is so too The time of our Birth is doubtless uncertain for though the Talmudick Doctors do averr That the Foetus's of dumb Animals are form'd within a limitted time yet they do not own the same of young Children They make the time of Parturition threefold one at the ninth Month which is common and usual and this they will have meant by the word Conception which in the Hebrew contains the number 271 for there are so many days in nine Months The second time that a Woman is with Child is seven Months hence in the Jerusalem Targum upon these words Gen. 3.16 I will greatly multiply thy Sorrow and thy Conception c. the Commentators say That the word in multiplying according to the numerical Letters of the Hebrew makes up 212 days which are equivalent to seven Months agreeably to this the Philosophers Empedocles Plotinus and Macrobius say That a Child can't live that is born before the seventh Month. Some of the Rabbins are of an Opinion that every one of the seven Planets performs an Office in the Production of Children The third time of Parturition is extended to the 12th Month. Agellius B. 3. chap. 16. reports that a Woman was brought to Bed at Rome the 11th Month after her Husband's Decease The Emperor Adrian by the Consent of Physicians and Philosophers maintains that this thing is possible Bernard mentions a Woman which is scarce credible that was 16 Months with Child Thus we see that it is ordinary for Women to be with Child nine Months yet extraordinarily they may be Deliver'd before or after that time so the ordinary Term of Man's Life is 70 years yet very sew live so long Therefore the Term of our Life is not so precisely Fix'd but it may be chang'd SECT 2. Man's Life may be shortne'd several ways viz. by Divine Providence Chance or Nature These three Causes I put instead of the three fatal Sisters to whom the Heathens ascrib'd the Boundaries of Life Thus a Man's Life is shortn'd by Providence for Example when a Man is cut off from the People which Punishment the Scripture makes mention of and by which the Cabbalists Aramban and Isaac Abravanel affirm a Man's Life is taken away in the midst of his days and the Soul after its Separation from the Body is depriv'd of the sight of God Hence it is manifest that our Life may be shortn'd by Sin and prolong'd by Vertue But I shall Illustrate this Argument by some Examples The Rabbins say That Abraham liv'd 175 years which are five less than his Son Isaac because he should not see the Impiety of his Kinsman Esau Rachel also did not live out her days For that which proceeds out of a righteous Man's mouth is the same as if it came out of an Angels Jacob not knowing that she had stolen her Fathers Idols curs'd her saying With whom soever thou sindest thy Gods let him not live Gen. 31.32 So they say though Joseph liv'd 110 years yet he died before all his Brethren because he had exercis'd a great deal of Severity towards them Abijah is said to be slain by the Lord for the Sin by which he polluted himself saying Ye be a great multitude and there are with you Golden Calves which Jerobeam made you for Gods 2 Chron. 13.8 With this agrees what Isaiah says Chap. 6.5 Wee is me for I am undone because I am a Man of unclean Lips and an Angel came and touched his Lips with which he had offended with a Coal There are more clear Examples beside these in Saul and his Sons which the Scripture expresses after this manner 1 Chron. 10.13 14. So Saul died for his Transgression which he committed against the Lord even against the word of the Lord which he kept not God smote Nabal with a sudden Death 1 Sam. 25.38 And it came to pass about ten days after that the Lord smote Nabal that he died Here the Jewish Doctors note that those were the ten days which are between the beginning of the Year and the Day of Expiation which we call penitential days because every one ought then to Examine his Life and consider what he has said or done amiss Jeremiah foretold the Death of Hananiah the false Prophet Chap. 28.16 This year shalt thou die because thou hast taught Rebellion against the Lord. But what shall we say of that vast multitude which perish'd in the Deluge of those that were consum'd in Sodom and Gomorrah of Korah Dathan and Abiram and their wicked Accomplices whom the Earth swallow'd up alive Of that grievous Plague which swept away so many Israelites in David's time Is it not manifest enough that their Lives were shorten'd by Divine Providence Pertinent to this are the words of David Psal 37.22 Such as be blessed of him shall inherit the Earth And they that be cursed of him shall be cut off and of Jeremiah Chap. 17.11 He that getteth Riches and not by Right shall leave them in the midst of his days which R. Kimchi expounding says He shall die before his time Job says Chap. 36.12 If they obey not they shall perish by the Sword And Solomon Eccl. 8.13 It shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his days Chap. 7.17 Be not overmuch wicked neither be thou foolish Why shouldst thou die before thy time Upon which places the Chaldee Paraphrast says They shall shorten their days because they shall die before their time comes to die Because God us'd to punish Sinners with untimely Death therefore David prays Psal 102.24 That God would not take him away in the midst of his days The Cabbalists upon that place of the Proverbs Chap. 13.23 There is that is destroyed for want of Judgment say That it is certain that Men often die before their time Hither may be referr'd those Persons that are punish'd for their Crimes as Joab Shimei and many more Concerning these Solomon observes Prov. 19.16 He that despiseth his ways shall die upon which words the Learned Aben Ezra comments Before his time because the Council shall put him to Death SECT 3. There is another way likewise by which Life may be shorten'd and that is by Chance or Fortune For this Reason R. Judah Levita upon those wards of Samuel Or he shall descend into the Battel and perish c. says That is an accidental Death And R. Joseph Albo affirms that it signifies a Death that happens by Chance and without any antecedent Offence and merely by the Power of a Celestial Sign But that I may explain this thing more clearly I shall shew what the Jews meant by Chance and Fortune And in the first place they usually distinguish between Fortune and Chance The latter of which they attribute to inanimate and insensible Creatures For instance if Tyles fall from a House when the Wind blows and kill a Man Here we have two things 1. A natural Cause for it is natural for the Wind to blow 2. That which may be
these following Reasons 1. Because God promises long Life upon the Observation of some of his Commandments as Exod. 20.12 Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the Land Deut. 4.40 and 32.47 Now if our days were decreed by God from all Eternity this Promise would be vain and no Body could exceed them much less can God deceive us Therefore it is in the Power of Man to make his Life long or short as I shall shew hereafter 2. We find several Persons earnestly desiring God to spare their Lives So Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.2 3. Then he turn'd his Face to the Wall and prayed unto the Lord saying I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart And David Ps 61. Cain being afraid of Death says Gen. 14.14 Every one that findeth me shall stay me There are others that have desir'd to die as Elies 1 Kings 19.4 It is enough now O Lord take away my Life for I am not better than my Fathers And Jonah Chap. 4.8 He fainted and wish'd in himself to die and said it is better for me to die than to live Now if the Term of Life was absolutely predestinated the Prayers of Hezekiah Cain and David were vain and those of Elias and Jonah superfluous Hence the Talmudists in Guemara Berachet say That if any one comes into a City and finds it in an uproar he may lift up his Voice and pray to God that he would avert that Evil from his Family Or if any one should desire after his Wife is with Child that it may be a Male certainly such Petitions are frivolous because when a thing is done it cannot be alter'd This we may apply to our present purpose for if all things were decreed from Eternity it is absurd to be sollicitous or careful about any thing 3. The truth of this Argument is mightily confirm'd by the words which God spake to Solomon 1 Kings 3.11 12 13 14. From whence it is evident that Solomon might ask for Life as a contingent thing and when God conferr'd on him Wisdom Riches and Honour he promis'd him Life too not absolutely but conditionally If thou wilt walk in my ways c. 4. If the Term of Life is unalterably setled no Man can prevent Death And yet we find God exhorting Man to beware of Dangers and the Occasions of Misfortunes Deut. 20.5 6 7. and in another place Chap. 22.8 When thou buildest a new House then thou shalt make a Battlement for thy Roof that thou bring not Blood upon thine House if any Man fall from thence Therefore it follows that the Term of Life is not fixed by an absolute Predestination 5. David himself says 1 Sam. 27.10 As the Lord liveth the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into Battel and perish If by those words or his day shall come to die he understood the Day that was decreed by God it was superfluous to mention the three kinds of Death For which soever had happen'd it would have been appointed before-hand And if so it is plain those words were false for Saul might have been smitten by the Lord as well as slain in the Battel 6. There is not one place in the Old Testament which affirms this Predestination but we may only collect from the forecited Passages that there is a Term of Life which as I have explain'd it depends upon the Times the Heavens and the Constitution So Job says Chap. 14.5 Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass by which he means that all Men must die And David Ps 89.49 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death And in another Place 1 Chron. 29.15 Our days on Earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding As for Job's saying Chap. 14.5 The Number of his Months are with thee he means nothing else but God's Pre-science because God knew and fore-saw all things from Eternity BOOK II. Whether the Term of Life is alterable or unalterable SECT 1. HAVING in the former Book prov'd that there is a Term to every Man's Life I shall in the next place enquire whether this Term is so fix'd that it is impossible to exceed or prevent it or on the contrary whether it is mutable All the Jews unanimously consent that this Term is alterable though it depend upon the Planets the Constitution or the Variety of Times Hereupon R. Bahye says that there is a more Eminent Power above that of the Stars which orders things by Reward and Punishment The same is confirm'd by Aben Ezra upon Exod. Ch. 23. Where assigning the dependance of Life upon the Temper of the Body he says that the Natural Heat and Moisture of every one that serves God is augmented and then a Man exceeds the Term of Life Therefore according to this Opinion the Term of Life is alterable This is the Reason that Men take such Care to preserve their Health and when it is impair'd to recover it This makes them so often change the Air. This makes them drink those medicinal Potions that are to nauseous In a word this first makes Men study and then Practise Physick And indeed as it is very ridiculous to aspire to that Preferment which by no Pains or Industry can be procur'd so I think it exceeding simple to be careful about the Preservation of our Life when the Term is immutable and it cannot be prolong'd Nay it would be to no purpose for the Forth to bring forth Plants and Herbs by the Bounty of God for no other Design than the use of Physick But that we may establish this Opinion better let us consult the 3d Chap. of Eccl. and the 1st Verse In which place Solomon affirms That the Term of Life is alterable There is a time to be born and a time to die Here we see that our Birth and Death are parallell'd forasmuch as they have both a certain time Now if by the hour of Death that Term of Life is understood which is unalterably decreed by God then the same may be said of the hour of our Nativity But if this is granted the very Name of Nature is destroy'd for by this means we are oblig'd to acknowledge that God decreed the Birth of Abraham his long Life his Marriage which Sarah her Conception and Delivery of a Son which is absurd when common Experience makes it appear that these things depend upon Free-will If any one enquires how we must understand that there is some time of Life appointed Rabbi Solomon answers The time of our Formation is compleated in nine Months but that of Death alters according to the Diversity of the Age. And as I said before this is commonly the space of 70 years This being premised I conclude that the space of 70 years or rather the Term of Life is uncertain and mutable when the space of nine Months or the time of Pregnancy
Inquisition that Rack of Men's Consciences was first introduc'd into Spain in the Reign of Ferdinand the Fifth 1478. by the especial Procurement of Don Pedro Gonsales de Mendoza Cardinal and Archbishop of Sevil occasion'd by the Apostacy of the newly converted Jews and Moors who began to return to their old Superstition Now this in some respect had been practis'd before for in the fourth Council of Toledo A. D. 639. in the Reign of Sysenandus the Apostatizing Jews were compell'd to persevere in the Christian Religion lest the Name of Jesus might be blasphemed and the Faith which they had embraced might by that means become vile and contemptible This was ratified likewise by the eighth Council held at the same Place A. D. 671. when Recesuvindus Reign'd over the Goths After all these Iliads of Afflictions they remain at this Day scatter'd over the Face of the whole Earth and because they continue peaceable by the Connivance of our Laws they are not disturb'd And good reason for if as most learned Men agree they will all be converted to the Christian Religion no place can be more proper to promote this Conversion than a Christian Country But alas there are three Impediments to this especially in Foreign Parts 1. The Scandals of the Papists 2. The want of Means to instruct them And 3. The Punishment or Loss which by their Conversion they incurr As many Papists are converted to Judaism as Jews to Christianity Several of our Countrymen as Doctor Gouge Doctor Jessey c. have by their Conversation and Charity piously endeavour'd to begin this good Work But that which must be most effectual to the Proficiency and Accomplishment of it is by letting them see our good Works and then we may joyfully see them glorifiing not only our Father which is in Heaven but the Son and Holy Ghost too Let us not maliciously imagine that they have a natural unsavory Smell but let us be careful that our Sins do not stink in their Nostrils We ought not to mispend our Time in railing against the Jews but we must mortifie our Sins those more inveterate Murderers of the Lord of Life and Glory Our Sins daily spit upon him and bind him and load him with a Burden much heavier than that of the Cross Let us unanimously endeavour to advance the means of their Conversion as well as pray for it This I am sure was the devout Practice of the Christians in the Primitive Church for Clemens often takes notice of the Prayers that were offer'd up for the Jews in the Easter-Week 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. c. 12.14 Now this Time and this Country may afford us seasonable Opportunities for I am not a little satisfied that the Obstinacy and Stiffness they were once remarkable for are almost worn off One odd Fancy they still entertain which Menasseh Ben-Israel has strongly asserted in his Spes Israelis that is That the Ten Tribes which were lost are now behind the Caspian Mountains from whence they expect their Messias who with Fire and Sword shall subdue the World and restore their Temporal Kingdom The Tribes that now remain are of Judah and Benjamin most part of the former being settl'd in the East the latter in Germany Holland Italy and England He that desires to see the History of the Rites Customs and Manner of Life of the Modern Jews may read Leo Modena a Rabbin of Venice translated by Mr. Chilmead of Christ-Church in Oxon. 1650. I shall conclude with an Exhortation to the Jews besides my Prayers for them taken out of the 95th Psalm Harden not your Hearts as in the Provocation and as in the Day of Temptation in the Wilderness c. The Catalogue of the Works of Menasseh Ben-Israel which he presented to Mr. Paul Felgenhawer in the Year 1655. Hebraicé LIbri 4 de immortalitate animae Pene Rabba super Rabot antiquorum Rabbinorum Latinè Hispanicé Pars prima Conciliatoris Libri tres de Resurrectione Mortuorum Problemata de Creatione De Termino Vitae De fragilitate humana Spes Israelis Grammatica Hebraea cum novis observationibus Oratio gratulatoria ad Celsissimum Principem Auriacum Oratio panegyrica ad sereniss Reginam Sueciae Hispanicé Conciliatoris omnes partes Pentateuchus cum Margin notis Libri 5 de ritibus Ceremoniis Judaeorum Duobus Tomis Biblia Hispanica cum Commentariis De statua Nebuchadonosoris 12o. Libellus Anglicus De fidelitate utilitate Judaicae Gentis Sequuntu◠Libri parati ad Editionem De cultu Imaginum ipsiusmet Dei contra Pontificios Latiné 450 Conciones in Linguâ Lusitanicâ Loci communes omnium Midrasini sive Sententiae antiquorum Rabbinorum Hebraicé Bibliotheca Rabbinorum cum argumentis lib. quibus adduntur diversae impressiones ubi quando editae cum judicio meo de quolibet Phocilides ex Graeco in versum Hispanicum redditus Libri adhuc sub manibus versantes nondum perfecti Hist Judaica vel continuatio Hist F. Josephi ad haec usque tempora De divinitate legis Mosaicae De scientia Talmudistarum in omnibus facultatibus Hebraicé Nomenclator Heb Arab. De disciplinis Rabbin Philosophia Rabbinica Menasseh Ben-Israel OF THE Term of Life BOOK I. SECT 1. SOLOMON plainly declares that there is a certain Term or Time of Man's life appointed afore-hand Eccles 3.1 2. To every thing there is a Season and a Time to every Purpose under the Heaven A Time to be born and a Time to die c. For as he assigns a determined Time to all sublunary things so likewise does he attribute the same to Life and Death That Place of Job is remarkable Ch. 7.1 Is there not an appointed Time to Man upon Earth Most of the Hebrew Doctors upon this Place agree that the Time is fixed how long a Man shall live Job is more express in another Place Chap. 14.5 Seeing his days are determin'd the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass Here the Doctors are of the same Opinion This is likewise confirmed another way Moses saith Exod. 23.26 The number of thy days I will fulfil And David Ps 39.4 Lard make me to know mine end and the measure of my days and in the next Verse Behold thou hast made my days as an hand breadth Where R. Solomon comments As a thing that is measur'd with the hand so are the days of Man determin'd Solomon Eccl. 5.18 All the days of his Life which God giveth him Job 14.14 All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come From whence it is inferr'd that our Life consists of a certain number of days afore-appointed And because Life has such a Term to which as to a Goal Man bends his Course hereupon the Scripture makes use of this Phrase Gen. 47.29 And the Time drew nigh that Israel must die Deut. 31.14 And the Lord said unto Moses Behold thy days approach that thou must die 1
Kings 2.1 Now what do these expressions signifie any other than a fixed and setled Boundary to which a Man is directed To encrease and diminish pre-supposes some certain Quantity and Number Now the Scripture affirms That the fear of the Lord prolongeth days but the years of the wicked shall be shortned Prov. 10.27 from whence it follows that Life has a Term and that one Man's is contracted and another's enlarg'd according to their Works Besides all these Places that have been produced that in Samuel is very observable where David speaks these words 1 Sam. 26.10 As the Lord liveth the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into Battel and perish from whence it is very plain that either Providence Nature or Chance may be the Cause of a Man's death as I shall shew by and by And it is likewise evident that every Man has a certain day in which this Life must be changed for a better These things I thought fit to premise that I might establish the Truth of what I am about to discourse of SECT 2. Having clearly prov'd from the Sacred Writings that there is a certain and definite Term of Man's Life I shall in the next Place explain how this Term is to be understood And first we must know that wise Men do not agree about this thing but differ in their Judgments according to those Principles of Science which they have entertain'd The Astrologers affirm that the Term and continuance of Life depends upon the Stars and this was the Opinion of Aesculapius Now say they if the whole Earth receives a vital Energy from the Influence of the Stars and for that Reason some Part is fruitful and some barren and likewise if the Times and Seasons are determin'd by them why may not also every Man's life and death depend upon them too Other Men that think a little closer are of Aristotle's mind and assert that the Sun and Man ingender Man And they will have it that not only the Sun which is the chief of all the Planets but that all the rest of the Stars do concurr to so Noble so excellent on Effect as the Formation of Man Hence they divide the Operations and various Offices among the Planets In the first Month of Conception they say Saturn dries up the first Mass in the second Jupiter kindly prepares and augments it in the third Mars separates and quickens it and so every Month the Planets execute their respective Offices as may be observ'd in Plato apud Marsil iâ— Atlon l. 3. and Thomas Aquinas contraâ— Gent. q 84. From thence it comes to pass That that Conjunction or Disjunction of the Stars which predominates at the Conception of the Faetus produces the Seeds of future Affections Life and Death Good and Evil and they quite discard every thing else from the disposing of Men's destiny This was the Opinion of the Stoicks who obstinately maintain'd that the immutable Fate of Men chiefly rely'd upon the Influence and Vertue of the Stars There are others who attribute all that we have taken notice of to the Position and Efficacy of the Stars which happens at the Birth not at the Conception of the Child but this is frivolous because all of them ascribe prosperous and unfortunate Events to the Celestial Signs The Hebrew Doctors confess That inferior Bodies act by the Vertue of heavenly ones and Maimonides affirms in his Epistles That there is no one among the Learned Jews or the Philosophers that doubts of it Therefore though they may dissent about the Creation of the World while some say it is Co-eternal with God others that it was created out of pre-existent Matter and others out of Nothing yet they all agree in this That the Generation of Sublunary things is effected by the Stars but what that Vertue of the Stars is or how it influences the Bodies or Minds of Men is still dubious and uncertain The fore-mention'd Rabbi in his Epistles stiffly denies it these are his Words Some of the Philosophers who admit not of Providence attribute all humane Events to Chance some of them to the Efficacy of the Stars On the other side some referr all to a fatal Necessity of the heavenly Constellations and will have it that the Riches and Poverty the Prosperity and Adversity of all Men depends upon the Position and Vertue of the Stars which are incident at the time of their Nativity and this Law they averr to be inviolable Both these Opinions are very false because that which imputes all to Chance denies the Pâ—â—â—dence that is so much celebrated in Holy Writ that which allows so great Power to the Stars and follows judicial Astrology is foolish In the first place says he I have look'd over all the Arabick Books that treat of this Science and at last discover'd it all to be mere Vanity and Madness The truly wise Gâ—aecians neglected this Study and none of them have written any thing about it The Persians also esteem'd it idle The Chaldaeans Aegyptians and Canaanites only were addicted to this Vanity because their Religion consisted in it for some time Afterwards offering at clearer Reasons he says That our Law and all the Philosophers acknowledge Free-will and that Man is endowed with an absolute Power of pursuing Good and abstaining from Evil as on the other side of obeying his sensual Appetite and disregarding the Dictates of Reason Now if the influence of the Stars is so great over Men where is that Liberty If it is impossible for Men to avoid the vertue and impression of the Stars why are there Precepts What does it signifie to endeavour to extirpate vicious Habits and to become vertuous when Heaven had determin'd when we were born what we should be as long as we liv'd If Men's liberty depend so much upon the Stars all their Care and Solicitude is to no purpose Therefore says Maimonides we ought to attribute all this to Providence for Sin is the Cause of a Man's poverty and his Repentance may make him rich Prosperity and Adversity are to be imputed to every Man's works because we see God promises Life and Temporal Blessings to those that observe his Commandments But if it sometimes falls out otherwise that a just Man meets with Afflictions we must submit to God Because he only knows the Secrets of our Hearts and the Reasons why he punishes and rewards We may now evidently discover how repugnant the Judgment of Maimonides was to that of the Astrologers and what his Sentiments were concerning judicial Astrology SECT 3. A great many very Learned Doctors are of a different Opinion and unanimously affert That some Vertue is deriv'd upon New-born Infants from the position of the Stars and that Life and Death Wealth and Poverty are ordain'd after the same manner This is the Fate of the Jews which is call'd by them the Ordination of the Stars and is usually prov'd by these following Reasons 1. It is
the Father For Hippocrates affirms That Children inherit the Vices and Temper of their Father so that a Phlegmatick or Cholerick Father begets a Phlegmatick or Cholerick Son besides says he The very shape of the Fathers is impress'd upon their Children So that all that are born in the Lake Moeotis have large and prominent Heads And Aristotle thinks that the Lameness of an Arm or Leg may be deriv'd upon the Child There is no necessity to assert with Theophrastus That the very Substance and every thing that belongs to the Child proceeds from the Body of the Father As the Head and Hands of the Child from the Head and Hands of the Father but it is enough to know that Children are like their Parents in their Countenance Actions Manners and what is strange in their Infirmities There are others that ascribe the good and bad Constitution to the Vertue of the Planets which Infants receive by means of the Air at the time of their Birth and in my Judgment it seems probable because the Sun moves the Elements from whence those four Qualities flow in which Life and the Preservation of the Body consist This Definition of the Term of Life pleases the Jewish Doctors very much The Learned Aben-Ezra declares his Approbation of it and expresses himself after this manner We know that there is a certain time appointed for every Man which lasts in Proportion to the quantity of natural heat and moisture and a little after he adds That this is the Term which David speaks of 1 Sam. 26.10 His day shall come R. Joel ben Sueb upon those words of David Psal 39.4 Lord make me to know my end c. comments thus My end according to my Constitution R. Isaac Abravanel upon the 38th Chapter of Isaiah says That a Man's Life is determin'd by his Constitution and the quantity of Radical moisture Thus we see that the Hebrew Doctors and other Authors understand by the Term of Life a certain Period which in one is shorter and in another longer according to their different Constitutions SECT 5. A great many Learned Jews generally consider this Term in respect of the Times R. Solomon Jarchi upon Eccl. 3.1 says The time to be born is nine Months and the hour of Death is uncertain For the understanding of this we must take notice That our Life is limited to several Times In the beginning of the world Men liv'd 700 800 or 900 years consisting of 12. Months as Josephus Lib. 1. Antiq. Lactan. Div. Instit 2. and Augustine de civ Dei l. 15. affirm Afterwards God reduc'd this Life to 120 years Gen. chap. 6.3 And the Lord said my Spirit shall not alway strive with Man for that he also is Flesh Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years I remember there are other expositions of this place but as two great Doctors observe they are foreign from the Text. God shorten'd Man's Life for his Sins judging it necessary to do so that he might awaken his Conscience by the Consideration of his short Life and that he might not have so many occasions to Sin As for Sem's living 500 years after the Deluge Arphaxad Salem and Heber above 400 and Abraham about 200 R. Isaac Abravanel makes this Answer It is not usual to leap from one Extream to another without observing a Medium so we must suppose that God would diminish Man's Life by degrees and bring it within the Compass of 120 years though scarce any by reason of their Carelessness in eating except Moses arriv'd to that Age For which Reason the Talmudists say That Moses is meant by the words For that he also is Flesh because the Hebrew numbers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 345. make up Moses Lastly God shorten'd the Life of Men in David's time upon which Account the wise Men in Gemara Yebamoth say that in his time the Years were shorter For thus it is written Psal 90.10 The days of our Years are Threescore Years and Ten c. Tho' the Inscription of this Psalm ascribes it to Moses yet they will have him to be another Prophet not the Law-giver or that David indicted it in Moses's Name But for all this Moses may be the Author for as much as he by his prophetick Spirit foretold how short Man's life should be Nevertheless Experience demonstrates that Man's life is more contracted and those Persons who attribute this Alteration to the Substance of our Food the Position of the Heavens c. are mistaken because as I told you before it was by a Divine Dispensation and this Reason Chrysostome Hom. 2. in Gen. Philo de Gigant Lactant. l. 2. c. 5. allow of What Pliny relates of Agarthonius Epimenides Pictoreus and others is not repugnant to our Assertion because he tells us the Year of the Arcadians was but three Months No doubt but some People computing after this manner have told us such strange Stories of old Men. Valer. Taren B. 6. makes mention of an old Man who at an hundred Years of Age chang'd his Teeth Skin Hairs and Nails and after that look'd very young and liv'd as long again A Frenchman nam'd John Estampis alias Joannes de Temporibus is reported by Paulus Aem. de rebus Franc. l. 5. to have liv'd 300 Years Cardan relates the same of a Turk and likewise of an Indian that liv'd 340 Years Though Nature has now and then her Monsters and Excesses yet we must not easily give credit to these things when they are chiefly founded upon humane Authority I do not believe that the Seres liv'd 200 Years as Strabo reports or that the Aethiopians live as long again as we do as Solinus imagines There is no doubt but some Countries are more healthful than others yet for all this difference of Climates which make our Life longer or shorter few People now-a-days exceed the Age of 120 Years Berosus extends it to 110 Solon to 84 and David to 70. and this is agreeable to what Trebellius says That the Mathematicians averr that an Age cannot be extended beyond 120 Years From all which we may conclude that the Term of Life is to be understood according to the Ages in which there are more or fewer Years SECT 6. These are the general Sentiments of the Hebrews concerning the Term of Life and these three Opinions in my judgment may be easily reconcil'd for there is no question but the heavenly Influences which are deriv'd upon Infants contribute much to their Constitutions which vary in several Ages Upon this Account the Learned Aben Ezra ascribes the length of Life sometimes to the Temper sometimes to the Planets because both Causes hold good And R. Mehiri in lib. Mehir Tehilot says There are two Causes of Man's life one in respect of Time which proceeds from the Spheres and the other is natural Heat which changes in several Ages After all the Jews do not believe that this Term is precisely and unalterably determin'd before-hand by Divine Providence for
did And this is not contrary to Reason For if according to Galen good Diet preserves Health and consequently prolongs Life may we not allow the same Efficacy nay greater to the wise Government of the Soul Now the Body receives Life from the Union of the Soul therefore if this be manag'd according to the Rules of true Holiness which are not prescrib'd by Galen or Hippocrates but which we learn from Heaven no Man can deny but it is most reasonable to expect long Life from a perseverance in that I remember that I have read of a certain Rabbi that wonder'd that Men should live so long in Babylon when 't is situated so low which Places Avicenna takes notice are very unhealthy but when he was inform'd that they often frequented the Synagogues he was very well satisfied The like I met with in Guemera de Tahanit c. 4. where some People asking how they might prolong their lives the wise Men answer'd that it might be done partly by a natural Cause and partly by a moral one viz. The fear of the Lord. I have read also of a Merchant who liv'd in the Island of Cyprus that order'd it to be proclaim'd that he had abundance of sweet Spices to sell that were excellent to preserve Life and when a great many People came to purchase them he pull'd out a Psalter out of his Bag and shew'd 'em the 34th Psalm where David says v. 13 14. What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile by which he would intimate that Piety was the best Aromatick to procure long Life Besides the Meditation upon God's word is the means to prolong Life and restore the natural Heat This is strongly confirm'd by Solomon's Exhortation For that most wise King where he speaks about the Law says Length of Days is in her Right-hand and in her Left-hand Riches and Honour Prov. 3.16 Also Chap. 9.11 By me thy days shall be multiplied and in another place Chap. 3.8 It shall be health to my Navel and marrow to my Bones The Reason is because the Scripture saith Man shall not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord Deut. 83. From hence it appears that Men are nourish'd by Spiritual as well as Corporal Food And this I believe is the Reason why Solomon compares the Law of God to the Tree of Life Prov. 3.18 because as the Tree of Life which was in Paradise had such a Vertue that whoever tasted the Fruit of it grew young and vigorous again So the Law of God which is like the Tree of Life has the same effect In like manner if Adam had not sinn'd tho' his Body was compounded of a mixture of the four Elements he might have liv'd a great many Years longer and at last his Soul together with his Body might have been translated into Heaven as it happen'd to Enoch and Elias and all others would have enjoyed the like Privilege who had liv'd in perfect Obedience to the Law Hence the Rabbins believe that when the Law was given to Moses God plac'd the Israelites in the same State that Adam was in before the Fall But that happy Condition lasted not long by reason of their abominable Idolatry in worshipping the Calf Therefore David says Ps 82.7 8. I have said ye are Gods and all of you are Children of the most high But ye shall die like Men c. What I have mention'd already does notably illustrate and confirm that singular Example which is recorded in Guemera Jebamot c. 12. of a certain Family in Jerusalem out of which whosoever was born seldom liv'd above Eighteen years which thing being related to R. Johanan Ben Zachay and being ask'd what was the reason of it he bid them enquire if they were not of Eli's Posterity whom God had threaten'd saving 1 Sam. 2.33 All the increase of thing House shall die in the flower of their Age. And it was discover'd that they were deriv'd from him Upon which he admonish'd them that if they desir'd God would grant them longer Lives they should very diligently meditate upon his Law This wise Man's advice had its effect and experience shew'd it And our of gratitude the Family would ever after be call'd by his Name Our Rabbins likewise report that the Sabbath-day on which David died he was very intent in meditating on God's Law which when the Angel Samuel who is the common Executioner of Death perceiv'd he could not execute his Office Wherefore he contriv'd this Stratagem that a high Wind should vehemently shake the Trees that grew in David's Court that might occasion his coming abroad which it did but as he was going down some steps he miss'd one of them and fell down upon which the King being in a Consternation did not think upon God's Law so his Meditation ceasing his Life ceas'd also The Rabbins in this place are of opinion that David obtain'd such Favour from God by his Sanctity and his devout Hymns that Death could have had no Power over him if he had not committed Adultery and Murder Save only in the Matter of Uriah says the Scripture 1 Kings 15.5 This is enough to shew that our Life may be prolong'd by observing God's Laws and meditating thereon so that if any one would perfectly and constantly observe the Law it is probable that like Elias he would never die For I believe this may be miraculously done two ways First by preserving the Radical Moisture in its due State Secondly by preserving the Vertue of our Food As to the First it is confirmed by the Example of Moses who liv'd forty Days in Mount Sinai without Meat or Drink then the Divine Law which was instead of Food preserv'd the Radical Moisture in its due Vigour and Strength The other is confirm'd by the Example of Elias for the Angel said unto him Arise and eat because the Journey is too great for thee 1 Kings 19.7 8. And in the next verse 't is added That he went in the strength of that meat 40 days and 40 nights For the vertue in the Meat was preserv'd as if he had but just eaten it so that he was not sensible of any Fatigue all those 40 days and Nights We must not forget the wonderfull Story of Elias and the Woman of Sarepta for we read how the Prophet said unto her 1 Kings 17.14 The Barrel of Meal shall not waste neither shall the Cruise of Oyl fail And so it came to pass for as much as was taken out one day was restor'd the next Thus the Radical Moisture which is like Oyl is miraculously preserv'd in its due quantity and quality by a constant Course of Piety I say miraculously because it can't be naturally And when I propos'd this Question to Zacuthus a very learned and worthy Physician among us he courteously answer'd in a particular Treatise that it