into an hotch-potch of Religion in some things like the Jewish in many things exceeding Heathenish And the people sometime shewed friendship to the Jews sometimes enmity sometimes claiming kinred of them when they saw them in prosperity pretending to have been descended from Joseph but sometimes again scorning and despising them when they saw them brought to any ebb or in calamity Jos. Ant. l. 9. c. 14. lib. 12. cap. 7. 3. When the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin were brought to the lowest ebb and captived out of their own land into Babel then did these Samaritans get elbow-room and insolency against them against their coming to their own land again These were the main opposers and hinderers of the building of the Temple Ezra 4. called the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin vers 1. and the people of the land vers 4. yet pretending to seek God and to sacrifice as well as the Jews vers 2. c. Here the fewd and hatred began to be more apparent and as the Samaritans were thus bitter to the Jews so the Jews to their power were not behind hand with the Samaritans For if we may believe their own Authors Ezra Zorobabel and Joshua gathered all the Congregation into the Temple and brought in three hundred Priests and three hundred books of the Law and three hundred Infants and they blew Trumpets and the Levites sung and chanted and cursed excommunicated and separated the Samaritans by the secret Name of God and by the glorious writing of the Tables and by the curse of the upper and lower house of Judgment that no Israelite eat of any thing that is a Samaritans for he that doth doth as if he eat swines flesh Nor that any Samaritan be proselyted to Israel nor have any part in the Resurrection as it is said what have you to do with us to build the house of the Lord our God Nor have you any part or right or memorial in Jerusalem And they wrote out and sent this curse to all Israel in Babel and they added thereto curse upon curse and the King fixed a curse everlasting to them as it is said And God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hands to alter it Haec R. Tanchuma fol. 17. 4. Hitherto the Samaritans after the captivity of the ten Tribes were Heathenish and no Jews among them save one or a few Priests to teach them the Law according to the ten Tribes usage of it and as it seemeth by Aben Ezra on Esth. 1. they had the book of Moses law among them but in so wild a translation that the first verse of it was read thus In the beginning Ashima created heaven and earth What Ashima meaneth see 2 King 17. 30. but from the times of Ezra and Nehemiah exceeding many Jews began to be mingled among them and became Samaritans The main occasion was this One of the sons of Jojada the son of Eliashib the High Priest married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite a chief man among the Samaritans for which cause he was driven from the Priesthood by Nehemiah Neh. 13. 28. Josephus nameth both the man and the woman and relateth the full story to this purpose Manasses saith he the brother of Jaddua the High Priest had maried Nicasso the daughter of Sanballat Which thing the Elders of the Jews taking exceeding ill as a violation of their Laws and as an introduction to strange marriages they urged that either he should put away his wife or that he should be put away from the Priesthood Yea and Jaddua his brother drave him away from the Altar that he should not Sacrifice Whereupon Manasses addressing himself to his Father in Law Sanballat tells him that it was true indeed that he loved his daughter Nicasso most dearly but yet would not lose his function for her sake it being hereditary to him by descent and honourable among his Nation To this Sanballat replied that he could devise such a course as that he should not only injoy his Priesthood still but also obtain an High Priesthood and be made a primate and metropolitane of a whole Country on condition that he would keep his daughter still and not put her away For he would build a Temple on mount Gerizim over Sichem like the Temple at Jerusalem and this by the consent of Darius who was now Monarch of the Persian Empire Manasses imbraced such hopes and promises and abode with his Father in Law thinking to obtain an High Priesthood from the King And whereas many of the Priests and people at Jerusalem were intricated in the like marriages they fell away to Manasses and Sanballat provided them lands houses and subsistence But Darius the King being overthrown by Alexander the Great Sanballat revolted to Alexander and did him homage and submitted both himself and his Dominion unto him and having now gotten an opportunity he made his Petition to him and obtained it of building this his Temple And that that helped him in this his request was that Jaddua the High Priest at Jerusalem had incurred Alexanders displeasure for denying him help and assistance at the siege of Tyrus Sanballat pleaded that he had a son in Law named Manasses brother to Jaddua to whom many of the Jews were very well affected and followed after him and might he but have liberty to build a Temple on mount Gerizim it would be a great weakning of Jaddua for by that means the people would have a fair invitation to revolt from him Alexander easily condescended to his request and so he fell on to build his Temple with might and main When it was finished it caused a great Apostasie at Jerusalem for very many that were accused and indited for eating of forbidden meats for violating the Sabbath or for other crimes fled away from Jerusalem to Sichem and to mount Gerizim and that became as a common Sanctuary for offenders To this purpose Josephus To which it may not be impertinent to add the relation of R. Abrah Zaccuth about this matter When Alexander the Great saith he went from Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite went forth to him with some Israelites and some of the sons of Joshua the High Priest who had made marriages with the Samaritans and whom Ezra and Nehemiah had driven from the house of the Lord and he desired of Alexander that the Priests his sons in law might build a Temple in mount Gerizim and the King commanded that it should be done and so they built a Temple Thus was Israel divided half the people after Simeon the Just and Antigonus his scholar and their society following what they had received from the mouth of Ezra and the Prophets And the other half after Sanballat and his sons in Law and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed out from the house of the Lord and made ordinances of their own invention And Manasseh the son in Law of Sanballat the son of Joshua the son
Whosoever putteth away his wife let him give her a bill of Divorsement NOtice is to be taken how our Saviour passeth into these words namely by using the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it hath been said This particle hath this Emphasis in this place that it whispers a silent objection which is answered in the following verse Christ had said Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already But the Jewish Lawyers said If any one sees a woman which he is delighted withal above his wife let him dismiss his wife and marry her Among the Chapters of Talmudical Doctrine we meet with none concerning which it is treated more largely and more to a punctilio than of Divorces and yet there the chief care is not so much of a just cause of it as of the manner and form of doing it To him that turns over the Book Gittim as also indeed the whole Seder Nashim that part of the Talmud that treats of women the diligence of the Masters about this matter will appear such that they seem to have dwelt not without some complacency upon this article above all others God indeed granted to that Nation a Law concerning Divorces Deut. XXIV 1. permitted only for the hardness of their hearts Mat. XIX 8. In which permission nevertheless they boast as though it were indulged them by more priviledg When God had established that fatal Law of punishing Adultery by death Deut. XXII for the terror of the people and for their avoiding of that sin the same merciful God foreseeing also how hard occasion being taken from this Law the issue of this might be to the women by reason of the roughness of the men lusting perhaps after other women and loathing their own wives he more graciously provided against such kind of wife-killing by a Law mitigating the former and allowed the putting away a wife in the same case concerning which that fatal Law was given namely in the case of Adultery So that that Law of Divorce in the exhibition of it implied their hearts to be hard and in the use of it they shewed them to be carnal And yet hear them thus boasting of that Law k k k k k k Hieros in Kiddushin fol. 158. 3. The Lord of Israel saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he hateth putting away Mal. II. 16. Through the whole Chapter saith R. Chananiah in the name of R. Phinâ—has he is called the Lord of Hosts but here of Israel that it might appear that God subscribed not his name to Divorces but only among the Israelites As if he should say To the Israelites I have granted the putting away of wives to the Gentiles I have not granted it R. Chaijah Rabbah saith Divorces are not granted to the Nations of the World Some of them interpreted this Law of Moses as by right they ought to interpret it of the case of Adultery only l l l l l l Gittin cap. 9. hal ult The School of Shammai said a wife is not to be divorced unless for filthiness that is Adultery only because it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because he hath found filthy nakedness in her that is Adultery m m m m m m Gemara â—b Rabh Papa said If he find not adultery in her what then Rabba answered When the merciful God revealed concerning him that corrupted a maid that it was not lawful for him to put her away in his whole life Deut. XXII 29. you are thence taught concerning the matter propounded that it is not lawful to put her away if he shall not find filthiness in his wiâ—e With the like honesty have some commented upon those words cited out of the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he hateth putting away n n n n n n Ibid. R. Jochanan saith The putting away of a wife is odious Which others also have granted indeed of the first wife but not of those that a man took to himself over and above For this is approved among them for a Canon o o o o o o Maimon in Gerushin cap. 10. Let no man put away his first wife unless for adultery And p p p p p p Gittin in the place above R. Eliezer saith for the divorcing of the first wife even the Altar it self sheds tears Which Gloss they fetch from thence where it is said Let no man deal treacherously towards the wife of his youth Mal. II. 15. The Jews used Polygamy and the divorcing of their wives with one and the same license and this that they might have change and all for the sake of lust q q q q q q Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 10 14. It is lawful say they to have many wives together even as many as you will but our wise men have decreed that no man have above four wives But they restrained this not so much out of some principles of chastity as that least a man being burdened with many wives might not be able to afford them food and clothing and due benevolence for thus they comment concerning this bridle of Polygamy For what causes they put away their wives there is no need to enquire for this they did for any cause of their own free will I. It is commanded to divorce a wise that is not of good behaviour and who is not modest as becomes a daughter of Israel So they speak in Maimonides and Gittin in the place above specified Where this also is added in the Gemarists R. Meir saith As men have their pleasures concerning their meat and their drink so also concerning their wives This man takes out a fly found in his cup and yet will not drink after such a manner did Papus ben Judah carry himself who as often as he went forth bolted the doers and shut in his wife Another takes out a fly found in his cup and drinks up his cup that he doth who sees his wife talking freely with her neighbours and kinsfolks and yet allows of it And there is another who if he find a fly in his basket eats it and this is the part of an evil man who sees his wife going out without a vail upon her head and with a bare neck and sees her washing in the baths where men are wont to wash and yet cares not for it whereas he is bound by the Law to put her away II. r r r r r r Maimonides in the place above If any man hate his wife let him put her away excepting only that wife that he first married In like manner R. Judah thus interprets that of the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If he hate her let him put her away Which sense some Versions dangerously enough have followed R. Solomon expresses the sense of that place thus It is commanded to put away ones wife if she obtain not favour in the eyes of her
husband III. s s s s s s Gittin in the place above And R. Sol. R. Nissin there The School of Hillel saith If the Wife cook her husbands food illy by over salting or over roasting it she is to be put away IV. Yea If by any stroke from the hand of God she become dumb or sottish c. V. But not to relate all the things for which they pronounce a wife to be divorsed among which they produce some things that modesty allows not to be repeated let it be enough to mention that of R. Akibah instead of all t t t t t t Mishnah ult in Gittin cap. 9. R. Akibah said If any man sees a woman handsomer than his won wife he may put her away because it is said If she find not favour in his eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bill of Divorce And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Bill of Divorce Mat. XIX 7. and in the Septuagint Deut. XXIV 1. Of which Beza thus This bil may seem to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as Departing away not in respect of the wife put away as of the husband departing away from his wife Something hard and diametrically contrary to the Canonical doctrine of the Jewes For thus they write u u u u u u Maimon in Gerushin ca. 1. It is written in the bill Behold thou art put away Behold thou art thrust away c. But if he writes I am not thy husband or I am not thy spouse c. it is not a just bill for it is said He shall put her away not He shall put himself away This Bill is called by the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Bill of cutting off and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Bill of expulsion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Instrument and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Instrument of dismission and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Letters of forsaking c. I. A Wife might not be put away unless a bill of divorce were given Therefore it is called saith Baal Turimi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A bill of cutting off because there is nothing else that cuts her off from the husband For although a wife were obtained three ways of which see the x x x x x x Kiddush cap. 1. hal 1. Talmud yet there was no other way of dismissing her besides a bill of divorce y y y y y y Baal Turim upon Deutr. XXIV II. A wife was not put away unless the husband were freely willing for if he were unwilling it was not a divorce but whether the wife were willing or unwilling she was to be divorsed if her husband would z z z z z z Maimon in Gerushin cap. 1. III. a a a a a a Rashba in Tikkun Gâ—t at the end of Gittin in Alphes A bill of divorce was written in twelve lines neither more nor less R. Mordechai gives the reason of this number in these words b b b b b b Ch. 1. upon Tract Gittin Let him that writes a bill of divorse comprize it twelve lines according to the value of the number of the letters in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Get. But Rabh Saadias interprets that the bill of divocre should be written with the same number of lines wherein the books of the Law are separated For four lines come between the book of Genesis and the book of Exodus four between the book of Exodus and the book of Leviticus four between the book Leviticus and the book Numbers But the four between the book of Numbers and Deuteronomy are not reckoned because that book is only a repetition of the Law c. IV. You have the Copy of a Bill of Divorce in c Alphesius upon Gittin in this form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Bill of Divorce On the day of the week N. of the month of N. of the year of the Worlds Creation N. according to the computation by which we are wont to reckon in the Province N. I N. the son of N. and by what name soever I am called of the City N with the greatest consent of my mind and without any compulsion urging me have put away dismissed and expelled thee thee I say N. the daughter of N. by what name soever thou art called of the City N. who heretofore wert my wife But now I have dismissed thee thee I say N. the daughter of N. by what name soever thou art called of the City N. So that thou art free and in thine own power to marry whosoever shall please thee and let no man hinder thee from this day forward even for ever Thou art free therefore for any man And let this be to thee a bill of rejection from me Letters of Divorse and a Scedule of expulsion according to the Law of Moses and Israel Reuben the son of Iacob witness Eliezer the son of Gilead witness See also this form varied in some few words in Maimonides d d d d d d In Gerushin sol 273. 2. V. This bill being confirmed with the husbands seal and the subscription of witnesses was to be delivered into the hand of the wife either by the husband himself or by some other deputed by him for this office or the wife might depute some body to receive it in her stead VI. It was not to be delivered to the wife but in the presence of two who might read the bill both before it was given into the hand of the wife and after and when it was given the husband if present said thus Behold this is a bill of Divorce to you VII The wife thus dismissed might if she pleased bring this bill to the Sanhedrin where it was enrolled among the Records if she desired it in memory of the thing The dismissed person likewise might marry whom she would if the husband had not put some stop in the bill by some clause forbidding it VERS XXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whosoever shall put away his wife c. 1. OUR Saviour does not abrogate Moses permission of Divorses but tolerates it yet keeping it within the Mosaic bounds that is in the case of adultery condemning that liberty in the Jewish Canons which allowed it for any cause II. Divorse was not commanded in the case of adultery but permitted Isralites were compelled sometimes even by Whipping to put away their Wives as appears in e e e e e e In Gerushin cap. 2. Maimonides But our Saviour even in the case of adultery does not impose a compulsion to divorse but indulgeth a licence to do it III. He that puts away his wife without the cause of Fornication makes her commit adultery that is if she commits adultery or although she commit not adultery in act yet he is guilty of all the lustful motions of her that is put away for he that lustfully desires is said to commit adultery vers 28. VERS XXXIII 〈◊〉
another III. To omit the departure of the wife from the husband for the causes of lust as Herodias departed from Philip to be married to Herod and Drusilla from Aziz and married Felix m m m m m m Joseph Antiq lib. 20. c. â— A perverse wife might compel her husband to put her away A n n n n n n Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 14 wife which refuseth to lye with her husband is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebellious And they demand of her why she is so rebellious if she answers I despise him and cannot endure his bed they compel him to put her away for a time Yea o o o o o o Berish. Rabb in the place last quoted R. Jochanan saith A wife may put away her husband Those departures therefore the Apostle altogether forbids And when vers 11. he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But and if she depart he doth not so much tolerate them as supposes them to happen and provides against them all as much as may be by the following rules Let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband VERS XI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be reconciled to her husband COmpare Deut. XXIV 4. Her former husband which sent her away may not take her again to be his wife For the bond which was there made is not dissolved here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p p p p p p Jevamoth fol. 90. 2. He makes it void it is made void they are the words of Rabbi The Gloss is The husband sends a bill of divorse to the wife if either he himself afterwards goes to his wife or sends a messenger to him saying The bill of Divorse which I sent to thee let it stand for nothing it is nothing A Tradition In former times he compelled the Bench in another place who would make void the Bill and made not the thing known to his wife Gamaliel the Elder appointed that they should not do this because sometimes the wife not knowing of the withdrawing of the Bill marrieth another and so hath bastard children Behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Reconciliation after a Divorse but the Apostle speaks not in this place of Divorse and yet the Jews by their practice shewed that they thought the bond of marriage was loosed by any Divorse for they admitted second marriages VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now are your children holy A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unclean and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy denote not children unlawfully begotten and lawfully begotten but Heathenism and Christianism There is indeed this Tradition among the Jews q q q q q q Maimon Issureâ— Biah c. 12. A son by unlawful wedlock that is unlawful by consangunity is a son of the man in all regards and is to be reputed for an Israelite although he be misbegotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But a son begotten of a Heathen woman is not his son Where the Gloss He is not called the son of the man but the son of the woman But the present discourse of the Apostle turns not upon this hing namely whether a son sprung from parents whereof one was a Christian the other a Heathen be a legitimate issue but whether it be a Christian issue For it is sufficiently known that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy is very frequently taken for those that profess Christianity and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holiness in the Talmudists is taken in a like sense Au r r r r r r 〈◊〉 fol. 42. 1. husband and wife being made Proselytes are separated from each other ninety days that distinction may be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Between an issue born in holiness and an issue born out of holiness s s s s s s 〈◊〉 fol. 44. 2. The daughter of a Proselytess made a Proselytess with her mother if she play the whore after espousal is to be strangled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if she conceive without Holiness and bring forth in holiness then she is to be stoned Again t t t t t t Maiâ—â—â— Issâ—â—es â—iah cap. 15 A Proselytess which was married to a Proselyte and they beget a son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Although both his conception and his birth be in Holiness yet it is permitted him to marry a bastard woman You see at first sight what that expression In Holiness means An offspring born out of Holiness was an offspring born while the Parents were yet Heathens Within Holiness when they were now made Proselytes In the same sense the Apostle Your children are born in Holiness that is within Christianity if either father or mother be Christian. And the children themselves are holy that is Christians The Heatheus were reckoned by the Jews for unclean and so unclean indeed that they could not contract uncleanness no not from the most unclean thing a Sepulchre u u u u u u Hieros Pesach fol. 36. 2. Hence Heathen children were to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unclean and the children of Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy To which sense very well known to the Nation the Apostle alludes in these words VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him not become uncircumcised IN Talmudic Language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him not draw his foreskin x x x x x x Berish. Rebâ— fol. 46. Let Circumcision be four or five times repeated if any one be so often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drawn uncircumcised Again y y y y y y Hieros Jevamoth fol. 9. 1. There were many in the days of Ben Cozba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who drew over the foreskin that were again circumcised And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 z z z z z z R. Nissim in Jevamoth fol. 428. 2. A Tradition He whose foreskin is drawn over is to be circumcised again The Interpretation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drawn is this if after he had been circumcised the foreskin is drawn over either by men or by some sickness There were many in the days of Ben Cozba who had been circumcised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose foreskin they drew over by force in the City Betar But Ben Cozba prevailed and reigned two years and an half And they were circumcised again in his days VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Circumcision is nothing AMong many things which may here be spoken we will observe only two one from the very practice of the Jews the other from the chief end of circumcision I. You will wonder perhaps Reader when you hear that some Jews always went uncircumcised yea that some Priests not circumcised ministred at the Altar and that without the complaint of any and indeed without any fault But the Fathers of the Traditions themselves do confess this Very frequent mention is made in the Talmudists of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An uncircumcised
he hired another to kill him or turned a wild beast upon him which slew him this they accounted not murder for which to be questioned by the Sanhedrin though it deserved the judgment of God Talm. in Sanhedr per 9. Maym in Retsea per 2. but he shews that the command extends to the prohibiting of causless anger and that that deserves the judgment of God that the uncharitable scornings of a brother under their usual word Raka deserved the judgment of the Sanhedrin and especially the calling him fool in Solomons sense or censuring rashly his spiritual estate deserved hell fire They construed the command Thou shalt not commit adultery barely of the act of adultery and that with another mans wife Trip. targ in marg ad Exod. 20. but he tells that it prohibits lustful thoughts and looks and that looking upon a woman to lust after her is adultery in heart Rabban Simeon delighted to look upon fair women that he might take occasion by the sight of their beauty to bless God A fair excuse Tal. Jerusin Beracoth fol. 12. col 3. The Law had permitted divorces only in case of fornication Deut. 24. 1. but they had extended it to any cause and to so loose an extent that R. Ahiba said A man may put away his wife if he see another woman that pleaseth him better than she Gittin per. 9. The Law had forbidden foâ—swearing or swearing falsly thereupon they had made bold to take liberty of vain swearing at pleasure so that what they swore were not false as see Tal. Maym. in Shevâ—oh These cursed constructions of theirs by which they had made the Law of no effect he divinely damneth and stateth the proper and true intent of the Law in these cases 3. He prescribeth Christian duties and especially rules of piety charity and sincerity and condemneth the hypocritical vainglory of the Pharisees about these things They used when they gave almes in the Synagogue to have it openly proclaimed and published what they gave as if a Trumpet had been sounded for every one to take notice of their charity Jerus in Demai fol. 23. col 2. And they had an open proclaiming in the streets for the calling of the poor to gather the corner of the field that they had left them Id. Peah per. 4 c. They loved to be seen praying in the streets especially in their Phylactery prayers morning and evening besides other occasional Oraisons Id. Beracoth per. 1 2. They used to pray those prayers often and often other prayers in the Synagogue apart and distinct from the prayers or service that the Synagogue was then upon and so their particular devotion was the more subject to be observed Ib. fol. 8. col 3 c. They used on their fasting days to use such a carriage and demeanour in face and garb that all might observe that it was fasting day with them Piske Tosaph in Taanith per. 1 c. And in all their devotions and demeanour they hunted after the praise of men which he condemneth and urgeth for sincerity and care to approve the heart to God Throughout all this Sermon this great oracle of divine truth doth not only shew and hold out the sacred doctrines of faith manners duty and eternal life but he evidenceth throughout that he was throughly acquainted with all the learning doctrines and traditions of those times And to the explication of this divine Sermon is required quick and ready versedness in the Jews Records for Christ hath an eye and reference to their language doctrines customs traditions and opinions almost in every line SECTION XXIX LUKE Chap. VII from the beginning to Ver. 11. MATTH Chap. VIII Ver. 1. and then Ver. 5 to Ver. 14. A Centurion servant healed LUKES transition When he had ended all his sayings doth prove the order The four verses that speak about the Leper in Matthew were taken up before and their order spoken to then A proselyte Captain that had so far affected the Jews religion that he had built a Synagogue in Capernaum having seen and heard the works and words of Christ believeth him for the Messias and beggeth of him the healing of his servant Which that Christ could do he concludeth from a comparison of the power of his own word and command among his souldiers for since they were ready to come and go or run at his command much more doth he conclude was the word of Christ of power to command away the disease of his servant if he pleased Christ had often in his Sermon on the Mount asserted the authority of his own word against and above the words of their traditionaries and equalized it with that word that gave the Law And here is a very high and seasonable confession of the authority of that word made by this Centurion and an evidence of the power of it by the healing of his servant at distance The mans faith is justly extolled though he were a Gentile and the casting off the Jews is clearly foretold which Christ had not so plainly spoken out hitherto SECTION XXX LUKE Chap. VII Ver. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. The Widows Son of Naim raised AS Christ yesterday recovered a young man from the point of death so doth he another to day from death it self The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 11. do confirm the order The day after c. Joseph Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 5. speaks of the Village Nais as being upon the edge of Samaria in the way as the Galileans passed to Jerusalem And it is not improbable that Christ was going thitherward at this time to one of the Festivals most like to Pentecost As he comes to Naim he meets with a dead man carried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Talmudick Language for they might not bury within their Cities no nor at the Levites Cities within the compass of that ground without the City that was allotted for its suburbs Maym. in Shemitah veiobel per. 13. If Jerusalem went parallel with the Levites Cities in this as it did in other things Christs Sepulchre will not prove so near the City as it hath been commonly reputed He raiseth this dead man openly and in the sight of all the company there present which was very great and yet when afterward he raiseth Jairus daughter he chargeth that those that had seen him do the miracle which were but five persons that they should tell no man what was done Luk. 8. 56. which prohibition was given rather in regard of the place where it was done then in any other respect it being in Capernaunt against which City he had denounced a curse before SECTION XXXI LUKE Chap. VII from vers 18. to ver 36. MATTH Chap. XI from ver 2. to ver 20. JOHNS Message to Christ â— Christs testimony of John THE Transition of Luke from the Stories before about the raising of the dead man and healing the Centurions Servant And the Disciples of John shewed him of all these things
is exceedingly delighted with and given to the cruelty of the Sword-plays in which he swept away a world of Servants and Freemen that had been accusers of their Masters in the time of Caius And which was most ridiculous he caused the statue of Augustus to be removed out of the place because it should not behold such bloody work being inhumanely himself delighted in that butchery which he thought too barbarous for a brazen statue to look upon These bloody spectacles brought him to an habit of cruelty which was augmented and hardened in him by the damnable counsels of his Empress Messalina a woman wicked above parallel or expression and by the spurrings on of other sycophants C. Appius Silanus is put to death because he refused to incestuate Messalina when she desired him for he had married her mother but because Claudius must not hear of this beastly cause of her displeasure Narcissus a freeman of the Emperor accused him for this that in a dream he had seen Appius slay the Emperor Upon his death the people began to expect no more goodness from Claudius at all but gave him up for a Tyrant like the two that had gone before him whereupon Annius Vincianus and Futius Camillus Scribonianus and others conspired against him but being deserted of their souldiers in the enterprize they are glad to end their lives by their own hands that they might escape the executioners Messalina and Narcissus and others of their faction using the stupid folly of the Emperor to the compassing of their own wills involve in false accusations and in miserable deaths an infinite multitude of men and women honorable and inferior of all qualities and conditions according as the spleen of any of them moved or was provoked Among them that thus perished Arria the wife of Caecinna is upon record for her Roman valour for when her husband trembled and was afraid to slay himself she took the sword out of his hand and fell upon it and gave it him again reeking with her blood with these words Behold boy how I feel no pain And now saith my Author were matters come to such a pass that nothing was reputed a greater vertue than to die valiantly and like a Roman To such a cruelty had custom and evil counsel brought him that of himself was of a reasonable gentle nature but wanted constancy and discretion to manage it THE CHRISTIAN HISTORY THE Jewish and the Roman Of the Year of CHRIST XLIV And of the Emperor CLAUDIUS III. Being the Year of the WORLD 3971. And of the City of ROME 796. Consuls Claudius Caesar III. L. Uitellius ACTS CHAP. XII Vers. 2. And he killed Iames. §. 1. The Martyrdom of James the great WE are now come to the time of Great James his death For Agrippa coming the last year into Judea as we saw from Josephus and it not being probable that he should do this exploit before Easter as the circumstances told us we may justly take this year for its proper time and place Now about that time saith St. Luke Herod the King the Syriack addeth who is called Agrippa stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Jews and he killed James the brother of John with the sword The first words About that time relate to what went before in the preceding Chapter vers 28. and meaneth in the days of Claudius Caesar. Now what should be the incentive of the spleen of Agrippa against the Church is not specified it may well be supposed it proceeded from that his Ceremoniousness and strict observance of Mosaick Rites which is mentioned by Josephus Concerning the Martyrdom of James under this his spleen we will content our selves with the words of the Text He killed James the brother of John with the sword accounting all other additional circumstances which may be found in officious Authors to be nothing else but gilded legends and fond inventions As that mentioned by Eusebius out of Cleniens his Hypotyposeon concerning his accuser that seeing his constancy to the death confessed the faith and was martyred with him That by Epiphanius that he lived and died a Virgin and that by * * * Tom. 2. Iulii 25. Surius who is the bell-weather for old winter tales that telleth That his body after his martyrdom was shipped by Ctesiphon and his fellow-Bishops for Spain that the Ship in six days was directed thither without Pilot or Compass but only by the influence of the Corps that it carried That at the landing the body was taken up into the air and carried near the place of its burial twelve miles off That Ctesiphon and his fellows werâ— led to it by an Angel And more such trash that it is but labour lost either to read or mention §. 2. The Apostles Creed The Creed was made upon this occasion saith a a a De Institut Cleric l. 2. c. 56. extat in Auctario ad Biblioth Patrum â—ol 620 Rabanus Maâ—…s as our Ancestors have delivered unto us The Disciples after the Ascension of our Saviour being inflamed with the Holy Ghost c. And being charged by the Lord to go to all Nations for the preaching of the Gospel when they are to part one from another they first make a common platform among themselves for their future preaching Lest being severed in place divers and different things should be preached to those that were invited to the faith of Christ. Being therefore together in one place and filled with the Holy Ghost they compose a short platform for their preaching conferring together what they thought And this they appoint to be given to them that believe and to be called Symbolum c. Thus he and very many others with him conceiving that the Apostles supplied not only the matter of the Doctrine contained in the Creed but the very form and words also For Peter said say they I believe in God the Father Almighty John The maker of Heaven and Earth James And I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Andrew Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary Philip Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Thomas He descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the dead Bartholomew He ascended into Heaven sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty Matthew From thence shall he come to judge both the quick and the dead James the son of Alpheus I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church Simon Zelotes The communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins Judas the brother of James The resurrection of the flesh Matthias The life everlasting Amen Thus the hundred and fifteenth Sermon de Tempore that goeth under the name of b b b Tom. 10. col 849. Austen but apparent that it is not his by this that here is reckoned the descent into Hell which in his book c c c Tom. 3. p. 143. de Fide Symbolo is quite omitted Now were this
Heathens that is lost p p p p p p Nedarin cap. 3. hal 4. It is lawful for Publicans to swear that is an Oblation which is not that you are of the Kings retinue when you are not c. that is Publicans may deceive and that by Oath VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth c. THESE words depend upon the former he had been speaking concerning being loosed from the office of a brother in a particular case now he speaks of the Authority and Power of the Apostles of loosing and binding any thing whatsoever seemed them good being guided in all things by the Holy Ghost We have explained the sense of this Phrase at Chap. XVI and he gives the same Authority in respect of this to all the Apostles here as he did to Peter there who were all to be partakers of the same Spirit and of the same Gifts This power was built upon that noble and most self-sufficient Foundation Joh. XVI 13. The Spirit of Truth shall lead you into all Truth There lies an Emphasis in those words Into all truth I deny that any one any where at any time was led or to be led into all Truth from the Ascension of Christ unto the worlds end beside the Apostles Every holy man certainly is led into all truth necessary to him for salvation but the Apostles were led into all truth necessary both for themselves and the whole Church because they were to deliver a rule of Faith and Manners to the whole Church throughout all Ages Hence whatsoever they should confirm in the Law was to be confirmed whatsoever they should abolish was to abolished since they were endowed as to all things with a Spirit of Infalibillity guiding them by the hand into all truth VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That if two of you shall agree upon earth c. AND these words do closely agree with those that went before There the speech was concerning the Apostles determination in all things respecting men Here concerning their Grace and Power of obtaining things from God I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two of you Hence Peter and John act joyntly together among the Jews Acts II. III. c. and they act joyntly among the Samaritans Acts VIII 14. and Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles Acts XIII 2. This bond being broke by Barnabas the spirit is doubled as it were upon Paul II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agree together That is to obtain something from God which appears also from the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touching any thing that they shall ask suppose concerning conferring the Spirit by the imposition of hands of doing this or that Miracle c. VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them THE like do the Rabbins speak of two or three sitting in Judgment that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The divine presence is in the midst of them VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall I forgive him until seven times THIS Question of Peter respects the words of our Saviour Ver. 15. How far shall I forgive my brother before I proceed to the Extremity What Seven times he thought that he had measured out by these words a large Charity being in a manner double to that which was prescribed by the Schools q He that is wronged ◠Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 5. say they is forbidden to be difficult to pardon for that is not the manner of the seed of Israel But when the offender implores him once and again and it appears he repents of his deed let him pardon him and whosoever is most ready to pardon is most praise worthy It is well but there lies a snake under it r r r r r r Bab. Jomah fol. 86. ◠For say they they pardon a man once that sins against another Secondly they pardon him Thirdly they pardon him Fourthly they do not pardon him c. CHAP. XIX VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came unto the coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan IF it were barely said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Coasts of Judea beyond Jordan by the Coasts of Judea one might understand the bounds of the Jews beyond Jordan Nor does such a construction want its parallel in Josephus for Hyrcanus saith he built a fortification the name of which was Tyre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Between Arabia and Judea beyond Jordan not far from Essebonitis a a a a a a Antiq. lib. 12. chap. 5. But see Mark here Chap. X. 1 relating the same storie with this our Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came saith he into the coasts of Judea taking a journey from Galilee along the Country beyond Jordan VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause OF the causes ridiculous shall I call them or wicked for which they put away their wives we have spoke at Chap. V. ver 31. We will produce only one example here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When Rabh went to Darsis whither as the Gloss saith he often went he made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day Rabh Nachman when he went to Sacnezib made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day The Gloss is Is there any woman who will be my wife while ◠tarry in this place The Question here propounded by the Pharisees was disputed in the Schools and they divided into parties concerning it as we have noted before For the School of Shammai permitted not divorces but only in the case of Adultery the School of Hillel otherwise b b b b b b See Hierof Sotah fol. 16. 2. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because Moses for the hardness of your hearts suffered c. INterpreters ordinarily understand this of the unkindness of men towards their wives and that not illy but at first sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hardness of heart for the most part in Scripture denotes rather obduration against God than against men Examples occur every where Nor does this sense want its fitness in this place not to exclude the other but to be joyned with it here I. That God delivered that rebellious people for the hardness of their hearts to spiritual fornication that is to Idolatry sufficiently appears out of sacred Story and particularly from these words of the first Martyr Stephen Acts VII 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God turne d and gave them up to worship the host of heaven c. And they seem not less given up to carnal fornication if you observe the horrid records of their Adulteries in the holy Scripture and their not less horrid allowances of divorces and polygamies in the books of the Talmudists so that the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
4. 18. which was the token in every Epistle 2 Thes. 3. 17. for all the Epistle beside was written with another hand From Troas by several journeys he cometh to Miletum and thither he sends for the Elders of the Church of Fphesus which City was near at hand But who were these Not Timothy and Trophimus for they were in his company already and had been with him in his journey hither but these twelve men upon whom he had laid his hands and bestowed on them the Holy Ghost and so fitted them for the Ministry Acts 19. 6. and whomsoever besides Timothy had ordained into the Ministry whilst he was there Although the Ephesian and the rest of the Asian Churches were but in an ill case at this time in regard of false doctrines and much Apostacy that had corrupted and cankared them yet doth the Apostle foresee that the case will be worse and worse with them still and that grievous Wolves should yet break in upon them And this he concludeth not only from the boldness that he was assured false teachers would use and assume to themselves when he was gone but from those predictions of Christ that had foretold what sad Apostacy should occur and what false teachers should arise before the great day of Jerusalem came which was now coming on apace ACTS Chap. XXI Ver. 17. And when we were come to Ierusalem the Brethren received us gladly c. PAUL is now got to Jerusalem And the first thing that we have to do about his story there is to calculate the time and consider what Year it was when he came thither and to prove if we can that it was the second Year of Nero according as we have superscribed that Year for this is of import as to the fixing of those Chronical Observations that we are to take up hereafter The common consent in all times hath fixed his coming to Jerusalem and apprehension there to this Year and yet amongst all that have so concluded upon it there is none that hath given any one clear proof or evidence at all for such an assertion Eusebius Ado Cassiodore Baronius Lorinus and divers others are of this mind yet whereupon they grounded their opinion is hard to find nay it is hard to find among many of them any that goeth about to shew any groundwork for it at all It would therefore save a great deal of labour to take their consent without any more ado and it might carry good credit with it to go along with so general a tenet upon the word of so many Learned men yet that we may not go altogether led blindfold by others let these thing towards the proof of it be taken into consideration And first let us draw a Chronicle of Nero's time NERO. I. II. III. IV. Poppaea becomes Nero's Paramour V. Nero slaies his mother Agrippina VI. VII VIII Poppaea becomes Nero's Wife Pallas dieth IX X. Albinus is Govern our of Judea XI Florus cometh in Governour instead of Albinus XII The first beginning of the Wars of the Jews XIII XIV Although these things affixed to the several Years of Nero may seem very Heterogeneal to the thing we have in hand yet we shall find them of good use when we have firstcleared their truth and certainty 1. That Poppaea became Nero's Minion in his 4th Year is apparent by Tacitus Annal. lib. 13. Sect. 12. where he placeth the beginning of their adulterous acquaintance A. U. C. 811. under the Consulship of Nero III. and Valerius Messala 2. That Nero slew his mother Agrippina in his fifth Year the same Tacitus also asserteth lib. 14. Sect. 1. placing that fact A. U. C. 812. under the Consulship of C. Vipsanius and Fonteius Capito 3. The marrying of Poppaea to Nero as his Wife he placeth in his eighth Year Annal. lib. 14. Sect. 9. viz. A. U. C. 815. under the Consulship of P. Marius and L. Asinius and in the same Year he placeth the death of Pallas 4. The beginning of the Wars of the Jews in Nero's 12th and the entrance of Gessius Florus into the Government the Year before is confirmed under this testimony of Josephus Antiq. lib. 20. cap. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Out of which how Baronius can bring the beginning of Florus his Government to be in the tenth of Nero as he doth I understand not for if the twelfth Year of Nero were Florus his second then the eleventh was his first And now let us take in some things more which we must apply to these times mentioned to help us in the inquest we are about 1. Josephus saith that when Portius Festus came into Felix room in the Government of Judea the chief of the Jews of Caesarea went to Rome to accuse Felix and he had been certainly punished for his unjust dealing with the Jews had not Nero been very favourable to him at the intreaty of his brother Pallas who was then very much in Caesars esteem Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 7. 2. The same Josephus also speaking of the Government of Festus in Juden he first mentioneth how he found the Country infested with rebels and robbers whom he overthrew then he relateth how King Agrippa built his palace so at Hierusalem as that it overtopt the Temple Courts which the Jews disliking built a counterwall to hinder the prospect that it should not view their service and actions in the Temple At this Agrippa and Festus took distast and Festus commanded that the wall should be pulled down but the Jews desired they might send Agents to Rome about this matter which they did And when Nero heard the case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did not only pardon the thing done but he also consented to suffer the building so to stand vouchsafing this at the intreaty of his Wife Poppaea for she was devout c. Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 8. Observe the last words At the intreaty of his Wife Poppaea 3. The same Josephus again relateth a journey of his own to Rome in these words When I was six and twenty years old I went to Rome upon this occasion When Felix was Governour of Judea he sent certain Prists my near acquaintance and very good men for a small cause to Rome to appear before Caesar. For whose deliverance I desiring to find some means went to Rome and there by the means of a certain Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I came to be known to Poppaea Caesars Wife Baronius doth revile Josephus here as if he had forgot his own age Videas in his saith he quae suae aetatis sunt suo ipsius testimonio convinci annoruni sex turpiter errantem And wherein Quia affirmat se agentem annum supra vigesimum sextum sub Faelice Judaea praeside Romam venisse But Josephus saith no such word He saith indeed that he went to Rome to labour the deliverance of some men that Felix had sent thither in the time of his Government but that Felix was in his Government when he
as Egypts did through dreadful apparitions in the dark The drying up of Euphrates for the Kings of the East under the sixth Vial seems to speak much to the tenor of the sixth Trumpet the loosing of the four Angels which were bound at Euphrates Those we conceived the Turks to plague Christendom these we may conceive enemies to plague Antichrist The allusion in the former seems to be to the four Kings from beyond Euphrates that came to scourge Canaan Gen. 14. this to the draining of Euphrates for Cyrus and Darius to take Babylon For having to treat here of a Babylon as ver 19. the scene is best represented as being laid at the old Babylon Now the Historians that mention the taking of Babylon by Cyrus tell us it was by draining the great stream of Euphrates by cutting it into many little channels The Egyptian plague of Frogs is here translated into another tenour and that more dangerous three unclean Spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet Spirits of Devils working miracles c. This is named betwixt the sixth and seventh Vial though the acting of the delusions by miracles were all the time of the Beast and false Prophet because of the judgment now coming for though all deluders and deluded received their judgments in their several ages yet being here speaking of the last judgments of Antichrist they are all summed together He is here called the false Prophet as being the great deluder of all The fruit of all these delusions is to set men to fight against God whose end is set forth by allusion to the Army of Jabin King of Canaan Judg. 5. 19. broken at the waters of Megiddo The word Armageddon signifies a mountain of men cut in pieces Here that solemn caution is inserted Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments The Priest that walked the round of the Temple guards by night had torches born before him and if he found any asleep upon the guard he burnt his clothes with the torches Middoth per. 1. halac 2. The seventh Vial concludes the Beasts destruction The great City is said to be divided into three parts either as Jerusalem was Ezek. 5. 11 12. a third part to pestilence a third part to the sword and a third part to dispersion and destruction in it or because there is mention of an Earthquake this speaks its ruining in general as Zech. 14. 4 5. A tenth part of it fell before Chap. 11. 13. and now the nine parts remaining fall in a tripartite ruine REVEL CHAP. XVII MYSTICAL Babylon pictured with the colours of the old Babylon Rome so called as being the mother of Idolatry as Babel was the beginning of Heathenism and the mother of persecution Babylon destroyed Jerusalem so did Rome and made havock of the Church continually She is resembled to a woman deckt with gold c. as Isa. 14. 4. sitting upon a seven-headed and ten-horned Beast as Chap. 13. 1. Which Beast was and is not and yet is it shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and shall go to perdition Rome under the Papacy was not the same Rome it had been and yet it was Not Rome Heathen and Imperial as it had been before and yet for all evil Idolatry persecution c. the same Rome to all purposes It is plainly described as sitting upon seven hills upon which there is hardly a Roman Poet or Historian but makes a clear comment The seven heads denoted also seven Kings or kinds of Government that had passed in that City Five are fallen vers 10. Kings Consuls Tribunes Dictators Triumvirs and one then was when John wrote namely Emperors And one not yet come Christian Emperors which continued but a short space before the Beast came which was and is not He is the eight and he of the seven They that hold Rome to be the fourth Monarchy in Daniel cannot but also hold from this place that that Monarchy is not yet extinct The ten horns upon the Beast in Dan. 7. 24. are ten Kings arising and succeeding one another in the same Kingdom but here at ver 12. they are ten several Kingdoms all subject to the Beasts both Imperial and Papal but at last shall rise up against the mystical Whore and destroy her It is like there must yet be conversion of some Kingdoms from the Papacy before it fall REVEL CHAP. XVIII XIX to Vers. 11. AN Elegy and a Triumph upon the fall of Babylon The former Chap. 18. almost verbatim from Isa. 13. 14. 21. 34. Jer. 51. Ezek. 27. The later also Chap. 19. the phrase taken from the Old Testament almost every word The triumphant Song begins with Halleluja several times over The word is first used at the later end of Psal. 104. where destruction of the wicked being first prayed for Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth and let the wicked be no more he concludes with Bless thou the Lord O my soul. Hallelujah The observation of the peoples saying over the great Hallel at the Temple or their great Song of praise doth illustrate this The Hallel consisted of several Psalms viz. from the one hundred and thirteenth to the end of the one hundred and eighteenth and at very many passages in that Song as the Priests said the verses of the Psalms all the people still answered Hallelujah Only here is one thing of some difference from their course there for here is Amen Hallelujah ver 4. whereas It is a tradition That they answered not Amen in the Temple at all What said they then Blessed be the Name of the glory of his Kingdom for ever and ever Jerus in Beracoth fol. 13. col 3. But the promises of God which are Yea and Amen being now performed this is justly inserted as Christ for the same cause in this Book is called Amen Chap. 3. 14. The marriage of the Lamb is now come and his Wife is ready ver 7. the Church now compleated REVEL CHAP. XIX from Ver. 11. to the end of the Chapter HERE begins a new Vision as it appeareth by the first words And I saw Heaven opened and here John begins upon his whole subject again to sum up in brief what he had been upon before Observe what is said in vers 19. I saw the Beast and the Kings of the Earth and their Armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the Horse and against his Army and observe withal that there is the story of the destruction of the Beast before Chap. 18. and of the marriage and marriage Supper of the Lamb before Chap. 19. 7 8 9. therefore the things mentioned here cannot be thought to occur after those this therefore is a brief rehearsal of what he had spoken from the twelfth Chapter hither about the battel of Michael and his Angels with the Dragon and his Angels REVEL CHAP. XX. THE preceding Section spake what
his friends to a most miserable and intolerable imprisonment and being solicited and earnestly sued unto that he might be speedily executed and put out of his misery he flatly denyed it saying That he was not grown friends with him yet Such was the penance that he put poor Gallus to a life far worse than a present death for he ought him more spite and torture than a suddain execution The miserable man being imprisoned and straitly looked to not so much for fear of his escape by flight as of his escape by death was denyed the sight and conference of any one whosoever but him only that brought him his pitiful dyet which served only to prolong his wretched life and not to comfort it and he was forced to take it for he must by no means be suffered to dy Thus lived if it may be called a life a man that had been of the honourablest rank and office in the City lingring and wishing for death or rather dying for three years together and now at last he findeth the means to famish himself and to finish his miserable bondage with as miserable an end to the sore displeasure of the Emperour for that he had escaped him and not come to publick execution Such an end also chose Nerva one of his near friends and familiars but not like the other because of miseries past or present but because of fear and foresight of such to come His way that he took to dispatch himself of his life was by total abstinence and refusal of food which when Tiberius perceived was his intent he sits down by him desires to know his reason and begs with all earnestness of him that he would desist from such a design For what scandal saith he will it be to me to have one of my nearest friends to end his own life and no cause given why he should so die But Nerva satisfied him not either in answer or in act but persisted in his pining of himself and so dyed § 6. The miserable ends of Agrippina and Drusus To such like ends came also Agrippina and Drusus the Wife and Son of Germanicus and Mother and Brother of Caius the next Emperour that should succeed These two the Daughter in law and Grandchild of Tiberius himself had about four years ago been brought into question by his unkind and inhuman accusation and into hold and custody until this time It was the common opinion that the cursed instigation of Sejanus whom the Emperour had raised purposely for the ruine of Germanicus his house had set such an accusation on foot and made the man to be so cruel towards his own family but when the two accursed ones had miserably survived the wicked Sejanus and yet nothing was remitted of their prosecution then opinion learned to lay the fault where it deserved even on the cruelty and spite of Tiberius himself Drusus is adjudged by him to die by famine and miserable and woeful wretch that he was he sustaineth his life for nine days together by eating the flocks out of his bed being brought to that lamentable and unheard of dyet through extremity of hunger Here at last was an end of Drusus his misery but so was there not of Tiberius his cruelty towards him for he denyed the dead body burial in a fitting place he reviled and disgraced the memory of him with hideous and feigned scandals and criminations and shamed not to publish in the open Senate what words had passed from the pining man against Tiberius himself when in agony through hunger he craved meat and was denyed it Oh what a sight and hearing was this to the eyes and ears of the Roman people to behold him that was a child of their darling and delight Germanicus to be thus barbarously and inhumanely brought to his end and to hear his own Grandfather confess the action and and not dissemble it Agrippina the woeful Mother might dolefully conjecture what would become of her self by this fatal and terrible end of the poor Prince her Son And it was not long but she tasted of the very same cup both of the same kind of death and of the same kind of disgracing after For being pined after the same manner that it might be coloured that she did it of her self a death very unfitting the greatest Princess then alive she was afterward slandered by Tiberius for adultery with Gallus that died so lately and that she caused her own death for grief of his She and her Son were denyed burial befitting their degree but hid in some obscure place where no one knew which was no little distast and discontentment to the people The Tyrant thought it a special cause of boasting and extolling his own goodness that she had not been strangled nor dyed the death of common base offenders And since it was her fortune to die on the very same day that Sejanus had done two years before viz. Octob. 17. it must be recorded as of special observation and great thanks given for the matter and an annual sacrifice instituted to Jupiter on that day Caius her Son and Brother to poor Drusus took all this very well or at least seemed so to do partly glad to be shut of any one that was likely to have any colour or likelyhood of corrivality with him in his future reign and partly being brought up in such a School of dissimulation and grown so perfect a Scholar there that he wanted little of Tiberius This year he married Claudia the daughter of M. Silanus a man that would have advised him to good if he would have hearkned but afterward he matched with a mate and stock more fitting his evil nature Ennia the Wife of Macro but for advantage resigned by her Husband Macro to the adulterating of Caius and then to his marriage § 7. Other Massacres The death of Agrippina drew on Plancina's a Woman that never accorded with her in any thing but in Tiberius his displeasure and in a fatal and miserable end This Plancina in the universal mourning of the state for the loss of Germanicus rejoyced at it and made that her sport which was the common sorrow of all the State How poor Agrippina relished this being deprived of so rare a Husband can hardly be thought of without joyning with her in her just and mournfull indignation Tiberius having a spleen at the woman for some other respect had now a fair colour to hide his revenge under to call her to account and that with some applause But here his revenge is got into a strait for if he should put her to death it may be it would be some content to Agrippina and therefore not to pleasure her so much he will not pleasure the other so much neither as with present death but keepeth her in lingring custody till Agrippina be gone and then must she follow but her resoluteness preventeth the Executioner and to escape anothers she dieth by her own hand Let us make up the heap
terrible sports and when he came off victorious he caused him and his father to be slain and divers others with them inclosing them in a strong Chest or Press When once there were not enough of poor condemned wretches to cast to the wild beasts he caused divers that stood upon the Scaffolds for spectators to be cast unto them causing their tongues first to be cut out that they might not cry or complain yet did he with these cruelties mingle some plausible actions tending to popularity as creating of Knights priviledging the commons and lavishing in gifts that strengthing himself with these curtesies in the hearts of some men he might with the more confidence be cruel to other § 2 An end of Macro It cannot be expected that he should come to a good end himself that had brought so many to a bad His course is now come to tast of the same sauce that he had provided for so many others and it would half move the spectator to some kind of pity to see him slaughtered for such a cause as he was slaughtered for How he had been a means to curry Caius favour with Tiberius and to skrew him into the Empire and himself into his good opinion even by the prostitution of his own wife we have heard before and this his extraordinary officiousness he did not forelet or slacken when he had brought him where he desired to have him to the Empire But now he turned his observance a better way and what he had done before by baseness flattery and senseless obsequiousness to bring him to the rule he changeth into good counsel to keep him well in it For when he saw him fall asleep at Banquets amongst his cups he would freely check him for it as being neither for his credit nor for his safety The like would he do when he saw him misbehave himself by lightness profuse laughter and ridiculous gestures in the Theater and in beholding of plaies In brief so round and plain was he with him when he saw just cause that in fine the uncounselable humorist became his enemy and at last his death His end is reported to have been the same with young Tiberius forced to slay himself and Ennia his wife or the wife of Caius whether you will to have been constrained to the same extremity and end with him An end well befitting and well deserved of them both but from all men living least deserved from Caius Philo after the death of Macro placeth the death of M. Silanus which upon the warrant of Dion we have set before and in things so indifferent will not spend labour to examine PART II. The JEWISH Story § 1. Troubles of the Jews in Alexandria FLACCUS Avilius was now Governour of Aegyt and had been so for some years before A man that ruled well while Tiberius lived but after his death could not govern himself For when he heard of the death of the old Emperour and the succession of the new sorrow for the one and fear of the other did so transport him besides himself that forgetting the bravery and glory wherewith he had governed hitherto he let loose the reins of himself to these two passions and the reins of the government to desperate carelesness and neglect He did nothing but weep for the loss of old Tiberius to whom he had been very intimate and dear and he might well weep the more because he could meet hardly with any that would bear any part and share in that sorrow with him This his grief was augmented by the fear that he had of Caius and of his displeasure and that by the intelligence that his conscience gave him that he had deserved it partly for his propensity to young Tiberius and siding with him but chiefly because he had had some hand or at least some consent and inclination to the death of Agrippina Caius his Mother Both these his miserable passions were brought to their height when he heard of the death of young Tiberius and of his old friend Macro The thought of these two was the only comfort he had against his dejectedness and discontent for all his hope was that these two might make his peace with Caius whose displeasure he so much doubted But what must he do now when they cannot make their own peace He yeeldeth himself therefore wholly to his discontented mood and neglecteth utterly both himself and the State His old friends he groweth jealous of and rejecteth his professed enemies he receiveth to his favour and to his counsels These rule him that should have ruled Egypt and he had done it worthily but now is drawn any whither that ill advise fullenness and melancholy doth direct him These his wicked Counsellors invent a course to procure his peace and the Emperours favour a course indeed bloody barbarous and inhumane but such as suited with their own malice and as it proved took place with the Governors desperateness and cowardize if so be he may be called a Governor still Caius the Emperour say they is an enemy to the Jews and a friend to the Alexandrians Let this be the opportunity whereby to work thy reconciliation to suffer the City to rise against the Jews and to commit outrage upon them and thou canst not perform an act more acceptable to the Prince nor more profitable for thy self The wretched Flaccus that took to heart no mans misery but his own and cared not who suffered so he might escape gave ear to this damnable and devilish counsel and put it in practice first plotting mischief against the Jews in secret then oppressing them in judgment and in their suites openly and at the last professing and publishing himself their resolved enemy § 2. Agrippa at Alexandria an unexpected and unwilling occasion of further troubles Those incendiaries that had kindled this fire will be sure to lose no blast that may make it flame and keep it burning Agrippa that had not long ago departed from Alexandria a poor private man returneth now thither in prosperity and a King Caius that had promoted him to his kingdom did lovingly direct him by Alexandria as the safest way to it Thither he came with as great privacy as such a personage could do and yet was he espied by the jealous eyes of these rare counsellours and his coming misconstrued through their malice to the Jews They perswade Flaccus that his coming thither was an affront to him in his own Province that his Pomp and Train was more sumptuous than his that the eyes of all men were upon the new King Agrippa and in short that his presence there was his present disgrace and would prove his future disadvantage The ill governed Governour was ready enough to hearken to such buzzings as these and to yeeld them impression in his mind yet durst he not put any thing in execution against the King for fear of him that sent him He therefore thought it best to carry a fair outside to Agrippa and to his
meditation of so great a Prince When Agrippa cometh to Claudius he is now more urgent than before that he stand to his challenge because he had now groped the mind and strength of the Senate and he prevaileth with him so far that the Souldiers go to the Senate house and there demand a confirmation of their choice It was now come to it in the Councel that they were resolved to choose one Monarch for they saw the Souldiers would so have it but now the question was who that must be some were for one some for another but the conspirators against Caius were against Claudius howsoever This division had like to have caused another tumult but the end of all was that the power and fear of the Souldiers prevailed and the Senate was glad to accept him for their Prince whom they durst not refuse §. 8. His demeanor at his beginning Agrippae had perswaded him to deal gently with the Senate but he either perswaded not or prevailed not with him for the like towards the conspirators of his nephews death Chereas and Sabinus the slayers of Caius and Lupus the Executioner of Caesonia and her child were not like the Senate either perswaded by reasons or affrighted by forces to accept of Claudius or to owe him homage but they boldly and resolutely gainsay his election even to the death Claudius therefore causeth Chereas to be slain and Lupus with him which doom they underwent with different demeanours Chereas stoutly but Lupus weeping Chereas at one blow for he met death half the way but Lupus at many for he shrunk it all he could But Sabinus fool-hardy as he was when Claudius had granted him his pardon and not only so but also restored him to his former honors he disdaining to be singled from his fellow conspirators in their end any more than in their design fell upon his own sword and died Such a beginning did the new made Emperor make into his Empire mingling severity and clemency together in the censure of offendors of the same knot that he might also mingle fear and love in the hearts of the people This Claudius was the son of Drusus the son of Livia a man dull and diseased even from his childhood and for that brought up most in the converse with women or nurses hence his effeminacy and luxuriousness at all times and his readiness to be led away by the counsel of women at some He was now about fifty years of age when he began to reign at the very ripeness of all the discretion he had but that it was often blasted with fearfulness drunkenness and wicked counsel When he was set quietly in the Throne the first thing he did was to get the two days in which the agitation was about the change of the Government quite out of memory and for that end he made an Act of Oblivion of all things that had passed either in Words or Actions of all that time yet had he not wrought his own security so far but that he caused all that came near him to be searched for weapons and while he sat at any meal he had a strong guard about him For the motion that had been so lately and so strongly carried for the abolition of Monarchy and the other which proposed others thereto when Monarchy was agreed upon and would have excluded him had taken such an impression upon him that he reputed no safety in his holding of the Royalty but by that strong hand and power by which he had gotten it Yet tried he fair and gentle dealing though he durst not trust it Those from whom he had received any affront in the days of Tiberius and Caligula for sometimes in those days to abuse Claudius was to curry favor he freely pardoned if he found them guilty of no other crime but if he did he paid them then for all together The unjust fines of Caius he remitted his illegal decrees he revoked his innocents imprisoned he released and his causless banished he called home The poisons which he had prepared for the Nobles and a list of their names for whom they were prepared being found in the Palace though Caius had pretended to have burnt them he shewed publickly to the Senate and then burnt them indeed He forbad any one to adore him or to sacrifice to him he restrained the great and loud acclamations that were used to be made to the Emperor and carried himself with such sweetness and moderation that happy had the Republique been in the continuance of the Monarchy had he been so happy as to have continued in this his first demeanor But his wicked Empress Messallina and her wicked consorts first provoked him to mischief and his too much delight in the bloody sports did by degrees habituate him unto cruelty He had recalled Julia and Agrippina the two sisters of Caius out of banishment whither they had been sent by their own Brother after he had defloured them and he restored them to their Estates and Revenues again But Messallina stomacking that Julia did her not honour and homage enough and envying her beauty and being jealous of her privacy with Claudius she caused her to be banished again and in a short time she compassed her death These were but ominous beginnings when Caesars love to his own neece was cause enough to work her ruine but was not strong enough to stand between her and the fury of his own wife And it did but fatally presage what mischief her wretched counsels would work the cowardize and indiscretion of her husband to when their first effect was upon one so near allied Nor did cruelty and bloodiness enter thus only in at his ears by the suggestion of his cursed wife but the like it did also at his eyes by his frequent and delightsom beholding of the bloody sports that growing by degrees to be his delight to act which had grown by degrees also to be his delight to see Sometimes beasts with beasts as twelve Camels and Horses at one time and 300 Bears and 300 African wild beasts at the same sometimes beasts with men and sometimes men with men and at all times hideous bloodshed that he that can look upon such barbarousness and slaughter with content it may be suspected that he in time will grow to act the like with the same delight PART II. ACTS XI Vers. 26. And the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch §. 1. The name of Christian. THE Jews and Gentiles being now since the calling of Cornelius knit up together into one Church they are this year tied up into the rosie and glorious knot of the same name and Epithet the name of Christian A new name which the Lord himself did give them as we may well understand that prophesie Esa. 65. 15. that the two distinguishing names of Jews and Heathen might no more continue the ancient distance that was betwixt them but that that and all differences arising therefrom might be buried
carries with it a very proper sense if you interpret it To according to its most usual signification Moses to the hardness of your hearts added this that he permitted divorces something that favours of punishment in it self however you esteem it for a priviledge II. But you may interpret it more clearly and aptly of the Inhumanity of husbands towards their wives but this is to be understood also under restriction fo r Moses permitted not divorces because simply and generally men were severe and unkind towards their wives for then why should he restrain divorces to the cause of Adultery but because from their fierceness and cruelty towards their wives they might take hold of and seek occasions from that Law which punished Adultery with death to prosecute their wives with all manner of severity to oppress them to kill them Let us search into the Divine Laws in case of Adultery a little more largely 1. There was a Law made upon the suspicion of Adultery that the wife should undergo a trial by the bitter waters Numb 5. but it is disputed by the Jewish Schools rightly and upon good ground whether the husband was bound in this case by duty to prosecute his wife to extremity or whether it were lawful for him to connive at and pardon her if he would And there are some who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he was bound by duty and there are others who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was left to his pleasure c c c c c c See Hierof Sotah as before 2. There was a Law of death made in case of the discovery of Adultery Deut. XXII 21 22 23. If a man shall be found lying with a married woman both shall die c. not that this Law was not in force unless they were taken in the very act but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be found is opposed to suspicion and means the same as if it were said When it shall be found that a man hath lain c. 3. A Law of Divorce also was given in case of Adultery discovered Deut. XXIV for in that case only and when it is discovered it plainly appears from our Saviours Gloss and from the concession of some Rabbins also that Divorces took place For say they in the place last cited Does a man find something foul in his wife he cannot put her away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he hath not found foul nakedness in her that is Adultery But now how does the Law of death and that of Divorce consist together It is answered They do not so consist together that both retain their force but the former was partly taken off by the latter and partly not The Divine Wisdom knew that inhumane husbands would use that law of death unto all manner of cruelty towards their wives for how ready was it for a wicked and unkind husband to lay snares even for his innocent wife if he were weary of her to oppress her under that law of death And if she were taken under guilt how cruelly and insolently would he triumph over her poor woman both to the disgrace of wedlock and to the scandal of Religion Therefore the most prudent and withal merciful Law-giver made provision that the woman if she were guilty might not go without her punishment and if she were not guilty might go without danger and that the wicked husband that was impatient of wedlock might not satiate his cruelty That vvhich is said by one does not please me That there was no place for divorce where Matrimony was broke off by capital punishment for there vvas place for Divorce for that end that there might not be place for capital punishment That Law indeed of death held the Adulterer in a snare and exacted capital punishment upon him and so the Law made sufficient provision for terrour but it consulted more gently for the woman the weaker vessel lest the cruelty of her husband might unmercifully triumph over her Therefore in the suspicion of Adultery and the thing not discovered the husband might if he would try his wife by the bitter waters or if he would he might connive at her In case of the discovery of Adultery the husband might put away his wife but he scarce might put her to death because the Law of Divorce was given for that very end that provision might be made for the woman against the hard heartedness of her husband Let this story serve for a Conclusion d d d d d d Bab. Berac fol. 19. 1. Shemaiah and Abtalion compelled Carchemith a Libertine woman-servant to drink the Bitter waters The husband of this woman could not put her away by the Law of Moses because she was not found guilty of discovered Adultery He might put her away by the Traditional Law which permitted Divorces without the case of Adultery he might not if he had pleased have brought her to trial by the bitter waters but it argued the hardness of his heart towards his wife or burning jealousie that he brought her I do not remember that I have any where in the Jewish Pandect read any example of a wife punished with death for Adultery e e e e e e Hierof Sanhedr fol. â—4 2. There is mention of the daughter of a certain Priest committing fornication in her fathers house that was burnt alive but she was not married VERS XII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eunuchs from their mothers womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eunuchs which were made Eunuchs of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Talmudists VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then were little children brought unto him NOT for the healing of some disease for if this had been the end propounded why did the Disciples keep them back above all others or chide any for their access Nor can we believe that they were the children of unbelieving Jews when it is scarcely probable that they despising the Doctrine and person of Christ would desire his blessing Some therefore of those that believe brought their Infants to Christ that he might take particular notice of them and admit them into his Discipleship and mark them for his by his blessing Perhaps the Disciples thought this an excess of officious Religion or that they would be too troublesome to their Master and hence they opposed them but Christ countenanceth the thing and favours again that Doctrine which he had laid down Chap. XVIII namely That the Infants of believers were as much Disciples and partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven as their Parents VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thou shalt not kill c. IT is worthy marking how again and again in the New Testament when mention is made of the whole Law only the second Table is exemplified as in this place so also Rom. XIII 8 9. and Jam. 11. 8. 11 c. Charity towards our neighbour is the top of Religion and a most
in white and had a white veil and entred and ministred with his Brethren the Priests 2. We meet also with mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Council-house of the Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q q q q q q Bab. Joma fol. 66. 1. in Gemara The High Priests made a Decree and did not permit an Israelite to carry the scape Goat into the wilderness But in the Gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Council of the Priests did not permit this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r r r r r r Chetubh chap. 1. hal 5. The Council of the Priests exacted for the portion of a Virgin four hundred Zuzees and the wise men did not hinder it First This was that Council of which we spoke before in the Chamber of the Councellors Secondly That which was decreed by them concerning the carrying away of the scape Goat belonged meerly to the Service of the Temple as being a caution about the right performance of the office in the day of Attonement Thirdly And that about the portion of a virgin was nothing else but what any Israelite might do and so the Gemarists confess If any noble family in Israel say they would do what the Priests do they may The Priests set a price upon their virgins and decreed by common consent that not less than such a portion should be required for them which was lawful for all the Israelites to do for their virgins if they pleased 3. s s s s s s â—â—â— Hashanah chap. 1. hal 7. There is an example brought of Tobias a Physician who saw the New Moon at Jerusalem he and his Son and his servant whom he had freed The Priests admitted him and his Son for witnesses his servant they rejected but when they came before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bench they admitted him and his servant and rejected his Son Observe 1. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Council is here opposed to the Priests 2. That it belonged to the Council to determine of the New Moon because on that depended the set-times of the Feasts this is plain enough in the Chapter cited 3. That what the Priests did was matter of Examination only not Decree 4. t t t t t t Jerus 〈◊〉 fol. 2â— 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Elders of the City Deut. XXII 18. are the Triumvirat Bench. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At the Gate v. 24. means the Bench of the chief Priest The matter there in debate is about a married woman who is found by her husband to have lost her virginity and is therefore to be put to death Deut. XXII 13 c. In that passage among other things you may find these words ver 18. And the Elders of that City shall lay hold of that man and scourge him The Gemarists take occasion from thence to define what the phrase there and in other places means The Elders of the City and what is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word Gate when it relates to the Bench. That say they signifies the Triumvirat Bench This the Bench or Council of the High Priest that is unless I be very much mistaken every Council of twenty three which is clear enough both from the place mentioned and from reason it self 1. The words of the place quoted are these R. Bon bar Chaija enquired before R. Zeira What if the Father of the Virgin should produce witnesses which invalidate the testimony of the husbands witnesses if the Fathers witnesses are proved false he must be whipped and pay a hundred Selaim in the Triumvirat-Court but the witnesses are to be stoned by the Bench of the Twenty three c. R. Zeira thought that this was a double judgment but R. Jeremias in the name of R. Abhu that it was but a single one But the Tradition contradicts R. Abhu for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the Elders of the City ver 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is To the Triumvirat Bench. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But at the Gate means the Bench of the High Priest It is plain that the Bench of the High Priest is put in opposition to the Triumvirat-Bench and by consequence that it is either the chief Council or the Council of the Twenty three or some other Council of the Priests distinct from all these But it cannot be this third because the place cited in the Talmudists and the place in the Law cited by the Talmudists plainly speaks of such a Council which had power of judging in capital causes But they that suppose the Ecclesiastical Council among the Jews to have been distinct from the Civil scarce suppose that that Council sat on capital causes or passed sentence of death much less is it to be thought that that Council sat only on life and death which certainly ought to be supposed from the place quoted if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Council of the High Priest did strictly signifie such a Council of Priests Let us illustrate the Talmudical words with a Paraphrase R. Zeira thought that that cause of a husband accusing his wife for the loss of her virginity belonged to the judgment of two Benches namely of the Triumvirat which inflicted whipping and pecuniary mulcts and of the Twenty three which adjudged to death but Rabbi Abhu thinks it is to be referred to the judgment of one Bench only But you are mistaken good Rabbi Abhu and the very phrase made use of in this case refutes you for the expression which is brought in To the Elders of the City signifies the Triumviral Bench and the phrase at the Gate signifies the Bench of Twenty three for the chief Council never sat in the Gate 2. Now the Council of Twenty three is called by the Talmudists the Bench or the Council of the chief Priest alluding to the words of the Law-giver Deut. XVII 9. where the word Priests denotes the inferiour Councils and Judg the chief Council II. In the chief Council the President sat in the highest seat being at this time when Christ was under examination Rabban Gamaliel as we said but the High Priest excelled him in dignity every where for the President of the Council was chose not so much for his quality as for his learning and skill in Traditions He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase very much used by the Author of Juchasin applied to Presidents that is Keeper Father and deliverer of Traditions and he was chose to this office who was fittest for these things Memorable is the story of Hillel's coming to the Presidentship being preferred to the Chair for this only thing because he solved some doubts about the Passover having learnt it as he saith himself from Shemaiah and Abtalion u u u u u u Jerus Pesach fol. 33. 1. We will not think it much to transcribe the story The Sons of Betira once forgot a Tradition for when the fourteenth day on which the Passover was to be
probably at this time it bore the name of Nicopolis When I take notice that Chammath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Baths of Tiberias are commonly in the Greek rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and withal that our Emmaus was much celebrated for famous Waters I cannot forget the waters of Nephtoa or the Fountain of Etam from whence water was conveighed by Pipes into the Temple This was in the same quarter from Jerusalem with our Emmaus So that our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may as well be derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ammath a Channel of waters as well as the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chammath the warm Baths But this I leave to the Reader 's judgment In memory of this place let us record a Story out of Sigeverts Chronicle in the Reigns of Theodosius and Valentinianus Hoc tempore in castello Judeae Emmaus c. At this time in a Garrison in Judea called Emmaus there was a perfect Child born From the Navel upward he was divided so that he had two Breasts and two Heads either of which had their proper senses belonging to them The one eat when the other did not the one slept when the other was awake Sometime they slept both together they plaid one with another they both wept and would strike one another They lived near two years and after one had died the other survived about four days If this two headed Child was the issue of a Jew then might that question be solved which is propounded Menacoth fol. 37. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any one should have two heads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on which of the Foreheads should the Phylacteries be bound No mean scruple indeed But let us have from the Glossator as considerable a Story Asmodeus produced from under the pavement before Solomon a Man with two heads He Marries a Wife and begot Children like himself with two heads and like his Wife with one When the Patrimony comes to be divided he that had two heads requires a double portion and the cause was brought before Solomon to be decided by him As to that Thamna or Timnath which Josephus in the place above quoted makes mention of it is disputed in Sotah fol. 17. 1. where Rabh asserts that there were two Timnaths one in Judea and the other that of Samson We all know of a third of that name Josua's Timnath viz. Timnath-Serah in Mount Ephraim where Josua was buried Jos. XXIV 30. Here give the Rabbins a little play and let them trifle by transposing the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Serah and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cheres and from thence ground a fiction that the image of the Sun was fixed upon the Sepulchre of Josua in remembrance of the Sun 's miraculous standing still by his word This is like them Nor indeed is that of a much better mould which the LXX add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There they put into the monument with him the stone-knives with which he circumcised the Children of Israel in Galgal when he brought them out of Egypt as the Lord had commanded them Were these think you in the Hebrew Text once and have they slipt out since Do they not rather savour of the Samaritan gloss or the Jewish tradition They recede from the Hebrew Text in the same Story but something more tolerably when they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the North-side of the Hill Gaash 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the North-side of the Hill Galaad where as far as I am able to judge they do not paraphrase ill though they do not render it to the Letter Let us consider that obscure passage which hath so much vext Interpreters in Jud. VII 3. Proclaim now in the ears of the people saying whosoever is fearful and afraid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him return early from Mount Gilead The place where this thing was acted was either in or very near the vale of Jezreel distant from Mount Gilead beyond Jordan twenty or thirty miles and therefore how could these Gideonites depart from Mount Gilead I am not ignorant what some do alledge toward the untying this knot viz. that it should be taken thus Whoever be of Mount Gilead let them return The Targumist to this sense Whosoever is fearful let him return 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let choice be made out of Mount Gilead i. e. Let the Gileadites be chosen But whether his meaning was that the Gileadites should be chosen to remain because they are not afraid or be chosen to return because they were I shall not reckon it worth the while to enquire But may not Mount Gilead in this place be understood of the Hill Gaash It is certain the situation agrees well enough and perhaps there is no great difference in the name Whence that Mount Gilead beyond Jordan first had its name is not unknown namely from that heap of stones set up by Jacob for a witness of the Covenant betwixt him and Laban Gen. XXXI We read of something not unlike it set up by Josua near Shechem in testimony of the Covenant betwixt the people and God Jos. XXIV 26. Now therefore who can doubt but that Josua was buried near Shechem For when that place was particularly bequeathed and set out by Jacob for his Son Joseph who of the whole stock and lineage of Joseph could justlier inherit that part of the Country than Josua He was buried on the North-side of the Hill Gaash in his own ground Might not that Hill be also called Gilead upon the account of that Pillar of Witness that was built there a little from Sichem whence the foot of the Hill and the Hill it self beginning to rise if it were Northward which we suppose then it might very well reach not far from that place where this matter of Gideon was transacted For whereas the field wherein the Battel was was within the Tribe of Manasseh contiguous to Mount Ephraim and Gideon proclaims that whosoever were afraid should depart from Mount Gilead we can perhaps think of no proper sense wherein this Mount Gilead can be taken than that that part of Mount Ephraim was so called from the Pillar of Testimony placed on the South-side of it when the common name for it was the Hill Gaash HORAE Hebraicae Talmudicae OR HEBREW AND TALMUDICAL EXERCITATIONS upon the Evangelist St. LUKE CHAP. I. VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Forasmuch as many have taken in hand c. WHEREAS it was several years after the Ascension of our Lord before the four Books of the Holy Gospel were committed to writing the Apostles the Seventy Disciples and other Ministers of the Word in the mean time every where dispersing the glad tydings no wonder if many pious and greedy Auditors had for their own memory sake and the good of others noted in their own private Table-books as much as they were capable of carrying from the Sermons
〈◊〉 Zephaniah the second Priest Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zephaniah the Sagan of the Priests Caiaphas therefore was the High-Priest and Annas the Sagan or Ruler of the Temple who for his independent dignity is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or High-Priest as well as Caiaphas and seems therefore to be named first because he was the others Father-in-law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h h h h h h Chetub fol. 88. 2. fol. 105. 1. There was a dissention between Hanan and the Sons of the chief Priests c. It was in a judicial cause about a Wife requiring her dower c. Where the scruple is who should these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these Chief Priests be Whether the Fathers and heads of the Courses or the High-Priest only and the Sagan It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i i i i i i Cap. 1. of the same Treatise hal 5. a Counsel of Priests which we have already spoken to at Matth. XXVI 3. Now the question is whether by the Sons of the chief Priests be meant the Sons of the Fathers of Courses or the Fathers of Courses themselves or the Sons of the High-Priest and the Sagan where the High-Priest in that Court was like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince in the Sanhedrin and the Sagan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of the Sanhedrin k k k k k k Pesikta fol. 11. 4. Moses was made a Sagan to Aaron He put on his Garments and took them off viz. on the day of his Consecration And as he was his Sagan in life so he was in death too VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Every valley shall be filled THE Jews have a Tradition that some such thing was done by the cloud that led Israel in the Wilderness Instead of many instances take the Targumist upon Cant. II. 6. There was a cloud went before them three days journey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take down the hills and raise the valleyes It slew all fiery Serpents in the Wilderness and all Scorpions and found out for them a fit place to lodge in What the meaning of the Prophet in this passage was Christians well enough understand the Jews apply it to levelling and making the ways plain for Israel's return out of Captivity for this was the main thing they expected from the Messiah viz. to bring back the Captivity of Israel l l l l l l Beresh rabb fol. 110. 3. R. Chanan saith Israel shall have no need of the Doctrine of Messiah the King in time to come for it is said to him shall the Gentiles seek Isai. XI 10. but not Israel If so why then is Messiah to come and what is he to doe when he doth come He shall gather together the Captivity of Israel c. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham WE do not say the Baptist played with the sound of those two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Banaia and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abanaia He does certainly with great scorn deride the vain confidence and glorying of that Nation amongst whom nothing was more ready and usual in their mouths than to boast that they were the Children of Abraham when he tells them that they were such Children of Abraham that God could raise as good as they from those very stones VERS XI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that hath two Coats let him impart to him that hath none IT would be no sense to say he that hath two Coats let him give to him that hath not two but to him that hath none For it was esteemed for Religion by some to weare but one single Coat or Garment Of which more elsewhere VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exact no more than that which is appointed you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m m m m m m Sanhedr fol. 25. 2. When the Rabbins saw that the Publicans exacted too much they rejected them as not being fit to give their testimony in any case Where the Gloss hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too much that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 More than that which is appointed them And the Father of R. Zeirah is commended in the same place that he gently and honestly executed that trust He discharged the Office of a Publican for thirteen years when the Prince of the City came and this Publican saw the Rabbins he was wont to say to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go my people enter thou into thy Chambers Isai. XXVI The Gloss is Lest the Prince of the City should see you and taking notice what numbers you are should encrease his tax yearly VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither accuse any falsly LEVIT XIX 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither lye one to another Job XXXV 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The oppressed See Psal. LXXII 4. CXIX 122. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. n n n n n n Dion Cass. lib. 58. a little from the beginning The manner of sycophants is first to load a person with reproaches and whisper some secret that the other hearing it may by telling something like it become obnoxious himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With your wages A word used also by the Rabbins o o o o o o Midr. Schir fol. 5. 3. The King distributeh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wages to his Legions p p p p p p Sanhedr fol. 18. 2. The King is not admitted to the intercalation of the year 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the Opsonia That is lest he should favour himself in laying out the years with respect to the Souldiers pay VERS XXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Like a Dove IF you will believe the Jews there sate a golden Dove upon the top of Solomon's Scepter q q q q q q Bemidb. rabh fol. 250. 1. As Solomon sate in his throne his Scepter was hung up behind him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the top of which there was a Dove and a golden crown in the mouth of it VERS XXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being as was supposed the Son of Ioseph A Parable r r r r r r Schemoth rabba fol. 160. 4. There was a certain Orphaness brought by a certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epitropus or Foster-father an honest good man At length he would place her in Marriage A scribe is called to write a bill of her dower Saith he to the girl what is thy name N. saith she What the name of thy Father She held her peace To whom her Foster-father why dost thou not speak Because saith she I know no other Father but thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that educateh the child is called a Father not he that begets it Note that Joseph having been taught by the Angel and well satisfied in
again before thine enemies So that it was the Justice of God that encouraged them to this war and it had two parts to act First To punish Israel for that Idolatry against which they stirred not and now stirred so in the cause of a Strumpet And then secondly To punish Gibeah and Benjamin for the abominable fact about that Strumpet the one for acting and the other for abetting it and not delivering the offenders to deserved punishment So that had they inquired why they fell so many in the war when God himself had set them to it this answer might easily have been given without asking at an Oracle and no question but Phinehas or what other holy men were in the army did sadly observe it But before we pass further the observation how God encourages them to this war and yet foils them in it minds me of two cases that are something parallel but only in this excepted that they had not a precedent and dormant cause why God should so check when he had commanded and encouraged but only a present and emergent The one is Jacob commanded and encouraged by God to go from Haran to his own Country and God promised to be with him and yet Christ the Angel of the Covenant meets him by the way wrestles with him seeks to kill him and he escapes so narrowly that he lamed him all his life The emergent reason was because Jacob upon news of Esau's coming with four hundred armed men was sorely shaken in his faith foiled with distrust and sends him a great multitude of cattel before he had tithed them as his Vow was to do Hence God that had commanded him doth so check him but he wept and made supplication recovers his faith and scapes with life though not with all his limbs The other is Moses commanded and encouraged by God to go for Egypt to deliver the people and the power of miracles put into his hand And yet Exod. IV. 24. It came to pass by the way in the Inn that the Lord met him and sought to kill him The emergent cause was Moses distrust likewise He had long declined the Employment as doubting and pleading his own insufficiency for it and though God had given him this token that he should bring the people to worship God at that mountain yet durst not Moses venture to leave his wife behind him lest he should not come to see her any more but takes her with him though now in childbed and her child not yet eight days old to be circumcised And for this distrust God that had commanded him yet doth check him with so great a danger But he recovers his faith scapes with life sends back his wife and goes on his journey But these failings with these good men were suddain and emergent This fault of Israel had been sometime dormant and they dormant under it but now God awakens them with the alarm of a grievous slaughter that if ever they will inquire about their condition and business it is time for them to inquire now But how do they do it II. And that is a second thing to be inquired after The Ark and Phinehas are here mentioned because their inquiry was by Phinehas and his inquiry at the Ark. And was it possible that Phinehas should be then alive He was one of the persons that came out of Egypt Exod. VI. 23. And it was three hundred and fifty years at least since they came out of Egypt to the death of Sampson which you see is set before this story in the XVI Chap. let Phinehas be supposed to have been in the swaddles when they came out yet must he be at the least three hundred and fifty years old if he were alive at the death of Sampson which is far above the date that the ages of men went at at that time Before the Flood indeed the Patriarchs lived almost to a thousand years But at the Flood mans age was halved so that none that was born after lived up full to five hundred At the Confusion of Babel it was halved again so that none born after that lived up no not to two hundred and fifty as is easie to observe by computing the Ages in Gen. XI Nay the Ages of men stood not at that measure neither but at the murmuring in the Wilderness Numb XIV they were shortned again and the common stint of mans life brought to seventy or eighty years or thereabouts as Moses tells us in the XC Psalm Which Psalm was penned by him upon that very occasion So that it is not so much as to be imagined that Phinehas attained to three hundred and fifty years of age which he did and more if the time of this story were according to the order of placing it in this book But as it is very usual in Scripture to dislocate stories out of their proper time and place and that upon most divine reason so it is done here and indeed more signally than in any other place whatsoever This story of the war at Gibeah and that before of the Idolatry set up in Dan and that before that of the Idolatry set up by Micah in Mount Ephraim being set in the latter end of the Book which indeed for their proper time should have place near the beginning And that First Because in Chap. II. 7. it is said that Idolatry broke out among them assoon as the first generation that had seen the wonders in the Wilderness was dead and gone Now that Idolatry of the Danites with the Idol of Micah was the first publick breaking out And thereupon Dan is omitted to be named among the sealed of the twelve Tribes Revel VII Secondly It is said that this occurrence at Gibeah was when no King i. e. no Judge in Israel was yet risen It is repeated three times over Chap. XVIII 1. Chap. XIX 1. and Chap. XXI 27. to point out that these stories occurred before any Judge was Thirdly The wickedness at Gibeah is reckoned for the first notorious piece of villany in the Land Hos. X. 9. O Israel thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah Fourthly and lastly That passage in Judg. V. 8. speaks clearly of this matter They chose new Gods then was war in the gates was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel They chose new Gods refers to the Idolatry in Dan. Then was war in the gates to this Civil war in Gibeah in their own gates Was shield or spear seen among forty thousand To the forty thousand that fell in this war as if neither shield nor spear had been among them I shall not trouble you with large discourses to shew why these stories are displaced and laid in this place whereas they occurred so soon in the story of this book I shall only commend this to your Conception Sampson their last Judge after whose death their seat declined was of Dan and their first publick Idolatry was in Dan. Sampsons life was sold for
as if they meant that the Romans had taken away from them the power of Capital punishments But the Jews more truly give the reason of it viz. That Murtherers and Malefactors were grown so numerous and head-strong and so strong a party that the Sanhedrin could not durst not execute justice upon them And let me add one other Record of theirs which suits with the thing we are upon namely they say That Adulterers grew so common so in numerable that they were glad to lay aside that practice by trying the adulterous wife by giving her to drink the bitter waters prescribed by God in the fifth of Numbers And that Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai who I doubt not was of the Sanhedrin at this very time caused it to be laid aside alledging that saying of the Prophet Hosea I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your spouses when they commit adultery Hos. IV. 14. Now take it either way whether the Romans had taken away the power of Capital punishments out of their hands or Malefactors had overpowred it that it durst not act a just scruple arose in this case what to do with this woman But these men come not for resolution of questions but for catching advantages which Christ well knoweth and therefore gives them no answer but stooping down and with his finger wrote on the ground Our English hath added as though he heard them not which is rarely to be found in any Greek Testaments Some few indeed have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as not regarding which might very well have been spared since Christ when he had shewed that he heard and regarded by saying to them Whosoever is without sin let him cast the first stone yet he stoops down and writes on the ground again An action and gesture that seems so strange to Beza that he plainly professeth that for this very passage he had a suspition of the whole story that it is not Gospel It may be it seemed to him too like the gesture of David scrabbling on the walls and doors in a dissembled frantickness But if he had turned the other end of his Perspective it would have looked more like Gods writing with his finger on the two tables of stone for the Temple-floor was stone also Some on the other hand as confident as he was suspitious will tell you verbatim what it was that Christ wrote who let enjoy their confidence and fancy It is enough for us if we can discover why he wrote and what his intent was in this gesture To the discovery of which let me observe these things to you I. That as the trial of an adulterous wife is the thing that is in transaction so Christ acteth in some conformity to the trial of the adulterous wife prescribed by God in the fift of Numbers And much like if I mistake not did Moses act in the trial of Spiritual adultery the Idolatry with the Golden Calf In Exod. XXXII 27. He saith to the Sons of Levi Put every man his sword by his side and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the Camp and slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour Now how could they know among so many thousands who were guilty Why as the adulterous wife drinking the water mixed with the dust of the Sanctuary floor gave evidence of her guilt by her belly swelling so Moses by Gods direction beats the Calf to powder strews the powder upon the water of the brook that descended out of the Mount Deut. IX 21. causes the people to drink of it and probably God caused some like token to appear upon the faulty II. The Jews have a Maxim in reference to the trial of the suspected wife most agreeable to sence and reason viz. That her trial proved of no effect unless her husband that accused and tried her were himself free from unchastity Though she indeed had played the whore and though she drank the bitter waters and the Priest denounced the curse appointed to be denounced yet that all had no effect upon her to make her belly to swell and her thigh to rot if her husband were an adulterer too or a defiled person Our Saviour acts here directly according to the equity of this Maxim and sets himself purposely to try these accusers who accused the woman and brought her to be tried As if he had thus spoken out unto them You have brought this woman to me for me to sentence her as a Judge but who made me a Judge or a Magistrate among you But let me act this once as personating the Priest that was to try the suspected wife and let me go by the equity of your own rule you say the trial of an adulterous wife proved to no effect upon her to bring her to condign punishment if her husband were guilty of the like crime You accuse this woman and put her upon my trial are you your selves free from the like fault If you be stone her He that is without sin let him cast the first stone But if you be not expect not that this her trial should be of effect to her condign punishment because you the accusers are guilty of the like fault or of some such notorious fault your selves If we should strictly understand the words He that is without sin for he that is without the guilt of this same sin of uncharity among you it were but agreeable to the construction of the phrase Luke VII 37. a Woman in the City that was a sinner which is commonly understood a Common strumpet And it were agreeable to that title that Christ once and again puts upon that generation calling it a wicked and adulterous generation And it were but agreeable to the lascivious temper of the Nation as I observed before But take it to mean some other notorious crimes you see our Saviours dealing is exactly according to the equity of that Maxim mentioned viz. No trial of the adulterous wife to condemn her if the husband that accused her be an Adulterer himself III. Whereas the Priest in the trial of the suspected wife was to stoop down and take of the dust of the Sanctuary to make her drink it and he was to write the curses he denounced against her in a book the gesture of our Saviour here remembers both His stooping down and making the pavement of the Temple as his book and writing in the dust there something most likely bitter and grievous against them he tried VI. The trying Priest wrote the curses in the book and as soon as he had done he blotted them out with the bitter waters again because the matter was doubtful that he was upon whether the woman was guilty or no if the were guilty then there were curses written if she were not then they were blotted out But here Christ is sure of the guilt of the persons he puts to trial and therefore he writes not and blots out