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.

VII. The seventh Contestation.

Seventhly, hee contests with them for their Sacriledge, vers. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. both,

I. Arguing against their sinne, vers. 8. and,

2. Expostulating with them, that it were better for them, yea, even in their outward estates to deale righteously with God, vers. 9, 10, 11, 12.

I. He argues against their sinne, vers. [Verse 8] 8.

• 1. From a ground of equitie.
• 2. By an application of their fact unto the ground.

1. He argues from a generall ground of right and equi∣tie. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed mee] Will fraile weake man (Adam) doe violence unto, or defraud (Elohim) the great and mighty God? Yet you have done so.

Robbe] The French, Pillage; Geneva, Spoile: will a man spoile God? So also Pagn. and Vatab. Crucifie, wound, or

pierce, so the Vulgar, and the Tigurine, and that is indeed the first signification of the originall word. So the Translator of the New Test, into the Syriack, useth the word, Coloss. 2.14. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And nayled (or pierced) it unto his Crosse. But by a Metaphor, it signifies to Oppresse, or To rob, or To spoile, as Prov. 22.53. The Lxx. here taking 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by a Metathesis for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which is, To supplant or Deceive, reade, Will a man supplant his God? But in the sense there is an agreement. Will a man, or is it fit that a man should grieve, defraud, pierce, or spoile his God, as you doe who rob his Priests and Ministers of their maintenance, whereby you undermine and overthrow even Religion it selfe, and Gods worship. When the portions of the Levites were not given them, the Levites and Singers that did the worke, of Gods house, fled every one to his field: and so Gods work, that is, his worship was left undone: as Nehemiah ob∣served, Neh. 13.10. The truth is, When the Ministers of God are kept under the burden of Poverty, The Lords work is, ei∣ther not done, or done deceitfully; when the Priests are forced to comply with their humors, from whom they expect their maintenance, and so serve not God, but them; flattering them that feed them, as it is, Micah. 3.5. They bite with their teeth, and cry peace; which I interpret according to the Chalde Paraphrase, He that maketh them a feast of flesh, to him they preach peace: But hee that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him; And so they make the people to erre. And it cannot bee otherwise, whiles, as it is in the eleventh verse of that chapter, The Priests teach for hire, and the Prophets divine for money, that is, are faine to maintaine themselves with sordid and unworthy flatteries. To prevent which, it was a most pious and commendable care in King Hezekiah, which is recorded, 2. Chron. 31.4. He commanded the people that dwelt in Ierusalem, to give the portion of the Priests and Levites (that they might attend upon the Law of the Lord; so the Vulg. That they might confirme themselves in executing the Law of the Lord. So Tremel. but as we reade,) that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord. Dependancie and expe∣ctation of arbitrary maintenance, is a great Alay to the purer temper, and spirit, and zeale, that ought to be in them that serve at the Lords Altar; in whom, (according to the usuall Apothegme of a reverend Divine of ours) Innocencie and In∣dependencie breeds the best courage. And by such is God best served. The scandals that are given by Ministers, doe much diminish the reputation of Religion, and undermine it, but Scandalous livings are a great cause of Scandalous Ministers: Which was the observation of a learned Gentleman, and worthy member of the House of Commons, in the Parliament

Anno 1628. who also promised, that he would never give o∣ver solliciting the cure and remedie of this, while Parlia∣ments and he should live together. And well may he or some other effectually pursue it, especially having so much en∣couragement in it, by the pietie and tendernesse of our pre∣sent Religious, and most gracious Soveraigne, who (according to the example of his Royall Father, for planting a setled competencie for the Churches throughout Scotland) hath shewed so much readinesse and gracious disposition this way, that (as he deserves it) I doubt not but such as shall de∣liver his reigne hereafter to posterity, will among his other vertues, give him this Title, The Patron and Father of his poore and injuried Clergie, and will mention that great Councellour of his in Ecclesiasticall matters, with his due honour, for promoving it in him, with so much zeale to the welfare of this Church: But of this obitèr and Currente calame.

2. He argues against their sin, by an application of their fact, unto that ground of generall right. Yet yee have robbed mee; But yee say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In Tythes and in Offerings.] They deny the Assumption, and he proves it; That they robbed him, because they dealt deceitfully about the portion of his Priests. The Tythes he had of old assigned unto them. There were three sorts of Tythes; The first were given to the Levites for their alimonie; this was called, Ma∣aser Rishòn, The first Tithe. The second was that which every man set a part against his going up to Jerusalem to feast with the Levites and Priests, this was called, Maaser Sheni, The se∣cond Tythe. And lest that should be omitted, the Tythe of the Third yeare was to be given to the poore, to Levites, to widowes, and orphans; and this was called Maaser Shlishi, The Third Tythe, and Maaser aani, The poore-mans-tythe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. See these three sorts mentioned, Tobit 1.7, 8. And be∣sides, and before all these, The fiftieth part was given to the Priests, which was called Reschit, The first fruit, and Terumah gdola, The great offering. Tythes were intended much unto the same use in the Christian Church, one part for the Bishop, an∣other for the Clergie, a third for the Poore, a fourth for the Repaire of the Church: according to Walafrid: Strabo, de exord. Eccles. cap. 27. published by Ioh. Cochlaeus in Speculo Antiq. Devot. The distribution is somewhat otherwise, in the Ex∣cerptions of Egbert, Archbishop of Yorke, which the learned S^r. H. Spelman, in his late diligent Collections of our Brittish Councels and Decrees, hath communicated, Ad Annum Chri∣sti, 750. the fifth Excerption. Let the Priests receive the Tythes, and set out the first part for the adorning of the Church; the second for the use of poore and strangers; the third part let the Priests re∣serve

to themselves. The very same order we find in the Ca∣nons of Alfrick (Bishop of Yorke, as S^r. H. Spelm. guesseth at it, An. 1052.) Can. 24. Hee that would see more concerning the care of our Ancient Kings about Tythes, may satisfie himselfe in that industrious and learned Author, In Concil. Calchuth. ad An. 787. where in the seventeenth Canon, Ʋt Decimae justè solventur: This very place of our Prophet Ma∣lachy is alleaged; as it is also in the Constitutions of Odo, Arch∣bishop of Canterbury, An. 943. cap. 10. Hee may see also, K. Of∣fa's gift, An. 793. pag. 308. K. Ethelwulphs gift, in the Councell at Winchester, An. 855. pag. 348. K. Alureds Eccles. lawes, cap 9. pag 377. K. Edwards the elder, cap. 6. pag. 392. K. Aethelstans, cap. 1. pag. 402. K. Edmunds, cap. 2. pag. 420. K. Edgars, cap. 3. pag. 444. and the Canons of his time, Can. 54. pag. 454. Tythes they are Gods portion: hence when the Jewes tythed their flocks, as the young passed thorow the doore of the fold, the Levite stood with a rod in his hand, and marking the Tenth that came out, said, This tenth is the Lords. According to that, Levit. 27.32. Whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall bee the Lords. And so they have ever been accounted, although the Church have sometimes taken libertie to assigne them to other uses; as those Decimae Saladinides, which the Councell of Paris granted to Philip of France for his warre against Sa∣ladine the Mahumedan, An. 1189. which (as Matth. Paris, Monk of St. Albans writeth,) Richard 1. the King of England, obtai∣ned also for the same purpose the next yeare: and others since, though the pretence were altered. But see the liberty of the antienter Church concerning Tythes, in Gratian, Caus. 1. qu. 3. pervenit ad. caus. 13. qu. 1. & 2. caus. 16. qu. 1. Si quis Lai∣cus, and Ecclesiae antiquitus, and In canonibus in Gangrensi, and quaest. 7. Decimas quas. And for ours, for the times he writ of, and collected, see Wilhelm. Lyndewood, Constitut. lib. 1. pag. 13.2. pag. 14. f. pag. 15. o. &c. and largely, De Decimis, lib. 3. pag. 101. &c. Concerning the Question, Quo Jure, besides the skir∣mishes of our men about it, and which you shall finde in the reverend and godly Author of the following Commentary, pertinent and full; I doe referre to Bellarm. Tom. 2. De cleri∣cis, lib. 1. cap. 25. Against whom in that place Guil. Amesius sayes nothing, and Joh. Alsted. in his Supplement of a Fifth Tome to Dan. Chamier. Panstrat. lib. 4. cap. 10. Paragr. 2. Con∣fesses in a manner, that to object against him in this, is to seek a knot in a bulrush. See D^r. Thomas Ridley his learned Dis∣course of Tythes, In his View of the Civill and Ecclesiastical Law, pag. 124. &c. And in Offerings] Terumah, The Oblation, Eleva∣tion, Offering, or, First fruit, did also belong to God; The Te∣rumah gdolah, The Great Oblation, and the Bikkurim. The se∣verall

sorts, and other matters worth knowing, concerning as well Tythes, as these Oblations. See in Ioh. Weemse, Chri∣stian Synag. lib. 1. cap. 6. sect. 4. paragr. 2.3. And more fully in our owne Goodwyn, Mos. and Ar. lib. 6. cap. 2.3. And thus ha∣ving argued against their sinne,

2. He expostulates with them their unreasonablnes in this thing, and that it were better for them to deale righteously in the maintenance of Gods Priests, both,

• 1. For the avoyding of evill, ver. 9. and,
• 2. For the procuring of good. ver. 10, 11, 12.

• I. In defrauding God of tythes, [Ʋerse 9] they brought themselves under the curse. Yee are cursed with a curse, for yee have rob∣bed mee, even this whole Nation.] Not one, or few, but all dealt ill with God, in the matter of tythes, and therefore God brought a curse upon the whole Nation. The Vulg. and o∣thers, take it for a curse of penury and scarcity of victualls; a great curse in that land. Meerah of Arar, signifies penury, want, or, barrennes. Winkleman derives the word of Maar, To gnaw, or Pill: but not so soundly. The Lxx here take the word to come of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and upon that mistake, render the place, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. (of the Anomalie in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Text, see Sixt. Amam. in Anom. Spec. ad locum.)
• II. In bringing of tythes justly, they should finde,
  • 1. Their estates blessed, verse 10.11.
  • 2. Their reputation cleared. ver. 12. So there are here two promises.

First, a blessing on their estates. ver. 10.11. [Verse 10,11.] Bring yee all the Tythes into the storehouse, that there may be meate in mine house, and prove mee now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open unto you the windowes of Heaven, and poure you out a bles∣sing, that there shall not bee roome enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes; and hee shall not destroy the fruites of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit, before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. A place often and pertinently applyed and pressed, by such as have had occasion to declame on this subject, and surely of great force to such as have faith in the promises of God. A place which had well deserved more then a bare marginall note, from the late author of the profitable Treatise of Divine promises. lib. 3. p. 231.

Bring yee all the tythes,] Our old authorised English, Bring yee every tythe. Men have made distinctions of tythes, (and some of their owne coyning to save something from God) but ranke them under what heads you will, all must bee brought, and of every kinde.

Into the storehouse,] Vulg. Into the barne. The tyth-barne. So the word is Ioel. 1.17. The Garners are layd desolate, the barnes are broken down. But it is usually rendred Treasury. Beth haozar, The house of treasure or store. It seemes they had a standing place for tythes, as it is called Nehem. 13.11.12, 13. see the place, and 1. Chron. 26.20.

That there may be meate in my house] Vulg. That there may bee spoyle, and the Hebr. Tereph. signifies so much. It is a Synechdoche, and the affection of the Trope is a Catachresis. Spoyle, that is, meate, there's the Catachresis, the spoyle which the beast makes to get food being put for meate: and then the Synechdoche, meate, put for all necessary provision.

Meate in my house] that is, in the storehouse for the use and necessity of my house; that is, of my Priests and Levites that serve in my house, my temple.

And prove mee now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts] Menasseh Ben-Israel, Quaest. 3. in Deut. makes the doubt how these words may be reconciled to those, in Deut. 6.16. Yee shall not tempt the Lord your God: and answers well, that Malachies words are not to bee understood Causaliter but Consecutivè, namely, that they should indeed finde by experience, that if they offered their tythes, they should finde the Lord graci∣ous and bountifull. See him more fully in the place cited, in his Conciliator. So that here the promise of good things followes. In which let us observe the artifice used in per∣suading.

Prove me, &c. If I will not open you the windowes of Heaven,] whether I will not. Piscat. and our Comment. make this forme, (If I will not,) an oath. Which cannot bee cleare, without some supply to the text, to make up the sense, which needs not, but the sense doth facilely offer it selfe thus, I will o∣pen them unto you, and powre you out so much raine (a great blessing in those hot and dry Countries) as if the win∣dowes of Heaven were opened. A phrase noting great plen∣ty. 2. Kin. 7.2.

The windowes of Heaven] Vulg. The Catarracts of Heaven. Catarracts are gushings downe of much water with volence, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Defluere. such as are those outragious streames of fresh water (which Peter Martyr of Millan a Counsellor to the King of Spaine, describes in his Decades of the new World, Dec. 1. lib. 6.) which so violently issue and fall headlong into the Sea, that they drive back the salt water a good way, though rough and forced with contrary winds; They rush downe from the tops of the mountaines of Paria, which Christopher Columbus the first discoverer, was strongly conceited of, to bee the seate of Paradise. The French translate it here, The

Shutts. Menochius, expresseth the Vulgar Catarracts, by the Port-Cullisses, The Sluses, or Dammes, of Heaven. And so Cael. Rhodiginus, lect. Antiqu. lib. 23. cap. 24. doth expresse it, tak∣ing occasion to interprete that place in Genes. 7.11. Upon which place, and Genes. 8.2, See Ioh. Piscators Scholia. The Clouds are the windowes or floud-gates of Heaven, in the sense of this place.

And powre you out (or, empty you out) a blessing] that is, a shower of raine, bringing a blessing with it of plenty. Among the Hebrewis, A blessing as when it is used concerning words, it signifies a salutation, or good wish: so when it is used con∣cerning things, it denotes some reall good, or gift, as Genes. 33.11. Take I pray thee (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) my blessing which is brought unto thee, that is, my gift. So, Iudg. 1.15. Give me a bles∣sing. The Chald reades, A possession; and that appeares to be her meaning by the next words, Give also springs of water. Shee desired some low grounds. And we also in our use of speaking have such a meaning, when we speake of A mothers blessing.

That (there shall) not (be roome) enough (to receive it] the Hebr. being concise, hath only, That not enough. The rest our English translation hath supplyed. The Geneva, I will powre you out a blessing, without measure. The Vulg. A blessing even to aboundance. The Lxx, Till it sufficeth. The Chald. So that yee shall say, It is enough. The French, As much as you can have no more. The sense of all this variety of expression is the same and cleare. Your storehouses, roomes, and vessells, shall not bee able to hold and containe the plenty: like as the Prophet dealt with the widow, whose History wee have, 2. King. 4.3, 4, 5, 6.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sake] that is, The Locusts, or other harmefull Wormes or Creatures. When there is much raine and plenty, many times these Insects eate up all; as we see, Ioel, 1.4. and in the History of the plagues of Aegypt. It is among the most wonderfull stories and most lamentable, which the Historians doe relate of the plague of Locusts in France about the yeare 852. Wheresoever they fell, they pitched their camp as it were, and devoured all for 20. Miles space in a day. And still a small company went about a dayes journey before the rest, as harbingers and guides of the rest to choose where the whole multitude should a light, which accordingly would follow and devoure all before them.

Some Countries have beene almost layd wast by them. Pliny saith that in the Isle Lemnes, the magistrates were faine to take it into their care, to appoint unto every inhabitant

what measure of them to destroy, so to keepe them under. Yea Scaliger, Exerc. 192. sect. 3. tells us of a kind of Insects that usually in the Northern parts of Norway fall in showres of raine, which if they be opened, as some as they fall have raw and indigested hearbs found within them; and when and where they alight, they bite and eate up all that is greene. Against these Devourers the Lord promises to provide and to secure them.

And he shall not destroy (or corrupt) the fruite of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruite before the time in the field.] Vulg. Geneva, and the French, your vine shall not be barren. Or, abortive, so others. The Buds and Grapes shall not fall off unripe. They are called Orbi palmites among the Latines, that beare not. The word is used, Gen. 31.38. Thy shee-goates have not cast their young. And, Gen. 42.36. Me have yee bereaved of my children. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Secondly, a blessing of reputation or good name. verse 12. And all Nations shall call you blessed; [Verse 12] for yee shall bee a delightsome Land, saith the Lord of hosts.] All shall speake of your bles∣sednesse, shall magnifie and prayse you. So the sense is, in Job. 29.11. When the eare heard me, it blessed me, that is, It prai∣sed me. And thus the Lxx, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. For yee shall bee a delight∣some Land] Vulg. a desirable. Geneva. a pleasant land. Your land shall be greene and flourishing, so Cyril. You shall in∣habite a fertile land; so Vatabl. I rather take it as S. Jer. All Nations shall desire to live in your Land: a fruite of that re∣putation they should have if they honored God with their substance. And to this sense the Lxx, and our following com∣ment. Yee shall be as a pleasant land, praised and commen∣ded by all that passe by you. Thus much of the seventh Contestation.