time of the Gospell vnlesse we thinke it fitting that the spirituall sonnes of the Church should liue in all plenty and the spirituall Fathers goe a begging not considering what the Apostle saith Galat. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word make him that taught him partaker of all his goods And that we may yet further see in what manner the Priests in the Law were partakers of the peoples goods I will here relate one thing more that R. Bechai hath on Numb 18.14 in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Our Doctours of happy memory in their discourses propound an example of a certaine woman that had a sheep which when she went to sheare the Priest came to her that she should giue him the first of the fleece Deut. 18.4 And when she brought forth the firstborne the Priest tooke that Numb 18.15 Now she seeing the case stand thus killed it then came the Priest and tooke the gifts Deut. 18.3 Afterward she said this flesh shall be a thing separate from the common vse then he tooke all Numb 18.14 In the beginning of this second Chapter of the History the Author in his Dichotomie saith that the yearely increase is either fruits of the ground or cattell I haue already spoken so much as I intended of the first and should now come to the other but before I enter vpon that considering that among other texts of holy Scripture wrested misinterpreted in this treatise we meet here with a crosse exposition of that text Leuit. 27.30 cited in pag. 13. of this Chapter I thinke it not amisse in a word or two to try the soundnes of it the rather because this Scripture hath vsually beene alleadged by iudicious and learned Diuines as a principal ground for the establishing of the diuine right in tithes But the Historian intending heere as it seemes to depriue vs of the benefit of this text and the true sense thereof doth therefore slylie bring it in by way of a Parenthesis and sayes that the Iewes apply it to the second Tithe which Tithe was meerely Leviticall is finished and so by consequent he doth insinuate that all haue erred who haue otherwise interpreted or vnderstood this text and therefore no hope here any longer of any hold or warrant for the Tithes we challenge But for answer to this though the Iewes be oftentimes idle and ridiculous in their interpretations and being enemies to Christianity giue vs cause to trust them no further then we see them yet to let these exceptions passe first I avouch that the chiefest and best learned of the Iewes doe not expound this text to be meant of the second tithe and because the Iewes in generall are heere named and yet none but one only is cited therefore that the truth may the better appeare I will oppose one of greater authority against him Aben Ezra a Iew often heretofore mentioned and one of speciall credit among them and therefore vsually stiled with an epithete Aben Ezra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aben Ezra the wise man he is plaine of an other opinion touching this Text his words are these on Leuit. 27.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. He that hath an heart to vnderstand the secret of the world shall also know the secret of the firstborne and the tenth And behold Abraham gaue tithe and fo also our father Iacob and I will further reueale part of the mysterie when I speake of the second tithe by the helpe of him that is first or one and hath no second 1 By which words it is euident first that he speaking of Abraham and Iacobs tithing taketh such Tithes to be meant here as Abraham Iacob payed before the Law 2ly Whereas he saith he will reueale part of the mystery when he comes to speake of the second Tithe he doth manifestly acknowledge that this place is not meant of the second Tithe therefore when he comes to the proper place thereof in his Commentary vpon Deut. 14.23 he doth there performe that which he did here promise His mysticall reason there expressed is taken from the perfection of number which I haue touched before and the drift of his speach tendeth to signifie in effect that as God is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last so the beginning and the end the prime and the perfection the first and the tenth must bee consecrate to him And in this respect Philo Iudaeus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. de congressu quaerendae eruditionis gratia pag. 342. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is some nerenesse as it were and affinity betweene God and the tenth And to like purpose writes Abarbinel on this Text of Leviticus But I let passe these curious speculations and subtilties about number ne fortè cùm de numero multum loquamur mensuram pondus negligere iudicemur as St Austin speakes in the like case de civit Dei lib. 11. cap. 31. neither doe I intend to dispute the question but only to free the Text from false interpretation and therefore I haue here produced this Rabbines Testimony a Iew against a Iew a better against a worse I might likewise here alleadge the authority of Lyra and others that in this agree with Aben Ezra and among the rest Abarbinel is very plaine that both first and second Tithe is comprehended in this Text saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. The Tithe of the corne of the ground that is the first tithe and the second tithe and he addes also a reason to shew that these are holy to the Lord as arising from his prouidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his blessing of the increase of the earth which hath reference aswell to the first as to the second tithe But I come now to heare the aduerse party and to consider briefly the forme and reason of his testimony Levit. 27.30 All the Tithe of the land both of the seed of the ground and of the fruit of the trees is the Lords it is holy to the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. The Scripture speakes of the second Tithe saith Salomoh Iarchi in this place It is the sentence rule of Hilary obserued by that Reuerend Father of the Church whose learned labour for the clearing of the truth in the question of tithes hath now long beene extant That he who readeth Scripture as he ought must not bring a sense to the words but fetch the sense from the words and not compell the Scripture to speake as he in preiudice conceiueth But R. Iarchi goes directly against this rule for he hauing a preiudiciall conceit that this Text must be interpreted of the second Tithe he therefore restraines all the particulars therein contained to his own purpose And because in Deut. 14.23 the place of the second Tithe it is said Thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God the Tithe of thy corne of thy wine of thine oyle therefore from thence hee expounds these in Leuit.
so in Ier. 31.9 Ephraim is my first-borne Chimki there giues tbe same interpretation and so doth the Targum of Ionathan in that place Sometime the name of first-borne is ascribed to men in Scripture in regard of dignity and honour Psal 89.27 also I will make him my first-borne higher then the Kings of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He calls him first-borne saith Chimki because the first-borne hath dignity ouer the other sonnes which was that priuiledge of birth-right as R. Bechai thinks that Esau sold to Iacob Gen. 25.31 And so the Patriarches and Fathers of the auncient Church are in respect of honour tearmed the Congregation of the first-borne Heb. 12.23 And further on Exod. 13.2 R. Bechai saith that whereas the Lord smote all the first borne in the land of Egypt Exod. 12.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. That it is extended to the eldest in the family if no first-borne were there for he is also called a first borne And in this sense the Patriarches and heads of families whether first-borne or not might be accounted insteed of Priests in their generation and were also Prophets and Kings as Chimki sheweth on Psal 105.15 Touch not mine anointed c. But properly Priests they were not for no man takes this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 and we find but two orders of Priesthood in Scripture the one after Melchisedek the other after Aaron The Priesthood of Aaron was not yet instituted none but only Christ is said to be a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedek and to this purpose in the Talmud in Massech Nedarim cap. 3. fol. 32. they write thus concerning Melchisedek Priest of the most high God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. he was a Priest but his seed no Priest To conclude therefore it is lest altogether vncertaine in this passage of the history either what order of Priesthood it was that belonged to the first-borne or what manner of first-borne it was to which the Priesthood was annexed And yet he proceedes further in this kinde saying And Noah Abraham and Iob and the like are accounted by this right Priests of that time For proofe of this Origen lib. 1. in Iob is cited in the margent But Origen doth not there say that these were Priests by that right of primo-geniture but thus Erant nihilominus etiam eâ tempestate sacerdotes necdum adhuc à lege ordinati sed naturali sapientiâ hoc requirente ac perficiente ita sacerdotio functus est Noah c and againe speaking there of Iob's sacrificing for his sons daughters he doth not thence inferre that he was a Priest but proues out of Iob 12.19 that there were Priests in his time and then concludes doubtfully thus Siue ergo memorati sacerdotes siue ipse per seipsum Iob offerebat hostias pro illis secundùm numerum illorum But the Iewes they doe not teach that Iob was a Priest but that he was a Iudge for so Aben-Ezra in the conclusion of his Commentary on Iob at the end of the booke directly expresseth prouing it from cap. 22. ver 9. of that book compared with cap. 29.13.14.15.16 his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. His companions said vnto him thou hast sent widowes away empty And this is a signe that he was a Iudge and therefore he answers I was a father to the poore and I caused the widowes heart to sing for ioy Furthermore to proue Iacob's Priesthood gained by the sale of the birth-right from Esau the Historian saith that Expresse mention is of his exercising this holy function in sacrifices during his fathers life and for this alleadgeth Gen. 31.54 But he hath mistaken and mis-applyed this Text if his owne author Rabbi Iarchi may be beleeued for Iarchi doth not thinke that Iacob did here offer a sacrifice neither doth he interpret the Text in that sense but saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. That he slew cattell to make a feast for his brethren and friends that came with Laban And so often the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie aswel mactare as sacrificare to slay as to sacrifice Neither could he with a good conscience invite them to his sacrifice that were out of the couenant being as they were of another religion as that iudicious Diuine Mr Perkins answers our aduersaries alledging and interpreting this Text against their arguments for the sacrifice of the Masse in his Reformed Catholicke Againe all those that offered sacrifices were not Priests as appeares by Samuel 1 Sam. 7.9 For R. Levi Ben Gershom writing on that Text saith plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Samuel was no Priest and so S. Austin retract lib. 2. cap. 43. Chimki here sheweth that Iosuah did sacrifice in Gilgal Iosuah 8.30 and Eliah in Carmel 1 Kings 18. and so did Balaam Numb 23. Iarchi speaks of this and R. Bechai on Numb 18.7 and Deut. 2.8 who saith that before the Tabernacle was set vp the high places were permitted euery man that would offered sacrifice on the top of his house but after the erecting of the Tabernacle they were prohibited so long as the hoste continued in the wildernesse as in Levit. 17.3 ◠Afterward when they passed ouer Iordan for the space of 14 yeares whilst they were imployed in subduing and diuiding the land the vse of the high places was then lawfull which being appointed by the direction of a Prophet a stranger that was no Priest might offer sacrifice in them But when they come to Ierusalem the inheritance mentioned Deut. 12.9 then were they no longer lawfull Therefore the Kings of Iudah are blamed when they destroy'd not the high places And touching the sacrifices of the Patriarchs one thing here may be remembred which in the first Tome of Councells in the second Epistle of Anacletus is recorded in these words Initium sacerdotij Aaron fuit licet Melchisedec prior obtulerit sacrificium post eum Abraham Isaae Iacob sed hi spontanea voluntate non sacerdotali autoritate ista fecerunt Which sheweth that in the iudgment of the ancients though the Patriarches did offer sacrifice yet that was no sufficient argument to proue them to be Priests And if Cain and Abel were therefore both of them to be accounted Priests because both of them did offer sacrifice then was not the Priesthood before Aaron wholly annexed to the first-borne of families for Abel was no first-borne and yet the sacrifice of Abel was accepted and not the sacrifice of Cain But our author hath not yet done with this Treatise of the Priesthood he presseth it further saying Whence obserue by the way that both Abraham and Iacob according to the right of that time must be Priests also when they payde these tithes I maruaile what he intends to make of this obseruation it may be would hence conclude that Priests should therefore pay tithes now aswell as other men or else none
vessell wherein they were brought 3 The reading of the Text. 4 An offering or oblation 5 Their reioycing in singing 6 The shaking of them to and fro 7 Their lodging in Ierusalem 1 The bringing of them vp to the place appointed for it was necessary that they should bring them vp to the House of the Sanctuary as it is written Deut. 26.2 And thou shalt goe to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose c. 2 The Vessell as it is said ver 2. And thou shalt put it in a basket It is also a precept of speciall choyse to bring euery kind in a basket by it selfe but if they brought them in one basket they were to be carefull that they should not confusedly be mixed together but barly in the lowest place and wheat vpon that and dates about that and pomgranates aboue them and figges aboue them all and something was to be put betweene euery species to seuer them one from another as leaues or such like And outwardly they compassed the figges with bunches of grapes They brought likewise in their hands turtle doues and young pigeons for it is said and thou shalt reioyce in euery good thing ver 11. and for this reioycing flesh was requisite They hanged also on the sides of their baskets turtle doues and yong pigeons to set forth adorne their first fruits Those that were on their baskets they offered for burnt sacrifice and those that were in their hands they gaue to the Priests of that ward together with the first fruits which they diuided among themselues as other holy things 3 The reading as it is said ver 5. And thou shalt answere and say c. that is he read the Text from those words ver 5. A Syrian was my father c. vntil those ver 10. And now loe I haue brought the first fruits of the land which thou O Lord hast giuen me And this answering was praise and thanksgiuing with lifting vp of voyce and that in the holy tongue as it is written Deut. 31.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. this song shall answere them and so it is here ver 5. thou shalt answere and say Deut 26.5 4 The oblation was a peace-offering 5 A song was required for it is said And thou shalt reioyce in euery good thing ver 11. and for this singing was necessary as it is Psal 33.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Sing chearefully with a loud voyce for so the Leuites did read with singing when they brought ihe first fruits after that they came into the Court. 6 The shaking of them to and fro as it is written Deut. 26.10 Numb 14.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God when as the Priest put his hand vnder the hand of the owners shaked it and this is that is said ver 4. Then the Priest shall take the basket out of thine hand that is to say to shake it to and fro 7 Lodging that albeit he brought his first fruits and offered his peace-offrings and performed all his duty that day yet it was not lawfull for him to depart the same day out of Ierusalem but that he should lodge there as it is said Deut. 16.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou shalt returne on the morrow and goe vnto thy Tents And so they teach all returning whereby thou returnest from the Sanctuary after thou art come thither shall not be but on the morrow Thus farre R. Bechai touching the manner of the Iewes in paying their first fruits as is described in their Talmud And among other questions touching first fruits he adds further that it is disputed among them whether a stranger were to pay them or not some say hee might not because he could not vse the words of the protestation Deut 26.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am come into the Country which the Lord sware vnto our fathers to giue vs. But the more generall and common opinion was that he might both bring the first fruits and likewise vse the protestation because Abraham is reputed also the father of strangers as it is said Gen. 17.5 I haue made thee a father of many Nations And it may be saith he that this is pointed at in the text where it is said ver 11. thou and the Leuite and the stranger that is among you Lastly for the end of the oblation of first fruits he affirmeth that it tended to the honour of God the dignity of the Priest and the great benefit of Israel 1 The honour of God in that they came to make prayer and supplication before him in that great and holy Temple for the multiplying of his benefites and acknowledging that all blessings proceeded only from him 2 The dignity of the Priest in that the Israelite wearied and turmoyled himselfe all the way to feed him with the first of his fruits and most choyce of them 3. The great benefite of Israel in that by the due obseruation of this precept the fruits were increased the food of the world blessed And so much for first fruits CAP. 3. NExt the Therumah or heaue offering or first fruites of Corne Wine Oyle Flecce and the like were also giuen to the Priests Deut. 18.4 I doe not well vnderstand in what sense these words the therumah or heaue offring or first fruits can properly be spoken in this place for hereby hee seemes to confound the first fruits the therumahs as if they were all one which according to the tradition and history of the Iewes are manifestly distinguished as appeares in the seuerall Tractates or Massecheths in the Talmud both of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first fruits and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heaue offerings And the place quoted in the margent viz Deut. 18.4 speakes directly of first fruits and not therumahs or heaue offerings howsoeuer some of the Iewes doe otherwise expound it For the first fruits were either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 18.12.13 and the word vsed there in Deut. 18.4 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies first fruits yea the first of the first fruits But it being not determined by Moses of what quantity this heaue offering should be the Iewes anciently assest it to be enough at the fiftieth part Sal. Iarchi ad dict locum caeteri Jurisp D. Hieronymus ad â—…zech cap. 45 Cassianus collat 21. cap. 3. but so that no necessity was that euery one should pay so much he that payde a sixtieth part was discharged and many of the better devotion offred a fortieth The fiftieth part they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. that is an indifferent or competent therumah or heaue offering which they named also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the great heaue offering The fourtieth they stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Therumah of a faire eye Hanc loquendi formulam babes apud D. Matthaeum cap. 20.15 or liberally giueÌ„ And the sixtieth