Thus God delighteth to make those that have been examples to others in sinning, examples to them in punishment.
Ver. 8. Likeivise also these filthy dreamers defile the fiesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
In this verse you have the apodosis of the former instance : likewise is the adverb that implieth the connection between the two terms of a comparison ; they perished that went after strange flesh, so these filthy dreamers that defile the flesh, &c., shall perish. In the words you may observe — (1.) A description of their persons, filthy dreamers. (2.) A discovery of their sins; two are mentioned in this verse. (1st.) !4/ca^apo-ia, their impurity, they defile the flesh. (2d.) /4Tafta, their tumultuous carriage towards superiors, expressed in two phrases : First, They despise dominion ; secondly, TJiey speak evil of dignities. What these two phrases import is some question. Some think the first noteth their judgment and affection, the second, their speech and prac- tice. Some think two kinds of government are here understood, and refer despising of dominion to contempt of magistracy and public
^ ' Sulphur foetorem habet, ij^'iiis ardorem.'
230 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 8.
government, and speaking evil of dignities to the private government of masters, 1 Tim. vi. 12, which was also despised by these wretches under the pretence of Christian liberty. Others more properly under- stand the first clause of civil government, usually expressed in scrip- ture by KvpioTTT^, or domination ; and speaking evil of dignities is fitly referred to the traducing and opposing of government and governors ecclesiastical, as apostles, pastors, teachers, and elders. The officers of the church are called 86^a, ' the glory of Christ,' 2 Cor. viii. 23, and what we translate sj^eak evil of dignities, is in the original sjieak evil of glories ; but of this more anon.
Let me open the words : Likewise. In the original there are many words, 6iio[w<i fievTOi koX ovtol, liJceivise, notwithstanding ; that is, though there be so many and such apparent instances of God's judg- ment, and those set before us for an example, yet they, being blinded with their wicked passions, are not afraid, but boldly cast themselves upon the hazard of the same ruin. Filthy dreamers ; the word in the original is ivvrrvia^ofxevoi, led, inspired, or acted by dreams, or deluded by dreams. Beza rendereth it so^jiti, being lulled asleep, as noting their security. I suppose rather the dotage of error, by which they were as it were bewitched and enchanted. Our translation seemeth to carry it another way, as applying it to nocturnal pollutions, because dreaming is joined with defiling the flesh. And Peter chargeth these j^ersons with rolling their fancies upon unclean objects, 1 Peter ii. 14 ; or, possibly, it may be taken literally, the persons here noted pretend- ing to dreams inspired by associate and assistant spirits, see Euseb., lib. iv. cap. 7. The next phrase is defile the flesh ; that is, pollute themselves with libidinous practices : 2 Peter ii. 10, ' They walked after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness,' and that under a pretence of the gospel, vide Irenccum passim de Hccr. Valentin. The rficolaitans taught community of wives, and that it was an indifterent thing to commit adultery, Eev. ii. 6, 14. The Gnostics gave themselves up to all manner of prodigious and incestuous pollutions ; whence, from their obscenity and beastly life, they were called Borhorites. See again Euseh. Epihan. Hcer. 26, lib. iv. cap. 7. How many ways they did de- file the fiesli we cannot \vith modesty express. The heathens, who made no distinction, charged these impurities upon the Christians in the general, as if they used the unlawful company of their mothers and sisters, &c. The next phrase is despise dominion, aOerovvTe^. The word aOerelv signifieth to remove a thing out of its place with some scorn and indignation ; and so it implieth their utter enmity to civil policy and government : 2 Peter ii. 10, ' They despise government, presump- tuous are they, and self-willed.' KupioTTjra, dominion. Some apply this to the dominion of Christ, which by their fables of the jEones or lords rulers they did set at nought ; but of that in the 4th verse. But now he speaks of the government of men, and there is an emphasis in the word KvpLOTTjra, dominion, which is more than if he had said Kvpiov^, rulers ; for they did not only despise their magistrates, or men invested with superiority, but magistracy itself, as a thing unfitting for believers, and such as were made free by Christ, to endure. The last part of the charge is they speak evil of dignities, or, as it is in the original, blaspheme glories ;
VeR. 8.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 231
by which some understand angels, as Clemens Alexandrlnus ; these impm^e heretics devising things unworthy and misbeseeming the angels ; rather, I suppose, it implieth their scorns, curses, and reproaches cast upon the officers of the church, who are the glory of Christ, and the practice is afterward compared with the rebellion of Korah, who rose up, not only against Moses, but Aaron, Num. xi. In the whole you have a lively description of our modern ranters, levellers, familists, quakers, who, by dreams, are led on to defile the flesh, and to despise all authority, both in church and commonwealth, and that with bitter curses and evil speakings, so that our days afford us but too clear a comment on the expressions of this scripture ; it is sadly fulfilled before our eyes. I come to the observations.