Observations Natural and Moral

CHAP. 1. Of the four Elements.

T He Hebrews gather out of this place the four Elements, three of them set down here clearly, the wind, the water, and the earth; and the fourth the fire, because it is not clearly seen by us as the rest of the elements, therefore it is comprehended under the word heaven; and by a contraction the Hebrews contract the four elements in this word armang. The first letter aleph standeth for esh the fire; the second letter Resh, for Ruah the wind; the third letter men for maijn, the water; the fourth letter G • aijn for gnapher the dust or earth.

Ames 9.6. It is he that hath founded his troupes [or bundles] in the earth, the Hebrews mean by these troupes or bundles, the elements, the air, the water and the fire which the Lord hath bound together.

Reasons proving that there are four elements; first there is a heaven that moveth and turneth about still, [Reason, 1] therefore of a necessity there must be earth resting in the midst of the Center about the which the heavens are moved; now when we have found out, that of necessity there must be the element of the earth, there must be some element contrary to it which is the fire, other ways there should be agreat defect in the vniverse; and if the earth be cold and dry, then the fire must be hot and dry according to the rule of the philosopher, si consequence sequitur antecedens, consequence cum modo sequitur antecedens cum modo: but the earth is necessarily cold and dry, therefore the fire must be necessarily hot and dry; and there must be two middle elements betwixt these two which are contrary, the air and the water, the midst betwixt the two cannot be one: and as there are two extremes, bote in the highest degree and cold in the highest degree, so there must be one midst which is temperately hot, and another midst which is temperatly cold.

Whatsoever is found in composed and perfectly mixed bodies, [Reason, 2] the same is found extra mixtum, without the thing mixed or composed; example, There are in man a body and a spirit, therefore there are some which are spirits only as Angels, and some bodies which are no spirits; in man there are first the spirits, and when he dieth they go away, and they resemble the fire: Secondly, there is the air which faileth when the body beginneth to consume, and rot: thirdly, the moisture flieth out of it which is the water; and last of all it is resolved into • ust, natura in • initum renuit, & terminum quaerit, and always aimeth at an end, and seeketh by the most compendious way to attain unto the same, and therefore she hath established but four principal elements in composition of things, and also resolving the body into four elements. And as there are four Lations, one simply highest, another respectively highest, a third simply lowest, and a fourth respectively lowest, so there are four places; the earth is simply lowest, and the water is respectively lowest, the fire is simply highest, and the air respectively highest. Choler in the body of man resembleth the fire, his blood the air, melancholy the earth, and petuite the water: and the four seasons of the year resemble the four elements, the Winter resembleth the earth, the Autumn the water, the Spring the air, and the Summer the fire.

God hath situated and placed these elements that they may have a musical proportion one to another, the earth lowest as the basse, the fire highest as the triple carrying a diapason or eight to the earth: he hath set the water next the earth that it might carry a diapente to the fire, and a diatesseron or tenor to the earth; And the air next the fire that it may have a diapente or counter tenor to the earth, and a diatesseron to the fire; this perfect harmony ariseth from the proportionable temperature of the four first qualities in the elements, dry, hot, cold, moist, for the chief quality of the earth is dryness, and by participation of cold from the water; the chief quality of the fire is heat and partaketh of the earths dryness: the water is exterame cold and partaketh of the moisture of the air; the air is extreme moist and partaketh of the heat of the fire, so that there are eight qualities here to make up a diapason, four extreme and chief, and four remiss and by participation, and their harmony may be taken up thus:

As natures perfection is to imitate God in his first creation, so the greatest perfection of art is to imitate nature. Phythagoras did find out the consent of music by hearing a smith beating upon his Anvell with four hammers being of unequal weight, and that he might find out the difference of the sound, he weighed the hammers, and he found the heaviest to be twelve pound weight, the lightest six and the third eight and the fourth nine according to arithmetical proportion, the first being twice as heavy as the second, the fourth carrying a triple proportion to the first, and the third a double proportion and a half to the first; and according to musical proportion the fourth to the first was diapason, resembling the water and the fire; the third to the first, and the second to the fourth, are diapente; the first to the second, and the third to the fourth are diatassaron, respecting the weight of the hāmers. Pythagoras that he might make Art to imitate nature stretched out four Lutestrings between two roots of trees, and making a bridge betwixt the two just in the midst, struck upon the fourth string it maketh a diapason, so to the first; then he made a bridge in the second room, the third string made a diapente to the first: then he set a bridge betwixt these two bridges, struck upon the second string, it maketh a diatessaron to the first in respect of the stretching out of the strings, as may be seen here.

The contrariety betwixt the fire and the earth, the fire is hot and dry, the earth is cold and dry, yet they symbolize in dryness; the water is cold and moist, the earth is cold and dry, they symbolize here in coldness: the fire is hot and dry, the water is cold and moist, therefore they symbolize in nothing.

There were three great miracles which the Lord wrought, first when he made the water to come out of the rock in the wilderness, Num. 20.8. Secondly, when the Angel touched the rock, and the fire came out of it to burn the sacrifice, Judge. 6.24. The third when Elias poured water upon the sacrifice, and then made it burn, 1 King 18.33. this was a greater miracle than any of the other two, for there is no concord betwixt the water and the fire, as in the other two miracles; for the water and the rock symbolize in coldness although not in dryness, and the fire and the rock symbolize in dryness, although not in coldness.

The Lord hath tempered the body of man, of moist and heat, cold and dry; and that the heat prevail not and breed fevers, he tempered it with cold to make up the harmony, and that the cold prevail not and breed lethargies, he tempered it with heat; and that the moisture prevail not and breed hydropsies, he tempered it with dryness. So the Lord tempered the great body of the world at the first, and set this contrary to that: when the Lord destroyed the first world with water, this great body died of the hydropsie; and when he shall consume it at the latter day with fire, then he shall burn it as it were with a fever.

The conclusion of this is, we must admire the wisdom of God who hath made all things in weight, number and measure, Wisd. 11.17. Who hath made all things in weight that the earth and the water should be heaviest, and the air and the fire lightest; in number that he hath made two extreme elements and two middle elements; in measure that he hath tempered the hot fire by the air and not by the water, for that would have extinguished it, and he hath made the dry earth moist by the water, and not by the air for that would not have moistened it.

CHAP. II. How the earth hangeth upon nothing.

SSalomon saith that dead fles cause the syntment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor, Eccles. 10.1. that is, great gifts may be corrupted and stained with some notable blemish, as may be seen in that notable and excellent mathematician Archimedes, cui magnum ingenium, sed non sine mixtura dementia.

The King of Syracuse gave so much gold to make a crown of it, the gold-smith made a very curious piece of work of it, but the king suspected that he had mixed some silver with the gold, but was loath to break the crown because of the workmanship of it, yet he was very desirous to know how much silver was in it. Archimedes busied himself about it a long while, and one daygoing into a bath even into the middle, he observed how much water his body made to run over out of the bath, then upon a sudden he leapt out of the bath with joy crying 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I have found it, I have found it; What doth he then? he took a mass of gold and another of silver of equal weight with the crown, which he putting into a vessel of water, first he observed how much water the gold made the vessel to run over, and how much water the silver made it to run over, and thirdly he marked how much water the crown made it to run over: and by the weight of these waters he gathered how much gold was in the crown, and how much silver was in it; as for example, put the case that the mass of gold caused twenty pintes to run over, the crown twenty four pintes, and the mass of silver thirty six pintes; divide twelve three times, and the quotient shall be three, so that he found out three parts of the crown to be gold, and one silver, as you may see in this proof following.

Was not this an excellent wit in Archimedes, but mark how the dead flees putrefied the box of ointment. He said, give him a place to stand upon, and he could raise the frame of the whole earth; and if he could raise the earth out of the Center, then he could hang the earth upon nothing, and if he might hang the earth upon nothing, then he might stand upon nothing.

By this conclusion of Archimedes we may learn how many Epha's the brazen sea would contain which Solomon made, 1 King. 7.26. first we must reduce the baths to the brazen sea, it contained two thousand baths 1 King 3.4. but 2 Chro. 4. it contained three thousand baths: and next we must reduce the dry measure the Epha to the bath. Now that we may know what every bath contained, we must consider the form of the brazen sea, it is said to be thirty cubits in compass, ten in the diameter or breadth, and five in the semidiameter or depth. It was not ovalis out Cylindrici figura, but like the half of a hemisphere or a ball cut in two equal parts; then take the cubit and make the Epha of a cubicall form, that is, alike in height, length, and breadth; then the cubit and the Epha will be alike. Thirdly, take the bath being round, and make him contain alike with the Epha, then the cubit, bath and Epha will be all one. The brazen sea is said to contain two thousand baths, 1 King. 3.4. that is, baths made according to the cubicall Epha which is a cubit; and 2 Chro. 4. it is said to contain three thousand baths made according to the cubicall half Epha which is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or the great Palme, so that by the bath here we may know the greatness of the brazen sea. So the ten brazen Lavers which Solomon made, everyone contained forty baths, that is, half baths, as we may perceive by their measures, because the text saith, they were four cubits. He hangeth the earth upon nothing, he measureth the waters with the hollow of his hand, and meateth out the heaven with his span, and comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure, and weigheth the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance, Isaiah. 40.12. He hangeth the earth upon nothing, he who made the earth of nothing can hang it upon nothing, Prima principia non possunt demonstrari sed illustrari, we cannot give a reason why the earth hangeth upon nothing, because we can go no higher, but rest here: we may illustrate this, that it hangeth upon nothing; we may define what the earth is, and what the Philosophers call nihil, we may assign the cause of a cause until we come to the first cause, and there we must rest. Example; These things which were dedicated to the temple of the Lord were hung up upon pins fastened in the wall, the wall stood upon the foundation, the foundation stood upon the earth, the earth hangeth upon nothing; here we go not higher but rest in the power of God that hung it, the Lord sustained it with his three fingers Isaiah 40.12. and as we weigh and try the least things in the balance, so the Lord weigheth the earth, and if the mathematician say that the earth is but a point in respect of the heavens, what must the heaven and earth be in respect of God?

He hangeth the earth upon nothing, Job. 26.7. gnal belima, which some derive from beli non, & ma quid, because it hangeth upon nothing: and the Greeks translate it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 nihil, and others derive it from the Chaldee word balam constringere, because the earth is bound together as it were with a button, hence cometh belimah a button; he that hangeth the earth upon nothing, settled it upon the foundations thereof, Psal. 104.5. [gnal mecunnatha] super bases suas, Aquila 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vertit; and he that settled the earth upon the foundations of it, is able only to raise it out of the Center; Archimedes was not able to do this, all the devils in hell cannot destroy the Universe, they are but a part of the whole, and a part hath no power over the whole; and the Apostle saith, Heb. 1. That he hath not put under the feet of the Angels the world, neither can they invert the order of the universe, for as the Philosopher saith, bonum universi est ordo, they cannot remove the principal parts of the world, neither can they transfer the elements from one place to another, they cannot stay the course of the Sun and the Moon, therefore it is but a fable that is written of the witches of Thessalie that they could stay the course of the moon.

When God hangeth the earth upon nothing, it is not a miracle; the Philosopher saith, that elementa non ponderant in locis suis, but if the earth were heavy in it own Center, and then should hang upon nothing, that were a miracle, as when Elisha caused the Axe to swim in the water, 2 King. 6.6. because the Axe was heavy of it self, therefore this was a miracle in causing it to swim above in the water.

There are two things required in a miracle, first that the cause be an hidden cause altogether, I say, altogether; for if it be hid to some & known to others, then it is not a miracle: example, when a country man seeth the eclipse of the Sun, the cause of it is hid to him, yet because it is not hid from a Mathematician, therefore it is not a miracle. Again, these things that are miracles were not appointed by God in the creation to receive these effects which he worketh immediately in them: the settling of the earth upon nothing is not a miracle in the second respect, because here he worketh according to nature, placing it in the Center. When Christ restored sight to the blind, this was a miracle because it was not according to God's ordinary course in nature; but when they saw once, their sight could not be called a miraculous sight but natural, for they saw as we see; so we may say, the settling of the earth in prima constitutione is miraculous, sed constituta, being once settled according to nature, it is not miraculous. God is said to set a Law to his creatures and to command them, he doth this by natural causes: when nature was not in the first creation he did things by his immediate power, but nature being once settled he doth things mediately, neither doth this diminish anything from the power of God, when he worketh by his handmaid nature, for if he should bind the sea only by his power, then we should see nothing but only, his power to praise him for it; but when he doth these things by natural means, here we are led both to praise his wisdom and his power.

God when he created the earth, he made in some places hills and in some places empty parts to contain the water; but to reduce this inequality to an equality, he weigheth (as the Prophet Isaiah saith cap. 40.12.) the hills in balances, and maketh this hill to conterpoyse that, and from this equal distribution of the parts settling one against another, he settled the earth in the midst that it is not moved, & lest it should fall no way but to the Center, he made it firm in the lowest parts, and lest one part should fall upon another, he provided that the hills should be poised one against another.

The earth that is the Center is so settled that it cannot be moved; there falleth out some particular earth-quakes here and there, but the whole earth is never shaken with an earth-quake: for if the whole were shaken at once, with an earth-quake, then it should follow that the earth were settled contrary to the nature of it; for the nature of the Center, is to be Immoveable: and if it could be so, then the heavens were turned about that which is moveable. The earthquake which fell out at our Lord's passion, if it was universal it was a miracle indeed.

God settled the earth upon nothing, then Copernicus error is disproved, who held that the earth moved about, and that the Sun stood still; which conceit of his Solomon refuteth Eccles. 1. The earth standeth forever, but the Sun riseth, and goeth down, and hasteth to the place whence it arose. And if the Sun stood still and moved not, what miracle was it then, in Joshua's days to make the Sun to stand? Therefore to say, that the Sun moveth because it seemeth to move, that were to deny the very knowledge of sense: as if a man should deny the fire to burn. It is true, the Scripture speaketh sometimes of things as they appear to our sense, as Mark saith, the Sun did set, but in the Greek it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 dipping, Mark. 1.32. because it seemeeth to the people to dippe in the sea when it setteth. So it calleth the Sun and the Moon, great lights, Gen. 1. bearing as it were with the infirmity of the weak people; but when men see things sensibly and feel them, then the Scripture speaketh of them according as our senses take them up; and it useth the senses as an argument to prove things by, as 1 John. 1.1. That which we have seen with eyes; that which we have heard, and that which we have handled, &c. that we declare unto you; the senses are not always mistaken then.

The conclusion of this is; if the earth that hangeth upon nothing, be so settled that it cannot be moved, how much more is the Church settled, which is settled upon the rock Christ? In the settling of the earth, God's power and his wisdom are seen; but in settling of his Church, both his power and his mercy appear.

Secondly, [Conclusion, 2] the Lord establisheth the pillars of the earth that it should not be shaken; David alludeth to this, When he shall be established in his kingdom, [Allusion.] he will establish it and rule it in equity and appoint good magistrates and rulers, who may be justly called, the pillars of the kingdom: before the earth and all the inhabitants thereof were dissolved, but he would establish the pillars of it, Psal. 75.3. and settle the government of it when he came to the kingdom.

CHAP. III. That the earth is the basest of all the Elements.

I It may seem that the earth is the most excellent of all the Elements. First, because in the creation, it is said, God created the heaven and the earth, [Reason, 1] the earth for the excellency of it, is put next to the heaven. [Reason, 2] Secondly, as there is a Paradise in heaven, so there is a Paradise on the earth; but there was never a Paradise found in the water or in the fire. Thirdly, [Reason, 3] the most excellent element is placed in the most excellent place, but the midst is the most excellent place in which the earth is seated: so he placed the tree of life in the midst of the garden, as the most excellent place, and Christ walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, Revel. 2.1. Fourthly, [Reason, 4] the earth is the seat and dwelling place of man the most excellent visible creature, as the heavens are the place for God and his blessed Angels to dwell in. [Reason, 5] Fifthly mortal creatures, move that they may rest: rest then is more excellent than motion; the rest of the elements are moved, and only the earth standeth immovable, she sitteth like a Queen, whereas all the rest are in motion. Sixthly, the men that dwell upon the earth, show the excellency of it, they mannure the earth, they count the earth their inheritance and delight, they desire to be Lord's of the earth, they contend to enlarge their bounds there, the gold and the precious stones come out of the earth, and they who possess most of it are Kings and Princes in it.

But these reasons being well considered will not prove the earth to be the most excellent element; for the heaven is the throne of God and the measure of order, [Reason, 1] and of all simple things most excellent, and the farther that the element is distant from it, the baser it is. But the earth is farthest distant from the heaven; therefore it is the baser element.

Secondly, [Reason, 2] only the earth of all the elements, is most opposite to the heavens; and the shadow of it is the beginning of darkness, and night.

Thirdly, [Reason, 3] if ye will consider heat, of all active qualities, it is most active and befriendeth nature most: purging, attenuating, and elevating: but the earth is opposite to it in all these respects.

In the beginning, [Object.] God created the heaven, and the earth, Gen. 1.1. Here the earth is put next the heaven.

This showeth an imperfection, [Answ.] rather than a perfection in the earth, for here Moses maketh mention of the two first things which were made, heaven and earth, the heaven as the most excellent, and the earth as the basest.

There was a paradise upon the earth, [Object.] but none in the air, water or fire. [Answ.]

The reason of this, was because man had an earthly body: and could not dwell in any of the rest of the elements: and the Paradise upon the earth, was an excellent and glorious place, but as it was adorned with temperate heat, pleasant air, and sweet waters.

The earth is the resting place of man.

Not as it is the earth simply but as it is the earth adorned with the rest of the elements, [Object.] [Answ.] and it is the resting place of his body because there is most earth in it, and because this earthly body is nourished in it: but it is not the resting place of the soul; for it seeketh the things above, Colos. 3.2.

The earth resteth, but the rest of the elements move; [Object.] therefore it is the most excellent.

We may gather, a contrary argument from this; [Answ.] for motu rectu, by straight motion, bodies are moved to rest, that they may attain to their own rest, which place when they have once attained unto, the more excellent they are, the more they follow the motion of the heavens, which are turned about continually. [Object.]

The earth is a common mother, and nourisheth all things, therefore most excellent.

It becometh a rich, and fertile mother, [Answ.] borrowing helps from the rest of the elements; for the earth of it self is both dry and barren: and it is not fertile unless it be tempered with the rest of the elements, and the heat of the fire is to be preferred to the humiditie of the air. [Object.]

The earth is the midst of all the elements. [Answ.]

The Philosopher saith, that there is a double midst, vnum perfectionis, alterum molis, the heavens are the midst of perfection: from the which as from the heart, the whole is preserved; the earth again is but medium molis, it is but like the middle place, it is like the Navell in the body of man: but not like the heart: and if we shall consider the right order of the elements and the right order, how all the rest hang upon the first; by this consideration the heavens shall be the highest, and the earth shall be the lowest and not the midst.

The conclusion of this is, seeing the earth is the basest of all the elements, we should not seek our contentment in it neither should we say it is good to be here, but we should set our affections on things above, Collos. 3.2.

CHAP. IIII. Of the situation of the Elements.

ALthough the water be said to be under the earth, yet the water as the lightest element is above the earth.

The water is above the earth, therefore Jerusalem is called umbilicus terrae, Ezek. 38.12. The midst of the Land; and Tyrus is said to be placed in the heart of the Sea, Ezch. 28.8. The water is said to have a heart, and the earth a Navell; as the heart is above the Navell, so the water naturally is above the earth.

When God created the Waters and the earth, at the first they were mixed together as the Wine and the dregs, but the Lord separated them, and he caused the earth to fall down like the dregs of the wine, and the water to rise out of the earth to the circumference, then he gathered the waters into one place, Gen. 1. called the deep; whereby the earth and the water, made but one globe, and the earth, being settled as the Center, the water goeth round about it, as the circumference; therefore that position of the Philosophers holds not, that there is ten times more water than earth, for as Bodinus saith in his Theatrum natural, that the highest hill being measured perpendicularly to the superfice of the water, is not a mile of height about the water, and the deepest place in the ocean is not a mile of deepth; therefore there is not so much water as there is earth, and if the earth were made in a plain circumference it would fill up all the wastnesse of the deeps, and in Noah's deludge it was but fifteen cubits above the highest mountain, therefore there would not be so much water as earth.

The earth being the Center and the water the circumference, they make but one Globe which is proved by the eclipse of the Moon, for when she is eclipsed, there is but one shadow cast up both of the water and the earth upon the body of the Sun.

By the Eclipse we learn four great secrets in nature, first the distance of the earth from the Sun; secondly the distance of the earth from the Moon; thirdly, the distance of the Sun from the Moon; and fourthly, that the water and the earth make but one Globe.

First, the discance of the earth from the Sun, for the Sun is farther removed from us than the Moon, as we may perceive by the Eclipse; when the shadow is cast upward from the Sun, it reacheth to the body of the Moon, and by measuring the shadow, we know the bigness of the Sun, the circumference of the earth, and the bigness of the Moon, and that the Sun is bigger than the earth, and the earth bigger than the Moon.

That the Sun is bigger than the earth, the form of the shadow showeth this, for it casteth up the shadow to the Moon Pyramidaliter instar coni, and if the Sun were not bigger than the earth, then the shadow would rise up like a pillar in infinitum, and then all the planets should be Eclipsed as well as the Moon.

Secondly, by the shadow in the Eclipse we gather the distance of the Moon from the earth, for the earth Eclipseth no other planet than the Moon, and measure the length of the shadow, and then it will show what distance the Moon is from us.

Thirdly, by the Eclipse of the Sun we may know the distance of the Sun from the Moon, for the Sun can never be totally eclipsed, because it is both higher and bigger than the Moon; and knowing the bigness of the body of the Moon; we may understand what distance there is betwixt the Sun and the Moon by the parts of the earth that are obscured in the Eclipse, for the eclipse of the Sun is never universal as that of the Moon, for there may be an Eclipse in Persia or Judea which is not here, & here when it is not there. So measuring the parts of the earth eclipsed, and the bigness of the shadow of it, we may gather the height of the Sun above the Moon.

The fourth thing is, that the water and the earth make but one Globe, because the shadow is but one shadow, as the shadow of the Moon cast down in the Eclipse of the Sun is but one shadow; but if the water and the earth were two distinct Globes, then they would cast two shadows.

By measuring the length of these two shadows, we may know the bigness of the Sun, [unspec 1] the Moon and the Earth.

Although the water be higher than the earth, yet it is not miraculously kept within the bounds, but only by the Law of nature it runneth to the Center.

There is another cause why the earth is dry and the water overfloweth it not, which is the Sun, who by his light and motion doth heat the moist parts of the earth and engendereth vapors, which lift up the hills and make many hollow places in the earth; and then the water finding passages, runneth into the deeps of the earth. [Simile.] When we knead dough, the heat worketh upon the mixed body the meal, it elevateth and lifteth up some parts of it, and maketh sundry pores and passages in the leaven fermenting it; so when the Sun maketh the vapors, they elevate some parts of the earth; and this ways there is a passage made for the water to run into the hollow places of the earth, and so to dry the earth.

Secondly, the distance of the heaven from the earth is the cause of the dryness of the earth, for the elements of themselves being without form, and receiving their forms from the heavens because the earth is farthest from the heavens, it most imperfectly taketh the round form, because it is very dry, and is hardly drawn to the round form, and the inequality of the parts of the earth, maketh that the water overfloweth not the whole earth.

Whether is the dryness of the earth, [Quest.] natural to it, or against the nature of it? [Answ.]

It is according to the nature of the universe, because it serveth for a good end, the preservation of many living creatures: for although it seem that it is natural for the lighter element to be above, yet in respect of the universe it is natural for the earth in many parts to be above the water, it is natural for the water to run down, yet lest vacuum be granted it runneth up, and this course is natural to it in respect of the Universe; and if the dryness of the Universe were altogether violent and not natural, then it could not continue long, for no violent thing can continue: and moreover if we shall respect the particular parts of the earth, it is natural, for the parts of the earth that are high to be dry, and these which are lowest and nearest the Center, to be covered with water.

He made the water as the lighter element to go above; and the earth as the heavier element to be lowest. It was an old opinion of some that the earth did swim in the water, as a ship doth in the Sea, which opinion Thales Milesius held, as Aristot. showeth: hence they gathered that there were no antipodes, and that men lived not in another hemisphere, and when one held that there were Antipodes, Boniface who was the Popes Legat in Germany, [Object.] would have him excommunicated for that. Johannes Aventinus, lib. 3.

Psal. 136.6. Who stretched out the earth above the waters.

But Job saith, cap. 26.7. [Answ.] He hangeth the earth upon nothing, and David Psal 104.5. Who hath founded the earth upon her pillars, Symmachus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 super sedes suas. The earth is said to be founded in the water, not that the water is under the earth, but in respect of some parts of it, he hath founded it upon the waters, gnal is put pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here, as Mat. 27.19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in tribunali, gnal pro in; so Isaiah 38.20. [gnal beth Jehovah,] in domo domini: so gnal pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 juxta, as Pharaoh stood [gnal bajeor] juxta flumen. So Psal. 1. as a tree planted [gnal] juxta rivos: thirdly gnal notat supereminentiam, and so the earth is higher than the water for the commodity of man, and beast, but naturally the water should be above the earth. Lastly gnal is put for cum as both the men and the women came, gnal, Exod, 35.22. so 2 Pet. 3.5. the earth is said to be of the water, and by the water, but Peter meaneth not that the earth is sustained by the water: so Noah is said to be saved 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not by the water, but in the water.

But David seemeth to make the sea lower than the earth, [Object.] Psal. 107. They that go down into the Sea.

If we will compare the coasts and the nearest sea, [Answ.] then the Land is higher than the sea; but if we will compare the Land and the main sea, then the sea is higher than the Land, and therefore the sea is called altum.

The Lord hath set bounds to the sea, and with a compass hath drawn a line how far the sea should come. Circinavit. Job. 38.11. Ier. 5.22. Will ye not tremble at my presence, who hath placed the sand for the bounds of the sea? We are to fear him as well in his work of nature here [for we see both his power and his wisdom] as we are to fear him when he represseth it only by miracles.

Xerxes was most impudent who took upon him to make a bridge over Hellespont, and charged the sea under pain of disobedience not to cast it down; and threatened that he would scourge and whip the sea if it did so. These princes who assayed only to cut the passages of Peloponesus where Corinth stood, as Claudius, Caesar, Demetrius and Nero, could never effectuate this business. So Sesostratus and Darius went to cut the Land betwixt the Mediterran sea, and the red Sea, but they were glad to leave off this work, lest the Sea should have overflowed the Land; so Trajan thought to have cut a passage betwixt Nile and the red Sea, but could never effectuate it: all which teach us, that it is the Lord only who setteth bounds to the sea, and it is he that stoppeth it by his mighty power. The example of Canutus King of England is memorable for this purpose, for when his flatterers flattered him too much (as Polydore Virgil testifieth] he caused to bring his chair of estate to the Sea shore; when it was ebbing, and he sitting in it caused his heraulds to proclaim and to charge the Sea under pain of disobedience that it should not approach to his chair of estate, but the Sea keeping it ordinary course, made the King and all his Courtiers to remove; then the King took occasion to speak unto these flatterers, after this manner, Ye see that I am but a mortal man, whom neither sea nor wind will obey, therefore learn to fear him who hath power to set bounds to the sea, and to whom both the wind and the sea doth obey, Mark. 4.39.

The Conclusion of this is, although the water be above the earth, and should overflow it naturally, yet the Lord saith, this far thou shalt come and no farther, Job. 38.11. so the Lord hath set bounds to the pride of the enemies of the Church. David when he speaketh of the waters, Psal. 124. he called them aqua superbiae, [maijm hazedonim] and this word Jeremiah useth to express the proud heart of man, Jer. 49.6. and the Law useth it when it speaketh of a man, who killeth one in the pride of his heart: the Lord can repress this proud sea, Mark. 4.39. The wind ceased, and there was a great calm, in the Greek it is more emphatical 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he put a bridle in the mouth of the sea, that it could rage no more: as the Lord can put a bridle in the mouth of the sea, so he hath a hook in the nose of the tyrants on the earth, and as he limitateth the waters, so he limitateth the pride of tyrants. In the winter when there are greatest storms the Lord maketh some Halcyon or calm days, that this bird may hatch her young ones: so the Lord in the greatest rage and fury of his enemies can calm the storm; that the Church of God may bring forth children to him, and reserveth some dry place for them.

CHAP. V. That the waters come from the sea, and return to the sea again.

THe sea is like the Liver in the body, which by the veins sendeth blood to the whole paits of the body, so doth the sea to all the parts of the earth.

That the waters come from the sea, first it is clear, for although much water cometh into the Sea, yet it increaseth nothing, and the reason of this is, because as much goeth from the Sea as cometh to it; and that of Ecclesiastes may be applied here, As riches increase so do they that eat them; if the Sea receive much, it giveth out as much again.

Secondly, God's testimony is the greatest proof to prove that they come from the sea, Job. 38.16. An venisti usque ad fletus maris [nibhki jam] which may be translated the tears of the sea: why are they called the tears of the sea? because the fountains come from the depth of the sea, through the earth as tears trickle from the eyes. Psal. 104.13. He watereth the hills from his chambers, that is, from the clouds above, and verse. 10. He sendeht the springs into the valleys which run among the hills, not only the waters which fall from the hills, but also these which he sendeth from the veins of the earth. And here most plainly it appeareth, Edcles. 1.7. That all the waters come from the sea, and he who knoweth full well the secrets of the heart, and the many turnings and windings which are in it, knoweth full well the many ways how these waters turn and wind from the Sea; and he that knoweth the way of a serpent upon a stone, and the ways of a man with a maid, and the way of an Eagle in the air, and the way of a ship in the Sea, Prov. 30.19. Knoweth full well these turnings of the waters from the Sea, and how the waters come through the secret passages of the earth, to the Caspian sea, although there be no passages seen betwixt them; and as Jordan when it runneth into the dead sea runneth by secret passages under the earth to the sea, so doth the waters come by secret passages from the Mediterran sea to the Caspian sea, and back again.

In the deepth of the earth there are hollow places which breed winds, these winds carry up the waters, the waters again press down the winds, and the winds being borne down by the waters seek a passage through the earth, and make a way for the sea to run through the veins of the earth, and seek to highest places, and of these came the fountains; and because of the continual strife betwixt the sea and the winds, the water never faileth in the fountains; and coming once to the fountains, then they run back again to the sea. The waters of the floodes come also from the Sea, Jer. 10.13. When he uttereth his voice there is a noise of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth, that is, out of the sea, and these waters return again to the sea. These then who hold that the waters are bred of congealed air in the cavernes of the earth, are deceived.

If all thewaters come from the sea, [Quest.] how cometh it that the waters are sweet in the rivers, and salt in the sea?

Salt water by Art may be made sweet, [Answ.] much more may nature make it; by running through the veins of the earth it loseth the saltness of it. And as children when they are carried to a strange country forget their mother tongue, [Simile.] so the rivers, being far distant from the sea, it is no marvel that they lose their original saltness, and forget as it were their mother tongue; and this running through the earth maketh them also of a different color and of diverse effects; Nile maketh the Land fat, when it overfloweth, and Euphrates maketh it lean that the corns should not be too rank, but this is only accidental by reason of the ground, out of which they spring. For as, All men were created of one blood, Act. 17. but accidentally they differ in their color, for these who dwell nearest the fiery zone are black, and these who dwell farthest from it, some of them are tawnie, and some of them are of the Olive color, [Simile.] their color varieth in respect of the climate under which they dwell; so these who dwell under the equinoctiall, their shadows go round about them, we who dwell on this side of the line, our bodies cast their shadows to the North, but those who dwell upon the South of the line, their bodies cast their shadows to the South, according to the diversity of the climats men's shadows vary. So according to the diverse natures of the earth, the rivers produce diverse effects which are not found in the Sea.

The Sea is salt for many necessary uses, which are no ways necessary in the floods, first he hath made the sea salt to keep it from putrefaction, which is not necessary in the floods because of their swift motion and running still. Secondly, he hath made the sea salt, for the breeding and nourishing of great fishes being both hotter and thicker; which use is not necessary to the rivers, because they breed but small fishes.

The sea is salt, the dead sea is called the salt sea, Gen. 14.3. But the whole sea is salt also, as experience teacheth and the Scripture testifieth, Jonah 1.5. the mariners feared, in the original it is [hammelachim] the salt men feared: why are they called the salt men? because they rowed in the salt sea, and the sea wherein they were now, was not the dead sea but the Mediterran sea.

There are diverse motions found in the sea which are not found in the rivers, [Object.] therefore it may seem that they proceed not from the sea: first, the sea hath fluxum adaequationis; secondly, it hath motum agitationis; thirdly, it hath motum fluxus & refluxus; Fourthly, it hath motum fluxus only: the rivers have but only motum fluxus common with the sea, but none of the other three sorts of motions.

The sea is that element which followeth the motion of the heavens, [Answ.] and the heavens work upon it by heat and motion, and this motion is made by the Sun and ruled by the Moon, and herein it followeth the Sun and floweth from the East to the West: the rives Tanais runneth into Meotis, Meotis into Hellespont, Hellespont into the Mediterran sea, the Mediterran sea into the Ocean sea, the Ocean sea into the Tartarian sea, and the Tartarian sea into Meotis again.

The second motion of the sea is motus agitationis, when the waves of the sea swell up and beat one against another; of this motion David speaketh Psal. 107. The waves ascended up unto the heavens.

The third motion of the sea is motus fluxus & refluxus, whereby it sendeth forth waters from the deeps and they return back thither again: the rivers have none of these three motions, these three are all proper to their mother the sea, but they have motum fluxus common with their mother.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] as all the waters go from the sea, and return to the sea again; so as we receive all graces from God, we must return all thanks to him again, nam si gratiarum recursus cessat, gratiarum decursus cessat.

CHAP. VI. Whether the Winds have any weight or not?

GOd by his power restraineth the waters that they over flow not the whole earth, therefore Job saith that he weigheth them by measure, lest they abounding too much should break up the fountains of the deeps as they did in Noah's time, therefore he fitteth the water to the Center of the earth; so Job addeth, who maketh the weight for the winds: and as he admired before, why the water overflowed not the whole earth, so he admireth now why the winds ascend not up through the whole earth, but are carried about the earth, and are kept down by a certain weight.

Weight and levity are not the first qualities of things, but they arise from the first qualities: these which are the first qualities are made of no other, and the qualities of all creatures are made of them, and one of them striveth against another & agunt invicem, and two of them are active and two of them passive; active are hot and cold, and passive are humiditie and dryness

Weight and levity ought not to be reckoned amongst the first qualities, because non agunt invicem, one of them doth not fight against another, as heat and cold do, they depend upon heat and cold; we may give a reason why the earth is heavy, because it is cold; but we cannot give a reason why it is cold, but here we must rest as in the first simple quality.

If levity and weight were qualities in things according to certain degrees as things are hot or cold, then one thing should weigh an ounce, and another a pound; but this is not found in heavy things simply, but in heavy things compared with other things, and then they are said to be light or heavy, and they are not a • solute qualities but have still a relation to some other thing. Things become not sweeter or sowrer changing them from one place to another, but weight and levity do alter according to the midst, and have still relation to some other thing.

That which is heavy or light is considered two manner of ways, first in respect of the place, secondly, in respect of the midst; in respect of the place, that which is most simple goeth nearest the Center, as water if it be mixed with wine it descendeth farthest down seeking towards the Center. If ye put water first in the glass̄, and then pour wine into it, he that drinketh first shall drink pure wine, and he who drinketh last, shall drink only water; but if wine be poured first in the glass and water upon it, then it maketh a small mixture, because the water seeketh to the own place descending downward, and the wine to the own place ascending upward; and by this we may try another conclusion, to find out the pure wine from the mixed, if ye pierce an hogs head at the uppermost part, if there be both water and wine in it, ye shall draw out the pure wine; but if ye pierce it below, then the water shall come forth first, and next the wine.

Secondly, weight and levity are considered in respect of the midst, for they vary much changing the midst; example: take a mass of pure gold, and a mass of that which is mixed gold, and weigh them both first in the air with a pair of balances, and then they are of equal weight, but sink them both in the balance half a foot deep in the water, then the mixed gold shall be found much more heavier in the water than it was in the air: the reason of this is the porositie, the balance is only the judge of the weight of things and reduceth them to one quality, but they being suncke in the water, the water judgeth of their quality, which is the lighter, and which is the weightier, the water trieth that but by accident only, by the porositie of the metal, but the balance trieth it per se, for the water entering into the impure metal, because of the porositie of it maketh it descend downward, and the pure metal having no pores in it retaineth still the same weight which it had in the air; and thus the mixture or mixed metal varieth according to the midst here, the water. The air is seen sometimes going up, and sometimes going down, and we know not which is the proper Center of it, until it enter into the hollow places of the earth, and then it bursteth upward, and then we know that the Center of it is above here, and the earth is the midst or judge to try this, as the water was to try the pure metal from the impure. When the pure metal and the mixed metal are in the water, to know how much the one is better than the other, add to the mixed gold in the water a piece of pure gold, and so make the balance of equal weight in the water, and that addition put to the mixed gold in the water will show you the difference betwixt the pure gold and the mixed gold, here we see, mutato medio mutatur pondus, the midst being changed, the weight is changed.

If ye weigh 21 pounds of Lead in the air, and so much gold of equal weight, and sink the balance in the water, the gold shall be but seventeen pound weight and the lead shall be one and twenty; the reason of this is the porositie of the lead which sinketh in the water: so weigh thirty one ounces of silver in the air, and thirty one ounces of gold, and put them in the water, the gold shall be thirty one still, but the silver will be thirty six.

The wind is an exhalation which is more gross than the pure and subtle air, but more subtle than the gross exhalations which come out of the earth; therefore the wind for the subtilitie of it, ascendeth to the lowest religion of the air the clouds, but it is carried down by the weight of it from the more pure and clear region of the air, yet it cannot descend to the earth, because of the thick and gross vapors w ^ch arise out of the earth still, for they must be lowest, and it cannot ascend through the more subtle air, for the lightest must always be highest, and having no place to rest in, it is carried about, and carrieth about the clouds with it; therefore the weight which God made to the wind was this, to vary according to the midst, for compare the wind with the grosser exhalations of the earth, then it is light, but compare it again with the pure and subtle air, then it is heavy: so weight and levity in the wind are only in comparison. [Conclusion.]

The conclusion of this is, As things change their weight being compared with this or that, so do things vary before God, and that which is in high request amongst men is abomination before God. Balthasser for all the honor that he had before men, yet when he was weighed before the Lord he was found light, Dan. 5.27.

CHAP. VII. Whether the water or the fire be the more excellent Element.

THere was a controversy upon a time, between the fire and the water, which of them were the more excellent element, and he who stood for the water alleged these reasons.

First, [Reas. 1] the water is the most profitable element to man, and he standeth most in need of it, at all times both in Summer and Winter, by night and by day, & it is profitable both to sick and whole persons, but the fire is many times hurtful to man.

Secondly, [Reas. 2] that which was found out since the beginning, and was not from the beginning, is not so necessary as that which was first from the beginning: Nature furnished that as simply necessary; Art found out this but for superfluous uses, it can never be shewn that man wanted water, neither is there any amongst the most excellent men, that are said to be inventers of the water as Prometheus was of the fire; and the life of man was long without fire, but never without water.

Thirdly, [Reas. 3] there are many people, that have not the use of fire, but there is no people in the world, but have the use of water, no man can live without water; but Diogenes never used fire, and many other creatures live without fire, and are nourished only in the water: do not the fish live in the sea? beasts upon raw flesh and upon roots? and no creature liveth without water.

Fourthly, [Reason, 4] no creature liveth in the fire (for that of the Salamander is but a fable that it liveth in the fire, it delighteth to be near the fire, for the coldness of it) but the greatest creatures and a multitude of diverse kind live in the water.

Fifthly, [Reason, 5] that is thought to be the most excellent element which standeth in need of the least preparation, but the fire hath need of much wood, and coal to nourish it, but the water is such an element as it standeth in need of nothing to maintain it, & nihilexira se desiderat.

Sixthly, That element is judged, [Reason, 6] most necessary and profitable which may be joined with another, as the water admitteth the fire, for ye may heat it, but the fire never admitteth the water, ignis nuit quam humidus, aqua sape calida.

Seventhly, there are four elements, [Reason, 7] and the water hath brought forth the sea, which we may term the fifth element because it is as profitable to us as any of the rest, for what commerce would men have touether without the sea? it breedeth interchange and commerce amongst Nations, and as Heraclitus said, if we wanted the Sun, we should live in perpetual darkness, so we may say if, we wanted the sea, we should live like barbarous people and wild creatures.

Eighthly, [Reason, 8] when the heathen sent their ambassadors to any nation that they would have subdued to them, they desired to them terram & aquam, and they in token of subjection sent them water and earth because all commandment is either by sea or by land, and all possessions and riches are gotten out either of the sea or land: and in the body of man, the water and the earth are the elements which prevail most, when Darius sent to the King of Scythia, he desired the King to send him water and earth, and when the King of Scythia had sent him a Fowl, a Mouse, and a Frog, and five arrows; Darius interpreted the matter this ways, that the Mouse signified the earth, because the Mouse is bred in the earth, and liveth upon the same things which man doth; the frog to be the water, because it liveth in the water, and the fowl to be his horses, because it is likest unto a horse for swiftness, and the five arrows which he sent to him (for they were excellent archers) lignified that he would yeeid unto him, and deliver all his strength and armor unto him, when they required the earth and water in token of subjection, this showeth the excellency of the water above the fire.

We are baptized by water and not by fire. [Reason, 9]

In the creation when God created the four elements, the water and the earth, were but like the matter; the air and the fire like the form, forming and fashioning these dead and dull elements, for what were the water and the earth without the fire to cherish them? take heat from the water, it doth puttifie, as we see in standing waters, which wanting motion (which breedeth heat) putrefy and corrupt; but the running waters we call them living waters, because the motion keepeth heat in them.

Take away heat from living creatures, [Reason, 2] they die presently; there is moisture found in the creatures after they are dead but no heat, therefore water is not so necessary as the fire, and in effect we may say, that death is nothing but a privation of heat.

These things which have least heat in them, [Reason, 3] have least perfect life, as we see in the body of man, the nails and the hair being farthest removed from the heart, and consequently from heat, are most imperfect of all the parts of the body.

How necessary hath the use of fire been for the finding out of all Arts and preserving of them, [Reas. 4] and therefore the heathen made Valcan the chief inventer of all arts, but the water hath no use in the invention of Arts, therefore not so excellent as the fire. [Reas. 5]

The Philosopher said that sleep took up the half of a man's life which is but a short time, but if a man cannot sleep in the night, then the fire serveth with the light of it to make as it were a second day to him, and taketh away the difference betwixt the day and the night. [Reas. 6]

That is the most excellent element which serveth for the temperature of the most excellent sense, and this is seen most in the sense of seeing, which is as it were a fiery substance. This sense is most profitable for us, to behold the works of God.

And where it is objected that the water admitteth the fire to be joined with it, [Object.] therefore it is most excellent.

When the water is hot and cureth us, [Answ.] this proceedeth more from the heat than from the water, and this argueth rather an imperfection in the water than any desert in the fire.

Where it is objected that some men live without fire, [Object.] and all the beasts live without it.

Although they want the outward element, [Answ.] yet they have abundance of heat within them: what maketh the sea more profitable than other waters? is it not the heat of it? And creatures do not grow by humor only, but by hot humor, for the colder that the waters are the less fruitful they be.

Nothing liveth in the element of the fire, [Object.] as it doth in water.

The element of the fire in it self is so pure that composed bodies cannot live in it; [Answ.] this argueth no defect in the element, but only the grossness of composed bodies; and nothing liveth without the fire, for everything that liketh hath the natural heat to preserve it.

But we are baptized with water, and not with fire.

This proveth only the water to be the better element for this use, but it doth not prove simply that the water is the better element: the earth which is the basest of all the elements, furnisheth bread and wine, for the sacrament, yet this will not prove the earth to be the best element.

The Egyptians who held themselves to be the most ancient people of the world and the most noble people, contended with three diverse nations; first, they contended with the Scythians for their antiquity: secondly, with the Ethiopians for their wisdom; thirdly, they contended with the Chaldeans for their God: the Egyptians had the water for their god; and the Chaldeans had the fire for their god, and the Chaldeans said that their God the fire was the more excellent god because it was a part of the Sun. And Rufinus saith that the Chaldeans went in the days of Constantine through many parts of the earth, to prove the excellency of their god the fire, and their god burnt the rest of the images, but when they came to Egypt, and there appointed a day of trial for their gods, the Egyptians brought forth the huge image of Nile which was hollow within, and filling it with water hored some holes in it, and closed them with wax artificially, that they could not be discerned. The Chaldeans set their god the fire round about the image, but the fire melting the wax, the water gushed out in abundance, and so quenched the Chaldeans God the fire: the Egyptians concluded, by this that the water their element was a more excellent goddess than the fire; see how the blind heathen here had neither grace nor reason; they wanted grace forgetting the Creator to worship the creature; and then they wanted reason, for when the water is cast upon the fire, the fire is not extinguished but ascendeth up to the own element of it.

The conclusion of this: [Conclusion.] although both these elements be necessary for the use of man, yet simply the fire is the more excellent element.

CHAP. VIII. Of the Meteors, the dew, and the Spiritual applications of it.

AS there are sundry sorts of Meteors engendered in the superior region of the air, so there are Meteors bred in the inferior region of the air, the dew and the hoary-frost; and the cause of these are the exhalations drawn up by the Sun in the day time, the Sun going away, and the night coming in place of it: these vapors are condensate by the coldness of the night, and if the cold be not vehement as it falleth out in the Spring time and the Summer, it breedeth the dew, which is a small sort of rain, refreshing the grass and the herbs, and the Hebrews call it tal and the Greeks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : but if the cold be more vehement, then the vapors are more consolidated, and that breedeth the hoarefrost, which falling upon the grass, and herbs, are like a little snows this dew & hoary frost when they be engendered, are bred in the clouds; but this cloud is so small and thin that it obnubilateth not the air: when the South wind bloweth softly, then the dew is bred; and the hoary-frost, when the North wind bloweth, and they are engendered in the morning and evening: In the evening, for then the Sun beams go away, and in the morning when the Sun riseth, the clouds melt and the watery humors fall down, therefore about the Sun rising we find the cold to be vehement.

The Prophet Isaiah saith, Chap. 45.8. Dreppe down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation. Here the Prophet taketh a comparison from the falling down of the dew upon the earth, to show the conception of Christ in the womb of the Virgin.

And first he beggeth for that celestial grace from the heavens, for these things which come from the heavens are the most excellent; even in the conceit of the heathes, and that which they made much of, they called it delapsum de calo. Now this is most fitly applied to Christ, John, 3.13. No man ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven: so John. 8.23. Ye are from beneath, I am from above. and 1 Cor. 15.47. The first man is of the earth earthly, the second man it the Lord from heaven. And he desireth that lust one to come down & quench our thirst, for without this dew the fleece will be dry, Judge. 6.36. and so the ground shall be dry. So without this spiritual dew men shall be barren, like the mountains of Gilboa, 2 Sam. 1.21.

As the dew falleth upon the ground, without any noise, and we feel it not, and as the hail and the rain fall, and we see it not when it falleth; so when our Lord Jesus Christ, was conceived, in the Wombe of the Virgin, who perceived it, or took notice of it, except the Angels, and his Mother Marie?

Secondly when Manna fell, there fell first a dew in the campe; and so before Christ was conceived in the womb of the Virgin, the dew of the Holy Ghost came and over-shadowed her.

Thirdly, when the dew falleth, it imitigateth the scorching heat; so when the world was scorched with the heat of God's wrath for burning in sin, then he sent the Sun of righteousness to refresh them.

And lastly, the clouds are bidden drop down righteousness, the clouds a sign of abundance, the clouds, who willingly drop down and liberallie, the clouds, who dropp not down partially: So this righteousness of Jesus Christ cometh freely from the heavens in great abundance, and not partially distributed to men. [Conclusion.]

The Conclusion of this is, as Cannan was a land blessed of God, and his eyes were upon it from the beginning of the year to the end, it was a Land that drinketh in the water of the rain of heaven, Deut. 11.12. So the Church is a land blessed forever, and watered with that celestial dew that came from heaven.

CHAP. IX. Of bodies perfectly composed, and first of the metals.

THe Jews divide their Physickes into three sorts, first [Domes] silens. Secondly [tzemah] germen; thirdly, [chaja] vivum; they call all the minerals, silens, they call vegetative things, germen, and the living things they call vivum.

The Lord to show the nature of the wicked and hypocritical Jews, borroweth a comparison from the metals, silver and lead: for as the silver-smith before he melts the silver, he putteth lead to it, to make it melt the better; so the Lord threatened first the notorious wicked Jews, to see if by them he might draw hypocirtes (who held themselves to be good silver) to repentance and to melt.

The metals are bred by the heat of the Sun, and then by cold they grow together, and are consolidated: although they be consolidated by cold, yet they are not bred by cold, but by the heat of the Sun. If the consolidating or gathering of them together were the cause of their being, then the melting of them should cause them to perish: the heat of the Sun, drawing up the vapors and exhalations, is the first cause of engendering the metals, and then cometh the cold and consolidateth them; for as the Meteors are bred in the air, of vapors and exhalations drawn up into the air out of the earth, so are metals bred in the earth of these exhalations drawn up by the Sun, but hindered and kept within the earth, that they cannot ascend any higher; then they congeale and consolidate about the stones or some other parts of the earth, therefore they are called metalla, id est, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, which is en gendered or bred about or with some other thing, as gold about silver, and silver about brass, and sometime about iron or brass.

The metals generally are of a watery substance, and all of them have less or more water in them; all the metals can melt in the fire, and the fire being removed they consolidate again, which showeth us that they are of a watery substance and participateth both of water and earth. The metals when they are melted by the fire, they are not like Iee, for when the Ice is frozen it is still but water, and is capable of no other form; but the metals besides that they can be melted, they receive other forms, which the Ice cannot receive, being still water and not metal. Stones may be broken, and bruised & sometimes they may be hewed, but they cannot be melted as the metals. Yron, brass, and Lead, have more earth in them, than the gold or silver, as we may perceive by the rust which they contract: gold and silver have more free of earth than other metals are, and they are more decocted water than the rest.

Now let us make a comparison betwixt gold and lead, Gold hath less earth, and more water in it than lead, yet it is heavier than lead, because it hath no pores in it, to let in the air as lead hath; yet it melteth not so soon as the Lead doth, because the water is more perfectly mixed in the gold, than in the Lead, and the gold being more solid keepeth the watery element better than the lead doth.

Then let us compare lead and silver together, lead hath more earth in it than silver hath, and the water floweth sooner out of it than out of the silver, because it is not so solid; it hath more earth in it then silver hath, and therefore it is hotter when it is melted than silver, and it melteth sooner than silver, because the water is not so perfectly mixed in it as in silver; therefore the silver Smith when he would melt silver putteth lead to it, to cause it to melt the sooner, and this the Latins call replumbare argentum to leaden the silver.

The application of the comparison is this, that the hypocritical Jews are like iron and steel, and not like silver as they would appear; for they are so far from separating themselves from the wicked, that they are altogether like Iron and steel that can hardly melt: the bellows are burnt, that is, the Prophet hath spent his travel in vain amongst them, and the most notorious wicked men a mongst them are like the lead which is burnt up; yet hypocrites by their example will not melt, but remain indurate and as hard hearted as before, therefore they are but reprobate silver, and the Lord shall reject them.

When the Lord cometh to his Church to separate dross from the silver, he scarcely getteth the third part as good silver. Zach. 13.8.9. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined: happy are these who are of this little handful and of this third part, but as for the wicked he will put them away out of the earth like dross, [Conclusion.] Psal. 119.119.

The conclusion of this is, when the Lord threateneth his judgments against notorious wicked sinners, then it is time for hypocrites to repent, lest the same judgment overtake them.

CHAP. IX. Of the diverse names that gold hath in the Scripture.

FIrst gold is called Zahabb, which is common to all sorts of gold, 2 King. 5.5.

The second name which it hath, it is called, aurum ophir, Job. 22.24. torrentes ophir: not that ophir signified gold, but the floods out of which the gold was gathered were called ophir, not this ophir from whence Solomon brought his gold afterward, but a river near the Land of Vz.

The third name, that it hath, it is called Aurum Paz from the root Pazaz which signifieth to make soft, but afterward it was called aurum ophaz and muphaz, Jer. 10. from the places from whence it was taken. Job speaketh of topheth as an appellative, and yet it was turned afterwards into a proper name of a place of torment; so anrum paz, at the first might be an appellative, but afterward became a proper name: so Carmel at the first, was a proper name, but afterwards it was changed into an appellative name, for any fertile place. So Paradise was first a proper name, but afterward became appellative, Ecces. 2.5. I made me Paradises: so Tarshish pro oceano: so Ezek. 17.4. He cropped off the top of his young twigges and carried it to Canaan, that is, to Babylon the land of merchandise: see Prov. 31.24.

The fourth epither is [charutz] fossile, which is rather a name of the art, than a name signifying the essence of the gold, as obrysum fignifieth rather the Art about the fining of the gold, than the substance of the gold, Job. 41.22. Psal. 67.14. and Solomon alludeth to this sort of gold, [Allusion.] Pron. 8. choose my doctrine as pure gold, separate from all base and vile things.

The fifth epithet is chethem, it is that sort of gold which is engraven curiously, and when it hath Ophir or Ophaz joined with it, then they signify the matter, and it signifieth the form: 1 King. 10.25. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, which were vessels of great price, not only for the substance, but also for curious workmanship.

The sixth epithet is segor, as ye would say, includens, the gold which is elaboratly wrought and cunningly set within silver, Prov. 15.11. Apples of gold put in silver, cut like networke, and requireth great skill in this art to set it right, the Hebrews call it [musgor] inclusor, and therefore 2 King. 24.24. The King of Babylon cariea away with him all the tradsemenand Inclusores, noting them as special cunning men.

The last epithet is Parva ••• , and it is called 2 Chron. 3.7. the gold of Parvana, from the place from whence it was brought.

All these names the Scriptures give to gold, to note the excellency and diversity of it, but in that vision of Daniel, where he saw an image whose head was of gold, the gold is not set down there to signify the most excellent monarchy, but the metals are set down there, to fignifie their hardness; the gold the softest, the silver harder, the brass more hard, and the iron hardest of all; we must not then make the comparison, from the glistering of the gold to express the flourishing estate of the Babylonian Empire, or that the silver signified the glorious estate of the Medes, but only the hardness of the metal is marked here, the gold being ductile and plicable, signified that they should not have so hard entertainment under the Babylonians as under the Persians.

Secondly, the head of gold signified the Babylonian Empire, as Daniel expoundeth it to Nebuchadnezzar, Dan 2.38. Thou art this head of gold; the Babylonian Empire is called gold, because the Babylonians spoiled all the treasures of the Temple; the Persians are called silver because they spoiled the Babylonians, yet they got not so great a treasure as the Babylonians got: the Grecians are called brass, they spoiled the Persians, yet got not so great a treasure as the Persians got: the Romans are called iron and clay, for before they overthrew the Grecians they wore rings of iron upon their singers, and their treasure was but iron: but when the Vandals, Goths and Hunues spoiled Rome, they got but only clay.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] although the gold have many excellent epithetes in the Scripture, yet the Prophet Habakkuk calleth it [gnabhtit] densum lutum, Hab. 2.6. To teach us not to set our affections upon it or desire it, for when men have loaded themselves with it, it is but thick clay.

CHAP. X. The blessing of God, and the influence of the heavens, make things fertile below here.

WE have spoken before of metals which the Jews cal [domes] silens, now it resteth to speak of that which they call [Zemeh] germinans, & [chaja] vivum. God who created the trees, fruits and man, he heareth them, and maketh them to hear one another, God heareth eminenter, he that planted the care shall he not hear? Psal. 94.9. the heavens and the earth hear metaphorice, and man heareth properly.

God heareth the heavens when he giveth his influence and blessing unto them to make them nourish the things below here.

When God worketh upon the creatures below here, he worketh either mediately or immediately; he worketh immediately vel ration virtutis vel suppositi; he worketh immediately ration virtutis, because all virtue proceedeth only from him, as the Sun worketh immediately ration virtutis because it hath the virtue from it self, and not from another: the Moon again worketh mediate ration virtutis because she hath the virtue and hear from the Sun, and heareth not first, of it self: Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, Mat. 4.4. The power to nourish and feed cometh immediately from God. [Simile.] A man is in a consumption, he cometh to advise with a Physician, the Physician biddeth him take so much water and heat it, and then to take such herbs and put into it, and make a decoction thereof: the patient taketh water and drinketh it, but he leaveth out the herbs and dieth of the consumption. The blessing of God in Physic or in meat is like the herbs put into the water, and if it be left out, the creatures cannot nourish us: this blessing of God in the creatures with feedeth us, is called the staff of bread, Deut. 28. for as the staff upholdeth the old weak man, so doth the blessing of God uphold and nourish us.

God again worketh Immediate rations suppositi, for he is indistanter (as the Schoolmen speak) in everything.

Ye will say, how doth God work mediately, [Quest.] seeing he is immediately in everything?

If ye will respect the second causes with the effects, [Answ.] then God is said to work mediately, but not if ye will respect the media themselves.

When God useth the second causes to produce an effect, he useth them not as helps or as co-working causes with himself, but to show his goodness and his bounty, that he will communicate with his creatures some part of his power, and for the weakness of these whom he helpeth. Curse ye Meros, because be came not out to the help of the Lord Iud. 5.23. the Lord needed no help of Meros, but when God's people saw the tribes coming out to help, then it helped their infirmity; but the hand of the Lord is not shortened, 1 Sam. 14.6. who can help with few or by many.

The heavens are said to hear the earth when they send down their heat and rain to moisten the earth; the former rain in the scripture is called [more] plavia and the latter rain [Malcosh] pluvia serotina, which fell out in the month Nisan when the Corn began to be ripe, it was called pluvia maturati • nis. And when the heavens are like brass, then they hear not the earth. Now when the heavens hear the earth, then the husband man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it until he receive the early and the latter rain: I am. 5.7. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine, the earth heareth the corn and the wine when it is mannured and labored by the husband man, and when the heavens send down their influence upon it, when the earth is mannured and dressed, then it is said to be married, Isaiah 62.4. [Veartzecha tibbagnel] and when the ground is not mannured nor sown, it is said to die. Gen. 47.19. Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes both we and our Hand?

God is the only cause of fertility. Paul may plant, and Apolles may water, but it is God that giveth the increase, 1 Cor. 3.6. and it is the Lord that crowneth the year with goodness, Psal. 65.12. The Lord made them to understand this, that it was he only who caused things to grow, therefore they called the great trees which grow without labor arbores Dei, as the cedars and such: and this people found this by experience in the blessing of the seventh year, when the increase of one year served for three: and that he might teach them that fertisitie only depended upon his blessing, he caused the earth to make a great show of fertility which afterwards turned to nothing. Hab. • . •• . 〈…〉 est Oliva, the labor of the Olive made a lie, that is, the Olive blossomed very fair, but deceived the expectation of the laborer. So 2 King. 19 this country is barren; but in the original, it is more emphatical [haaretz meshakkeleth] haec regio facit abortum, for as a woman when she is with child, when she parteth with it, she is deceived of her expectation, so the ground about Jericho made a fair show to the laborers, and deceived them.

I will bear the heavens. Our faith should not look to the means which God useth, but to God himself; neither should we depend upon the means, when God useth reasonable creatures as his instruments: we may be thankful to them, but we must give the whole praise to God; but we have no obligation; to the unreasonable creatures as to the heaven and to the earth; this was the ground, amongst the heathen that made them worship the Sun, the moon, and the stars. Alexander the great was mindful of his horse that saved him in the battle, that when he died he built a City upon him, and called it after his name, Bucephalus: he was not so mindful to give thanks to God after his delivery, as he was to his horse.

I will hear the heavens, this should teach us never to rest until we come to the first cause, but men who have their portion in this life, their bellies are fed with his bid treasures, Psal. 17.14. Why are they called his hid treasures? because they know not who is the giver of them, they see the creature but they see not the giver; so when the Lord smiteth them, they see three fingers as it were upon the wall with Balthasar Daniel 5.5. But they see not the hand, nor the arm, nor him that striketh; but Job ascended from the Chaldeans to God himself, and saith, the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken, Job. 1.21. And so did David when Shimei railed against him 2 Sam. 16.11.

I will hear the heavens, when the Universal and particular cause concur together, things take their denomination from the particular and not from the universal cause, as sol & homo generant hominem, yet the man is said to beget his child, and not the Sun. So when the cause of causes worketh with subordinate causes, we must not ascribe every particular effect to God, but to the proper cause, as the fire burneth, but not God, and so the bread feedeth us; yet none of these could effectuate anything without the first cause, therefore we are called the of pring of God Act. 17.29. although our fathers beget us: so Jer. 1.5. Before I formed thee in the belly. Psal. 22.9. Thou art he that took me out of the womb, and thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breast: our father begetteth us, yet unless he bless the begetter he cannot beget; so our mother conceiveth us, yet she shall not bear us except he bring us forth; although these take the denomination from the second causes, yet unless the Lord bless them who is the first cause, it is nothing. But in the first creation which was only by the power of God and no helping cause concurring, then the work took the denomination from the universal and first cause.

Whether doth the effect owe more to the universal or particular cause? [Quest.]

It oweth more to the particular cause than to the universal cause, [Answ.] because it getteth it's kind from it, and is named by it, and is likest to it; but for preservation and continuation of the kind, it is more beholden to the universal cause, as the child is more beholden to the heavens for his conservation, than to the parents; but if we look to the cause of causes God himself, creatures are most beholden to him both quoad ad esse & conservari.

And the heavens shall hear the earth when it is manured by the husbandman.

Observe how the husbandman is directly subordinate to the providence of God, all honest callings are subordinate to God, but yet the subordination is not so clearly seen, nor the blessing of God appeareth not so well in any other trade as in husbandry; for after that he hath cast the seed in the ground, he lieth down and sleepeth, and night and day it springeth up and he knoweth not how, for the earth bringeth forth of it self, first the blade, then the care, then the full corn in the ear, Mark 4.24. House and riches are the inheritance of the fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord, Prov. 19 14. House and riches are from the Lord as well as the wife, but the directing hand of God and his special providence is not so clearly seen in these, as in this.

All the blessing of husbandry dependeth upon God, therefore the heathen when they went to plough in the morning they laid on one of their hand upon the stilts of the plough, and they lifted up the other hand to Ceres the Goddess of corn: but it is a pity to see the most part of these who mannure the ground as though they were fungi or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , sprung out of the ground like toad-stools, affixi glebae, filij terrae, having their minds fixed upon the earth, and never to elevate their minds higher to God, than the Oxen which labor the ground, but if they had hearts to look up to God, O beatos agricolas! O how happy were those husbandmen!

There are five things which commend husbandry in the Scriptures; first, the antiquity of it, There was not a man to till the ground, Gen. 2. He is the first man that is missed, it is neither the Lawyer nor the Physician, nor the Tailor but only the husbandman.

Secondly, the innocence of it, it was commanded to Adam in Paradise, and Christ calleth his Father a husband man, John. 15.1. I am the true Vine and my Father is the husbandman.

Thirdly for the delight of it, Vzzia the King is called vir agri, because he delighted so much in husbandry, 2 Chron. 26.10.

Fourthly, for profit, Eccles. 5.9. The profit of the earth is for all, the King himself is served by the field.

And lastly, this calling is most clearly seen to be subordinate to God's providence, and therefore Isaiah 28.26. The Lord is called the husbandmans God, who teacheth him and instructeth him.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] God by his blessing is both in the causes and the effects immediately, therefore these are deceived who hold that God fet the heavens on work, and they give only their influence to the earth, corn, and wine: [Simile.] torpedo or the crampfish when it toucheth the hook, it transmitteth a benumbedness from the hook to the line, and from the line to the goad, and from the goad to the fishers arm; here the crampfish worketh but mediately, but God worketh immediately in all the causes and in all the effects, and therefore let us crave the blessing of God both to the causes and to the effects.

CHAP. XI. Why the Children are said to come out of their fathers thigh.

THese who have described the Anatomy of man, say that the seed bringers called vasa seminaria, be two veins and two arteries which come down to the thigh.

These veins take their beginning from vena cava the Master vein, which hath the original from the liver, and the artery hath its beginning from the heart, and so they descend to the parts of generation.

These membraseminis or vasa seminaria the Hebrews call them first [gid] virga: secondly, [habezim] testiculi, thirdly, [hashebhelim chute bozim] fila testiculorum.

They came out of Jacob's thigh, for modesty the Hebrews put other parts of the body for the part of generation, as first they call it the feet, Isaiah. 7.20. I shall shave the hair of the feet, so she shall eat that which cometh out betwixt her feet, so they call it the Navell Job. 40.16. and the thigh Num. 5.2. and the heathen Poets say that Bacchus was borne of Jupiter's thigh.

Secondly, they came out of Iacabs thigh, because pater est principium activum generationis, and not the mother; & therefore some Divines conceit that if Adam had not sinned, although Eve had sinned, then original sin had not been transmitted to the posterity; because he was principium generationis, Rom. 5.12. By one man sin entered into the world.

Thirdly, they came out of Jacob's thigh, these seventy souls came out of many bellies, but from one thigh, they came out of the bellies of Lea and Rachel, Zilpah and Billah &c.

Fourthly, Children come out of their fathers thigh, but the wife was taken out of the husbands side, therefore the husband should love his wife better than his children.

Fifthly, they came out of Jacob's thigh, that was a silly poor man, Deut • 26.5. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God: Syrus perditionis erat pater meus, a Syrian ready to perish was my Father, yet he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation great and mighty and populous, who multiplied exceedingly even as the fish of the sea [ijshretzu] Exod. 1.7. Look to the number of the fighting men in Judea in Jehoshaphat's time, how they increased that came out of of his thigh, there were eleven hundredth and three-score thousand fighting men, 2 Chronicles 17. What number of women and children were beside? and then if we shall add all the number that was in Israel, we shall see how God's promise was verified to Abraham, I will multiply thy seed as the sands of the Sea. Although the Lord gave him seventy children out of his thigh, yet he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, and the pain made him to weep, Hos. 12.4. and he halted upon it all the days of his life. This sinew which shrunk in, in his thigh, in the original it is called [gid haneshe] nervus oblivionis, the sinnew of oblivion, and it never stirred anymore there. So Job. 28.4. The waters are forgotten of the foot; that is, the foot treadeth no more there. What ever the Lord giveth his children in this life, it is always cum exceptione crucis, Mark. 10.30. He shall have an hundredth fold, but it is added, with persecution. Seventie souls shall come out of Jacob's thigh, but he shall halt upon fourteen all his life time; So Paul was taken up to the third heaven, yet the Lord gave him a prick in the flesh to humble him, 2 Cor. 12.7. God this ways tempereth our wine with water, he upholdeth us with the one hand, and taketh us down with the other.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] that God out of small beginnings can make up a Church to himself. Ezek. 47.3. The waters that flowed out of the Sanctuary were but first to the ankles, [Simile.] then they came to the knees, thirdly they came to the loins, and lastly they became a river that could not be passed; as the graces of God grow in the Church, so doth the number of the Saints, from hundreds to thousands, and from thousands to Millions.

CHAP. XII. That a woman giveth seed in generation as well as the man.

THe devil who envieth the salvation of man kind, hath still set himself against Christ our redeemer.

First he set himself against the divinity of Christ by his instrument Areius, whodenied the divinity of Christ, and he poisoned the third part of the waters with his wormwood, Revel. 8.11.

Secondly, he set himself against the person of Christ by Nestorius, who taught that there were two persons in Christ, as there were two natures.

Thirdly, he raised up Eutiches, who confounded the natures, and made but one nature as there is but one person.

Fourthly, he raised up Martion, who denied that Christ was truly a man: and last, he raised up the, Anabaptists who deny that Jesus Christ took flesh of the virgin Mary, but that he passed through her as water doth through a golden pype; and their principal reason was this, because women give no feed in generation; but this text showeth clearly that the women give seed in generation as well as the men: it should not be translated then si Semen conceperit aut susceperit, for that is contrary to the nature of the active conjugation hiphil, and it should be translated si seminaverit semen, and so Num. 5.28. seminabit semen, she shall give seed, and not conceive feed, and it is oftentimes spoken of trees in the Scripture sementare semen, which cannot be translated, si susceperint semen: so Heb. 11.11. Sara received strength ad jaciendum vel emittendum semen, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is not receptio sed jactus seminis, as when the husbandman soweth his seed and casteth it into the ground, [Object.] the Syriac paraphrase paraphraseth it not rightly, ut conciperet vel susciperet semen. 2 Cor. 15.47. The first man is of the earth earthly, the second man is the Lord from the heaven, then it may seem that Jesus Christ took not his flesh of the Virgin Marie.

The second Adam is said to be the Lord 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not that it was in regard of his manhood, [Answ.] & human body made of an heavenly substance, but that it was conceived by the heavenly overshadowing of the holy Ghost, and was made partaker of heavenly qualities, as immor tality, glory and power. And became the instrument of an heavenly conversation upon earth.

The conclusion of this, if Christ had not taken our flesh upon him he had not been our goel, and so jure propinquitatis he could not have redeemed us: he is called our dud our beloved, Isaiah. 5.1, Jer. 32. Hananeel because he was in necessity, his dud became goel for him, and redeemed his land for him. So Jesus Christ being our dud or near kinsman, becometh goel to us: if he had not taken our nature he should not have been vindex sanguinis nostri, neither redeemed heaven when we lost it, neither redeemed us out of Prison, for all these things did the goel to his kinsman.

CHAP. XIII. How old some of Christ's predecessors were when they begot children.

AS the Lord hath measured the Periods of the life of man, how long he shall live, and when he shall die; so he hath measured the Periods when a man beginneth to beget children, and when he leaveth off to beget, and so of the woman.

The Period when a man beginneth to beget, or may beget, is thirteen years of age ordinarily, quando exit ab eo concubitus seminis, when the seed of copulation goeth out from him, Levite. 15.16. (because then he is able to lie with a woman) and the Jews call him Parvus so long as non exit ab eo concubitus seminis, and they extend it to the thirteenth year and the woman's to the eleventh. The Period when he ceaseth to beget differeth now in men, from the time when the Patriarchs lived.

The time when the woman leaveth off to conceive ordinarily is fifty.

And we may observe in the Scriptures that these Kings of whom Christ came not according to the flesh, some of them begat their children very young, so Solomon begot his Son Rehoboam when he was little more than twelve years of age, and Achaz was but eleven years when he begat Hezekiah. But these again who were the predecessors of Christ were very old before they begot their children, to exercise their faith; this ways Abraham begat not his son until he was an hundredth year old, and Boaz begat his son when he was sevenscore years old. So Sara the great grandmother of our Lord, bare a child when she was nintie year old. And Rachab another of our Lord's predecessors bare her son, when she was fifty five year old or thereabout.

There was great difficulty both upon Abraham's part and Sarah's part here. Genesis 17.17. Shall a child be borne to him who is an hundredth year old? and so upon Sarah's part, The Lord hath restrained me from bearing, Genesis 16.2. Yet the Lord who who hath power over the womb and grave, made Sara to conceive: the Chaldee Paraphrase of Iernsalem upon Gen. 30.4. setteth down these four keys, the first is facunditatis ad aperiendum, & sterilitatis ad occludendam, the key of fruitfulness to open the womb, and the key of barrenness to shut the womb, Gen. 30.22. God remembered Rachel and opened her womb. Secondly clavis pluviae the key of the rain, Deut. 28.12. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasures, the heavens to give rain unto the Land in due season. The third is clavis cibationis the key of feeding everything, Psal. 145. Thou openest thy hand and fillest with thy blessing every living thing: the fourth is, clavis sepulchri the key of the grave, Ezek. 37. When I shall open your graves.

There were seven mothers who were barren, and yet the Lord opened their womb, Sara, Rebecca and Rachel, the mother of Sampson, Anna the mother of Samuel, and Elizabeth the mother of John.

It may be asked whether Abraham thought himself absolutely unfit to beget children, [Quest.] or only respectivelie thought himself to beget upon Sarah. [Answ. 1]

Some hold that he thought himself absolutely unfit to beget children upon any woman, because the Apostle Rom. 4.19. called his body a dead body, and because the Apostle saith Galat. 4.23. That Jacob who was borne of a free woman was by promise, and Heb. 11.11. By faith Sara conceived, and Isaiah 51. Look to therocke whence ye were hewed, Abraham is compared to a rock here, and Sara to a pit; and as a rock cannot bring forth children of it self, so neither could old Abraham, and it may seem that there was as great an impossibility to Abraham to beget, as it was to Sarah to bear children; therefore they hold that this was a miracle when this power was given to him to beget children anew again. [Answ. 2]

But if we will consider the matter better, we shall find that Abraham doubted not absolutely of his power to beget children, but only to beget children upon Sara who was now nintie year old, yet he might beget children upon a younger woman, for after the death of Sara when he was an hundredth thirty seven years, old, he begat six children upon Keturah, although he doubted to beget children upon Sarah. Abraham after he begat Isaac lived seventy and five years, therefore his body was not a dead body simply; and he wanted not power altogether to beget. Again in these times men lived two hundredth years as Terah the father of Abraham lived two hundredth years, therefore they were not unfit and impotent for generation when they were an hundredth years old, for then they should have been unfit for generation, the half of their life time. Thirdly Jacob who was the great grandchild of Abraham begat Benjamin when he was an hundredth and seven year old, therefore Abraham might beget children by his natural strength when he was an hundredth year old although his strength was not restored to him miraculously.

The Apostle saith that Abraham's body was now a dead body Rom. 4.19. [Object.] And almost now an hundredth year old. [Answ.]

This is spoken only in respect of Abraham's own opinion who was out of hope to have children therefore the Apostle saith, he considered not his own body, and comparatively his body was much more unable at that time than it was before, and if in his younger years he begat no children upon Sarah much less was there hope now in his old days. Galat. 4.23. He that was borne of the bondwoman was borne after the flesh, but he that was borne of the free woman, was borne by the promise, hence it may seem that he begat not his Son Isaac by his nturall strength but by faith taking hold upon the promise. [Answ.]

This strange conception was upon Sarah's part and not upon Abraham's part, for when the Lord opened the womb of Sarah, Abraham begat children by his natural strength which he had then.

But it may be said that the Lord maketh the difficulty as great upon Abraham's part as upon Sarah's: [Object.] Isaiah. 51. Look to the rock whence ye were hewed, and to the pit whence ye were digged. [Answ.]

Abraham was a rock when he was considered with Sarah. Secondly when the Prophet calleth him a rock here from whence the people of God were hewed out, he meaneth especially in this place of their calling out of VZ of Chaldea, that Abraham was an Idolater when he was called thence.

When the Lord gave Sara strength to conceive, [Quest.] whether was this a miracle or not, seeing that it ceased to be with her after the manner of women, Genesis 18.11.

When God who is the author of nature contracteth nature or enlargeth it, [Answ.] this is not a miracle, although it be a great work of God. God worketh 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but never 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he worketh according to nature, besides nature, above nature, but he never worketh against or contrary to nature, for the God of nature never worketh against nature: when Peter looked upon Ananias & beheld him, here his sight was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , according to nature; when Steven stood before the council Act. 7. and saw unto the third heaven, this was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 besides nature, for the Lord extended and enlarged nature, but this was not a miracle; but when Christ restored sight to the blind, and made them to see, this was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 above nature, and this was a miracle. Example 2. When the hungry Lions devoured the accusers of Daniel, and when the Lyon killed the young Prophet, this was according to nature, and when • e brake not his bones, this was besides nature: but in the lowest degree, (for Lions use commonly to break the bones that they may get the marrow,) so when the hungry Lyon spared Daniel, this was besides nature in a higher degree, but it was not a miracle but only the restraining of nature; but when the Ravens fed Elias, this was above nature. So in our Lord's predecessors some of them conceived and bare their children when they were young, and this was according to nature, but when Rachab bare a Son when she was fifty year old, and Sarah when she was nintie, this was besides nature, but not above nature, God did only enlarge nature here; but when the Virgin Marie conceived and bare Christ, this was above nature and a miracle indeed.

As the Lord made barren Sarah to conceive, so the Lord is able to make his barren Church fruitful: Isaiah 43.5. Thus saith the Lord creating Jacob and forming Israel: to create a thing is to create it of nothing, and to form a thing is to fashion it after it is created, so he created when he made barren Sara to conceive, when he multiplied the posterity of Abraham then he formed them: so he calleth them Iacoh and Israel, poor Jacob when he went over Jordan, with his staff, but rich Israel when he returned home again over Jordan: the Church is first dead and created of nothing, and then the Lord addeth a new form to her and multiplieth her. Look to the rock whence ye were hewed, and to the pit, whence ye were digged. As a stone cannot beget children, so no more could Abraham beget children upon Sara, but the Lord who is able to raise up children to Abraham out of the stones, so he raised a seed to himself; and as that stone which was cut out without the hands of man, became a great mountain and filled the earth, Dan. 2. so did his Church, &c.

CHAP. XIIII. What time the soul animateth the body and what care the Lord hath of the child after that he is animated.

AS the world in the first Creation was a confused mass, and then by degrees the Lord distinguished the several days works: so doth he in the little world man: In the first seven days it is no other thing but seed; secondly, it is curdled as Iobsaith cap. 10.10. and becometh flesh, and it is no more called seed but fatus: thirdly the principal parts of the body are fashioned, the Heart, the Brain, and the Liver, and the rest of the members, are hardly discerned; fourthly, when the rest of the members are distinctly fashioned, then it is no more called faetus but infans, then it liveth and stirreth.

It is an error too commonly holden, that we first live the life of the plant by the vegetative faculty only, and secondly the sensitive life, and thirdly the reasonable; but if it were so, then the child might be justly called a plant, secondly a beast, and lastly a man. [Object.]

The Philosopher saith that we live first the life of the plant.

This is not so to be understood as though that imperfect conception called Embryo liveth first the vegetative life, [Answ.] and then the sensitive, for it receiveth all these three faculties at once, but it exerciseth this vegetative faculty first; for the first forty days, or forty five days, the seed is in the matris, and by that power only which is in the seed called virtus formatrix, it is piece and piece prepared, and then simul & semel at one and the self same time it receiveth all these faculties together, then it is nourished and groweth til it be quickened by the soul, neither is it a living soul till it be perfectus fatus, and sometimes it is longer ere it be perfected, and sometimes in shorter time it is perfected. If the fatus be perfected in the thirty five days and the soul animates it, then the child beginneth to stir the seventieth day, and then he is called nagnar from nagnar movere, because then he beginneth to stir in his mothers womb, and then the child is septimestris borne in the seventh month; but if the faetus be perfect in the forty five day, then the child beginneth to stir the nintieth day, and he is borne in the ninth month; so that by doubling the perfection of the Embri • when it hath all the parts of it formed, we shall know when the child beginneth to stir in the mothers belly, and tripling the motion of the child in the mothers belly, we shall know the time, when the child is borne.

This place Exod. 21.22. If two strive together and hurt a woman with child; the vulgar translation readeth it badly thus. If the striker strike a woman with child, and she abhort and live, he shall surely be punished, their meaning is, that the man shall be punished by a fine or a mulct for stricking of the woman, but if she live although the child die, yet the stricker shall not die for it; whereas the meaning of the law is, if there follow [ashon] damnum any hurt either to the mother, or to the child, then the striker shall die, so that there are two causes set down here; first, if the striker strike, and death follow not, then he shall not die for it, although she abhort, because the child was not [gebher] a living child, but [naphal] fructus abortivus vel deciduus Job. 3.3. which falleth from the tree before it be ripe, which Solomon Eccles. 6.3. calleth an untimely birth; but if it be a child which is animated, and the striker strike her, and there follow death either of the mother or of the child, then the man shall die for it: this place then must be understood of a child formed and animated, for if it be only that which David calleth [golem] massa rudis an imperfect substance, Psal. 139.16. then if she abhort and bring forth such a birth; he shall not die for it. The Seventie translate it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , non signatum, and the Rabbins call it asiman, which words they have borrowed from the greekes, as ye would say, money not stamped or sealed. So is the Embryo before the soul be created in it, and therefore the striker if he strike the mother, and she abhort and live, so that there follow no danger to her, then he is not to die it, because he hath not killed a living soul, no more than if a man should die for cutting a member from a dead man. [Conclusion.]

The conclusion of this is, the Lord hath great care of the life of man, even when he is in his mothers belly, if he be once a living child whosoever killeth him shall die for it. When Benah and Rechab killed Ishbosheth, David said ye are wicked men who have killed a righteous person in his own house upon his own bed, shall I not require this at your hands, 2 Sam. 4.11. So the Lord required this at the hands of the murderer who killed an infant in his first mansion and sleeping in his bed. The Lord forbiddeth in his Law, Exod. 23.19. to kill the kid when it is sucking the dam, hath the Lord regard of kids. 1 Cor. 9.9.? no: his chief intention is to have young infants safe in their mothers womb and when they are sucking.

CHAP. XV. Jn what part of the body the soul lodgeth.

THis question hath much troubled the greatest Philosophers, the Peripatetickes the Platenickes and the Physicians, and the Jews differed from them all. The Peripatetickes divided the faculties of the soul into the vegetative, sensitive, and reasonable, and they place them all in the heart. The Platonics divided the faculties of the soul into the jrascible, concupiscible and reasonable faculty, which they placed in the brain: and the Physicians differed from both, for they say principium motus est hepar, dignitatis cerebrum, & necessitatis est cor: and the Jews differing from all, say, that rationale habet sedem in Cerebro, which they call Moahh from [moahh] medulla. Secondly spiritus hath the seat in the heart, which is the beginning of life. And [nephes] anima seu concupiscible they placed it in the Liver called cabhod.

It may seem that it hath the chief residence in the brain, and dwelleth there: [Reason, 1] hath it not all the officers of estate about it in the head? here it hath the senses as the informers, and the Fantasy, the common sense, and memory as the Recorder, in the hinder part of the head.

Again that seemeth to be the seat of the soul which is the original of sense and motion; [Reason, 2] but the instruments of sense and motion are the nerves proceeding from the brain, which nerves direct the external senses, and consequently reason it self which is informed by them. [Reason, 3]

Thirdly, the brain is arbor inversa, and as the life of the tree proceedeth from the root of it, so doth the life of man proceed from the brain.

Fourthly, [Reason, 4] the passages from the brain to the heart are the conducts of life; stop these passages from the brain to the heart, and immediately a man dieth, as we see in apoplexies, which is a disease of the brain properly, and not of the heart.

Fifthly, [Reason, 5] because the head is the most excellent part where the soul lodgeth, it is put for the whole body. Achis said to David, 1 Sam. 27. Thou shalt be keeper of mine head, that is, of me: so 2 King. 2.3. Thy master shall be taken from thine head this day, that is, from thee. [Reason, 6]

Lastly, because the soul lodgeth in the head, we uncover the head first as the most excellent part, we bow the head when we applaud to anything; and because the soul lodgeth in the head, therefore when a man sinneth, the head is especially punished.

It is alleged that the heart was created before the head. [Object.]

Quod est primum naturâ est ultimum dignitate; [Answ.] that which was first in nature, is last in dignity: the heart was created only to serve the head, and not the head to serve the heart: the heart is membrum organicum as the rest of the members of the body, but that it is erganum animae, that is still denied.

It may be said for the heart that the soul lodgeth in it, [Reason, 1] it is primum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it is the member of the body that liveth first and dieth last, it is not like the eye which seeth last, and faileth first.

The instruments of life the spirits proceed from the heart; [Reason, 2] the child when he is in his mothers belly then spirat, when he is borne then respirat; thirdly, inspirat, he draweth in the breath again: and last expirat, he letteth out the breath again, therefore the pulse is framed before either the sinews or Arteries be framed.

Life and heat proceed from the heart, [Reason, 3] therefore in any danger or fear, the blood runneth back from all the parts of the body to comfort and succor the heart.

Fourthly, the heart is a part void of all excrements, [Reason, 4] and nothing but the purest spirits are in it; the brain again is a place full of cold humors, and therefore the heart is more fit to be a lodging place for the soul.

Fifthly, [Reason, 5] the heart is the midst and therefore the most excellent place of the body, it is not an arithmetical midst, for it inclineth more to the left side nor to the right to help the coldness of it; it is not medium magnitudinis vel molis, as the navel is just in the midst of the body: it is medium perfectionis as the Sun is which is the most excellent sort of midst; so all motion, heat and life of the body proceedeth from the heart.

Sixthly, [Reas. 6] a monster that is borne with two heads yet it hath but one heart, if it have two hearts then of necessity it must have two heads, two hearts cannot be in one body.

Seventhly, [Reason, 7] when a man speaketh truth with protestation, he layeth his hand towards his heart, and when we would express our love to our neighbor, we say we love him with our heart. Isaiah. 1.5. The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint, and from the sole of the foot to the head there is no soundness: the head is the Prince, the foot arē the common people, and the heart the Priests; and as the natural life proceedeth from the heart, so doth the spiritual life from the Church-men, who are the instruments to beget the spiritual life.

God him self careth for no part of the body when he wanteth the heart: This people draw near to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The understanding is called the heart, The Lord gave Solomon a wise heart, 1 King. 3.12. The memory is called the heart, Write my Laws in thine heart, Prov. 3.3. The affections are called the heart, 2 Cor. 6.8. Our heart is enlarged toward you: the conscience is called the heart, 2 Sam. 24.10. David's heart smote him; so the will is called the heart, 1 King. 3.

The soul is not in one part of the body more than in another, and we must hold that opinion, est in toto corpore, it is in all the body and in every part of the body, which must be understood negative but not positive, that is, it is not in this or that part of the body, more than in another, but it is in the whole body repletive; and the diverse faculties of the soul which follow the temperature of the body, cannot be placed in one part, but it exerciseth the functions of it in one place more than in another, as it understandeth most in the head, and loveth most in the heart and the reins.

The conclusion of this is, the soul is in every part of the body to animate it for natural uses, [Conclusion.] so it should be in every part of the body to make our members the weapons of righteousness and holiness, Rom. 6.19. To make David's foot dance before the Lord 2 Sam 6.14. to make the knees bow before the Lord, Rom. 14.11. and to make the tongue to praise the Lord.

CHAP. XVI. What things the Midwife doth to the child when it is new borne.

THe holy Ghost to express the miserable estate of the Church of the Jews when he called her, borroweth a comparison from an infant new borne, whose navel the midwife first cutteth, then she washeth the infant and cleanseth him from the blood, then salteth him and lastly swadleth him.

When the infant is new borne, the midwife is ready to meet the child that he fall not to the ground, and to receive him upon her knees, Job. 3.12. Why did the knees prevent me, meaning the midwifes knees. And the heathen framed a goddess which they called Levana, who prevented the child before it fell to the ground, but Augustine referreth it omni nutrici gratiae dei, which he maketh but the midwife and nurse to the Church: and as the Lord did draw David wonderfully out of his mothers womb, Psalm 22.9. so he did draw the Church out of, Egypt that bloody womb, who were all to be killed by the midwives as soon as they were borne. Exo. 2. when no eye pitied them, when they were cast out into the open field to the loathing of their person, in the day that they were borne, when they were wallowing in their blood, he took a care of them and adopted them, he said Thou shalt live, Ezek. 16.4.5.

The second thing, which the midwife did to the child new borne, she cutteth the navel of the infant; the navel of the infant is in place of a mouth to it when it is in the mothers belly: when the child is borne the midwife cutteth the navel, and openeth the mouth of the infant, that it may receive nourishment by the mouth, the navel serving him no more for that use. And Plutarch marketh that the navel is first bred in the mothers belly, as the anchor which stayeth the infant in the mothers womb, and upholdeth him in his first mansion; and the cutting of the navel is as it were the cutting of the cable at woe or pulling up of the anchor, to let the poor infant go from this haven, his mothers womb, to the storms and dangers of this world, in which he is tossed too and fro until he return unto his death, which is his haven, and the grave which is his shore, as Abraham's bosom was a haven to Lazarus, Luc. 16.

The third thing that the midwife doth to the child, she washeth him, therefore the Prophet saith, Thou was not washed in water to sowple thee: but the word [lashang] should be rather translated in salutem, for thy safety; for the Physicians hold that it is most profitable for the child to be washed when he is new borne, and it should not be translated, to sowple thee, for the flesh of the new borne child is both soft and tender, and sowple already: a child new borne, and wallowing in his blood, is rather like one killed than new borne; & to take him up & kiss him, & hug him in their arms, if nature had not placed in the mothers some natural love, they would never do it. Skilfull Physicians have afterwards commanded that the child-should rather be washed in wine than water, because it maketh the body of the infant more firm. [Allusion.] And mark how Christ, John. 3. alludeth to this, when he saith, unless a man be borne of water and the spirit: he washed not his Church with wine, but with his own blood. And as they washed the infants when they were new borne, so they used to wash the bodies when they were dead, Act. 9.37. and they washed the body of Dorcas, and laid it in an upper chamber.

The fourth thing which the midwife doth to the child, she salted him that his flesh might be more solid and more able to withstand the cold: but in this effeminate and daitie age, they use not to do this to their children. So the Lord when he called his Church, he seasoned her with the salt of grace.

The fifth thing which the midwife doth to the child, she setteth the bones of the child aright and swadleth him, that he be not vacius: they are called [gnolele tippuchim] infantes palmarum; Lament. 2.20. not because they are but a span in length, but because the midwife when they are new borne, settled their bones and joints with her hand, that they may be the more straight afterward: she swadleth them to strengthen their weak members, therefore it is observed that the bodies of the Barbarians were much more straight then the bodies of the Romans, because they were swaddled still until they were two or three years old. God himself taketh a comparison from this, Job. 38.9. He swadleth the sea, as easily as the midwife doth the young infant.

There is a great resemblance betwixt our birth and our death, as we came forth naked out of our mothers womb, so shall we return naked thither again, Eccles. 5.15. And as the infant is bound and swaddled when he is borne, so is the dead body bound hand and foot, as we see Lazarus John. 11. And the infant is salted when he is borne, to teach us that we shall quickly corrupt, and go to corruption again.

The conclusion of this is, [Conelusion.] that we should lament our natural corruption, who are by nature the children of wrath, and be thankful to God who hath taken us out of the state of corruption, washed us, and made us heirs of grace and salvation.

CHAP. XVII. That the mother should nourish her own children.

GOd and his handmaid nature, do nothing in vain. Why hath God put wine in the grape but that men should drink it? and why doth he put milk in the mothers breasts? but only that the children should suck it; God hath placed the dugges of a woman in her breast, and the paps of a beast in her belly, and they give a double reason of this, first a physical reason and then a moral reason; the physical reason is this, he hath placed the dugges of a woman so near the heart and Liver, that the milk might be the better concocted for the nourishing of the child: mulieri superius adpect us nascuntur ubera ut in promptu fit osculari, amplecti, & fovere infantem, that is, The dugges of a woman are placed in her breast, that she may more readily kiss, embrace and cherish her infant. In old times it was holden to be one of the most forcible obligations to bind the child to obey the mother, because she had given him suck, and therefore the mothers would attest their children this ways, By these dugges which thou hast sucked do this.

The milk of the mother is the fittest mike to nourish the child, for as contraria contrarijs curantur, so similia similibus aluntur, the blood which was first the Fabaicator should now be the Altor when it is turned into mike, this milk must be fitter for the Childes complexion than any other milk.

The milk is a forcible mean to make the child resemble her whom he sucketh: Gellius giveth this example, take a kid & let it suck an ewe; the hair of it will become like unto wool: take a lamb again, and let it suck a goat, the wool of it will become like the goats hair: so let a whelp suck a cat, and he will kill Rats and mice as a cat; ye see then what force is in the milk. The history giveth this reason why Tiberius Caesar was such a drunkard, because he sucked a drunken nurse; Caligula sucked a cruel nurse who rubbed her dugges with blood every day, and therefore he became a cruel and bloody monster. It is true that good education and instruction, but above all, grace can overrule these inclinations. Cyrus before God changed his name, was called Spacon, as ye would say, a dog, because he sucked a bitch when he was a child; but the Lord gave him excellent and heroical virtues, and made him the deliverer of his people: these virtues overruled his natural inclinations which would have been both wild and currish, if these virtues had not restrained him. Menahem, Act. 13.1. was a Prophet and a teacher, yet he was Herod's foster brother and sucked the same milk with Herod: here grace over-ruled his natural inclination, for by nature he would have been as bad as Herod.

As the nourishing of the child is a great cause why the child resembleth the mother, so it is a great obligation to move the mother to love the child the better: therefore the Church ravished with the love of Christ saith, O that thou were as my brother that sucked the breast of my mother! Cant. 8.1. and the Jews hold, that this was one of the reasons why Bathshebe called Solomon her only Son, Prov. 4. because he was nourished by her, she loved him better than the rest of her sons, as he was the son of her womb, and the son of her vow. Prov. 31. so he was the son of her breasts.

The Hebrews observe that the nurse in their language is called Omen coming from the root Aman, which signifieth to be faithful: the natural mother when she nourished her child, will have a greater care of her child, and be more faithful in bringing it up than the hired nurse will be: Mepiboseths nurse let him fall that he became lame, all the days of his life, 2 Sam. 4.4.

The examples of holy women in the Scriptures and else where, will teach mothers this duty, Sara nourished Isaac, Rebecca Jacob, Anna Samuel, Bathsebe Solomon, and the virgin Marie Christ himself, and Moses was brought by God's special providence to be nourished by his own mother, and the mother of the seven sons in the Maccabees, 2 Macch. 7. nourished her own sons, and Augustine saith in his book of confessions that with his mothers milk he drank in to learn to honor and worship God.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] that these who disdain to give suck to their children, let them remember that curse pronounced by Hosea c. 9.14. What wilt thou give them? a miscarrying womb and dry breasts: there is none of them, but would think it a punishment to have a barren womb, why then should they not think it a judgment to have dry breasts when their children suck them? but yet withal on the other hand, it being not a disdain and contempt, but a bare neglect of this duty in diverse mothers, it is but an omission, and so may be wthout sin, if it be propter majus bonum. The School well observes though no sin may be committed for any goods sake, yet a lesser good may be omitted for the attaining of a greater good: as in the case in hand, for the establishing of a Kings throne by a speedy increase of his royal issue in the case of Queens: for the preserving of the mothers life in case of weak mothers, or for the preserving of the childes health in the case of diseased mothers; these are greater goods, than the mothers giving suck to her own child, and therefore in these cases it may be omitted without sin by the mothers.

CHAP. XVIII. Of the weaning of Children.

THe next duty of a woman after that she hath nursed her child is to wean it, as Anna did Samuel. The time when the Jewish women weaned their children was when they were three years old; 2 Macch. 7.27. The mother said to her son, have pity upon me who carried thee nine months in my belly, and gave thee suck for three years.

Some Physicians hold that to suffer a child to suck three years maketh him dull and unfit for learning, and therefore it is fit that he be weaned sooner; and Valesius holdeth that the three years spoke of in 2 Mac. 27. are meant only of two complete years, and that in the beginning of the third year she weaned her child, and that it was annus currens & non completus: but this seemeth to be a strained sense, for as nine months are taken for full 9 months, not for the eight complete and the ninth begun, so years here are taken for three complete years, & not for two complete years, & the third begun. The Lawyers take Biduum sometimes for a complete day and the next begun, and the Civilians use this reckoning sometimes; but the Physicians in reckoning of natural days, they reckon to the full & complete time, and it is more probable that in the first ages they were longer before they weaned their childrē than now.

Petrus Comestor observeth upon 1 Sam. 1.3. that they had a threefold weaning of their children in old times, first when they weaned them from their mothers milk, when they were three years old: the second weaning he maketh to be, when the child was weaned from his tender age, and the ear of his dry nurse; and this was when he was seven years old. The third sort of weaning he maketh to be this, when he is weaned from his childish manners, and his Pedagogie, and this is done when he is twelve years of age; and he addeth further that there is a proper weaning and a metaphorical weaning, the proper weaning was when the child was three years old, and the metaphorical when he was twelve; and Comestor saith, when it is said of Anna that she weaned her son Samuel, it is to be understood of this metaphorical weaning when he was twelve year old, and fit to serve in the Temple; when he needed no more the ear of his mother after that she had offered him to the Lord.

But the text maketh this clear, that this weaning of Samuel is not taken metaphorically here but in the proper sense, 1 Sam. 1.23. she brought him into the house of the Lord after she weaned him, she had need to carry him, because he was not as yet able to go of himself; and the text saith, 1 Sam. 1.24. pure erat pure, the repetition of the word showeth that he was a very little child: & 1 Sam. 2. verse 19. his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year. And to this sort of weaning David alludeth Psal. 131.2. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother. 1 Sam. 1.28. Vaijshtachu should be translated incurvarunt se, to wit Elkana and Anna, and not incurvavii se, to wit Samuel being as yet but a little child.

The heathen kept a feast, when they were borne, Pharaoh kept a feast on his birth day Gen. 40.20. and Herod made a supper to his Lord's one his birth day.

The Jews made a feast when they weaned their children and not one their birth day, Eccles. 7.1. Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth, & cap. 4.3. Therefor I praise the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive: Yea better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil which is done under the sun. The council of Toled observed that Christ wept not at Lazarus death but at his rising again: and Christ saith, John. 14.28. If ye loved me ye would rejoice because I said I go to my Father. The fathers called the day of the martyrs death 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 because then they got to the land of the living, there was no cause then why to keep a feast on their birth day. They keeped the feast when they weaned their children Gen. 21.8. because their children then were past the greatest danger: the greekes called this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and the feast they called the teeth feast, Macrobius lib. 1. de somuo Scipionis, and they were glad that the children had no need of milk but of strong meat then, as the Apostle speaketh in another sense, Heb. 5.12. [Conclusion.]

The conclusion of this is, some unnatural mothers will not take pains to nurish their children, and they fail in the one extremity. So there are some sottish mothers who suffer their children to suck too long, and they fall in the other extremity. For although in the first ages when they lived so long, they suffered them to suck for three years, yet our days being shortened, they should not take up so much of their children's age in giving them suck.

CHAP. XIX. Whether the Sight or the Hearing be the better sense.

THe eyes resemble the heavens most, and as the Philosopher proveth by that Maxim, Perfectissimo corpori perfectissima debetur figura, the most perfect form is due to the most perfect body: [Reason, 1] the heavens are the most perfect body, therefore the round form which is the most perfect form is fitted for them, so the eye is a most perfect body and of a round form.

The eye most resemble the heavens having the tunicles as the spheres, [Reason, 2] & motion within it self as the heavens, and clear like the crystall heaven, and it most resembleth the sun: Job. 3.9. neither let it see the eye lids of the morning, where the holy Ghost compareth the eye lids to the clouds and the sun to the eye, therefore it was called oculus mundi, the eye of the world.

The eye most resembleth the mind, therefore in the scriptures it is called the eye of the mind; Eph. 1.18. and there is such intelligence betwixt the eye and the mind, that the eye taketh the denomination from the mind; if it be an unchaste mind, then it is called oculus adulter an adulterous eye, if it be a corrupt mind then it is oculus nequam an evil eye; if it be a simple mind, then it is called oculus simplex; if the mind be liberal, then it is called oculus bonus a good eye.

The eye discerneth and taketh up things farther than any other sense doth, [Reas. 4] although the objects be far distant from it, as the mind doth, and then it hath a surer knowledge of things than the care hath; it believeth only that which it seeth, the ear believeth the report of others, therefore we say plus valet unus oculatus testis quàm auriti decem, better is one eye witness than ten ear witnesses. The Queen of Sheba admired the glory of Solomon more when she saw it than when she heard of it.

The eye moveth the beholder most, 2 Sam. 16. [Reas. 5] perchance the Lord will look [begnoni] upon my affliction, but the Masoreth read it [begneni] in oculum meum, that is, to the tears of mine eye, because tears move much; & when men would express anything that is dear unto them they say, ye would have pulled out your eyes for me, Gal. 4.15.

The Hebrews put the sense of seeing for all the senses, John. 20.29. because thou sawest thou believed, that is, [Reason, 6] because thou touched: so Alexander the coppersmith hath caused me to try much evil that is, to feel much evil, 2 Tim. 4.14. so, Psal. 16. he saw no corruption, that is, he felt no corruption. So for smelling, Thou caused our Savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, that is, in the nostrils of Pharaoh; thirdly it is put for the taste, Psal. 33.9. Taste how sweet the Lord is, that is, see; fourthly for hearing, Exod. 20.8. and the people saw the voices, that is, heard the voices.

It is thought that this sense is not a fit sense for sciences and learning, but they are deceived who think so, for the senses are profitable for sciences two manner of ways, either for finding out some principles of the sciences, or for the learning of them which are already found out; the sight helpeth us most to find out sciences, but the ear helpeth us most to learn them when they are found out.

It is objected against this sense, that it is often deceiceived, [Object.] taking up a false species from the object, as in the water a staff seemeth broken to us when it is whole: so when a man looketh through a pair of spectacles which are full of corners, his hand cannot touch these things, which he looketh upon with his eyes.

The defect here is not in the eye, [Answ.] but in the medium; for the eye may be deceived by the medium two manner of ways, either by the refraction of the perpendicular beam that proceedeth from the eye, or by reflection; by refraction, as the staff in the water seemeth to be broken, because the beam of the eye is hindered by the medium the water: so by reflection when the eye is hindered that it cannot see the object through the spectacles because of the many superficies and diverse corners of them, the beam is reflexed back again so that it can never fix it self upon the right object: but if the organ be sound and the medium be fit for the organ, and a proportionable object for them both, neither too bright nor too obscure, then the eye can never be deceived.

It is objected against this sense, [Object.] that it can hurt by looking upon another, as an envious eye looking upon a child may hurt the child, and make him die; and the Apostle alludeth to this, Gal. 3.1. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?

The heathen that had conceit that the witches could hurt with their eyes, [Answ.] and therefore they did hang fascininam vel turpiculas about the children's necks to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 against their bewitching with the eye. When one saw Esope in his masters house (who was a very deformed creature) he said that his master had bought him ut esset fascinum domus, but they were much mistaken in this, for it is not the eye that hurteth, more than the words of the enchanter; for when the enchanter useth his charm or spell, the words hurt not, but it is the Devil that doth the hurt: So when an envious eye and bewitching eye is thought to hurt, it is the Devil that concurreth with the evil eye, and it is he that harmeth; the heart of an envious man may hurt himself, and the strong imagination may bring death to a man's self, and a sore eye may affect the eye of another who looketh upon it, with the humor coming from it, but it can neither infect the air nor bring death to any man.

It is commonly objected against this sense, [Object.] that it is the fittest sense to let in sin to the soul, as Eve looking upon the forbidden fruit, longed after it; David looking upon Bathshebe committed adultery with her; and the sons of God, saw the daughters of men to be fair, which brought on the first great judgment upon the world: therefore the Lord Num. 15.39. saith, Seek not after your own heart, and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whering; and the Hebrews say that oculus est proxineta peccati, it is the broker which goeth betwixt the object and the heart, to make up the sinful bargain. Democritus knowing well what evil came by the eye, pulled out his eyes; and Oediput because his adulterous eyes drew him to incest to lie with his mother, therefore he pulled out his eyes. And for this cause the eyes were called subsessores which lie in the high way to wait for men, and to kill them at unawares; Petrus Abbas Claravallensis, when he had lost one of his eyes by sickness said, I have lost one of mine eyes, and now I am more afraid of that which is left than I am sorry for that which is lost, therefore when we would diligently meditate upon anything, we shut our eyes.

But we must know that the most excellent things being abused become worse, [Answ.] as the sweetest wine becometh the sourest vinegar: this argueth only that if the eye be abused, then it becometh the worse sense, but being rightly used, it is the most excellent sense, for it beholdeth the world which the Philosopher calleth Altar of God, in which we may see his power and his wisdom to praise him and magnify him for it. Then the blind man concluded how pitiful his cause was, who wanted this noble sense and lived like a prisoner continually in darkness.

I perceive this day that to be true, that every man judgeth other men's griefs lesser than his own; but if my griefs were weighed in a balance with this man's, they would soon weigh them down.

I want the daughters of music, Eccles. 12. I am no more delighted with music nor old Barzillai was, 2 Sam. [Reason, 1] 19.35. That could not hear the voice of singing men, and singing women; and let one sing as sweetly unto me as the sweeter singer of Israel could do, yet I am like the deaf adder that is nothing moved with it.

The care is janua disciplina the gate of knowledge: [Reason, 2] it is true, a man may see the principles of knowledge with his eye, but when a science is found out, how can he learn it? it is only this sense of hearing which begetteth understanding. A man may be blind and yet have great knowledge, but if he want his hearing, what knowledge can he have? Rabbi Joseph Coecus was blind; yet he paraphrased the third part of the Bible in the Chaldee tongue, and for this the Hebrews call him [Saggi maor] abundance lumine: Dydimus was blind seventy years, yet he was must skillful in the Scriptures, therefore Jerome calleth him videntem suum Didymum, his seeing Didymus: it is this sense which breedeth understanding more then the eye, therefore Socrates said to a young man who was beautiful, loquere ut te videam, speak that I may see thee; a man wanting this sense of hearing, can have little knowledge of anything. [Reason, 3]

That we have knowledge by hearing rather than by seeing or any other sense, we may prove it by the example of old Isaac, Oculi caligant, palatum seducitur, fallitur manus, sed non fallitur auris: and Bernard speaking to this purpose said, Non est in gustu veritas, etsi suavitas, non in oculo sed in aure.

Faith cometh by hearing, Rom. 10. [Reas. 4] A man wanting the sense of hearing wanteth faith; this sense is the sense of obedience, speak Lord for thy Servant heareth, 1 Sam. 3.10. and the Hebrews put audire for intelligere, they put hearing for understanding.

The ear is the most excellent sense, [Reas. 5] the Apostle saith corpus aptasti mihi, but David saith aures perforasti mihi Psal. 40. because the body is most fitted to obedience by the care.

The Lord taketh greater pains about the ear then about any other sense, [Reason, 6] first he uncovereth the ear and taketh a veil off it, 1 Sam. 20.12. that is called revelare aurem to uncover the ear; secondly, perforat aurem he boreth the ear, Psal. 40. as the servants ear was bored of old that they might dwell with their masters forever, Exod. 22. the first was ad intelligentiam for understanding, the second was ad obedientiam, for obedience, thirdly he circumeided the ear, which includeth both the other two.

Satan envieth most the ear, [Reason, 7] therefore in the Gospeil it is said, that he possessed a man with a deaf Devil, but he never studied to make a man blind.

Leaving these theological and moral reasons, [Reason, 8] we may perceive what benefit we have by our hearing, how it is the mother of our speech; for a man that is borne deaf, he can never speak. Then the deaf man concluded that his case was a thousand times worse than the blind man's, and that he ought to be thankful to God who enjoyed the sense of hearing, although he was defective of the sense of seeing.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] the sight is the most excellent sense for natural things in this life, and the hearing for spiritual things; therefore these two senses have been fitly compared to Martha and Marie, Martha was troubled about many things, but Marie sat at his feet and heard him diligently, therefore she made choice of the better part, Luk. 10.41.42. But in the life to come the sight shall be no more busied about earthly things, but shall sit down at the feet of Christ and choose the better part with Mary, and only then it shall contemplate heavenly things, for then we shall walk by fight and not by faith.

CHAP. XX. Whether the fantasy bringeth forth real effects or not.

THe fantasy is an imagination and an impression made in the soul of such forms and shapes as are let in by the senses, or by such as are imagined without any sight.

The way how these imaginations are wrought in the brain is this: The natural spirits which are in the heart are sent up by the arteries to the brain, and there they waken these phantasies which are sleeping as it were in the brain, and then they begin to compose devide or abstract.

The resemblance of these imaginations wakened by the spirits, are speedily carried from the brain to the heart, and from the heart to the liver, from the liver to the blood, and from the blood to the seed. And as the influences of the heavens when they meet with a fit object, make diverse impressions in the earth, so do the spirits in the seed; [Simile.] and as the painter useth to add, divide and compose, so do the imaginations as it were set a copy to the spirits, sometimes by increase as when we imagine that we see a Giant; sometimes by diminution as when we imagine that we see a pigmei or a dwarse, and sometimes by translation, as when we imagine the eye to be in the breast; and as the painter by art borroweth the nose from one, the lip from another, and the eye from the third, so doth the fantasy, and as nature composeth sometimes, as struthiecamelus, pardo-camelus, so doth the fantasy compose things, and make up diverse forms.

The spirits when they ascend unto the brain, and are clear without fog or mist of gross exhalations, then they compose and divide, and play the part as it were of a Poet or painter in the brain; and this we see by experience, for when a man lieth down first, and the gross exhalations arise out of his stomach, then he cannot dream, or if he dream, his dreams are wonderfully confused & undistinct: but when the humors are settled, and the spirits begin to be more clear, then they compose or divide more distinctly; [Simile.] as a man seeth not his face so clearly in the water when it is troubled as when it is settled: so the spirits when they are troubled with these fogs of mist and gross exhalations arising out of the stomach, then they work not so clearly and distinctly as they do when the humors are settled.

That the fantasy of it self worketh no alteration within a man, it is proved thus.

First, nihil agit extra genus suum, as thorns bring not forth figs, [Reason, 1] nor thistles grapes, Mat. 7.16. The imagination conceiveth not the things themselves but the images of things, for as we are not fed by the nature of bread apprehended in the fantasy, but by the bread it self: So neither can the notions of things apprehended in the fantasy affect or change the body; [Simile.] and as the sense is to the thing taken by the sense, so is the imagination to the thing imagined, but the sense and the thing taken up by the sense are idem numero one and the self same thing, as the eche and the sound are one. So the fight, and the thing taken up by the sight are one, even so the thing imagined, and the imagination are one; and there is no other act without the imagination, it is not actio transiens here sed immanens, it is not a transient action, but permanent, and therefore worketh nothing upon the body.

The imagination cannot work upon the body. [Reason, 2] First, it worketh not formally, for that which worketh formally, produceth an effect like the thing it self, as the fire produceth heat. Secondly, it worketh not virtually, for one body virtually only affecteth another, as Physic worketh upon our bodies. Thirdly, it worketh not eminenter by way of excellency upon the bodies, for then it should produce such an effect which should be more excellent than the cause.

The spirits then ascending from the heart, wakeneth these phantasies in the brain, and carrieth these idea's or shapes down again by the Nerves, to the heart, and to the Liver, and then to the blood, and last • o the seed where they take their impressions, and there is a great correspondency betwixt the two begettings, the imaginary begetting and the bodily begetting, and the one taketh the examplary from the other; and although these imaginations be not actually seen in the seed, yet they are virtually in it, as the rest of the members are comprehended in it before they be fashioned; so are the colors, marks and shapes.

The spirits draw out these shapes and colors, taking the parterne of them from the fantasy, and they imprint them in the seed; neither must this seem strange unto us, for if the devil can mixe himself with the humors of the body, and out of these humors, frame diverse shapes and colors, much more may the natural spirits do this in the humors. Augustine showeth this, how the Devil did delude the Egyptians and continued Idolatry amongst them, presenting to the Cow when she was engendering, an Ox marked with the same marks wherewith the ox was marked which they worshipped in Egypt, so that when he died they had still an Ox marked after the same manner.

Whether was this a miracle or not, [Quest.] when Jacob's ewes brought forth speckled lambs? [Answ.]

It was mirum but it was not miraculum. God in working a miracle sometimes he useth an ordinary means, as when he cured Hezekiah sore, he bade lay figs to it, figs naturally mature and ripen the sore, but because he healed Hezekiah in an instant the natural cause wrought no more here than Paul's girdle, when he healed the sick by it: but when Jacob's ewes conceived speckled lambes, this cannot be called a miracle, for they conceived by natural means here, and they brought not forth their lambs upon an instant, but kept their course as other ewes did. [Quest.]

What is the reason that other men who have tried, this conclusion could never do the like?

God who is the God of nature, [Answ.] and worketh by his handmayd nature (who is natura naturans, whereas she is but natura naturata ) can do many things by her, which neither the Devil nor men can do, who are but natures instruments; the Nazarets by the law might drink no wine, yet their cheeks were most comely and ruddy, Lament. 4.7. But ordinarily drinking of water maketh the face more pale: ye see here how the God of nature did work beside the ordinary course of nature; but Satan albeit he be not the God of nature, yet he could dive far and invegle himself into the fantasy of the Cow, when she was in gendering, and so made the brain of the Cow more pregnant, and the spirits made the colors more vively in the feed, and brought forth such a calf marked with such spots: but God being the God of nature, gave such a blessing to the ewes that they brought forth all their young ones speckled. Man can only present to a Cow when she is gendering an ox or a bull marked with such marks, but he cannot give that blessing which the Lord gave to the ewes, neither can he invegle himself in the fantasy of the Cow, as the Devil did who is a spirit; and therefore a Cow bringeth not forth a calf so vively marked, when a man, the instrument of nature hath a hand in the work, as when the Devell hath an hand in it.

Man is an instrument of nature two manner of ways, either he is propinquum instrumentū naturae, or remetum instrumentum naturae; he is propinquum instrumentum naturae the near instrument of nature quando sol & homo generant hominem, and here he worketh more forciblie in nature; than Satan can do. Again he is the remote instrument of nature: example; when a Physician composeth his drugs of so many herbs and simples, here he cannot work so effectually as Satan can do, because he is but remotum instrumentum naturae: so if a man should have presented a marked ox bfore the Cow, she would not have brought forth a calf marked after that manner, because he was but instrumentum remotum naturae here, and could not work so as the devil could do.

Last observe, that the parents give matter and form to the birth, and if there be not a like efficacy in them both, then the imagination appeareth not so vively in the birth; now the Lord by his directing hand matched the like with the like, the strong imagination with the stronger, and the weak with the weaker, and so, they brought forth lambs some with broader spots, and some with lesser.

The fantasy then by it self worketh not this alteration, but yet the fantasy when it apprehendeth the object either as profitable or hurtful, then it moveth the spirits, and the spirits altereth the body. [Conclusion. 1]

The conclusion of this is, as in natural things, the Images breed Imaginations in the fantasy; when they behold monstrous objects the birth is oftentimes marked with the like. The Concubine of Pope Nicolas brought forth a child marked like a Bear, because in her conception she beheld the arms of the Vrsins, and therefore his successor Pope Martin caused the arms of the Vrsins to be rased out. So we must beware of obsceene spectacles and filthy objects, for they breed monstrous sins in the heart.

Secondly, [Conclusion. 2] seeing that the fantasy of the mind procured by the object of the fight or some other cogitation in the time of conception, is of such force to fashion the birth: It becometh men and women not to come together with beastly appetites and unclean imaginations, for by such means monsters and misshapen births are often procured.

CHAP. XXI. How the Hebrews distinguished the ages of man.

THe Hebrews do not divide the ages of man as the Greeks do, or as the Latins. The life of man is called by the greekes Hebdomas because it is divided in seven periods; the first is his infancy until he be seven year old; the second is pueritia childhood until he be fourteen years old; the third is adolescentia, youth-head until he be twenty five years of age; the fourth is virilis aetas until he be fifty: the fifth is aevi maturitas until he be sixty; the fixed is senectus until he be eighty; the seventh is decrepitasenectus from eighty to the day of his death.

But the Hebrews distinguish the life of man after this manner; first they are [ hajonekim lactantes, sucking children until they be three years old; Secondly, [nagnarim] pueri ration aetatis until they be thirteen; they say, ration atatis, for oftentimes nagnar non est nomen atatis in the Scripture. Joseph when he is thirty year old is called nagnar, Joshua when he is fifty five years old is called nagnar: see Psal. 127.4. and Prov. 5.18. so Joel 1.8. So Adam is sometimes nomen speciei, and then it comprehendeth infants and men. Infants who know not the right from the left hand, Jonah 4.11. and sometimes it signifieth a man come to age, and then it is opposite to the child. But when Nagnar is a name of age, then it comprehendeth from three years old to thirteen, Thirdly, he is ish, when he hath past thirteen and a day, then he beginneth to observe the Law and is filius pracepti, and weareth his phylacterie. Sometimes, this word [ish] is taken more largely. 1 Sam. 17.12. venerat in viros, id est, senex erat; and sometimes it is nomen officij, the name of a husband, Hos. 2.

Fourthly, they are bechurim from twenty year old to sixty, Exod. 30.41. because then they were chosen for the wars.

Fifthly, senectus, and it was threefold, first zickna when he was sixty years old.

The second is [shebha] canities from seventy to eighty.

The third is, [Iashish] silicernium or decrepita senectus, 2 Chro. 36.16. The sword of the Chaldaans spared not the old man nor him that stooped for age. By this we may see that they translate not these words rightly, they shall die in the flower of their age, 1 Sam. 2.33. for they died long before that time: The meaning then is this, thy sons shall not die when they are children, but when they are ishim past thirteen years of age, and when they shall have so much understanding to see themselves put from the holy service of the Lord, the Lord shall cut them off before they come to be men, which the Hebrews call more excidij, before they come to the flower of their age. Not unlike unto this place, is that phrase Hos. 9.12. orbabo cos ab homine, that is, I will cut them off that they shall not become men, or before they shall become men.

As the age of man is divided, so Augustine divideth the age of the Church, first infantia when he called her out of Egypt; Secondly pueritia when she lived under the pedagogue of the Law till Christ came; thirdly in adolescentia under Christ; fourthly, in senectuie, under the Apostles and last decrepita senectus now.

So the Church of the Gentiles was in infantia from Adam to the flood; secondly in adolescentia from the flood to Abraham; thirdly she was in her widdowhead from Abraham to Christ: in this time the Gentiles were rejected, and Abraham's posterity only chosen. This time of her rejection is called but momentū vel modicum temporis, Isaiah. 54. for as the earth although it be twenty thousand miles about in circuit, yet it is but a point in respect of the heavens; so is this time from Abraham to Christ, but a point in respect of eternity. Christ saith, a little while, & ye shall not see me, and a little while, and ye shall see me, John. 16.16. It was but a little while from Christ's ascension to his coming again in respect of eternity

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] the Lord when he made the Almond rod to blossom, Num. 17. he signified that Aaron's children the Priest-hood should flourish; therefore the Hebrews called the Priests sons flores sacerdotales: but here when Eli and his sons were to be cut off, the rod withered and decayed in him, and the children did bear the iniquity of their fathers.

CHAP. XXII. Whether death be natural to a man or not?

IOb. 10.9. Remember I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me to the dust again? When man was created first, his body was dust; Secondly slime, that is, dust tempered with water; Thirdly, clay, that is, coagulate slime: and lastly earth, that is, condensate clay; then when man returneth back again, first he is earth, then clay, then slime, and lastly dust; therefore God saith, dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return, Gen. 3.19.

Whether is this death natural to a man or against his nature? [Quest.]

If ye will respect the intention of nature, [Answ.] death is against nature; because generation is according to nature; therefore Dionysius said well malum carere fine, naturaet efficiente, cum a nullo optetur & sit recessus ab ente.

Secondly, death may be considered two manner of ways, either if it be compared with generation, or if ye compare one sort of death with another; if ye compare death with generation, then death is always contrary to nature: but if ye will compare one sort of death with another, then one sort of death may be said to be natural, and another sort of death contrary to nature: example; when a man dieth in a consumption, this death is a natural death, because he hath that within himself which maketh him to die: but when a man is killed and dieth a violent death, this death is contrary to nature, for he hath not the immediate and next cause within himself.

Again consider natures first intention, and then the way how nature worketh; in natures first intention all sort of death is contrary to it: but if ye will observe how nature worketh, if she work by her own principles then this is according to nature; but if death be violent, this is contrary to nature: consider then the first and principal intention of nature, death is contrary to it: but according to the second intention of nature it is not contrary to it, because it is necessary for the introduction of a new form, that the matter be changed, the matter always craving the form; and likewise because this is done by the law of nature which ordained that things which have a beginning must die.

The young Vipers when they come out of their mothers belly, they gnaw the belly of their mother and so kill their mother; this unnatural birth is first prater naturam, it is besides nature; for nature teacheth creatures to love those who bred them; Secondly, it is contra naturam against nature, because they come not out the ordinary way as other creatures do; Thirdly, it is Secundum naturam in the second intention of nature, for every creatures seeketh the life and preservation of it self and the continuing of the own kind of it. [Quest.]

Whether is it natural for the soul to be separate from the body or not? [Answ.]

In the first creation it was natural for the body and soul still to be together and never to be separated, but sin intervening maketh the soul long oftentimes to be out of the body; the soul longeth to be out of the sinful body that it may be the more able to discharge her spiritual duties, which are hindered by the heavy and dull body. The water according to the own proper inclination goeth downward, [Simile.] yet lest there be vacuum or an emptiness in nature it ascendeth upward; so the soul first desired to continue in the body that there may be pulchritudo vniversi, and the soul to be freed from sin it defyreth for a while to be out of the body. So the soul saith to the body, neque possum vivere tecum, neque sine te, I can neither live with thee nor without thee.

Death is a thing violent to man, [Object.] therefore not natural.

It is not violent to the soul, [Answ.] for the soul when it is separated from the body, it doth not perish, but is more perfected.

A part being taken from the whole, [Object.] then the separation is violen, and the part imperfect; but the soul is a part of man, and there it is imperfect when it is separate from the body. [Answ.]

That is to be understood of such parts as receive their perfection from the whole, but the soul rather giveth perfection than receiveth.

When the soul is separate from the body it desires to be joined with it again. [Object.]

It desireth to be joined with the body again not as it is a natural body, [Answ.] but as it is a pure and glorified body.

Then the resurrection is according to nature, [Object.] for the soul desireth naturally a glorified body, and it desireth not to be united to a sinful body again.

It is natural for the soul to desire a glorified body again, yet the soul cannot be joined to God naturally, [Answ.] but by supernatural means; so the soul naturally desireth a glorified body, but it can never be joined to it but by a supernatural mean.

When the soul is out of the body, [Quest.] whether is it kept violently out of the body or not?

It is not kept violently out of the body, [Answ.] because that which is detained violently, is not only detained and kept from the place which it desireth, but it is also detained in a place which it desireth not, which is altogether contrary to it; when a man is taken out of his own house and put in a close prison, he wanteth not only his own house which he longeth to be at, but he is shut up also in a close prison which he abhorreth to be in, there he is violently detained; [Simile.] but when a man is removed out of his own house and put in a far better house, here he hateth not this better place, neither can he be said to be kept violently in it, although he have a desire to be in his own house again.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] nature God's handmaid in her first intention followeth God's direction, and as God intended first that man should be immortal, so did nature: but then cometh in God's second ordinance, because man sinned God said, Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return, so nature in her second intention seconded God's decree, and worketh to the dissolution of man.

CHAP. I. Of two evils, the least is to be chosen.

D Avid made choice here rather to fall into the hands of God then man. In evils of sin there is no choice to be made, as Lot who chose rather to prostitue his daughters than to hazard his guests, and so did Pilate. When Dionysius the tyrant presented three whores before Aristippus bidding him make choice of one of them, he said, that Paris had such bad success for choosing one of that kind that he would never make choice of one of the three.

Revel. 3.15. I would ye were either hot or cold, [Object.] but because ye are lukewarm, therefore I will spew you out of my mouth, here it may seem that the holy Ghost would have made choice rather that they were cold, than to be lukewarm, which are both sin.

He willeth them not here to make choice of the lesser sin, [Answ.] but showeth them only which is the lesser sin, and that it is more tolerable to be cold than lukewarm.

But in evils of sin, [Object.] it may seem that one of them may be chosen, for Moses chose rather that the husbands should give their wives a bill of divorce, than that they should kill them.

Moses tolerated this for the hardness of their hearts, [Answ.] but he made no choice of this, but suffered it because he could not help it.

An Idolater is charged by the Law to go to the Church, [Object.] if he go to the Church he sinneth against his conscience, if he absent himself from the Church then he sinneth against the Law; here it may seem that he is to make choice of one of the two evils which are sins.

He is to make choice of neither of the two, [Answ.] but to seek that his conscience may be reformed, and so give obedience to the Law.

Whether did the man of Gibea, [Quest.] Iud. 19. sin or not, in offering his daughter and the wife of the Levite to the men of Benjamin to be abused, rather than the Levite who was his guest?

We must not do evil that good may come of it, [Answ.] Rom. 3.8.

But might not this man rather have made choice of death than offered his daughter, [Quest.] for an honorable death is to be preferred to any sin?

It is one thing to be a patient, [Answ.] and another thing to be an agent; if he had made choice of death rather, then he had been an agent and not a patient: and if he had died in withstanding this villainy, his death had been honorable; herein he was to be blamed that he brought forth his concubine and gave her to them, verse. 25. and he made choice of one evil to eschew another.

There is one sort of evil which is evil in it self, and another which is but evil by accident only: a man may choose that which is but accidentally evil, but never that which is evil in it self. Example, 1 Cor. 7. it is not good for a man to touch a woman, and it is not good for a man to commit whoredom; It is not good for a man to touch a woman, that is, to marry her: accidentally it was not good at that time for the present trouble that was upon the Church, yet he might choose this remedy to marry rather than to commit whoredom, because it was but accidentally evil to marry, evil at all that time when the Church was underpersecution, but that which is evil in it self he may no ways choose.

When two evils are set before the will, a greater evil and a lesser evil, the will cannot but choose the lesser evil, which is either lesser indeed or apparent-less, it is so determinate by the understanding, but yet it hath this freedom to choose the media for this end. So when two good things are set before it, it cannot but choose the better good, either in appearance or simply best.

The greatest evil of punishment is to be chosen rather than the least evil of sin: Therefore the martyrs would choose rather to suffer the greatest punishment than to commit the sin.

But here an innocent man is to take heed when these two are put in his choice, whether to sin or to suffer punishment; he is not to make choice of the punishment, although he refuse to make choice of the sin, but he is to suffer the punishment inflicted upon him, but not to make choice of it. Charles the ninth the French King, offered to the Prince of Condie his choice, whether he would go to the Maffe or choose perpetual banishment or imptisonment, what replied he? to go to the Mass is simply sin, therefore I will never choose that: but to choose either perpetual imprisonment or perpetual banishment, that I cannot do, for then I should imply a certain guiltiness in myself; but it is in your power ô King to inflict which you please, and I am ready to suffer. A man is condemned to die, the magistrate putteth it in his choice what sort of death he would die, he may lawfully now choose the easiest sort of death, he implieth now no guiltiness upon himself, for the Judge hath now already found him guilty.

It may be asked why David made choice rather of the plague than of the sword of famine. [Quest.] .

The reason was because he would expose himself to that danger of the plague as well as the subjects, [Answ.] because there were fewer means for him to escape the plague than the sword or famine.

Another reason why he made choice of the plague rather than of the sword or famine, because these two would have made the Lord's people to have been evil spoken of amongst the heathen; for the enemy would have insulted against God and his people if they should have overcome them: and so would they have done, if they had been enforced to seek relief of them in time of famine; but in the plague they had no such occasion, and David had rather fall into the hands of God immediately than into the hands of men.

War and famine are from God, [Object.] therefore he should have fallen into the hands of God, this way also; for his instruments can do nothing but that which he willeth.

When they afflict us, [Answ.] they can do as much as God willeth them to do, but when they sin they can do that likewise which God permitteth them to do; the wicked when they are God's scourges they add their own malice and mischief, Zach. 1.15. I was angry but a little, and they helped forward the afflictions, I minded but to whip my children, but they flayed them, see Esa. 10.7. When God useth the good Angels to punish, they do nothing but that which the Lord commanded them, but the evil Angels add their own malice and wickedness, the one is Angelus malt, and the other is Angelus malus; the Lord sent Ashur against his people to correct them; he did not only permit them to go but commanded them, Jer. 50.21. go up against the land, do according to all that I have commanded thee: yet the Lord is angry with them for going against his people, why? because their thoughts were not answerable to his thoughts, they had another intention and affection, and they added their own malice.

David made choice here rather to fall into the hands of God than man. [Simile.] Moses rod when it was laid upon the ground was a Serpent, but when Moses took it in his hand, it became a rod; So these chastisements and punishments which are fatherly corrections to us in the hand of God, in the hand of the wicked they are Serpents to sting us. When Elias fled from Jezebel he desired that the Lord would take his life, but ô Elia if thou be weary of thy life, go but back to Jezebel, and she will quickly dispatch thee: but Elias would none of that, for death out of her hand should have been stinging Serpent, but out of the hand of God it should have been a gentle rod. When the Lord reasoned with Jonah, he saith, if thou who art an angry and orabbed creature hadst pity upon the gound, how much more should I have pity upon Niuive who am a God of mercy? There is more mercy with God than with man, therefore it is better to fall in his hands then in the hands of man.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10. [Object.]

It is a fearful thing for contumacious sinners so remaining, [Answ.] to fall into his hands, when he is an angry God; then it is better to be corrected by the rod of men; but for penitent persons that take the ready course to pacify his anger for their sins, for such it is a hopeful thing and far better, to fall into God's hands than into the hands of men.

The conclusion of this is: [Conclusion 1] in evils of punishment we are to choose the less, therefore we must study in our election to know which is the least evil; for if we make a wrong choice we shall fall in the evil of sin.

It is better to fall into the hands of God than men: [Conclusion 2] therefore when God doth visit us with sickness, let us take it in good part, because we fall in the hands of a merciful God.

When God punisheth us by his instruments, [Conclusion 3] let us pass by the second causes in whom we shall see much malice and hatred, and lift up our eyes to God himself in whom we shall see much mercy. A man when he would drink of the water of the river, [Simile.] he drinketh not of it nere the sea where it is brackish, but he goeth up to the fountain where it is sweet; so if we would find comfort in our afflictions, we must learn to take them out of God's own hand. So Job looketh not to the Chaldeans who robbed him, but saith, The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken, Job. 1.21. So when Shimei cursed David, he saith, the Lord hath bidden him, a Sam. 16.11. So Joseph looked not to the malice of his brethren but to the Lord, Gen. 45.8.

CHAP. II. Of friendship.

THere are sundry sorts of love, first, natural love; secondly, sensual love; thirdly, rational love; all these three bindeth one to another, but spiritual love excelleth all these.

Natural love is that sympathy which God hath placed in things without life, as in heavy things to descend, and light things to ascend: and that sympathy which is betwixt the iron and the loadstone, these things although they have no knowledge in themselves, yet they are directed by the hand of the first mover, as the arrow by the hand of the Archer is directed to the mark.

The second sort of love is that sensual! love, directed by appetite which is found amongst beasts, for beasts of the same kind love one another, and these ravenous beasts which live by rapine, yet they love one another: but this sort of love differeth far from the love of man; the beasts love only their young ones for a time, but afterwards they love all the rest of the same kind alike. Man loveth not his own children only, but also these who are in affinity or consanguinity with him, and these of his acquaintance, and his love is a permanent love: it is true through the corruption of the nature of man, there is a greater hatred betwixt man and man than amongst the beasts, but this ariseth of some perverse affection, but it was not so from the beginning.

This friendship is either perfect friendship, or imperfect friendship.

Perfect friendship is the mutual love of two, arising of an effectual good will of the one towards the other, and grounded in moral goodness: this kind of friendship is not found but amongst good men, he that loveth a man for pleasure and profit, this is not true friendship.

The measure of this friendship is this, we must love our friend as our self, the reason of this is, because amicus est alter idem.

How 〈◊〉 a man love him self, [Quest.] seeing love is always betwixt two?

If ye will consider reason and sense together, [Answ.] ye shall always find two things in man, and if reason give place to sense, then sense is amatum and reason is but amans; and that breedeth selfelove: but if sense give place to reason, then reason is amatum and sense is but amans, and thus we should love our neighbors as ourselves: when a man loveth the sensual part in his neighbor rather than the reasonable part, this is not right love.

This friendship resembleth marriage in five things, first there must be some equality betwixt these who are to be married, so there must be some equality betwixt these who are friends: the love which the Prince carrieth to his subjects is not properly friendship, but friendship is amongst these who are equals, and yet the Lord submitted himself so far as to call Abraham his friend, I am. 2.23.

Where there are two equals, [Quest.] if one of them wish preferment to his friend and to be above him in degree, whether or no doth this break the bond of friendship, seeing now he wisheth him to be his superior and not his equal?

Friendship is kept two manner of ways, [Answ.] either in the same degree of friendship or in a higher or more emin •• degree; and 〈◊〉 the inferior faculty is pres •• ved in the superior (as the 〈…〉 is pref ••• ved in the sensitive) so is friendship kept still but 〈◊〉 a more eminent manner, and the • it is • u • ed into reverence and more greater respect.

The second thing wherein friendship 〈…〉 marriage is in unity; as in marriage two are made one 〈◊〉 , so in true friendship they are made one spirit, and amans est alter idem cum • mato. The Prince of the Sa •• cens and the Emperor of Cons • antinople entering in a league of friendship, 〈…〉 to open a vein in each one of their arm • that they might make up this friendship the betton, this friendship makes two friends to be one; or to be sour, but never to be two, for he that loveth is loved and he that is loved •• eth, and true friendship maketh 〈◊〉 one, it maketh one soul in two •• dies: and at a ma •• must not have many wives so he must not have many friends, this i • called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the love of many friends; [Simile.] and as these creatures who have but one brood love them the better, so he that hath but few friends, his love is the 〈◊〉 towards them.

[Object.] Good the more it he extended the better it is why then is friendship the better the more it is 〈…〉 .

Good the more it is extended in the one kind, [Answ.] the better it is if it suffer extension, as love it self the more it is extended the better it is: therefore whe • the 〈◊〉 saith, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, the Apostle, Rom. 13.9. extendeth it to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 any man, to teach us that this love must be extended to all; but particular friendship which suffereth no extension, the more it is contracted the better it is; and in this sense it is said, qui multis cupitesse amicus ••• ini • micu • est, he that desireth to be a friend to many is a friend to none. If the hand were not parted into fingers, it could not do things commodiously, as to write or to throw; but yet it gripeth faster when it is folded. [Simile.] Love is like the hand parted, and friendship is like the hand folded. When a man hath too many friends it breedeth but tediousness to him rather than comfort, and they say we should use our friends as we use sance to meat; this is the property of sauce, if it be sparingly used, it maketh the meat to have the better relish, but if it be too much used in the meat, it breedeth loathsomeness. So &c.

Thirdly, friendship is like unto marriage in communion, love seeketh not her own but delighteth as much in the good of others. Plato willed that in his Commonwealth meum & tuum should not be heard, but amongst true friends the right of possession ought to be heard, but not the right of use. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad and rivers of waters in the street, but let them be only thine own, and not strangers with thee, Pro. 5.16.17.

The fourth thing wherein friendship resembleth marriage is in the endurance of it, for as nothing parteth married persons but death, so nothing parteth true friends but death. Artemisia Queen of Caria knowing the death parted husband & wife, shown a wonderful act of passion towards her husband Mausolus; for death having taken him away, she not knowing how to pull the thorns of sorrow our of her soul, caused his body to be reduced to ashes and mingled them in her drink, meaning to make her body a living tomb, wherein the relics of her husband might rest, from whom she could not endure to live separated; So friendship which is true friendship can hardly be dissolved, and nothing separateth them but death.

But charity endureth after this life, [Object.] therefore friendship may seem to endure after death in the life to come.

Charity in general endureth in the life to come amongst all the Saints of God, [Answ.] but not this particular love betwixt man and wife, betwixt friend and friend: a friend may be a friend to his friends children and do good to them after his friend is dead, Ruth. 2.20. Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not lest off his kindness to the living and to the dead, that is, to the posterity or the wife of the dead: And it seemeth that David was unmindful of this rule of friendship to Jonathan's son, when he bade devide the land betwixt Shiba and M • phiboseth, 2 Sam. 19.29.

The last thing wherein friendship resembleth marriage is, as the man ought to bear with his wives infirmities and to cover them, so should a friend cover the infirmities of his neighbor, but not his gross enormities, for then he hateth him, Levite. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but reprove him. This comfortable kind of friendship is known best in adversity, for as a true friend rejoiceth with his friend in prosperity, so he lamenteth with him in his adversity and beareth a part of his burden with him. Job's friends came in adversity to visit him and they sat seven days by him and spake nothing, for in the beginning of grief it is most fitting for a friend to hold his peace and to express his compassion rather by tears than by speech; And it is most probable that the Angel when he came to comfort Christ and to strengthen him, Luk. 22.43. did rather comfort him by gesture than by speech, by standing by and assisting him in a visible shape, weighing and considering with himself the great grief and agony that was in Christ's soul. And when Christ fell grovelling upon the ground, it is not unlikely that • e in companion fell down upon the ground also. What is that which he acquired of his Disciples in his ago • e? he desireth not words of consolation from them, but only that they would weigh and consider with themselves his great agony and grief, and it grieved him that they could not watch with him in his great heaviness, yea 〈…〉 comfort unto him when he went a stones cast farther from them, if they would watch & express their love to him by shaking off their drowfinesse.

Whether 〈◊〉 friends more necessary for us in our prosperity or in our adversity. [Quest.]

Simply they are more necessary for us in our adversity, [Answ.] but for more excellent uses in prosperity: the basest pa •• s of the body are simply more necessary for our life, than our seeing or our hearing, for a man cannot live without them, but we may live without seeing or hearing, [Simile.] and yet seeing and hearing serve for more excellent uses: so friends in necessity are more necessary simply to maintain our life, but for the comfortable life they are the more excellent object to be •• ow things upon 〈…〉 •••• imes, and a brother 〈◊〉 for adversity, Pro. 17.17.

Imperfect friendship is that which is either grounded upon pleasure or profit. And as these extractions of spiring which are drawn out by the Chymists, are more 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 the grosser bodies out of which they are extracted; [Simile.] so the love which ariseth of • ertue is more 〈…〉 pure than that love which ariseth of pleasure 〈◊〉 prosin and these sorts of friends are but friends by accident •••• friendship arise only of pros •• th •• it is the most 〈…〉 of friendship, 〈…〉 we are 〈…〉 〈…〉 amitis, for as we love not 〈…〉 for our bodies sake to 〈◊〉 them, so wh •• we use our friends only for our profit, we use them but we enjoy them not. Paul said, I seek not yours but you. Pro. 19.6. every man is a friend to him who giveth gifes; but this is no true friendship. Prov. 19.27. All the brethren of the poor do hate him, how much more doth his friends go far from him? But if the friendship be grounded upon sin, this is the worst ground of all: such was the friendship of Simcon and Leve, brethren in evil, and such was the friendship of Herod and Pilate, Though hand join in hand yet the wicked shall not escape, Proverb.

This friendship which ariseth of profit it is easily dissolved, and to help this, we are not to receive benefits of every man, but we are to consider first for what end the gift is offered to us: for if a man offer a benefit to the intent that he may receive as much or more, then it is not a benefit, but rather a selling; as the Pharisees would bid their nighbours to dinner because they knew they would invite them again.

Again, the benefitis not to be reckoned by the profit of him who receiveth it, but according to the mind of the giver; as the widows mite was more accepted than the large offerings of others. Hiram was to blame in this, when Solomon gave him twenty cities in the land of Galilee, he called them dirty cities, 1 King. 9.13. he measured not the gift here according to the mind of the giver.

The gifts which are given by friends are not like things sold and bought, for the thing sold dependeth chiefly upon the seller, but here the value and estimation dependeth upon the receiver; he should not measure the gift by the profit that may redound to him by it, but by the affection of the giver.

That friendship which is only grounded upon pleasure is not well grounded, for our pleasures for the most part are excessive as the Epicures friendship; Let us eat, let us drink, for tomorrow we shall die, 1 Cor. 15.32. here their friendship and joy continued not, it is but like the trackling of thorns under the pot, Eccles. 7.6. which is soon gone. But true friendship is grounded in the Lord, as David's companions were these who feared God, Psal. 119.63. such a friend was Hushai to David, 2 Sam. 15.37.

The way to keep this friendship is, Pro. 25.16. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbors house, lest he be weary of thee and hate thee: Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it. Again, let thy foot be rare in thy neighbors house; in the original it is, precious, for these things which are rare we hold them precious, 1 Sam. 3.1. The Word of the Lord was precious in those days, that is, it was rare. So Esa. 13. a man shall be more precious than gold, that is, more rare. And he useth a comparison here, for as he that eateth sparingly of honey it is comfortable to him and refresheth him as it did Jonathan, but if he eat much of it, [Simile.] it maketh him to surfeit: so if a man come seldom to his friend, he shall be welcome to him, but if he come often to him, then he becometh weary of him.

CHAP. III. Sinful love degenerateth into hatred.

THere are two affections which carry great sway in the soul, desire and love: sometimes we both desire and love them; some things we desire but love them not, till enjoyed; and some things we desire, but love them not when we have gotten them.

These things which we desire and love are things honest; these things which we desire and love not, are things profitable, we love them not before we enjoy them; we may carry some Imaginary love to them before we enjoy them, but this is not true love: for other men's profits so long as they enjoy them affect us not, but when we enjoy them indeed then we begin to love them; but sinful delights we desire them, but being once gotten we loathe them, but things honest we both desire them and love them.

Honest things we both love them and desire them although we want them, but things profitable before we have them, we desire them but love them not properly: when a man wanteth riches or children he hath a desire to them, but when he hath gotten them then he loveth them. Things pleasant before we have them we both desire them and carry an imaginary love to them, but when we have them once, both the desire and the love perish together, and they leave behind them a certain loathsomeness, as he that cateth too much of the honey comb loatheth it: Prov. 25.15. here the desire and the love go away together, and the love in sinful pleasure is turned to hatred. Things profitable are profitable to us when we possess them, and the longer that we possess them the greater fruit reap we of them. But the delight which we have in pleasant things is neither an habit nor a perfect possession of them, but a motion which hath always some privation joined with it, which failing the love faileth likewise: These pleasant things before we enjoy them they have a greater force to stir up a desire in our fantasy when we want them; but when we have profitable things they have a greater force to give me contentment than pleasant things; pleasant things when we want them they breed an imagination in our appetite, & when we have them they breed pleasure in our sense: but the love and desire of honest things consisting in virtue and wisdom, is preferred both to things pleasant and profitable; for we love them both when we have them, and when we want them, and the love of them is the first degree of enjoying them, not in our sense and fantasy, but in our understanding.

Health, children, [Quest.] and glory, whether are they to be referred to things profitable, pleasant, or honest?

Health chiefly is to be referred to profit, [Answ.] therefore we loathe it not after we have it, as we do these things which bring only delight with them; and health when we want it we wish it not only with our sensitive appetite, but with our will and understanding: children again belong both to honesty and pleasure, for we desire our children to possess our goods, and we enjoy them; this desire is mixed with delight, and therefore the conversing of parents with their children breedeth not satiety or loathsomeness as sinful pleasures do. And they long for children to continue their kind by a certain immortality, and herein man differeth from the beasts who love their young ones only ut nunc for the time present, but respect not the continuance of their kind in them: and this is the cause why parents are never weary of their children more than they are of their health.

The love of marriage especially consisteth in pleasure, but hath honesty and profit joined with it. The love and desire of dominion hath both profit and pleasure joined with it, but there is a twofold honor, a bastard honor and a lawful honor, the bastard honor only belongeth to pleasure, but the lawful honor belongeth not only to pleasure but also to honesty.

These things which we both desire and love, they proceed sometimes ab amore sensibili, and sometimes ab amore rationali, when we desire them first, and next we love; but when they proceed ab amore rationali then we first love them, and then desire them.

The delights which are sensual when they ascend to reason they give no contentment to it, but when the delights descend from reason to fantasy and sense, they give contentment to both. And as the mist which ariseth out of the valleys and ascendeth to the mountains betokeneth rain, [Simile.] but when the mist falleth from the mountains to the valleys then it betokeneth fair weather: So when the sensual delights ascend up to the fantasy and reason, it is a bad token; but when the love of honesty and virtue descends from reason to fantasy and sense, that it is a good token. When the mind illuminateth the will first, then the will beginneth to affect a thing and to seek after it, then it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 beneplacitum animi the good pleasure of the will being approved by the reasonable faculty in the understanding, which doth try things first and setteth the will on work and the will setteth the rest on work.

Again if we shall consider the senses, if we shall consider the senses, we shall perceive that the baser senses, the touch, taste and the smell which serve most for sensual pleasures, they are soon cloyed, as he that eateth the honey comb surfetteth quickly, Pro. 25.15. Pro. 7.18. when the whore inviteth the young man she saith, come & let us take our fill of love until the morning, one might well give them a furfet of this beastly pleasure; but consider again the more noble senses, the sight and hearing, which serve for reason, they are never satisfied, The eye (saith Solomon ) is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing, Eccles. 1.8. Why are they not satisfied? because they give information to the nobler faculty of the soul the understanding wherein honesty and virtue are seated, and they are never weary to serve her. And if we shall compare things honest, profitable & pleasant, we shall find that things pleasant are farthest out of the square, and consequently must breed the greatest distaste to the soul for things honest the more we desire them the more we are commended for that; but when we desire things profitable, we must desire them with a greater moderation, because they are more base, and we must reduce them to some mediocrity, but most of all have we need to take heed to our delights of sense as basest of all; therefore Solomon willeth us, Pro. 23.1. when we sit at a governors table to put a knife to our throat, that is, when we sit at a table where there is variety of dishes and dainties, we must eat sparingly then, as if there were a knife set to our throat to cut it, lest our table become our snare, Psal. 69.22.

Some things may breed delight to the fantasy but not to the sense, as when a Poet describeth a gnat or flea, this is delightful to the fantasy; but if a man should feel the gnat or the flea biting him, it would be most unpleasant to his sense and feeling. Sometimes a thing may be delightful to the sense, but bringeth little or no delight to the fantasy, as when a man eateth sweet things. But things which are honest breed delight both to the understanding, fantasy and sense. The sensual pleasures are like the book which John did cate, Reve. 10.9. they are sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly, [Simile.] the grief of them is more than ever the pleasure was.

Amnon loved Tamar with an incestuous love, then he falleth into the other extremity to hate her, but if he had reduced this to a right mediocrity he should have loved the person but hated the vice. Levite. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy neighbor in thine heart, but thou shalt rebuke him.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] let us set our desires on the right objects and moderate our affections, lest they exceed and degenerate into lust. James 4.3. Ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

CHAP. IIII. Whether we may exceed the rule of righteousness in well doing or not?

A Man cannot exceed in justice which is the compend of all virtues, and it signifieth to give everyone his own; if we take right for that which is partly right or rectum mathematicum, there can be nothing more right. Virtues in themselves are not more or less, but if ye will consider them as they are in this or that subject, and not in their absolute or greatest perfections, then they may be said to be more or less. Example: if we will respect religion in it self, here we cannot be too religious, for religion in it self is opposite to all defectes in religion. Hope in respect of the inward form of it, looketh directly towards God, we cannot exceed here, although we may come short: but respecting the matter which is hoped for, and weighing all circumstances, a man may presume or despair, as he who hopeth, what he hopeth, and when he hopeth. So in religion, there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , atheism and superstition are both defects in religion, but in the true worship of God we cannot exceed.

So in justice, as it is justice we cannot exceed; but yet when we respect the circumstances, as the persons to whom we do justice, when we do justice, or where, we may exceed or come short. Prov. 17.17. these two are equally abhominable before the Lord, to let the wicked go free, and condemn the just; to condemn the just is the excess, and to spare the wicked is the defect in justice. So Levite. 19.15. Ye shall not respect the person of the poor for his poverty, this is the excess, nor honor the person of the mighty for his riches, this is the defect. 1 King. 20.42. Because thou hast let go out of thine. hand virum destructionis, that is, a man whom I appainted to destruction, or virum retis mei, the man of my net, that is, the may whom I catched in my net and delivered unto thee that he should not escape; now when Ahab let Benhadad go free, this was a defect in justice.

David had many worthy captains, [Simile.] if he had given to the most worthy for his worthiness 8. and to the meanest of his worthies but 4. this had been equality in distributive justice: but if he had diven them both 8. here he had failed also in excess, for he had given the one more than he deserved, and here he should have been nimium justus.

But the Lord of the vineyard gave a penny alike to all these who wrought in his vineyard, [Object.] to these who came at the fixed hour, the ninth hour, and at the eleventh hour, Matth. 20. this might seem not to be equal justice.

This was not distributive justice but commutative, [Answ.] for he that was the Lord of the vineyard said, Did not I agree with you for a penny? So in commutative justice if a man should not give fifty for that which is worth an hundred pounds, he faileth in the defect, and if he should have give two hundredth pounds for it, then he should fail in the excess, for liberality hath no place in commutative justice in buying and selling, he who giveth more then the thing is worth to the seller, he is not nimium 〈◊〉 for he wrongeth the commonwealth and doth hurt to himself.

But when he taketh hurt to himself he doth no man wrong, quia iniuria non fit velenti. [Object.]

Yet notwithstanding this is not good commutative justice in respect of liberality this may be a good action, but consider it as it is commutative justice, it is the sin in excess; because it keepeth not medium rei.

When the Preacher saith then, Be not righteous overmuch, it is to be understood also in respect of men's conceit who think themselves too just; for verse. 20. the Preacher saith, there is none just in the earth, who doth good and sinneth not.

The way to reduce too much righteousness to the medium is to reduce it to the Law of God, which is the only rule of perfection to all virtues. The philosophers hold that the way to reduce extremes is to bring them to the midst, as they make mediceritie the midst to the two extremes, but mediocrity being but a privation it cannot be the rule of any virtue.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] The only rule and square of justice is the golden rule of the Law, and if we cleave to it, we shall never decline to the right hand nor to the left, Josh. 1.

CHAP. V. Of Liberalitie.

LIberality is a virtue which maketh a man resemble God himself, who giveth freely and upbraideth not, I am. 1.5. We do not read in the Gospel that Christ used these words, but by consequent it may be gathered out of sundry of Christ's speeches, as Luk. 16.9. and out of the parable of the Talents, and by that sentence which Christ shall give out at the last day, Comme ye blessed, when I was bungry ye fed me &c Matth. 25.

It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive.

First, [Reason, 1] because a man can give nothing unless he have it, and to receive implieth a want, and therefore to give is better than to receive. [Reason, 2]

There is bonum hope •• m & 〈◊〉 vtila, and as far as honest things are preferred to profitable things, so far must giving always be preferred to receiving. [Reason, 3]

Honest things endure longer than profitable things do, for the memory of receiving perisheth with the gift, but that liberal honesty which consisteth in giving perisheth not with the gift, because it dependeth upon him who giveth it. By accident indeed the memory of the gift may be lost through the forgetfulness or unthankfulness of the receiver, but yet it deserveth still to be had in remembrance, and that which is most durable is always most to be loved. [Reason, 4]

Dare est docere apud Hebraes, and lakab, accipere, est discere. Pro. 2. Donum tribuam vobis, id est, doctrinem, and as far as the master exceedeth the senellor, so far doth giving exceed receiving.

The Divines mark, [Reason, 5] that the most excellent sort of prayer is thanksgiving, and it is to be preferred to potition. Why? because it is better to give than to receive; there are many ready to petition, but few to give thanks, of the ten lepers there came but one again I to give thanks.

If we shall compare prodigality and avarice together, [Reason, 6] we may understand that to give is better tha • to receive, for the prodigal man is not so bad as the avaricious man, as the Palosopher proveth by many reasons.

First, the prodigal man helpeth many, but the avaricious man helpeth none.

Secondly, prodigality cometh nearer to liberality than avarice, because the prodigal man hath a desire still to do good to others, as the liberal man doth, and it is a grief to him to receive as it is to the liberal man.

Thirdly, prodigality cureth it self by bestowing, but avarice heaping up riches groweth worse more and more daily.

Fourthly, prodigality is cured by age, but avarice groweth with age, therefore prodigality it a lesser evil then avarice, and showeth us that it is better to give than to receive. He is a prodigal man who giveth all to others (although they be not altogether unworthy) which is necessary for himself, but he is worse, who giveth both his own and other men's goods which he taketh by robbery to any sort of men, whether good or bad: but he is worst of all who taketh from other men and giveth only to the bad; so he is a wretch who giveth not according to his power, but he is a greater wretch who keepeth both his own and other men's, and bestoweth nothing upon the poor or upon any other; but he is worst of all who denieth himself the liberal 〈◊〉 of the creatures and yet taketh from others by hook and by crook. By this we may consider, that some prodigal men are worse than some wretches, but if we shall make an equal comparison and compare the prodigal with the wretch, he shall always be 〈…〉 .

The Phil •• pher saith, [Reas. 7] these things which are done with great labor and expenses men make more ac •••• 〈◊〉 the • and esteems more highly of them than these things which are more ••• dy done, but to give a 〈…〉 more and tha • to receive, and he showeth 〈…〉 in borrowing and lending, he who borroweth would wish the lender not to be at all, but the lender wisheth well always to the borrower, therefore it is a more blessed thing to give than to receive; and although he saith that the giver should forget the things which he gave, and the receiver should always remember them, yet he shows, that it is much more delightful to the mind to remember his liberality in giving, than for him who hath received to remember that he hath received.

But how can it be a more blessed thing to give than to receive, [Object.] seeing he who giveth depriveth himself of that which he giveth, and he that receiveth hath it? the end of receiving is to have, and the end of giving is to want, and seeing all things are measured by their end, it may seem that receiving is more blessed than giving.

God who is most blessed giveth, and yet loseth nothing. Again, when men give, [Answ.] they should not so give to deprive themselves of all things; neither is every sort of giving better than receiving, for it is a better thing for a man to receive something from his friends to maintain his family, than for a another prodigal to wast all his own: but it is meant of this honest liberality which is given with discretion, whereof the Apostle speaketh, 2 Cor. 8.13.14. I mean not that other man be eased, and ye be burdened. Thirdly, the thing which they give, they lose it not, for their honest liberality is a thing permanent and increaseth their honor and liberality.

But if it be more blessed to give than to receive, [Object.] then the rich man's riches make him to be in a better case than the poor man who had nothing to give. [Answ.]

The rich man's riches make him not to be in a better case than the poor man, for it is the heart that the Lord looketh upon the giving and not the gift. Christ preferred the widows mite to the great offerings of the Pharisees, and a cup of cold water given to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet maketh a blessed giver. Christ at the latter day will say, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundations of the world, for when I was naked ye clothed me: this will be pronounced to moe poor ones than to rich ones, who had never scarce meat and clothe to themselves; the liberality is accepted here according to the will and not according to the deed.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] that the avaricious is worse than the prodigal, but the Lord liketh a cheerful giver, the liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself, Prov. 11.25.

CHAP. VI. Of Contentment.

THere is no condition or estate of man that can keep a mediocrity. If we be full then we wax wanton, and if we be hungry then we grudge; Agur knowing how dangerous both these estates were, prayeth the Lord to give him neither poverty nor riches, but to feed him with food convenient, Pro. 30.8. not to give him poverty, lest he steal and take the name of God in vain; and not to give him riches, lest he deny him, and say, Who is the Lord.

The Israelites when they wanted flesh they murmured, and when they had quail in abundance they surfeited; but Paul can be content in any of the conditions alike. For a man first to be rich, and then to be poor, and then to be rich again, he may the better learn to be content in any of the estates, as Job who saw three changes, first he was rich, then he was poor, then he was rich again: So if a man hath been first poor, then rich, then poor again, he will be more content in any estate. Zeno the Philosopher when he had left a ship loaded with goods, and nothing being left to him, said, been sane agis o fortuna, quod ad pallium illud obsoletum me revocas, & ad stoam me redegisti, that is, that thou hast brought me back again to a poor estate, and made me to profess philosophy. But for a man that hath been only rich to fall to poverty, is a very hard case for it is to be deprived of the comfortable means whereupon he should live, which in the Scriptures are called a man's life: and she spent all her living upon the Physician, Luk. 8.43. in the Greek it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 her whole life, because riches are the means to entertain a comfortable life. It is as hard a thing for a poor man to lose his little stock, as for the rich man to lose his great wealth, & Seneca said, Non minus molest • um est celvo quam comatis evellere pilos, et aque pauperi as divi •• tormentum; but it is a harder case when a man becometh rich that hath been very poor, how to carry himself well.

Abundance bringeth forth more dangerous • ruits than want doth, for abundance maketh a man to deny God, and poverty but maketh him to steal. Solomon for all his wisdom in his abundance forgot himself. In our natural estate and complexion of body, [Simile.] we see that men die sooner through abundance of blood than through scarcity of blood; and experience teacheth us, that Lunaticks in the want of the moon are sober enough, and are themselves, but when the moon is at the full their brains begin to swell up; so men in poverty are sober, but in abundance do forget themselves.

When the Devil tempted our Savior Christ, Mat. 4. his first temptation was but the hungry temptation, to turn stones into bread; but his last temptation was the full temptation, he would give him all the world if he would fall down and worship him. By the order of the Devils temptations we may know which is the greatest temptation, for the Devil keepeth his greatest temptations last. It is observed that these who live in the north parts of the world if they go towards the south under the hot climate, [Simile.] then their stomachs begin to fail them and they die soon; but these again who dwell in the south climate, bring them towards the north, and then their stomachs begin to mend; so bring a man from poverty to riches, that is, as it were from the north to the south, then he dieth: but bring him from riches to poverty, from prosperity to adversity, that is, from the sourth to the north, then he may live; but let Paul have abundance or scarcity he can use both: he saith of himself, a Cor. 6.10. as having nothing, and yet possessing all things, that is, he was as well contented in poor estate, as in his great plenty and riches; so if he had had abundance, he could have used it so moderately as if he had had nothing.

How could Paul know this, [Quest.] that he could abound as well as want, seeing he had never proof of abundance?

There is a threefold knowledge of a thing, the first 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 experimental, the second is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 gotten by discourse, and the third is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 gotten by revelation. Paul had gotten this not by discourse or by revelation, but by experience of poverty and want, for he learned in his poverty how he should use abundance.

To abound here is not meant of excess, but he speaketh here after the manner of the Hebrews who take to be filled and to be drunk, for that which sufficeth without excess, So Gen. 43. and Phil. 2.10. and the Hebrews observe that this word [Sacar] is one of these words quae vergunt in extren • um, that is, this moderate drinking is set down under the name of drunkenness, and if men take not heed to themselves in this liberal use of drinking, they may be soon overtaken and become drunk; but Paul by the grace of God would have kept himself within the lists if he had been in this estate to have abundance.

He saith I have learned, Phil. 4.12. in the Greek it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sacris initiatus sum, and he that was initiate this ways to the Lord, was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 initiatus. we must be long time trained up and separated to God's service, if we would learn this lesson, and he was a perfect man that could live patiently, in afflictions, in necessities, in distress, in stripes, in tumults, in labors, in watchings and fastings, 2 Cor. 6.4. but it was more that he could use abundance well. Benjamin was called ittar jad, because he could use both hands, and they were a notable tribe; but this is a greater skill, to use poverty well at the left hand, and riches at the right hand.

The heathen said, infoelicitatis genus esse, fuisse a liquando falicem & tunc miserum, that it was a kind of unhappines to have been happy, and then to become miserable: but Job said, the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken, and he sinned not with his mouth, Job 1 and 2.

Secondly, the heathen said, Lati • res videbis quos nunquam aspexit fortuna, quam quos deferuit, that is, They look more cheerfully whom fortune hath never favored, than those whom fortune hath left, but Paul is as glad in his poverty as in abundance.

Solomon saith that the prosperity of fools shall destroy them, Prov. 1.32. But prosperity would never kill the wise Christian Paul.

CHAP. VII. De connexione virtutum.

VIces are not coupled together, as fear and boldness, prodigality and avarice; this far vice may be said to be coupled together, first in the fountain, for as prudence is the beginning of all virtues, so is imprudency of all vices; Secondly, every vice departeth from virtue and striveth against it. Every good gift cometh down from the Father of lights, I am. 1.17. So every virtue fighteth against vice.

Moral and theological virtues are not essentially coupled together, for faith is not of the essence of moral virtues, neither are they defined by it: for moral virtues are habitus electivi consistentes secundum rationem, but faith is not • uch, therefore faith and moral virtues are not essentially joined together.

Secondly, theological virtues are nor essentially coupled together, far less are moral and theological virtues; faith shall cease in the life to come, but charity shall be perfected, 1 Cor. 12.13. Faith and works are not essentially joined together, for they are in divers categories.

Faith worketh by charity Gal. 5.6. [Object.]

Faith worketh by charity, [Answ.] because charity followeth it as the effect: there is duplex forma asssistens vel constituens; Assistens, as the mariner to the ship vel constituens as the soul to the body, faith is forma assistens bonorum operum, non dans esse absolutum.

Although theological virtues be not essentially coupled with moral virtues yet they are required for the perfection of a Christian man: [Simile.] one vertie 〈◊〉 not from another virtue that it is a virtue, but to 〈◊〉 up one absolute perfection, it is necessary that they be all joined and agree in one tertio. Plearing and seeing are not essentially joined together, yet to make up a perfect man it is necessary that he both hear and see: So it is requisite that a Christian man have both moral and theological virtues; and although these theefogicall virtues immediately beget not moral virtues, yet they comfort and streng then them, and so doth the moral virtues the theological. These who have their passions unsettled, it hindereth them to call upon God, 1 Pet. 3.7. Matth. 7.24. So moral virtues require theological virtues to strengthen them, for when a man's temperance faileth his faith correcteth it, for faith purtfieth the heart. [Quest.]

What are we to judge of the heathens virtues which have no theological virtues joined with them? [Answ.]

If we consider their works materially and not consider how they did them, they may be called good works and approved by God, and so it is said that Amaziah did that which was good in the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart, 2 Chro. 25.2. [Object.] the work may be good in it self, Licet subjecto, objecto, & 〈◊〉 malum. [Answ.]

But the Fathers called the works of the heathen but false and counterfit virtues:

The Fathers when they speak so are thus to be understood, they are not 〈◊〉 virtues, that is, they are not perfect virtues, but they are true virtues, that is, they are not false; truth is opposite to imperfection and so likewise to falsehood. Example, Arichalcum or Latten is a true metal and not counterfit, but it is false gold, if ye will respect the perfection of it, for it dis ••• eth much from gold; So the virtues of the heathen are true virtues, and opposite to counterfeit virtues, but they are false, opposite to Christian virtues.

Again, if we will respect the manner how they did these things, and the end why they did them, then they were not good. Alexander when he overcame Darius, he sent back both his wives and his concubines untouched, this he did not for the fear of God as Joseph did, but only to get praise of men. An infidel giveth alms to the poor to help the poor; although he doth this for a particular good end to help him in his need, yet he doth it not for the glory of God which should be the supreme and last end.

Whether were all virtues coupled together in Adam before his fall? [Quest.] [Answ.]

Thomas saith that virtues were coupled in Adam after a divers manner, for some virtues he had both the habit and the act of them, such as were these which imported no imperfection; such as were justice, charity, holiness; others again he had actually as they did import some imperfection, as faith and hope, for he had faith of the things which he had not yet seen, and hope of these things which he had not as yet obtained; for he was not created in such an estate to see the things which he was to believe, neither to enjoy those things which he hoped for. Other virtues again he had the habit of them but not the act, such as imported a greater imperfection and repugnant to his first estate; such as were patience, mercy anger, these he had not actually, but he was so created at the first: if injuries had been offered to him he should have suffered them patiently and to have had pity on other men's miseries.

EXERCITAT. Of Numbers Weights and Measures.

T He Lord commanded his people to deal justly and uprightly everyone with another, that they might be like himself who made all things, in number; weight and measure, Wisd. 11. By these three the equity of all things is tried out, and therefore the Lord setteth down precepts to his people, and rules in the Scripture, how they should number, weigh and measure all things, and everyone of these depend upon another; for he that numbereth rightly doth measur ••• ightly, weigheth 〈…〉

〈…〉 by order of nature, for 〈…〉 things must go in the first place, by the which measure is found out; and •• umber and measure find out weight; therefore we must explain the rules of numbers in the Scriptures, then the measure arising from thence, and thirdly the weight, arising from them both.

The rules whore by everything was numbered in the Scripture, beginning from the greatest to the least, according to the Hebrews and Romans were these.

The highest rule of distance is a thousand cubits, and the least a finger breadth amongst the Hebrews; and amongst the Romans the highest a mile, and the least a grain, whereby not only the distance of ••• ing is numbered; but also their numbers.

The Hebrew mile was a thousand 〈◊〉 , Num. 35.5. the bounds of the cities of the Levites 〈◊〉 mealured in the fourth verse, to be a thousand cubits, but in the fifth verse to he two thousand cubits: the first is to be understood from the City to the wall, but the second, from the wall southward to the wall opposite northward, and so the like measure from the east to the west.

The same was the measure of the outmost part of the campe to the Tabernacle, from the south part of the campe to the north part; and this was called a Sabbath days journey, Act. 1.12. so far • distant was mount Olivet from Jerusalem; but a Sabbath days journey is as much space as they had to go from their houses to the Synagogues.

Again there was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Latins called it Stadium a furlong, and eight of these made a mile, as Luk. 24.13. Emmaus was distant from Jerusalem si ••• 〈◊〉 , that is, 3½ of a mile. So John. 6.19. the Disciples rowed five and twenty or thirty furlongs, that is, 3½ or 3¼ of a mile. So John. 11.18. Bethania was nigh towards Jerusalem fifteen, furlongs, that is, 1 1/ • of a mile. The Apostle, 1 Corinthians 9.24. speaking of the Christian race alludeth to this, when he saith, [Allusion.] They which run 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈◊〉 race, run all; but one receiveth the victory. Thus was the new Jerusalem measured, Reve. • 1.16. and he preasured the City with the re • d • twelve thousand furlongs. And John speaking of the judgments of God which were to come upon the earth, saith, that the blood came out of the winepress even unto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundredth furlongs, 〈◊〉 14.20. So that fur long is the eight part of a mile.

Thirdly, there was [Izamid] Ingerum, 〈◊〉 Acre which was two hundred and twenty foot always in breadth and length, Esa. 5.10. ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath; an acre is about the third part of a furlong.

Fourthly, was [kanna] calamus, a reed and funiculus a line, and they had a twofold use, first they served for measuring of their ground, and building; and secondly for demolishing of their building. For measuring of the ground, [Allusion.] as Joshua divided the land of Canaan by a line: to this David alludeth Psal. 16.6. my line is fallen in pleasant places: [Allusion.] and so Paul alludeth to this measuring by the line, 2 Cor. 10.13. We will not beast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the line which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. So they measured their buildings with the reed and line, both the length and breadth and height of them: The Angel measured the Temple to be reedified with a reed, Ezek. 40. and with a reed the Angel measured the spiritual Temple, Revel. 21.15. He that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof.

The second use of the line was for demolishing and cutting away the superfluous parts of the building, and it had a plummet or stone hanging down from it: to this the Lord alludeth, [Allusion.] 2 King. 21.13. I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab. [Allusion.] So Esa. 34.11. he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.

The fourth was [amma] a cubit, which was a foot and an half; it was from the knop of the elbow to the point of the middle finger. By this measure Noah measured the Ark, Moses the Tabernacle, and Solomon the Temple: this cubi • was the rule of their other measures, and was laid up in the sanctuary to be kept as the shekel was, therefore it was called the holy cubit.

The first was [ • ereth] spithama or great palm, which was half a c • bite or twelve fingers broad. This measure is made mention of in these places, Exod. 28.17. the breastplate was a palm long and a palm broad. So 1 Sam. 17.4. his stature was six cubits and a palm or a span. So Esa 40.12. who hath mete out the heaven with the span or palm? and Ezek 43.14. the ditch was a palm without the borders of the Altar.

The sixth was a foot, a measure amongst the Romans whereby they measured their paces, and it contained three palms.

The seventh was [tephah] the lesser palm being four finger broad, Exod. 25.25. thou shalt make unto the table a border of an handbreadth round about: [Allusion.] So the thickness of the brazen sea was a handbreadth. David alludeth to this measure, Psal. 39.6. ecce palmorum deposuisti dies meos, thou hast measured out my days or thou hast made my days an hand breadth, or four fingers breadth in length.

The eighth was [etzbang] a finger broad, this was proper to the Physicians whereby they measured their herbs and roots: of this measure mention is made, Jer. 52.21. and the thickness thereof was [arbang etzbagnoth] four fingers; and the High priests under the Law measured the incense [kamiza] with his ring finger, this was the least measure amongst the Hebrews and it contained four grains.

Last was granum, a grain of barley, [granum.] which was the least measure amongst the Romans, and now amongst the Mathematicians whereby they measure all distances by proportion.

Of Measures.

THe rules of numbers being found out, it is easy to find out the measures, for take a cubit and make a measure cubick or four square, always in length, breadth and depth; the measure of an Epha for dry things, and bath for wetthings is found out; this by the Latins was called quadrantal, and amphera, and by the Greeks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and by the Atticks medimna. The greatest measure for dry and wet is called Corus or Chomer, and the least is Cabus according to the Hebrews, Greeks and Romans.

As the Talent was the greatest weight amongst the Hebrews, so was Corus or Chomer their greatest measure, and did contain as much of wet or dry, as a Camel is able to bear at once, or an Ass at twice. Therefore Chomer is called an heap, and an Ass is called Chamor from bearing of burdens, and by the Greeks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or subingale, Mat. 21. To this Sampson alludeth Iud. 15.16, [Allusion.] when he had killed so many with the Iawbone of an Ass; With this Iawbone [habhamor chamor hbamorathaijne] of an Ass heaps upon heaps: see how the heaps allude to the Ass. And Num. 11.32. They gathered ten homers of quail, but the Chaldee hath it, ten heaps of quail. So Exod. 18.14. They gathered them together [coros &coros] heaps upon heaps. By this we may understand what great debt that was, which the Steward sought of his Lord's debtor, Luk. 16.7. when he said he was oweing him 100 Coros of wheat; and what a great gift that was, which Solomon gave Hiram 1 King. 5.11. Twentiethousand coros of wheat, and twenty coros of Oil; and what a great house Solomon kept, when he spent daily thirty Coros of fine flower, and three score coros of meal 1 King. 4.22.

The greatest measure amongst the Romans was Culleus or equuleus, made of Lether, which behooved to be a very large measure, for they sowed in it a murderer, with a Dog, a Cock, an Ape and a Viper, because they were most like in nature to this monster, it was less then Coros or Chomer and bigger then Letech.

Letech is half a chomer, [Allusion.] and it is only made mention of, Hos. 3.2. I bought her to me for fifteen pecces of Silver, and for one Chomer of Barley, and for a letech of Barley, that is, for a chomer and a half of Barley.

An Epha is the tenth part of a Chomer, equal with the bath of liquid measures, and the Egyptian Mede and Persian Artaba, and equal with the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as much as an English Bushel; it contained three Sata, amphoras or Modios, English Pecks, and ten gomers. Thus may be understood these places that have relation to the fine flower offered in the Sacrifices Levite. 5.11. Thou shalt offer a gomer the tenth part of an Epha: Ezek. 45.13. The sixth part of an Epha, and Ezek. 45.24. He shall prepare an Epha for a bullock and an Epha for a Ram. 1 Sam. 17.17. Take to thy Brothers an Epha of parched Corn. Cadus or hydria is the same measure with the Epha, an hundredth Cadi of oil, Luk. 16.6. So 1 King. 17.14. the [Cadus or] barrel of meal shall not wast; so Iud. 7.16. he put in every man's hand [Cados] empty pitchers.

Seah or Satum was the third part of the Epha, it was all one with the Roman amphora or modius, and it containeth six Cabs; hence is that in the Parable understood, The King dome of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three [Sata or] Peckes of meal, [Allusion.] Mat. 13.33. Alluding to Abraham who commanded Sara to prepare three pecks of meal for his Ghuests, Gen. 18. So Ruth 2.17. and it was about three Sata of Barley.

Gomer is the tenth part of an Epha, all one with the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : this was the measure which everyone had for his portion in the desert, [Allusion.] Exod. 16.15. the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.14. alludeth to this while as he exhorteth the Corinthians to relieve the Church of Jerusalem which was in great trouble in the persecution.

Cab is all one with the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or with the Roman dimensum or denarius, the sixth part of satum and thr eighteenth part of an Epha: then it was but a small measure of doves guts which the Samaritans got; for the feurth part of the kab of doves guts, was sold for a shekle, that is, a Log, 2 King 6.15. this kab 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or dimensum, was the measure of a man's daily food: hence we may see it was but a little bread, which the Lord commanded the Prophet Ezekiel to eat, for the space of three hundredth and nintie days, Ezek. 4.10. And thy meat which thou shalt eat, shall be by weight twenty shekels a day, that is, but ten ounces of bread, and the sixth part of an Hin of water by measure, this was less than the fourth part of a man's daily food; for he got but as much bread every day, as six eggs would contain, and as much water as twelve would contain.

The fourth part of a Kab, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or dimensum, was the measure of a man's daily food: to this measure Christ alludeth in the parable Luk. 12. that the Steward is set over the whole house, that he may give to everyone 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, the measure for every day. And in the Lord's prayer he teacheth us to seek from our heavenly father panem 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , supersubstantiall or daily bread. The Syrians call this panem necessitatis: Mat. 6.11. calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 this day, but Luk. 11.3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 indiem, every day, so much as may sustain this frail life. So Solomon Prov. 30.8. desired to be fed with food convenient, that is, sufficient and necessary: those who gote all food alike were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as getting all one measure.

Of Liquid Measures.

THe greatest measure for wet among the Hebrews is called Corus, and the least a Log: but among the Romans Amphor • was the greatest, and the least cochlear.

Bath was the tenth part of a chomer, all one with the Greek Hydria, and equal with the Epha, 2 King 12.11. They gave the money according to number and measure: as they weighed the money to see if it were weight; so they weighed the bath by weighing the corn and wine to see if it was a true measure.

There were two sort of baths, as there was two sorts of Epha's and sheckles, the one was the double of the other, 1 Kings 7.26. The brazen sea contained two thousand baths, this is the great bath; but 2 Chron. 4. it contained three thousand baths; that is, of lesser or half baths.

Vrna was the half of the Amphora, which served for many uses, as the keeping of their oil, the Ashes of the dead, and the casting in of Lots, Hest. 3.7. for there a Lot is deduced from the word pur which signifieth to fall, so called because the lot was cast in, and fell down in it: but Isaiah. 63.3. it is called a barrel or a Vessel, in which they did cast the wine to be troaden. The Hebrews put bosom or lap in place of Vrna. Prov. 16. the lot is cast [bachek] in the bosom or lap, but the whole disposing thereof is from the Lord, that is, They cast in the names of men that are to be chosen, in urnam; but that the lot falleth upon this or that particular man, it cometh from God's immediate providence, as in the election of Matthias, Act. 1.26. It is a comparison borrowed from the bosom of a man w ^ch is the fore part of his body, and it is transferred to signify the inward part, or hollowness of anything: wherefore in this place, Prov. 16.33. it is not to be taken for the bosom of a man properly, but for the inward part of the Vessel, and especially for urna wherein they did cast their lots.

Hin was half an Vrna, it contained twelve, L • gs or sextaries; half a hin was six Loge, and the fourth part of a hin was three logs; for a hin was divided into twelve parts, as Exod. 30.24. a hin of oil Olive was mixed with the ingredients of the holy oil: Num. 15.9. the meat offering of a bullock sacrificed should have half an hin of oil; and verse 6. a Ram the third part of an hin, and verse 4. a Lamb the fourth part of an hin of oil: and Ezek. 4.11. Thou shalt drink the sixth part of an hin of water, that is, two logs, or as much as twelve eggs will contain.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 amongst the Greeks and Congius amongst the Latins, were the half of the hin.

Log was the twelfth part of a hin, and contained so much as six eggs do contain, it was equal with the Roman Sextarie, Levite. 14.12. And the Priest shall take a he lamb and the Log of oil: this Log was also divided in twelve parts, the half whereof was called by the Greeks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and by the Latins Scutella and hemina. This half Log contained six cyathus, so that every cyathus was half an egg or an ounce; and the Latins gave everyone of them a several name beginning at the lowest, and going upward thus: Cyathus or vncia, sextans, quadrans, triens, hence Psal. 75.9. a triental cup, quincunx, semis septunx, bes, dodrans, dextans, deunx Lob or sextarius. So that amongst the Romans who borrowed it from the Grecians, and they from the Hebrews, every whole thing was divided in twelve parts, as centesima usura was the twelfth part of a hundredth. As was divided in twelve ounces, as heres ex asse is to be heir of all, & heres, 〈◊〉 uncia is to be heir of the twelfth pare.

Again the Hebrews divided a Log in four rebbiguith or quartarius, everyone of which contained in measure an egg and a half 2 King. 6.25. the half of quartarius was acetabulum, so called from acerra the hollow where the thigh bone turneth, and the Hebrews call it caph, hence it is transferred to signify a salser. Num. 7.14. it is called a spoon, the Princes dedicate twelve spoones of gold, everyone weighed ten shekels of gold, that is five ounces the Greeks called it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and the Latins acetabulum scu •• ssa, catin •• , Mat, 2 • .23. he that dippeth with me [in catino or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ] in the dish or salser.

The Romans divided their ounce thus, the half of it they call duella, the half of duella is Sin •••• , the half of this sextula; the half of sextula, drac •••• , the half of this scrupul •• , the half of scrupul •• abolus, the half of this siligna or ceration, and the half of Ceration lens, spelta or lupina; and this is the smallest measure that can be.

Of Weights.

From number and measure ariseth weight, for the two first being found out, to wit number and measure, the third is easily sound out. The greatest weight is a talent, and the least is minuta or lepta. The weights according to the Hebrews, Greeks and Romans, are these, descending from the greatest to the least.

The Talent by the Hebrews is called Cicar. It was the greatest weight amongst them, consisting of three thousand sh • kels, as may be gathered out of Exod. 38.24.25.26.27. 〈◊〉 it is said that 6035 〈◊〉 men did pay everyone of them half a sh • kell, the sum came to 100 talents and 1775 shekels. The 600000 thousand men came to 100 talents, and the 3550 men came to 1775 shekels, two men paying one shekel, therefore there is a double proportion betwixt the number of men and the shekels. Now if 600000 men pay 100 talents, then six thousand men pay one talent, everyone paying half a sh • kell; therefore a talent containeth 3000 shekels. By the talent gold, silver, brass and iron were weighed, Exod. 38.29. 1 Chron. 29.7. In the Scriptures there were not two sorts of talents, for the Lord discharged divers weights, Lev. 19. So may it be said of the Mina, shekel, Epha, 〈◊〉 ; the talent was of a great weight because one man could not carry two of them, 2 King. 5.23.

But it may seem that there were two sorts of talents, [Object.] for it is said 2 King. 12.30. and David took their kings crown from off his head (the weight thereof was a talent of gold, with the precious stones) and it was set on David's head. Who can bear upon his head a crown of 125 pound weight, which a man will scarcely lift off the ground, much less carry it upon his head, how could the King of Ammon carry it on his head, and David after him?

1 Chro. 20.2. [Answ.] David took the crown of Milchom from off his head, for this was an idol amongst them, 1 King. 11.7. which was a great brazen statue, having upon the head of it a crown which weighed a talent of gold; but how could this be put upon David's head? That place of the Chronicles answereth to this, when it faith, that David set it is upon his head, first he brake this crown, purged it by the fire, and changed it into another form, neither did he put all the weight of the talent into it, but that which was competent.

Mina was the hundredth part of the talent, and contained sixty shekels.

But it may seem that Mina was a talent, Luk. 19.13. [Object.] but Matth. 25.15. he gave so many talents to his servants, and both the Evangelists speak of one matter. [Answ.]

By talent there is not meant properly a talent, but a great sum; and by the scope of the parable only this much is intended, that these who had received greatest gifts made greatest gain, and more who had received lesser gifts made lesser gain, & they whe had received least gifts made no gain. If the parable were understood according to the letter, a man could not bind his talent in his napkin, being such a great sum.

The Mind made mention of Ezek. 45.12. is sixty shekels; the mina amongst the nations, some were sixty drachmas, others eighty, others an hundredth, that is, fifteen shekels: but the Lord saith, twenty shekels, five and twenty she • else, fifteen shekels shall be your Manch. All these divers sorts of shekels the Lord forbiddeth, and for them all he will have them to keep a min • of sixty shekels, Shekel in the original signifieth to weigh, Job. 6.2. for at the first the money was not numbered but weighed: this the Greeks called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and it weighed four Atticke drachmas: the Persians and Macedonians used the same sort of money, therefore they are called Philippici Alexandrini or Dariet. 1 Sam. 9.8. Behold now in my hand is the fourth part of a shekle of silver; the Sevenly translate it the fourth part of a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . So 2 King. 7.1. The • orrow a measure of meal shall be for a shekel, or a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 So Matth. 17.24. take out of the 〈…〉 , and give it for, • ee and thee, that is, a shek • ll.

There were two sorts of shekels, ponderal •• & numeralis. The shekel was weighed at the first, Josh. 7.20. the wedge of gold was fifty shekels, that is, it was of weight fifty shekels.

The shekel was also stamped and numbered, it was stamped first with the print of a lamb, and this was called keshita, and after when the tabernacle was erected it had Aaron's rod upon the one side, and the pot with Manna upon the other side.

When silver is alone we must understand shekels, as Mat. 26 15. He was sold for thirty pieces of silver, that is, for thirty shekels. So Hos. 3.2. I bought for her fifteen pieces of silver, that is, for fifteen shekels of silver. And sometimes the number and the matter are set down, but not the shekel, as Gen. 20.16. Behold I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, that is, shekels of silver.

The half shekel was called bekaugh shekel from [bakaugh] findere, because it cut the half shekel in two. Everyone in Israel paid this half shekel to the Lord both rich and poor equally when they went up to Jerusalem, because all equally did hold their life of God. Secondly, because all were redeemed a like by Christ. Thirdly, because the Lord accepteth of us, half payment for the whole; and although our service be very defective, yet he giveth us the whole shekel. Matth. 20. he gave to them who came at the sixth hour and at the ninth hour both a penny alike. This half shekel was the tribute which the Pharisees sought of Christ Matth. 17.23. although Christ was free from tribute because he was the Kings son, yet to avoid scandal he commanded Peter, go to the sea and cast in his angle and he should pull out a fish with astater in his mouth, that is, a shekel, which was to be paid for them everyone half a shekel; this half shekel was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or denarius, and it had the superscription of Caesar upon it, Matth. 17.

There is mention made of the third part of the shekel, Nehe. 10.38. which is three drachmas: we charged ourselves with the third part of a shekel.

The fourth part of a shekel was called zuzim, and by the Greeks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; and Nehe. 7.71. darkemonim, a Chaldee name from which the Greeks borrow their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Luk. 15.9. I have found my drachma.

A shekel had twenty Gerahs in it, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was twenty oboli, and every 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was five oboli: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was that naula which they put in the mouth of the dead, that they might have hasty passage over Lethe by Acheron.

Obol •• was divided in six areola or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : this fourth was called quadrans, and it was divided in seven minuta or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which was the least of all their stamped money. This was the widows offering, Mark. 12.4. Luk. 21.1. she cast in two mites, which is a quadrant or the fourth part of areola or the English farthing.