A learned and very usefull commentary upon the whole prophesie of Malachy,: by that late Reverend, Godly and Learned Divine, Mr. Richard Stock, sometime Rector of Alhallowes Breadstreet, London, and now according to the originall copy left by him, published for the common good. Whereunto is added, An exercitation vpon the same prophesie of Malachy / by Samuel Torshell.

To the Reader.

IT was not choyce, but occasion that cast me upon this Sub∣ject. Having the originall notes of the Sermons of that reverend, learned and god∣ly Divine, M. Richard Stock upon this pro∣phet Malachy, entrusted into my hands, and upon perusall of them finding ma∣ny necessary points most wholesome∣ly treated of; I thought it too great an injury both to his Name, and to the publicque, to make them onely mine, and to keepe them to mine owne use; and therefore I resolved, (not without the judgement and approbation of other men) to communicate them unto the use of others. But withall observing, that his aime being only the edification of a popular audience, he had onely indea∣vored to apply the Text to the conditi∣on of his present hearers; and had left somewhat to be done to make it a Com∣pleat Commentary; I set my selfe to ex∣amine the original, to conferre translations,

to inquire into the severall glosses and expositions of the Antients and Modern's; and have thereupon made up what you see, by way of Exercitation. Not out of any opinion of mine owne ability, or an ambition to be upon the stall, or out of any more peculiar delight that I take in this kind of study, which yet is a study most worthy of a Divine, and which may exercise the most able; especially these more difficile pieces, I meane, the prophecies, which according to the Hiero∣glyphique of prophecy w^ch (they say) doth hang among other pictures in the Vaticā library at Rome, are like Matrones with their eyes covered. In regard of which difficul∣ty it was, that Paulinus Bishop of Nola, (a man much commended by S. Aug. and S. Hier; and one that had not any re∣solution against writing, for he wrote other tractes, as Verses and Epistles,) would not bee drawne to write commentaries, though he were intreated by many of his friends, as deeming himselfe un∣worthy, though hee were indeed very able. I commend his spirit, though I follow not his example, and I have gi∣ven you the excuse above.

I have every where followed the Grammaticall, which is the lawfull and

geunine sensea 1.1 of Scripture. Men have been too wanton with Allegories Origen, S. Ambrose, S. Hierom himselfe, and o∣thers of the Ancients, have been blamed for it by learned men. It were easy, to multiply instances, but it were need∣lesse. I have also sought the most proper grāmaticall sense, not alwayes the first but the most agreeable to the nature of the context; which while it hath not beene observed, many absurd interpretations have been made. Corn. a lapide* 1.2 saith, hee heard one preach, that Moses dyed kissing of God. Because of that place Deut. 34.5, He dyed upon the mouth of the Lord. Not ob∣serving the use of that phrase among the Hebrewes, which also the Septuagint, the Chalde, the Vulgar Latin, our English, and (for ought I know) all interpreters doe expresse, He dyed according to the word of the Lord. But I will not enlarge my selfe here, because I speake unto the same point in the Epistle before M. Stocks commentary. I wil only request this of the learned reader, (if any such shall vouch∣safe to bestow his eye so meanly,) that hee make a favourable judgement of what defect or other blemish hee may discerne in a worke of this nature, w^ch could not bee smoothly wrought,

nor wrought in all things to mine own satisfaction, having the use of no books but mine owne, and living almost an 100 mile from any publicque library. Yet such as I have, J have not neglected to consult: willing to cast off that untrue and slanderous aspersion which Francis Ribera* 1.3 hath throwne upon Protestant Jnterpreters; that they reade not the Commentaries of the holy fathers, but being furnished with some poore mea∣sure of knowledge in the tongues,* 1.4 they reade the Scripture as if they were to reade Livie or Cicero.

Whatsoever it is that I have done in this, I submit it to the censure of this Church of England, of which I am a part & member, and in which I make my day∣ly prayers unto Almighty God, that truth and peace may still be maintained, and that she may still flourish with pros∣perity & reputation, notwithstanding the ill will and ill-opinion of al sorts round about her.

S. T.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Iac. Armin Disp. priv. Thes. 9
• * 1.2

  Corn. a lap. proleg. in proph. min.
• * 1.3

  Riber. Com. in Hos. 13. Num. 12.
• * 1.4

  Sed vide Guil. Per∣kinsi prophe∣ticam. cap. 3.