omitted in some places of Scriptures, which are clearely set downe in other places, which being conferred together makes up the full sense of the Scripture.

The second thing to be required here is,* 1.97 how it can be said that they sacrificed not 40 yeares in the wilder∣nesse, seeing they sacrificed at mount Sinai, Exod. 24.4.5. and Levit. 8.21 and 9.2.

Answ. The scripture when it speakes of numbers, sometimes expresseth the full number (after the manner

of men) although there be moe or lesse then is set down, as Iudg. 16.27. they were about 3000 on the roofe of the Temple. So Iohn 6.10. there sate downe about 5000 upon the grasse, and Act. 1.15. there was about 120 that is few, more or lesse. Secondly, although there be some wanting in the number, yet the Scripture expres∣seth the full number; and this is called rotundatio numeri, as Gen.* 1.98 35.26. these are the 12 children that were borne to Iacob in Padan Aram, that is almost 12 children, for Benjamin was not borne there, but in the way as they returned from Syria. So Gen. 42.13. we are the 12 sonnes of Iacob, that is almost 12 sonnes, for they thought Ioseph had bin dead then. So Iudg. 9.5. Abimeleth killed, the 70 brethren; they were not all killed, for Iothan escaped. So Numb. 14.34. ye shall carrie your iniquities 40 yeares in the wildernesse, that is, almost 40 yeares; for this judgement was pronounced against them the se∣cond yeare that they came out of Egypt: and 1 Cor. 15.5. Christ appeared to the 12, that is, almost to 12 for Iudas was hanged then. So 2 Sam. 5.5. David raig∣ned over Iudah 7 yeares and sixe monethes, and in Ieru∣salem 33 yeares, he raigned but 32 yeares and 6 months yet to make the number round, it is said that hee did raigne 33 yeares. Thirdly the Scripture sometimes sets downe the greater number and leaves out the lesser ob rotundationē numeri as Iudg. 20.46. all those that fel that day of Benjamin were 25 thousand, the whole number that fell were 25 thousand, and one hundred, but when the Scripture sums them up, it sets downe the greater number and leaves out the hundreth: so 2 Sam. 5.4. David raigned 40 yeares; he raigned 40 yeares and sixe moneths, but to make the number round, the 6 moneths are left out. Fourthly when the thing numbred comes farre short of the number, then the Scripture draweth it not that aed rotundationem numeri, but acknowledgeth

it in effect to be nothing, because it hath bin so seldome done: as ye sacrificed not unto me 40 yeares in the wil∣dernes, because they sacrificed so seldome unto him in the wildernes, therfore the Scripture saith, ye sacrificed not to me in the wildernes. Some reckons this time that they sacrificed not in the wildernesse, to be from the time that the spyes returned from the searching of the Land of Canaan; and all that time they sacrificed not: as Theodoret and Ribera upon Amos affirme.

The third thing to bee inquired here is this: what these Idols were which they worshipped in the wilder∣nesse Amos 5.26. But ye have borne the Tabernacle of your Moloch and Chium your images, the starre of your god which you made to your selves, ver. 27. Therefore I will cause you to goe into captivity beyond Damascus saith the Lord. But Acts 7.42. Yea ye tooke up the Tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them, and I will carry you beyond Babylon.

First it is to be considered, that the Lord gave them up to worship the Hoste of heaven. Secondly, what they worshipped. Thirdly, the punishment, they shall be carried beyond Babylon for their Idolatry.

First the Lord gave them up to worship the Hoste of heaven, that is, as they turned to the Idolatry of Egypt so the Lord turned to give them up to serve the Hoste of heaven.* 1.99

Ye have borne the Tabernacle of your Moloch, or Regis vestri, of your King. The Israelites at this time had no earthly King, but by King here is meant the sunne which those in the East called Bagnal and in the Syriack Begnel and Beel Bel their Lord,* 1.100 and their Melech King or Molech, and Amos saith Regis vestri. Luke reades it Moloch and Succoth he turnes it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Taberna∣culum, because they carried their Gods about with them in a tent or Tabernacle. Succoth is Tabernaculum,

and Succoth was the proper name of the Idoll, these he calls imagines vestras, figures which ye made to wor∣ship them, because they carried about with them in a Tabernacle their Succoth or Moloch the image of the heaven in the which the Sunne or Moloch (that great King over all the starres, and having dominion over all sublunary things) was placed in his Tabernacle. The Lord hath set a Tabernacle for the sunne in the heavens Psal. 19.4. So they carried Moloch the sunne in a Taber∣nacle.

For Chiun Saint Luke reades it the starre of your god Remphan, all grant Remphan to be put for Chiun or Che∣van, but what this Remphan was here is the doubt; Lodo∣vicus de deiu shewes us learnedly out of Acts the 7 that this Cheven was Saturnus, where hee reckons up the names of the planets ex lexico Arabico, this Saturnus was Moloch also, therefore they sacrificed men both to Saturne and to Moloch, and therefore Moloch and Chiun Saturnus are fitly joyned together by Amos. And next he shewes why Saturnus is called Chiun, from Cunstabi∣lire, disponere, and Keina quae a Syris, natura dicitur quae vivificat omnia which is called by the Syrians, nature it selfe that quickneth all things. Then he addes Remphan or Rephan, which in the Egyptian tongue signifieth that which we cal Saturne, and this (he saith) Claudius Salma∣tius did first cleare unto him that in the Egyptian tongue 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth Saturne, and for proofe of this he brought forth the Egyptiacke Alphabet sent from Rome to him, where the Planets are set downe after this manner, the first is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sol, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Luna, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Saturnus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Iupiter, & sic de caete∣ris. The seventy when they Translated the Bible into Greeke, they made choise of a knowne word to the Egyptians, Rephan in place of Chiun, a word which was not knowne to them, he addes the starre of your god, stella Saturni, idest, Saturnus as Fluvius Euphratis, id est, Euphrates.

Stephen. addes figures which they made to themselves; the Lord made them not, but they made them to them∣selves.

God was onely the God of Iacob, and he chooseth Israel onely for his inheritance, but so soone as they choosed gods to themselves, and set up the golden Calfe to worship it, Exod. 32.9. He will be their God no more. Then he said to Moses, thy people have corrupted themselves, they are no more my people, neither will I be their God any more.

Their punishment followeth, Amos 5.27. There∣fore I will cause you to goe into captivity beyond Damascus, and Stephan. addes beyond Babylon, for here he is spea∣king of the tenne Tribes, which were carried captive by Salmanazar beyond Babylon into Media, and the reason which mooved Amos to say beyond Damascus, was because Hasael the King of Damascus had plagued Israel, or the tenne tribes fearefully, many of them hee killed, many of them he carried captives away to Syria, and yet the stiffe necked people were never a whit the better, and therefore he threatens that shortly after they shall be carried a great way beyond Damascus, e∣ven to Babylon when they were transported to Media and Armenia: and so Saint Stephen expressed that cleare∣ly which the Prophet aimed at.

The third increase of Idolatry in the wildernesse was,* 1.101 when Balaam perswaded Balack to take the daughters of the Madianites, and set them before the Israelites: first they committed whoredome with them; And then they committed a trespasse against the Lord in the matter of Peor, Num. 31.16. 2 Pet. 5.15. He cast a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel to eate and to sacrifice, Rev. 2.14. Psal. 106.28.

The Israelites beholding the Madianitish women with their adulterous eyes, they committed fornication with

them: The eyes have beene well resembled to the moone; and the heart to the sunne: and as in an ecclipse when the moone is interposed betwixt our sight and the sunne; then there is an ecclipse in the sunne: So when the Adulterous eye is interposed betwixt the heart and us, that makes the ecclipse of the heart.

Secondly, they stumbled in eating these things which were sacrificed to Baal Peor.

Heere we may learne how easie a thing it is for men to fall from bodily whoredome to spirituall, and what great affinity is betwixt these two,* 1.102 the breaking of the seventh Commandement by bodily adultery, and the second, by spirituall adultery. When a man commits sin (saith Saint Gregory) he breakes all the commands, Iam. 2.10. But there is some more affinitie betwixt the breach of some commands then of others: And he illustrates the matter by this comparison; As he who playes upon a Lute; when he touches one of the strings, all the rest tremble, but that string onely which is upon the same note gives the sound with the string which is touched: So every sinne touches as it were all the com∣mandements, and makes them to tremble, but these who stand upon the same concord, sinne toucheth them most, and men fall easily from Idolatry to whoredome, and from whoredome to Idolatry, Romans 1.24. because Idolaters changed the glory of God into corruptible things; Therefore the Lord gave them up to uncleannesse, and to the lusts of their owne heart, and to defile their bodies: here bodily whoredome is the punishment of Idolatry, which is spiritual whoredome. Great is the affinity betwixt these two sorts of whoredomes; and therefore it is, that Antichrists seate, Rev. 11.8. is called spirituall Sodome: and because of the resemblance betwixt these two sins Ezechiel compared Idolaters of Israel, Ezeh. 23.2.3.5.

to a woman inflamed with love to a godly young man, on whom she had cast her eyes, and fixed her affections upon, and forgetting all modesty sendeth messengers for him. ver. 16. and bringeth him unto her, ver. 17. into the bed of Love, ver. 18. And abstinence from Idolatry is called virginity, Rev. 14.4. and not defiling themselves with women.

The Lord by the Prophet Micah willes the people to remember, Mic. 6.5. what Balack the king of Moab consulted against them, and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shitim to Gilgall, that they might know the righteousnes of the Lord: The meaning of the place is, that Baalam endeavoured by all meanes (when the people of God were travelling through the wildernesse) to corrupt them; therefore he strove first to corrupt them, and he prevailed with them at Shit∣tim, when they committed whoredome with the daughters of Moab, Num. 25.1. and there the Lord plagued them for their offence, & then they repented & wept bitterly for their offence at Abel Shittim (Abell is called mourning) & then they came to Gilgal where the Lord renewed the covenant with them, & last to Canaan

This pilgrimage of theirs through the wildernesse is a lively type of a poore Christians pilgrimage through the world, first hee is baptized;* 1.103 then hee is at the red sea with the Israelites, 1 Cor. 10. They were baptized in the red sea; then through the tentations of the devill he falles, and is whipt, and chastised for his offences; then hee is in Shittim with the Israelites. Thirdly hee laments and weepes for his offences, and then hee is in Abell Shittim a place of mourning with the Israelites. Fourthly, hee renues the covenant with God, and then he is in Gilgall with the Israelites: and at the last he is brought to heaven, and then hee is in Ca∣naan with the Israelites.

* 1.104When the Lord commanded the Israelites to re∣venge themselves on the Madianites, Num. 30.2.3. and they slew all the males and the Kings of Midian, and Baalam, also the sonne of Peor slew they with the sword vers. 8. and they killed all the males amongst the litle ones, and all the women that had knowne a man; and thus the Idolatrie of worshiping of Baal Peor decreased amongst the people.* 1.105

The fourth increase of Idolatrie in the wildernesse was when the devill would have set up the bodie of Moses to have beene worshipped, Iude 9. Some hold that this strife which was betwixt Michael and the de∣vill about the bodie of Moses was about the ceremoni∣all law,* 1.106 which they call Moses his bodie; But that place, Deut. 34.4.6. shewes that the strife was about Moses naturall bodie, for Moses the servant of the Lord died in the land of the Moabites, according to the appoint∣ment of the Lord, & he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, in a place where no man knowes unto this day.

After that Moses died, before he was buried, the de∣vill would have taken his body and made an Idoll of it, But Michael resisted him, and would not suffer his body to be made an Idoll. [Doctrine.] * 1.107

Great hath beene the strife alwaies about religion: the first strife that ever was in the world was about re∣ligion, as betwixt Cain and Abel, Gen. 4. so betwixt Ierubbaal and the men of Sechem for casting downe Ba∣als altar, Iud. 6.28. and betwixt Michael and the devill, for the worshiping of Moses his body: so betwixt Christ and the devill about Gods worship, Mat. 4. So betwixt the image of the beast which was wounded by the sword, by revived againe, and the saints who would not take the marke of the beast neither in their hand, nor in their forehead, Rev. 13. This strife about reli∣gion will set the fathers against the children, and the

children against the parents.

Satan would have set up Moses his body to have made an Idoll of it.* 1.108 The bodies of the saints may bee made Idoles both when they are dead as heere of the body of Moses, & when they are alive, as when Cornelius fell downe at Peters feete and worshipped him, Peter re∣fused that worship, Act. 10.26, 27. and said, stand up, for I my selfe am a man, Peter refused this worship, be∣cause it was divine worship or inclining too farre to it: So when the Priests would have sacrificed to the Apo∣stles, Act. 14. they rent their cloathes, and ran in amongst the people, crying, and saying, why doe ye these things? we are men of like passions with you, preaching to you, that yee should turne from these vanities. They would have made the Apostles to bee in the number of these Idoll vanities, when they would have given him divine wor∣ship.* 1.109

Againe yee may observe heere how Satan goes from one extremitie to another; when Moses was alive, how often moved he the people to have stoned him: but now when he is dead, hee would have him to make an Idoll of his body, so the Iewes in die Palmarum, did sing, Ho∣sanna to Christ; and the next day they cried Crucifi∣ge. So when the viper lept on Pauls hand, they said he was a murtherer; but when he shooke it off, and it hurt him not, they said he was a God, and those are unstable in all their waies, Iam. 1.8.

He would have set up Moses his body to have beene worshipped, if the Lord had suffered this body to have remained in the Church, how would the devill after∣ward have made up a ground for the continuance of I∣dolatrie in the Church? then hee would have said, If all sort of worship be denied to the bodies of the saints, why would the Lord have suffered the body of Moses the man of God, to stand this way in the Church as a

stocke without all honour to be given to it? would hee not rather have throwne it downe, as hee did the Idoll Dagon? The Lord forbad onely this divine worship to be given to the heathen gods, as to Iupiter, Mars, Ve∣nus: But it was never his minde that the divine worship should not bee given to the bodies of the saints depar∣ted; and if Moses himselfe were redivivus, hee would explaine himselfe in this point, that it was forbidden onely to give this worship to heathen Idoles, but not to saints, which is forbidden in the Law; for hee com∣municating so many dignities with the saints, would not refuse to communicate with them a part of his honour.

Michael resisted the devill, and would not suffer him to take the bodie of Moses and make an Idoll thereof: The Apostle Iude 5. borrows from the Apocripha book called,* 1.110 Pethirath moshe dimissio mosis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; This strife which was betwixt Michael and the devill about the body of Moses.

* 1.111Quest. What duties are wee bound to performe to the bodies of the Saints when they are dead?

Answ. We are to use them with comlinesse, Acts 9.37. they washed the bodie of Dorcas, and layed her in an upper chamber; and to wrap them in linnen, as Christs bodie was; and to bury them in an honest bu∣riall place: we ought to esteeme reverendly of their bo∣dies, because they are the members of Christs mysti∣call bodie, and they waite for the blessed resurection: and to suffer them to rest in peace in their graves, 2 Kin. 22.20. But we are never to worship them or their reliques; if we follow the example of Michael, who would not suffer Moses his body to bee worship∣ped.* 1.112

The decrease of this Idolatry was, when Michaell buried the body of Moses where no man knew.

Great is the care which the Lord hath over his chil∣dren

in their infancie, in their old age, in their death, and after they are dead; and as the eyes of the Lord was upon Canaan from the beginning of the yeare to the end, Deut. 11.12. so are the eyes of the Lord upon his children from their infancie, to their old age, from their old age to their death, and after they are dead; and first from their infancie to their old age, Esay 46.3. Heare O house of Iacob, and the remnant of the house of Is∣rael, which are borne by me from the wombe; and brought up with me from the birth, therefore untill thy old age, I the same, even I, will carrie you to your hoarie heades; the Prophet points at these two times of our life especially; because these two periods are most weake in all our life; our infancie, and decrepit age; then the death of his Saints is precious in the fight of the Lord, Psal. 116.18. and then after they are dead, the Lord hath a singular care of them: What a care had the Lord of Moses in his birth when hee was cast out to be drow∣ned? The Lord preserved him and drew him out of many waters: therefore he was called Moshe from Ma∣sha, extrahere; and David alludes to this, Psal. 18.16. Thou hast drawne me out of many waters: Hence the Poets from this faine, that some were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, borne in the waters because Moses was drawne out of the wa∣ters; and in his death the Lord shewes his singular love to* 1.113 him; and here after he is dead, the Lord suffers not his body to be made an Idoll of: Good King Iosias when hee was killed in the battell, a man might have thought that the Lord had little respect unto him, who made him fall before his enemies: but see what respect the Lord carried unto him, when he saith, Thou shalt be gathered in peace to thy fathers, 2 King. 22.20. Who would have thought that the Lord had such a care of him; and yet his soule was bound up in the bundell of life, and he was gathered in peace to his fathers; So he

had a great care of the body of Iacob; he promised to goe downe to Egypt with him, and to bring him backe again, Gen. 46.4. But how is it said that he brought him backe againe then, seeing he died in Egypt? The Lord attended his very corpes, when he brought it backe, and saw it buried in Machpelah, in the place which A∣braham, bought for a buriall place, Gen. 50.13.

The Lord buried Moses his body. It is most proba∣ble which Iosephus holds, that Ioshua, Eleazar, and some of the elders of Israel, went up with Moses to the mount Nebo; but after his death; that the Angells carried his body to the valley of Moab, and then it was buried where no man knoweth.

The Angels buried Moses his bodie: The Angels are ministring spirits to the godly in this life, and at their death they carrie their soules to heaven, but they carry not their bodies to the grave. This was a singular favour showne to Moses, that the Lord buried him by the ministrie of Angels: They attended Christs grave; but yet they buried him not as they did the body of Moses.

Not to be buried is a great judgement, Eccles. 6.3. An untimely birth is better, than he that gets no buriall. It was a great judgement upon Iehojakim, Ier. 22.18. who got insepultam sepulturam, and no man lamented his death, saying, Ah my brother, ah my sister, or ah my Lord, ah my glorie. vers. 18. The Iewes pray to deliver them from foure things, first, from the circumcision of the Seche∣mites, Gen. 34.26. Secondly from the Religion of the Samaritans. Thirdly from the death of the uncircum∣cised, Ezech. 28.10. And fourthly, from the buriall of Iehojakim; that they get not the buriall of an asse, Ierem. 22.19.

Moses his buriall was the most honourable buriall that ever was; it was more honourable than their bu∣riall,

who got the burning of their fathers, 2 Chro. 21.19. 1 Chro. 16.14. And more honourable than the burial of Gamaliel, for whom Onkelos burnt an hundreth pound of frankincense, for the honour of the dead.: It was a more honourable buriall, than the buriall of those who were buried in the garden of their fathers buriall, 2 Kin. 21.18. It was more honourable, then these who were buried in the citie of David. But consider the attendants who attended his buriall: Abner his buriall was an ho∣nourable buriall, when all the people mourned for him, and the King himselfe followed the hearse, and wept, 2 Sam. 3.31. But here the Angels waited upon his buri∣all, and God himselfe attended the hearse to the buri∣all, and was the chiefe mourner there: When a private man died, lamentation was made but seven dayes for him, Syrac. 22.13. but they lamented for Moses thirtie dayes; and they cryed out, ah our brother, ah our Lord; ah our glorie, Ier. 22.18. thus God honoureth them who honour him.

He buried him in a place where no man knew,* 1.114 yet Mo∣ses was present with Christ at the transfiguration, Mat. 17.3. So these who are buried in the sea, blowne in the aire, and burnt to ashes, and no man knoweth what is become of their bodies; yet they shall appeare before the Lord in the day of the resurrection.

Michael buried the body of Moses: What if the Church of Rome had the body of Moses now, and knew it to be his body, would they burie it or not? Whether would they stand for Michael or the devill? They might say that it was a fit thing to burie it at that time, because the people was an ignorant people then, and Satan was ready to move them to Idolatrie: But now seeing they would give no worship to it but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they might safe∣ly set it up to be worshipped.

In the time of Ioshua Idolatrie did not so increase; the

elders who out lived Ioshua, and who were in age, when they came out of Egypt, and remembred what the Lord had done for Israel; the iniquitie of Baalpeor did not cleave unto them, but the rest were not cleansed from the iniquitie of Baalpeor, Iosh. 22.17. Is the iniqui∣tie of Baalpeor to little for us from which we are not clean∣sed unto this day: they committed no new Idolatrie, but the filthinesse of Baalpeor clave unto them, because they repented not of that iniquitie. In every sinne there are foure things to be considered; first, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, the transgression of the Law: secondly, reatus, the guilt which obligeth the partie who sinneth to undergoe the punishment. Thirdly, macula, the blot which defileth the soule; and lastly, the punishment it selfe.

The first is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the transgression of the Law; and the consequents of the transgression are the guilt, the blot, and the punishment.

The guilt of sinne bindes a man to answer for the transgression of the Law, and it stands in the middest betwixt the sinne and the punishment, and goeth imme∣diately before the punishment, and it is more terrible than the punishment:* 1.115 Therefore Dionysius said well, non est malum puniri, sed fieri poena dignum, that is, it is not evill to be punished, but to deserve punishment; yet wretched sinners are affraid of the punishment, but not of the guilt; but the martyres of God chose rather to indure the greatest torments, then to incurre the guilt of sinne. If we would escape the punishment, we must first looke that the guilt be removed. Manie thinke when the sinne is past and forgotten in their mindes, then there is no more punishment to follow, but if the guilt lie still unpardoned, the sinne remaineth still: Iosephs brethrens sinne lay over twenty yeares, and this sinne which they committed at Baalpeor lay over a long time unrepented of, but as long as the guilt remained, so

long were they subject to punishment; the punishment alwaies followeth the guilt, as the shadow doth the bo∣dy. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 11. faith ye shal be guiltie of the bo∣dy and bloud of Christ; that is, of the punishment which he deserveth, who abuseth the body & bloud of our Lord.

The third thing considerable in sinne is the blot or staine of sinne in the soule. This staine blots the soule, as Inke cast upon a Laune cloath defileth it; and even as in bodily things, spots taketh away that nitor and brightnesse which is in the body, so doth sinne deprive the soule of grace, and makes it deformed; Saul was as comely and proper a man as was in all Israel and he was Tobh bonus id est pulcher,* 1.116 2 Sam. 9.2. Yet this blot of sinne so defiled him, that he was no more the sonne of Kish the Benjamite,* 1.117 but the sonne of Kush the Blacke-more or Ethiopian, Psal. 7. in the inscription.

The Lord that he may take away this guilt, and this blot, he opened a fountaine in the house of David, for sinne and uncleannesse, Zach. 13.1. for sinne, to take away the guilt, and for uncleannesse to take away the blot, Christ was not onely 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the price of our redemption, Math. 20.28. but also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Laver of regeneration to wash away these spots Ephes. 5.26. Tit. 3.5. He came not by blood onely nor by water onely, but both by blood and water; by blood, for our justification, and by wa∣ter for our sanctification; He that is washed (saith Christ) hath no neede but that his feete be washed, that is, he who is washed in the blood of Christ, hath no neede to bee washed over againe, but yet he hath neede that his feete be washen, ••hat is, the remnants of sinne which cleaves dayly unto us, hath neede to be washed away by the water of sanctification; and here he alludes to the cu∣stome of those who went into a bath to bee washed, when their bodies were washed the filth ranne downe to their feete, and they were last washed.

The fourth is the punishment which is dew for the transgression of the Law:* 1.118 every sinner violates an order set downe; and therefore is justly punished by him whose ordinance he breakes. The will of man is subject to three superiors.* 1.119 First it is subject to reason. Secondly, it is subject to the magistrate, and lastly and above all to God: Therfore man is justly punished by al those three: and first he is punished by the sting of conscience, be∣cause he transgressed against reason: Secondly, he is pu∣nished by the magistrate, because he disobeyed him; and thirdly by God himselfe, in tormenting him in the hels; Nam quaecun que res aberratab uno ordine impel∣litur in alterum, ut quod aberrat ab ordine misericordiae re∣ponitur in ordine justitiae: unde non minus ordinate colloca∣tur damnatus in inferno quam beatus in paradiso: i. e. that which declines from one order is brought into ano∣ther, as that which declines from mercy is reduced to justice, and therefore the damned are as justly placed in the hels, as the blessed in the heavens.

The Israelites in Ioshua his time were guilty of the sin which their fathers committed with Baal Peor; because they did not begge pardon for it: therefore the Saints pray Ps. 97.8. Remēber not against us the faults of our pre∣decessors, that is, which we have allowed and not repen∣ted of, being taught by the example of our predecessors

* 1.120When they forgat the great workes of the Lord, they served Baalim and the groves, Iudg. 3.7.

All their Idols were called Baalim and it was nomen transcendens amongst them; and sometimes it was con∣tracted into Bel,* 1.121 Esay 46.1. and for distinction sake some of the particular idols were called Baal Peor; some Baal berith; and some Baal zebub.

Baal signifieth him who hath power and dominion over one. Man was made a free creature, onely to serve the Lord; and for him to become a slave to an Idoll

what a base subjection was this?

This word Baal so displeased the Lord, that hee refused to be called any more Baal, but Ishi.* 1.122 Hos. 2.16. 17. The first was nomen dominii; the second famili∣aritatis: Names that are degenerate,* 1.123 men will not be content to be called by them: Magus was a good name at the first, but now it is degenerate, and no man will be content to be called a magitian. So Idiota at the first signified a private man, 1 Cor. 14.23. If there come in the unlearned. In the greeke it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Idiots, but now this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is degenerate, and taken for a foole; and no man will be content to be called an Idiot: The Christians at the first were called Nazarets Acts 24.5. but because this name did degenerate into a sect there∣fore it was changed, and they were called Christians Act. 11.26.

So words that were exoleta and out of use,* 1.124 may now be used, being come in use againe: there was no name more hated of old, then to be called wise, Rom. 1.22. Professing themselves to be wise: The most ex∣cellent men of old, would not be called wise men, but Philosophers Lovers of wisedome, they shunned that name of wisdome, they took not that title to themselves nor would be content that others should give them it: but now it is come in use; So this word mysterium, was at the first a heathenish word, used in their heathenish worship; But now the Lord hath sanctified it, and it is come in use.

This word Baal was so degenerate, that God would not be called after it any more,* 1.125 and as God would not be called by this name Baal; So he charges his Church not to take the name of their heathenish gods in her mouth, Exod. 23.13. Psa. 16.4. I will not take their names in my mouth; To take their names in her mouth signifieth the naming and retaining of their names, as they condu∣ced

any way to the upholding of their superstition: even as on the contrary by Putting of the true Gods name unto a place, Deut. 12.5. signifieth, the placing of his religion and ordinances there; and his name is said to be forgotten, when false worship is set up, Psal. 44.20.

* 1.126To name the names of Idols for civill use, and distin∣ction; but not for religion; that was a thing lawfull, and not forbidden; as Daniel named often the name of Baal∣thasar, although he had his name from Baal: So Nabu∣chadnezzer although he had his name from Nebo that Idoll, Esay 46.1. and Paul himselfe named Areopagus, Mars streete, Acts 17.19. for distinction sake in a civill use; as he sailed in a ship, which had the badge of Castor & Pollux, Act. 28.11. when Rabsekah called God Iehovah. Esay 36.7. he honoured not God: So they dishonored not God when they used these names for a civill distin∣ction.

* 1.127Ob. But the tribe of Reuben changed those Idolatrous names of Nebo and Baal meon, Num. 32.38. why did they not retaine those names, and keepe them for a ci∣vill use and distinction.

Answ. This they did, because now they had made a new conquest of the Land, and the ancient inhabi∣tants were to be cast out of it: they gave these names now as if it had never beene possessed before. It is not unlawfull to call a man Balthasar for distinction sake; but if a man were to baptize his child, and should call him Balthasar, that were to Initiate him to Baal, and to use this name not in a civill use, but in a religious: And thus he should honour Baal.

* 1.128The Lord would not be named by the Idoll Baal: He would not communicate with Idolls in any thing. First in the name, as he refused to be called Baal. Secondly, he would not be worshipped in the same

place with the Idoll: therefore when Dagon was set up beside the Arke, he threw it downe and brake the necke of it. Thirdly, he will not be worshipped with the same sacrifice 1 Cor. 10.21. Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils. When the whore would intice the young ma•• to commit folly with her, Prov. 7.14. she saies I have peace offerings with me, and this day have I payed my vowes: In the peace offerings; God got a part, the Priest got a part, and the offe∣rer got a part, and to this part of the offering which belonged to her she invites this foo••e; the whore and the whoremonger, shall they have a part of Gods peace offerings? the Lord will not have a share in such a sacrifice: So the Lord will not have a share in a sacrifice where this spirituall adultery is committed. Fourthly he will not be served with the same Priests: The Lord would never accept of the Levites (that went backe from the Lord, when Israel went astray after their Idols) to slay the burnt offerings, and sacrifice for the people: but onely to keepe the gates of his house, and minister in these base offices, Ezech. 44.10. And as Ioshua, when he fought against the Cana∣nites, Iosh. 11.6. tooke their horses, and did hough them, that they might not serve the enemie for warre any more, yet they might serve for baser uses, as to car∣ry loades. So the Lord would not have those Priests who had dishonoured him in serving Idolls, to serve at his altar any more but to serve in base offices, as to keep the gates in the house of God.

So they served the Groves, Iudges 3.7. they are called there Ashera; because they thought themselves happie,* 1.129 when they worshipped their Idols there: but the groves may bee called happie per 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because they were unhappie who worshipped there: So it is called Lucus, quod minime Luceat: So Iob 39.

Struthio camelus is called Chasida, per antiphrasin, be∣cause she hatches not her egges as other foules doe, but leave them in the sand.

It is said they served the groves; that is, their Idoles in the groves: There was a tree also amongst the midest of the trees of the grove which they worshipped, Isa. 66.17. they that sanctifie and purifie themselves in the garden behind one tree in the midst. This tree in the midst they worshipped, as they did the other Idoles; and they esteemed it as the tree of knowledg of good and evill that was in the midst of the garden.

They planted groves for their Idoles. These Idola∣ters alleadged Abrahams example; Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and worshiped there, Gen. 21.33. So when they would sacrifice their children to Molech, they alledged the example of Abraham,* 1.130 who would have offered his sonne Isaake to the Lord: So when Ie∣roboam set up his Idoll at Bethel, he alledged the exam∣ple of Iacob, who worshiped in Bethel: So when the Pro∣phet rebuked the prophane musicke of the Iewes, Amos 6.5. they alledged the example of David, why might not they play on instruments as well as David. These vile Idolaters did still pretend the example of the saints of God, and laboured to shelter themselves under them.

They planted groves that they might worship their Idoles there, Deut. 16.21. Iudg. 6.25. The Rabbines tell us in Zonorenna, that Salomones throne of Ivorie, was gilded,* 1.131 and had sixe steppes, by the which hee as∣cended into it, as we see 1 King. 10.9. And when the King stood in the lowest steppe, the Herauld cried unto him; Iudicium ne inclinato, wrest not iudgement: when hee stood upon the second steppe, hee cryed unto him, accept not persons in Iudgement: when hee stood upon the third step, he cryed unto him, take no gifts: when hee ascended to the fourth steppe, hee said unto him,

Noli plantare Lucum, plant no groves for Idols: and when he stood upon the fift steppe he cryed unto him, Noli erigere statuam, erect not any piller to an Idoll: and when hee stood upon the highest steppe, hee said unto him, noli mactare bovem, that is, take not the priests part upon thee, to offer sacrifice. And so the King was admonished heere both to have a care of Iustice and Religion, and these may be fitly called admonitio∣nes graduum; as they were called Psalmes of degrees, which the Priests sang when they ascended by staires into the Temple.

The decrease of this Idolatry; the children of Israel cryed to the Lord;* 1.132 then the spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel, and he delivered them, Judg. 3.10. So the spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, Iudg. 6.34. so 2 Chro. 24. the spirit of the Lord came upon Zachariah, and we say indifferently either he put on the spirit, Act. 1.8. or the spirit came upon him. So hee put on Iustice, or the spirit of Iustice came upon him. This spirit which came upon him was the spirit of Iudgement, and the spirit of strength; the spirit of Iudgement, Iudge the people a∣right, and the spirit of strength, to defend them; Be∣cause those Iudges were but extraordinarie, and for a time, therefore the Lord sent his spirit upon them in a singular manner, for the deliverance of his people.

The spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel.* 1.133 There are foure illapses of the spirit noted in the scripture which hath fallen upon men. The first is illapsus spiritus robo∣ris, the illaps of the spirit of strength; So the spirit came upon the Iudges, and upon Amasa, Davids chiefe captaine, 1 Chro. 12.18. The second is illapsus spiritus regiminis, illaps of the spirit of governement which came upon Saul and David when they became to be Kings, 1 Sam. 16.13. The third illapse is spiritus illu∣minationis, of the spirit of illumination, as the spirit of

the Lord came upon Baalam, when his eyes were shut, were opened, Num. 24.3. And the fourth is illapsus spiritus sanctificationis & illuminationis, the illapse of sanctification and illumination, as when the spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah the sonne of Iehoiada the priest, when he said unto the people, Why transgresse ye the commandement of the Lord, 2 Chro. 24.20.

When the spirit came upon them then they were said to be cloathed with the spirit, 1 Chron. 12.18. The spirit of the Lord cloathed Amasai; so Christ bids his Disciples stay at Ierusalem, donec induamini virtute ex alto, Luke 24.49. Tarry yee at Ierusalem till ye bee indued with power from on high, or untill ye bee cloathed from on high.

* 1.134The second increase of Idolatry under the Iudges was, Iudg. 3.12. And the children Israel committed evill againe in the sight of the Lord. It is not specified in particular, what Idolatrie they committed at this time; but onely it is sayd, that they committed evill, which is meant of Idolatrie; for in a speciall manner it is called evill: So Ieroboam caused Israel to sinne; that is, to commit Idolatry.

The decrease of this Idolatrie, Iud. 3.15. then they cryed to the Lord,* 1.135 and the Lord sent Ehud a man left handed to deliver them: In the originall it is Ittar Iad,* 1.136 shut of the right hand, It is not well translated Am∣bidexter, a man who could use both the hands; he was not like those who could hurle stones both with the right hand and with the left, 1 Chron. 12.2. he had the use of the left hand onely, but he was lame in his right hand, or his right hand was shut together, and hee only used his left hand, the strok whereof is most dangerous.

God in delivering of his owne chooseth often times weake meanes, that his glory may appeare the more, as heere: when Gideon was to fight against the

Madianites he cashired two and twenty thousand, and then there remained ten thousand, and they were too many, therefore hee made onely choise of three hun∣dreth, and the Lord said I will trie them,* 1.137 Iud. 7.4. He∣braice, constabo eos, that is I will separate the drosse from the gold, that is the weake from the strong, and I will choose the drosse that al the glory may returne to me in the victorie; for the fewer there was in number, the greater was the Lords glory. So when hee delivered his Church by Gideon that barley cake: and when hee overthrew the enemie by Samgars oxe goad, Iudg. 3.31. & by Deborah a woman, when there was neither speare, nor shield seene in Israel, Iudg. 5.8. and when there was no smith in Israel to make sword or speare, yet they overthrew the Philistines, who were in number like the sand of the sea, 1. Sam. 13.5.

The third increase of Idolatrie was in Deborah her time, Iud. 5.8. when they chose new gods,* 1.138 that is strange gods: So new tongues are called strange tongues, Mar. 16.17. Acts 2.4. They may be called strange gods, which are not new gods, for the Idoles which their fathers worshipped cannot be called new gods, yet they were strange gods, what ever god they fained to themselves, that was a strange god.

The Iewes who worshipped Idoles were of three sorts.* 1.139 First, those who worshipped Iehovah the true God by the Idoles, Iudg. 17.13. Then said Micha, now know I that the Lord will doe me good, seeing I have a Levite to my Priest, so 2 King. 17.28. One of the Priests whom they carried out of Samaria, came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should feare the Lord; That is how to worship the calfe, whom they thought represented the Lord. So when they set up the calfe in the wildernes, they said, to morrow shall be afeast to the Lord, Exod. 32.5. they thought they worshipped the Lord by that calfe.

* 1.140The second sort of Idolaters amongst the Iewes, were those who worshipped strange gods, but not the gods of their fathers, Deut. 32.17. they sacrificed to new gods whom their fathers knew not.

* 1.141The third sort were those who willingly made choise of new gods; they were worse than those who choose new gods by the perswasion of others, as Amazia•• who tooke the gods of the King of Edom, and wor∣shipped them, after he had come from the killing of the Edomites, and carried away their gods, 2 Chron. 25.14. he did this freely, and of his owne choise; but Sa∣lomon when he fell to Idolatrie, he did it by the perswa∣sion of others, 1 King. 9.48. Chron. 25.4.

* 1.142Quest. Whether sinned they more who worshipped the true God Iehovah by false meanes, then those who worshipped the false gods by false meanes?

Ans. In one respect they sinned more, who worship∣ped the true. God by false meanes, because they had a greater knowledge of the true God, that made their sinne the greater; but in those againe who worshipped false gods by false meanes, there was a double sinne, first in respect of the object, because they worshipped a false god. Secondly, in respect of the meanes, because they chose false meanes to worship their God by.

Quest. If one man should sweare a falsehood by the true God, and another should sweare a truth by a false God, which of these two sinnes were the greater?

Answ. The sin of him who sweares a truth by the false god is greater than his sin, who sweares a falsehood by the true God; the reason is because Idolatrie is a greater sin than perjurie;* 1.143 Perjurie is but a sin against the third command, and Idolatry is a sin against the second com∣mandement which is greater than perjurie: He that sweares a falsehood by the true God denieth but the verity of God, but he that sweares the truth by false

gods, he doth wrong to the very essence of God; for he gives to a creature that which is true only to God. The Lord objects to his people, Ier. 5. that they sweare by false Gods, they that sweare by false gods professe that their Idols know all things, and cannot be deceived, which is onely proper to God: if we respect perjurie, it is a greater evill to sweare a falsehood by the true God, then to sweare a truth by the false gods; But I∣dolatrie is alwayes a greater sinne then perjury; there∣fore to sweare the truth by a false god, must be a great¦ter sin then to sweare a falsehood by the true God.* 1.144

The decrease of this Idolatry; When the children of Israel cried unto the Lord for the oppression of Iabin King of Canaan, the Lord sent Deborah and Baracke to deliver them, Iudg. 4.

The fourth increase of Idolatry under the Iudges,* 1.145 was when the children of Israel did evill in the sight of the Lord, Iudg. 6. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven yeares.

The decrease,* 1.146 ver. 7. And it came to passe when the children of Israel cryed unto the Lord, because of the Midi∣anites, that the Lord sent the Prophet Gideon to the chil∣dren of Israel to deliver them.

Gideon cast down Baals altar, and sets up an altar to the Lord, and calls it Iehovah Shalom, that is, the Lord send peace, Iudg. 7.••4. He would not suffer the altar of peace to stand with the alter of strife; no more than the Lord would suffer Dagon to stand with the arke of God, what communion hath light with darknesse; and what com∣munion hath the temple of God with Idols, 2 Cor. 6.14.

Gideon strove with the men of Sechem, and his fa∣thers house against Baal, and therefore he was called Ie∣rubbaal, and Ierubasheth, 2 Sam. 9.21. because hee put Baal to shame and disgrace.

When they fell from the Lord and worshipped Idols

at this time, they were sore oppressed by the Madia∣nites; then the Lord sendes Gideon to deliver them; Gideon desired a signe of the Lord to confirme him, when he was to goe against the Madianites.

* 1.147Quest. Was not this a tempting of the Lord to aske a signe of him so often.

An. God is tempted two maner of waies, by men; first, when they seeke not a signe directly of God, but when they mistrust his power, then they are said to tempt the Lord: he tempted him ten times in the wildernes, Num. 14.22. which Rabbi Salomon reckons up this way;* 1.148 first they tempted him at the red sea, Exo. 1••. Secondly, in Marah, Exo. 15. Thirdly, in the desert of Sin. Enod. 16. Fourthly, when they left Manna while the morrow, Exo. 16. Fiftly, when they sought Manna upon the se∣venth day, and found it not. Sixtly, at ••ap••dim, at the waters of contradiction, Nu. 21. Seventhly, at Herob, by the golden calfe, Exo. 32. Eightly, at Habara, Num. 11. Ninthly, at the graves of concupiscence. Tenthly, at Pharon, which the spies made when they went to spiē the land. Secondly, God is tempted when we desire of him a signe for curiositie, as doubting of his power, so the devill desired Christ to turne stones into bread,* 1.149 Matth. 4. And they of Nazaret would have had a signe of him, when they said; Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, doe also here in thy owne countrie, Luke 4.23. So the Pharisees and Saduces would have had a signe of him from heaven, Matth. 16.1. But Gideon who had a singular warrant from the Lord to aske a signe, tempted him not through doubting or curiositie; neither Zacharie when he said, whereby shall I know this, Luke 1.18. Neither Marie when shee said, how can this be, Luke 1.34. when the Angell gave her a signe of her conception, that shee should conceive: This (how) in Marie was admirantes, not dubitantes: In Zacharie it

was mixed with doubting, but it was not of infidelitie, as the doubting of the Pharisees and Saducees was.* 1.150

The first increase of Idolatrie was when the Seche∣mites tooke the Ephod which Gideon had made, and set it up for an Idoll in the house of Baal berith in Sechem, Iudg. 9.4. and 46.

Quest.* 1.151 Whether did Gideon purpose to make an I∣doll of this Ephod or not?

Answ. Gideon caused not a new Ephod to be made, neither minded he to have set it up as an Idoll, but as a remembrance to the Lord; when the Rubenites and Gadites erected and attar on the other side of Iordan, Iosh. 22.9. they did it not of that minde to sacrifice upon that altar, but onely they set it up for a memoriall of thanksgiving to the Lord. And it is cleare that the Isra∣elites went a whooring after this Ephod but after the death of Gideon, verse 27. therefore they interpret not well this place, who interpret it thus, fornicatu•• est omnis populus post eum, all the people went a whoring after him, as though they followed Gideon in this Idola∣trie; but Iunius translates it better, fornicatus est post e∣um, scilicet Ephodem, seu in eo Ephode, that is, they went a whoring after the Ephod.

The reasons which proves that Gideon intended no such thing, as to erect an Idoll in Ophrah are these.

First, Iudg. 8.32. Gideon dyed in a good old age;* 1.152 a good old age comprehends foure things in it, first, fulnesse of dayes, secondly, peace of conscience, thirdly, a good name, fourthly, when one dyes in the favour of God; neither is this phrase found in the Scripture, but of such who dyed the death of the righteous: So Abraham is said to have died in a good old age, Gen. 25.15. So David, 1 Chror. 29.28.

The second Reason, it is objected of the Israelites, ver. 35. that they shewed no kindnesse to the house of Gideon

according to all the goodnesse which he had shewed to Israel? But if Gideon had erected this Idoll of purpose, that the people might goe a whoring after it how should they bee bound to have shewed any favour to him; they should rather have hated him, if he had set up any Idoll to have beene their ruine.

Ob. Burn this Idoll became a snare to Gideon and to his house, Then it might seeme that Gideon himselfe was insnared by this Idoll.

Answ. By Gideon heere is understood Gideons chil∣dren and posterity, as 1 King. 12.16. what portion have we in David, that is in the posterity of David, so 2 Chron. 13.1. it is said that Ieroboam made warre a∣gainst Rehoboam; Rehoboam was dead, Chap. 12. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David: it was against his sonne Abija. So Act. 7.16. Abraham bought a buriall from the father of Se∣chem, it was not Abraham himselfe who bought it, but the posterity of Abraham. So this Idoll became a snare to Gideon; that is to Gideons children; and to his house, that is, to his friends.

* 1.153This Ephod which Gideon appointed for an holy use, was afterward abused, and turned to an Idoll; as the best wine is turned into vinegar; so the brasen serpent was erected in the wildernesse for an holy use; yet the people afterward made an Idoll of it, and burnt incense to it. So the first institution of the love feasts of the Christians were commendable, and for a good end; but afterward they were turned into abuse, so the co∣memoration of the saints departed, was afterward turned to invocation.

Gideon his house was insnared by this ephod. Salomon sayes, Eccles. 7.26. And I found more bitter then death, the woman whose heart is fordres and ••ettes, and her hands as bands. Whose pleaseth God, shall escape from her, but

the sinner shall be taken by her. This leud woman had snares to insnare men, as the not takes the Fowle and the Fish: Shee leades the foolish men captive, and none without the speciall grace of God is safe from her: So the Idolls lay snares and ginnes to catch men, and it is hard to escape the snares of the Idoll; but he who plea∣seth the Lord shall escape from them.

This Baal berith was the Idoll of the Sechemites, and they bound themselves by a solemne stipulation to serve this Baal berith,

They made a covenant with Baal berith, yet they covenant with Abimelech to kill his to. brethren. A false religion hath no more power to bind men long to them, then ropes of sand. The Kings of Syria and E∣gypt made many covenants together, and mingled them∣selves with the seede of men, Dan. 2.43: that is, they mar∣ried together, yet these covenants could no more hold then iron and clay when they are mixed together.

Religion is called a religande; But a false Religion hath no power to bind, but true Religion hath power indeede to bind people one to another: Where there is one Lord, one faith, one Baptisme, Ephe. 4.5. that makes the multitude of beleevers to be of one heart and of one soule.

A good conscience when it stipulates with god,* 1.154 1 Pet. 3.21. hath foure singular priviledges which a bad conscience hath not when it stipulates with an Idoll. First it hath a priviledge suptase, when it tookes up to God, 1 Pet. 2.19. Secondly, it hath this priviledge in se. It hath the peace of God within it, and is a pure conscience and undefiled, 2 Tim. 1.3. Thirdly, Iuxta se; a good conscience shewes it selfe towards men, Act. 24.16. and fourthly infra se: I am perswaded that neither height nor depth shall separate me, Rom. 8.38. depth, that is, the divells who dwell in the depth: But an Idola∣trous

conscience when it lookes above, it findes no comfort: for it worships dead Gods, Ps. 106.28. & within it selfe it is defiled, Tit. 1.15. and I••ntase those Idola∣ters cared not to murther the 70. brethren of Abimelech and infra se, it is alwayes in feare of the internall spi∣rits.

Abimelech killed his 70. brethren, and poore Iona∣than escaped onely: The Iewes have a proverbe, esto canda leonum, & nesiscaput vulpium, that is, it is better to have a meane place amongst the righteous, than to be a ringleades amongst the wicked, it was better to be in Ioas place then Abimelechs.

They robd their God Baal berith and tooke out 70. peeces of silver to hire vaine and light braind men, Re∣kim, light braind men; Hence comes Raka, which is a word of disgrace in the Gospel, Matth. 5. and hence comes this word Saracenis, because they lived upon ex∣curtions and robberies, and men of light fashions: The treasures of the Church have beene opened to helpe captives,* 1.155 and those that were in prison; but these opened their treasure here to hire light and vaine per∣sons.

* 1.156They robbed their god Baal berith and gave Abimelech 70. pieces of silver. See what a Iudgement befell Abi∣melech for robbing of his Idoll; he perished miserablie, not onlie for murthering of his brethren, but also for robbing Baal, whom hee tooke to bee his God, Iudg. 9.53. We have anotable example of this that men should not robbe their Idoles;* 1.157 Amiande Marcellinus testifi∣eth, that in the dayes of Marcus Antonius and Verus the emperours, that the souldiers spoyled the temple of Apollo, and brought his image to Rome; There was a little chest of gold which stood in the temple of Apol∣lo, that had a little hole in it, which the Caldee sooth-sayers had shut up before, the souldiers through cove∣tousnesse

opened this hole, thinking to have found a treasure in this chest, but there came out such a vile and deadly smell out of it, that it raised a plague from the bounds of Persia, even unto France, and went into Parthia and Media also, and killed thousand of thousands there. See what it is for the Idolater to robbe his ••∣doll.

Quest.* 1.158 Whether doth hee commit Sacriledge who robbes a false god or not?

Answ. An erronious conscience (as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 14.35. and by the consent of all di∣vines) bindes a man, for hee that doth contrarie to the Law given by the superiour (holding in his conscience that it is the Law of the superiour) despiseth his supe∣riour in his conscience, and is guiltly of that same sinne, whereof he is, who transgresseth the Law of him who is the magistrate indeede. If the Kings Herauld should give out the Law otherwaies, then it was first ordained by the King, the people are bound to obey this Law, and they who contemne it are justly to be punished; which obligation is taken away, when the Kings mind is rightly understood; not that this obligation was any thing before in it selfe; but onely in the minde of the people who beleeved, that that law was truely promul∣gated, as it was given out by the King, which apprehen∣sion of the people bindes them to obey the Law: So he who maketh a promise and sweares by a false god, is more strictly bound to performe it, then hee who simply promiseth onely, without an oath; for although this oath considered in it selfe, bindes no wayes a man more than he had simply promised; for this is not an oath when one sweares simply by a god who cannot te∣stifie the truth, yet notwithstanding because in his erronious conscience, he takes the Idoll to be a god, if he performe not that which he promised by an oath,

then he is perjur'd for although this ••••th be nothing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 parte r•••• yet as he esteemes of it, it is a sinne not to per∣forme it: A good conscience and an erronious consci∣ence bind, but after a diverse manner: A good consci∣ence simply bindes, but an erronious conscience onely upon supposition, because it takes that to be the Law of God, which indeede is not; Hence we see that the Se∣chemites were guilty of Sacriledge, robbing their Idoll Baal berith, whom they tooke to be a god; and the tribe of Dan was in the same case, Iudg. 18. when they tooke away the Idoll of Micah.

If Abimelech perished miserably for robbing of his Idoll, what marvell is it then that these perish miserably who rob the true God, as Iehoiakim who cut out the Lords windowes and sealed his owne house with Ce∣dar, and painted it with Vermilion; Ier. 22.14. He got the buriall of an asse for it. v. 19. Athaliah was worse, she brake up the house of the Lord, and bestowed all things dedicated to the Lord, upon ••aalim; She was slaine by the guard, 2 Chron. 23.15. But Balthasar was most Sa∣crilegious of all, who tooke the vessel of the house of the Lord, and dedicated them to his Idols; and when he was in all his jollitie the Medes and the Persians came and killed him that same night, Dan. 5.30.

* 1.159The sixt increase of Idolatry, Iudg. 10.6. Then the children of Israel did evill againe in the sight of the Lord, and they served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidan, the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and they forsooke the Lord, and served 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him.

Now their Idolatry was mightily increased, when they served the gods of all the nations round about them: It is a question in the Ethickes, whether a man may keepe intire and true friendship with many or not? So

we may aske what 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of worship could the Iewes per∣forme to all these gods?

They served Baalim and Ashtaroth:* 1.160 it is usuall w•••••• the Hebrewes (when they joyne the masculine and the faeminine together) to comprehend the whole, o•• ve∣ry many of the kind which they speake of; as Gen. 5.7. He begat sonnes and daughters, that is many children: So Eccles. 2.8. I got me men fingers and women fingers, than is, diverse sorts of Musitians: So they worshipped Baal and Ashtaroth, that is sundry sorts of Idols.

They served gnashteroth the gods of Syria 1 King. 9.5. and they are put in the faeminine gender,* 1.161 because they fained to themselves, as well women gods, as men gods diverse fe••••s are onely for preservation of mortall kindes, but they held their gods to be immortall, why then should they imagine male and female amongst them? Yet the Platonickes held, that there were male and female amongst them; and Trismogish 〈…〉〈…〉 faemini••••••.

They worshipped the gods of Syria:* 1.162 There were many of the gods of Syria, according as it was diversly divi∣ded. Syria interam••••••, or Mesopotamia: So Syria Se∣ba; and Syria Macha, and Syria Damascena: These had all sundry gods 2 Chro. 23.

They worshipped the gods of the Philistines and of the Ammonites, and yet the Ammonites and Philistines op∣pressed them eighteene yeares, Iudges 10.8.

Marke a difference betwixt the true religion and the false:* 1.163 when they came to serve the gods of the Phili∣stines, and the Ammonites they were their deadly ene∣mies; but when they turned from the false religion to the true, then they cherished and loved them. When men came from Gentilisme to Judaisme, they were cal∣led proselytes, and the Iewes shewed them all the fa∣vours that they did to any Iew: So when they were

converted from Iudaisme to Christianitie, they called them fratres Iudai Act. 15. accounted of them as their brethren. So when men were converted from Genti∣lisme to Christianitie then they were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 1 Tim. 3.6. and they cherished them as young plants; therefore the Lord saith to Ieremie 15.19. Goe not thou to them, but let them come to thee.

When they cryed unto the Lord in this trespasse, the Lord answered them with a bitter tant, Iudges 10.14. Goe and cry unto your Gods whom ye have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation: Bernard saith well, Quod deus dicit cum risu, tu debes audire cum lu∣ctu.

* 1.164The decrease, Iudges 10.15. when the children of Israel said unto the Lord; We have sinned, doe thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee, onely deliver us we pray thee this day, and ver. 16. And they put away the strange gods from amongst them, and served the Lord, and his soule was grived for the misery of Israel. In the ori∣ginall it is, Anima ejus fuit contracta, and opposit to this is 2 Cor. 6.11. Our heart is inlarged.

* 1.165Heere is the nature of our gratious God showne to us, who is slow to anger, and soone pacified, and at what∣soever time a sinner repents him, hee will put away all his sinnes out of his minde; then the Lord arose and had mercie upon Sion, Psal. 102.13.

* 1.166The seventh increase of Idolatry Iudg. 17.4. when Micah sets up molten gods and graven gods to be wor∣shipped.

Rabbi David observes that this word (God) in all this part of Scripture, which entreates of Micah his Ido∣latry, is alwayes prophanum nomen, a prophane name, taken for Idols, except onely in two places: The first in these words (all the time that the house of the Lord was in Shilo) The second is Iudges 18.10. The Lord

hath given the Land into your hands.

Micah consecrated one of his sonnes to be a Priest to him,* 1.167 verse 5. Here concurres many irregularities contrary to the Law, in the consecration of this his sonne. The first irregularity is in him who consecrates. The second in him who was consecrated. The third in making an Ephod to him to serve, who was consecrate. The fourth in the place where he served after he was conse∣crated, and that was in a private house.

The first irregularitie was this,* 1.168 that hee tooke upon him to consecrate his sonne: No man takes this ho∣nour upon him, but he that is called of God as Aa∣ron.

Que. How could Moses consecrate Aaron and his sons, Levit. 8.12, 13. seeing he was not of the sonnes of Aa∣ron?* 1.169

The common Answere here is this, that he did it at the commandment of God extraordinarily, at the first establishing of the Priesthood; But there is more in it then this, for Moses was a Priest of God, Psal. 99.6. Moses and Aaron amongst the Priests: Heere David tearmes Moses a Priest as well as Aaron; and Moses Gerundensis saith, that he was a Priest, and therfore offe∣red incense first; and the Hebrewes call him, Sacerdo∣tem Sacerdotum the greatest Priest, and that Moses offe∣red a burnt offering on the Altar, it is cleare Lev. 8.28. and Hiscuini saith, that all the seven dayes Moses offe∣red, and in the eight day, he said to Aaron from hence∣forth come thou, and serve in this ministrie, after that Moses had consecrated Aaron and his sonnes, Moses chil∣dren are not reckoned amongst the Priests, but amongst the Levites, 1 Chron. 23.14.

Qu••st. 1. Aaron and his sonnes were those who conse∣crate: who was it then that consecrate when the Priest∣hood was out of the right line, from the time of Eli

(who descended from Ithamar and not from Eleazar) •• Chron. 24.3.) to the time of Sadock, who was restored by Salomon to the Priesthood?* 1.170

Answ. These Priests although they were not in the right line, when they entered into the preisthood and although there entrie was by usurpation, yet being en∣tred their consecration was lawfull, for even as a tyrant Peccat usurpatione tituli, yet he sinnes not in Iudging and giving out sentence; and the subjects are bound to obey him, and untill he bee devested of those usurped titles, his edicts have strength to bind the subjects; so long as the tyrant stands they are to obey him, and implicit•• he hath the approbation of the subjects, that is, they wish that hee may doe Iustice so long as he rules: The Romans subdued the Iewes and made them their cap∣tives, and the Iewes by their tacite consent acknowledg∣ed them as their Lords and masters: therefore Christ bidds them, gave tribute to Caesar, Mat. 22. So when they were carried captives to Babylon, the Lord bidds them pray for the peace of Babylon, Ier. 29.7. the people gave there tacite consent to the Babylonians, and al∣though they led them captive, yet they were to pray for them as there superiors; so the Priests although they sinned in usurpation of the priesthood, as not being descended of Aaron, yet durante tali statu, so long as they continued, their consecration was valide, and they had gotten the tacite consent of the people by prescription of tyme.

Quest. 3. Who consecrated the high Priest after his fathers death?

Answ. An inferiour Priest did consecrate him; see Exod. 29.29. Num. 20.26.28.

Quest. 4. When the Idolatrous Priests hand was filled and a peece of flesh put therein, whether had bee right to sacrifice and consecrate or not?

Answ. None at ••ll; for out of the Church there is no consecration, therfore Ionathan in his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Para∣phrase, calles him, not Cohen, but Cumer, that is,* 1.171 a hea∣then then Priest, Iud. 18.30. the same phrase of sitting of the hand is used in consecrating of Ieroboams Priests, a Chro. 13.9. and yet Ieroboam had no power to consecrate them; & the water which came out of the rocke, 3 Cor. 10. was a sacrament to the Israelites when they dranke of it, but when the beasts dranke of it, it was no Sacra∣ment to them: so this consecration was no consecration to them, who were out of the true Church. And as Ishmael although hee was truly circumcised by Abra∣ham, yet to his posteritie who left the true Church; and used circumcision still, it was no Sacrament. So this con∣secration out of the Church, was no consecration to them, and they had no more right to it, then the theefe hath to the true mans purse, when he takes it.

The third irregularitie in this consecration was this; that he made an Ephod. for his sonne to serve this Idoll with.

There were three sorts of Ephods, the first was a re∣ligious Ephod, such was the Ephod of the Priests.* 1.172 The second sort of Ephod was a politicke, or civill Ephod, which David wore when he danced before the arke, and that which Gid••on made, and left at Ophrah. The third was an Idolatrous Ephod, which is joyned here with Teraphim, and not with Vri•••• and Tha••••••••••••, as the Lords Ephod was.

The fourth irregularitie was this when hee were con∣secrate, he sacrificed in a private place, his fathers house, and not in Shilo, in the place where the worship of God was performed at that time, and this was as badde as if hee had sacrificed in the high places, or in the groves.

Then it was added, they did this because there was no king in Israel.

* 1.173Observe here first that Kingly governement is the best governement, and a King here is put for a best ma∣gistrate; because the Lord was to bring in this kingly governement amongst them; Therefore they were cal∣led Kings, before the institution of Kings, as Moses is called a King, Gen. 36.31. Deut. 33.5. And because Kingly governement was the most excellent governe∣ment, therfore it is that sundry things take their denomi∣nation from a King, at the King, lawes, Iam. 2.8. so the Kings highway, Num. 20.17. so the shout of a King, Num. 23.22, that is a joyfull shout, as when they were choosing a King.

* 1.174They committed this Idolatrie, because there was no King in Israel: so they abused the Levites wife, be∣cause there was no King in Israel, Iudg. 19.1. Here wee see th•••• the magistrate is custos utrinsque tabulae, and it belongs to him to vindicate the worship of God. Ido∣latrie is iniquit••s Iudicum, Iob 31.28. That is, it is to bee punished by the Iudge, and to punish wrongs done by men to men: there are two pillars strong like Iakin, and Bag••as, 1 King 7.21. Iustice and religion, when these two faile; then the land••elts, Psal. 75.3. the He∣brewes say the world is upholden by three things, Super lege, super cultusacro, & super retributione benificiorum, when these three faile, then the world goes to de∣coy.

Now Micah will have another Priest then his sonne, a Levite of Iudah to be his Priest.

Quest: How could he be a Levite, and of Iudah, for the Levites were not of the tribe of Iudah.

Answ: Hee hath beene of the tribe of Levi by his mother, for women of one tribe might marie with men of another tribe; providing that they were not here∣tickes, then they were alwaies bound to marrie within their owne tribe, to keepe the inheritance distinct.

Micah chused this Levit to sacrifice; but the Levites might not sacrifice, nor inquire any thing of the Lord,* 1.175 but by the priests. When the Tabernacle was to be ta∣ken up, or set downe, no stranger might come neare it; here all are called strangers, who are not priests or Le∣vites, Num. 1.51. But when they were to sacrifice, no stranger might sacrifice, that is, neither Israelite, nor Levite, Num. 3.10. Therfore when he chose a Levite to sacrifice, here there was a great irregularitie: their cal∣lings were two distinct callings:* 1.176 the Levites did some things which the priests might not doe, as to carry the Arke: therefore Vzza was killed who touched the Arke being a priest; and the Levites might not sacri∣fice under the paine of death, Num. 3.10.

This wandering Levite was redacted to great mise∣rie, and he was content with a poore portion: It was a great curse upon the posterity of Eli, when they should come and crouch for a peece of silver, and a morsell of bread, and should say, Put me I pray thee into one of the priests offices, that I may eate a peece of bread, 1 Sam. 2.36. So when this base Levite sought to be a priest, and was content with ten shekells of silver a yeare, and a suite of apparell, and his victuals, Iudg. 17.10. then he came and crouched downe for a peece of silver and a morsell of bread.

None that served in the temple or tabernacle in the basest office did it for nought, as they that shut the doores, and kindled the fire, Mal. 1.10. or the Nethi∣nims, Iosh. 9.27. who hewed the wood for the sacrifices, and drew water for the temple, or the Levites that flead the beasts, or the Priests that offered the sacrifices; all had plenty enough, there was bread enough in their fa∣thers house: but this miserable man contents himselfe in his Idoll service, with a sute of apparell, his victualls, and tenne peeces of silver.

Hee desires to be a priest that he might eate bread, 1 Sam. 2.26. When they desired to be in this holy cal∣ling onely to eate, and not to serve God in it, then they were mercenaries. The Moralists observe, that some games and recreations are honest, when men use them onely for recreation, as to fish, and to hunt; but if a man doe fish onely for gaine, or goe a hunting onely to make profit by it, then it becomes ignoble, & questus est sordidus, it is base gaine: much more if a man turne this high calling to gaine, it becomes a base calling: When these greedy dogges, Esay 56.11. cannot be sa∣tisfied; and when they seeke the peoples goods, but not themselves, 2 Cor. 13.14. and fleece the flocke, but feede it not; Ezech. 34.3. tunc mercantur animas, they sell the foules of men, 2 Pet. 2.3. and sell the soules of the people for handfulls of barley, and peeces of bread, Ezech. 13.19. then they feed the flocke for filthy lucre, 1 Pet. 5.2.

* 1.177The eight increase of Idolatry; when the whole tribe of Dan fell to Idolatry, Iudg. 18. and went a whoring after those Teraphims. Ionathan who was a priest to a poore family before; now he becomes a priest to the whole family of Dan. This Ionathan was the grand child of Moses, Moses begat Gershon, and Gershon begat Manasseh, and Manasseh begat Ionathan, Iudg. 18.30. This Menasseth was the father of Ionathan, but because he and his son Ionathan were so unlike to Moses; there∣fore they write him in the text Manasseh, but in the margine they write him Moshe,* 1.178 elevating the Nun; they write him Manasseth, because they held him to be an I∣dolater like Manasseh; and they write him in the mar∣gine Moshe, because hee was naturally descended of Moses.

This might seeme strange that Moses, (who was such a faithfull servant in all the house of God, Heb. 3.5. and

alwayes hated Idolatrie) should have a grandchild who is such an apostate and open Idolater: this a man might thinke should breed great discouragement in the hearts of faithfull men, when they see their poste∣ritie so degenerate from the truth:* 1.179 but men who are faithfull, and stand within the covenant, must comfort themselves, not by looking downe to those who come of them, but by looking up, and marking their anteces∣sors of whom they are descended: And even as in the right succession of the inheritance in Israel, they recko∣ned upward alwayes; So must we doe in the spirituall covenant. The Iewes saith, if a man died and had no children, then the inheritance came to the father, both the inheritance of the male and the female, unlesse there came in one who married his brothers wife after his death; and they make the dead father as though he were alive, that the right order of succession might be known, and so the male children succeeded; and if there were no males, then the females succeeded, and if they fai∣led, then the inheritance ascended to the grandfather, and to his other children if he had any moe, and they ascended still up to Adam: therefore the Iewes say that there is not a man in Israel, who wants an heire, but he may reckon it up to Adam.

• ...Abraham.
• ...Isaac.
• ...Iacob. Esau.
• ...Levi, Dina a daughter.
• ...Noah. Gershon, Merari. Ccohebed a daughter.
• ...Amram. Izzar. Hebron. Vzziel.
• ...Moses. Aaron. Miriam a daughter.

Now in this genealogie Amram dying, the question is, who shall be his heire: If Moses and Aaron be alive; first,* 1.180 Moses succeeds, and if he die, Aaron; and if both die, then Miram; but if all the three die without posteritie;

then from him it descends to the sonnes of Amram, Izzar, Hebron and Vzziel, and so at last ascends to A∣braham. So here in this spirituall reckoning we must as∣cend upward; although Manasseh be an Idolater, and his sonne Ionathan, Iudg. 18.30. yet Moses will not want an heire; Let him looke to his faithfull predeces∣sors, they are his heires, and hee may reckon up to them.

This will minister great comfort to the faithfull pa∣rents,* 1.181 who have bad children, that they are descended of godly parents: This was Davids comfort (who had leud children) Psal. 86.16. Have mercy upon me, and give strength unto thy servant, and save the sonne of thy handmaid.* 1.182 This was his comfort, that he was the sonne of the Lords handmaid; for they that were the children of the handmaides were their masters, Exod. 21.4. and they were said to be home borne, Ier. 2.14. So David being borne within the Church of the Lords handmaid, rejoyceth that hee is Gods child; and al∣though these pedegrees in our ascending be often bro∣ken off, yet the covenant is valid and of force still, in re∣spect of the first promise, Esay 64.3. Thou art our father, although Abraham hath forgotten us, and Israel doth not know us; that is, although we have broken the covenant and have not followed the footsteeps of our faithfull predecessors Abram and Isaac, who (if they were alive) would not acknowledge us for their children, neither doe we thinke ourselves worthy so to be reckoned; we leane only on the free promise of God in Christ Iesus, which we know to be most sure, as God himselfe is con∣stant.

Ianathan descending of Moses fell to Idolatry; All fathers transmit to their children originall sinne, Gen. 5.* 1.183 It is said of Adam, that he begat a sonne to his owne Image, that is, to his corrupt Image; but other things

parents cannot trasmit to their children, as a seeing fa∣ther sometimes begets a blind sonne, Iohn 9. neither can he transmit those things which hee hath acquired by Art to his child; as a Musitian begets not a Musitian; So he cannot transmit his infused gifts to his child; as Salomon could not transmit his wisedome to his foolish sonne Rehoboam, far lesse can he transmit grace unto his posterity, as Abraham could not transmit grace to Ishmael, neither could Moses to his grandchild Iona∣than; but God only can beget children to his owne Image: Therefore the Lord saith; Be ye holy as your heavenly Father is holy, 1 Pet. 1.16.

In this last increase of Idolatry under the Iudges, it is to be considered that first the Danites commit sin in ta∣king away Micahs Idols, and by seducing his Priest. Secondly, that Ionathan and his sonnes become Priests to the tribe. And lastly how long this Idoll remained in Dan.

First they take away Micah his Idols by violence Iudg. 18.18. they stole them not away secretly, but tooke them by violence, sixe hundred men came to take them away: these were called aggressores, who came by force to take a thing.

They steale his gods;* 1.184 the gods which they affected so much, and loved so dearely. See how Laban expo∣stulates with Rachel for stealing his gods: The Idola∣ters preferred their Idoll gods to all their ornaments and comelinesse: when the Gaulles beseiged the Capi∣toll, because they had no strings to their crosebowes,* 1.185 the women caused to shave off their haire to make strings thereof, in defence of their Palladium, and their gods. And they preferred their Idols to their deare parents; When the Grecians burnt Troy, pittying their captive enemies, they gave every one their choise to carry away that which they liked best, Aeneas made

choise to carry away his gods, before his old father, and therefore he was called Pius Aeneas: they prefer∣red not onely their gods to their Parents, but also to their lives; As Metellus when he saw the temple of Ve∣sta burning,* 1.186 he ranne into the fire to save the Palladi∣um, and very hardly he escaped with his life, yet he lost his eyes and his Priesthood; for no man who wan∣ted a member might be a Priest in the temple of Ve∣sta.

They tooke away his gods: If a Christian should steale the Idols of an Idolater, that were but theft, but for an Idolater (who holds Idols to be gods) to steale Idols were sacrilegious theft; And they being men of the same profession and zealous as it might seeme in their profession, this aggravates their sinne; for the unitie of profession should bind men one to another.

* 1.187They knew the Levites voyce. In Israel they had sun∣dry dialects, as some said Shibboleth, and others said Sibboleth; The Ephraimites were discerned by their lisping: and Peter was knowne to be a Galilaean by his speech: And so they had about Ierusalem a peculiar dialect of their owne Act. 2.8. some of them said Acel∣dama, and others Akaldama, so here they knew the Le∣vite by his peculiar dialect.

They desire this Priest to aske couns••ll of God for them, And he answers them according to their humour: Goe in peace, for the Lord is in your way where ye goe, hee will goe before you and assist you: flattering Prophets spake alwayes placentia, as the false Prophets did to Ahab. These are bad Physitians who give alwayes phisick according to the patients humour.

Next they perswade him to goe with them, and to leave Micah his house.

Micah and his family follow tO restore their gods, and Micah seeing that he was not able to recover them,

he falles out into this pitifull speech; Ye have taken away my gods, and my priest, and what have I move.

We may learne of this Idolater Micah to esteeme more of God and his worship then of all things beside: Eli his daughter in law, when the Arke of God was ta∣ken, called her sonne Ichabod no glory: That is,* 1.188 when the Arke was taken, all glory was gone from Israel; She was more sorry for the taking of the Arke, then for the death of her father in law, and of her husband.

They disswade Micah from following of them for feare of his life verse 25. Least thou lose thy life with the lives of thy houshould. In the originall it is,* 1.189 Ne colligas animam tuam, & animam domus tuae, that is, least thou dye and thy houshold: (to gather) is usually put for (to dye) in the Scripture; as Gen. 49.33.* 1.190 Iacob is said to bee gathered unto his people. So Psal. 26.9. Gather not my soule with sinners, neither my life with bloody men. So. Num. 20.24 Aaron shall be gathered to his people. So Hosea 4.3. fishes shall be gathered, that is, they shall be taken away. This phrase to be gathered to their fathers, is as well spoken of the wicked as of the godly; as Ish∣mael was as wel gathered to his fathers as Abraham, Gen. 25.17. Therefore this will not follow, such a man was gathered to his fathers; therefore he was elect and cho∣sen of God: this is meant onely of death, which is com∣mon both to the good and the bad.

Ionathan and his sones become Priests to this tribe of Dan. This tribe fell first to Idolatry;* 1.191 and therefore was first carried away to the captivitie, Ier. 8.16. the snorting of the horses is heard in Dan, that is of Salma∣nassar who carried away this tribe first: So that when all the tribes were sealed in the forehead,* 1.192 Dan is omitted, Revelation 7. which wants not a myste∣rie.

Lastly this Idolatry lasted in the tribe of Dan, unto

the day of the Captivity of the Land, and verse 31. all the time that the house of God was in Shilo: By the day of the captivity of the Land, here is meant, that time when the Philistimes oppressed Israel mightily: it must not be taken here for captivity, which was in the time of Senacherib;* 1.193 for David would not have suffered this Idoll to have beene in Dan all this time; it must bee taken then for this captivitie of the Philistimes, and all the time that the house of God was in Shilo; then the scourge of the Philistimes came upon Israel: conferre 1 Sam. 4.3. with Psal. 78.60. and ye will see this clearely Psal. 78.58. He gave his strength to the cap∣tivity, and they provoked him with their high places, and mooved him to Iealousie with their graven Images. This Micah his image was one of them that moved the Lord to Iealousie most.

The Arke of the Lord was in Gilgal, Shilo, Nob, Gi∣beon: It was in Gilgal all the time that they were sub∣duing the Land, and dividing of it for foure and twenty yeares: it was in Shilo till the death of Eli three hundred sixty and nine yeares: after the death of Eli, Shilo was destroyed, and the Arke was carried to Nob, where it remained to the death of Saul thir∣teene yeeres, and it stayed in Gibeon untill the Temple of Salomon was builded; fifty yeares after Eli his death, fell this captivity of the Land, the Arke was ta∣ken; then the Lord forsooke the habitation of Shilo; and delivered his power and strength to the captivity, Psal. 78.

* 1.194Greater was the judgement which fell upon Israel for this Idolatry, then for all the former: for this Idolatry he left Shilo, the Arke was taken captive, and the people; Eli brake his necke, and his sonnes were kil••ed.

Idolaters thinke that they have all happinesse

and prosperity by their Idols, Ier. 44.18. Since wee left off to burne incense to the queene of heaven, wee have wanted all things; But marke what the Lord sayes of these Idols, and makes the Israelites confesse the same, Ier. 3.24. Shame hath devoured the labour of your fathers from your youth, (that is, from your Idols) their flockes and their heards, their sonnes and their daughters. Micah when he set up his Idols flattered himselfe, Iudg. 17.13. Now I know that the Lord will doe me good. But the Lord sayes Deut. 27.15. Cursed bee the man that maketh any graven or molten Image an abomination unto the Lord, and all the people shall say Amen. But happie is the Church when she sayes, Hos. 2. I will goe and returne to my first husband, for then it was better with me then now.

At this time there fell out a filthy fact in Gibeah in the tribe of Beniamin;* 1.195 for there the men of Gibeah abused the Levites concubine, so that she died by the violence done unto her: there the ten tribes made warre against the Beniamites,* 1.196 & although Beniamin were the children of iniquitie, yet they prevailed against the ten tribes, because the ten tribes at this time were infected with Micha his Idolatrie.

Idolatrie is a viler sin then the sin of Gibeah, Ho. 10.9.* 1.197 It is a viler sin then the sin of Sodome, Eze 16.46. It is a sin like unto beastialitie, when a man lyes with a beast, Eze. 23.20. what sinne then can be greater then Idolatrie.

And thus they committed Idolatry from age to age, while the Iudges ruled them, untill God was wroth and greatlie abhorred Israel, Psal. 78.

In Samuels dayes they worshipped Baal,* 1.198 and Ashta- 1. Sam. 7.

The decrease of this Idolatry was 1 Sam. 7.6. when the people gathered themselves together to Mizpeh and drew water, and powred it out before the Lord, and fasted

on that day and said there,* 1.199 we have sinned against the Lord: to powre out water in the Scripture signifies to powre out a thing abundantly, Deut. 12.16. ye shall not eate the blood, but powre it out upon the ground like water. So Gen. 49. Reuben is powred forth lik water; that is, he hath given himselfe over altogether to lust; And the Scripture ex∣presseth this their repentance by powring out of water ra∣ther then by powring out of any other liquor; for al∣though ye should powre out oyle, or honey out of a ves∣sel, yet some of the liquor would still remaine in the ves∣sell, & the smell also, But when water is powred out of a vessell, nothing remaines, no not the smell. By this pow∣ring out of water, they signifie that they would altoge∣ther renounce their Idolatrie, and that not so much as the tangue or smell of it should remaine among them.

Samuel reprooves them for choosing of a King; then they are terrified with thunder in the time of the wheate harvest: Lastly, hee diswades them from Idolatrie, 1 Sam. 12.12. and 17.21.

Hee rebukes them for choosing of a King. Kingly go∣vernment, was the government which God was min∣ded to erect amongst them, they had three commande∣ments given to them, when they were to enter into Canaan, first to cast out the Canaanites, the se∣cond to choose a King; and the third to build the tem∣ple. The Lord was minded then to give them a King, but hee was angry with them, because they would have had a King; such as the nations had. Againe hee was angry with them, because they were weary of Samuels governement, and likewise for anti∣cipating the time, the Iewes said of them comederunt immaturum avam, they eate the grape before it was ripe.

He terrifies the people, calling upon the Lord to send

thunder in the wheate harvest, when it was the most cleare and faire season of the whole yeare, at the Pen∣tecost, or about the Pentecost, therefore it is called festum messis. If it had beene in the time of the Barley harvest, at the Pascha, it had not seemed so strange a thing to the people to have heard thunder, for then the clouds abounded more, and Iordan did over flow the bankes thereof by the melting of the snow upon the mountaines.

The Lord caused it to thunder, God hath two sorts of voyces by which he speakes to men. The first by his voyce in the thunder, Psal. 29. secondly by his voyce in the Temple, Psal. 26.9. The first is an inarticulate voyce, the other is articulate; sometimes he both thun∣dred and spake at once; and when they came together, then his articulate voyce was called hath col filia vocis He gave his law with thunder, Exod. 19. and in sundry of the Revelations shewen to Iohn, with the voyce there was thunder Chapter 4.5. and 6.1. and 10.3. there∣fore we reade, Iohn 12.18. when there came a voyce from heaven, the people who stood by, some of them said it thundereth, and others of them said, an Angel speaketh un∣to him, the reason of this was because the Lord usually spake to them in the thunder, but here when the people were terrified, hee spoke not to them in the thunder, but terrified them and comforted them by Samuel.

Lastly, he prayeth for the people, & diswadeth them to turne aside; for then they should goe after vaine things which cannot profit nor deliver, 1 Sam. 12.21.

This Idolatrie spread more in the time of the Kings, then it did under the Iudges; all the Kings of Iudah com∣mitted Idolatrie, or else by their oversight tolera∣ted it.

All the Kings of Iudah sinned except three, Syrac. 49. David, Ezekias, and Iosias,* 1.200 that is all committed Idola∣trie

or did tollerate it, except these three Iehosaphat he did not tollerate Idolatrie, yet because he made affinitie with Ahab, 2 Chro. 18.2. and joyned himselfe with A∣haziah King of Israel, who did verie wickedly, 2 Chron. 20.36. because he did these things, hee is not reckoned amongst the first three of the Lords worthies, amongst the Kings of Iudah, David was most zealous for the glorie of God, and is set downe as a paterne to other Kings, 2 Chron. 29.2. Ezekias did uprightly as his fa∣ther David did, therefore Ecclesiasticus 47.2. David is compared to the fatt of the peace offerings; All the peace offerings was the Lords, but the fat was his after a speciall manner, because it was wholly burnt to him; So David exceeded all the rest of the Kings in zeale; Therfore the zeale of Gods house did eate him up, Ps. 69.9

Amongst the Kings of Egypt or Pharaohes, some of them were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 minime mali; they favoured the peo∣ple of God,* 1.201 as Abrahams, Pharaoh, Iacobs Pharaoh, and Iosephes Pharaoh. Others of them were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 badde, as Pharaoh Ophrah, Ier. 44. and Pharaoh Neco, Ier. 46. and some of them were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Moses his Pharaoh.

Among the Kings of Israel there were none good, they were either 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they were either bad, or very bad, none of them were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not evill; They suckt the milke of Idolatrous superstition in the daies of Ieroboam, whereunto they were addicted alwaies, so long as the common wealth indured even the reigne of ninteene Kings.

But amongst the Kings of Iudah some were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 op∣timi, as David, Ezekias and Iosias; some of them were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 boni, as Iehosaphat, Asa, and Manasseh. Manasseh is reckoned amongst the good kings; because his end was good Eze. 18. Some of them were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Vzziah was, who began well, but his heart was lifted up and he fell away from the Lord afterward, and some

of them were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 most wicked, as Ammon and Ahaz but there were none of them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 minime mali.

Object. But it may be said of Iosias, that the remnants of Baal were not taken away in his tyme, Zepha. 1.4. why then should he be reckoned amongst the best Kings?

Answ. He studies to cut away the remnants of Ba∣al, which he could not finde out at the first, because I∣dolaters are very subject to cover their Idolatry.

The first increase of Idolatry under the Kings was in Salomons dayes, 1 Kings 11.5.* 1.202 When Salomon went af∣ter Ashtaroth the goddesse of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites. The Lord gave Salomon wisedome above any, he exceelled the wisedome of the East country,* 1.203 and all the wisedome of Egypt in naturall wisedome; The Lord gave him a heart as large as the sand of the sea, 1 Kin. 4.29. the Lord loved him and called his name Iedidiah, 2 Sam. 12.25. The Lord appeared twice to him, 1 King. 9.10. The Lord made choise of him to be one of his secretaries to write a part of the holy scriptures: It was hee who builded the temple, and bestowed infinite charges upon buil∣ding of it; It was he who consecrated the Temple; It was he who offered when the Temple was consecrated ••0000. oxen, 1 King. 8.63. and 120000. sheepe; It was he who prayed for the people and blessed them, 1. King. 8.55. It was hee who was a speciall type of Christ: It was hee who fell not away untill his old age, and although the Lord threatned him, that hee would rent his Kingdome for this his Idolatrie, yet hee continued still in it, 1 King. 9.11. and was not a whit bettered by the threatnings of the prophet, and herein he seemes to be worse then his foolish sonne Rehoboam, for when the Prophet Semajah came to diswade him, for to fight against Ieroboam, hee left off his purpose, and went backe againe, but Salomon lay long in a Le∣thargie,

before he awoke; who would have thought that the dragon with his taile could have pulled downe so farre this shining starre; and when we see such a great Cedar of Lebanon as this to have fallen, Let us with feare and reverence worke out our salvation.

* 1.204The decrease of this Idolatry was, when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes in a publike testimony of his repentance. Salomon wrote three bookes: the first is his Proverbes, and it is intituled, The Proverbs of Sa∣lomon the sonne of David King of Israel; a fit booke of morall instructions for a King to write to his subjects: then he wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes to the Church after his fall, when he was gathered to the Church a∣gaine,* 1.205 and he beginnes this booke thus, Vanity of vani∣ties; and by vanities here he meanes especially Idola∣trie; for Idolls are the Gentiles vanities, Ionah 2. and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Act. 14.15. and he shuts up this booke thus, feare God and keepe, his commandements; which shewes that Salomon renounced the vanities of those Idols: And the last booke which he wrote, was, the Song of Songs, which is the most excellent of all songs, yea, and of all Salomons Songs, wherein his heart is elevated in descri∣bing this spirituall conjunction betweene Christ and his Church, under the termes of a marriage made with his queene, when he married Pharaos daughter.

* 1.206It is cleare that Salomon wrote his booke after his re∣pentance, and after that hee had tried all sorts of vani∣ties, and not before his fall: for in this booke hee de∣scribes his wisedome, his power, the buildings, and the glory of his house, which answers to that which is spo∣ken of him, 1 King. 7.9, 10. at the least he spent twentie yeares before all these things were done; then he spent thirteene yeares in building of his house; then adde to these five or sixe in repairing the citie, and in building of the cities in the desert so that by this time hee had

beene fortie or fiftie yeares old; and adde to these the sending of the ships to Ophir, which hee sent to fetch home gold, Eccles. 2. then hee tells how much hee was given to women (J found a woman more bitter than death, Eccles. 7.26.) and of a thousand wives and concubines which he had, there was not one which he could trust, Eccles. 7 and these all he found but vanities. Hee could not doe all those things, and have experience of all these vanities; but in a long time.

Bellarmine goes about to prove out of the text, that this booke was written before Salomons fall, because he saith, my wisedome remained with me, Eccles. 2.9. but his wisedome could not remaine with him, when he fell so filthily: therefore (saith hee) this booke was writ∣ten before his fall.

Answ. The wisedome which remained with him, so long as he went astray from the Lord, was his carnall wisedome; and his spirituall wisedome was buried all this while untill the time that he repented.

The reasons in particular which shewes Salomon his repentance, are those.

First, Salomon was a Prophet of God,* 1.207 and a Pen man of holy Scriptures; now all the Prophets of God were holy men, Luke 1.70. therefore Salomon was a holy man, although he was overtaken with those vanities for a while.

The second reason is taken from the promise of God,* 1.208 2 Sam. 7.14. I will be his father (saith the Lord) and hee shall be my sonne; if he commit iniquitie, I will chastise him with the rods of men, and with the stripes of the children of men (that is, with stripes that men are able to beare) but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mercy shall not depart away from him,* 1.209as I tooke it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

The third reason, Salomon is set downe for an example of imitation, and he is commended who followeth him;

Rehoboam walked in the way of David and Salomon, the first three yeares, 2 Chro. 11.17. Hence it followeth, that Salomon hath repented him of his former vanities, and died a sonne reconciled to his God: and as the evill beginning of Manasseh shewes the bad end of Am∣mon; So the good beginnings of Rehoboam shewes the good end of Salomon.

* 1.210When the Kings of Iudah and Israel are set downe for examples; these things are to be observed. First, if the wicked sonne follow his fathers wicked footesteppes, without repentance, then both perish, 2. King. 15.9. Secondly, if the wicked king repent him of his sinne, and his sonne be said to follow his fathers footsteppes; then he is said to follow his fathers footsteppes onely in the time of his vanities. It is said of Ammon, 2 King. 21.21. that he followed his father, and he worshipped those Idols which his father worshipped: This is to be understood that hee followed his father in his badde dayes, and not in his last dayes, when he repented him of his sinnes. Thirdly, when the King repents him of his former leud life, and his son is commended for fol∣lowing his fathers footsteppes; then it is to be under∣stood, that the sonne followed his fathers footsteppes in the end of his life, and not in his former wicked dayes; and thus Rehoboam is said to have walked in the wayes of David and Salomon, 2 Chron. 11.17. that is, he fol∣lowed Salomon his father in his last yeares when he re∣pented. Fourthly, if the King carrie himselfe well in the beginning of his reigne, and fall afterward, then his sonne is said not to follow his footsteppes; and the reason of this is given Ezech. 16.24.* 1.211

The second increase of Idolatrie under the Kings, was after the dayes of Salomon, when the tenne tribes fell away from the house of David; and Ieroboam erected golden calves to be worshipped in Dan and Bethel.

After that, the ten tribes separated themselves from the house of David: The tenne tribes are called the house of Israel; and those that cleaved to David, are called the house of Iudah: So the ten tribes are called Ephraim, and Ioseph; they are called Ephraim, Psal. 80.2. be∣cause their first king was of Ephraim.

Ieroboam changed foure things in the worship of God at this time; and therefore it is said,* 1.212 he drove away Israel from the Lord, and made them to sinne a great sinne, 2 Kin. 17.21. or fecit Ieroboam Israel avolare a domino; he made them to flie away from the Lord.

He changed first the place,* 1.213 2 Chron. 7.16. 1 King. 12.14. Hee placed those calves in Bethel, and Dan. The name of this Bethel (because the Idoll was erected there) was changed, and it was called Bethhaven, the house of vanitie, and not ••••thel the house of God, 1 Kin. 12.30. And this thing became a sinne; for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan; Ieroboam pretended the ease of the people, when hee set up those calves; he would not have them to goe up to Ierusalem to worship. Therefore he set up one Idol in Bethel, in the South side of the country, and an other in Dan, in the North side of the countrie, that they might goe there the more commodiously to worship; yet notwithstanding they were carried after their Idols, as with a whirlewinde, 1 Cor. 12.2. that they would runne from the South to the North, for the worship∣ping of those Idolls, and would not be content with their Idoll which they had neare hand in Bethel, but they would runne to Dan also and worship.

Secondly,* 1.214 Ieroboam changed the signes of Gods presence, and put in two golden calves in their place.

Thirdly, hee changed the time of Gods worship,* 1.215 1 King. 12.32. he offered on the altar which hee made

in Bethel, the fifteenth day of the eight moneth which he had devised of his owne heart.

* 1.216Fourthly, hee made the basest of the people priests, 1 King. 12.31. And Iosephus holds that Ieroboam him∣selfe played the part of the highpriest, 1 King. 12.33. It is said in the originall, that he went up upon the Altar sacrificing to the calves that he had made.

* 1.217Quest. Whether was the sinne of the ten tribes, or the sinne of Iudah greater when they committed Idola∣trie.

Answ. The Idolatry of the tenne tribes was grea∣ter extensive: It was further extended and dured longer than the Idolatry of Judah, but intensive, Iudah his Ido∣latry was greater, The sinne of Judah was written with a pen of iron, and with a point of a diamond, it was graven upon the table of their heart ••nd upon the hornes of their altar, Ier. 17.1. and Ierusalem Aholibah was more cor∣rupted in her fornications than Aholah or Samaria, Ezech 23.11. The promise of the Messias was made more clearely to Iudah than to Israel; Iudah had some verie good Kings, who were types of Christ; Israel had none; Judah had the temple, which Israel had not at all; Iudah had many prophets, Israel few; Iudah saw Israel carried away, and plagued for their I∣dolatrie, and yet Iudah repented not; therefore Iudah's sinne was greater than Israels; shee exceeded Samaria and Sodome in her filthinesse, Ezechiel chapter 16. verse 46.* 1.218

The Kings of Israel were viler than the Kings of Iu∣dah: Therefore when the wicked Kings of Iudah are blamed they are said to walke in the wayes of the Kings of Israel, 2 King. 16.1.••, 3. The Kings of Israel were worse than the Kings of Iudah, because all of them were badde, and some of them as bad or badder than any of the Kings of Iudah; as wicked Ahab.

The pride of the ten tribes was greater, than the pride of Iudah, they compare themselves to the Cedar of Lebanon; and they compare Iudah but to the thistle, 2 King. 14.9.

Object. But God gave an expresse commandment to the tenne tribes that they would separate themselves from Iudah.

Answ. But hee never commanded them to separate themselves from the worship of Iudah.

Because Ieroboam drew away the people to this fearefull Idolatry; therefore the Lord threatens that none of his posterity shall succeede.

The Lord punisheth the Idolatry of the fathers upon the children. There is a personall sinne,* 1.219 and there is an haereditary sinne. A personall sinne is that which the fa∣ther is onely guilty of, and not the sonne: an haeredi∣tary sinne is that which both the father and the chil∣dren are guilty of; but in a personall sinne the posterity followes not the father: it is said of Zelophehad, Num. 27 3. That he dyed in his owne sinne, that is, in a sinne which his posterity was not guilty of, it was not that common sinne in murmuring against God through misbeleefe, for the which none of them entered into Canaan; but it was a peculiar sinne of his owne; which his posterity was not guilty of; but if they doe follow the foote steppes of their wicked fathers, then it is an haereditary sinne, and it is imputed to them.

If the Idolatrous sonne follow the Idolatrous father, then he is guilty of his fathers sin; as Ammon was guil∣ty of Manasseh his sinne: So if they follow the foote∣steppes of their Idolatrous mother, then they are guil∣ry of her Idolatry: when the mothers baked the cakes to the Queene of heaven, Ier. 7.18. The children gathe∣red the stickes to kindle the fire, here they were guilty of

their mothers Idolatry: it is a terrible imprecation of David Psal. 109.14. Let the iniquitie of his father be re∣membred, and let not the sinne of his mother be blotted out: when the Idolaters have to answere both for their fa∣thers Idolatry, and for their mothers, this is a fearefull case;* 1.220 then they receive Kephalaiim Esay 40. double for all their sinnes, that is, both for their owne sinnes, and for the sinnes of their parents.

* 1.221And it is to be marked that although the Idolater re∣pent him of his Idolatry; yet the Lord may charge his posterity with that sinne: Manasseh was a great Idola∣ter, and shed innocent blood; these sinnes were pardo∣ned in Manasseh; yet his posterity were punished (accor∣ding to all that he did) that is, both for his Idolatry, and for shedding of innocent blood: and these sinnes were not pardoned in his posterity.

There was never any decrease of Idolatry in the ten tribes, but it overspread all their Kings, as a Lepro∣sie.

The Kings of Israel all of them successively for nine∣teene generations were Idolaters, yet amongst them all, there was none like Ahab who did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord, 1 King. chap. 21. ver. 25:

* 1.222This Ahab persecuted the Prophets of God, and killed them. Secondly, hee threw downe the Altars of the Lord. Thirdly, hee intertained foure hundred Priests of Baal at his table: and fourthly he worshipped Baal.

* 1.223First he persecuted the Prophets of God, and killed them: Those who are most deare to the Lord, whom the Lord expresly forbad to meddle with, Psal. 105 15. Touch not mine annointed, and doe my Prophets no harme. And they that touched them touched the Aple of his eye, Zach. 2.8. He that receiveth a Prophet (saith Christ

Math. 10.41) in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophets reward, Then Ahab who killed the Pro∣phets knowing that they were Prophets, what reward got he? The Prophets of God most resemble the great Prophet the Lord Iesus Christ, who did two things for us: first the things which he did from God to us, in re∣vealing Gods will to us: The second is which he did from us to god, interceding at his hands for us. So the Prophets of God, first they revealed the will of God to us, and secondly they interceded for us Gen. 20.7. He is a Prophet and he will pray for thee: therefore the Prophets were called the strength and the Chariots of Is∣rael, 2 King. 13.14. and where prophecie was wanting there the people were naked, Prov. 20.12.

Secondly Ahab threw downe the Altars of God. 1 King. 19.10.

Quest. What Altars of God were in Israel at this time?

Answ. 1 King. 18.30. And Elijah repaired the Al∣tar of the Lord that was broken downe, which Altar Elijah erected in Carmell.

There were many that were injurious to the Lords Altars; Ahab, threw downe the Lords Altar;* 1.224 Achaz caused to remove the Lords Altar: Vzziah went a∣bout to offer incense at the Lords golden Altar: Vriah the high priest offered upon the Altar of Damascus in place of the Altar of the Lord: Nadab and Abihu that brought strange fire to the Lords Altar; and there was never one of these who medled with the Lords Al∣tar, but the Lord plagued them for it The Altar of God was called Arriel. Ezch. 43.15. the Lyon of god;* 1.225 and whosoever medled with this Lyon, he devoured them: when Esaiah was called to be a Prophet, Esay 6. there came an Angell flying from the Altar, with a paire of tongs in his hand, and a living coale in it, and tou∣ched

the lippes of the Prophet, and sanctified him: But when God was wroth with those for medling with his Altar, there came a messenger of Gods wrath from the altar and plagued them; as the leprosie came flying from the Altar and smote Vzzia, and fire came from the Al∣tar and burnt Nadab and Abihu; and so upon the rest who medled with this Altar, who ever threw it downe or polluted it. Ahaz medled with the brasen Altar a type of Christs death, and Vzziah medled with the gol∣den Altar a type of Christs intercession, therefore God poured out his wrath upon them & plagued them both.

Marke a difference betwixt the Prophets of the Lord and Baals Priests;* 1.226 if ye will respect their number, they are eight hundreth and fifty, The prophets of the Lord were but few in respect of them, Obadiah tooke an hun∣dreth Prophets and hidde them by fifties in a cave, 1 King 18.4. If yee will respect their fare; there was a great difference also, the poore Prophets were fed onely with bread and water; but the Priests of the groves were fed at the court. 1 King. 18.19. Thirdly, if ye will respect their apparell, and the places where they lived; yee shall see great difference, the Prophets of God went in sheepe skinnes, and goate skinnes, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented, of whom the world was not worthy of, they wandred in deserts, and in mountaines, and in dennes and caves of the earth, Heb. 11.37.38. But Baals priests lived daintily in all plenty: But if wee shall looke to their end; and how they were miserably killed, and how the Pro∣phets of God were delivered, how they were separate for the day of slaughter, and all killed in one day; then wee would make choise rather with Moses to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the plea∣sures of sinne for a season, Heb. 11.25. and with David rather to be a doorekeeper in the house of God, then to dwell

in the tents of wickednesse, Psal. 84.10.

Fourthly, Achab worshiped Baall: In the scripture wee reade of three sorts that were diversly affected to Baal,* 1.227 first those who pleaded against Baal, as Gideon called Ie∣rubaal, of Ierubash••th, 2 Sam. 9.23. and Elijah; secondly those who stoop for Baal, as Ahab and Iezebell, and the Priests of Baal. And thirdly those who halted betwixt God & Baal, in the politickes they were said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Dion said of Cicero, because he now clave to the peo∣ple, and now to the Senate, and Homer called such a one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is he who cleaves to this point, and now to that, and this was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 when the mind is car∣ried now this way now that way.

Quest. Which of those two was worst?

An: Those who halted betwixt God & Baal; therfore the Lord sayes, Reve. 3. I would thou wert hot or cold, but because thou art lukewarme, I wil spue thee out of my mouth; lukewarmenes here is not the midst betwixt hotte and cold, as it is in Physicall things, but it is farthest from the vertue, heate, & the Lord detests more the lukewarme then the cold; The Phylosopher Ethic. 7. markes foure sorts of men, the first is continens & temperans,* 1.228 the se∣cond is incontinens & intemperans, the third is, temperans & incontinens, the fourth is, continens & intemperans. Continens & temperans is hee who bridles his passions, & suffers them not to burst forth into action. Incontinens & intēperans, is he who rules not his passions, but suffers them to burst forth into action. Incontinens & tēperans, is he who rules not his passion, but yet suffers not his pas∣sion to burst forth into action, as hee that suffers not the sun to goe down upon his wrath, Psal. 4. Be angry, but sin not, as if hee should say, when ye are angry (for to this passion of anger all men are prone) sin not, that is, execut not this your anger with a deliberate purpose; the fourth is, continens & intemperans, and he refraines his passion,

and bridles it, yet executes it in action, as he who killes in cold blood.

Quest. Which of these foure sorts are worst?

Answ. A man would thinke that hee were worst, who were both incontinent and temperate, but yet it is not so, for hee that is continent and bridles his passions and intemperate and refraines not from the action hee is the worst sort of men, for hee does deliberately sinne, and not miscarried by his passion: so hee that is luke∣warme in the service of God, is farther from the vertue, then he that is cold, and hee that halts betwixt God and Baal, is by the Lord more abhorred then he who direct∣ly stands for Baal: The people that were brought from strange nations to Samaria, they are said to have feared the Lord, and worshipped their owne Gods, 2 King. 17.33. yet because they worshipped both, it is said, ver. 34. that they feared not the Lord, for the Lord detests those most of all; so those lukewarme people are most hated of him: and as the stomacke cannot brooke lukewarme things, so well as it does hot or cold, for hot or cold things do contract the stomack, and make it keepe things the better; but lukewarme things delates the stomacke, and makes it spew them out; so the Lord spewes out these lukewarme people, and cannot brooke them by any people.

* 1.229Now Elijah, who opposeth himselfe to Baal and to Ahab the maintainer of Baal, comes and reprooves A∣hab to his face, and says that it was hee that troubled Israel; So Paul came and withstood Peter to his face: These are called the faithfull woundes of a friend; The Physitians call the woundes opposit to these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 un∣faithfull; Those that are given behind a mans backe, as detraction or backbiting are most dangerous wounds.* 1.230

The second thing which Elijah did here, was his

conteste with the Priests of Baal. There was a great dispute heere about Religion, and to end the contro∣versie they will try it this way, that the Lord would be pleased to send downe a fire from heaven to burne their sacrifices who were accepted of him, but not upon theirs who were not excepted.

By this signe of sending down fire upon the sacrifices,* 1.231 the people of God knew when their sacrifices were ac∣cepted; it is said, Gen. 4. that the Lord looked upon A∣bel, and upon his sacrifice. Aquila translates it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hee set it on fire, so when the tabernacle was erected, the Lord sent downe a fire upon their sacrifices, and when the temple was erected, he sent down a fire upon their sacrifices, and ordinarily when there sacrifices were burnt to ashes, then they knew that God accep∣ted of them, Psal. 20.3. Remember all thy offerings, and turne to ashes thy burnt sacrifice.

There came downe a fire & burnt Elijah his sacrifice,* 1.232 this fire came downe foure times from heaven upon their sacrifices: First upon Abel his sacrifice, secondly upon the sacrifice of the Tabernacle, when they had sa∣crificed seven dayes, Le. 8.33. Then the glory of the Lord appeared on the eight day, and the fire came down upon their sacrifice; Levit. 9.23, 24. Thirdly the fire came down upon their sacrifice when the Temple was erected, and fourthly the fire came downe upon Elijah his sacrifice; But the fire came not downe in the second Temple to burne the sacrifices.

Quest. How was their sacrifices then accepted in the second Temple,* 1.233 seeing the fire came not downe from heaven to burne them?

Answ. The Prophets and the Preists consecrated this fire in the second Temple, and then it was an heavenly fire, and whosoever brought any other fire into the al∣tar, that was strange fire: The fire in the first temple

was divinohumanus ignis,* 1.234 that is, it came from heaven; but it was maintained by wood, as our fire is; but the fire in the second temple was humanodivinus, that is, it was at the first but humane fire, which came not from heaven, but being consecrate by the prophets, and the Priests it became heavenlie fire.

The Iewes are uncertaine concerning the fire of the second temple; for some say, 2 Mac. 1.19. that the Priests hidde the fire of the first temple in a pit, and that it was kindled againe in the second temple after the captivity;* 1.235 But others of them hold that there were five things wanting in the second temple, which were in the first; the Arke, Vrim, Thummim, the holy fire, and Shechina the majestie of God who dwelt betweene the Cherubines.

Because this fire came from heaven, therefore when they wanted it, they studied by rubbing the stones of the altar one upon another to kindle the fire againe, 2 Mac. 10.3. and the vest all virgins imitating them, (when their holy fire went out) they kindled it againe with the beames of the sunne contracted into a christall glasse.

The third thing which Elijah did was this, He caused all the Priests of Baal to bee kild; this was Opimum Sa∣crificium Deo; when the Levites consecrated their hands to kill their neighbours and brethren that were Idolaters, Exod. 32.29. their hands were consecrate with their blood of the brethren, as that day when they were ordained Priests, the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the thumbe of their right hand, Exod. 29.20. And this was as acceptable a consecration to the Lord, as that day when they were consecrate priests unto him; so the shedding of the blood of these Idola∣trous Priests was as acceptable a sacrifice to the Lord as any could be.

Elijah for his good service done to God in that great famine, the Lord preserves him wonderfully; first by Ravens at the river Cherith, who brought him bread and flesh twice in the day: secondlie by the widow of Zarepta, who had but a little meale which shee was to dresse, and then to die, 1 King. 17.12. Chrysostome con∣sidering the fact of this widow,* 1.236 markes the great cha∣ritie of this widow, that she gives not out of her pover∣tie to helpe the prophet, but out of her meere necessitie, when both she and her child were like to starve, neither having any hope to be helped by her neighbours; and here hee compares Abraham his fact, and her fact when Abraham intertained the strangers, and hee pre∣ferres her charitie to Abrahams, shee ranne not to the flocke as Abraham 〈…〉〈…〉 ••nely to her poore handfull of meale which was reserved for her and her sonne. Wee are bound to give of things that are profitable for us, to helpe our neighboures ne∣cessitie, as the Samaritan tooke his oyle and his wine, and powred it into the hurt mans wounds. So hee who hath two coates should impart to him that hath none, Luke 3.11. but this poore widow gaver her one coate, & consumsit 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Luke 15.13. to save the Pro∣phets life; thirdly he was fed by the Angell.* 1.237

The Idolaters in Ahabs time bowed their knees to Baal. The Hebrewes have foure words,* 1.238 by the which they expresse the signes of bodily worship. The first is Barach, the bowing of the knee. The second is Cadad, the bowing of the head, from the necke upward. The third is Carang, the bowing downe of the head,* 1.239 with the bulke of the bodie: and the fourth is hishtahave, to cast downe the whole body before them. The Apostle, Rom. 6.13. wills us that we should make all our mem∣bers instruments of righteousnesse to God; but the Ido∣laters made all their members the instruments of sinne to worship their Idols.

* 1.240First, their head; they prayed before their Idols with their heads covered, because the people of the East worshipped their great men with their heads co∣vered, therefore they prayed after the same manner, and honoured their Idols standing before them with their heads covered.* 1.241 Maymonides saith, that religious outward worship should be given after the same man∣ner as they worshipped great men, and he addes, nisi forte sit mos illius loci, ut quis stet coram magnatibus aper∣to capite, that is, unlesse it be the manner of men in that place to stand bareheaded, when they doe reverence to great men; where wee see that the gesture and the man∣ner of praying is to be accommodated to the custome of the place where one lives, and they should testifie their outward reverence b•• such signes as men testifie their reverence to gre•••• 〈…〉〈…〉. This manner of worship varies in sundry parts. Maymonides wrote his Mishna in Egypt, and amongst the Mahumetans who uncover not their heads before great men, but bow only their head before them; and therefore when they pray they uncover not their head: So the Iewes both the priests and people uncover, not the head in time of divine service. The priests had such bonnets upon their heads which could not easily be taken off and put on as ours, and when they came abroad they never uncove∣red their heades; but when they made great lamentati∣on they uncovered their heads, and cast ashes upon them: But the Christians in the West, when they doe reverence to their superiours, they alwayes uncover their heads; and therefore it is the fittest gesture for us to uncover our heads when we pray. The Iewes who live here in Europe, when they are in their synagogues, they never uncover their heads, which is altogether contrary to the custome of Europe: They salute great men here uncovering their heads, and so should they pray according to the canon of Maimonides; but

they do this in despight of the Christians: The Apostle, 1 Cor. 11. wills men to be uncovered, and women to be covered, when they pray, because that was the usuall forme amongst the Grecians, for the men did uncover their heads, when they did any reverence to their su∣periours; and the women had vailes which covered their heads and faces when they came abroad: there∣fore he would not have them uncovered in time of prayer.

Secondly,* 1.242 they worshipped their Idolls by turning their faces to them, and this is properly adorare, ad os o∣rare. So the Lord commands his people that they should not turne their backes to him, but their faces, Ier. 2.27. And the Iewes say, that it was not lawfull for a∣nie when they came to the temple to worship (if they entered in at the East gate) to goe out at the same gate againe, but to goe out at the North gate, least they should turne their backs upon the Lord. The Iewes were commanded when they worshipped the Lord, to turne their faces towards the temple, when they were without it, 1 King. 8. This was to be understood only in their publique worship, then they were bound to turne their faces towards the temple: and so when they wor∣shipped in their synagogues, they turned their faces al∣waies towards the temple; and Daniel,* 1.243 when he was in captivitie opened his window and looked towards the temple when he worshipped; but when they worship∣ped privately in their chambers, they did not this, as when Ezekias turned his face towards the wall and prayed to the Lord: So David in his secret chamber prayed to the Lord, and watered his couch with teares; and Manasseh when he was prisoner in Babylon, repen∣ted, and prayed to the Lord, we cannot thinke that he did this, they turned not their faces towards the temple then.

* 1.244Thirdly, they lifted up their eyes to their Idols, Eze. 18.15. neither hath lifted up his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel. The eye is the messenger of the minde, when the eye is lifted up to the Idols, it testifies that it hath a directon from the minde: The Lord forbiddes them to goe a whoring after their owne eyes, Num. 15.39. When David testifies that he worshipped God sincere∣ly, be saith, unto thee I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwel∣lest in the heavens, Ps. 123.1. Our eyes then should waite upon the Lord, as the eyes of the servants looke unto the hands of their masters, and as the eye of the handmaind unto the hand of her mistrisse, Psal. 123.

* 1.245Fourthly, they kissed their Idols, 1 King. 19.18. Hos. 13.2. they kissed the calves. This kissing was an usuall thing in worshipping of their Idolls, and they used to kisse, either the mouth of the Idoll, or their owne hand; for when they could not reach to kisse the Idoll, they kissed their owne hand in signe of homage to their I∣doll: and Iob purged himselfe of this kinde of Idolatry, neither kissed I my hand, Iob 31. They gave this kisse to their Idols which is due onely to Christ, Kisse the sonne, Psal. 2. So to eate before the Idolls, this is called eating upon the mountaines, Ezech. 22.9. and this is Idola∣trie.

* 1.246Fiftly, they praised their gods, and that three man∣ner of wayes: first, they called upon them with a loud voyce, as they did to Baal, 1 King. 18.16. they called upon him from the morning to the noonetide of the day, and then they were vocales. Secondly, they played upon instruments before their Idols, Dan. 3.15. and then they had vocem femivocalem. Thirdly, they called upon their Idolls secretly within themselves, and then they were muti; & this they called favere linguis in their Liturgie. So the Church of God had these three sorts of wroship which they gave to the true God. First, they had ther publique prayers to the Lord, and there they

were vocales. Secondly, they offered the burnt offe∣rings, and played upon all sorts of instruments; then they were semivocales, 2 Chron. 29.27, 28. And lastly, they prayed within themselves, for so long as the in∣cense was in offering all the people prayed privately by themselves, and all this while there was no voyce heard Luke 1.10. then they were muti, and Iohn Revel. 8. seemes to allude to this custome when he saith, there was silence in the heavens for halfe an houre.

Sixtly, they carried their Idols upon their shoulders; Ier. 10.5. Acts 7.43. Bajulastis in humeris vestris even as the Levites carried the Arke of the covenant upon their shoulders, 1 Kin. 2.26. So they carried their Idols.

Seventhly, they held up their hands to their Idols: The hand is instrumentum instrumentorum,* 1.247 by it (saith Fabius) pollicemur, we promise, vocamus we call, in voca∣mus we incal, dimittimus we dismis; Minamur we threa∣ten, supplicania we intreate, timemus we feare, interroga∣mus we aske, negamus we deny; by the hand we shew our sadnes, our confession, and our repentance; we speake by the hand, Prov. 6.13. He reacheth by his fingers, and he promiseth by his hand, we sweare holding up our hand, or laying on the hand; other parts of the body helpe a man to speake, but a hand seemes to speake for it selfe; we stretch out the hand to that which we would most earnestly apprehend Psal. 119.47. Mine hands also will I l••ft up to thy Commandements whom I have loved, that is, to the Commandements which I desire most ear∣nestly to embrace and lay hold on: So Lament. 3.41. We lift up our heart with our hands to thee Lord: Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands to God, Psal. 68.31. but the Idolaters lifted their hand to their Idols.

Eightly, they bowed their knees to them, that is,* 1.248 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Math. 17.14. they that came to sute for any thing they tooke their Lord by the knees; because

the knees was a signe of mercy, power, and life: and therefore the knees were dedicated to mercy, Servius Aenead. 3.

Dixerat, & genua amplexus genibusque volutans Haerebat.

He saith that the gods had sundry parts of the body dedicated to them, as the eare was dedicated to memo∣ry; the forehead was dedicated to Genius, and the knees to mercie: therefore when they begged for any thing, they tooke them by the knees of whom they begged: in our knees lyeth our abilitie to goe; they are a signe of strength, Esay 35.3. Strengthen our weake knees; and when the Lord threatens a judgement that their strength shall faile them, then he saith, All knees shall be weake like water, Ezeck. 7.17. And as to bow the knee is a signe of weakenesse, and indigencie; so to bow the knee is a signe of dignity and power; And therefore the Egyptians made choise to put the Ele∣phant in their colours, which was a signe of their King∣ly power that bowed not his knee, nor needed not to supplicate or begge any thing from another; there∣fore when the Idolaters bowed their knees before Baal, and touched his knee, they acknowledged his po∣wer, that he had knees like the Elephant, that could not bow; and also their owne weakenesse, falling downe and bowing the knee to him to seeke his helpe: Contrary to this bowing before the Idoll, is the bow∣ing of the knee to the Lord Iesus Christ, Philip. 3. To whom all knees in heaven and earth should bow, Act. 20.36. 2 Chron. 6.13. All bowed their knees in the Tem∣ple of Ierusalem, or stood, but none sate but the King onely, 2 Sam. 7.18. Psal. 135.2.

* 1.249Ninthly, they stood barefooted before their Idols: The people of God when they came before the Lord, he commanded them to reverence his sanctuary; and

the Iewes inferre from this, that they stoode bare-foo∣ted in the Temple, Exod. 3.7. Take off thy shooes because the place where thou standest is holy. So the Temple is a holy place, therefore they inferre that they stood bare∣footed in the Temple: And Exod. 30.19. the Priests are commanded to wash their feete morning and eve∣ning; Therefore it seemes that they stood bare-footed before the Lord; and when all the Priests cloathes are reckoned up, there is nothing spoken of their shooes; by which we may probably gather, that the Iews stood barefooted before the Lord: as that of Iuvenal. Sa∣tyr. 7.

Observant ubi festa mero pede Sabbatha Reges, Et vetus indulget senibus clementia porcis.

And Salomon seemes to allude to this, Eccles. 5.1. when he saith, When thou comest to the house of the Lord looke to thy feete; and with what great reverence thou ascends to the house of Lord: the Chaldee paraphrast paraphrasing upon Cant. 7.2. (how beautifull are thy feete) paraphraseth it thus: How beautifull are thy feete, when thou goest up three times in the yeare to the feasts with thy shooes of badgers skinnes: shooes of badgers skinnes were the most excellent shooes, Ezech. 16.10. but when they entred into the Temple they layd aside their shooes and stood bare-footed. The Iewes at this day before their Synagogues have Iron fastned in the wall wherewith they make cleane their shooes, before they enter into the Synagogue: the Ido∣latrous Priests of Egypt wore nothing but shooes of pa∣per, when they went to worship their Idoll:* 1.250 and a∣mongst the Romans it was not lawfull for the Priests to weare any shooes made of the skinne of the beast which dyed of it selfe:* 1.251 and the Sarafeus learned this from the Iewes, that enter not into their Temple but barefooted: so when the Priests goe bare-footed in

their procession, they do this for the honour of som Idol.

* 1.252Lastly, they dishonoured God with their whole body, and worshipped their Idols, Amos 2.8. and they lay downe upon cloathes, taken into pledge at every Altar, and dranke the wine of the condemned, first they leaned themselves when they did eate at their feasts, this is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Luke 24.30. and then they dranke the wine of the condemned; that is the most excellent wine; for they gave the most excellent wine to those who were going to execution; according to Salomons coun∣sell, Prov. 31.6. Give wine to him that is of a sad heart: This religious falling downe is dew onely to God. 1 Cor. 14.25, he falleth downe upon his face and worshippeth God.

* 1.253A question may be moved here, whether it be lawfull to be present at Idoll service or not, and to give exter∣nall worship to the Idoll by bowing before it, providing that in their mind they have no respect to it, but doe it for some other civill ends? Some goe about by the ex∣ample of Naaman the Syrian to shew that this is lawfull: Caietan chiefely labours to prove that this fact of Naa∣mans was lawfull;* 1.254 and first he saith that this word hishta∣kave, which the Greekes translate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to bow downe, signifies as well civill worship as spirituall, and that Naaman minded nothing else than spirituall wor∣ship, he confesseth the true God, and promiseth that hee will serve none but the true God, and that hee would erect an altar after he returned to his Countrey to the true God, and intended onely after his accustomed manner to goe to the temple of Rimmon,* 1.255 and there to performe civill homage to his King as before; he makes a double bowing of the knee, the first is genuflexio imi∣tationis, the second is genuflexio obsequij: that is, the one for imitation, and the other for obedience: Naa∣mans bowing, of his knee was not for imitation, but onely for obedience, and it was not of the same

kind with the Kings bowing: The question is then on∣ly de genuflexione obsequij, and that is, for bowing for obedience, and this bowing he holds altogether to bee lawfull, and that he bowed himselfe with the King ha∣ving no respect to the Idoll; but onely the respect which hee carried to the King made him to bow. The servant bowed himselfe with the King, and performed that homage to him which he ought; for that is Adoratio absoluta: But when he bowes & worships with him, this is cultus relativus a relative worship, having relation to the Idoll: and hee goes about to cleare the matter by this comparison; If a noble man should goe to a bau∣dy-house, and commit villanie there, the servants fol∣low their master now as at other tymes, but not as he goes to a whore, but if they should flatter their Lord and approve this fact, then they should bee guiltie of his sinne, so (saith he) Naaman goes to the house of Rim∣mon now as at other times, and it was onely but civill worship which he performed there: And when it is ob∣jected that it had a shew of evill to bow in such a place; at such a time with the King; Cajetane answers, that Naaman protested the contrary both in word and deede; but Cajetans comparison halts downe right here; for if the Noble mans servant should goe into the bau∣di-house with him, and see him commit that villanie, could they excuse themselves after this manner, that they gave him but onely civill homage, and respect heere. Therefore this that Cajetan pleades for Naa∣man, will not serve the turne.

Now for the Prophets answere to Naaman (Goe in peace) Naaman comes to be resolved in a case of consci∣ence by the Prophet:* 1.256 The case is whether he may goe with the King to the house of Rimmon or not, and the Prophet is bound to satisfie him in this case, and to setle his conscience. Now for the better understanding of

this, wee must remember that there are foure sorts of conscience,* 1.257 first a good conscience; Secondly, a badde conscience; Thirdly, a doubtfull conscience; Fourth∣ly,* 1.258 a scrupulous conscience: A good conscience is that conscience which concludes truely and comfortablie after this manner; Every commandement of God is to be kept; but to love God is the principall and cheefe command, therefore it is to be kept.

* 1.259A bad conscience is that which reasoneth quite con∣trary to the truth; as when the Anabaptist reasoneth thus, a man must do no unlawfull thing; to sweare is an unlawfull thing, therefore wee must not sweare: Hee takes to sweare, to be an unlawfull thing, mistaking the place,* 1.260 Mat. 5. Sweare not at all. A doubtfull conscience knoweth not which way to incline, but yet it inclines more to the one then the other, Sed cum formidine ad oppositum; that is with some feare to the contrary; Ex∣ample, when the weake Christian doubted in consci∣ence whether hee might eate of that part of the flesh which was sold in the shambles or not, seeing the other parts had beene offered to the Idoll, heere hee doubts whether he might eate or not eate, and yet hee inclines more not to eate, but with some feare to the opposite parts.

* 1.261A scrupulous conscience is that which cleaves onlie to one part, yet so cleaves to it, that it troubles the mind: A superstitious minde although it bee setled in that su∣perstion, yet that conscience is never free without some scruple.

Now to apply this to the question in hand; the pro∣phet had not to doe heere with a man that had a good conscience, as yet, neither had hee to doe with a man that had a badde conscience, neither with a man that had a scrupulous conscience; but with a man of a doubt∣full conscience, doubting which way he should incline;

but yet hee inclined more to goe with the King to the house of Rimmon, as he used to doe before,* 1.262 rather then not to goe: Now if the Prophet should have answered him this way, Goe in peace, that is, goe there for civill worship, and reserve your spirituall worship to God, were not this to daube with untempered morter, Eze. 13.10. he could not doe both civill worship and spirituall worship at once, and at one act: Naaman sought two things of the Prophet, that hee might have so much of that earth to carry with him, that he might build an Al∣tar within his owne countrie. Now apply the Prophets answere (goe in peace) to this,* 1.263 would the Prophet grant that to him, to erect an Altar to the worship of God by himselfe? It cannot bee concedentis heere; granting to him that which he seekes, but it is onely op∣tantis: The Lord grant you peace in minde, and trouble not your selves with these things, that might breede greater trouble in your conscience: The Prophet sometimes sayes, Lech be Shalom, abi in pace,* 1.264 and sometimes Lech le shalom vade ad pacem, Exo. 4.18.* 1.265 which are optantis pacem.

If the Prophet had approved that deede of his,* 1.266 wee marvell, and that justlie, why the martyrs have suffered such cruell torments, rather then they would commu∣nicate with the Idolles in the least peece of service. The Iewes would not so much as cast one stone to the Idoll Mercurius,* 1.267 The which the heathen used in to∣ken of homage: The primitive Church held them who burnt but three graines of frankincense to an I∣doll, to bee apostates:* 1.268 There was a fountaine very curi∣ously built (in the time of Licinius the Emperour) in the midest of the Kings court, and the Image of Bacchus placed above it, and a vine tree had spread her branches round about the court▪ It was a fit place to walke in the shadow in the time of heate: Licinius the Emperour

comes in into the court attended with a great number; amongst the rest was Auxentius a Christian; Licinius (perceiving a branch laden with a cluster of grapes) hee biddes Auxentius cut it downe, which he doth pre∣sently. Secondly, he biddes Auxentius set that branch at the feet of Bacchus, what answers Auxentius? God forbidde Emperour that I should doe this, for I am a Christian; Then Licinius sayes unto him, either doe this, or get you gone and serve me no more; and he pre∣sently loosing his militarie girdle went his way. Those who studdie to be holy, will neither eate the swines flesh, nor keepe the broth in their vessels, Isa. 55.4. In this new convert Naaman, there was many infirmities yet, first he refuseth the meane which the Prophet commanded him to use, to wash him seven times in Iordan; then hee prescribes meanes which he would have the prophet to use in curing of him;* 1.269 Thirdly, he thinkes that the place of Gods worship may be changed, yet notwithstanding the Lord will not quench this smoaking flax; and as in weighing of things, wee grant something to supply the defect of the thing weighed; so the Lord favours his owne, although many things be wanting in them. When a man beholds his face in a round glasse like a boule, his face seemes much lesse then it is, but when a man be∣holds his face in speculo concavo, in a hollow glasse, then it seemes more then it is; but when hee beholds it in a plaine glasse, it seemes just as it is, neither more nor lesse; so when God lookes upon the sinnes of his chil∣dren, either he sees them not at all, or they seeme very little in his sight, hee lookes upon them as in a round glasse; but when Satan lookes upon the sinnes of the children of God, they appeare to him in a hollow glasse, and they seeme more to him then they are; but when God lookes upon the sinnes of the wicked, he sees them in a plaine glasse just as they are.

Although Iehu did destroy Baals priests,* 1.270 and overthrew his altars, yet there was no decrease of Idolatry all this while, for he out of a blind devotion blessed himselfe in his evill, faining that he was high in Gods favour, and should have peace, although he walked in the obstinacie of his owne heart, Deut. 20.19. and because hee was in∣nocent, therefore Gods wrath should turne from him, Ier. 2.35. For he followed no Idolls (what ever men say) Ier. 2.23. but he sweares the Lord liveth, Ier. 5.2. and hee will show by his workes the zeale that hee had for the Lord against Idolaters, 2 King. 10.16. hee will bring his sacrifices and his tithes, Amos 4.5. proclaime free offerings: yea, willing he is to please the Lord, although it should cost him thousands of rammes, or ten thousand rivers of oyle, and to give his first borne the fruite of his body for the sinne of his soule, Micah 6.7. and though he burne incense unto Baal, yet will he come and stand before God in the house whereupon his name is called; and say, I am delivered, Ier. 7.9.10. he will leane upon the Lord and say, Is not the Lord with me, no evill shall come upon mee, neither shall the plague come unto me, neither shall I see the famine, Ier. 5.12. Iehu all this time flattered himselfe, as zealous for the Lord, and he clave still to the sinnes of Ieroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, and never said, there is a lie in my right hand, Es 4••.10.29.

Leaving the Kings of Israel, let us now proceed to the Kings of Iudah.

The first increase of Idolatry in Iudah,* 1.271 after the divi∣sion of the tenne tribes, was in the dayes of Rehoboam, 1 King. 14.22. And Iudah did evill in the sight of the Lord,—and they provoked him to jealousie with their sinnes which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done; for they also built high places, and Images, and groves on every high hill, and under every greene tree.

The decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of

Asa 1 King. 15.11.* 1.272 Hee did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father, Hee tooke away the Idols and destroyed them, and burnt thm by the brooke Kidron, and his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes, vers. 14.

Quest. How could his heart be said to be a perfect heart, seeing hee is taxed with so many grosse sinnes; First, the high places were not removed in his time, 2 Chron. 15.7. Then he was wroth with the Seer, and put him in prison, because he reproved him, 2 Chron. 16. he oppressed the people at that same time, vers. 10. and in his disease hee sought not the Lord but to the Physitians, vers. 12. how could his heart then be a per∣fect heart with the Lord all his dayes?

An. A perfect heart is cald in the scripture, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sin∣cerum non fucatum cor, and it is composed of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifieth the brightnesse of the Sunne, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be∣cause in brightnesse it studieth to follow the Sun. The Sunne may sometimes be overclouded,* 1.273 but yet ap∣peares in his brightnesse againe. So a sincere and a per∣fect heart, although sometimes it be overclouded with sinne, yet it strives to recover its brightnesse againe. E∣very sinne makes not a heart cease to be a perfect heart; but a man that is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of a double minde, or having cor divisum, a divided heart, Hos. 10.2. or a heart and a heart, Psalm. 12.2. hee cannot be said to have a perfect heart. The Lord saith, Deut. 25.13. Thou shalt not have in thy bagge, a stone and a stone, that is, a false weight. So vers. 15. Thou shalt not have an Ephah, and an Ephah, that is, as false measure: so thou shalt not have a heart and a heart, that is a false heart. Those the Apostle, 1 Tim. 3.10. calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, double tongued. The Philosopher proves that a creature is to be judged to be one or moe by the heart, and not by the braine, for if the heart be one, then the creature is

but one, but if there be two hearts, then the creatures are two. There have beene men who have had two heads but one heart; such a one was but one man, al∣though he had two heads, and having but one heart his motion was but one, and his imagination one.* 1.274 But if one have two hearts of a necessitie he must have two heads; Animal est unum per unam animam: So it is in the spiri∣tuall life of a man, if a man have a heart and a heart, then he cannot be said to have a perfect heart, then he makes two men, one for God, and another for the devill, and he hath two sorts of motion and imagination; Salomon calls such a man perversus duarum viarum, Prov. 28.6. and Syrac. 2. Vae peccatori ingredienti duas vias: A tree if the roote and the stocke be one, although the grafts be diverse, yet it is but one tree. So the heart if it be one, although it bring forth some good and some bad fruit, yet it may be a perfect heart.

The heart,* 1.275 although it be blotted with the sinnes a∣gainst the second table, as David was in the matter of Vriah; yet if it be not tainted with Idolatry, it may be a perfect heart still. Secondly, a perfect heart may come short in the internall duties of the first table through in∣credulitie and misbeleefe; as Asa put too much trust in the Physitians in his disease; yet his heart was a per∣fect heart. Thirdly, a man may have a perfect heart, notwithstanding that sinnes of omission be found in him in the worship of God, but not sinnes of commission, as Asa tooke not away the high places, yet his heart was perfect with the Lord.

Let us make a comparison betwixt David, Iosiah,* 1.276 and Asa: David when he brought the Arke from Baal of Iu∣dah, to the house of Obed Edom, he brought it upon a new cart, 2 Sam. 6.3. The Philistines carried the Arke of the Lord upon a cart (It should have beene carried upon the Levites shoulders) David tooke away the

Philistines Emrods and Mice which they put with the Arke, but he left the cart. Iosiah tooke not away the remnants of Baal, Zephan. 1.4. and Asa left the high places unremoved.

* 1.277Secondly, let us compare these three Kings together, Amaziah, Vzziah, and Asa; Amaziah did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a per∣fect heart, 2 Chron. 25.2. the Lord liked of his worke, but not of his heart, he did bonum opus, sed non bene, sed Deus magis delectatur adverbiis quam nominibus, as the Schoolemen speake. Secondly, Vzziah, hee sought the Lord and prospered, 2 Chron. 26.5. hee had some beginnings of Grace in him; this was more than Ama∣ziah had, yet his heart was lifted up, and hee fell a∣way from the Lord, vers. 16. but Asa his heart was a perfect heart with the Lord all the dayes of his life. These three Kings have beene not unfitly compared to the three sort of fruite which the vine brings forth; The first is called Samadar,* 1.278 uva minutula, a little berrie, but very imperfect, which appeares first when the floure falls away, and it withereth and decaieth with the least cold or frost. The second fruit of the vine, is called Bozer Omphax,* 1.279 which is a soure grape, but draw∣eth neare to the nature of the ripe grape, yet when it ripens not, it sets mens teeth on edge, and the third is gnanabh,* 1.280 uva matura, the ripe grape; and they say that Amaziah was but uva minutula, and that Vzziah was Omphax, and Asa was uva matura.

* 1.281Quest. Did not Asa sinne when he made a league with Benhadad King of Syria, he being an Idolater, 1 King. 15.19?

Answ. All leagues with Idolaters are not unlawfull; Abraham made a league with Eshcol, and Aner, Gen. 13.18. So with Abimelech and Phicol, Genes. 21.24. So Isaac with Abimelech, Gen. 26.28. So Iacob with La∣ban,

and David with the King of Ammon; 2 Sam. 10.1. and Asa with Benhadad.

Object. Deut. 17.3. Ye shall not make a league with those nations?

Answ. That is, with the Canaanites, whom they were commanded to destroy. Secondly, the Lord com∣mands, Exod. 22.32. Ye shall not make a covenant with them, and their gods; if their gods came within the covenant, then it was not lawfull to covenant with them, for they would have alwayes worship given to their gods: Asa is reprooved 2 Chron. 16.2.7. for distrusting the Lord, and trusting in the King of Syria;* 1.282 So he is blamed for putting his trust too much in the Physitians in his sickenesse; and not in the Lord; it was no more unlawfull for Asa to make a covenant with Benhadad the King of Syria, no more than it was unlaw∣full for him to send for the Physitians in his sicknesse; But to distrust the Lord and trust too much in the King of Syria, that was Asa his fault.

It was never lawfull to make a league offensive or defensive with Idolaters,* 1.283 Such was the league which was made betwixt Iehosaphat and Ahab, King of Israel, when Iehosaphat said to Ahab, 1 King. 22.4. I am as thou art, and my people as thy people. When the He∣brewes compare two things,* 1.284 and would signifie a paritie betwixt them, then they double the particle Sicut, and the first signifies the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and the second the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Gen. 44.18. Sicut tu, sicut Pharaoh, that is, Pharaoh is like thee, and thou art like Pharaoh, So Deut. 1.17. Ye shall respect no persons in Iudgement, sed sicut parvum, Sicut magnum judicato, that is, have no more respect to the one then to the other, So Gen. 13.10. Sicut hortus do¦mini, sicut terra Egypti, that is, Egypt was like Canaan, and Canaan was like Egypt; So Esay 24.2. Sicut sacer∣dos, sicut populus, that is, the Priest was like the people,

and the people were like the priest; So 1 King. 22.4. I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, that is, thy cause shall be my cause, and my cause shall be thy cause. This league offensiue and defensive was not lawfull, and Iehosaphat his league which he made with Ahaziah, 1 King. 22.29. seemes to be more than a league of peace; for first, he refuseth to joyne with Ahaziah, but afterward he yeelded and joyned with him; and when he was about to send his shippes to the sea, 2 Chron. 2.25. Eleazer the Prophet prophesied against him, saying, Be∣cause thou hast joyned thy self with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works that they were not able to goe to Tarshis.

Quest. What sort of confederacie was this when the Church gave her hand to Egypt? Lament. 5.6.

* 1.285Answ. It was not the hand of confederacie, or a league that they made with Egypt here, but they held out their hand here to begge of the Egyptians, or they gave their hand, that is, they acknowledged them to be subject to the Egyptians, Ter. 50.15. So they gave their hand to Ashur, and begged to be satisfied with bread from him, vers. 6.

* 1.286The second increase of Idolatrie under the Kings of Iudah, was under Ahaz, 2 King: 16.3. He walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel, and made his sonne to passe through the fire.

* 1.287There are three things especially layed to the charge of Ahaz: first, that he made his sonnes passe through the fire: Secondly, that he brought the paterne of the altar from Damascus, and caused them to make the like, and set it up in Ierusalem: Thirdly, that he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who smote him, 2 Chron. 28.23.

* 1.288First, hee caused his children to passe through the fire according to the abominations of the Gentiles: The Gentiles used first to carrie their children round about the fire, and these were cal∣led

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Secondly, they caused their children to passe through the fire, and this was called Lustratio: Thirdly some of them cruelly murthered and offered their children to Moloch, Psal. 130.4.* 1.289 The Lord com∣plained Ezech. 16.21. that they slew his children and caused them to passe through the fire:* 1.290 hee cals them his children, that is, the first borne who opened the wombe who belonged to the Lord; They did not onely offer 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, the child who was first borne, But also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the first begotten childe, 2 Kings 1.23. they were not onely content to offer 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, yea if they had but one sonne 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they would have offered him to Moloch; Abraham had but one sonne who was his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 whom he begat in his old age; and him he would have offered to the Lord, So they neither spared 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, nor 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Carthaginians sacrificed their children to Moloch; and those who had no children of their owne, they would goe and buy the poore children, as though they had beene Lambes, and the mother stood by not wee∣ping or crying; and if they cryed there was a fine set upon their head, and there was nothing heard in the meane time, but beating of drummes, and sounding of instruments, that they might not heare the screaches of the poore infants;* 1.291 this was just after the manner of the Iewes, who burnt their children in Tophet, and beate upon drummes, and sounded instruments,* 1.292 that they should not heare their cries, and therefore the place was called Tophet from Taphath pulsare.

When the father offered one of the children to Mo∣loch,* 1.293 he beleeved that for the offering of this one child God would blesse all the rest; But see what the Lord sayes against this abhomination, Levit. 20.5. I will set my face against that man and against his familie. The Lord threatens not onely to cut him off, that

wrought such abomination, but his family also; The Lord threatned Ier. 7.32. that Tophet should no more be called so, but Aceldama 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, vallis occisorum; because the Idolatrous Kings were killed there who offered their children to Moloch.

The second thing which Ahaz is blamed for, is this, that hee caused to bring the paterne of the altar of Da∣mascus, and to make the like, and set it up at Ierusalem.

* 1.294Ahaz is blamed heere for adding to Gods worship: In measuring of things the Lord commands that there be a just measure, and that the thing sold bee suffi∣cient in quantity and qualitie: a thing may be sufficient in quantitie, but not in qualitie; As when they mixed their wine with water, and their silver with drosse, Isa. 1. heere they sold enough in quantitie, but the qua∣litie was badde: So when they sold that which was good, but not enough of it, with a Leane measure as the Prophet calles it.

The Lord requires the full measure heere, and hee would have it to runne over, Luke 6.38. But hee that had any thing superfluous in his body could not bee a Priest to the Lord, Lev. 21.18. So no beast that had any superfluous part might be offered to the Lord, Lev. 21.18. That is that which the Lord himselfe forbiddes Deut. 4.2.* 1.295 Yee shall neither adde nor pare from my Law, Prov. 30.16. put nothing to his words, least hee reprove thee, and thou be found a lyer: They say that morall ver∣tues admitt Latitudinem quandam, But Gods worship must be observed in puncto mathematico, there must no∣thing be added to it, or taken from it.

* 1.296Ahaz caused the Altar to be removed, hee tooke a∣way the Altar and put the Altar of Damascus in the place of the altar which was the speciall place of Gods worship, & therfore the Lord appropriates it to himself and calles it his altar, Mal. 1.10. as they are called his

Priests, and Prophets, Psal. 105.15. The Altar was the place that sanctified the sacrifice, and not the sacrifice the Altar, Mat. 23.19. The Altar was the place where God shewed signes of his mercy, Jsa. 6.6. and there slew one of the Seraphimes unto mee, having a live coale in his hand, which hee had taken with the tonges from off the altar and layed it upon my mouth, and said, Loe, this hath touched thy lippes, and thy iniquitie is taken a∣way, and thy sinne purged; heere the altar was a type of Iesus Christ, of whom we get all sanctifying graces: This was done in the dayes of Ahaz, Isa. 6.10. and yet Ahaz nothing respects the Altar: The altar was the place of refuge to save poore men, yet Ahaz was not a∣fraid to meddle with it.

He reserved the Lords altar to his owne private uses, 2 King. 16.15. But Mica reserved the altar of Damas∣cus for all the sacrifices both of the King and of the peo∣ple,* 1.297 this is a just paterne of politickes who make religion but a handmaid to them, they will use it how and where they list; he will keepe the brasen altar still, but it was of no great request with him, hee will not thrust it out of dores, least he might seeme altogether to dsepise the religion of his fathers; yet he preferres the altar of Da∣mascus to it, as being more glorious in show, and for friendship with the King of Damascus.

The third thing which Ahaz is blamed for is this,* 1.298 that hee offered to the gods of Damascus who smote him, 2 Chron. 28.23. This is that Ahaz, verse 22. kimhi wri∣ting upon the 119 Psal. notes, when (This) is set be∣fore some names in Scripture, it signifies some great Apostasie and defection, as Gen. 36.49. This is Esau the father of the Edomites, So Num. 26.9. This is Da∣than, So 2 Chron. 28.22. This is Ahaz,* 1.299 which points that he was a notable Idolater, and the Hebrewes com∣pare Ahaz and Amaziah together; and they apply

that proverbe to these two Kings (We have weeped unto you, and yee have not mourned, wee have piped unto you, and yee have not danced) I was angry with Ahaz, and gave him into the hand of the King of Damascus, yet he went and worshipped his gods; there was all the mour∣ning which I got for my weeping: Then I piped to A∣maziah, and gave him that was King of Edom captive into his hands, yet hee went and worshipped his gods when he had taken them captive; and there was all the dancing which I got for my piping.* 1.300

The decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Ezekias, 2 King. 18.4. He removed the high places, and brake the Images, and cut downe the groves, &c.

* 1.301Ezekias succeeded Ahaz: Moses Gerundensis com∣menting upon Deut. 7. saith, that God deferres to punish wicked men in this life for three causes; First, hee gives them this way leasure to repent them of their sinnes. Secondly, he deferres their judgements, because of some act which they have to doe, as the Iudge spareth the malefactor with child, untill she have brought forth her birth.* 1.302 And thirdly, because some good men are to come of them: And so he deferred the punishment of Ahaz, because Ezekias was to come of him; and of Shimei, because Mordecai was to come of him.

* 1.303There are foure things recorded of Ezekias his zeale; First, this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he brake the brasen serpent, be∣cause the people worshipped it, although it was a type of Iesus Christ, who was the serpent lift up in the wil∣dernesse,* 1.304 Ioh. 3.14. and calls it in contempt Nehushtan, that little peece of brasse; for the Hebrewes when they forme their diminitives, they adde Nun to them, as Ieshurun, Deut. 33.5. Et fuit Rex apud rectulum. So Ishon pupilla, & Sabbaton Sabbatulum.

The second thing which Ezekias did was when he took away the booke which Salomon wrote of Hearbs and

Physicke, which was affixed on the gates of the Tem∣ple; Ezekias pulled it downe,* 1.305 because the people neg∣lected the Lord to seeke their health of him, and did trust too much in this booke.

The third thing which Ezekias did, was that he shut the gates of the temple that the King of Ashur might not enter into them.

The fourth thing which he did was quod traxerat ossa patris sui super lecto funium, he caused a bed of cords to be made, and drew his fathers bones up and downe in it; he did this in detestation of his fathers Idolatry, he would not burne his bones as he did the bones of the Idolatrous Kings, Ier. 8.1. Nor let them lye unburied, but this much he did to them and then buried them a∣gaine; this is set downe in the Thalmud of him.

The next increase of Idolatry was under Manasseh, 2 King. 21.2. And hee did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord, after the abhominations of the heathen,* 1.306 whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel; for he built up againe the high places which Ezekias his father had destroyed, and he reared up Altars to Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab King of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he built Altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, in Ierusa∣lem will I put my name: and he built Altars for all the Host of heaven, in the two courts of the house of the Lord: and he made his sonne passe through the fire, and observed times, and used inchantments, and dealt with familiar spi∣rits, and wizzards, he wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger, and hee set a graven Image of the grove which he had made, in the house, of which the Lord said to David, and Salomon his sonne, In this house and in Ierusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel will I put my name for ever.

There are three speciall sinnes marked in Manasseh,* 1.307

first that hee built altars for all the host of heaven into the two courts of the house of the Lord: Secondly, that hee worshiped the Sunne, the Moone, and the starres: And thirdly, that he worshipped the devilles.

First, he set up Idolls both in the court of the people, and the court of the Priests: The Hebrewes observe di∣vers degrees of holinesse, which they kept in the land of Canaan; first the land it selfe is called holy, Zach. 2.16. and the land of Iehovah, Hos. 3. and the land of Im∣manuel, Isa. 8.8. All other lands were called a polluted land, Amos 7.17. The second degree of holinesse within the land of Canaan, they observe to be within the walled townes; for they suffered no leaper to bee within them; neither buried they their dead with∣in them, therefore they counted them more holie then the rest of the land. The third degree they make to be in Ierusalem; there were some things which they might eate in Ierusalem, but not in the rest of the Land, they were holie things, but not holy in the high∣est kinde which they might eate there, as the Paschall lambe, and the tythes of the third yeare; These they eate in Ierusalem, but not in the temple: The fourth de∣gree of holinesse that they make to bee in the temple, was, that it was lawfull for no stranger to come within the court of the Israelites; And their were keepers ap∣pointed, who suffered them not to come in there. 1 Cor. 9.* 1.308 And these were called ••agnale pekudoth, domini pra∣fectura; they suffered no strangers to come in here, neither in Israelite if he were uncleane; this was a holier place then the court of the Gentiles, and if an Israelite were uncleane, he behoved to wash himself, and he was uncleane till the evening, Levi. 15.16. The fift degree of holinesse was, that no Israelite might come within the court of the Priests, which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The sixt degree of holinesse was betwixt the porch and the altar

where Zacharie was stoned, no Priest might enter heere if he had a blemish in his body, or whose head was un∣covered, or if his cloathes were torne. The seventh de∣gree of holinesse was the holy place it selfe where the golden altar stood, no Priest might enter in heere, un∣lesse his feete and hands were washed.

By these degrees wee may understand how abhomi∣nable a thing it was for the Kings of Israel and Iudah to have defiled his land with their Idols, Ier. 16.18. and first I will recompence their sin and their iniquity double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcasses of the detestable and abomi∣nable things. And then Manasseh his Idolatry exceeded, who set up Idoles both in the court of the people, and in the court of the priests.

Manasseh also sacrificed to all the host of heaven. A∣mongst the rest of Gods names, hee is called in the Scripture Gueliion supreme or high Lord, and the greek is framed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from this; And they worshipped the sun, which they called the queene of heaven; they cal∣led her the queene, because Shemesh the sunne, is in the faeminine gender. The heavens are the Lords,* 1.309 Psal. 115.16. but he hath given the earth to the sonnes of men. Man hath a commandement in the earth, and the Lord hath put under his feet all the beasts of the field, and the fi∣shes of the sea, Psal. 8. These corruptible things the Lord hath made subject to man, and hee hath power o∣ver them, and may use them as their Lord for his ser∣vice, and maintenance: but hee hath not granted such dominion to man over the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starrs; He is but heere Vsuarius, hee is partaker of the heate and light of the sunne, he who hinders him from that, doth him wrong; Thus farre the sunne serves him, and therefore the sunne is called Shemesh from Shamesh ministrare, but yet man hath absolute dominion over

the Sun, & the Moone, therefore Christ Matth. 5. saith, that God causeth his Sun so rise upon the good and the bad, the dominion over the sunne belongs only to God.

* 1.310Hence it followes, that they are grosser Idolaters, who worship those bodies over which they have domi∣nion, then those who worships the Sun and the Moone; They are full Lords of the first, but they are usuarij Te∣nents, who hath the use onely of the second: These I∣dolaters had Images for the Sunne, Isa. 17.8. which they call Chammanim. And Beniamin in Itinerario de∣scribes them after this manner, there is a people in the land of Cush, which much beholds the starres, and wor∣ships the Sunne as their God, having many altars built without the towne of great stones, and earlie in the mor∣ning they goe out of the towne, to see the Sun, and they have Images consecrate to the Sunne upon every altar made round like the Sun built by magick,* 1.311 and when the Sun riseth, these round circles seeme to burne, and they make a great noyse, and every one both man & woman, hath a censere in his hand, & offers some incense to the Sun, they have horses also dedicate to the Sun after the manner of the Persians; Iosias tooke away these horses dedicate to the Sun, 2 King. 23.11. they used to ride up∣on these horses, when they went to worship the Sunne: The Lord promises, Ier. 13. that he would breake down the image of Beth Shemesh, which was the house of the sunne, and the Egyptians met yearely to worship the Sun in the temple, which was dedicated to the Sunne.

* 1.312So they worshipped the starres in Manasses time; they worshiped the starres; first because of their great light and beauty: Secondly, because of their influxe into the bodies below heere; and Thirdly, because they thought them living creatures; and some Physitians held that man was opus siderum, and that in his conception and ge∣neration he got his spirit from the Sun, & his body from

the Moone, and his concupiscence from Venus, and his witt from Mercurie, and his desire from Iupiter, and his blood from Mars, and his humours from Saturne.

Worshipers of the starres Gnobh de Kohabhim umasa∣loth, cultores stellarum & planetarum,* 1.313 of old they cal∣led all the gentiles,* 1.314 who had no knowledge of the true God, and now they appropriate this name to those Christians who worship Idoles.

Lastly, Manasses worshiped the infernall spirits, and herein he exceeded all the rest of the Idolaters.

The decrease of this Idolatry was, when Manasses repented hartily before his death,* 1.315 when he lay fettered in Babell, 2 Chron. 33. and being restored to the King∣dome, tooke away the strange Gods, and Altars, and Images, which hee had made, and restored in Iudah Gods true religion, except onely that the people sacrificed in the high places.

So the decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Iosias. Iosias did sundry things for the purging of this Idolatry, 1 King. 23. first he put downe the Idolatrous Priests, their Chemarim, who were blacke with the smoake of their sacrifices; secondly, he polluted, To∣phet, that is, hee appointed it for a place to cast out all their filth, and their dead carkasses; that so the people should commit no more Idolatrie there: Hee polluted that place, that is, hee appointed it for pollution,* 1.316 see Lev. 13. the Priest shall pollute him, that is, he shall judge him to be polluted; so Deut. 20.6. He that hath plan∣ted a vineyard, and hath not prophaned it; that is, who hath not turned it to a prophane use, for the fruit trees, when they were planted in Israel, the first three yeares none might eate of them; for they were holden un∣cleane, and the fourth yeare they were holy for the Priest to eate of them, and then the fift yeare they were common and prophane, that the people might eate

of them, Ier. 31.5. they shall plant vine trees upon the mountaines of Samaria, and shall eate them as prophane things.

Iosias polluted this Tophet: It was called before Vallis Hinuom, afterward it was called Gehenna; there was in it Esh tamid,* 1.317 a continuall fire to burne the bones, and the fith which was cast there; and because of the cruell torments which was used in it:* 1.318 therefore Gehe∣nna is called hell, and Christ alludes to this, Mat. 5.22. He is worthie of the fire of Gehenna, so Isa. 66.24. seemes to allude to the punishment of hell taken from the pu∣nishment of those whose bodies were burnt there: And they shall goe forth and looke upon the Carkasses of the men that have transgressed against mee, for there worme shall not die, neither shall the fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. The carkasses of those that were cast into the valley of Tophet, were full of wormes, and the fire never died out there; so the fire of hell burnes continually, and the worme of one evill conscience shall gnaw them continually.

* 1.319The valley of Tophet, was called Gehenna; It is usuall in the scripture to compare Ierusalem Anagogice to the Church, Gal. 4.26. So those places that are with∣out Ierusalem are compared to hell, and to the torments thereof catagogice, as the lake of Sodom which burnt with fire and brimstone, Rev. 19.20. was a type of hell, so Gehenna, Mat. 5. So the winepresse of the wrath of God was without the citie, Rev. 14.20. so Mat. 8.12. he shall be cast into utter darkenesse: utter darkenesse is an allusion to the darke prison which Peter was put in without the city, Act. 12.10. And therefore the wicked are said to be excluded out of the holy citie, new Ierusalem, Le. 20. secondly hee polluted the graves of the Idolatrous Kings, Princes, and Priests, Ier. 8.1. hee caused to take out the bones of the Idolatrous Kings of Iudah, & of the

Princes, and of the Priests, and spread them before the sunne, and the moone, and all the host of heaven whom they loved they shall not be gathered nor buried, but lie like dung upon the field.

Thirdly he brake to peeces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. 2 King. 25.14.

Fourthly, he caused to take the bones of the Priests out of the sepulchers, & burne them upon the altars, 1. Kin. 23.18. but the sepulcher of the man of God (who pro∣claimed these things, which Iosias did against the altar of Bethel,) he touched not; Iosias made a reformation here of the whole land; as well of Ierusalem as of Be∣thell; Iosias did uprightly as his father David had done, and trembled at Gods lawes and Iudgements, 2 Chron. 34.2. yet the people would not heare the words of the prophets, Ier. 25.3.4. calling them from their Idolatrie, They sought, not the Lord but worshipped the host of hea∣ven, Zeph. 1.5. remaining frozen in their dregges. ve. 12. and shewed themselves to be a nation not worthy to be belo∣ved, Zeph. 2.1.

The rest of the Kings of Iudah untill the captivity set forward this Idolatrie more or lesse,* 1.320 & Lyke a leprosie it overspread them all, Pro. 24.30. I went by the field of the sloathful, & by the vineyard of the man void of understan∣ding & loe it was all growne over with thornes, and nettles, had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken downe. The Docters of the Iewes by way of Al∣legorie apply this to the Kingdome of Iudah, and to the Kings of it; And they say, Ahaz was the slothfull man, and Manasses was the foolish man, Ammon and Iehoia∣kim planted the nettles, and the thornes, and last the house it selfe, the temple was destroyed in the dayes of Zedekias, then the stone was broken downe. Now when the Church waxed old in her adulteries, God said

now shall she and her fornications come to an end, Ezechiel 23.43.

Now all these things are written for ensamples and they are written for our admonitions, upon whom the endes of the world are come, 1 Cor. 10.11. that we should not be Jdolaters as they, 1 Cor. 10.6.7.

* 1.321At last this Idolatrie was buried in the captivitie, and never revived againe amongst the Iewes: The three children of Israel could not bee drawne by any meanes to bow before the golden image, which Nabuchad∣nazor set up, neither could the Iewes in Babylon be any wayes moved to doe any worshippe to Belus; And Mordecai in the captivity refused to give religious ho∣nour to Haman; so after the captivity of Vespatian they detested Idoles: Peter in his Epistle salutes the Iewes dispersed through Pontus, Bithynia, Capadocia, which hee would not have done if they had beene Idolaters: and they gloried most in this, that they detested Idolls, Rom. 2.23. thou who abhorres Idoles, (he is speaking here to the Iewes) And as often as they remember of the great judgements that have befallen them, they burst forth in these words, Non accidit tibi O Israel ulla ultio, in qua non sit uncia de iniquitate vituli, that is, there is no judgement which hath befallen thee O Israel in which there is not an ounce weight of the sinne of the golden calfe, and they call the temples wherein Idoles are worshipped,* 1.322 Beth haturphan domum turpitudinis, the house of filthinesse, and when they see the shaven popish priests they call them Kumarim;* 1.323 these Cemarim were the Priests who sacrificed to the host of heaven all in blacke or soiled with the smoake of the sacrifices,* 1.324 and they count them but like the heathen Priests and Camilli. The Iewes when they detest a thing they call it Pesall from Pesall,* 1.325 which signifieth an Idoll. When Pi∣late and Petronius were presidents of Iudea, they tryed

by all meanes to set up the images of Caligula and Tibe∣rias in the temple, but the Iewes withstood them; Iose∣phus, lib. 18. cap. 4. & 10. And the Iewes at this day will not suffer in their Kalenders not so much as these three markes, ☉ ☾ ✶. As this Idolatry of the Jewes was buried in the captivitie, so wee hope that the Idolatrie which is now, shall bee buried and quite abolished be∣fore the second comming of Christ.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Whence Idolatrie tooke the beginning.
• * 1.2

  Men set up first images in remembrance of their fathers, and af∣terward fell to wor∣ship them.
• * 1.3

  The devill made them beleeve that images were sent downe from God.
• * 1.4

  The devill made men beleeve that images made with mens hands had some divine power assisting them.
• * 1.5

  Men fained gods to themselves according to their severall incli∣nations.
• * 1.6

  Vide Amianum dego es de rebus ethiopicis, lib. 3
• * 1.7

  God hath reserved three things to him∣selfe which he will not communicace to creatures.
• * 1.8

  God hath reserved his glory for himselfe.
• * 1.9

  In every sinne there is an a version from God and a turning to the creature.
• * 1.10

  Idolaters refuse the most excellent and choose the vilest.
• * 1.11

  The Angels have al∣wayes refused divine worship.
• * 1.12

  Idolatrie dissolves the marriage betwixt Christ & his Church.
• * 1.13

  Foure things are con∣sidered in Religion.
• * 1.14

  When men consider not the great majestie of God, and their own basenesse they fall into Idolatrie.
• * 1.15

  This sinne is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Mark. 7.21. ab 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ostendo, quasi digit is pedum insistens supra caeteros caput extollit se∣que conspiciendum prae∣bet; Sic metitur se perse, 2 Cor. 10.12.
• * 1.16

  The Lord mocked and tanted Idolaters and Idols.
• * 1.17

  No sinne hath so many shifts for it as Idolatry hath.
• * 1.18

  Why the Lord describes Idolatry in such plaine tearmes.
• * 1.19

  What signifies to set up an image before God.
• * 1.20

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.21

  So long as the Lord lives no image must set up before him.
• * 1.22

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.23

  In no place an image must be set up before him.
• * 1.24

  Neither privately.
• * 1.25

  Neither publickely.
• * 1.26

  Elegans paranomafia.
• * 1.27

  Plutarch in the life of Solon. Codice titulo. l. Grac∣chus Covaruvius de matrimonio. 2. p. c. 7 7.
• * 1.28

  A formall Idolater and a materiall Idolater.
• * 1.29

  The conception of God is verus analogicus or falsus.
• * 1.30

  God onely hath a true conception of himself.
• * 1.31

  A conception of God by way of analogie is not a false conception.
• * 1.32

  What is a false con∣ception of God.
• * 1.33

  To set Christ God and man before us is the way to keepe us from a false conception.
• * 1.34

  The formall Idolater worships the image. The materiall Idola∣ter makes the image.
• * 1.35

  Idols have sundry names in Scripture.
• * 1.36

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.37

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.38

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.39

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.40

  Adiectivum perpetuum and adiectivum distin∣ctionis. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.41

  Idoles are nothing pri∣vative but not negative
• * 1.42

  Lib. 1. panariae. Epiphanius reduces, the periods of Idolatry into foure.
• * 1.43

  How long Barbarisme indured.
• * 1.44

  Of Barbarisme and Schythisme. See Col. 3.2. and 2.11.
• * 1.45

  How long Scythisme indured.
• * 1.46

  How long Hellenisme indured. Why the Syriackes put alwaies an Ara∣mite for an Idolater.
• * 1.47

  How long Samarita∣nisme indured.
• * 1.48

  The Church was first in a familie.
• * 1.49

  Secondly, dispersed through a nation.
• * 1.50

  Thirdly, scattered through the world.
• * 1.51

  When the Church was in a family.
• * 1.52

  The people of God were ruled three waies.
• * 1.53

  Lib. 1. Halach. 4. cap. 1.
• * 1.54

  Two sorts of defects in a Church, defects in manners, and defects in doctrine. We are not to leave a Church for corruption of manners.
• * 1.55

  Errors of doctrine are, 1 Praeter fundamentum.
• * 1.56

  2 Circa fundamentum.
• * 1.57

  3 Contra fundamentum.
• * 1.58

  Abraham left his father and countrey for Gods cause. Primum vinculum est fortius secundo.
• * 1.59

  God can chuse out of any societie some to himselfe, except out of hell.
• * 1.60

  When God would teach his people thank∣fulnesse, he wills them to looke backe first to their naturall estate.
• * 1.61

  Secondly to their poore estate.
• * 1.62

  Iacob was called a Sy∣rian, not that he was borne there, but be∣cause he dwelt there with Laban; So Christ is called a Nazaret, be∣cause he dwelt there.
• * 1.63

  And thirdly, to re∣member their Idolatry.
• * 1.64

  The increase.
• * 1.65

  Idols are a dangerous treasure to carrie about.
• * 1.66

  Rachel being a private woman should not have taken away her fathers god.
• * 1.67

  Hist. tripart. lib. 10. cap. 30.
• * 1.68

  The decrease.
• * 1.69

  The second increase of Idolatrie.
• * 1.70

  The Lord reckons this as one of his greatest favours to his people, that he brought them out of Egypt.
• * 1.71

  In what sense it was forbidden to the peo∣ple to goe backe againe to Egypt.
• * 1.72

  The next increase of Idolatry in the Wil∣dernesse.
• * 1.73

  The Idolatry of Egypt was a baser sort of Ido∣latry, then the Idola∣try of the Assirians.
• * 1.74

  The Idolatrie of Egypt was a baser sort of Ido∣latry then the Idolatry of the Assirians.
• * 1.75

  Aaron made the gol∣den calfe.
• * 1.76

  Aaron sinned not of ignorance.
• * 1.77

  The greatnesse of Aarons sinne may be taken up by the great∣nesse of the sacrifice of the high Priest which was to expiate the sin.
• * 1.78

  By Aarons committing this sinne wee are taught the infirmities of the Leviticall Priesthood.
• * 1.79

  Idolaters are very pro∣digall in bestowing things of great cost upon the Idoles.
• * 1.80

  The three ages of the Church of the Iewes, the golden are, the silver age, and the yron age.
• * 1.81

  Idolatrie is a great sin, because it is committed immediately against God.
• * 1.82

  There are some carnall sins, and some spirituall sinnes.
• * 1.83

  Where there is a grea∣ter motive to sinne, the sinne is the lesse.
• * 1.84

  Lib. 1. Sacrae scripturae chap. 15. which booke is holden, to be Augu∣stines.
• * 1.85

  Whether the Idoll which they worshipped was a calfe or an oxe.
• * 1.86

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.87

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.88

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.89

  Whether it was the head of a calfe which they worshipped or not?
• * 1.90

  By what slight the de∣vill continued this I∣dolatry in Egypt to worship the calfe.
• * 1.91

  August. de civit. dei. lib. 18. cap. 5.
• * 1.92

  Peucerus de divinatione. pag. 223.
• * 1.93

  The decrease of this Idolatrie.
• * 1.94

  The second increase of Idolatrie in the wildernesse.
• * 1.95

  How are the Israelites charged by Amos, and by Stephen to have worshipped the host of heaven in the wil∣dernesse, when there is no mention made of this by Moses.
• * 1.96

  The Scripture sets downe in some places that which is omitted in others, and that makes up the full sense of the Scriptures.
• * 1.97

  In what sense the Isra∣elites are said not to have sacrificed to the Lord all the time they were in the wilder∣nesse.
• * 1.98

  Eederech ketzera.
• * 1.99

  Their Idolatry.
• * 1.100

  Seldon de dijs Syriis.
• * 1.101

  The third increase of Idolatry in the wilder∣nesse.
• * 1.102

  It is an easie thing for men to fall from spiri∣tuall adultery to cor∣porall. & contra.
• * 1.103

  The Israelites pilgri∣mage through the wil∣dernesse, fitly resembles the estate of a Chri∣stian mans life here.
• * 1.104

  The decrease.
• * 1.105

  The fourth increase of Idolatry in the wilder∣nesse.
• * 1.106

  Iunius upon Iude.
• * 1.107

  Great hath beene the strife alwaies about religion.
• * 1.108

  The bodies of the saints may bee made Idols both living and dead.
• * 1.109

  Satan goes from an ex∣te••mitie to another.
• * 1.110

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Origenes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Libro 3. cap. 2.
• * 1.111

  What duties wee are bound to perfore to the dead.
• * 1.112

  The decrease of this Idolatrie.
• * 1.113

  It is said of Moses, D••ut. 34.7. that he dy∣ed ad osculum oris dei, which Salomon Iarchi paraphraseth, at a kisse: of the mouth of God: Death was a kisse of the mouth of God to him.
• * 1.114

  He buried his body Where no man knew, ad 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for the abo∣lishing of Idolatry.
• * 1.115

  Cap. 4. de divinis nomi nibus part. 4.
• * 1.116

  Tobh
• * 1.117

  Kish. Kush.
• * 1.118

  The fourth is the pu∣nishment.
• * 1.119

  Gershon par. 3.
• * 1.120

  Of the increase of Ido∣latry in the time of the Iudges.
• * 1.121

  All their Idols were Baalim and some had a proper name for di∣stinction sake.
• * 1.122

  The Lord refused to be called Baal.
• * 1.123

  Verbum sublatum.
• * 1.124

  Verbum exoletum.
• * 1.125

  God charges his Church not to take this name Baal in their mouth.
• * 1.126

  To name the names of Idols for distinction sake and for a civill use is no sinne.
• * 1.127

  Why the tribe of Reu∣ben changed the names of Neb and Baalmeon.
• * 1.128

  The Lord would not communicate in any thing with Idols.
• * 1.129

  Why the groves are: called Ashera. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.130

  The Idolaters preten∣ded the example of the saints for their Ido∣latrie.
• * 1.131

  P. Shophet.
• * 1.132

  The decrease of this Idolatry.
• * 1.133

  Five illapses of the spi∣rit.
• * 1.134

  The second increase of Idolatrie.
• * 1.135

  The decrease.
• * 1.136

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.137

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.138

  The third increase of Idolatry. A difference betweene nest gods and strange gods.
• * 1.139

  The Iewes who wor∣shipped Idols were of three sorts. First, those who wor∣shipped Iebovah by their Idods.
• * 1.140

  The second were those who worshipped strange Gods, but not the gods of their fa∣thers.
• * 1.141

  Thirdly, those who willingly chose new gods and not by the perswasion of others.
• * 1.142

  Whether those sinned more, who worsh••pped the true God by false meanes, or those who worshipped false gods by false meanes?
• * 1.143

  The sinne of him who sweare: a truth by a false god is greater than his sinne who sweares a falsehood by the true god.
• * 1.144

  The decrease.
• * 1.145

  The fourth increase of Idolatry.
• * 1.146

  The decrease.
• * 1.147

  Whether Gideon tempted the Lord when he asked a signe of him.
• * 1.148

  The Israelites tempt∣ed the Lord tenne times in the wilder∣nesse through unbe∣liefe.
• * 1.149

  Wee tempt God when wee desire of him a signe for cu∣riositie.
• * 1.150

  The first increase of Idolatrie.
• * 1.151

  Gideon made this E∣phod not to be an I∣doll, but to be a re∣membrance of thanks∣giving for their deli∣verance as the Reube∣nites set up an altar in the other side Iordan.
• * 1.152

  To die in a good old age comprehends foure things.
• * 1.153

  Gideon his Ephod was afterward made an Idoll.
• * 1.154

  Foure singular privi∣ledges of a good conscience when it stipulates with God which an evill con∣science hath not, when it stipulates with Idols.
• * 1.155

  Perkiavoth cap. 4.
• * 1.156

  What a judgement be∣fell Abimelech for rob∣bing of his Idoll.
• * 1.157

  Caelius Rodoginum. pag. 298.
• * 1.158

  Whether he commits Sacriledge who robes an Idolls
• * 1.159

  The sixt increase.
• * 1.160

  When the Hebrewes joynes the masculine and the faeminine to∣gether then they signi∣fie many.
• * 1.161

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.162

  There were many gods in Syria according to the severall divisions of it.
• * 1.163

  A difference betweene the true religion and the false.
• * 1.164

  The decrease.
• * 1.165

  Verbum kum conti•••••• alteri verbo absque copu∣la praemissum agilitatem & expeditionem notat atta takum:
• * 1.166

  The seventh increase.
• * 1.167

  Many irregularities in this, when Micah con∣secrated his sonne to be a Priest.
• * 1.168

  The first irregularitie.
• * 1.169

  Moses was first a Priest and consecrated the Priestes to the Lord.
• * 1.170

  The Priesthood in the wrong line in Eli his time, in Ahitob his time, in Ahi•••• his time, and his brother Abimelech, his time, in Abiather, his time, and the restored to the right line in Sa∣dock.

  The Priests who came of Ithamar and did consecrate, being in the wrong line, pecca∣runt usurpatione tituli, yet there consecration was valid.
• * 1.171

  No consecration 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Church. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.172

  Three sorts of Ephod.
• * 1.173

  Kingly governement of the best governement.
• * 1.174

  A magistrate must have a care both for maintenance of religi∣on and Iustice.
• * 1.175

  The Levites might not sacrifice.
• * 1.176

  The calling of the Le∣vites and the priests were two distinct cal∣lings.
• * 1.177

  The eight increase.
• * 1.178

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Manasses studio, & imitatione impietatis, Mosis silius prosapia.
• * 1.179

  The faithfull who are within the covenant, must comfort them∣selves by looking up to their good prede∣cessors, and not to their bad posterity.
• * 1.180

  Ʋide Sheldan de suc∣successione haebreorum.
• * 1.181

  Verna domus quid.
• * 1.182

  The children of the handmaid were their masters, and David alludes to this.
• * 1.183

  Fathers transmits to their children origi∣nall sinne onely.
• * 1.184

  The Idolaters prefer∣red their Idols to all that which was most deare to them.
• * 1.185

  Caelius pag. 689.
• * 1.186

  Seneca declamationum. 4
• * 1.187

  In Israel they had sun∣dry dialects whereby they were discerned.
• * 1.188

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.189

  What the Hebrewes meane by gathering of the soule.
• * 1.190

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.191

  The Tribe of Dan fell first to Idolatry, and therefore were carried away first to captivity.
• * 1.192

  This Idolatry of the tribe of Dan laffed to the captivitie.
• * 1.193

  By the day of the cap∣tivity is meant the cap∣tivity of the Phistimes when the Arke was ta∣ken.
• * 1.194

  The greatest Iudgment befell them when the Arke was taken away.
• * 1.195

  A filthy fact commit∣ted in Gibeah at this time.
• * 1.196

  The Beniamines pre∣vaile against the Israe∣lites because of their Idolatrie.
• * 1.197

  Idolatry exceedes the sinne of Gibeah and the sinne of Sodom, and matcheth bestialitie.
• * 1.198

  Of the increase of Ido∣latry under Somuel.
• * 1.199

  What is signified by powring out water before the Lord.
• * 1.200

  There were three kings of Iudah most excel∣lent Kings.
• * 1.201

  A collation betwixt the Kings of Egypt, the kings of Israel, and the kings of Iudah.
• * 1.202

  The first increase of I∣dolatry amongst the kings was in Salomon time.
• * 1.203

  What great blessings the Lord bestowed up∣on Salomon before hee fell.
• * 1.204

  The decrease of this Idolatry when Salo∣mon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes.
• * 1.205

  Cohe••eth from Cabal congregare.
• * 1.206

  Reasons proving that Salomon wrote this booke after his repen∣tance.
• * 1.207

  Salomon was a holy Prophet of God, there∣fore he was not a re∣probate.
• * 1.208

  The second reason that hee was not a repro∣bate is taken from the promise of God made to him.
• * 1.209

  The third reason be∣cause Salomon is set down for an exam∣ple of imitation, and he is commended who followed him.
• * 1.210

  What things are to be observed when the Kings of Israel and Iudah are set downe for examples.
• * 1.211

  The second in crease of Idolatry.
• * 1.212

  Ieroboam changed foure things in the worship of God.
• * 1.213

  The text reading, and the marginall reading.
• * 1.214

  He changed the signe of Gods presence.
• * 1.215

  He changed the time of Gods worship.
• * 1.216

  He made the basest of the people priests.
• * 1.217

  Whether the sinne of the ten tribes, or the sinne of Iudah was greater.
• * 1.218

  Whether the Kings of Israel or the Kings of Iudah who were Ido∣laters were the viler.
• * 1.219

  The Lord punishes the Idolatry of the fathers upon the children in haereditarie sinnes, but not in personall.
• * 1.220

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.221

  Although the Idolater repent him of his Ido∣latry yet his sonne may be punished for it.
• * 1.222

  Of the sinnes of Ahab the wickedest King in Israel.
• * 1.223

  Ahab persecuted the Prophets and killed them.
• * 1.224

  Whosoever medled with the Altar of the Lord, the Lord plagued them.
• * 1.225

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.226

  A difference betwixt the Lords Prophets and the Priests of Baal.
• * 1.227

  Three sorts that were diversly affected to∣wards Baal.
• * 1.228

  The worst sort of all were those, who halted betwixt God and Baal.
• * 1.229

  Elijah reproved Ahab to his face.
• * 1.230

  Elijah contesteth with the Pristes of Baal, for the worship of God.
• * 1.231

  The people knew that God accepted of their sacrifices when he sent downe fire from hea∣ven to burne them.
• * 1.232

  The fire came downe foure times upon the Altar to burne the sa∣crifices.
• * 1.233

  The Hebrewes hold that the fire in the tabernable went up to heaven againe from whence it came downe 2 Chro. 7.1.
• * 1.234

  How the fire in the se∣cond temple, was ac∣cepted when it came not downe from hea∣ven.
• * 1.235

  R. David, Hag. 1.8.
• * 1.236

  Homil 19. 2. Cor.
• * 1.237

  The bowed their knees to Baal.
• * 1.238

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.239

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.240

  The steod with their heads uncovered be∣fore their Idols.
• * 1.241

  Mishna Tom. 1. l. 2.
• * 1.242

  They worshipped their Idolls turning their faces to them.
• * 1.243

  The Iewes when they worshipped God pub∣liquely, turned their faces towards the temple, which they did not in their private prayers.
• * 1.244

  They lifted up their eyes to their Idols. Si dederis mihi cor & oculos suos meus eris dicit dominum. Occulus & corsunt proxinetae peccati.
• * 1.245

  They honoured their Idols with their mouth, kissing the Idoll.
• * 1.246

  They praysed God three manner of wayes.
• * 1.247

  They held up their hands to their Iodols.
• * 1.248

  They bowed their knees to their Idols.
• * 1.249

  They stood barefooted before their Idols.
• * 1.250

  Herodotus lib. 2. cap. 5.
• * 1.251

  Apollonius lib. 5.
• * 1.252

  They leaned downe be∣fore their Idols.
• * 1.253

  Whether it be lawfull to be present at Idoll service and to give ex∣ternall worship there having no intention to worship the Idoll.
• * 1.254

  Cajetan goes about to prove Naamans fact.
• * 1.255

  Cajetan makes two sorts of bowing of the knee, the first for obe∣dience, the second for imitation.
• * 1.256

  What is the meaning of the Prophets an∣swere to Naaman (goe in peace.)
• * 1.257

  There are foure sorts of consciences.
• * 1.258

  A good conscience.
• * 1.259

  A bad conscience.
• * 1.260

  A Doubtful conscience.
• * 1.261

  A scrupulous consci∣ence.
• * 1.262

  The Prophet had to deale with a man who had a doubtfull con∣science as yet.
• * 1.263

  Goe in peace, is not concedentis but optantis
• * 1.264

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.265

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.266

  The martyres of God would not communi∣cate with Idols in the least peece of service.
• * 1.267

  Ʋide in lexico Iuris quid mercalis dicitur cuius cullos fie bat hoc modo.
• * 1.268

  Suidas in Auxentio.
• * 1.269

  The Lord beares with this new convert al∣though there were many infirmities in him.
• * 1.270

  There was no decrease of Idolatry in Iehu his time.
• * 1.271

  The first increase of Idolatry in Iudah after the separation of the ten tribes.
• * 1.272

  The decrease.
• * 1.273

  What is a sincere heart
• * 1.274

  Duo corda exposcunt duo capita non contra Serpens qui habet ••••••••∣dam linguam habet ••••••∣plicem gustum reste A∣ristot. So he that ha•••• two hearts, &c.
• * 1.275

  The heart so long as it falles not to Idolatrie may be a sinceere heart.
• * 1.276

  A comparison betwixt David, Iosias, and Asa.
• * 1.277

  A comparison betwixt Amaziah, Vzziah, and Asa.
• * 1.278

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.279

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Omphax librusca
• * 1.280

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.281

  Whether did Asa sinne when he made a league with Benhabad or not?
• * 1.282

  Asa sinned trusting more in Benhaded than in the Lord.
• * 1.283

  It was never lawfull to make a league offensive or defensive with Ido∣laters.
• * 1.284

  Quid valet sicut gemi∣natum apud haebreos.
• * 1.285

  Dare manum quid sig∣nificat aliquando est mendicantis signum vel subiectionis.
• * 1.286

  The second increase of Idolatry in Iudah after the division of the tribes.
• * 1.287

  Of the sinnes of Ahaz.
• * 1.288

  He caused his chil∣dren to passe through the fire.
• * 1.289

  Praestat deos non credere quam crudeles opinari & sanguinarios.
• * 1.290

  They offered the Lords children to Baal.
• * 1.291

  Plutarch de superstitione
• * 1.292

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.293

  When the father offe∣red one of his children to Moloch he thought all the rest should be saved, but God threa∣tens the subversion of all for that sinne.
• * 1.294

  We must add nothing to the worship of God.
• * 1.295

  The worship of God must be kept in puncto mathematico.
• * 1.296

  Ahaz removed the Al∣tar of God, and put the altar of Damascus in place of it.
• * 1.297

  Ahaz plaies the politici¦an, making religion to serve policie onely.
• * 1.298

  Ahaz offered to the gods of Damascus who smote him.
• * 1.299

  The Hebrewes com∣pare Ahaz and Amazi∣ha together.
• * 1.300

  The decrease.
• * 1.301

  Why God deferres the judgements of wicked men.
• * 1.302

  Agricola non excidit spinam prius quam inde asparagum procerpserit.
• * 1.303

  Ezekias did foure things in reformation of religion.
• * 1.304

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

  Nun diminuit in fine.
• * 1.305

  Vide Suidam in Ezekia.
• * 1.306

  The increase of Idolo∣latry under Manasseh.
• * 1.307

  Three sinnes especially marked in Manasses.
• * 1.308

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.309

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.310

  These are groser Ido∣laters who worships beasts, then those who worships the Sunne and the Moone.
• * 1.311

  The manner how they worshipped the Sunne.
• * 1.312

  What partes man hath from the starres, accor∣ding to the opinion of some of the Physitians.
• * 1.313

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.314

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Buxtor de abreviat. pag. 134.
• * 1.315

  The decrease.
• * 1.316

  What it is to pollute a place.
• * 1.317

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.318

  A resemblance betwixt Tophet and Hell.
• * 1.319

  Ierusalem signifieth Heaven and the places without Ierusalem sig∣nified Hell.
• * 1.320

  The rest of the Kings of Iudah untill the cap∣tivity set forward this Idolatry.
• * 1.321

  This Idolatrie was buried in the captivity, and never revived a∣gaine.
• * 1.322

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.323

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.324

  The Iewes abhorres now all sorts of Ido∣lles.
• * 1.325

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉