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heaven_n	church_n	kingdom_n	visible_a	4,215	5	9.6422	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91415	The Jewes synagogue: or, A treatise concerning the ancient orders and manner of worship used by the Jewes in their synagogue-assemblies. Gathered out of the sacred scriptures, the Jewish Rabines, and such modern authors, which have been most conversant in the study of Jewish customes. Wherein, by comparing the scriptures in the Old and New Testament together, many truths are fully opened, and sundry controversies about church-government truly and plainly stated. By William Pinchion of Springfeild [sic] in N. England.	Pynchon, William, 1590-1662.	1652 (1652)	Wing P4309; Thomason E802_4; ESTC R207368	80,705	99

Typified all the outward Professors of the Faith in all Nations as well as the inward Professors of the Faith all the world over In this outward Temple or Church Antichrist did set up the throne of his Dominion to rule them and govern them after his own will by his own Laws and Decrees Secondly What other Church was it which Paul did persecute but the universall visible Church of Christ He saith that in times past he did persecute the Church of God and wasted it he is not said to persecute any one particular Church but he persecuted the Church of God in general not in Iudea onely but in other strange Conntries and Cities also that is to say he persecuted divers Godly persons that believed in Christ and which as yet continued in several Synagogues in several Countries Acts 22. 19. 26. 11. All these visible Professors of the Faith in several Synagogues and in several Countries the Apostle calls them all together The Church of God in the singular number Gal. 1. 13. Phil. 3. 6. Though they were not personally united into one particular visible Church yet they were united together by the same Faith into one universal visible Church The Jerusalem from Heaven 3. What other Church was it whereof Paul was made a Minister that he might preach unto the Heathen the unsearchable riches and mysteries of Christ that the Church might know the manifold wisdom of God Eph. 3. 8. 10. verse 21. He desires that praise may be given for it in the Church through all Generations for ever But Paul was not made a Minister to any one particular Church but to the Church of Christ in General 4. Paul tells the Corinthians that God had ordained in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets c. For what particular Church did God ordain these Officers surely not for any particular Church therefore they were ordained for the good of the general visible Church dispersed over all the world where ever a doore of entrance was opened to them and when Christ gave them a new Commission to preach the Gospel at his Ascention he did not send them to any particular Church but appointed them to preach the Gospel to all Nations in the world 5. Christ made a promise unto Iacob That he should grow into a Church of Nations Gen. 28. 3. Gen. 35. 15. 48. 4. This Church of Nations must be understood of an universal visible Church dispersed into all nations as well as of the invisible Church as I noted in the first mark of an universall visible Church The universal visible Church doth include the Elect among others that hope to go to Heaven as well as they by their outward Profession Therefore all outward Professors of the Faith may be well called the Children of Iacob because they profess the Faith of Iacob and because they are begotten to this Faith by the children of Iacob For the twelve Apostles and the seventy Disciples were of Iacobs loyns They begate other Preachers who begate many children unto the Faith of Iacob Therefore all these professors of the Faith may well be called the children of Iacob Galathians 6. 16. And thus Iacob did grow into a Church of Nations The Hebrew Doctors say That God did not onely ordain the twelve Tribes to make one National Church but they say also That every Tribe was a Church by it self as I have formerly noted It is written in 2 Chron. 20. 5. that Iehosaphat in the Church of Iudah Here the Tribe of Iudah is called a Church And so it is again in verse 24. and in 2 Chron. 30. 25. Therefore say the Hebrew Doctors When the Church brought a Bullock for a sinne-offering as it was commanded in Leviticus 4. 14. The Elders of the Sanhedrin brought twelve Bullocks for twelve Churches because every Tribe made a Church by it self Vide Ainsworth in Leviticus 4. 14. and Numbers 15. 34. And it seems to me that every Tribe made such a kind of Church by it self as a Christian Nation is For I apprehend that a Christian Nation may be called a Church as well as a Tribe by it self may Scholar How can such visible National Professors be called a Church or be called the Kingdom of Heaven seeing most outward Professors are but Hypocrites Teacher It is true most outward Professors are but Hypocrites yet these together with some Godly among them may well be called The Church of Christ and by the noblest part they may well be called The Kingdom of Heaven because their profession is of an Heavenly calling And so that place must be understood in Matthew 13. 19. 41. 42. 44. 47. and Matthew 8. 12. Apoc. 8. 10. and 10. 1. and 12. 14. And for the outward Covenant sake he doth outwardly own them rule them govern them as his Church and People and if any do wrong them he doth revenge their cause Therefore all visible Churches have great priviledges Scholar Very learned men do think that none ought to be admitted into a particular visible Church as a Member thereof until the same Church shall judge them to have true grace in their souls by trying and examining the marks of their effectual conversion for they do not hold it lawfull to receive any one that is an Hypocrite into a particular visible Church Teacher If none ought to be admitted into a particular visible Who are to be accounted as fit persons to be admitted as members of a particular visible Church Church until they manifest the Truth of Grace in their souls then doubtless Christ hath given infallible rules whereby the Church may discern aright of the Truth of their Grace and distinguish it from close hypocrisie But I must confess that I am to seek where to find those rules For though the Scriptures have perfect rules in general yet when these rules come to be applied to particular persons then am I to seek for certainty of judgement I conceive it is one of the royal Prerogatives of the Lord Jesus to know what particular persons have the truth of Grace in their Souls Questionless all such are the most fit persons that are to be joyned as Members of particular Churches But yet if there be any other that do call upon the Name of the Lord and depart from iniquity our Lord Jesus Christ would have us to esteem them also as fit matter for a particular visible Church until by their scandalous walking they deserve to be excommunicated I will no more speak of this because divers godly learned have dealt in the Argument to very good purpose Yet this I would say let Churches both Teachers and Members be careful that they be not too censorious and pragmatical lest they turn men upon the stumbling blocks of Anabaptistry c. CHAP. III. That Schools of Learning were at the first erected by Jesus Christ for the breeding of a Succession of able Men for Pastors Teachers Elders Iudges c. to the end of the world

then it pleased him to retain the use of Baptisme still as the Sacramental Seal of our Justification but he ordained it to be used in another form then it was before For at first every unclean person did baptise himself but now he ordained it to be administred by his Apostles and Teachers to the end of the world as a sign of our initiation into his Visible Church according to the use of it amongst them when they received Proselytes into their synagogues so in like sort from the use of the bread and wine at their voluntary feast of peace-offerings which they usually adjoyned to the Pass-over Jesus Christ authorised his Sacramental Supper of part of that Bread and Wine for the comfort and confirmation of all Believers in particular Churches And when John Baptist began his Ministery preaching that the Kingdom of Heaven was come he began to enter men into the said Kingdom by Baptisme and that action of his was nothing strange among the Jews Matth. 3. 5 6. they made some question of his person that did it but not of the use of Baptisme Iohn 1. 25. M. Broughton saith Iohn was not astonishment to the Jews for his Baptisme but for his person onely and in that respect they demanded whether he were Elias or Christ or that Prophet named in Deut. 18. 2. When there was a question between some of Iohn's Disciples and the Jews about purifying that is to say about the Jewish Baptismes and Iohn's Baptisme they made no opposition against Iohn's Baptisme as a new upstart device of his own brain Iohn 3. 23. 25. but they approved the use of Baptisme And the Hebrew Doctors do determine the quantity of Water that they held fit to baptise a person withal to be forty Seahs of Water Vid. Ainsw in Levit. 15. 12. 17. But the Hebrew Doctors did not receive Proselytes by Baptism onely as it were hand over head but they put them upon tryal to see if they came out of love to the Law of God and in this respect the Hebrew Doctors say thus Moses our master gave the inheritance of the Law of Commandments to Israel onely as it is written Deut. 33. 4. The inheritance of the Congregation of Iacob And unto any other that the Nations that willingly joyned himself as a Proselyte as it is written Numb 15. 15. As ye are so shall the stranger be before the Lord. But whosoever is not willing they force him not to receive the Law and the Commandments vid. Ainsw in Exod. 12. 49. These Proselites they were wont to be called Strangers within the Covenant and Iust Strangers to distinguish them from Strangers within their gates that did but dwell among them such as are mentioned in Deut. 14. 21. and in Exod. 12. 15. So then I conclude in answer to your question That the Judges or Elders of the Sanhedrin whiles they lived in Canaan and likewise the Elders of their Synagogues when they were dispersed into Heathen Countries received not all Heathens to be Proselytes that were willing to dwell among them but they received those onely to be Proselytes that willingly testified their earnest desire to live in obedience to all the Laws and Commandments of the Lord and this their willing desire was testified in the land of Canaan First By Circumcision Secondly By Baptisme Thirdly By offering a Sacrifice But in Heathen Countries it was testified by Circumcision and Baptisme only and Women were received by Baptisme onely as the badge of their repentance and new obedience Scholar Did the Iews practise publike fasting in their Synagogues upon special occasions or no Teacher I find by their Hebrew records That the synagogues were careful to observe daies of publike fasting upon occasion In their Synagogues they observed daies of publike fasting upon occasion of any distress that was upon them of any distress that did befal them And they decreed that upon every Fasting-day which was appointed by the Congregation the Judges or Elders should sit in their synagogues to make enquiry of the deeds of the men of that Citie from after morning prayer till mid-day and they removed the stumbling blocks of transgressions and did admonish enquire and search concerning injurious persons and transgressors and separated them and concerning violent persons to humble them c. vid. Ains in Numb 9. 10. And we have an example of their practise in that Ester and Mordecai with the Iews in Shushan and in the hundred twenty and seven Provinces in their distress keep a Fast until the Lord was pleased to hear their Prayers and to turn away the wicked device of Haman Est 9. And the whole Congregation in Canaan did observe daies of publike Fasting for sundry kinds of distresses First For enemies that came against Israel Secondly For the sword that passed by the land as when heathens did war with heathens Thirdly For the Pestilence Fourthly For evil beasts Ffthly For Locusts Sixthly For Caterpillars Seventhly For blasting of Fruits Eighthly For Mildew Ninthly For downfalls of Buildings by Earthquakes or Winds Tenthly For sicknes that spread among the people Eleventhly For decay of Trade Twelfthly For rain if it be too much or little for these they fast and sound an Alarum until the distress be taken away Vid. Ains on Numb 10. and in Exod. 5. Scholar Whether did the Iews use any form of blessing in their Synagogues when they dismissed the people or no Teacher Yea The Past●r of the synagogue used to dismiss the people with a grave and gracious blessing Maymony saith that How the blessing was pronounced in the synauogue after the Lecture of the Law was ended the synagogues which were all Priests as many synagogues were in the Towns allotted to them they all lift up hands when the blessing was pronounced and the Men Women and Children said Amen But in the synagogue wherein there was no Priest but a Minister onely called else-where Zeliach Zibbur he lifteth not up his hands but when he is come to conclude with peace he saith Our God and the God of our Fathers bless us with the threefold blessing in the Law written by Moses thy servant which was pronounced out of the mouth of Aaron and of his Sons the Priests with thy Saints as it is said Ad●nai bless thee and keep thee c. In this last sentence they alter the Original for in the Original it is said Iehovah bless thee and keep thee By this alteration we may see how the Jews have fallen into blind superstition by not pronouncing the attribute Iehovah as if they could preserve this Name from polution more then the other Titles and Attributes of God by exchanging Iehovah for Adonai Scholar Did the Iews use any Levitical Ceremony in their synagogues or no Teacher The Hebrew Doctors say That it was unlawful to make any house either synagogue or any other private house No Levitical worship was lawful to be used in their synagogues after the fashion of the Temple or

Tyrants When Zachariah the son of Iehoiadah was stoned between the Temple and the Altar he said The Lord look upon it and require it This Anathema maranatha took effect For when Nabuzaradan came into the Temple he saw some bloud upon the pavement not washed off thereupon he asked what bloud that was It was answered That it was the bloud of a Prophet that foretold all these things that now are come upon us and we rose up and killed him Yea said Nebuzaradan and I will pay you for it The reupon he caused his Souldiers to fall upon the young Priests and they killed eight thousand of them This the Iews record in Tugueh fol-69 Col. 1. Scholar I cannot tell what to think of the use and practice of this great Excommunication whether it be any Church priviledge or no But I will leave it for the present and desire rather to search out the lesser Excommunication which is granted on all hands to be a special priviledge belonging to all Christian Churches And very learned Divines do affirm that Iesus Christ did first ordain it in Matth. 1. 18. 17. as a special Ordinance for the use of all Christian Churches to the worlds end Teacher I cannot believe yet that Iesus Christ did first ordain excommunication in Matth. 18. 17. as a new Ordinance Christ did not first ordain Excommunication in Mat. 18. 17. for the use of Christian Churches I have already shewed that Iesus Christ did institute many particular Churches or synagogues among the Jews and that they had the use of Excommunication among them of old time therefore I cannot as yet believe that Christ did now first ordain excommunication as a new Ordinance for the use of Christian Churches in Matth. 18. 17. Secondly It is evident that Christ did not now first ordain excommunication as a new Ordinance for the use of all Christian Churches in Matth. 18. 17. because Luke relates a part of this exhortation touching private brotherly dealing and makes no mention of proceeding on to excommunication which doubtles he would not have omitted if Christ had now first ordained it for the use of Christian Churches Scholar Very learned Divines do think that the circumstances of the Text Matth. 18. 17. do plainly demonstrate that Christ did now first ordain excommunication as a new Ordinance for the use of all Christian Churches to the Worlds end and that Christ exhorted his Apostles to put this new Ordinance in practise assoon as they should plant any new particular Christian Churches Teacher I desire that the circumstance of this Text may be alledged and weighed whether any of them do prove the ordination of excommunication at this time or no. Scholar The first considerable circumstance is this If he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as an Heathen and Publican Hence I gather That none could account his Brother of the same profession as an Heathen or Publican until the Church had excommunicated him Teacher Your collection is not sound for first If this sentence had implyed his excommunication by the Church then Christ would have said thus Let him be to it that is to say to the Church Or let him be to them that is to say to all the members of the Church as an Heathen and a Publican But Christ doth not say so but let him be to thee that is to say let him be to thee that art the wronged Brother as an heathen and a Publican if he refused to hear the Church though he never were excommunicate by them For it is a point of good Justice and of Christian Wisdom to account an obstinate sinner that will not hear the Church no better then an Heathen or Publican And thus godly David did when his brethren Israelites sought to betray his life into the hands of Saul he both esteemed them and called them Heathens for it his words run thus Lo they lay wait for my soul yet not for my trespass nor for my sin for I have done them no wrong at all Therefore thou O Jehovah God of hosts God of Israel awake to visit all the Heathens Psal 59. 4 5. and in verse 9. he saith thus Thou Jehovah wilt laugh at them thou wilt mock at the Heathens Thus David esteemed his brethren the Jews no better then heathens for their trecherous endeavours and yet I believe he knew they were not excommunicated by the Church In like sort he calls the Ziphims of the Tribe of Iudah Strangers that is to say Heathens for their trecherous endevours against his life Psal 54. 5. In like sort Ieremiah ranks the profane Jews with the uncircumcised Heathens Ier. 9. 26. and Iohn calls the persecuting Papists Gentiles Apoc. 11. 2. 18. and Heathens also in chap. 19. 15. and Isaiah calls the Kings and People of Judah Kings of Sodom and People of Gomorrha Es 1. 10. and yet I believe none of these were so esteemed and called because they were first excommunicated by the Church Therefore you cannot conclude that Matthew doth mean that the impenitent brother was first excommunicate by the Church because Christ bade the innocent party to esteem him as an Heathen and Publican Scholar There is another circumstance in verse 18. which doth imply Excommunication as all Interpreters say The words of the Text thus speak Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven c. Hence Interpreters conclude that the Church by the power of Excommunication do bind sinners in their sins on earth and when they repent then they loose them from their sins on earth by discharging them from the sentence of Excommunication and that Christ doth ratifie all their doings in heaven Teacher I do not look upon this 18. verse in the same sense that you take it I do not apprehend it to have any necessary dependance on the three former verses but I take this 18. verse to speak of another matter distinct from the former For it is evident that Christ doth use many miscellaneous exhortations in this Chapter which have no dependence on each other Secondly I say that this sentence in verse 18. doth not agree to the terms of the Churches Excommunication For then Christ would have said thus Whatsoever they bind on earth that is to say Whatsoever they the whole Church both Officers and Members do bind on earth c. But Christ doth not say so But whatsoever ye shall bind on earth namely ye that are my Apostles and Disciples Or else Christ would have said thus Whatsoever thou bindest on earth in relation to the phrase afore-going in verse 17. Let him be to thee This phrase Whatsoever ye bind on earth c. is a Talmudd phrase which phrase of speaking Christ had formerly used to his Apostles when he gave them authority to preach the Gospel in Matth. 16. 19. and now again he doth put them in remembrance of their calling and power to preach the Gospel by repeating the said Talmud phrase and he

begins his memento to them with an asseveration Amen I say unto you Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven that is to say Whatsoever person he or she be that lives in sin without change of mind ye shall by the preaching of the Gospel bind him or them over to eternal condemnation but whatsoever person he or she be that hath the truth of change of mind according to the rules of the Gospel you shall loose that person from his sins by preaching to him his pardon reconciliation and atonement by resting on Christ for his pardon and atonement And in this sense every faithful Preacher doth bind on earth and loose too though he never do excommunicate nor release any from their excommunication And if any man doubt whether this exposition of this phrase be to be understood of their power and authority to preach let them confer hereto another place in Iohn 20. 21. where our Saviour useth the like phrase to his Apostles and there he doth plainly expound it of their calling and power to preach the Gospel for in verse 21. Christ saith thus to his Apostles As my Father sent me so send I you namely to preach the Gospel and in verse 23. he saith Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained This manner of speaking implies that they must teach according to the rules of the Gospel Whosoever sins ye remit according to the rules of the Gospel they are remitted But the Gospel doth not pronounce pardon of sin to any but to the godly repenting therefore you must remit no mans sins but theirs only to such repentant sinners you must preach remission of sins for their sins are remitted in heaven But whosoever sins you retain according to the rules of the Gospel they are retained You must tell all unrepentant sinners that without good change of mind they shall all perish eternally These are the limits of that commission which Christ gives to all true preachers when he doth first give them power and authority to preach the Gospel and I think that no sound Divine dares deny this exposition And thus by comparing these Scriptures together the true interpretation of Matth. 18. 18. may be found out Thirdly This phrase Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven cannot be expounded of the Churches excommunication For no Church is so perfect in judgment as to know the spiritual estate of an excommunicate person many godly persons have been excommunicate for a particular sin and have died under their excommunication and yet their sin not bound in heaven when they dyed and some are unjustly excommunicate and some are released from their excommunication upon their verbal repentance only In this case the Church cannot say we know thy repentance is true and therefore we do loose thee from thy sins on earth and Christ doth also loose thee from thy sin in heaven No Church can say thus But when a godly Minister doth preach remission of sins to the truly repentant sinner or to a man thrt truly turns to the Lord and preach everlasting damnation to the unrepentent they do not personate men as they do when they excommunicate persons they only deliver the rules of the Gospel to persons in general If any of their hearers can find themselves so and so qualified then they preach remission of sins to such as do truly repent or turn to God Act. 26. 20 according to the rules of the Gospel and they preach damnation also to them that do not turn to God that is to the unrepentent But a particular Church had need an of infallible Judgment in mens personal conditions before she can conclude that all her personal censures are ratified in heaven Scholar Sir I must confess that your exposition of this verse 18. doth set me at a gaze what to think of other mens Interpretations but yet I am not fully satisfied Therefore I will yet try further in another circumstance of the Text It is said in verse 15. If he hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother These words imply that the only end and aime which the innocent brother had in telling his trespassing brother of his fault was to gain him from his sin by gaining him to repentance to change of mind therefore his end and aime was the same in verse 16. in taking with him one or two and therefore his end and aim was the same also in verse 17. in telling the Church Now if his end and aim was the same in all these proceedings namely to bring him to repentance then it follows by necessary consequence that the Churches dealing with him was either to bring him to change of mind or else to excommunicate him in case he shall still remain unrepentant Teacher I grant that the two first degrees of proceeding against the brother offending was only to gain him to the sight of his sin and so to godly repentance for it But the third degree of proceeding in telling the Church might well have another end namely to bring him to some publike shame for his unrepentancy or non-change of mind and to gain him to make some satisfaction for his injurious trespassing against him Scholar Do you make the word Trespass in this Text to mean such sins only as do trespass or hurt a mans brother Very learned Divines do take it to signifie all kinds of sin as well against God immediately as mediately against man Teacher I acknowledge that the Greek word used in this Text is often put as well for sin against God as for sin against man But most usually it is put for sin or trespass against man and me-thinks that the circumstances of this Text do carry it plainly of sin against a mans brother If thy brother sin against thee namely by hurting or injuring thy person goods or good name then thou shalt tell him his fault between him and thee alone 2. This kind of sin is such a sin as a brother may forgive and so Luke doth explain our Saviour to mean Chap. 17. 3. But a brother cannot forgive a sin against God and so Eli saith If a man sin against God who shall plead for him 1 Sam. 2. 25. therefore the sin here spoken of is not to be understood of sin against God immediatly but of such sins as a brother may forgive by passing by it and not revenging it in case his brother testifies his sorrow and repentance for it In this sense Iosephs brethren sinned against Ioseph as Reuben doth explain the nature of their sin Gen. 42. 22. with Gen. 37. 21 22. And therefore after Iacob was dead all Josephs Brethren came to him and confessed their sin many yeers after and they prayed Joseph to forgive their Trespass and their sin Gen. 50. 17. They did not pray him to forgive their sin as it was a sin against God for in that sense they knew that Ioseph could not forgive it but