or Lesser Consistory and whereas the former Judicature of Three was in every City this Court was in every Tribe in Israel All the Hebrew Writers of any Note who designedly treat of the Iewish Government speak of these two Courts and therefore it is not to be question'd that they were in use among that People But it is also unquestionable that they were not made use of at first i. e. either in Moses's time or three or four Ages afterwards otherwise we should have had them particularly mentioned in the Old Testament which for my part I could never observe though some pretend to do so It being therefore our present Business to speak only of those things relating to the Iewish Polity which are expresly mentioned in Scripture I will proceed to recount those particular Models of Judicatures which are expresly taken notice of in these Sacred Writings and they are these First there was in every Town a sufficient Number of Overseers of the People who upon occasion met together to do them Right for the Tribes were divided into Thousands Hundreds Fifties Tens i. e. into so many Families and over each Division there presided Rulers of Thousands Rulers of Hundreds Rulers of Fifties and Rulers of Tens to judg the People at all Seasons Exod. 18. 21 25. And the same are called Captains over Thousands Hundreds Fifties Tens Numb 31. 14. Deut. 1. 15. 1 Sam. 8. 5. and their Business was to decide lesser Causes in these their respective Thousands Hundreds c. Besides these Ministers of Justice in every particular Town there were others of a larger Jurisdiction who are call'd Princes and Heads of the Tribes Numb 13. 2. 34. 18. Chief of the Tribes Deut. 1. 15. Officers among the Tribes in the same Place and Iudges and Officers throughout the Tribes Deut. 16. 18. There were Twelve of these every Tribe having its distinct Head and President over it and these determin'd in Causes of a greater and higher Nature than the others Moreover there was a Senate of Seventy chosen out of the two former Ranks of Persons and they were designed at first to be Coadjutors to Moses Numb 11. 16. You will find that these are mention'd together with the other two in Ios. 23. 2. 24. 1. for by the Elders in both these Places are meant I conceive the Seventy Seniors and by the Heads of Israel we are to understand the Representatives and Governours of the Tribes and by Officers and Iudges the Ordinary and Inferiour Justices viz. Captains of Thousands c. It was the first of these namely the Judicature of Seventy Men which was most considerable and therefore I will add a few Words concerning it Because Moses was President over it the Jews called it the Iudicature of Seventy one and others adding Aaron to that Number say it consisted of Seventy two This famous Council which was at first appointed by Moses in the Wilderness was afterwards a Settled Council for governing the People in the Land of Canaan and was called the Sanedrim which is a Greek Word originally but crept into the Hebrew as other Greek Words have done but to distinguish it from the Lesser one it is called the Great Sanedrim The other Courts sat in every City and Tribe but This was at Ierusalem only and could sit no where else This Great Consistory judged of All Matters whereas the Others took Cognizance only of Lesser ones This was not only a Court of Common Pleas or Nisi Prius where only Civil Causes were tried but sometimes it determin'd both them and Criminal Actions It was also a Chancery or Court of Equity But the more special and peculiar Work of this Court was to try the most Weighty Causes these most commonly were brought before these Seventy Seniors Matters of the Highest Nature the most Important Affairs of the Kingdom and such as belong'd to the Safety of the Publick were tried here This Great Senate was chosen out of all the Tribes and consisted of Lay-men Priests and Levites The King or Chief Civil Magistrate was the Head of it as Moses was at first This Assembly of the Seventy Senators was look'd upon as the Chiefest and Highest Court of the Jews The Supreme Power was thought to be seated here accordingly all other Courts appeal'd to This but from This was no Appeal But some are of another Opinion and add a Fourth Court of Justice viz. the Publick Council and Congregation of all the People This some make to be the Highest Court as in the Case of the Levitc's Wife that was cut into twelve Pieces The Captains of Thousands c. the Seventy Seniors and All the Chief of the People met together made this Great Assembly this Mikel Gemot this Parliament This is that they say which is called the Congregation of the Lord and the Whole Assembly of Israel and the Whole Congregation and the Great Congregation or Assembly These were the several Courts of Judgment amongst the Jews Whilst Moses lived he judged and decided Controversies alone when he thought fit or when any of These Councils met he was the Prince and Head of them So that the Jewish Government so far as it respected These Courts was partly Regal and Monarchical as under Moses and it was partly Aristocratical as under the Captains of Thousands and partly Democratical or Popular under the Kahal of the People We are beholden to the Sacred Records of the Old Testament for these excellent Discoveries relating to Government which the most Civilized Nations in the World have taken for their Authentick Precedents Having spoken of their Methods of Government and Courts of Judicature which are so justly admired and imitated by all Wise Governours I will next of all shew from these Antient Writings how the Iewish Governours chastised and corrected those that offended against their Laws Their Lesser Punishments were such as these 1. Retaliation Exod. 21. 24. Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Hand for Hand Foot for Foot The plain Meaning of which was that whoever bereft another Person of his Eye Tooth Hand or Foot should be punish'd with the Loss of an Eye a Tooth c. and sometimes this literal and rigorous Sense of the Law was put in practice But generally it was not understood in the strict Sense but he that put out another Man's Eye was to give him Satisfaction i. e. as much as an Eye was thought to be worth So the Targum of Ionathan interprets Deut. 19. 21. which is a Repetition of the foresaid Law of Talion the Offender was to make a sufficient Recompence And thus the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Grecians and the Lex Talionis among the Romans was understood viz. not of an Identical but an Analogical Compensation An Equivalent was accepted the Value of an Eye a Tooth c. for the Eye or Tooth it self 2. Restitution the diverse kinds of which are particularly set down in the beginning of Exod. 22. as
founded on these Antient Records because no other Writings give an Account of the Government which was first of all settled among the Sons of Men. Here and only here we are told that Adam and the other first Partriarchs were Supreme Governours in their respective Tribes and Houses that the Father of every Family was at the first the King of it and reigned over his Children and Houshold as Soveraign and that upon the Decease of the Father the Eldest Son by a natural Right and Title was Successor and inherited the Paternal Power and Dominion Thus with the Paternal Rule went Primogeniture i. e. the First-born Sons of Fathers of Families were Rulers and there were many of these every where And thus the Authority quietly and peaceably ran in this Channel and 't is not likely was interrupted till some years before the Flood when there was a general Corruption of Mankind and some affected extraordinary Dominion and Sway and perverted the Primitive way of Government After the Flood we find that the Authority was continued in the Heads and First-born of Families and now by a more especial Commission the Magistrate's Authority is confirm'd Gen. 9. 5. whoso sheddeth Man's Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed The Ruler is authorized to punish Murder with Death to require Blood for Blood This is the first Formal Appointment of the Power of the Sword that we read of this is the first Erection of a Tribunal of Life and Death From some Instances in the Records of this Time we may gather that the Sacerdotal Dignity was joined to the Secular Power they that were Magistrates were Priests And so far as we are able to discover these Offices were exerted by those who had the Paternal Right or that of Priority of Birth Thus it was in the first Patriarchal Oeconomy this was the Government which lasted till after the Deluge in the Race of Shem. For as yet there was no one Person who usurped Authority over all the rest though those of Cham's Offspring had a Monarchy in the mean time Nimrod being their King of whom I shall speak afterwards but the Patriarchs kept up the first and original Laws of Paternity and Primogeniture all the time they lived at Liberty there was no failure of this Government till they were brought under the Egyptian Yoke And then afterwards when the Jewish People were in the Desarts of Arabia the Primogeniture more signally ceas'd in Moses who was appointed by God himself to be Ruler over them And so we are come to give an Account of the Civil Government of the Iews which we can learn from no other Writings under Heaven but These Moses I say was their Ruler and was the First of that kind that they had He was not only their Captain and Leader but their Civil Magistrate yea he may be said to be their King for even that Title is given to him Deut. 33. 5. Moses was King in Jeshurun i. e. in Israel He was an Absolute King say Philo and the Jewish Doctors and Mr. Selden and some others Ioshua was their next Ruler Captain and King who was succeeded by the Iudges who were like the Roman Dictators set up upon emergent Occasions to desend protect and deliver the People But all this time the Jews were under a Theocracy i. e. they were governed in a more signal manner by God They received their Laws from Him and he appointed the Punishments for the Breach of those Laws They went to War by His Advice and Direction and they did nothing in Civil or Ecclesiastical Affairs without consulting him Thus God was their King it was a Divine Government and the Iudges were but God's Vicegerents and held a Power under Him That God himself exercised this Regal Power over the Jews was expresly acknowledged by Gideon Judg. 8. 23. I will not rule over you saith he to that People neither shall my Son rule over you the Lord shall rule over you So Samuel told the People that the Lord their God was their King 1 Sam. 12. 12. And this is implied in what God said to Samuel They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not Reign over them 1 Sam. 8. 7. This Kingdom of God among the Iews began when he renewed the Covenant with them Exod. 19. 5 6. Then they took God for their King and Governour and accordingly the Jewish Government is stiled a Theocracy not only by Iosephus but many of the Christian Writers But this wanton People desired another King besides God they would by no means be Singular they would be Ruled as other Nations were a King they must have as Egypt Babylon Syria Persia and the rest of the Pagan World had And a King they had according to their earnest Desire for they chose Saul to be their King in desiance of God's Soveraignty over them and now the Theocratical Dispensation ceased Their Kingly Government lasted till the Captivity when Zedekiah was their last King After their Return from Assyria they were governed by the Chief Heads of their Tribes Thus the Sacred Writings acquaint us that Zerobabel a Prince of the Tribe of Iudah was their Supreme Ruler But the Canonical Scripture goes not on to tell us the great Variety of Governours over the Jews after the Captivity Only in the New Testament we read of Herod who was the first Stranger that was King of the Jews but the last of all their Kings for their that famous Prophecy of the Scepter departing from Iudah was accomplished and Shiloh the Blessed Saviour the Prince of Peace came into the World Having given you a short Survey of the Government among the Iews I will in the next Place speak of the Particular Exertments of it in their Courts of Iudicature There was the Iudicatory of three Men two of which were chosen by the Parties that were at Controversy and those two chose a third This sort of Courts was call'd the Iudicature of Moneys because it was conversant about Pecuniary Causes i. e. wherein Life was not concerned but only a Sum of Money to be paid for the Fault viz. Thest Trespasses Defamation Hurt and Damage and all Private Injuries In short all Lesser Causes and Petty Actions were tried by these Triumviri I must add that though this was usually call'd the Iudicature of Three yet this Number was sometimes increased to five or seven And this must be noted that these three five or seven Iudges or rather Iustices of the Peace were settled in every City and considerable Town and they tried the Causes and decided the Controversies of the Inhabitants of their proper City and Town Again there was the Iudicatory of Three and Twenty Men and sometimes it consisted of Four and twenty This Court was stiled the Iudicatory of Souls because Great and Capital Causes such as concern'd the Life of Men were brought and tried here This Court was also called the Little Sanedrim
imagine that this shaking off the Dust of the Feet or Shoes hath assinity with the Jewish Rite of pulling off the Shoe mention'd Deut. 25. 9. Ruth 4. 7. which was a Ceremony of Disgrace performed by the Relict of the Deceased Brother to the Surviving one who refused to marry her But this Opinion hath but few Abettors and indeed 't is a wonder it hath had any for there is a vast difference between the shaking off the Dust of the Feet and the plucking off the Shoe Others think this Practice is of the same Nature with shaking the Lap or Garment which was an usage among the Hebrews and they would by this shâ—w that they wish'd or pray'd that such an one might bâ— shakâ—n removed deprived of his Goods and Possession Thus Nehemiah used this Rite against those that exacted Usury of their Brethren Neâ— 5. 13. And this shaking of the Rayment was practis'd by St. Paul against the blaspheming Jews Acts 18. 6. But this is a quite different thing from what we are speaking of unless we can prove that Dust and Clothing are convertible But Dr. Lightfoot refers this Passage to that particulaâ— Saying of the Jews That the Dust of a Heathen Land defiles a Man and makes him Unclean So that our Saviour bad the Apostles shake off the Dust from their Feet to shew how they reputed those People viz. as Heathenish and Prophane and consequently they were not to be convers'd with The Apostles scorn'd to have any thing to do with them and as a Sign of that they would not carry away any thing that belonged to that Place no not so much as the Dust of it But if I may be permitted to offer my Thoughts there is something more in these Words than this It is true this is signified that they would not hold Correspondence with those unworthy Persons that rejected the Gospel they would not suffer the very Dust of the Place to adhere to the Soles of their Feet but that is not all It is further and more particularly signified that the Apostles were to leave the Place speedily When they are commanded to shake off the Dust of their Feet the more especial Meaning is that they must stay no longer in the Place but be gone from it with all the Expedition they can and they must not carry so much as the Dust to burden them It is something related as I apprehend to that other Counsel of our Saviour in the very same Chapter or rather it seems to be the same but mentioned again in other terms as is usual with our Lord When they persecute you in one City flee ye into another ver 23. with what Speed you can depart from the Place where you are so ill used When you find that your Preaching is wholly despised make no Delay but hasten away that you may be in a Capacity to do good in some other Places where you may be kindly received As soon as you see your Message is scorn'd and rejected shake the Dust off your Feet and be gone away immediately This seems to be the genuine Tendency of the Words for we must know that Iudea some part of it especially was a dry hot and dusty Countrey whence it was a Custom among them to have their Feet wash'd as soon as they came into a House this was part of the Welcome which they look'd for and when this Ceremony was omitted they gathered thence that they were Unacceptable Guests Therefore saith Christ if you find not this Welcome if your Feet are not wash'd and the Dust wiped off by some of the House do this part your selves that thereby you may be somewhat refresh'd lightly shake off some of the Dust and go your way and leave the Habitation forthwith So that these Words denote Haste and Expedition which may be confirmed from that Saying of the Jews which they used in Traffick Whilst the Dust is on your Feet before 't is all wiped off sell what you have i. e. sell quickly So pie-powder-Pie-Powder-Court among us which is incident to every Fair and Market as a Court Baron to a Mannor is that where Causes are tried cursorily and in haste This Dusty-foot Court is so call'd to signify the Quickness of Dispatch in it Thus among the Greek Lawyers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred by the Latins Pedaneus Iudex was a sorry mean inferiour Judg a Pedant in Law that judged standing on foot on the plain Ground and had not a Chair or Tribunal he judg'd as it were in transitu passing going on foot He was a Judg of the Court of Pie Powder pedis pulverisati as our Lawyers call it because they came to it in haste and had no time to wipe off the Dirt which they contracted in their Travels Thus there is some Analogy between this way of speaking and that which I am now treating of Our Saviour adviseth his Travelling Apostles to use Prudence to be gone as fast as they could out of those Cities and Towns where the Inhabitants were wholly averse to the Preaching of the Gospel and especially when they saw it would be attended with Persecution And we read that the Apostles put this in practice when they were at Antioch where they were severely handled and saw they should be expell'd out of those Coasts they shook off the Dust of their Feet against them and came to â—conium in all haste Acts 13. 50 51. This was a Sign of Speed and so the Meaning of Christ's Injunction was that when they perceived the Gospel was rejected and themselves were in great Danger they should presently depart from the Place and stay no longer among such vile People But withal I deny not that this was to be for a Testimony against them as 't is said Mark 6. 11. it was to bear witness against the Despisers of the Gospel and the Persecutors of the holy Professors of it And moreover it was a Token of Contempt and Abhorrence and with reference to a Jewish Saying before mention'd might be spoken in a Proverbial way Lastly it might be shew'd here that many of Christâ—s Parables of which I have treated before were borrowed from the Iewish Doctors That of Dives and Lazarus is cited in the Gemara on the Babylonian Talmud The Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard is mentioned in the same Place in the Title Beracoth and that of the five wise and five foolish Virgins is spoken of in the Book of the Sabbath and some others might be instanc'd in but I will add no more under this Head CHAP. VI. There is in Scripture a great and delightful Variety of Languages Some Chapters and Verses of the Old Testament are in Chaldee Here are Persian African Arabick Syriac Phoenician Words In the New Testament there are some Hebrew and Persian many Latin and Syriac Words Hebraisms i. e. Phrases proper to the Hebrews are not only in the Old Testament where many Examples are produced but in the New where besides
Iosephus who was kill'd a little before the final Overthrow of Ierusalem For the Words of Christ relate not to any one who had been slain already but they are a Prophecy concerning the last of all the Martyrs of the Jews who should be put to Death before the Destruction of the last Temple and the Dissolution of that Nation Such a Zachary the Son of Baruch was kill'd in the middle of the Temple as the Jewish Historian assures us But first it is plain that Christ speaks of something that had already happen'd not of something that was to come It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a future but an aorist and so denotes what hath been done before not what shall be done afterwards Therefore Christ's words are to be understood of one that had been in time past kill'd by the Jews Secondly It is unquestionable that Christ speaks of some very Holy Man whose violent Death is recorded in the Old Testament for you find this Zacharias joyn'd with Abel of whom you read in Gen. 4. 8. and for that reason we may infer that this Baruch is not meant here Thirdly It is doubtful whether the Blood of this Person whom Iosephus speaks of may be call'd righteous Blood as this is here for it was upon a Civil Account that that Son of Baruch was put to Death viz. because he was thought to take part with the Romans and so he cannot be well parallell'd with Abel You see how improbable the foresaid Opinions are therefore I choose to imbrace that of St. Ierom and some Learned Men of late who conceive that this Zacharias is he who is mentioned in 2 Chron. 24. 20. And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the Son of Jehoiada the Priest who stood above the People and said unto them Thus saith the Lord Why c. And they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the Commandment of the King in the Court of the House of the Lord. Thus Joash the King remembred not the Kindness which Jehoiada his Father had done to him but slew his Son This is the Person whom our Saviour speaks of and the shedding of whose righteous Blood he imputeth to the Jews of that Age. Him ye slew saith he for though 't is said the King slew him because he commanded him to be slain yet 't is said likewise the People slew him because they not only conspired against him as you read but actually stoned him And this they did in the Court of the House of the Lord which is the same with what our Saviour saith between the Temple and the Altar And his Blood may justly deserve the Epithet of Righteous and he may justly be reckon'd with Righteous Abel because he lost his Life in a Righteous Cause because with great Boldness and Zeal he reproved the People for their Sins but especially for their Idolatry and foretold them what Misery these would certainly bring upon them For this zealous Freedom of his they took away his Life This was a very Eminent Man among the Jews There are in their Writings remarkable Stories concerning him not only relating to his Life but his Death They kill'd him being both a Priest and a Prophet and before the Temple and on the day of Expiation and from several other Circumstances his Murder is aggravated in the Talmud This was Zachâ—riaâ— the Son of Iehoiada but called here the Son of Barachias because it was common to have two Names among the Jews His Father's Name being both Iehoiada and Barachias he is call'd in the Chronicles the Son of Jehoiada and by our Saviour the Son of Barachias But in this it is likely Christ had reference to the words of Isaiah Chap. 8. 2. Zachariah the Son of Jereberechiah or Barachiah as the Septuagint and Vulgar Latin give it us It appears hence that Barachiah as well as Iehoiadâ— was his Father's Name as our Christian Rabbi makes it clear Thus our Saviour's words are reconciled with those in the Chronicles by attending to what I before observ'd viz. That it is usual in Scripture to affix two Names to the same Person one is given him in one place and another in the other So that in Mark 2. 25 26. may be understood Have ye never read what David did when he had need and was an hungred how he went into the House of God in the days of Abiathar the High-Priest and did eat the Shew-bread If you look into 1 Sam. 21. you will see that it was in the days of Ahimelech the High-Priest which Ahimelech it seems was call'd also Abiathar otherwise our Saviour would not have used that Name Which I will yet further confirm to you by some other Instances Ierubbaal and Gideon are the same Man Iudg. 6. 32. Ch. 7. 1. Achish and Abimelech are one Person 1 Sam. 21. 11. and the Title of the 34th Psalm So are Araunah and Ornan 2 Sam. 24. 1 Chron. 21. Caleb and Carmi are the same 1 Chron. 2. 18. Ch. 4. 1. So are Ioah and Etham 1 Chron. 6. 21 41. Amminadab and Izhar 1 Chron. 6. 2 22. Ioel and Vashni 1 Sam. 8. 2. 1 Chron. 6. 28. The same is to be said of Daniel and Chileab 1 Chron. 3. 1. 2. Sam. 3. 3. Of Ammiel and 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 11. 3. 1. Chron. 3. 5. Thus Ieâ—oiakim Eliakim 2 Kings 23. 34. 1 Chron. 3. 15. Ahaziah and Azariah are Names of the same Kings 1 Chron 3. 11. and 2 Chron. 22. 6. 〈◊〉 and Ishboshetâ— are the same Son of Saul 2 Sam. 2. 8. 1 Chron 8. 33. Mephibosheth and Merib-baal are the same Son of Ionathan 2. Sam. 4. 4. 1 Chron. 8. 34. Zimri and Zabdi are one Man 1 Chron. 2. 6. Jos. 7. 1. Esar-haddon and Asnappar are the same Ezr. 4. 2 10. So are Salmanassar and Shalman 2 Kings 18. 34. Hos. 10. 14. Zerubbabel and Shesh-bazzar are the same Person Ezra 1. 8. compared with Ezra 5. 14. Iehoahaz and Shallum are the Names of the same King as appears from comparing 2 Kings 23. 30. with Ier. 22. 11. The King of Assyria who is called Sennacherib 2 Kings 18. 13. is called Sargon Isa. 20. 1. Yea we find three or four Names given to one as Moses's Father-in-Law is call'd Iethro Exod. 3. 1. Ch. 4. 18. Iothor by the Septuagint Exod. 3. 1. Raguel by the same Interpreters Exod. 2. 18. Revel in the same place according to the Original Hobab Numb 10. 29. And I remember Iosephus saith his Name was Iethlegé Of Solomon the same is observable besides that Name he hath three others given him for we find that he is call'd Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12. 25. Lemuel Prov. 31. 1. Coheleth Eccl. 1. 1. which last is rendred Ecclesiastes and Preacher and a great deal of dispute there is why Solomon is call'd so especially in the Feminine Gender but if we take it to be his Proper Name then all Questions of that nature are at
the Watch-Tower eat drink arise ye Princes anoint the Shield express the Speediness of the Preparations made for Babylon's Fall They are so order'd that the Quickness of the Dispatch is signified by them There are six Parts or Divisions in this Verse without a Copulative meerly to signify the Celerity of the Vndertaking And the Vision wherein this Speedy Ruine of that Nation is foretold is thus represented v. 7. He saw a Chariot a couple of Horsemen a Chariot of Asses a Chariot of Camels There is Expedition in the very Words there is no Conjunctive Particle to retard them You may in the very Frame of the Words perceive the Chariots running speedily But if we look into those Parts of the Bible which are strictly and properly Poetical that is which consist of certain Measures and Numbers we shall find Examples of this sort very frequently The Egyptians furious Pursuit after the Israelites is thus express'd in Moses's Song Exod. 15. 9. I will pursue I will overtake c. Where there are â—ix Verbs denoting Action and Expedition and not one Conjunction between them In the Conciseness and Roundness of the Words especially if we consult the Original which is more Emphatick we may discern the Speediness of the thing it self spoken of The like might be taken notice of in the Song of Deborah Iudg. 5. and in several Places of the Psalms and the Lamentations Thus if we would be very Curious we might parallel the Inspired Poetry with that of the best Masters in that Art among the Gentiles But because these things are but mean in respect of those Weightier ones wherein the Bible's Excellency doth appear I have not inserted them or any other Observations of the like Nature into the ensuing Discourse and the rather because it was my Design to mention only those Particulars which are of Vniversal Vse and which may without Exception be acceptable to all Persons who have a due Esteem either of True Learning or Piety Those who value the former and are well acquainted with it will most readily give their Suffrage here and proclaim to the World that Scripture-Learning outvies all others that the Original of most Arts and Sciences is to be fetch'd hence that a Library without the Bible is an imperfect thing Those who have a Sense of the latter will be as forward to assert the Preheminence of this Sacred Volume for here is the Source of all Religion and no Man can be Devout and Pious who is a Stranger to this Wherefore when with a becoming Regret I saw that the Sense of Religion and Piety is generally lost among us at this Day I apprehended that the best way to retrieve it is to read and peruse the Scriptures And that this may be done with Success I thought it requisite to set forth the Excellency and Perfection of this Holy Book that thence Persons might be effectually invited to acquaint themselves with it And I hope how meanly soever I have performed this Task some who light upon these Papers will from them be inspired with a hearty Regard and Reverence an entire Love and Veneration of the Holy Writ and be reminded from what is here suggested to converse more intimately with it themselves and to encourage others to follow their Example This would in a short time make a great Change in the World and the Bible it self would be read in the Lives and Behaviour of Mankind Wherefore with great Seriousness and Importunity I request the Reader that he would entertain such Thoughts and Perswasions as these that Bible-Learning is the Highest Accomplishment that this Book is the most Valuable of any upon Earth that here is a Library in on single Volume that this alone is sufficient for us tho all the Libraries and Books in the World were destroyed And this is the Grand Truth which I have laboured to demonstrate in the following Papers A CATALOGUE of most of the Texts of Scripture which are interpreted in the following Discourse according to the Author 's Particular Iudgment GENESIS THE whole first Chapter Page 3 â— Chap. 3. v. 7. They made themselves Aprons What the word Câ—agoroth signifies p. 235 Ver. 21. Vnto them the Lord God made Coats of Skins Why so called p. 237 Ch. 4. v. 20. Jabal was the Father of such as dwell in Tents p. 112 Ch. 18. v. 7. He took the Calf which he had dressed and set it before them p. 117 Ch. 24. v. 22. The Man took a Golden Ear-ring What is meant by Nezem zahab p. 242 Ch. 50. v. 2. Joseph commanded the Physicians Rophim to embalm his Father The large Extent of that Word is fully shew'd p. 187 EXODUS Ch. 21. v. 7. His Master shall bore his Ear through with an Awl and he shall serve him for ever p. 247 NUMBERS Ch. 21. v. 14. The Book of the Wars of the Lord. Besides several other Texts from which some indeavour to infer that some part of the Writings belonging to the Bible is lost p. 453 JOSHUA Ch. 2. v. 4. The Woman took the two Men and hid them p. 153 Ch. 7. v. 26. They raised over him a great Heap of Stones p. 280 Ch. 23. v. 2. Joshua called for their Elders and for their Heads and for their Iudges and their Officers p. 85 JUDGES Ch. 20. v. 16. There were seven hundred chosen Men left-handed or shut of their right Hands p. 212 SAMUEL Book I. Ch. 17. v. 6. He had a Target Cidon of Brass between his Shoulders p. 204 SAMUEL Book II. Ch. 1. v. 21. There the Shield of the Mighty is vilely cast away the Shield of Saul as though he rather it had not been anointed with Oil. p. 206 207 Ch. 3. v. 35. All the People came to cause David to eat Bread KINGS Book I. Ch. 9. v. 28. And they came to Ophir In what Part of the World this is p. 194 CHRONICLES Book II. Ch. 21. v. 19. His People made no Burning for him like the Burning of his Fathers p. 273 JOB Ch. 1. v. 21. Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb and naked shall I return thither p. 264 PROVERBS Ch. 1. v. 17. Surely in vain is the Net spread in the Sight of any Bird. p. 385 JEREMIAH Ch. 34. v. 5. He died with the Burnings of his Fathers p. 272 EZEKIEL Ch. 24. v. 17. Bind the Tire of thy Head upon thee p. 275 AMOS Ch. 2. v. 8. They lay themselves down upon Clothes p. 134 St. LUKE Ch. 10. v. 42. Mary hath chosen the good Part. p. 141 ACTS Ch. 7. v. 22. He was mighty in Words and in Deeds p. 312 c. CORINTHIANS 1 Epist. Ch. 5. v. 9. I wrote unto you in an Epistle p. 467 Ch. 7. v. 6. I speak this of Permission and not of Command p. 472 Ver. 12. To the rest speak I not the Lord. ibid. CORINTHIANS 2 Epist. Ch. 3. v. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit p. 434 Ch. 8. v. 8. I speak not by Commandment p. 472
before it It is not sit that the same Word should have two diverse Readings in the same Verse In v. 6 8 9. let living Creatures be taken out of the Margin and be set in the Text it self in the Place of Beasts which is not a sit Word for those that are represented by that Vision especially when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here is the word which is rightly translated the Beast in this Book In ch 11. v. 17. those Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not rightly rendred which art and wast and art to come but thus who is and was and is to come In ch 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in v. 13. is translated Wonders in the 14th Miracles which ought to be corrected for the Reason so often given viz. because the same Greek Word should be rendred by the same English one if there be no apparent Cause for the contrary In ch 14. v. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred with them their Works follow with them In ch 16. v. 12. the way of the Kings who are from the Risings of the Sun is the true and literal Version of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in our present English Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is absorp'd These are the several Places which I conceive ought to be altered and translated more exactly I say not this to impair or derogate from the Credit and Honour of our English Translation much less to condemn the Present Edition or to expose the Scriptures themselves but my Design is to represent them in their native Excellency and Purity and to contribute by this Critical Essay towards so worthy an End For it is certain that nothing can more commend the Holy Writ than an Exact Translation i. e. such a one as faithfully represents to us the Express Text of Scripture Wherefore I humbly offer the forementioned Places to the Consideration of the Learned and Judicious and leave the whole or part to be approved or rejected as they shall think fit Perhaps when our Church-Affairs are settled this will not seem unworthy of the Thoughts of a Convocation who I question not will see that the Revising and Correcting of our English Translation of the Bible in all or in most of those Places and in several others which I have not here propounded is very requisite It is my judgment that as out of the Vulgar Latin and the Modern Latin Versions one entire one might be made in that Language that should be generally used in Quotations among the Orthodox Learned so a New English Translation might be composed out of this Last Edition as to the main but with such New Alterations and Amendments as should render the Stile and Sense in many Places more accurate and should make it acceptable to the most Curious English Readers And here I advise that the Marginal Notes of the Present English Bible be often consulted because the best and most genuine Translations of Words are frequently put there But in the foregoing Animadversions I have taken no notice of those different Significations of Words which are placed there I have only offer'd those that have not hitherto been observed In the last Place I might add something concerning the Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses It is not to be doubted that Moses the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles writ their Books without any such Partition and this was the way of all other Writers of old But it appears that the Books of the Prophets were divided afterwards into Parashes before our Saviour's Time and this distribution of them is often mention'd in the Talmuds This was done by the Jews for the more methodical reading of them in the Synagogues Some of the Greek Fathers take notice of this Distribution and consequently it was made before their Time for they mention the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Old Testament which signify the same thing and Ierom speaks of a Pericope of Ieremiah Yea if I mistake not this sort of Sections or Parashes is mention'd in Acts 8. 32. and is call'd there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Books of the Evanglists and Apostles were afterwards divided into certain Sections by some of the Primitive Bishops and Pastors for the more convenient reading of them herein imitating the Iews who had done the same in the Old Testament These are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Eastern Fathers and Lectiones by the Latin Ones They were the same that we call Chapters Verses were also antient but not the same that are at present nor were all the Books so divided St. Ierom tells us he distributed the Books of the Chronicles and that of Ezekiel into Verses And some of thâ— Books of the New Testament were thus divided particularly the Epistle to the Galatians was parted into these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Origen as Ierom informs us But it is certain that all these Partitions whether into Chapters or Verses wâ—re very much different from what we have at this Day To this purpose 't is observable as Heinsius and some other Criticks out of Suidas relate that the New Testament was divided into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so far as I can gather from the Account which they give of these two the former of these was the division of a Book into Chapters and the latter into Verses or some such small Portion though at this Day there is a quite different Sense of the Words for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the greater division and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lesser As to the Division of the whole Bible consisting of 39 Books of the Old Testament and 27 of the New into distinct Chapters as they are now among us viz. 779 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New it was made by Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury about the Year 1060 others say by Stephen Langton who was Archbishop of the same See in K. Iohn's Time about the Year 1200. It is said by others that Cardinal Hugo twenty or thirty Years afterwards was the first that contrived the Distinction of Chapters of the Old Testament for fitting the Hebrew Text to the Concordance of the Bible which he was Author of The dividing of Chapters into Verses was more lately being the Work of the Industrious and Learned Robert Stephens about eightscore Years since But whoever were the first Authors of this Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses it is certain that it is not rightly made The beginning of the 10th Chap. of Isaiah should not be cut of from the 9th Chapter for it belongs to it and at the Close of the 5th v. of the 10th Chap. which is so now the 9th should end And many other Chapters in the Old Testament are ill divided But especially in the New Testament one may see that the distinction of Chapters and Verses now in
Great Man that he was learned in all the Wisdom of the Egyptians Acts 7. 22. which comprehends not only Arithmetick Geometry Astronomy all Parts of Mathematicks Physicks of all which there are several remarkable Strictures in the Pentateuch but Moral Philosophy with which his Books are every-where fraught Solomon also was a most profound Philosopher as those Words in 1 Kings 4. 29 c amply testify God gave Solomon Wisdom and Vnderstanding exceeding much His Wisdom excell'd the Wisdom of all the Children of the East-Country and all the Wisdom of Egypt He spake of Trees from the Cedar-tree that is in Lebanon even to the Hyssop that springeth out of the Wall he spake also of Bâ—asts and of Fowl and of creeping things and of Fishes And as Iosephus adds after the same manner he discours'd of All Terestrial Things for he was ignorant of no natural Things he pass'd by none of them unexamin'd but philosophized concerning every one of them and fully discuss'd the Properties and Nature of them Thus he was certainly the Greatest Natural Historian that ever was and his Book of Proverbs and that which is entituled Ecclesiastes abundantly inform us what skill he had in Ethicks Oeconomicks Politicks so that we may justly stile him an Vniversal Philosopher Iob's skill in the choicest Parts of Physicks is evident from his excellent Discourses and Disquisitions concerning Thunder the Clouds the Sea Chap. 26. concerning Minerals and other Fossiles and Fountains Chap. 28. concerning Rain Vapours Snow Hail and other Meteors Chap. 37. 38. And several sorts of Animals both wild and tame with their chiefest Properties and Qualities are discours'd of in Chapters 39 40 41. And here I must insert this that the Knowledg and Study of the Bible are absolutely necessary in order to the Study of Natural Philosophy It is a very good Thought of an Ingenious Man The Doctrine of the Scriptures saith he is to be well imbiâ—ed before young Men be enter'd into Natural Philosophy because Matter being a thing that all our Senses are constantly conversant with it is so apt to possess the Mind and exclude all other Beings but it self that Prejudice grounded on such Principles often leaves no room for the admittance of Spirits or the allowing any such things as immaterial Beings in the nature of things Which shews the necesâ—ity of our conversing with the Inspired Writings wheâ— we have abundant Proofs of the Existence and Operation of those Invisible Agents No Book â— so fully and demonstratively convince us of their Being and Power as the Holy Scriptures And the grand Reason in my Opinion why so many reject the Notion of Spirits and run into wild and extravagant Notions which are the Consequent of it is because they are unacquainted with and which is more dislike this Book which is the Basis of aâ—â— Natural Philosophy in that we have here an irrefragable Demonstration of those Incorporeal Beings Whence it follows that no Man can be a Good Naturalist if he be a Stranger to the Holâ— Writings much more if he slights and vilifiâ—â— them We shall perpetually fluctuate without an Adherence to these Infallible Records The Cartesian and indeed the whole Corpuscularian Philosophy depraves Mens Minds unless it be temper'd by these Nay I may say the Study of Nature abstract from them will lead us into Scepticism and Atheism for many Substantial Notions as well as Phaenomena are utterly unaccountable without Help from this Book But this rectifies our Apprehensions and gives us a true Account of the State of Things and of the Government of the World which is managed chiefly by Spiritual and Immaterial Substances This salves the most surprizing Difficulties by acquainting us with the Spring of the Generality of those Motions and Transactions which are observable in Natural Bodies In short this will season and qualify our Speculations concerning Nature and all its Operations for when the Operations and Results of Matter are defective here we are taught to have Recourse to a Higher Principle Thus the Bible lays a Foundation for our Study of Philosophy and is it self the Best Body of Philosophy I mean on the foresaid Account because it assures us of the Existence of Spirits by whose Influence so many Works of Nature and those of the greatest Importance in the World are effected This was known of old by the Name of the Barbarick Philosophy and 't is frequently call'd so by Clement of Alexandria and both he and Eusebius and some Modern Writers have shew'd that the Grecian Philosophy was derived from this Which indeed was the Confession of some Considerable Men among the Pagans whence Diogenes Laertius tells us this was their Saying Philosophy had its Original from the Barbarians i. e. the Hebrews which is as much as to say that all the true Notions about God and Providence and the Souls of Men and other great Doctrines in Philosophy are taken from the Jewish Writings the Sacred and Inspired Scriptures In the next Place the Antiquity of Medicks Chirurgery Anatomy Embalming is likewise discover'd here For Ioseph commanded the physicians to embalm his Father and the physicians embalmed Israel Gen. 50. 2. The Word here repeated is Rophim and it is the proper Hebrew Word for Men skill'd in Medicks and there is no other Wherefore Vatablus and some others are mistaken who fancy this Place is not meant of Physicians properly so called because this Term is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Septuagint and because they are bid to embalm Jacob. Whence they infer that they were not Physicians in the Sense that we use the Word in at this day viz. for such as take care of sick and diseased Persons and endeavour by their Skill and Art to restore them to Health but that they were only Embalmers that is that their sole Office and Employment was to take care of the dead Bodies and to preserve them from putrifying But this Misapprehension had its Rise from this that they judged of Physicians and their Employments according to what they see now according to the Practice of these Days which no Man of due Coâ—sideration and unprejudiced Judgment ought to do For of old the Physician was both Chirurgeon and Embalmer yea even in Hippocrates's time the Work of the Physician and Chirurgion was not different but the very same In Antienter times much more these Professions were united and were the Employment of the same Person It is no wonder therefore that Embalming was annex'd to it and constantly went along with it for the Chirurgion or Physician call him which you will or both was the Man that had Skill to dissect Bodies in order to their Pollincture He knew what Parts to take out and how being acquainted with the Situation of the Vessels for Anatomy was first of all practised among the Egyptians as we may gather from Pliny and others who attest that the Egyptian Kings used it to find out the Cause and
Cure of Diseases By the Egyptian Kings using it is meant undoubtedly their appointing and encouraging their Physicians to do it These then knew how to handle the Anatomick Knife And moreover these Persons were skilful in Drugs Balsams Ointments Aromaticks and the Materials that were sittest for that Business of Embalming wherefore this was their proper Work As living Bodies were their Care so were the dead ones and what they could not cure they dress'd up for the Tomb those whom they could not keep alive they artificially preserv'd when dead Thus it was heretofore and thus particularly it was with the Physicians of Egypt of whom this Text speaks and who are the first of the Faculty that are mention'd in Sacred History And with this agree the Records of the Antientest Historians among the Pagans Diodorus of Sicily relates that the first Invention of Medicines was from the Egyptians and particularly that some of them said that Mercurius others that Apis a King of Egypt was the first Inventer of Physick Herodotus observes that the Egyptians had more Experiments in Natural Philosophy and chiefly in Medicks than any other Nation whatsoever Strabo testifies that they were hugely addicted to this Art and reckon'd it among their Sacred Mysteries Which is confirmed by what Pliny faith that they used to deposite and keep their choice Experiments of Physick in their Temples To be brief Anatomy Chirurgery and Embalming met together in these Antient Artists This was the triple Office and Work of the Rophim the Physicians besides the more general Work of Curing the Diseased From what Iob faith concerning those that pretended to comfort him we may collect that there were some of this Prosession among the Old Arabians for otherwise he would not have compared them to Persons of this Character Ye are all Physicians faith he of no Value Iob 13. 4. Ye deal with me just as unskilful Men in that Faculty do with their Patients just as sorry Quacks and Empiricks do with the Diseased they understand not their Malady and so make false Applications their Medicines are good perhaps as your Counsel and Advice to me are in themselves but they administer them in a wrong manner and without any regard to the Constitution present Temper and Circumstances of those they have to do with Thus you deal with me and therefore are so far from curing my Distemper that you enrage it and make it much worse Thiâ— Language is founded upon a Supposal of the Profession of Medicks in that Country That there were such among the Iews may be gathered from Exod. 12. 19. He that smites and wounds a Man shall cause him to be throughly healed viz. by one who professedly took care of the Wounded for so the Chaldee Paraphrast renders that Place He shall pay the Physician But that there was such an Order of Men among the Iews we are in more express and positive Words assured from 2 Chron. 16. 12. King Asa in his Disease sough not to the Lord but to the Physicians And it may be some of his Ancestors had been Medically disposeâ— and were Students in this Art whence they had their Name for Asa is the Chaldee Word for Medicus and perhaps for this Reason this King had the greater Esteem of those who were skill'd in Medicinal Arts and therefore put Confidence in them so as to neglect to apply himself to God the Sovereign Author and Giver of Health And from those Words in Ier. 8. 22. Is there no Balm in Gilead is there no Physician there it is manifest that there were Medicaments and Proper Persons to apply them for else the Prophet could not by this Language set forth the incurable and deplorable State of the Jews at that time This way of speaking implies that they had in that Country in Gilead especially such healing Balsams as they were wont to close up Wounds with and that there were Physicians or Chirurgions for the Word signifies both and in this Place is to be taken in the latter Meaning Artists that knew how to apply the Balsam with Skill This also is implied and supposed in Lam. 2. 13. Who can heal thee or according to the Chaldee Who is the Physician Asa that can cure thee And when we read of the Art of the Apothecary and his Confections and Ointments Exod. 30. 25 35. we are to conceive of these as having some Reference to Medicks The Holy Anointing Oil for the Use of the Tabernacle is appointed to be made according to Magnasheh rocheach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the LXX and the Vulgar Latin renders it opus unguentarii the professed Art and Skill of the Maker of Odoriferous Ointments Now this is the Man we are speaking of viz. the Physician or Apothecary which is the same for they made up all their Medicaments themselves heretofore whose Business it was to make Artiâ—icial Unguents Sweet Oils and Perfumes for Health no less than Delight This is Rocheach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnguentarius Aromatarius and by our English Translators not unfitly rendred Apoâ—â—ecary not only here but in Eccles. 10. 1. where from the mentioning of Shemen Rocheach Vnguenâ—um Pharmacopolae as the Tigurine Version hath it â—ightly we are certified concerning the antient Use of Aromatick Compositions and Confections which were made use of for the promoting of the bodily Welfare They were thought by Persons of those early times to be both Sanative and Cosmetick On both which Considerations they belong to the Physicians whose Task it is to take care â—ot only of the Health but the Beauty Cleanliness and Comely Plight of the Body in order 〈◊〉 the latter of which Smegmaticks Mundifiers Cleansers Adorners are useful Thus you see hoâ— large the Physician 's Province was in those firâ—â— times he was not only all that was said before but he was moreover an Anointer a Perfumer â— Beautifier the Knowledg of all which we derivâ— from the Sacred Fountains Something though not much we have derivâ—â— to us from the Scriptures concerning the early Beginnings of Navigation and Shipping God himâ—â—â—â— instructed Noah to make the Ark the first Veâ—â—â—â— we read of that swam on the Waters Gen. 7. 〈◊〉 and it is not to be doubted but that God directâ—â— him to steer it aright and that He from that Knowledg and Practice which he had in managing it 〈◊〉 long a time whilst the whole World was Seâ— was able to instruct others in the Mariâ—â—â—â— Art It is true we read that Noah was shut up in the Ark as in a Prison but it is probable that this was not all the time the Ark was riding on the Waters When these began to decrease the happâ— Prisoner look'd abroad and was taught how to direct his Course and to bring his Vessel to Land even to the particular Place where it rested and no Man is able to prove that he was not furnish'd with Sails or Oars or Rudder to that purpose and that he did not make use of them