A47584:1522
The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland
The history of the reformation of the Church of Scotland containing five books : together with some treatises conducing to the history.The historie of the reformation of the Church of Scotland containing five books : together with some treatises conducing to the history.
London: printed by John Raworth for George Thomason and Octavian Pullen, 1644
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The dead shall not live, 1saith he, neither shall the tyrants, or the dead arise, because thou hast visited and scattered them, and destroyed all their memory.
- 1Verse 14.
From this 14 verse, unto the end of the 19, it appeareth, That the Prophet observeth no order; yea, that he speaketh things directly repugning one to another: For first he saith, The dead shall not live: After, he affirmeth,1 Thy dead men shall live. Secondly, he saith, Thou hast visited and scattered them, and destroyed all their memory: Immediately after he saith, Thou hast increased thy Nation, O Lord, thou hast increased thy Nation. They have visited thee, and have poured forth a prayer before thee.
- 1Verse 15.
Who, I say, would not think, that these are things not only spoken forth of good order and purpose, but also manifestly repugning one to another. For, to live, and not to live, to be so destroyed that no memorial remaineth; and to be so increased, that the coasts of the earth shall be ⟨p. 104⟩replenished, seem to import plain contradiction. For removing of this doubt, and for better understanding of the Prophets mind, we must understand, that the Prophet had to do with divers sorts of men; he had to do with the conjured and manifest enemies of Gods people, the Chaldees or Babylonians; even so such as profess CHRIST JESUS, have to do with the Turk and Saracens. He had to do with the Seed of Abraham, whereof there were three sorts. The ten Tribes all degenerate from the true worshipping of GOD, and corrupted with Idolatry, as this day are our pestilent Papists in all Realms and Nations, there rested only the Tribe of Judah at Jerusalem, where the form of true Religion was observed, the Law taught, and Ordinances of God outwardly kept; but yet there were in that body (I mean, in the body of the visible Church) a great number that were Hypocrites, as this day yet are among us that do profess the Lord Jesus, and have refused Papistry; not a few that were licentious livers, some that turned their back to God; that is, Had forsaken all true Religion, and some that lived a most abominable life, as Ezekiel saith in his vision;