Psal 23. 5. Thou annointest my head with oyle After these ceremonies of preparation had beene performed then they proceeded to giuing thankes The master of the house sitting downe together with his guestes tooke a cup full of wine in his right hand and therewith began his consecration after this manner l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedictus sis tu Domine Deus noster rex mundi qui creas â—â—â—ctum vitis Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the world which createst the fruit of the vine Hauing said thus he first lightly tasted of the wine and from him it past round the table Thâ—s grace or thanksgiuing they call m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bircath haiaijn the blessing of the cup. With this Christ himselfe seemeth to haue begun his supper He tooke the cup and gaue thankes and said Take this and diuide it among yourselues for I say vnto you I will not drinke of the fruit of the vine vntill the kingdome of God shall come Luk. 22. 17. 18. After the blessing of the cuppe the master of the house tooke the bread which they did Scindere but not Abscindere lightly cut for the easier breaking thereof but not cut in sunder holding this in both his hands he consecrated it with these words Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the world which bringest forth bread out of the earth This consecration of bread they termed n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedictionem panis Drusius in N. T. part altera p. 78. Bircath halechem After the consecration he broake the bread whence the master of the house or he who performed these blessings in his stead was termed * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habotseang i the breaker the bread being broken he distrbuted to euery one that sate at the table a morsell which being done then they began to feede vpon the other dishes that were prouided This rite of blessing both the cup the bread they obserued only in their solemne festiualls otherwise they consecrated the bread alone and not the cup. In their feast time they seasoned their meat with good conference such as might either yeeld matter of instruction or exercise their wits which practise was also obserued in their Christian loue o Non tam coenam coenant quà m disciplinam Tertul. Apolog c. 39. feasts Of the first sort was that parable proposed by our blessed Sauiour at a feast Luk. 14. 7. Of the second was Sampsons riddle which he proposed vnto his companions Iud. 14. 12. At the end of the feast they againe gaue thankes which was performed in this manner either by the master of the house himselfe or by some guest if there were any of better note at the table he taking a cup of wine in both his hands began thus Let vs blesse him who hath fed vs with his owne and of whose goodnesse we liue then all the guests answered Blessed bee hee of whose meat wee haue eaten and of whose goodnesse wee liue This grace they call p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bircath Hamazon q Vid. P. Fag in praec Hebr. And this is thought to bee the cup wherewith Christ after Supper commended the mysterie of his bloud to his disciples after this he which began the thanksgiuing proceedeth Blessed be he and blessed be his name c. annexing a long praier in which he gaue thanks First for their present food 2. For their deliuerance from the Egyptian seruitude 3. For the couenant of circumcision 4. For the law giuen by the ministery of Moses Then he praied that God would haue mercy 1. On his people Israel 2. On his owne city Ierusalem 3. On Sion the tabernacle of his glory 4. On the Kingdome of the house of Dauid his anointed 5. That hee would send Elias the Prophet Lastly that he would make them worthy of the daies of the Messiah and of the life of the world to come This praier being ended then all the guests which sate at the table with a soft and low voice said vnto themselues in this manner Feare the Lord all yee his holy ones because there is no penury to those that feare him the young Lions doe want and suffer hunger but those that seeke the Lord want no good thing Afterward hee which began the thanksgiuing blessed the cup in the same forme of words as he vsed at the first sitting downe saying Blessed be thou O Lord God the King of the world which createst the fruit of the Vine And therewith hee dranke a little of the wine and so the cup passed round the table Thus they began and ended their feasts with the blessing of a cup this cup they termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cos hillel Poculum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A cup of thankesgiuing and both these cups are mentioned by Saint Luke and which is worth our obseruation the words of consecration whereby it was instituted as part of the blessed sacrament in the New Testament were added only to the last cup. This cup is the New Testament in my bloud which is shed for you After all this they sung Å¿ Scaliger de emend temp l. 6. p. 273. Hymnes and Psalmes which also was practised by our most blessed Sauiour Marke 14. 26. So that howsoeuer hee vsed not any superstitions either then practised or since added by after Iewes as the drinking of t Moses Kotsensis fol. 118. col 1. 4. cups of wine u Sebastian Munster Matt. 26. or the breaking of the bread with all ten fingers in allusion to the ten commandements c. yet in the beginning and ending wee see his practise sutable with theirs If any desire a larger discourse of these blessings noted out of the Rabbines let him reade * It. prec Hebr. per Fagium editas P. Fagius his comment on Deut. 8. 10. From whom I haue borrowed a great part of what I haue herein deliuered If any shall here obiect that I seeme to make the blessed Sacrament of our Lords body and bloud a Iewish ceremonie I answer no For as a kinde of initiatory purification by water was vsed before by the Iewes of old and no Proselyte was admitted into the Church of the Iewes without this purification yet it was no more a Sacrament to them then Circumcision was to Turkes and Saracens Thus neither was breaking the bread sacramentall to the Iew but then it became a Sacrament when Christ said of it This is my body This cup is the New-Testament in my bloud c. Luke 22. 19. The Iewes could not say The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ 1 Cor. 10. 16. The last thing considerable in their feasts is their gesture In the daies of our Sauiour it is y Voces quibus vsi sunt Euangelistae sonant accubitum non sessionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 26. 〈◊〉
they lifted them vp so that the water ran downe to the very elbowes Lastly they let downe their hands againe so that the water ran from off their hands vpon the earth i Munster in Deut. 8. And that there might be store of water running vp and downe they powred fresh water on them when they lifted vp their hands and powred water twise vpon them when they hanged them downe Vnto this kinde of washing Theophylact seemeth to haue reference when he saith that the Pharises did Å¿ Theophylact. in Marc. 7. 3. cubitaliter lauare wash vp to their elbowes Lastly t Bezain maioribus suis annotationibus Marc. 7. 3. others interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the fist or hand closed and the manner of washing hereby denoted to be by rubbing one hand closed in the palme or hollow of the other All imply a diligent and accurate care in washing the ceremonious washing by lifting vp the hands and hanging them downe best expresseth the superstition which only was aimed at in the reproofe though all these sorts of washing to the Pharises were superstitious because they made it not a matter of outward decencie and ciuilitie but of religion to eat with washt or vnwasht hands vrging such a necessitie hereof u Drusius praeterit Matt. 15. in addend Buxtorf synag Iudaâ— ca. 6. pa. 193. ex Talmud that in case a man may come to some water but not enough both to wash and to drinke he should rather chuse to wash than to drinke though he die with thirst And it was deemed amongst them as great a sinne to eat with vnwasht hands as to commit fornication This tradition of washing hands though it were chiefly vrged by the Pharises yet all the Iewes maintained it as appeareth by the places quoted We may obserue three sorts of washing of hands in vse among the Iewes 1. Pharisaicall and superstitious this was reproued 2. Ordinary for outward decencie this was allowed The third in token of innocencie this was commanded the Elders of the neighbour cities in case of murder Deut. 21. 6. It was practised by Pilate Matt. 27. 24. and alluded vnto by Dauid I will wash my hands in innocencie so will I compasse thine altar Psal 26. 6. 2. When they came from the market they washt Marc. 7. 4. The reason thereof was because they there hauing to doe with diuers sorts of people vnawares they might be polluted The word vsed by S. Marke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they baptised themselues It implieth the washing of their whole body And it seemeth that those Pharises who were more zealous than others did thus wash themselues alwayes before dinner The Pharise maruelled that Christ had not first washed himselfe before dinner Luk. 11. 38. Vnto this kinde of superstition S. Peter is thought to haue inclined when he said Lord not my feet only but also the hands and the head Iohn 13. 9. Thus finding his modestie disliked when he refused to haue his feet washt by his Lord and Master now hee leapeth into the other extreme as if he had said not my feet only but my whole body Hence proceeded that sect of the Hemerobaptistae i. Daily-baptists so called x Epiph. lib. 1. Tom. 1. cap. 17. because they did euery day thus wash themselues 3. They washed their cups and pots and brasen vessels and tables Mark 7. 4. 4. They held it vnlawfull to eat with sinners Matt. 9. 11. yea they iudged it a kinde of pollution to be touched by them Luk. 7. 39. If this man were a Prophet he would surely haue knowne who and what manner of woman this is which toucheth him for she is a sinner Of such a people the Prophet speaketh They said Stand apart come not neere to me or as the words may be rendered y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne attingas me Touch mee not for I am holier than thou Esay 65. 5. a Scalig. de emâ—nd temp lib. 7. Idem refert Epiphan lib. 1. Tom. 1. c. 13. The like practise was in vse among the Samaritans who if they met any stranger they cried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne attingas Touch not 5. They fasted twise in the weeke Luk. 18. 12. b Theophylact. in Luc. 18. 12. It. Epiphan haeres 16. namely Mundayes and Thursdayes c Drusius in Luc. 18. 12. because Moses as they say went vp into mount Sinai on a Thursday and came downe on a Munday 6. They made broad their Phylacteries and enlarged the borders of their garments Matth. 23. 5. Here three things are worthy our consideration 1. What these Phylacteries were 2. What was written in them 3. Whence they were so called d Epiph. lib. 1. Tom. 1. cap. 15. Epiphanius interpreteth these Phylacteries to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purple studs or flourishes wouen in their garments as if Epiphanius had conceiued the Pharises garment to be like that which the Roman Senators were wont to weare termed by reason of those broad studs and works wouen in it Laticlauium but seeing that these phylacteries were additaments and ornaments whereof there were e Moses Kotsensic praec affir 22. two sorts the one tied to their foreheads the other to their left hands hence it followeth that by these phylacteries could not be meant whole garments or any embossments or flourishings wouen in the cloth Generally they are thought to be schedules or scorlles of parchment whereof as I noted there were two sorts phylacteries for the head or frontlets reaching from one eare to the other and tied behinde with a thong and phylacteries for the hand fastened vpon the left arme aboue the elbow on the inside that it might be neere the heart Both these sorts were worne not by the Pharises onely f Maimon in Tephillim c. 4. §. 3. but by the Sadduces also but with this difference The Pharises haply for greater ostentation wore their hand phylacteries aboue their elbowes the Sadduces on the palmes of their hands g Scaliger Trihaeres p. 258. Nay all the Iewes wore them our Sauiour Christ not excepted The command was generall Exod. 13. 9. It shall be for a signe vnto thee vpon thine hand and for a memoriall betweene thine eyes So that it is not the wearing of them which our Sauiour condemned but the making of them broad whereby they would appeare more holy than others In these parchments they wrote h Chrysostom Hieronym in Mat. 23. only the Decalogue or ten Commandements in the opinion of Chrysostome and Hierome but generally and vpon better grounds it is thought they wrote these foure sections of the Law 1. The first beganne Sanctifie vnto me all the first-borne c. Exod. 13. 2. to the end of the 10. verse 2. The Second began And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee c. Exod. 13. 11. to the end of the 16 verse 3. The third began Heare O Israel c. Deut. 6. 4. and continued to
off such from the liuing by an vntimely death Others that hee should die without children leauing no posteritie behinde him to this purpose their prouerbe is x Vid. P. Fag ibid. A man childlesse is lifelesse Of these three the first is most probable in this place though the same Text may admit the second interpretation in other places of Scripture as is declared in the chapter of circumcision Notwithstanding here let the iudicious reader determine whether these words doe not imply besides the secret action of God touching the soule of such a delinquent a direction vnto the Church how to deale with parties thus offending by censuring them with excommunication which kinde of censure elsewhere the Scripture calleth A casting out of the Synagogue Iohn 16. 2. A speech much like this A cutting off from Israel Three things may be here demanded First who killed the Paschall Lambe y Maimon in Korban Pesach c. 1. §. 6. Secondly Where it was killed Thirdly Where it was eaten First It was killed by the Priests 2 Chron. 35. 6. Secondly it was killed after the first time in the Court of the Temple the place which God had chosen Deut. 16. 6. y Maimon in Korban Pesach c. 1. §. 6. Thirdly The owner of the Lambe tooke it of the Priest and did eat it in his owne house at Ierusalem Christ with his disciples kept the Passeouer in an vpper chamber at Ierusalem It may further be demanded Whether the Passeouer consisted of two suppers one immediatly succeeding the other Some affirme it and their reasons are these First say they the Passeouer was eaten standing but Christ vsed another gesture This argument of all other is the weakest for Christ vsed the gesture of lying on his body as well in the eating of the Passeouer as at the consecration of the sacrament and the Iewes generally after the first institution in all their Passeouers vsed rather this positure of their body than the other of standing in token of rest and security as appeareth in the Chapter of feasts Secondly they say the Paschall lambe was wont to be rosted but in the last Passeouer which our Sauiour celebrated there was Ius cui intingebatur panis Brothint o which hee dipped the bread This reason is as weake as the former because though there was a command to eat the Paschall Lambe rosted yet there was no prohibition to ioyne their ordinary supper with the eating thereof and that might admit broth but as it is shewen aboue the matter into which the sop was dipped was thought to bee the sauce Charoseth Thirdly they vrge Iohn 13. 2. That the first supper was done when Christ arose and washed his disciples feet and after that he gaue Iudas the sop which must argue a second sitting downe This foretelling his Disciples that one of them should betray him is likewise by Saint Luke recited after the consecration of the sacrament This is the strongest argument and yet not of sufficient validity because by a kinde of prolepsis or anticipation of time it is not vnusuall in the scripture to relate that first which according to the truth of the history should be last Thus Iohn 11. mention is made of Mary which anointed the Lord yet her anointing of him followeth in the next chapter And this same history of betraying Christ Saint Matthew and Saint Marke recited before the consecration of the Sacrament Whence the Iewes haue a prouerbe z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salom. Iarchi in Gen. 6. 3. Non esse prius aut posterius in scriptura That first and last must not be strictly vrged in scripture Together with these answers consider how improbable it is that ten persons for sometimes they were so few should eat a second supper after they had eaten A Lambe of the first yeare which might bee an yeare old It is euident also by that of Barabas that it was a receiued custome on the Passeouer to let loose and inlarge one prisoner or other Concerning the reason hereof the coniecture is threefold Some thinke this custome to haue beene vsed in memory of Ionathan the sonne of Saul when the people rescued him from the hands of his Father Others say that the reason hereof was that the feast might be celebrated with the greater ioy and gladnesse Others more probably thinke it was done in remembrance of their deliuerance from the Egyptian bondage Againe here is to be obserued that the Iews speaking of their Passeouer did sometimes speake according to their ciuill computation wherein they measured their daies from sun-rising to sun-rising sometimes according to their sacred computation which was from sun-set to sun-set This serueth for the reconciliation of that Numb 12. 18. which seemeth to make the fourteenth day of the first moneth the first day of vnleauened bread a Ioseph Antiq. l. 2. c. 5. p. 65. And Iosephus telleth vs that they numbred eight daies for that feast In like manner the disciples are said to come vnto Christ the first day of vnleauened bread saying vnto him Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passeouer Matt. 26. 17. as if the first day of vnleauened bread were before the Passeouer All these are true according to the computation of their ciuill daies though according to the computation of their holy-daies the feast of vnleauened bread began the fifteenth day and continued seuen daies onely and the Passeouer was before the feast of vnleauened bread In the last place wee must know that there was permitted a second Passeouer to those who could not bee partakers of the first by reason either of their vncleannesse by a dead body or of their farre distance from the place where it was to be offered This was to bee obserued in the second moneth the fourteenth day thereof according to all the ordinances of the first Passeouer Numb 9. Touching that permission of a second Passeouer to those that were in a iourney farre off The Hebrew of this word farre off hath extraordinary prickes ouer it for speciall consideration Hereby the Lord might intimate that wee Gentiles which were vncleane euen dead in trespasses and sinnes and farre off Eph. 2. 13. should bee made nigh by the bloud of Christ and so partakers of him the second Passeouer Of this legall ordinance the Hebrews say b Maimon in Korban Pesach c. 5. §. 8 9. What is this iourney farre off fifteene miles without the walls of Ierusalem who so is distant from Ierusalem on the fourteenth day of the first moneth fifteene miles or more when the Sunne riseth loe this is a iourney farre off if lesse than this hee is not in a iourney farre off if lesse than this hee is not in a iourney farre off for he may come to Ierusalem by after midday though he goe on foot easily The agreement betweene the Pascall lambe and Christ standeth thus Christ is our Passeouer 1 Cor. 5. The Paschall Lambe was 1 One of the Flocke 2 Without
The ground hereof is taken from the charge of Iacob vnto his sonne Ioseph that hee should not bury him in the land of Egypt but in Canaan q Solom Iarchi Gen. 47. 29. For which charge they assigne three reasons First because he foresaw by the spirit of Prophecy that the dust of that land should afterward be turned into lice Secondly because those who died out of the holy land should not rise againe without a painefull roling and tumbling of their bodies through those hollow passages Thirdly that the Egyptians might not idolatrously worship him They made a feast at their burials which is stiled The bread of men Ezek. 24. 17. And a cup of consolation Ier. 16. 7. because it was administred to comfort those that were sad of heart It much resembled the Roman Silicernium From those two places last quoted we may obserue that at the buriall of their friends they vsed these ceremonies which follow some to testifie some to augment their griefe 1. Cutting themselues that is wounding or cutting any part of their body with any kinde of instrument r Gentes quasdam corporis partes acu vulnerabant vel aliâs incidebant atramentumque super ponebant quod in cultum daemonum suorum fiebat praecipitur ergo ne vllo pact sicut gentes ferirent carnes suas quemadmodum sacerdotes Cybeles Deae Syrorum vt refert Lucianuâ— P. Fag Deut. 14. 1. Vnguibus orasoror faedans pectora pugnis Virg. lib. 4. Aeneid This practise was learned from the Heathens who were wont not onely to scrarch their face but to punch and prick certaine parts of their body with an needle and then couer it ouer with inke which they vsed as a speciall ceremony in their superstitious worship and therefore it is forbid Deut. 14. 1. Secondly making themselues bald which was done diuers manner of waies either by shauing their haire or plucking it off with their hands or by empoysoned plaisters to make it fall of Other nations were wont to shaue of the Å¿ Sectos fratri imposuere capillos â—uid met 3. haire of their head and to offer it in the behalfe of the dead they did sometimes shaue their cheekes sometimes their eylids and this also being an Heathenish custome was likewise forbidden in Israel Deut. 14. 1. Thirdly going bare headed that they might cast dust or ashes vpon their heads signifying thereby that they were vnworthy the ground on which they went Fourthly going bare footed for their greater humiliation Fifthly the couering of their lippes for that was a speciall signe of sorrow and shame The Seers shall bee ashamed c. they shall all couer their lippes for they haue no answer of God Mich. 3. 7. If it bee demanded how they couered their lippes It is thought they did it t D. Kimchi Aben Esra p. Fag Leuit. 14. 45. by casting the skirt of their cloke or garment ouer them Sixthly u Scissâque Polyxena pallâ Iunenal Satyr 10. renting their clothes Seuenthly putting sackloth about their loynes Genes 37. 34. These were generall tokens of griefe vsed vpon all extraordinary occasions of sorrow Two other there were more proper to burialls to augment their griefe First minstrels who with their sad tunes inclined the affections of the people to mourning x Maioris aetatis funera ad tubam proferre solebant minoris verò aetatis ad tibias Seruius Aencid lib. 5. Of these there were two sorts Some playing on pipes others sounding trumpets At the funerall of Noble men or old men they vsed a trumpet at the funerall of the common people or children they vsed a y Tibia cui teneroâ— suetum deducere manes Lege Phrygâ— maesta Statius Theb. lib. 6. vers 121. pipe In this respect spect it is said That Iesus when he raised Iairâ—us his daughter cast out the minstrels Mat. 9. 23. Secondly women hired to sing at burials for the same purpose and likewise by outward significations of sorrow to moue the company and more strongly to affect them Call for the mourning women c. and send for skilfull women Ier. 9. 17. These the Romans called Preficas quasi in hoc ipsum praefectas Chiefe or skilfull mourners CHAP. VI. Of their oathes THe manner of swearing was sometimes by lifting vp their hands towards heauen Abraham said to the King of Sodome I haue lift vp my hand vnto the Lord that is I haue sworne that I will not take from a threed euen to a shooe latchet Gen. 14. 22. Vnto which custome the Psalmist seemeth to allude Psal 106. 26. He lifted vp his hand that is hee swore Sometimes hee that tooke the oath did put his hand vnder the others thigh which administred the oath Wee read this manner of administration to haue beene vsed by Abraham Gen. 24. 2. and Iacob Gen. 47. 29. Which ceremony a Aben Esra Gen. 24. 2 some interpret to bee as a token of subiection b Solomon Iarchi ibid. others as a mysterie of circumcision the signe whereof they bore about that place of their body c Augustin quaest super Gen. 62. others more probably thinke it to bee a misterious signification of Christ the promised seede who was to come out of Abrahams loynes or thigh as the like phrase is vsed Gen. 46. 26. the soules that came out of Iacobs thigh Sometimes also the manner of deposing was to stand before the Altar 1 King 8. 31. Which was also the custome of the d Alex. ab Alex. lib. 5. c. â—o Athenians the e Liuius dec 3. lib. 1 It. valer Max. lib 9. cap. 3. Carthaginians and the f Lareslicet Samothracum nostorum aras Iuâ—enal Satyr 3. Romans The obiect of a lawfull oath was and is onely the Lord whence hee that tooke the oath was said to confesse vnto God Compare Esay 45. 23. with Rom. 14. 11. And the antient forme of imposing an oath was this Giue glory to God Ios 7. 19. Iohn 9. 24. Now God was glorified by an oath because thereby there was a solemne confession and acknowlegement of Gods omnipresence that hee is present in euery place of his omniscience that hee knoweth all secrets of his truth that hee is a maintainer of truth and an auenger of falshood of his iustice that hee is willing and his omnipotency that hee is able to punish those that by swearing shall dishonour him And as the obiect of a lawfull oath was onely God So it is implyed that it was not rashly or vnaduisedly to be vndertaken but by a kinde of necessity imposed for the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a passiue and signifieth to be sworne rather than to sweare In corrupter times they were wont to sweare by the g Allium porrum cepas inter Deos iureiurande babuerunt Aegyptij Plin. lib. 19. c. 6. Item Iuuenalis Sat. 15. creatures but the Iewes chiefely by Hierusalem by the Temple by the gold of the Temple by the