An exposition of the lawes of Moses: Viz. Morall. Ceremoniall. Iudiciall. The second volume. Containing an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof. Wherein also are opened divers ancient rites & customes of the Iewes, and also of the Gentiles, as they haue relation to the Iewish. Together with an explication of sundry difficult texts of Scripture, which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the Commandements, as also upon the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes. Which texts are set downe in the tables before each particular booke. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, the Hebrew and Greeke, and out of the distinctions of the schoolemen and cases of the casuists. / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods Word.

Exercitat. Divine. 1. Of the excellency of DIVINITIE, above all other Sciences.

2 TIMOT. 3.16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, &c.

HVmane Sciences and Arts,* 1.1 have beene fitly compared to the dough which the Israelites brought out of Egypt, Exod. 12.34. which they fed upon untill they got Manna: This dough was prepared by much labour; by plowing, by sowing, by rea∣ping, by grinding, kneading, and baking: So humane Sciences which are the birth of reason, are bred below here: but Divinitie is like unto Manna which was pre∣pared

or ready to their hand; they neither plowed for it, neither did sow it, nor reaped it. So Divinity is pre∣pared in heaven, and sent downe to teach the Church here below. The dough which they brought out of Egypt,* 1.2 Deut. 16.3. is called, panis pauperum, the poores bread; it is called the poores bread, because the poore in their necessity could not bee at leasure to ferment it, and it had not so pleasant a relish; therefore it is called the poores bread:* 1.3 but Manna is called the bread of Angels, Psal. 78.25. It is called the bread of Angels, be∣cause it was brought downe by their ministerie; and it was so pleasant in taste, that if the Angels had eaten bread, it might have served them: So 1 Cor. 13.1. If I speake with the tongue of Angels, that is, if the Angels had tongues to speake with: And as farre as Manna surpas∣sed the poores bread, as farre and farther doth Divinity surpasse humane Sciences and Arts.

* 1.4Againe, the world hath beene well compared to E∣gypt, and the Church to Canaan: Egypt was a Land that was watered with the feete of men, Deut. 11, 10. It was said to be watered with the feete of men,* 1.5 as a garden, because they carried water on foote out of Nilus, and watered their Land with it:* 1.6 but Canaan was a Land blessed of God, and his eyes were upon it from the be∣ginning of the yeere to the end, Deut. 11.12. It was a land of hils and valleyes, and drinketh water of the raine of heaven. The world is but watered with hu∣mane Sciences and Arts, which are drawne out of the troubled reason of man like Nilus: but the Church is watered with these celestiall graces which come from above.

* 1.7Now that we may see the excellency of Divinity a∣bove all other Sciences and Arts, let us observe where∣in they differ in generall, and then let us make a particu∣lar comparison betwixt Divinity & other Sciences and Arts.

[Differ. 1] First, they differ origine, in the originall: humane Sciences and Arts proceede from God as hee is God and generall ruler of the world, but Divinity procee∣ded from the Father by the Sonne to the Church, Revel. 22.1. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, cleare as cristall, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe: but these humane Sciences and Arts, al∣though they proceede from God, yet they proceede not from God and the Lambe like a cristall ri∣ver.

[Differ. 2] Secondly, these humane Sciences and Arts, are but humano-divinae, they are but the broode of reason, which proceedeth from God enlightning every man that commeth into the world,* 1.8 Iohn 1.9. Some againe are humane and the birth of corrupt man onely, as Sophi∣strie: And thirdly, some are Diabolicae, as necromancie and witch-craft: But Divinity is Divino-divina, that is, it is originally from God and immediately.

[Differ. 3] And if we shall compare Faith the daughter of Di∣vinity,* 1.9 with Reason the mother of all other Sciences and Arts, we shall see how farre Divinity excelleth all other Sciences and Arts.

There are in man, sense, reason, and faith; and as farre as reason surpasseth sense, much farther doth faith sur∣passe reason; and by consequent Divinity surpasseth all other Sciences.

Reason differeth much from sense,* 1.10 for sense the far∣ther that the object is from it, it is magis universale & magis confusum, it is the more universall and more con∣fused; and the nearer that the object comes to the sense, it is the lesse universall and more distinct: Example, when we see an object a farre off, we take it up first to be ens somewhat, then we take it up to be a living crea∣ture, then we take it up to be a man, and last to be Peter or Iohn; Here the neerer that the object commeth to

our sense, it is lesse universall and more distinct; and the farther that it is removed from our sense, it is the more universall and more confused.* 1.11 The knowledge which a young child hath at the first is wonderfull confused, and he will sucke any woman for his nurse, this know∣ledge is very confused: then his knowledge becom∣meth more distinct and more generall, and then he be∣ginneth to know, this is not my nurse, and this is not my nurse, but this is my nurse; here his knowledge begin∣neth to be more distinct, and he will sucke none but his owne nurse: and his knowledge now, resembleth the knowledge which we have by reason, which ascendeth from the particular to the generall, and the farther that it is from sense, it is the more universall and lesse con∣fused. But faith the daughter of Divinity, ascendeth higher than reason or sense, and the further that it goes from sense and reason the more perfect it is, and it go∣eth from minus universale, to the supreame and highest cause, God himselfe; and the neerer that faith commeth to reason or sense, the weaker it is and more indistinct. Thomas his faith was an indistinct faith and weake, and could not beleeve unlesse hee put his fingers in the wounds of Christ, Iohn 20.28. here his faith leaned too much to sense; but faith the higher that it goes from sense and reason, the more perfect it is; We have a no∣table example of this, Gen. 49. when Ioseph tooke E∣phraim and Manasse, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israels left hand, and brought him neere unto him, and Manasse in his left hand toward Israels right hand, Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraims head, and his left hand upon Manasses head, guiding his hands wittingly, or as Onkelos the Chaldee Para∣phrast hath it, Prudenter egit manibus suis, when he dealt wisely with his hands: But when Ioseph saw that his fa∣ther laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it

displeased him, and he held up his fathers hand, and he said to his father, not so my father, for this is the first borne, put thy right hand upon his head: and his father refused and said, I know it my sonne, I know it truly, the younger shall be greater than he, Gen. 48.19. Ioseph thought because his father Iacob was blind that his faith was a confused and weake faith, but Iacob knew that the farther his faith was from sence, and the higher that it ascended from reason, it was the more perfect, and therefore he sayd jadanghti bene jadanghti, I know it my sonne,* 1.12 I know it; that is, certainely I know it. This is then the excel∣lencie of faith, that the higher that it goes from sence and reason the more perfect it is, which sheweth the excellency of Divinity above all other Sciences and Artes; for if faith the daughter of Divinity surpasseth them all, much more doth Divinity it selfe: and it may bee said of faith, as it was said of the vertuous woman, Prov. 30. Many daughters in Israel have done vertuously, but thou surpassest them all.

[Differ. 4] Last of all, other Sciences and Artes are but hand∣maids to Divinity, and as the Nethinims the posterity of the Gibionits were appointed by Iosuah to hew wood and draw water for the Sanctuary, but never to meddle with the Sacrifices, neyther to kill them nor offer them, Iosh. 9.23. so humane Sciences and Arts are appointed but to attend and serve Divinity, they are but to hew the wood, and draw the water onely to the Sanctua∣rie.

There are three principles from whence Sciences and Arts are derived, the first is contemplation,* 1.13 the se∣cond is action, the third is operation.

For contemplation, the metaphysicks are the most abstract, considering ens ut ens onely: the second are the mathematicks, which considereth the quantity and

the number of things; geometry the quantity, and arith∣meticke the number. Thirdly, the Physicks consider onely naturall properties of the body.

These who are exercised in actions and morall phi∣losophie, are lawes and such.

Arts which are exercised in operation are rhetoricke and grammer.

* 1.14Metaphysicke considereth God onely, ut ens vuum, verum et bonum, as he hath a being, as he is one, as hee is truth and goodnesse; but it considereth not God as Creator, Christ as Redeemer, it considereth not God in his attributes as Divinity doth, & therefore they say metaphysica parit scientiam tantum, sed theologia fidem.

* 1.15Secondly, compare Divinity with physicke and the mathematicks, the mathematician searcheth visible formes in visible things, the Physition invisible formes in visible things; but the Divine invisible formes in vi∣sible things.

* 1.16Thirdly, let us compare the Divine, the Lawyer and Physitian; the Physitian est minister naturae, the servant of nature, the Lawyer est minister justitiae, but the Di∣vine est minister gratiae: and looke how farre grace ex∣ceedeth nature or justice, so as farre doth Divinity sur∣passe the Physitian or the Lawyer.

* 1.17Fourthly, let us compare Divinity and morall philo∣sophy, the Philosopher saith, that Iuvenis non est idone∣us auditor moralis Philosophiae, that a young man is not fit to heare morall philosophy, but David saith, Psal. 119.9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his wayes. Chry∣sostome hath a good observatien to shew the force of Divinity above all morall philosophie, when he com∣pareth Plato the moralist and Paul the Apostle toge∣ther: Plato saith he, that wise Philosopher came three times to Sicilie to convert Dionysius the tyrant to mo∣rall philosophy, yet he went away without any successe:

but Paul a Tent-maker did not onely convert Sicilie, but ran from Ierusalem to Illyricum, Rom. 15.19. and conver∣ted thousands of soules by the preaching of the Gospel. See how farre Divinity excelleth morall philosophie.* 1.18 And Augustine observeth how Seneca the most excellent of all the moralists, mocked the Iewes, because they spent (as hee thought) the seventh part of their life in idlenesse, which was the Sabbath day. Iustine Martyr being first a philosopher, and after a martyr, searched thorow all the sects of philosophy, and could never find contentment to his soule till hee came to Di∣vinity. First he came to the sect of the Stoickes and gave himselfe to be a scholler in that schoole, but hearing nothing of God in Stoa in that schoole, he turned to be a Peripatetick: but when he entred with the Peripateticks, he perceived his master nundinantem sapientiam mercede (as he speakes) selling his wisedome for gaine, then hee left that sect also. Thirdly, he came to the sect of the Pythagoreans, but having no skill in geometrie (which knowledge Pythagoras required of his Schollers before he taught them philosophy) he left the Pythagoreans and fell into the society of the Platonickes: at last he met with a Christian Divine Philosopher who perswaded him to cast aside all these circular disciplines, and to stu∣die Divinity which should give him greater content∣ment than all the philosophy in the world, and he re∣nouncing all gave himselfe to the studying of the holy Scriptures, and of a Philosopher became both a Christian and a Martyr.* 1.19

Fiftly; let us compare Divinity and Physicke alone, they say ubi desinit physicus ibi incipit medicus, Where the naturall philosopher leaveth, there the Physitian beginneth, but we may say, ubi desinit physicus, ibi inci∣pit Theologus, where the Physitian leaveth off, there the Divine beginneth; for when the Physitian hath done

his last cure and given over the patient, here signes him into the hands of the Divine, or if he be a religious Physition, hee is glad to play the Divine to him him∣selfe; the Physitian sheweth the patient that his health consisteth in letting of blood, but the Divine sheweth that the health of his patient consisteth by the letting of the blood of Christ.

* 1.20Sixtly, compare Divinity and the mathematicks, the mathematician considereth the length, the height and the breadth of things, but be never considereth what is the height, the breadth and the length of the love of Christ, Ephes. 3.8. he never teacheth a man to number his dayes, that he may apply his heart to wisedome, Psal. 90.12. as the Divine doth.

* 1.21Lastly, compare Divinity with grammer and rheto∣ricke: hearing of others teacheth us to speake; gram∣mer teacheth us to speake congruously, and rhetoricke teacheth us to speake eloquently, but Divinity teach∣eth us to speake the language of Canaan, Esay 19.18.

[Quest.] Whether commeth Lawes or Physicke nearer to Divinity?

[Answ:] Wee must answer here by distinction, the Law hath two parts in it, the first is that which is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.22 of constituting and making of lawes: the se∣cond is that ligitious part which is exercised about the pleading of causes; the first part commeth nearer to Divinity than physicke doth, because the Physitian is exercised onely about the health of the body, and if he speake any thing to his patient of temperance or re∣straining of his passions, all this he doth but for his patients health. But the nomotheticke or maker of the law, doth all things for the well ordering of the people; and looke how much more excellent it is to live well, than to live in good health: so much more that part of the law excelleth physicke. But physicke againe is to

be preferred to that part of the Law which is called li∣tigi••sa or the litigious part of the law, because that part of the law doth not respect the commonwealth, or the manners of the people, but to give this or that particu∣lar man his right: But to cure this or that particular man, is better than to restore this or that particular man to his goods; for skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life, Iob. 1. therefore physicke excelleth the litigious part of the Law. [Object.]

It may be said that Divinity borroweth many things of other Sciences, therefore it may seeme not to be so absolute in perfection.

This argueth no want in Divinity, [Ans.] but onely a defect in our understanding; for by these inferiour things we are led to the knowledge of more divine things.

Divinity is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or a generall summe of all Sciences and Arts, or one universall director to all our actions as they are naturall, civill, or oeconomi∣call.

But Paul biddeth Timothy take a little wine to comfort him, [Object.] 1 Tim. 5.23. So Moyses setteth downe weights and measures in the Law.

When Paul biddeth Timothy take some wine to com∣fort him, he is not playing the Physition here: [Answ.] so when Moses setteth downe weights and measures, this is not his last end that there may be commutative justice a∣mongst the children of Israel; Pauls last end and cheife consideration is this, that Timothy having a sound body may be able to glorifie God in his ministery. So Mo∣ses considereth weights and measures, that Gods people might doe no wrong, but glorifie God in their calling; And as one thing may belong to the mathematitian in respect of the middest, and to the Physitian in respect of the thing it selfe, as when a Physitian sheweth that a round wound is more hardly cured than a long

wound, although the Physitian shew this by the prin∣ciples of geometry, yet he cureth not the wound as a Goemetrician but as a Physitian. So when a Divine speaketh of weights and measures, and health of body, although they belong to the politickes or physickes in respect of the midst, yet in respect of the end they belong to Divinity.

Other Sciences are not directly subordinate to Divi∣nity; these sciences which are directly subordinate, the conclusions of the superior Sciences are the principles of the inferior, as the conclusions of arithmeticke are the principles of musicke, and these sciences which are directly subordinate here, have but some new accident added to them, to make a distinction betwixt them and the superior. Sciences, as musicke subordinate to arithmeticke hath this accident superadded to it, to be numerus sonorus a number with sound, but Divinity and other Sciences toto genere differunt, they are alto∣gether different.

* 1.23Other Sciences are not directly subordinate to Di∣vinity but onely in respect of the end, the Apothecary is directly subordinate to the Physitian; therefore hee prescribeth unto him all his ingredients, what hot things he must use and what cold, what drachmes and what scruples: the Taylor againe is not directly subor∣dinate to the Doctor, but onely in respect of the end, therefore the Doctor prescribeth not unto him how much he should make in a gowne; aske the Doctor why he giveth physicke to a man? and he will answere, for the preservation of the body: So aske the Taylor why he maketh cloathes for him? he will answer for the same end; here the inferior, the Taylor, is subordi∣nate to the Doctor, onely in respect of the end: So all Sciences and Arts are but indirectly subordinate to Divinity, and in respect of the end, and therefore

they have nor their particular directions from Divini∣ty.

The conclusion of this is:* 1.24 All Sciences are found out for the benefit of man, but all of them can doe him but little good, untill Divinity come in and rectifie him.

All Sciences are subordinate to Divinity in respect of the end;* 1.25 therefore every man should studie to be ho∣ly, what Science soever he professe: but profane men thinke that it becommeth not a Physitian to bee holy, because they understand not that these Sci∣ences are subordinate to Divinity in respect of the end.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Humane Sciences and Arts compared to the dough brought out of Egypt, and Divinity to Manna.
• * 1.2

  The dough the bread of the poore.
• * 1.3

  Manna the bread of Angels.
• * 1.4

  The world compared to Egypt, and the Church to Canaan.
• * 1.5

  Egypt watered with the feet of men.
• * 1.6

  Canaan a land blessed of God.
• * 1.7

  A comparison betwixt Divinity, and all other Sciences and Arts in generall.
• * 1.8

  • Scientia hūano-divina
  • Scientia humana.
  • Scientia diabolica.
  • Scientia divino-divina
• * 1.9

  A comparison betwixt sense, reason, & faith.
• * 1.10

  How sense, reason, and faith apprehend things.
• * 1.11

  Simile.
• * 1.12

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.13

  A comparison betwixt Divinity and other Sciences.
• * 1.14

  A comparison betwixt Divinity and Metaphy∣sicks.
• * 1.15

  A comparison betwixt Divinity, Mathema∣ticks, anp Physicks.
• * 1.16

  A comparison betwixt the Divine, the Lawyer, and the Physition.
• * 1.17

  A comparison betwixt the Divine, and morall Philosopher.
• * 1.18

  August. de Civitate Dei. lib. 6. cap. 11.
• * 1.19

  A comparison betwixt Divinity, and Physicke alone.
• * 1.20

  A comparison betwixt Divinity and the Ma∣thematicks alone.
• * 1.21

  A comparison betwixt Divinity, Grammer, and Rhetorick.
• * 1.22

  Pars legis.

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

  Subordi∣natio

  • ...directa.
  • ...ratione finis.

  Sciences and Arts sub∣ordinate to Divinity, in respect of the end.
• * 1.24

  Conclusio. 1.
• * 1.25

  Conclusio. 2.