It ha’s bin an antient and common opinion amongst the Iewes, that the Law of Moses did containe in it, not only those things which concerne our Religion and Obedience, but every secret also that may possibly be known in any Art or Science;1 so that there is not a demonstration in Geometrie, or rule in Arithmeticke; not a mysterie in any trade, but it may be found out in the Pentateuch. Hence it was (say they) that Solomon had all his wisedome and policie: Hence it was that hee did fetch his knowledge concerning the nature of Vegetables, from the Cedar of Lebanon, to the Hysop that growes upon the wall. Nay from hence, they thought a man might learne the art of Miracles, to remoove a Mountaine, or recover the dead. So strangely have the learneder sort of that Nation been befooled, since their owne curse hath lighted upon them.
Not much unlike this foolish superstition of theirs, is that custome of many Artists amongst us; who upon the invention of any new secret, will presently find out some obscure text or other to father it upon; as if the Holy Ghost must needs take notice of every particular, which their partiall fancies did over-vallue.
Nor are they altogether guiltlesse of this fault, who looke for any secrets of nature from the words of Scripture; or will examine all it’s expressions by the exact rules of Philosophy.
Vnto what strange absurdities this false imagination of the learneder Iewes hath exposed them, may be manifest by a great multitude of Examples. I will mention only some few of them. Hence it is, that they proove the shin-bone of Og the Giant to bee above three leagues long;2 Or (which is a more modest relation) that Moses being fourteen cubites in stature, having a Speare tenne Ells in length, and leaping up ten cubits, could touch this Giant but on the Ancle. All which, they can confirme unto you by a Cabalisticall interpretation of this story, as it is set downe in Scripture. Hence it is, that they tell us of all those strange Beasts which shall be seen at the comming of the Messias; as first, the Ox, which Iob calls Behemoth,3 that every day devoures the grasse on a thousand mountaines, as you may see it in the (Psa. 50. 10) Psalme, where David mentions the cattell, or […] upon a thousand hils. If you aske how this Beast do’s to finde pasture enough, they answer, that hee remaines constantly in one place, where there is as much grasse grows up in the night, as was eaten in the day.
They tell us also of a Bird, which was of that quantitie, that having upon a time cast an egge out of her neast, there were beaten down by the fall of it, three hundred of the tallest Cedars, and no lesse than threescore villages drowned. As also of a Frog, as big as a Town capable of sixty houses; which Frog, notwithstanding his greatnesse, was devoured by a Serpent, and that Serpent by a Crow; which Crow as she was flying up to a Tree eclipsed the Sun, and darkned the World; by which you may guesse what a pretty twig that Tree was. If you would know the proper name of this Bird, you may finde it in Psal. 50. 11. where it is called […],4 or in our Translation, the Foule of the mountains. It seems it was somewhat of kinne to that other Bird they tell us of, whose legges were so long, that they reached unto the bottome of that Sea where there had bin an axe head falling for 7 yeres together, before it could come to the bottome.
Many other relations there are, which containe such horrible absurdities, that a man cannot well conceive how they should proceed from reasonable creatures. And all this arising from that wrong Principle of theirs; That Scripture did exactly containe in it all kind of Truths; and that every meaning was true, which by the Letter of it, or by Cabalisticall interpretations might be found out.
Now as it hath been with them, so likewise hath it happened in proportion unto others: who by a superstitious adhering unto the bare words of scripture, have exposed themselves unto many strange errours. Thus (Enarrat. in Gen) S. Basil holds, That next to the Sun, the Moon is bigger than any of the Stars, because Moses do’s call them onely two great Lights.
Thus others maintaine, That there are waters properly so called above the starry Firmament, because of those vulgar expressions in Scripture, which in their literall sence doe mention them. Of this opinion were many of the Antients, Philo, Iosephus; and since them the Fathers,5 Iustin Martyr,6 Theodoret,7 Austin,8 Ambrose,9 Basil, and almost all the rest. Since them, sundry other learned men, as Beda, Strabus, Damascen, Tho. Aquinas, &c. If you aske for what purpose they were placed here, Iustin Martyr tells us, for these two ends: First, to coole the heate that might otherwise arise from the motion of the solid Orbs; and hence it is (say they) that Saturne is colder than any of the other Planets, because though he moove faster, yet hee is neerer to these waters: secondly, to presse and keep downe the Heavens, lest the frequencie and violence of winds might breake and scatter them asunder; which opinion, together with both it’s reasons, are now accounted absurd and rediculous.