John Trapp on Amos 2:11

Verſe 11. And I raiſed up your ſons for Prophets] The Miniſtery is worthily inſtanced, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as a ſingular mercy Pſal. 147.19, 20. Other nations had their Prophets ſuch as they were Tit. 1.12. Tragedians and Comedians were ſaid [non-Latin text not transcribed] to labour in teaching the people, and were highly eſteemed of the Athenians: inſomuch as that after their diſcomfit in Sicily, they were relieved out of the publike ſtock,Rous his Archaen. 90. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. 2 Pet. 1.21. who could repeate ſomewhat of Euripides. But what were theſe to Iſraels Prophets, thoſe holy men of God who ſpake as they were moved, acted, and as it were carried out of themſelves by the holy Ghoſt, to ſay and to do what God would have them? yea thoſe holy children, ſuch as Samuel and Jeremy (for of them eſpecially the Rabbines underſtand this text) who devoted themſelves to the work betimes, being more forwardly then either Athanaſius the boybiſhop, or Cornelius Mus, who (if we may beleeve Sixtus Senenſis) was a Preacher at twelve yeare old: and ſuch one an as with whome all Italy was in admiration.

and of your young men for Nazarites] The Chalde hath it Doctours or Teachers; it being the office of theſe holy Votaries, to teach the people. Heathens alſo had a kind of Nazarites, as Lucian ſetteth forth in his Dea Syria (Habent & veſpae favos, ſimiae imita[illegible: 1 letter]tur homines) and the Turks at this day have their Dermiſlars, Turk. hiſt. fol. 473. and their Imailers, whom they call the religious brothers of love: Epicurus his hoggs they might better tearme them, ſaith the Hiſtorian.Bellarm. lib. 2. de Monach. cap. 5. The Papiſts would prove their Monkes to be Chriſtian Nazarites: but the aboliſhing of that order is declared Act. 21.25. and Monks are ſo farr from the abſtinence of the Nazarites, that they eat of the beſt, and drink of the ſweeteſt that Sea and Land can afford. So farr alſo from the ſingular ſanctimony of the Nazarites, whereof ſee Lam. 4.7. that the Poet ſung truly of them, Non audet Stygius Pluto tentare quod audet Effraenis Monachus.— They may better profeſſe themſelves ſucceſſors to the Scribes & Phariſees; who may ſeem (ſaith One) to have fled and hid themſelves in the Monks and friers.Vitae ſanctimonia & vo[illegible: 1 letter]o ſingulari ab aliis Separati. Now the Phariſees pretended to ſucceed the ancient Nazarites, as their very name imports, but they were (as likewiſe the Popiſh Monks) a generation never inſtituted by God nor brought in by the Prophets, but only a humane invention, and through their own boldneſſe: whence Chemnitius upon the tenth of Iohn takes theeves there to be the Phariſees. An Interpreter here ſheweth, how God hath now made all his people Nazarites i. e. ſeparated and ſanctified unto himſelf by making them paterns of piety, as the Rechabites holy, harmeleſſe, undeſiled of dead works, and evill works,Eph. 5.18 1 Theſſ. 5.22. Jude 23. from whom they are bid to ſtand off, 1 Tim. 6.5. as alſo not to be drunk with wine wherein is exceſſe, but to be filled with the Spirit: abſtaining from all appearance of evill, hating the garment ſpotted with the fleſh &c. See the Notes on Numb. 6.

Is it not even thus, O ye children of Iſrael?] If it be not teſtified againſt me, as Mic 6.3. and if ye cannot, then read the ſentence againſt your ſelves,Mat. 27.4. as Judas did, that ye may appear to be ſubverted and ſelf-condemned Tit. 3.11. God loveth to fetch witneſſe from mens own conſciences for the juſtifying his proceedings: and to convince them cleerly, that he is no way wanting to them, but they to themſelves. A cunning carver can cut the ſimilitude of any creature, but not on a rotten ſtick. What could god do more to his Vineyard then he had done (Eſ. 5. How oft would I have gathered thy children, as an hen her chickens &c. Mat. 23.27. How long ſhall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Ier. 4.14. God is ſo farr from being guilty of Iſraels miſery as that (beſides other undeniable arguments of his love, as bringing them out of Egypt, deſtroying the Amorite &c.) he had raiſed them up Prophets and Nazarites, given them his word, Sacraments, all good helps to mollify their hearts; and then appealeth to their conſciences by this Rhetoricall interrogation, Is it not even thus? ſo to wring from them a confeſſion of the truth, in ſpite of their teeth.