Infants depends very much upon the power of this Number and they observe the first Seven days the Fourth week and the Seventh as A. Gellius And from the Scholiast upon Aristophanes we learn in Plut. p. 107. that by the Athenians some certain days of every Month besides other Feasts or Holy-days were Consecrated to some Gods particularly as the New-moon and the Seventh to Apollo The Fourth to Mercury the Eighth to Theseus The same was long before taught by Hesiod in this distich Primùm prima quarta septima dies sacra est Hâc enim Apollinem auri-ensem genuit Latona In the Mosaic Rites also the Septenary Number is solemnly respected In the Consecration of the Altar Oyl is Seven times sprinkled upon it in Seven days the Consecration of Priests is Consummated in the Expiation of Sin committed through ignorance the blood of the Bullock is sprinkled by the Priest Seven times before the Mercy-seat Levit. 16. 15. A woman that hath brough forth a Male Child is unclean Seven days She that hath brought forth a Female is unclean twice Seven A man unclean by touching a dead Corpse is expiated upon the Seventh day In the purification of a Leprous Man Seven aspersions and Seven days are Ordain'd and accordingly Naaman wash'd himself Seven times in Iordan Iob offer'd for his friends Seven Bulls and as many Rams Balaam built Seven Altars and prepared Seven Bullocks and Seven Rams Seven Priests sounding Trumpets went Seven times round about Iericho and on the Seventh day the Walls thereof fell down Just so many Priests sounded with Trumpets before the Ark and an equal number of Bulls and Rams were offer'd in Sacrifice Ezechias also offer'd Seven Bulls Seven Rams Seven Lambs and Seven Hee-goats 2 Chron. 29. 21. In Ezechiel 39. 9. Arms and Weapons are commanded to be burnt with fire Seven years and the Land purged in Seven months and Chapt. 43. 25. the Altar is in Seven days expiated Daniel numbers the times by Hebdomadas In the Apocalyps the Book is seal'd with Seven Seals the Lamb hath Seven horns Seven Eyes which are the Seven spirits of God and to the Seven Angels are given Seven Trumpets and Seven Phials In a Word in Mysteries this Number as the most perfect hath always been preferr'd to all other But the most celebrated and to our present enquiry the most pertinent is the Septenary Cycle or round of days or the Seventh day in the weekly periods of days perpetually recurrent such as is the Sabbath of the Iews The Aegyptians the most ancient computers of times are reported by Authors of good Credit to have deriv'd the weekly Circle of days from the number of the Planets and to have propagated that account of time together with their Astrological Discipline For Herodotus recounting the noble Inventions of that mighty Nation saith in Lib. 2. c. 82. Alia etiam ab Egyptiis inventa sunt quis Mensis quis Dies cujusque sit Deorum quo quis die genitus qualia sortietur quam mortem obiet qualis existet Quibus rebus usi sunt ii qui è Graecis in poesi versabantur Where Dies Deorum are the days of the Week denominate from the VII Planets for in the Genethliac Art of the Egyptians they obtain the name of Gods and every Planet hath his peculiar Holy-day assign'd to him and therefore Dio Cassius the Greek Historian lib. 36. pag. 37. said truly Quòd verò dies assignantur Septem Planetis id certè inventum est Egyptiorum But in the denomination of the Seven days they have not observed the order of the Planets that is in the series of the coelestial Orbs. Whereof various Writers have excogitated various causes Of all these the reason given by our Venerable Bede seems to be the most simple and therefore the best The Gentiles saith he de Tempor ratione cap. 6. though that they by good right consecrated the first day to the Sun because it is the greatest Luminary the second to the Moon because it is the second Luminary Then by an ordinate alternation they made the first Planet from the Sun Mars president of the third day the first from the Moon Mercury Lord of the fourth the second from the Sun Iupiter ruler of the fifth the Second from the Moon Venus Lady of the sixth and the third from the Sun Saturn governour of the Seventh Now because this Saturn was by Astrologers imagined to be a sad ill-natur'd and malignant planet therefore the Seventh day in which he ruled hath been accounted a black and unlucky day forsooth and unfit for business and the performing of any work and so set apart for leisure and rest Nor have Orpheus and Hesiod doubted to propagate this precarious and superstitious Doctrine To which Tacitus writing of the Jews seems to have respect in these lines Septimo die otium placuisse ferunt quia is finem Laborum tulerit Alii honorem eum Saturno haberi seu quòd è septem sideribus queis mortales reguntur altissimo orbe praecipuâ potentiâ stella Saturni feratur ac pleraque coelestium vim suam cursum per septenos numeros conficiant But whatever was the reason that induced the Egyptians to assign the Seventh day to Saturn we have none to doubt but that this Planetary denomination of the days though not received into use by the Grecians till many Ages after is originally of remotest antiquity equal to that of Astrology it self and to the age of Mercury the first who taught the Egyptians the art of computing the year and times For beside the auctority of Herodotus and Dio Cassius above-cited we have that of Plato also who in Phaedro introduces Socrates speaking of the Egyptian Theuth i. e. Mercury these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is That he first invented numbers and computation and Geometry and Astronomy and the Games of Cockle-blanck and Dice Nor are there wanting some of the Rabbins themselves who have granted that this denomination of the days was in use among the Gentiles before the Decalogue was given And Chaeremon in Porphyry de Abstinentia affirms that the Egyptian Priests in their purifications observ'd the Seventh days We may therefore acquiesce in this persuasion that the weekly Cycle of days was taken from Mathematick discipline and from the most secret treasury of Egyptian Antiquity but that the sacred observation of every Seventh day and the Feast of the Hebdomadical Sabbath constituted by this Mosaic Law in memory of the Egyptian servitude was now first receiv'd into the Religion of the Hebrews as also that this their Sabbath was by the miracle of Manna ceasing to rain down upon that day fixt upon the true Seventh day from the Creation which God had from the beginning sanctified Nor is it to be doubted but that this Precept of keeping holy the Sabbath day was peculiar to the Israelites For God himself was pleased to say Exod.
shall keep the way of the Lord to do Iustice and Iudgment c. For this was a thing Oeconomical not Political Soon after the Deluge God Proclaimed this Edict Gen. 9. 6. He that sheddeth Mans blood by Man shall his blood be shed not by judgment of any Court of those times but by Natural Right of Talion Cum Lex haec lata est saith the Incomparable Hugo Grotius in locum nondum constituta erant Iudicia aucto humano genere in gentes distributo meritò solis judicibus permissum fuit jus illud primaevum From these places of Genesis therefore truly interpreted no pretext can be drawn to excuse their error who dream of I know not what Publick Tribunals or Courts of Judicature constituted before Moses Neither can any be drawn from either of these two Examples following Simeon and Levi in revenge of the Rape committed upon their Sister Dinah by Sichem the Hivite slew him and his Father and all the Males of the City But this was done by War not from any Sentence of a Judicial Court nor is this revenge of a private Injury to be brought for an Example here where the question is concerning Publick Iudgments It was told Iudah Thamar thy Daughter in Law hath played the Harlot and is with Child per fornicationes by whoredome And Judah said bring her forth that she may be burnt But this saying of Iudah rashly pronounced and in heat of anger is by no means to be accepted for a Iuridical Sentence For by the Law of Moses Levit. 21. 9. the Priests Daughter was for Fornication the Masters understand Adultery not Stuprum Whoredome to be burnt alive But Thamar was neither Priests Daughter nor Wife but a Widow expecting to be Married to the Brother of her Husband deceas'd and this Law was not then made Others think that there was such a Law peculiar to this Family to which Iudah had respect which is in truth repugnant to the Ius Noachidarum by which it was accounted no Crime for an unmarried Woman to humble her self to whom she pleas'd Of which Right Maimonides being conscious and speaking of this our Thamar saith Ante Legem datam coitus cum Scorto erat sicut coitus hominis cum Vxore suâ hoc est licitus erat nec homini fugiendus velut delictum c. Thamar then by virtue of this ancient Right then obtaining was not to be held guilty Whence other Interpreters understand the Combustion or Burning mentioned in the Text to signifie not burning to death but a Stigmatizing or Marking in the Forehead with an hot Iron by which she might be known to be an Harlot Again when Thamar was brought forth not ad poenam as the vulgar Latin the whole matter being detected Iuda non cessavit eam cognoscere that is he took his Daughter in Law to be his Wife such Marriages being not unlawful before the Mosaic Law This place is I acknowledge Translated by the Seventy Seniors thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non adjecti ultrà cognoscere eam vel ultrà non cognovit eam but the Hebrew verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying as well cessare as adjicere I am inclined to prefer the foremr Interpretation and the more inclined because the Genealogy of King David and of our Saviour Christ is deduced from one of the Male Twins she brought forth at that birth These Examples therefore not sufficing to prove that for which they have been alledged by some Interpreters otherwise of Profound Erudition and Solid Judgment and it remaining still difficult to demonstrate that there were any such things in the World as Courts of Judicature more ancient than those erected by Moses let us enquire what was the Ius Noachidarum in the Common-wealth of the Israelites as to Iudgment They that preside over the Tribunals of the Israelites saith Maimonides in Hal. Melak◠c. 10. ought to appoint Judges for the Proselytes of the House to hear and determine their causes according to the Rights of the Sons of Noah lest humane Society should suffer any thing of detriment and that they might constitute these Judges either by electing them out of the Proselytes themselves or from among the Hebrews at their pleasure In another place viz. c. 9. he saith a Noachid is put to death by the Sentence of one Judge and upon the Testimony of one Witness and that without Premonition and the Testimony of Neighbours but not upon the Testimony of a Woman Nor was it lawful to a Woman to give judgment upon them nor upon the Hebrews On the other side by the Civil Right of the Hebrews three Judges at least were to hear and determine Causes Pecuniary and Twenty-three to judge of Causes Capital not without Plurality of Witnesses and Premonition By the receiv'd Right of the Sons of Noah the Violation of these Seven Precepts was punish'd in a Proselyte of the House with death inflicted by a Sword but an Israelite by his own Right was not to be punish'd with death for Violation of the three latter No Gentile that was under Age of discretion or Blind or Deaf or Mad was punish'd because such were not reputed Sons of the Precepts i. e. capable to observe them A Noachid that was a Blasphemer or an Idolater or an Adulterer with the Wife of a Noachid and after that made a Proselyte of Iustice was not to be call'd into Judgment but was free but if he had slain an Israelite or committed Adultery with the Wife of an Israelite and were after made a Proselyte of Iustice he was to be punish'd with the Sword for Homicide with a Halter for Adultery that is with the punishments of the Israelites By the vertue of Proselytism which was Regeneration by the Hebrew Law Crimes committed against Equals yea also against God Himself were purged away those committed against an Israelite not All which nice differences betwixt the primitive Right of the Sons of Noah and the Civil Right of the Israelites punctually observed by Judges in hearing and determining causes in Foro have been with vast labour collected out of the Monuments of the Masters and with exact Faith and Judgment recited by Selden the Great in lib. 7. de Iure Nat. Gent. to whom I owe the Knowledge of them with many other remarkable things of good use toward the Interpretation of divers difficult Places in Holy Scripture CHAP. X. Prints of the Six precedent Precepts observable in the Book of Job THe same most Excellent Antiquary to add the more of Credit and Authority to the Six foregoing Precepts of the Sons of Noah hath also observed manifest Prints of them in the Book of Iob a man as St. Austin de Civit. Dei l. 18. c. 47. of admirable Sanctity and Patience who was neither Native nor Proselyte of the People of Israel but an Idumean by Descent and Birth and died there and by consequence could not be Obliged to keep the Laws of Moses of which perhaps
sooner had Men made to themselves Gods of the Stars but they began to make also Stars of Men and to Worship them with Divine Honours Kings and Queens that there might be Deities forsooth of both Sexes were after their decease what by the cunning and pride of their Posterity what by the adulation of the Learned of those darker times Deified and Adored and that too under the names of eminent Stars And from this Antique Custom St. Chrysostom ad 12. cap. Secundae ad Corinth derives the Worship of Idols Sic enim Idolorum cultus primùm obtinuerunt cum homines supra meritum in admirationem venirent That Divine Honors were by the Syrians attributed to Azael and Aderus their Kings Iosephus relates and Athenaeus affirms that this Custom came first out of Egypt But the most ancient memoir of the thing is found in Sanchuniathon who hath recorded for truth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kronos King of the Phenicians was by them consecrated into that Star which the Greeks taught by the Phenicians call'd from his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Saturnus And he is the same to whom by way of excellency named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The King the Phenicians used to sacrifice their children a most inhuman and execrable custom that from them descended down to the Tyrians a Colony of theirs and from them to the Carthaginians and other peoples of Africa Thus was Astarte also consecrated into the planet Venus and not long after among the Egyptians Osiris was stellified into the Sun Isis into the Moon Thus was Hammon translated into Aries the Ram Derceto into Piscis the Fish But of the Moors a People of Mauritania St. Cyprian saith manifestè Reges colunt nec ullo velamento hoc nomen obtexunt From the deification of Stars and stellification of Men in process of time they proceeded to yet a higher degree of madness Idolizing of Brute Animals For either because the Asterisms or Constellations of Stars had been before by the curious observers of them formed into the figures of divers Animals from some similitude they fancied in One or more Stars or because some Animals were believ'd to have I know not what secret Natural Cognation with certain Asterism and to receive a more vigorous influence and virtue from them or perhaps for both these causes therefore were those Animals supposed to have somewhat of Divine in their Natures and accordingly number'd among Deities by the Egyptians who adored them as such Hence an Ox was call'd Apis with relation to Luna or Lunus rather for a great part of the East call'd that Planet by a Masculine name the Phoenix tho' probably there never was any such Bird in rerum natura was worship'd as a favourite of the Sun as also were the Lizard Lyon Dragon Falcon for the same reason the Bird Ibis out of respect to Mercury the Dog in respect to Sirius the Dog-Star and in like manner other Animals also betwixt which and the Asterisms to which notwithstanding the Chaldeans gave Figures different from those the Persians imagined and the Indians different from those that either of those two Nations had fancied they conceiv'd any resemblance of shape or cognation of Nature to be They proceeded yet farther Without any respect at all to Celestial Bodies they honour'd as Gods all such living Creatures that were highly useful and profitable unto men such as are reckon'd up by Diodorus Siculus cited by Eusebius in praeparat Evang. by Pliny l. 8. c. 27. Philo ad Praecept Secun and Porphyry de abstinentia l. 4. Now of all these Brutal Deities of the Egyptians we need say no more than what we said just now of the Host of Heaven to prove them to be false Gods viz. that they neither understand the prayers nor have power to do good to one man more than to another of their stupid adorers as wanting the faculties of reason and election The same cannot be said of Angels who are able both to hear and understand prayers address'd to them and from a certain liberty of mind to confer benefits upon those whom they are commanded to favour and assist He therefore that honours them with due respect and reverence also he that hopes to obtain some eminent benefit by their help and assistance doth not sin against this Law but he doth who attributes to them the things that are proper to the Most High God For the word God in this Precept is to be understood in sensu summitatis i. e. as signifying the God of Gods Examples will illustrate the thing They sinned not who as often as Angels appeared to them shewed great veneration of them by falling down upon their faces as in Ioshuah c. 5. v. 14. since as much of honour as that comes to was given also to Prophets without sin as to him that was thought to be Samuel 1 Sam. 28. 15. to Eliah 2 Kings 1. 13. to Daniel 2. 46. Who forbids Offerings and Sacrifices doth not forbid a sign of simple reverence Nor did the Angel in the Revelation refuse that honour because there was ought of unlawful in it but because he would shew that the Apostle was equal to him both being Ministers of Christ now head of the Angels see Coloss. 1. 16. 18. and that an Apostolick Legation designed for Mens salvation was in no part inferior to an Angelick and Equals are not wont to usurp such signs of submission one of the other Nor is this explication of that place new but delivered down to us by St. Ambrose and Gregory the Great Nor do I think that Man would sin who should beseech an Angel appearing to him to recommend him before God to the proof of which Point Maimonides brings what is in Iob 33. 23. with whom Philo consents often calling Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mediators But in both exhibiting signs of reverence to Angels and in imploring their commendation it highly concerns us to see that he that appears to us under the form or shape of an Angel be not an evil Daemon come to delude and seduce us a cheat not seldom practised by the Prince of Impostors Satan as St. Paul observes 2 Corinth 11. 14. and Porphyry de Abstinentia l. 2. in these words aliorum Deorum velut vultum induti nostra imprudentia fruuntur and Iamblicus de Myster Aegypt l. 3. c. 32 l. 4. c. 17. Nor is it difficult to discern betwixt good and evil Angels appearing to us For those that endeavour to seduce Men from the Worship of the True God or pretend themselves to be Equal to Him are most certainly Emissaries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Devil and to be resisted True it is nevertheless that there are many signs of honour that cannot be exhibited even to good Angels without manifest violation of this Holy Precept First if those signs of singular veneration be exhibited to them which the consent of Nations hath made proper
that kind of speech is found in any other sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And shewing mercy unto Thousands God spake in the plural Number not to a Thousand but to Thousands shewing how much larger God is in doing good and conferring benefits than in punishing This is what the Hebrews mean when they say That the Angel Michael the Minister of God's Wrath and Vengeance flyes with but one Wing Gabriel The Minister of His Mercy Love and Blessing with two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To those that love me To those that Worship me and that are therefore call'd Pious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And keep my Precepts Who are attent to observe all my Commandments but chiefly those which pertain to the exclusion and extinction of Idolatry and all wicked Superstitions and who are therefore call'd Righteous or Iust. CHAP. IV. The Third Precept explicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God c. IN the Hebrew thou shalt not bear or carry namely in thy Mouth which is the same with Thou shalt not take viz. into thy Mouth Here also is of the Lord because by that Title the tremend Majesty of God is best understood We may en passant observe that here the manner of speech is changed For according to the way of speaking used in the former Precepts it should have been My Name but to the Hebrews this is frequent to put a Noun for a Pronoun as in Exod. 23. 18 19. Genes 2. 20. Numb 10. 29. and many other places where the like Translation from the first person to the third occurs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In vain or as Aquila rashly or as Philo to testifie a Lye But to omit all other interpretations of these Words we have the sense of them compendiously exprest in St. Matthew 5. 33. Thou shalt not forswear thy self nor is it to be doubted but our Saviour Christ in this place urged the very Words of the Law where the Syrian hath put words that signifie Thou shalt not Lye in thy Oath or Swearing Only this is to be accurately noted That in this place is treated not of an Oath taken for Testimony of which the Ninth Precept was particularly given but of an Oath Promissory which the words following immediately in the same verse of St. Matthew sufficiently declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt perform unto the Lord thy Oaths taken most certainly from Numb 30. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to forswear taken in its proper sense is as hath been critically observ'd by Chrysippus to make void what thou hast sworn or not to stand to what thou hast by Oath promised The weight or hainousness of this execrable Crime Philo wisely sheweth where he saith That he who commits it doth either not believe that God takes care of humane Affairs which is an Abnegation of Gods Providence and the Fountain of all Injustice or if he doth believe that he makes God less than any honest Man whom none that designs to assert a Lye would dare to call in for a Witness of what he knows to be false Abenesdras adds That in other sins somewhat of commodity profit or pleasure is lookt upon whereby Men may be tempted and carryed away but in this oftentimes there is not the least commodity or emolument that other Crimes cannot always be committed this always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh the Name of the Lord his God in vain Here according to the Greek custome two Negatives are put for one in the Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to pass by one as innocent So that the sense is God will not leave him unpunished which is a Figure call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Extenuation such as is used in the Gospel of St. Matthew 12. 31. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men that is shall be severely punished and in many other places of Scripture And this sin is even by the Light of Nature so hainous and detestable that the Heathens themselves believ'd that it was always severely punished by God Hesiod said Et juramentum clades mortalibus unde Adveniunt quoties fallaci pectore jurant Dire miseries pursue those men that dare Themselves with heart fallacious to forswear In Herodotus this Oracle is related At juramento quaedam est sine nomine proles Trunca manus trunca pedes tamen impete magno Advenit atque omnem vastat stirpemque domumque From Perjury a nameless issue springs With maimed hand and foot which yet still brings Revenge with mighty force and doth at last Both the whole Race and Family devast And the sweet-tongu'd Tibullus could say Ah miser Et si quis primo perjuria celat Sera tamen tacitis poena venit pedibus Ah wretch though one his Perjury conceal Vengeance with silent feet will on him steal And he had reason for an Oath is a religious Affirmation as Cicero defines it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Testimony of God upon a doubtful matter as Philo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an affirmation with an assumption of God for witness as Clement of Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strongest Seal of Human Faith as Dionysius Halicarnensis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last and most certain pledge of Faith as Procopius Wherefore the Ancients even wehre a specious excuse might be brought held themselves religiously oblig'd to fulfill whatsoever they had by Oath promised Concerning the sanction of an Oath or Vow consult Iudges 20. 1. 1 Sam. 14. 24 26 27. Ioshua 19. 15. Psal. 21. 2 6 7 8. Now the reason why God threatens to send from Himself dire Punishments upon those who either worship False Gods or violate His most Holy Name by Perjury seems to be this to let them know that though men may perhaps be ignorant of or neglect to vindicate these Crimes yet they shall never escape the certain hand of Divine Vengeance in the end which many times indeed is slow in lifting up but always first or last strikes sure and home CHAP. V. The Fourth Precept explicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember the Sabbath day c. IN Deuteronomy 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observe the Sabbath day and in the Hebrew is the like difference in the latter place Moses expounds what is meant by Remember in the former namely attend to the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sanctifie it viz. by a glad and grateful recordation of the Worlds Creation by God For most true is the Sentence of Rabbi Iudah Barbesathel and R. Ephraim in Keli Iacar that in these words one thing is Commanded and another in the following The keeping holy of the Sabbath day hath for its true cause the Creation of the World the Rest from Labour the Egyptian servitude That extends to all mankind this to the Hebrews only Exod. 31. 13. Which is the
Judgment also of Irenaeus Lib. 4. c. 30. and of Eusebius 1 Histor. c. 4. And thus may we best explicate that of Genesis 2. God blessed the Seventh day and Sanctified it which the Hebrew Masters will have to be spoken by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anticpation as if Moses should say that this Cessation of God from His work of Creation was the cause why after in the time of Moses the Celebration or Sanctification of the Seventh day was ordained But the righter interpretation is that which distinguishes the precept of keeping holy the Sabbath from the precept of resting from Labour as by the causes so also by the times And to this difference Moses himself seems to have had respect when in Duternomy to these words Observe the Sabbath day to sanctifie it he adds as the Lord thy God hath Commanded three namly long ago from the very beginning of the World as Grotius conceives or as Selden from the time when the Israelites were encamp'd in Mara a part of the Wilderness so call'd from the brackish bitterness of the Waters where the observation of the Sabbath was first instituted about forty days before that institution was renew'd in the Decalogue For he refers the first word of this Precept Remember to the first Sabbath there instituted And true it is that the first Sabbath was celebrated by the Israelites in their tenth Mansion or encamping in Alush part of the desert of Sin They came from Elim into the desert of Sin upon the Fifteenth day of the Second Month from their beginning to march Six days Manna was gathered and one the Seventh the People Sabbatized So that the first observation of the Sabbath fell upon the 22. day of the same Month which being the Second Month from their Exit out of Egypt was after named Iiar for the names of the Hebrew Months were then unborn and that 22. day of this Month answers to the 23. of May in the Julian year The Seder Olam makes this Month Hollow i. e. of but Twenty nine days not Full i. e. of Thirty days Whence in computing the feriae or Holy days of these Months there hath risen up a discrepancy of one day betwixt that Chronicon and the Talmudist's But that alternate distinction of Months as our most Excellent Chronologist Sir Iohn Marsham in Chronic. Canon pag 184. observes doth not well agree with the antick Chronology of the Hebrews How then shall we reconcile these two different opinions concerning the respect of the word Remember the one asserted by Grotius the other by Selden By granting that the Precept de observando Sabbato in commemoration of the Aegyptian Servitude was first given to the Israelites in Mara and a little after renewed at the promulgation of the Decalogue as pertinent particularly and only to them and consequently that so far Selden is in the right but that the institution of the Sabbath in grateful memory of the Worlds Creation by God wherein all Mankind were equally concern'd was as ancient as the World it self and extended to all Nations universally and therefore Grotius who seems to have consider'd this general institution and the cause of it is so far in the right too For That some knowledge and veneration of the Sabbath was by Tradition of highest antiquity derived to other Nations beside the Hebrews and remain'd among them for some ages Clemens Alexandrinus Stromat l. 5. and Eusebius in Praepar Evang. have clearly shewn as by other Testimonies so particularly by the Verses of Hesiod where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seventh day is call'd Holy And in Iosephus Philo Theophilus and Lucan are places that manifestly attest the same long-liv'd Tradition And upon this account it was that the Primitive Christians who believ'd that by Christ all things were reduced to the same State wherein they had been constituted from the beginning Piously celebrated the Sabbath and therein held their Solemn Assemblies in which the Law was publickly read and expounded as appears from that of the Acts 15. 21. Which Custom flourished until it was antiquated by the Laodicen Synod which judged it more convenient and profitable to Christians that instead of the Law the Gospels should be upon that day read to the People assembled So Sacred in those more Pure and Pious times was the memory of the Sabbath originally instituted that Men might with glad and grateful hearts acknowledge and celebrate with Praises the Infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness of God shewn in the Creation of the Universe that they equall'd the Sanctity thereof to that of the Lord's day consecrated to the perpetual remembrance of that greatest Seal of our Faith and pledge of our hopes the Resurrection of our Redeemer from the dead Hence Balsamo most appositely said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. By the Holy Fathers the Sabbath days were held in all respects equal to the Lords days Hence also Gregorius Nyssenus calls these two days Brethren as worthy of equal Veneration and Solemnity and the Ancient Book of the Constitutions of Clement l. 7. c. 24. gives this in Precept Diem Sabbatti diem Dominicam festas habete quoniam illa Creationis altera Resurrections memoriae dicata est Nor was it from any other cause That by the most ancient Church was introduced the Custom of not fasting upon the Sabbath because it was a day of joy and gladness as appears from the Epistle of St. Ignatius ad Philippenses where he saith Si quis aut Dominicâ aut Sabbato jejunet excepto uno Sabbato is Christum occidit The same may be inferr'd from that memorable place in Tertullian advers Marcionem meminerat enim ille hoc privilegium donatum Sabbato à primordio quo dies ipse compertus est veniam jejunii dico Where we cannot but observe that this Custom is deduced from the beginning of the World From the same reason it came that Constantine the Emperor permitting to Christians the free use of their Worship at the same time forbad their being compell'd to appear before any Tribunal or Court of Judicature upon the Sabbath no less than upon the Lords day which Edict is yet extant in Eusebius These things being known are sufficient to refute those who think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's day was surrogated into the place of the Sabbath of which mention is no where made by Christ no where by any of the Apostles And St. Paul when Colossi 2. 16 he saith that the Christians are not to be condemned for their Sabbaths and New Moons sheweth plainly that they are free from that Law of resting from labour which liberty would signifie nothing if the Law remaining the day were changed That the Christians therefore appointed and held their Assemblies upon that day wherein their Lord had risen from the dead was not from any Precept either of God or of the Apostles but they did it by vertue of the liberty granted to them and by voluntary
consent among themselves And to violate such Consent after it hath passed into a Custom is not the part of men living in Society But this Custom obliged not to rest from labour farther than was necessary to the holding their Assemblies Having thus briefly shewn the difference betwixt the Precept instituting a Sabbath in memory of the Creation which was from the beginning given to Adam and his whole Posterity and the Precept given particularly to the Hebrews both in Marah and soon after at the promulgation of the Decalogue whereby they were obliged to celebrate the Sabbath by resting from dayly labours in remembrance of their redemption from the Aegyptian servitude and assigned to each its proper cause and time it will not perhaps be impertinent if we subjoin a line or two concerning the Word Sabbata here used in the plural number This Word among the Greeks is listed in the Catalogue of those which tho' pronounced in the number of Multitude are yet notwithstanding often contented with the signification of Unity And so is it often found in the Greek Pentateuch so also in Mat. 12. 1 5 10 11 12. and c. 28. 1. in Mark 1. 21. and 2. 23 24. in Luke 4. 16. On the contrary St. Iohn every where speaks it in the singular as do also the Greek Interpreters of the other books extra Pentateuchum The Latines often exprest it as here in the plural So Horace Sunt hâ—die tricesima Sabbata and Iuvenal Quidam sortiti metuentem Sabbata Patrem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Six days shalt thou work and do all thy works Here now begins that Constitution which is not common to all Mankind but proper to the Hebrews And what is here spoken in the Imperative and in the Future which is often taken from the Imperative hath not the force of a Command but the sense only of suffering or permitting For lest the Modes might be too much multiplyed it hath seem'd good to almost all Nations to express the sense of Permitting as also of Praying with the same sound with which they express the sense of Commanding as for Example sequere Italian ventis in Virgil and ubi nos laverimus si voles lavato in Terence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vre haec cremaque membra in an old Greek Tragedy By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here are signified all sorts of Work by Cicero de ligibus l. 2. call'd famula opera Ferii jurgia amovento eaque in famulis operibus patratis habento and by Tertullian Humana opera quotidiana whatsoever men commonly do in their ordinary vocations or daily business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But on the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God The Seventh day is Dedicated to God from the beginning And wisely do Maimonides and other Hebrew Masters distinguish the Cause why rest or quiet was commanded from the cause why it was commanded upon this Day The former cause is exprest in Deuteronomy plainly to be because the Israelites lately freed from the Aegyptian slavery by Divine help ought to remember and consider how hard and grievous Servitude is and therefore to treat their Servants and others subject to their Command with humanity and clemency as Dido in Virgil Non ignara mali miseries succurrere disco The latter is declar'd in this place where it is signifi'd that when any day might have been taken for rest or vacation for Labour this was chosen by God because from the beginning it had been dedicated to joy and the grateful commemoration of the Worlds Creation by Him and because upon the same day God had finish'd all things and ceas'd from Creating whence the Seventh day deriv'd the Name Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not do every work therein God by many Words inculcates this Precept concerning the Sabbath that by the perpetual observation thereof might be impressed upon the minds of all a firm knowledge that this World was not from Eternity but made by God which is a strong inducement to the Veneration of the Omnipotent Creator as on the contrary the belief of the Worlds Eternity is the way to Impiety and down-right Atheism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy Son and thy Daughter He understands those who by reason of their Minority have not yet attain'd to knowledge of the Law whom their Parents ought to restrain from working upon the Sabbath For they that are of more advanced Age and understanding are by the Law bound for themselves as likewise in the Law of Circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind and courteous way of speaking much used by the Greeks to their Servants and in imitation of them by the Latins who with like softness and humanity call'd their Men-servants Pueros as hath been of old noted by Servius upon that of Virgil Claudite jam rivos pueri Hence the names of Ancient Men-servants Marcipor Quintipor c. So Epicurus call'd his Servants Friends as Seneca Epist. 107. observes who in imitation of him saith of them Epist. 47. Servi sunt imò homines Servi sunt imo contubernales Servi sunt imò humiles amici Servi sunt imò conservi si cogitaveris tantundem in utrosque licere fortunae Than which he could have said nothing more becoming his great prudence and erudition Hence also were Masters call'd Patres-familias and Mistrisses Matres-familias that by the very Name they might be admonished of humanity And this Precept obligeth Masters not only not to injoyn labours to their Servants of either Sex but not to suffer them to work upon the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy Ox and thy Ass and every Beast of thine Observable here is the great Clemency of God who by this Law requires some goodness and mercy to be exercised even to brute Animals that he might remove Men the farther from cruelty toward each other and to confirm this mild Precept the like is given in Deuteron 5. 4. The same reason is urged by Porphyry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Abstinence from eating of the flesh of Animals Hence also was the slaughter of a Plowing Ox prohibited by a Law common to the Phrygians Cyprians Atticks Peloponesians and Romans as we find Recorded by Varro Pliny Columella Porphyry Aelian Vegetius and others The Athenians made a Decree that a Mule should be fed at the Publick Cost which worn out by Labour and Age used to accompany other Mules drawing burdens and banished a Boy for putting out the Eyes of little Birds taking it for a sign of a mischievous and cruel disposition in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are besides Oxen Asses and Mules which also were used to the Yoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beasts as well Dogs as other quadrupeds But these words are by the Greek Interpreters Translated hither from Deuteron 5. for in the Hebrew is found only one general Name signifying all mute Animals
vicissim generare possit And as God was pleased for mans imitation to impress upon mute Animals visible characters of almost all virtues of justice clemency chastity fidelity friendship c. not of all in all but of each in particular species so hath He given for an example of filial love and piety to men the Storks which sustain and nourish their Parents when they are grown old and weak For this also is comprehended in the first word of this Precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour which in its chief sense signifies to nourish as appears from the 1 Timothy 5. 3. Honour Widows that are Widows indeed i. e. relieve their wants and contribute to their maintenance And so the Hebrews interpret that text in Numbers 22. 17. I will promote thee unto very great honour So Cicero Officior 1. treating of duties to Kindred and near relations saith Necessaria praesidia vitae debentur his maxime And Hierocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. We shall highly honour Parents if we most readily serve them with the Ministry of our body and the help of mony Here I cannot but take notice of a strange distinction made betwixt Sons and Daughters by the Egyptians in their Law of nourishing Parents labouring of old age or poverty and recorded by Herodotus l. 2. 35. Nulla est necessitas filiis alendi parentes nolentibus sed filiabus summa etiamsi nolint Sons are under no necessity to feed and sustain their Parents against their own will but Daughters are most strictly bound to nourish them though against their will An odd Law this to impose the burden upon the weaker Sex and exempt the stronger and the more admirable to me because no reason is added to it by Herodotus nor can I fix my conjecture upon any that is probable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it may be well with thee This is here added out of Deuteronomy for explication sake or perhaps ascribed on the margin from that place in Epist. to the Ephesians 6. 1. 3. many such additional clauses being found in the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That thou mayst live long Here Abenesdras noteth that God is wont when He forbids any thing to annex the penalty where He commands the reward as in this place But St. Paul in the just now cited place to the Ephesians noteth this more that this is the first Commandment with promise The Law in direct words promiseth only temporal felicity as St. Ierom observes l. 2. Commentar in Epist. ad Galat. 1. Dialog contra Pelagium and St. Austin de Civit. Dei l. 10. cap. 15. And of temporal felicity the principal part is long life Which is generally promis'd to those that keep the Law as in Levit. 18. 5. and 25. 18. and in Deuter. 6. 17. 18. and in Ezech. 20. 11. some expound the Hebrew words That they may prolong thy days namely thy Parents by their favour and prayers to God But I fear lest this interpretation be too Subtile and adhere rather to the Seventy and other Interpreters who take the Hebrew word though of an active form in a passive sense viz. That thy days may be prolonged To Absolom violating this precept his days were cut off or shortned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon the Earth or in the Land Life in exile is not life but a long death Therefore God promiseth to obsequious and dutiful Children a long life and that too at home in their own Country And Ezechiel enumerating the causes of deserved exile puts the contempt of Parents in the head of the Catologue chap. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The good Land This also hath been added from Deut. 8. 7. but deservedly For that Land was in those days truly good and singularly fertil abounding with Milk Honey and Corn and other Fruits and the only Land that produced Balsam which it continued to do in good plenty down to the days of Pliny who therefore praised it and doth even at this time though in less quantity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which the Lord thy God will give thee The present for the future as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who will come Matth. 3. 2. It must be something great and highly estimable that God confers as a donative upon the posterity of those whom he loved above all others and to whom he promised to give it But as God promises great blessings to those that observe this Precept so on the contrary He threatneth grievous punishment to those that contemn and revile their Parents namely death by decree of the Judge if the matter be by sufficient testimonies prov'd against them Exod. 21. 15. 17. and if the matter be not brought to publick notice divine wrath Deut. 27. 16. than which nothing is more dreadful and from which Good Lord deliver us CHAP. VII The Sixth Precept explicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not commit Adultery IN the Hebrew this Precept is placed next after that against Murder and the Greek Copies also now keep the same order in the rehersal of the Decalogue in Deuteronomy But lest any should think this transposition of these two Precepts a thing recent I must observe that Philo in his time read them as we now do and that he gives this reason for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that among unjust facts Adultery is the greatest And again after he hath with admirable eloquence described the many evil consequents of this crime he saith Meritò Deo hominibus exosa res adulterium inter crimina ordinem ducit meaning the crimes that are injurious to men Nor did the ancient Christians read them otherwise following the Greek Codes as appears from Tertullian de pudicitia who saith Eo amplius praemittens Non maechaberis adjungit non occides Oneravit utique maechiam quam homicidio anteponit c. Wherefore whenever the Ancients bring in these Precepts in another order they bring them out of Deuteronomy not out of this place of Exodus Let us then since we may do so without injury to the diligence of the Masorets follow the Greek Edition which we have taken into our hands and which may be defended not only by its antiquity but also by this probable reason That many of the Hebrew Women preferr'd Chastity to life and that in the judgment of Aristotle the crimes that proceed from the desire of pleasure are more hainous than those that come from anger Abenesdras thinks that by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath committed Adultery all unlawful Venery and simple Fornication is signified but we find that among the Hebrews that word is every-where taken only in the sense of Adultery and so translated in this and other places by the Greek Latin and other Interpreters True it is indeed that in the Mosaic Law there is an interdict that there should be no Whores in the People of Israel and that Incests and Marriages with strange Women that worshipped false Gods