Book I. 7he Temple £?/ VVifdome. i ^ 5

diverfe and fiindryj properties of opperatious: and therefore, if the Herbs, are not rcftrained to the narrow limits of one fole cfFeft; why (hould we think fo unworthily of the Stars as not to believe the fame of them '^ * and their figures. We conclude there- *
fore, that befides thofe v/onderful * * Qualities which we acknowledg to be ^
in them; they may alfo repre^nt by their diverfity of Afpeft?, certain Fi- gures, orCharafters by which we may havefome apprehenfion ofthe greateft changes that happen here below. And this truth we will now endeavour to prove, out of the Holy Scriptures.
If then wc can any where finde, in thefc Holy Scriptures, that the Heavens have been called by the Holy Ghoft, aBoo\:, then doubtlelTe we may conclude, that there are in this Book Letters and Charafters, which may * * beunderftoodbyfomeorother.Now * ^
that it is called a Book, appears out *
of the Prophet jyiritf^, who fpeaking "^ *
ofthelaft day, wherein all things (hall ceafe,rp.3 4.4. c=Di a\£;n n^lJ^O 1>i:3l he faith Complicahimtur^ficut Liber^Cotli: where the id Capk^ in Hebrew^ which the Latine tranflateth, Sicut^ fip;- nifie.th in the originall, ^id. So that as liaiah hadi faid, that the Heavens (hall be rolled together ; fo hath he at the fame time, given thereafon oticaUoj Becaufe they are a Book^ If it be objefted, that :: may fignifie Sicut as well; I anfwer, that thofe that are but meanly verfed in the Holy Scriptures, know well, that this Latine worr', is notalwayes a note of Similitude. Fadi fimms Sicut Confolati : (was the fong of the people returning out of Captivity :) as
h'kn
J ^6 trAe Temple ^/Wifdome. Book U
Men that are comforted-y fhall we conclude hence^thac they were noc really fo? No^ but this word iiicuty A $3 is redundant ill this place, and might as well have been away. So likcwifc in this paffagej Jran^ fvimm Sicutperlgnem : and in many more the like, thtrcfoTcComplicabuHtur Cceii^^ia Liber funi. But if it be ftiil objected, that for as much as D CaphRg" nifies fometimes^cwr, in the Original; there is ni^ niorereafon, whyit (hould be rendred §uia^ then Sicut: andconfecjuentlyitwillftili hold true; that the Heavens are not a Book; but are only as a Book. To this it may be anfwcred^that the wholy Scripture doth elfe wherefully, defide this controverfie; feeing that, fpeakingofthe Heavens, it makes mention of Lines and Letters which are words, that arc moft properly , and efrentiallfpoken of aBook; and ma- ^eth noufc of the word Sicut ^ As, at all : which is an infallible Argument,that thefe words, in the paf- fage before cited, CowplkahuHtur ^ SICVT Liber^ Cdij arenot expredions of Similitude, Now that the Scripture, fpeakingofthe Heavens, namcth ex- prtfl' the word LEJJEKy will appear out of the very firft verfeofthe 5iblej where the Hebrew'' text
runs thus. c:D''DTc?n nt^ crDTi'rtc^ t^na n^^jj^n^
BereJJjith Bar a Elohim Et Hafchamaim: that is to fay, in the Beginning God created the LE77ERy or CHA- KAC7EK of the Heavens . For this is the meaning of the Hebrew word nt iiifieth a LETTER. And as for the word LINE , we finde it much more plainly fet down in the 1 9. P/l Veyf 4. i« Onjnem tar am exivit cSip Kavam^ LIE- tiEA eortim.,
j /Lai] s;ot hcr^ cnier into any tedious Uifpute, whether it be to be read cZDb'pKoUm, Sonus eorum^ I ather then CI31p K^J-^w;, tinea mum: and fo con-
' ' ' fequently