by tearing off ten of its Skirts But to return As I have been forc'd to prove that before our Saviour the Scepter was not departed and therefore this Prophecy of Jacob is not applicable to any before him So I shall now shew it is not applicable to any since by demonstrating the Scepter to have departed at that time by such Effects of its departure as are acknowledged for such by the Jew himself and pointed to as such by his own Scriptures and invelop that Nation in a Darkness that may be felt and far exceeds the blackest Darkness which befel that State in its greatest Eclipses The Sanctuary half Shekel paid to the Capitol It is Doctor Lightfoot's Observation out of Xiphilinus apud Dionem in the Place fore-cited that in acknowledgment of their Subjection to the Emperour the Jews were enjoyn'd by Vespasian to pay to the Capitol that Didrachma or Half-shekel that they usually paid to the Temple for their Lives A ransom for their souls unto the Lord Exodus 30. 12 13. The mony of the soul's estimation of every one that passeth the account 2 Reg. 12. 4. for I take both these places to speak of one and the same Shekel though Master Weems makes them two calling this latter Argentum transeuntis that is the Half-shekel which they paid to the Lord when they were numbred by head making a distinction where there is no difference for in that Text which he quotes for the first Ex. 30. 12. there is mention made that that was to be payed when they were numbred three times in two verses When thou takest the sum of the Children of Israel after their number then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord when thou numbrest them ver 12. and ver 13. this they shall give every one that passeth among them that are numbred Xiphilinus indeed does not expresly say it was that Half-shekel that was paid to the Temple that Vespasian appointed every Jew to pay to the Capitol but Josephus speaks home Bel. Judaic 7. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Emperour Vespasian laid this Tribute upon the Jews wheresoever they lived that they should pay to the Capitol that Didrachma which thitherto they had paid to the Temple 1. That this was the Half-shekel which they paid to the Lord for their Lives as his Tribute is manifest from both those fore-quoted Texts for Moses Exod. 30. orders the high Priest to imploy it in the service of the Tabernacle and Jehoash appoints the Priests to repair the Temple with it 2. Reg. 12. as also from another passage in Josephus Antiqu. Judaic 14. 12. where he calls it sacred mony because every Jew yearly paid it for his Life to God and sent it to the Temple from all parts of the World where they were dispersed from whose numerousness he saith it came to pass that Crassus found such vast summs in the Treasury of the Temple when he plunder'd it and that Mithridates surprized eight hundred Talents at Cons which the Jews of the lesser Asia had deposited there during those Wars not daring to send them to Jerusalem lest they might be snap'd up in the passage 2. And that this Shekel was never by any Conqueror before Vespasian required as Tribute is manifest from Josephus affirming that till then it had been used to be paid to the Temple from Pompeius reputing it so sacred as he durst not lay hands on it when he enter'd into the Temple from men's imputing Crassus his overthrow to God's avenging himself upon him for robbing the sacred Treasury where these Half-shekels were deposited that it was paid to the Temple in Caligula's Reign is manifest from that place of Josephus Ant. 18. 12 16. where he writes that the Jews of the Province of Babylon made choice of Neerda because of the strength and inaccessibleness of that place for their sacred Treasury where they deposited the sacred Didrachma till at certain Seasons they could send it to Jerusalem which they used to do with a Convoy of many thousands both for the greatness of the charge and danger of being robb'd by the way by the Parthians But this is most clearly evinc'd from the sacred Gospels informing us that the Tribute-money St. Mat. 22. 18. 19. St. Mar. 12. imposed upon the Jews by the precedent Emperours had Caesar's Image and Superscription upon it and was a Roman Coin hence stiled both in St. Matthew and St. Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Latine name and the Tribute it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 census in all printed Copies and Manuscripts that I have seen or heard of save that old Greek and Latine M S. which Beza sent to the University of Cambridge where it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pole-mony a word coin'd at the fingers end of the Scribe for the Tribute laid upon them by Augustus or Pompey and taken off by Agrippa was not paid by the head but by the house as Josephus expresly affirmeth Josoph Jud. Ant. 19. 5. Remisso ei tributo quod soliti erant in singulas aedes solvere 2. And upon this very account our Saviour determin'd it to be Caesar's due in which determination he proceeded according to their own Concessions as Lightfoot observes Harmony Sect. 77. quoting the Jerusalem Talmud bringing in David and Abigail talking thus Abigail said What evil have I or my Children done David answereth Thy Husband vilified the Kingdom of David She saith Art thou a King then He saith to her Did not Samuel anoint me King She saith to him The Coin of our Lord Saul is yet current And again in Sanhedr A King whose Coin is current in those Countreys the men of the Countrey do thereby evidence that they acknowledge him for their Lord but if his Coin be not current he is a Robber And that with as much advantage as could be desired in order to his convincing them that the Tribute of that Denarium was due to Caesar but the Tribute of the Didrachma due to God that bearing Caesar's Picture with this Inscription say Antiquaries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caesar August such a year after the taking of Judea Hammond ann c. in Mat. 22. But this if it were the Kings or common Shekel being stamped on one side with a Tower standing betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole Inscription with that which was written beneath amounting to this Motto Jerusalem the holy City the rundle being fill'd with this David King and his Son Solomon King or if it were the Sanctuary-shekel having on one side the Pot of Mannah or Aaron's Censer with this Inscription The Shekel of Israel on the Reverse side Aaron's Rod budding with this Motto in the Rundle Jerusalem the Holy City that is Jerusalem the Royal City of the great King Goodwin antiq lib. 6. cap. 10. Beza on Mat. 17. 24. makes the same Description of that Shekel which was given
than whom there had not been a greater Prophet born of Woman St. Mat. 11. 11. where the feeble are to be as David and the house of David as God Zechar. 12. 8. The meanest Form in Christ's School to equallize the highest in Moses his and the highest in Christ's to take out those Lessons that were never read to any before Christ set up School and to perform those Exercises that were never set to any till Christ gave us a Formula of them in his fulfilling all righteousness and a command to perform them Chrisostom de virgin cap 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God indulged those times in those and many other things but after the coming of Christ the way is made much streighter and more noble work set us Secuudùm Natur am vivere laus ejus est qui nondum credidâ—t Justin ad Zenam To live according to Nature is his commendation that hath not yet attain'd to the Christian Faith to which whosoever subscribes binds himself to a more holy and heavenly frame of Heart and course of Life than any of the most strict forreign Sects propounded And that under pain of losing the reward of a Christian. For the proof of which we have as full and clear Testimony from the mouth of him who is Amen the faithful and true Witness as for any Doctrine in all the Bible not only in that foremention'd Preface to his Royal Law but in the Sanction annex'd to it St. Mat. 7. 26. Every one that heareth these sayings of mine these terms that I have added to the remedying Law as it was dispenc'd by Moses in this Form of words prefix'd But I say unto you For what can these sayings of Christ's be but what he had in that Sermon said unto them over and above what they had hear'd was said to them of old time and doth them not shall be likned unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell and great was the fall of it and all this both Law and Sanction he preach'd not as the Scribes as a Commentator on Moses but of his own authority in his own name as a Lawgiver which Sanction set to his Law when it first went out of his sacred Lips he was so far from reversing as when he seals up all Prophesie the whole new Testament the Law to his Disciples he binds it upon them and confirms the unalterableness of it in such forms as these Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be Rev. 22. 12. that is to them that continue in well doing eternal life but to them that are contentious will rather be arguing with God about his Proposals quarrelling with his Law of Liberty than submit to the practice of it and obey not the Gospel indignation and wrath c. Rom. 2. 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and end the first and the last and what I said at the first I say now at the last what I was at the beginning I shall be at the end still of the same mind and of this mind Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in thorow the gates into the city for without are dogs c. If any man shall add unto these things make those things necessary to salvation which I have not made so as the Judaizing Pseudo-christians who beside the Yoke of Christ made the Yoke of Moses necessary I will add to him the Plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this Prophesie make that needless that I have made needful as the Gnosticks did God shall take away his part out of the book of life Rev. 22. 13. c. In which Quotations and hundreds more of sacred Texts the Evangelists do so fully obviate the Popish Distinction of Precepts and Counsels and the Antinomian's whole brood of worse Birds of that evil Egg who turn all Christ's Precepts into Counsels And in the language of Isidore so manifestly pervert and Isidor Pelusiot lib. 4. ep 125. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adulterate the divine Doctrine by mixing the pure and limpid sence of sacred Scripture with their own Opinions as I wonder how Christian ears can endure to hear their Croakings in flat Contradiction to the divine Oracles or tingle not to hear them putting those things to the question which Christ has so positively and without the least ambiguity determined and that their folly is not manifest to all men as well as their audacity in their interpreting ambiguous places in the Apostolical Writings point blank to Christs manifest and plain sence as if that Spirit of Promise by which their Pens were directed had not brought to their remembrance but made them forget what Christ had said and prompted them to propound Salvation upon as contrary Terms to Christs as darkness to light And in their concluding against the necessity of Evangelical good Works from those very places where the necessity of them is most strenuously asserted and maintain'd To show these blind Leaders of the blind how great their Darkness is even in those things wherein they think they have the clearest Light when they hear St. Paul conclude that a man is justified by faith not works they take faith there to be terminus diminuens and to import a lighter burden an easier Yoke than those works which they deny justification to § 5. Whereas it will easily appear to him that rightly states the grand Controversie then arising upon the Coming of Christ and the common notion of the word Faith in the stating of that Controversie That none of the contending parties did or could except they would wilfully pervert the stated sence of that term and become Barbarians to one another understand by Faith in that question any thing else but Christian Religion Can any man think that St. Paul had not more Grace or Wit than to assert that a man's bare depending on Christ for salvation without observing that Physician 's Rules would bring him health That they who do not so much as believe him but give him the lye when he protests he will exclude from Interest in him all those that keep not his sayings that they I say who when he pronounceth woe and menaces do not take him for an honest man a man of his word either can believe in him for eternal life or if they should would obtain it by him or lastly that he or any body else in their right wits would dispute that which all rational men grant viz. that no Religion can save any man that does not cordially comply with it or that any man can cordially comply with a Religion as of divine Original and not conform to its Precepts not follow his God in the
Argument of the extremity wherewith Mithridates was opprest that he spared not so much as the Plowing Oxen but slew them to make Thongs of their Hides and strings for his warlike Engines of their entrails Appian Alex. de bellis Mithridat p. 229. But more plainly in Justin's Compendium of Trogus Pomp. l. 36. cap. in risum Minimus inter fratres Joseph fuit cujus excellens ingenium veriti fratres clam interceptum mercatoribus peregrinis vendiderunt à quibus deportatus in Aegyptum cùm Magicas artes ibi solerti ingenio percepisset brevi ipsi Regi percharus fuit Nam prodigiorum sagacissimus erat somniorum primus intelligentiam condidit nihilque divini juris humanique ei incognitum videbatur Adeò ut etiam sterilitatem agrorum ante multos annos providerit periissetque omnis Aegyptus fame nisi monitus ejus edicto Rex servari multos per annos fruges jussisset Tantaque experimenta ejus fuerunt ut non ab homine sed a Deo responsa dari viderentur Joseph was the youngest Brother whose excellent wit his brethren being jealous of intercepted him privily and sold him to forreign Merchants who carried him into Aegypt where having through his industrious wit learn'd the Magick Art in a short time he grew greatly in favour with the King for he was quick in finding out the meaning of Prodigies and the first that taught the interpretation of Dreams and seem'd to understand whatsoever appertain'd to the Divine or Humane Law So as he foresaw a Famine many years before it fell out and all Egypt had perish'd through Famine if the King admonish'd by Joseph had not commanded provision to be laid up for many years Yea such experiments did he give of his Wisdom as his Responds seemed to proceed not from man but God For this it was that he obtain'd while he lived the honour of being proclaimed by the Kings Command Abrech that is tender Father or as St. Jerom in his Hebraick Questions and the Vulgar Latine Translate it The Saviour of the World Gen. 41. 43. preferring that before that of Aquila which Aben Ezra favours and our English follows bow the knee And after his Death was worship'd by the Israelites in the Wilderness under the form of the Golden Calf they putting more confidence in him for relieving their wants in that barren Land than in their Fathers God who so often had spread a Table for them in the Wilderness Him also did Jeroboam worship at Dan and Bethel as the God of Plenty and for the honour of his Tribe Jeroboam being of the Tribe of Ephraim the Son of Joseph Of which beside the suffrage of some Rabbies mention'd by Vossius de origin idololat these Observations may be a Confirmation 1. The Image of the Aegyptian Ox sacred to Osiris had a bushel set upon its head saith Ruffinus Eccles. Hist. l. 2. cap. 23. to denote Josephs measuring out of Corn this reason is alledged by Suidas in Serapis why some conceiv'd that Idol to represent Joseph 2. Moses in his blessing that Tribe Deut. 33. 17. saith The firstling of a Bullock is the Beauty of his countenance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifestly expressing the Embleme which the Egyptians erected in his memory not that he approved their abusing of it by Religious Worship but only commends Joseph whom God had blest with that Wisdom as procured him that Testimony of civil respect for it was no more at first than a piece of Heraldry This Coat of Arms Moses calls the Firstling of a Bullock because of the greenness of Joseph's years when he was set over the Land of Aegypt being then but 30 years old exceeding young for the Gravity of his Counsel and deportment and therefore his Emblem was a Calf or Firstling 3. Though the bewilder'd Israelites erected but one Image yet their acclamation before it was These are thy Gods oh Israel which have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Exod. 32. 8. VVhy Gods but to denote that Idol to have been of the Epicene Gender and to have represented both Apis and Osiris the Ox of Memphis and Heliopolis which saith Plutarch de Iside Osyride the Aegyptian Priests affirmed to be all one and that Isis was the Soul of Osyris And why Thy Gods which brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt but to exclude the Inderites Egyptian Gods whose Interest it was to keep them in Aegyptian Bondage and to imply it was some deified Israelite towit Joseph who at his Death had prophesied their Return and whose Reliques they brought with them out of Egypt to whom they imputed their deliverance and conduct § 6. The History of Moses is more plainly comprehended in the Fables of a third Osiris or Liber whom the Poets describe in the Indian or Arabick expedition of Bacchus for that this Osiris and Liber and Dionysius are all one Nonnus testifieth in his Dionysiacωn lib. 4. and that the ancient Greeks accounted all the Tract beyond the Mediterranean India is manifest from that of Ovid De arte amandi lib. 1. Andromedam Perseus nigris portarat ab Indis Perseus brought away Andromeda from the black Indians now Andromeda was brought away from Joppa a City of Phoenicia saith Pliny l. 5. cap. 13 31. and chap. 9. cap. 5. Belluae cui dicebatur exposita fuisse Andromeda ossa Romae apportata ex oppido Judaeae Joppe ostendit inter reliqua miracula in Aedilitate sua M. Scaurus M. Scaurus when he was Edile did amongst other rarities make show of the bones of that Sea-monster to which Andromeda was reported to have been expos'd having caused them to be brought from Joppa a City of Judaea Having premis'd these Tropological Notes let us compare the Stories The sacred History saith that Moses was exposed in an Ark upon the Water watched by his Sister and found by Pharaoh's Daughter The Prophane tells us of Liber's Mother and Nurses being with him at the Bank of Nile Orpheus in hymmis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With thy Goddess-mother the venerable Isis wearing black with thy Maidennurses at the Egyptian River At Brasiae in Laconia they had an old Tradition that Bacchus as soon as he was born was put into an Ark and committed to the Water which after-ages to give repute to that City corrupted with the addition that the Ark was driven by Tides to their coast and Bacchus educated with them whence their City called formerly Oreatae took the name of Brasiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a Verb signifying to be cast up with the tide Pausanias Laconici In certain Verses of Orpheus the Caldean Liber is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Water-born and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which misseth Moses his Name but one Vowel It is true indeed he is elsewhere stiled unutterable Queen but that proceeded from the Grecians mistake expess'd by Alexander Polyhistor that the Jews receiv'd their Laws from a Woman named Mosω they