sung at the Passover which were ordinarily used by the Jews for that occasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritual Songs were other Songs in Scripture besides Davids So you read of the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb in XV. Revel 3. 3. Observe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. V. The English translates it to your selves i. e. inter vos mutuo among your selves as Beza well and as that in Col. III. explains it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admonishing one another Which speaks it a publick exercise and of communion where all joyned and stirred up one another III. Further examples of this Exercise in the New Testament we might observe in the Revelations That Book speaks of the State of the Christian Church and one great work of it is singing Rev. V. 9. And they sung a new song c. The ordinary practise was to sing the Psalms of David but they sung a new song and that is there set down Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood c. So in Rev. XIV 23. And I heard the voice of Harpers harping with their harps And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the Elders and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the Earth This place speaks according to the acceptation of the Jews how they shall sing when Messiah brings them out of Captivity for there is mention among them of one hundred and forty four thousand of the twelve Tribes And so upon other occasions you find the Church singing as in XV. Chap. 2 3. But that that I shall fix on is that in 1 Cor. XI 5. Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head What is meant by the woman prophesying Not preaching For that is forbidden them in the Chapter wherein the Text is 34. vers Let your women keep silence in the Churches for it is not permitted them to speak c. Nay nor so much as to ask any question which in the Jewish assemblies at their Sermons was ordinary vers 35. And if they will learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home Neither is meant by this prophesying prophesying in the proper sense i. e. foretelling things to come For it is a question whether any woman in Corinth nay in rerum natura now Philips daughters excepted Act. XXI 9. did thus prophesie But it is plain the Apostle speaks of the ordinary Service which whole Congregations joyned in and the praying and prophesying here used is praying and praising or singing Psalms Take the Apostles own gloss in this Chapter vers 15 I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the Understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the Understanding also As all the Congregation joyned in prayer with the Minister and said Amen vers 16. So all the Congregation Men and Women joyned with him that had and gave the Psalm and sung with him For the Conclusion I might produce even endless Encomiums and Extollings of this work in Christian Writers viz. That it is the work of Angels the Employment of glorified Saints the musick of Heaven c. I confess I want words to express the excellency of this Duty Now to make some Use of what I have said I. If I were in a vulgar or unlearned Congregation I would give rules for singing of Psalms with profit and among divers especially these two 1. To mind what is sung not only that the Heart go along with the Tongue in general but to be carefully observant of what is sung There is variety of matter in most Psalms they pass from one thing to another This we should carefully observe now I pray now I mourn for my sins for the Church of God c. To this I may apply that in vers 15. I will sing with the understanding if the place speaks in reference to a mans own understanding of what he prays or sings but the Apostle there means of singing and praying to be understood by others 2. To apply to our selves the matter we sing as far as it may concern us To bear a part with David not in word and tune but affection This way we must use in hearing or reading the Scripture to bring it home to our own concernment So likewise in this action of singing Thus did they Revel XV. 3. They sung the song of Moses that is they applied Moses song in Exod. XV. unto themselves And this the leisure for meditation gives you opportunity to do At male dum recitas incipit esse tuus He that illy repeats another mans verses makes them ill verses but withal makes them his own But here I will alter the words a little Si bene recitas If you sing right sing Davids Psalms but make them your own Let the skill of composure be His the life of devotion yours II. If I thought there were any here that made scruple of this ordinance I would speak a word or two to them Let me say but two things First There is no plain ground why to refrain from singing but most plain grounds why to sing A thousand times we are bidden Sing never forbidden Sing not So of the holy Sacrament t is commanded in Scripture Do this but never Do it not Secondly Where a Duty is commanded and a scruple ariseth from some circumstance it is safer to go with the Command than from it It is commanded in Psal. XXXIV 3. O magnifie the Lord with me c. The scruple is that some prophane persons sing that set forms are too narrow c. It is warrantable now notwithstanding these scruples to keep up to the Command but not contra not warrantable to omit the Command because of these scruples There is no extinguishing a Duty because of some particular doubts concerning it This rule holds good of the reception of the holy Sacrament III. I might speak by way of incitation to all to make Conscience of this Duty Fail not to joyn with the Congregation in the performance of it stir up your hearts while you are conversant about it Say to your selves as David to his Instruments Awake Lute and Harp I my self will awake right early I will say but this Qui vult cantare in Coelo discat cantare in terris He that will sing in Heaven let him learn that divine exercise on Earth As S. Paul saith of Charity 1 Cor. XIII 8. Charity never faileth but whether there be prophesies they shall fail whether there be Tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away But charity only remains and goes to Heaven with us So I say of this Duty Praise only of all the Services we perform to God here goes along with us to Heaven There is no
me Paul taketh the world to come in this sense Heb. 2. 5. 3. Baptism had been in long and common use among them many generations before John Baptist came they using this for admission of Proselytes into the Church and baptizing Men Women and Children for that end Talm. in Jebamoth cap. 4. and Maym. in Issure biah cap. 13. A person is not a Proselyte till he be both circumcised and baptized Id. in Chettuboth cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little one they baptize by the appointment of the Consistory And Maym. in Avadim cap. 8. An Israelite that takes a little Heathen Child or that finds an Heathen Infant and baptizeth him for a Proselyte behold he is a Proselyte Hence a ready reason may be given why there is so little mention of baptizing Infants in the New Testament that there is neither plain Precept nor Example for it as some ordinarily plead The reason is because there needed no such mention baptizing of Infants having been as ordinarily used in the Church of the Jews as ever it hath been in the Christian Church It was enough to mention that Christ establisht Baptism for an Ordinance under the Gospel and then who should be baptized was well enough known by the use of this Ordinance of old Therefore it is good plea Because there is no clear forbidding of the baptizing of Infants in the Gospel ergo they are to be baptized for that having been in common use among the Jews that Infants should be baptized as well as Men and Women our Saviour would have given some special prohibition if he intended that they should have been excluded so that silence in this case doth necessarily conclude approbation to have the practise continued which had been used of old before Johns Baptism differed from that before only in this that whereas that admitted Proselytes to the Jewish Religion this admitted and translated Jews into the Gospel Religion that was a Baptism binding them over to the performance of the Law as their Circumcision did but this was a Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins as was observed before 4. Though some of the Nation expected that the Messias would come and redeem them though they were impenitent as some of the Gentiles plead in Talm. Bab. Sanhedr cap. 10. R. Samuel in articulis fidei Judaicae yet was it more generally held and with good reason that the Messias would look for a repenting Generation and thereupon others of the Gemarists in the place alleadged say If Israel repent but one day presently the Messias cometh Upon the consideration of these things it will appear the less strange that the People flowed in to Johns Baptism in so great a conflux this being the time about which the Nation expected the appearing of Messias Baptism being a thing most commonly known and used among them and this Baptism of repentance administred preparatively toward the entertainment of Christ now ready to come being sutable to their own apprehensions of the necessity of repentance against his coming Baptism was besides other tendencies of it as a badge whereby those that received it and stuck to it were marked out for safety and preservation against that destruction that was to come upon the Nation for unbelief Therefore John construes their coming to be baptized their fleeing from the wrath to come and Peter in the same sense doth say that Baptism doth now save 1 Pet. 3. 21. as the Ark had done in the destruction of the old World so this from the destruction now coming And Acts 2. 40. to his admonition to Repent and be baptized he addeth Save your selves from this untoward Generation § MATTH Chap. III. from Ver. 13. to the end § MARK Chap I. Ver. 9 10. 11. § LUKE Chap. III. Ver. 21 22. CHRIST XXX CHRIST is baptized being thirty years old initiant Josephs Age at his appearing before Pharaoh Gen. 41. 46. The Priests at their entrance into their Office Numb 4. and Davids when he began to reign 2 Sam. 5. 4. He hath now three years and a half to live and to be a publick Minister of the Gospel as the Angel Gabriel had told Dan. 9. 27. that in half of the last seven of the years there named he should confirm the Covenant R. Jochanan saith Three years and an half the Divine Glory stood upon the Mount of Olives and cried Seek the Lord while he may be found Midr. Till fol. 10. col 4. This space of time had been renowned before by Elias his shutting up Heaven Luke 4. 25. James 5. 17. and now Heaven is opened by the persecution of Antiochus when all Religion was destroyed Dan. 12. 7 11. and now redemption and restoring is come Christ therefore living three years and an half and dying at Easter it follows that he was baptized in Tizri about the Feast of Tabernacles at which time of the year he had been born and was now when he was baptized nine and twenty years old compleat and just entring upon his thirtieth to which add his three years and an half after his Baptism and it resulteth that he died being two and thirty years old and an half the exact time of Davids reign in Jerusalem 1 Kings 2. 11. The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years seven years reigned he in Hebron and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem that is in Hebron seven years and an half 2 Sam. 5. 5. and in Jerusalem two and thirty years and an half so the Jerus Talm. counteth well in Rosh hashanah fol. 1. col 2. As Christ by Circumcision was admitted a Member of the Church of the Jews so is he by Baptism of the Church of the Gospel being withal installed into his Ministerial Function by Baptism and Unction of the Holy Ghost as the Priests were into theirs by washing and anointing SECTION X. LUKE Chap. III. from Ver. 23. to the end of the Chapter CHRISTS Genealogy by his Mothers side MATTHEWS Genealogy and this as they run by a different Line so they are brought in upon different ends Matthew intends to shew that Jesus Christ was the Son promised to David Luke shews him the seed of the woman promised to Adam Gen. 3. 15. who in the next following Section begins to break the head of the Serpent Therefore when that promise to Adam beginneth to take place in Christs entring upon his Ministry and in his being sealed for the Messias by the Holy Ghost this Genealogy is divinely woven in Matthew derives his Line by the Pedigree of Joseph his supposed Father and draws it from Solomon Luke by the Pedigree of Mary his Mother and draws it from Nathan For as the Jews looked on him as the Son of David they would regard the Masculine Line and the Line Royal therefore Matthew giveth it at his birth But looked on as the seed promised to Adam the seed of the woman he was to be looked after by the Line of his Mother And whereas
Promise 408 Moses 58 Years of the Promise 409 Moses 59 their own dealing when their deliverance is deferred this deferring was Years of the Promise 410 Moses 60 for forty years and so when being upon the borders of Canaan they Years of the Promise 411 Moses 61 Years of the Promise 412 Moses 62 refused that good land their entrance into it is deferred forty years Years of the Promise 413 Moses 63 also Years of the Promise 414 Moses 64 Years of the Promise 415 Moses 65 Moses passeth through shepherdy and tribulation to the government Years of the Promise 416 Moses 66 and so doth David after him A figure of the great shepherd of the Years of the Promise 417 Moses 67 Years of the Promise 418 Moses 68 sheep c. Jether or in Arabick pronuntiation Jethro a son of Abraham Years of the Promise 419 Moses 69 but an alien to Abrahams God is happy in his son-in-law a son of Years of the Promise 420 Moses 70 Abraham and of Abrahams faith by him he is instructed and taught Years of the Promise 421 Moses 71 Years of the Promise 422 Moses 72 in the way and knowledge of the true God In Arabia where sojourned Years of the Promise 423 Moses 73 this first Prophet and Law-giver Moses there arose the false Prophet Years of the Promise 424 Moses 74 Years of the Promise 425 Moses 75 and deceiver Mahomet Moses is now exceedingly changed in Midian Years of the Promise 426 Moses 76 from his state and studies which he had whilst he was in Egypt there he Years of the Promise 427 Moses 77 Years of the Promise 428 Moses 78 was a high courtier here a poor shepherd there a student in Philosophy Years of the Promise 429 Moses 79 and Egyptian wisdom here a student of Divinity and of God himself In this Country and desert where he now liveth and retireth in so private a condition he must ere long do glorious things and before he die destroy Midian That Country had been first planted by Cush the son of Cham therefore Aaron and Miriam call Moses wife a Cushite Numb 12 1. and Zerah the Arabian is so called 2 Chron. 14. But Abraham by the conquest of Chedorlaomer and the other Kings with him had obtained that land for his own and thither he sent the concubines sons CHAP. III. IV. World 2513 Years of the Promise 430 Moses 80 MOses feeding his sheep and studying upon God hath a vision of Christ in a bush appearing in fire as he had done when he made the Promise Gen. 15. 17 18. He giveth Moses commission for Israels deliverance and the power of miracles for their sakes that believed not Moses himself fell under this predicament of unbelief and shifteth all he can to avoid the imployment as doubting and distrusting the issue and when he musts needs go upon it he dare not leave his wife and children behind him for fear he should never return to them again but taketh his wife with him though she were but newly delivered of a child and her infant with her though it were not so much as eight days old For this his distrust the Lord meets him by the way and seeks to kill him which danger Zipporah his wife misconceiving to have been because her infant was not circumcised it having by this time passed the eighth day she circumciseth it but Moses conscious of the proper cause recovereth his faith and in evidence of his faith calleth the child Eliazer in assurance of Gods help to him and so the danger departeth Moses and Aaron meet in the wilderness go together into Egypt assemble the elders of Israel relate their commission and are believed CHAP. V. MOses beginneth to execute his commission observe that he was with Israel in the wilderness forty years compleat that he was eighty years old when he began to deal with Pharaoh Exod. 7. 7. that he was a good while before he got Israel released and it teacheth how to date and lay the occurrences of his eightieth year CHAP. VI. GOD proclaimeth himself JEHOVAH The faithful one of his Promise he had revealed himself to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the name of El-shaddai The God almighty and they relied upon his all-sufficiency being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform as Rom. 4. 21. And now he cometh to glorifie another attribute of his namely his truth and faithfulness in making good what he had promised Moses goeth about as if he would reckon the heads of all Israel but he only nameth three tribes and that not only because in the third namely in the tribe of Levi his story fixed upon Moses and Aaron the men that he looked after but also because he would only name the most scandalous of all the twelve Reuben the incestuous with his Fathers wife and Simeon and Levi the murderers of Shechem that he might shew their intire conversion and magnifie Gods mercy in their pardon and lay this in the very entry of the now building Church for a comfortable copy for penitents to look after as the four women are mentioned in the beginning of the Gospel in Mat. 1. for such another purpose CHAP. VII VIII IX X. to Ver. 21. MOses beginneth to work miracles and to bring plagues upon Egypt his rod is turned into a Crocodile the waters in which the childrens blood had been shed is turned into blood Their great deity Nilus is plagued first The plague of Frogs they go up even over all the land and raven upon the very bodies of men As Moses brought real Frogs upon Egypt so the Inchanters bring magical Frogs upon Goshen The plague of lice at which the Magicians are at a non-plus and blaspheme horridly against Jehovah when they say This is the finger of God but not of Jehovah The plague of noysom beasts Flies Wasps Snaks c. Now God separateth betwixt Israel and Egypt betwixt whom there had been no difference in the preceding plagues The plague of Murrain upon Beasts Boils upon Men and Hail upon the Land and Locusts CHAP. XII to Ver. 21. THE beginning of the year is changed the Passover is instituted and commanded although the story of its institution be set after the plague of darkness yet was it commanded before the plague of Darkness came and it may be before the plague of Hail or Locusts came for assoon as ever the Darkness is over and any Egyptian can stir Pharaoh sendeth for Moses Chap. 10. 24. and after some smart speeches betwixt them Moses telleth him of the Slaughter of the first-born that it should be the very next night Chap. 11. 4 8. so that the Darkness did but end on the very morning of Passover day and it had been upon the Egyptians the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth days of the month and the Passover was on the fourteenth Now the command for the Passover was given to Moses before the tenth day of the month at least Chap. 12. 3. if not on
that they had met with that went about indeed in his Name and in his Name cast out Devils and yet would not own himself his Disciple nor follow him which raiseth to us a further scruple How this man came to this miraculous power for that it was so and not Magical exorcizing in the Name of Jesus as divers enemies of the Gospel used afterward may be gathered by Christs answer who calls it doing a Miracle in his Name and speaks of this man as not being against him but for him Whether he did these Miracles in the Name of Messias or of Jesus we will not question the original of this power to him we may resolve much into the same principle from whence Caiaphas prophesied John 11. 51. This he spake not of himself but being Highpriest that year he prophesied There is an emphasis in That year For now was the fulness of time the year of expectation and accomplishment of Vision and Prophesie and the time of the powring out of the Spirit as never before and if in that full meal of this provision that Christ had made for his own some crumbs fell besides the table that others gathered up or were partakers of it doth the more magnifie the diffusion and doth so much the more point out and give notice to observe the time For Christ did so little leave himself without witness and did give so clear evidence that this was the great and signal time spoken of by the Prophets in all generations that Miracles wrought not only by himself and his Disciples but even by the Jews own Children as Matth. 12. 27. give abundant testimony to it Matthews text in this Section runs parallel with the other to ver 10. and so far the Reader may take them up together then goeth he on with Christs speech and the story alone The number of a hundred divided into ninety nine and one ver 12. is according to the usual and ordinary manner of the Jews speech with whom this very division is very common Talm. in Peah per. 4. halac 1. 2. When a man is dividing nuts among the poor though ninety nine call on him to divide them and one call on him to scatter them to him they must hearken With Grapes and Dates it is not so though ninety nine call on him to scatter them and one to divide them to him they must hearken c. Jerus in Shab fol. 14. col 3. Rabh and R. Chaijah Rabbah both of them said If ninety nine dye by an evil eye and one by the hand of Heaven R. Chaninah and Samuel both of them said if ninety nine dye by cold and one by the hand of Heaven c. The rules that Christ giveth about dealing with an offending brother were very well known in the Nation and such as were practised at least prescribed in their own Discipline 1. Admonition privately betwixt the party offended and the party offending Of such Maymony speaks in his Treatise Deah per. 6. 2. Admonition two witnesses being present Jerus in Joma fol. 45. col 3. He that sinneth against his fellow it is necessary that he say unto him I have offended against thee If he receive him well If not he must bring two men and appease him before them c. Only Christ raiseth his lesson to a higher charity namely for the offended party to try the amendment of the offending So the jealous Husband admonisht his Wife before two Sotah per. 1. and the Sanhedrin by two Scholars of the wise admonished an Israelitish City that fell to Idolatry before they made war upon it Maym in Avodah Zarah per. 4. 3. If he will not hear them tell the Church They used the open proclaiming of an incorrigible person in the Synagogue A woman that is rebellious against her husband that she may vex him and says Behold I will thus vex him because he did so and so to me they send to her from the Judicatory or Bench and say to her Know thou that if thou persist in thy rebelliousness though thy Joynture be a hundred pound thou hast forfeited it and afterward they make Proclamation concerning her in the Synagogues and in the Schools every day for four Sabbaths together saying such a Woman rebels against her Husband c. Maymony in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per. 14. And likewise Ibid. cap. 12. If a man will not provide for his Children they rebuke him and shame him and are urgent with him and if yet he will not they proclaim him in the Synagogue saying Such a one is cruel and will not nourish his Children c. Here was telling the Church by open Proclamation SECTION LVI CHRIST XXXIII JOHN Chap. VII from Ver. 2. to Ver. 10. The Feast of Tabernacles MATTHEW and MARK both relate that when Jesus had ended these sayings which are contained in the preceding Section he departed from Galilee and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan Matth. 19. 1. Mark 10. 1. which is not to be understood as if he departed thither presently but they say no more of his actions till his departure thither and so pass over almost half a years story in silence which Luke and John do make up These bring Jesus out of Galilee beyond Jordan and presently back to Jerusalem to his passion but these as we shall see bring him twice to Jerusalem before his last coming up namely this to the feast of Tabernacles and another to the Feast of Dedication The Brethren that is the kinsmen of Jesus urge him to go up to the feast of Tabernacles that his Disciples in Judea might see his works ver 3. remember here John 3. 22. 4. 1. His brethren themselves believed not on him ver 5. and that the rather because they thought his privacy that he desired to keep in was not answerable to the port and state of the Messias therefore they desire that he would appear in the power of his miracles in Judea the center of the Nation that if he were the Messias he might carry it out there as they expected the Messias should do SECTION LVII LUKE Chap. IX from Ver. 51. to the end of the Chapter JOHN Chap. VII Ver. 10. CHRIST going towards the Feast of Tabernacles THat this journey of Christ towards Jerusalem that Luke speaketh of in this Section is the same with this in John namely his going up to the Feast of Tabernacles is plain by this that Luke mentioneth two journeys of his to Jerusalem more namely in Chap. 13. 22. which was to the Feast of Dedication and Chap. 17. 11. which was to the Passover and his Passion The words of Luke then When the time was come that he should be received up he stedfastly set his face to go to Hierusalem mean that now being come within half a year of the time of his death he resolved to be more constant at Jerusalem then he had been having avoided the place and Country once and again because the Jews
education parts and hopes and some remarkable Prophesies and predictions had been given concerning him what an instrument he should prove in the Gospel which made Paul to fix upon him as one designed for him from Heaven They set forth an◠travel Phrygia and Galatia and when they would have gone into Asia and Bithynia the Spirit forbad them because the Lord would hasten them into Macedonia unto a new work and such a one as they had not medled withal till now and that was to preach to a Roman plantation for so the Text doth intimate that Philippi was ver 12. and ver 21. and so saith Pliny lib. 4. cap. 11. He had indeed been always in the Roman dominions but still among other Nations as Jews Greeks Syrians and the like but we read not that he was in any City of Romans till here And his going to preach to that people is so remarkable that the Text seemeth to have set two or three notable badges upon it For that Nation lieth under so many sad brands in Scripture and lay under so great an abominating by the Jews that the Gospels entring among them hath these three singular circumstances to advertise of it 1. That the Spirit diverted Paul from Asia and Bithynia to hasten him thither 2. That he was called thither by a special vision the like invitation to which he had not in all his travels to any other place 3. The Penman doth not joyn himself in the story till this very time For hitherto having spoken in the third person he and they as He came to Derbe ver 1. They went through the Cities vers 4. c. he cometh now to joyn himself and to use the word We and Us. After he had seen the vision immediately we indeavoured to go into Macedonia assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us vers 10. Yet was this City mixed also of abundance of Jews living among them as that people was now dispersed and sowed in the most places of the Empire from Rome it self Eastward however it was on this side On the Sabbath by a river side where the women it seemed used their bathings for purification and where was a Synagogue they preach and convert Lydia a proselytess and she is instantly baptized and her houshold before she go home for ought can be found otherwise in the Text from whence we may observe what believing gave admission to Baptism to whole housholds In this Roman Colony it is observable that the Synagogue is called proseucha and that it is out of the Town Paul casteth out a spirit of divination and is thereupon beaten and imprisoned he and Silas but inlarged by an earthquake and the Jaylour is converted and he and his family instantly baptized After a little while Paul and Silas depart having laid the foundation of a very eminent Church as it proved afterward from which Paul in his Epistle thither acknowledgeth as many tokens of love received as from any Church that he had planted and to which he made as many visits afterward When he departeth he had ordained no Ministers there for ought can be gathered from the Text and it may be he did not till his return thither again which was the course he had used in other Churches Acts 14 23. He speaketh of divers fellow-labourers that he had there in the Gospel both men and women Phillip 4. 3. which cannot be understood of preaching but that these being converted they used their best indeavour to perswade others to imbrace the same Religion c. ACTS CHAP. XVII PAUL and Silvanus and Timothy come to Thessalonica where they make many converts but withal find very much opposition In three weeks space or very little more they convert some Jews many Proselytes and not a few of the chief Gentiles women of the City which number considered with the shortness of the time in which so many were brought in and the bitterness they indured from the unbelieving made their piety to be exceedingly renowned all abroad 1 Thess. 1. 6 7 8. Persecution driveth the Apostles to Beraea another Town of Macedonia Plin. l. 4. c. 10. there they found persons better bred and better learned then that rabble mentioned ver 5. that they had met withal at Thessalonica The Jews called their learned men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filii nobilium it may be Lukes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 11. translates that The rabble from Thessalonica brings the persecution hither also so that Paul is glad to depart to Athens but Silas and Timothy abide at Berea still At Athens there was a Synagogue of Jews and Proselytes ver 17. so that it is undoubted the Scholars of the University had heard from them the report of the true God therefore Paul is not so much cried out upon for telling them of the true God in opposition to the false as for preaching of Jesus crucified risen and glorified which neither they nor even the Jews Synagogue there had ever heard of before for this he is convented before their great Court of Areopagus where his discourse converts one that Bench Dionysius ACTS CHAP. XVIII FROM Athens Paul cometh to Corinth Urbs olim clara opibus post clade notior nunc Romana colonia saith Pomp. Mela. lib. 2. cap. 3. A little view of the City may not be useless It stood in the Isthmus or that neck of Land that lay and gave passage betwixt Peloponesus and Attica upon which Isthmus the Sea pointing in on either hand made Corinth a famous and a wealthy Mart Town by two Havens that it had at a reasonable distance from it on either side it the one Jochaeum at which they took shipping for Italy and those Western parts and the other Cenchraea at which they took shipping for Asia Merchandise arriving at these Ports from those several parts of the World were brought to Corinth which lay much in the middle between them and so this City became the great Exchange for those parts It lay at the foot of a high promont called Acrocorinthus or the Pike of Corinth The compass of the City was some forty furlongs or five miles about being strongly walled In it was a Temple of Venus so ample a foundation that it had above a thousand Nuns such Nuns as Venus had to attend upon it The City was sacked by L. Mummius the Roman General as for some other offence that it had given to that state so more especially for some abuse shewed to the Roman Embassadors there But it was repaired again by the Romans and made a Colony Vid. Strabo lib. 8. Plin. lib. 4. cap. 4. Paul coming hither findeth Priscilla and Aquila lately come from Italy because of Claudius his Decree which had expelled all the Jews from Rome Of this Decree Suetonius speaketh as he is generally understood In Claudio cap. 25. Judaeos impulsore chresto assidue tumultuantes Roma expulit Claudius expelled the Jews out of Rome who continually tumultuated because of Christ.
punishments but they had of corporal namely of scourging to fourty stripes save one Hence it is that Christ foretels his Disciples In the Synagogues you shall be beaten Mark 13. 9. and hence had Paul his five scourgings 2 Cor. 11. 24. So that in every Synagogue there were Elders that ruled in Civil affairs and Elders that laboured in the Word and Doctrine And all things well considered it may not be so monstrous as it seems to some to say it might very well be so in those times in Christian Congregations For since as it might be shewed that Christ and his Apostles in platforming of the model of Christian Churches in those times did keep very close to the platform of the Synagogues and since the Romans in those times made no difference betwixt Jews in Judaism and Jews that were turned Christians nor betwixt those Religions for as yet there was no persecution raised against Christianity why might not Christian Congregations have and exercise that double Function of Ministry and Magistracy in them as well as the Jewish Synagogues And if that much controverted place 1 Tim. 5. 17. should be interpreted according to such a sense it were neither irrational nor improbable Nor to interpret Paul speaking to such a tenour here Only his appointing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the less esteemed in the Church to be appointed for that work is of some scruple what if it allude to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Committee of private men Of which there is frequent mention among the Hebrew Doctors See Maymon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 253. col 1. 3. It was the old Jewish garb when they went to pray to hide head and face with a vail to betoken their ashamedness and confusion of face wherewithal they appeared before God And hence is the conjunction of these two words so common in their Writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He vailed himself and prayed And this for a current rule The wise men and their schollars may not pray unless they be vailed Maymon in Tephillah per. 5. To which let us add that of Sueton. in Vitell. cap. 2. Lucius Vitellius saith he had an excellent faculty in flattering he first set afoot the worshipping of Caius Caesar for a God when returning out of Syria he durst not go to him but with his head vailed and then turning himself about he fell prostrate Again it was the custom of the Jewish women to go vailed or their faces covered whensoever they went into publick A woman saith Maymony may not go into publick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if she have not a vail on In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per. 24. And this the Talmudists call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Jewish Law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The garb of modesty Chetubboth per. 7. and Alphes ibid. Where they say that that those women transgress the Jewish Law that go forth unvailed or that spin in the streets or that talk with every man Now in this Church of Corinth the men retained the Jewish custom that they prayed vailed or with their head and face covered but the women transgressed their Jewish Law for they went unvailed and bare faced into the publick Congregation and their reason was as it seemeth by the Apostles discourse because they in regard of their beauty and comly feature needed less to be ashamed before God in his worship then the men The Apostle reproves both and argues that if the man pray vailed who is the Image and glory of God then much more should the woman who is but the glory of the man But he cries down the mans praying vailed as dishonouring his head and exhorts that the woman have power on her head because of the Angels cap. 11. 10. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we observed instantly before out of Maymony signified a womans vail doth also signifie power or dominion and accordingly the Apostle speaketh Let the Woman have power on her head But what means he by Because of the Angels I should answer Because of the Devils for these he had called Angels also a few Chapters before viz. Chap. 6. 3. And his words may be construed to this sense that Women should not expose their faces openly in the Congregation lest the Devil make a bait of their beauty and thereby intangle the eyes and hearts of the men who should be then better imployed then gazing and longing after beauty There are that by Angels understood the Ministers and interpret it that Women should be vailed lest the Ministers eyes should be intangled by their faces which exposition if it be admitted it may speak for the admission of that also which we give which provides for the eyes of the whole congregation as well as of the Ministers 4. In the same eleventh Chapter he also blameth their disorder in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the height of their heats and contestations Wherein they did not only not discern the Lords body a Symbole and tye of communion but they even transgressed that rule now Christians which those of them that were Jews would not have done in their Judaism It was then a Canon current and binding amongst them that none should eat and drink in their Synagogues and none should sleep Jerus in Megilla fol. 74. col 1. Maym. in Tephillah per. 11. and Gloss. in Maym. in Shabb. 30. But now as they ate and drank the Bread and the Cup in the Sacrament in their Churches and that warrantably so did they also presume unwarrantably to eat their own common Suppers there and that only in defiance one of another the rich to outface the poor and one party another with their good commons some banketing and feasting to the full whilst others sat hungry by and looked on See how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 21. signifies in the LXX Gen. 43. 34. Cant. 5. 1. Thus did they eat and drink judgement to themselves in the Sacrament whilst they would receive the symbole of communion and yet shew such signs and evidences of disunion at the very instant And the Lord accordingly overtook some of them with evident judgements weakness sickness and death avenging at once upon them the indignity done to his Sacrament and the indignity done to their brethren Much like surfeting Nabals case and end 5. And as the people were thus irregular in this part of worship in their publick assemblies so were their Ministers faulty in others namely about the managing of spiritual gifts there The pretence to the Spirit where indeed it was not hath alwaies been the great usherer in of all errour and delusion And to this the very unbelieving Jews pretended and often backed their pretences with magical impostures and of this the Apostle speaks Chap. 12. 3. No man speaking by the Spirit of God as these men took on them to do can call Jesus accursed as they called him And on the other hand some that had spiritual gifts indeed failed in
look to the times before the Decree of Claudius or those since Claudius death when all the scattered were returned again and many of those that had come out unbelieving Jews had returned Christians thither as I believe the case was of Aquila and Priscilla and some converted in other places had now taken up their residence there as Epenetus Andronicus and Junia c. Those whose salutations he sendeth thither may be the better judged of who they were by observing who were of his retinue at this time which are named Act. 20. 4. as 1. Timothy 2. Lucius who seemeth to be Luke called now by a Latine name in an Epistle to the Latines He was with Paul at Corinth at the sending away of the Epistle for having mentioned the others that were gone to Troas these saith he staied for us joyning himself in Pauls company now going to Corinth 3. Jason seemeth to be he that is called Secundus Acts 20. 4. the one his Hebrew name and the other the same in Latine for Secundus is said to be a Thessalonian and so was Jason Acts 17. 7. 4. Sosipater here in all probability he that is called Sopater of Berea there 5. Tertius that wrote out the Epistle it may be was Silas an Hebrician will see a fair likelihood of the one name in the other it being written in Hebrew letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Hebrew names to the Romans are rendred in the Roman Idiome 6. Gaius the same in Greek with the ordinary Latine name Caius it appears that he was a Corinthian 1 Cor. 1. 13. and in that Paul here calls him Mine host and the Host of the whole Church to the understanding of which the observing of a custom of the Jews may give some illustration Maymony in his Treatise concerning the Sabbath speaking about that rite that they used of hallowing the Sabbath with a set form of words at his coming in per. 30. hath this saying This hallowing of the Sabbath may not be used but only in the place where they eat as for example he may not use the hallowing words in one house and eat in another Why then do they use the hallowing word in the Synagogue Because of travellers that do eat and drink there Where the Gloss upon the place comments thus It is evident that they did not eat in their Synagogues at all as it is apparent in the eleventh Chapter of Maymonies Treatise of Prayer but in a house near the Synagogue â—nd there they sat at the hearing of the hallowing of the Sabbath c. It may be observed from hence that strangers and travellers were intertained in a place near the Synagogue compare Acts 18. 7. which was a publick Xenodochion or receptacle of strangers at the charge of the Congregation which laudable custom is almost apparent was transplanted into the Christian Churches in those times as compare such passages as those Heb. 13. 2. Acts 15. 4. And possibly those Agapae or feasts of Charity spoken of in the Epistles of the Apostles are to be understood of these loving and charitable entertainment of strangers Jude ver 12. These are spots in your feasts of Charity when they feast with you feeding themselves without fear False teachers travelling abroad undiscovered and being intertained in these publick receptacles for strangers and at the publick charge would find there a fit opportunity for themselves to vent their errors and deceptions In this sense may Gaius very properly be understood the Host of the whole Church as being the officer or chief overseer imployed by the Corinthian Church for these intertainments In which also it was almost inevitable but some Women should have their imployment according to which custom we may best understand such places as these Phaebe a servant of the Church at Cenchrea she hath been a succourer of many Ver. 6. Mary bestowed much labour on us And see 1 Tim. 5. 9 10 c. He speaketh also of other Women of whom he giveth this testimony that they laboured much in the Lord as Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis ver 12. which may either be understood in the like sense or if not so of their great pains some other way for the honour and promotion of the Gospel and benefit of the Saints and themselves as by visiting and relieving the poor and sick taking pains in following the Ministers of the Gospel and venturing themselves with them hiding and cherishing them in times of danger and so venturing themselves for them and so he saith Priscilla and Aquila for his life laid down their own necks c. He salutes three of his own kinsmen Andronicus and Junia and Herodion the two first were converted before him and were of note among the Apostles either being of the number of the 70 Disciples or eminent converts and close followers of Christ or of the Apostles in those firsttimes He calls them his fellow prisoners but if he had called them his prisoners it had been easier to have told when and how For they were in Christ whilst he was a persecutor but when they were imprisoned with him after his conversion is hard to find out Among all that he salutes so kindly where is Peter If he were now at Rome how was he forgotten ACTS Chap. XX. Ver. 6. And we came to them to Troas in five daies Where we abode seven daies And so to Ver. 17. of Chap. XXI FRom Philippi after Easter he setteth away for Corinth where he staied so little that he came to Troas within five daies after the company was come thither which had gone before for so are the five daies to be understood not that Paul in five daies went from Philippi to Corinth and Troas but that his company which was set out with him but set directly for Troas had staied but five daies at Troas before he came up to them There he celebrates the Lords day and the Lords Supper and preacheth and discourseth all night a thing not altogether strange in the Jewish customs Jerus Sota fol. 16. 4. R. Mair was teaching profoundly all the night of the Sabbath in the Synagogue of Chamath So that Eutychus sleeps and falls and is taken up dead but recovered by miracle The change and beginning and end of the Christian Sabbath may be observed here When he goes now from thence it is most likely it was the time when he left his Cloak Books and Parchments with Carpus 2 Tim. 4. 13. His Cloak for he was now going among his own Nation in Judea and there he was to wear his Jewish habit and he left his Roman garb here till he should come into those Roman quarters again It may be the Parchments were the Originals of those Epistles that he had already written for that he sent transcripts and reserved the Original copies may be collected from these passages I Tertius who wrote out this Epistle Rom. 16. 22. The salutation of me Paul with my own hand 1 Cor. 16. 21. Col.
of the Jews bringeth forth her chief child and the Devil seeketh to destroy him He is pictured 1. A great red Dragon Old Pharaoh who sought to devour new born Israel is much of the like character Isa. 27. 7. Psal 74. 13 c. 2. With seven heads So many had the persecuting Monarchies Dan. 7. the Lion one the Bear one the Leopard four and the fourth beast one 3. And ten horns Parallel to the Syrogrecian persecutors Dan. 7. 7 c. 4. With his tail he drew and cast down the third part of the Stars As the Tyrant Antiochus had done Dan. 8. 10. So that by these allusive descriptions phrases of old stories fetched to express new is shewed the acting of the Devil now by his mischievous and tyrannical instruments with as much bitterness and bloody-mindedness as he had done in those The womans fleeing into the Wilderness alludes to Israels getting away into the Wilderness from the Dragon Pharaoh Exod. 14. c. And her nourishing there a thousand two hundred and sixty days speaks Christs preservation of that Church in the bitterest danger and days like the days of Antiochus This Vision aims at the great opposition and oppression the Church and Gospel underwent from the first rising of it to the ruine of Jerusalem and their preservation in all that extremity The battel betwixt Michael and the Dragon is of the same aim and time with the former but it speaks thus much further that the Church is not only preserved but the Dragon conquered and cast to the Earth Heaven all along in this Book is the Church the Earth therefore may be properly understood of the World and here more especially of that part of worldly ones the unbelieving Jews and that the rather because the Gentiles here are called the Wilderness as they be also in several other places in Scripture The Devil therefore is cast out of the Church by the power of Michael the Lord Christ that he cannot nestle there and he goes into the rest of the Nation that did not believe much like the tenor of that parable Matth. 12. 43 44 45. The Woman hath Eagles wings alluding to Exod. 19. 4. and gets into the Wilderness the persecuted Church and Gospel gets among the Gentiles The Devil casts venom as a flood after the Woman-Church and the Earth swallows it up the unbelieving Jews do as it were drink up all the poyson of the Devil and together with raging against the Church they grow inraged one against another and against the Romans till they become their own destroyers And indeed though it were a most bitter time with the Church while she was among the combustions that that Nation had within it self yet their raging one against another the more it increased in their particular quarrels the more it avenged her quarrel and turned their edge from off her upon themselves The Devil seeing this betakes himself to fight against the Womans seed the Church of the Gentiles and the Treatise of that begins in the next Chapter REVEL CHAP. XIII WHEN Rome hath slain Christ and destroyed Jerusalem Satan gives up his Power and Throne to it and that deservedly as to one most like to be his chief and most able agent to act his fury She is described here a Beast bearing the shape of all the four bloody Monarchies Dan. 7. in power and cruelty matching nay incomparably exceeding them all There is but little reason to take Rome for the fourth Monarchy in Daniel and the so taking it bringeth much disjointing and confusion into the interpreting of that Book and this and into the stating of affairs and times spoken of in them The Jews like such a gloss well as whereby they do conclude that the Messias is not yet come because the fourth Monarchy the Romane say they is not yet utterly destroyed And truly I see not how they can conclude less upon such a concession For it is plain in Daniel that the four Kingdoms there spoken of must come to nothing before the first appearing of Messias and that the Romane is not is most plain since this Book makes Rome Heathen and Papal but as one The Holy Ghost by Daniel shews the four Monarchies the afflicters of the Church of the Jews till Messias his first coming The Babylonian The Mede-Persian The Grecian and The Syrogrecian and John now takes at him and shews a fifth Monarchy the afflicter of the Church of Jews and Gentiles till his second coming Daniel indeed gives a hint of the Romane but he clearly distinguisheth him from the other four when he calls him the Prince that was to come Dan. 9. 26. beyond and after those four that he had spoken of before Him John describes here as carrying the character of all those four A Beast with ten horns such a one had been the Syrogrecian Dan. 7. 7 like a Leopard as the Grecian was vers 6. his feet as a Bears such the Persian vers 5. his mouth like a Lion such the Babylonian vers 4. This therefore could not be any of those when it was all and by this description of it by characters of them all it shews the vast power and incomparable cruelty and oppression of it equalling them all nay it infinitely went beyond them put all together in extent of Dominions Power Continuance and Cruelty both to the Church and to the World Balaam long before Rome was in being doth set it out for the great afflicter Numb 24. 24. Ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim and shall afflict Assur and shall afflict Eber That Chittim means Italy or Rome is granted even by some Romanists themselves it is asserted by the Jews and confirmed by other places of Scripture and even proved by the very sense and truth of that place It afflicts both the afflicted and the afflicter Eber and Assur and that hath been the garb of it since its first being How may this be read in her own stories In her bloody Conquests over all the world in the titles of honour but which speak oppression Britannicus Germanicus Africanus and the like And to take up all in Epitome and that you may conjecture ex ungue Leonem what whole Rome hath done in all her time for slaughter oppression and destroying take but the brief of one of her Commanders Pompey the Great of whom Pliny speaks to this purpose Nat. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 26. He recovered Sicily subdued Africk subjected eight hundred and seventy six Towns about the Alpes and coasts of Spain routed and slew 2183000 men Sunk and took eight hundred and forty six Ships took in one thousand five hundred and thirty eight fortified places and triumphed from his Conquest of Asia Pontus Armenia Paphlagonia Cappadocia Cilicia Syria Judea Albania Iberia Creet and Basterna What hath Rome done by all her agents in all her time And she is this year 1654 two thousand four hundred and eight years old She is described here with seven heads and ten
as Egypts did through dreadful apparitions in the dark The drying up of Euphrates for the Kings of the East under the sixth Vial seems to speak much to the tenor of the sixth Trumpet the loosing of the four Angels which were bound at Euphrates Those we conceived the Turks to plague Christendom these we may conceive enemies to plague Antichrist The allusion in the former seems to be to the four Kings from beyond Euphrates that came to scourge Canaan Gen. 14. this to the draining of Euphrates for Cyrus and Darius to take Babylon For having to treat here of a Babylon as ver 19. the scene is best represented as being laid at the old Babylon Now the Historians that mention the taking of Babylon by Cyrus tell us it was by draining the great stream of Euphrates by cutting it into many little channels The Egyptian plague of Frogs is here translated into another tenour and that more dangerous three unclean Spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet Spirits of Devils working miracles c. This is named betwixt the sixth and seventh Vial though the acting of the delusions by miracles were all the time of the Beast and false Prophet because of the judgment now coming for though all deluders and deluded received their judgments in their several ages yet being here speaking of the last judgments of Antichrist they are all summed together He is here called the false Prophet as being the great deluder of all The fruit of all these delusions is to set men to fight against God whose end is set forth by allusion to the Army of Jabin King of Canaan Judg. 5. 19. broken at the waters of Megiddo The word Armageddon signifies a mountain of men cut in pieces Here that solemn caution is inserted Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments The Priest that walked the round of the Temple guards by night had torches born before him and if he found any asleep upon the guard he burnt his clothes with the torches Middoth per. 1. halac 2. The seventh Vial concludes the Beasts destruction The great City is said to be divided into three parts either as Jerusalem was Ezek. 5. 11 12. a third part to pestilence a third part to the sword and a third part to dispersion and destruction in it or because there is mention of an Earthquake this speaks its ruining in general as Zech. 14. 4 5. A tenth part of it fell before Chap. 11. 13. and now the nine parts remaining fall in a tripartite ruine REVEL CHAP. XVII MYSTICAL Babylon pictured with the colours of the old Babylon Rome so called as being the mother of Idolatry as Babel was the beginning of Heathenism and the mother of persecution Babylon destroyed Jerusalem so did Rome and made havock of the Church continually She is resembled to a woman deckt with gold c. as Isa. 14. 4. sitting upon a seven-headed and ten-horned Beast as Chap. 13. 1. Which Beast was and is not and yet is it shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and shall go to perdition Rome under the Papacy was not the same Rome it had been and yet it was Not Rome Heathen and Imperial as it had been before and yet for all evil Idolatry persecution c. the same Rome to all purposes It is plainly described as sitting upon seven hills upon which there is hardly a Roman Poet or Historian but makes a clear comment The seven heads denoted also seven Kings or kinds of Government that had passed in that City Five are fallen vers 10. Kings Consuls Tribunes Dictators Triumvirs and one then was when John wrote namely Emperors And one not yet come Christian Emperors which continued but a short space before the Beast came which was and is not He is the eight and he of the seven They that hold Rome to be the fourth Monarchy in Daniel cannot but also hold from this place that that Monarchy is not yet extinct The ten horns upon the Beast in Dan. 7. 24. are ten Kings arising and succeeding one another in the same Kingdom but here at ver 12. they are ten several Kingdoms all subject to the Beasts both Imperial and Papal but at last shall rise up against the mystical Whore and destroy her It is like there must yet be conversion of some Kingdoms from the Papacy before it fall REVEL CHAP. XVIII XIX to Vers. 11. AN Elegy and a Triumph upon the fall of Babylon The former Chap. 18. almost verbatim from Isa. 13. 14. 21. 34. Jer. 51. Ezek. 27. The later also Chap. 19. the phrase taken from the Old Testament almost every word The triumphant Song begins with Halleluja several times over The word is first used at the later end of Psal. 104. where destruction of the wicked being first prayed for Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth and let the wicked be no more he concludes with Bless thou the Lord O my soul. Hallelujah The observation of the peoples saying over the great Hallel at the Temple or their great Song of praise doth illustrate this The Hallel consisted of several Psalms viz. from the one hundred and thirteenth to the end of the one hundred and eighteenth and at very many passages in that Song as the Priests said the verses of the Psalms all the people still answered Hallelujah Only here is one thing of some difference from their course there for here is Amen Hallelujah ver 4. whereas It is a tradition That they answered not Amen in the Temple at all What said they then Blessed be the Name of the glory of his Kingdom for ever and ever Jerus in Beracoth fol. 13. col 3. But the promises of God which are Yea and Amen being now performed this is justly inserted as Christ for the same cause in this Book is called Amen Chap. 3. 14. The marriage of the Lamb is now come and his Wife is ready ver 7. the Church now compleated REVEL CHAP. XIX from Ver. 11. to the end of the Chapter HERE begins a new Vision as it appeareth by the first words And I saw Heaven opened and here John begins upon his whole subject again to sum up in brief what he had been upon before Observe what is said in vers 19. I saw the Beast and the Kings of the Earth and their Armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the Horse and against his Army and observe withal that there is the story of the destruction of the Beast before Chap. 18. and of the marriage and marriage Supper of the Lamb before Chap. 19. 7 8 9. therefore the things mentioned here cannot be thought to occur after those this therefore is a brief rehearsal of what he had spoken from the twelfth Chapter hither about the battel of Michael and his Angels with the Dragon and his Angels REVEL CHAP. XX. THE preceding Section spake what
they entred into their function Exod. 29. 4. Lev. 8. 6. the equity of which appeared in him when he was baptized at his entrance into his Ministry And this indeed was the manifest and properest end and reason of Christ being baptized namely that by baptism he might be installed into his Ministerial office Luke 3. ver 21. Now when all the people were baptized c. Not all that were to be baptized by John for the contrary is evident Joh. 3. 23. where John is baptizing a twelve month after this but all those that were reckoned by the Evangelist before from Jerusalem and Judea of Phrarisees Sadduces Publicans and Soldiers which he now reckoneth up in this summa totalis of All the people to shew what multitudes were baptized into Christ before Christ came to be revealed But it may be questioned among all this number whether there were any women baptized by John or no. And the doubt may seem to be equally ballanced for as the silence of the Text doth seem to deny it so reason on the other side doth strongly affirm it For first the baptism of John was such a thing as women might receive as well as men in regard of possibility which they could not possibly do by Circumcision Secondly it was such a thing as they might receive as well as men in regard of capability for women were as ready to repent as they But thirdly that which putteth it out of all doubt that women were baptized by him is the testimony of our Saviour Matthew 21. 32. John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not but the Publicans and the Harlots believed him § Jesus also being baptized About the time place and manner of our Saviours baptism the Evangelists have been so silent in this place that what is to be resolved upon them is to be fetched from and by comparison of other texts and collection from other places which about the first will give very full satisfaction about the second indifferent and about the last little or none at all The time then of his being baptized that is the time of the year is only or at least chiefly to be found by computing the time or length of his Preaching and therewith considering the time or season of his death Now the length of his Preaching or from his baptism to his death was justly and exactly three years and an half as was touched before And from that very thing or in relation to it that number is so very renowned in Scripture being sometimes expressed in the plain terms of three years and six months Luke 4. 25. sometimes by half a week Dan. 9. 27. sometimes by a time times and half a time Dan. 12. 7. Rev. 12. 14. and sometimes by a thousand two hundred and threescore days Rev. 11. 3. 12. 6. and sometimes by forty and two months Rev. 11. 2. To evidence which account of his Ministery first may be produced the Text of Daniel alledged instantly before chap. 9. 27. where it is said that Messias should confirm the Covenant for many for one week or in that one week rather namely which he reckoneth the last of the seventy for first he nameth seven weeks by themselves and then sixty two by themselves ver 25. which every one knoweth made sixty nine and then coming to speak of the last week which was to make up the seventy he saith that in that one week Christ shall confirm the Covenant for many and then describing and declaring the exact time of that his work he saith And in half that week shall he cause sacrifice and oblation to cease Now that by these weeks are meant weeks of years or as many years as a week hath days hardly any man ever denyed or suspected the contrary and that then by half a week is meant half seven years or three years and an half there can be as little doubt or scruple This then the Angel Gabriel telleth was the exact time in which the Messias did confirm the Covenant and was bringing to an end Sacrificing and other Ceremonies or the time of his Preaching the Gospel which was from his Baptism to his death Secondly if not for proof yet for better illustration of the same may be produced that place of the Gospel alledged so lately also before namely Luke 4. 25. where Elias is a glorious type and resemblance of Christ in a sweet and harmonious discord and difference For as he shut up heaven by his prayer and there was no rain for three years and six months so Christ opened heaven at his baptism as it is said in the verse in hand and continued to distil the divine dew and rain of his heavenly doctrine as Deut. 32. 2. for the same space of time And thirdly as there is such evidence for the time averred from a Prophecy and such illustration from a type so is there a full confirmation of it in the Evangelicall story For John hath plainly parcelled out the three years by four Passeovers as the first chap. 2. 13. the second chap. 5. 1. the third chap. 6. 4. and the fourth chap. 13. 1. c. and the odd half year which since he dyed at the last Passeover must be laid before the first was taken up in these particulars of his journey into the wilderness and forty days fast Mat. 4. 1. his return to Jordan and abode thereabout John 1. 29. 35. 44. his voyage into Galilee and miracle at Cana John 2. 1. his removal after some space to Capernaum and some abode in it chap. 2. 12. and thence his journy to Hierusalem to the first Passeover of the four John 2. 13. So that it being thus apparent that the length or space of his Preaching was three years and an half from his baptizing to his suffering it being withall considered that he dyed at Easter it will readily follow that he was baptized half a year before that time of the year namely in the month Tisri or September And it being again considered that he was baptized when he was just entring upon a new year of his age as shall be observed anon it will thence likewise follow that he was born at the same time of the year also And who is he that can imagine that the renownedness and fame of this month in the Old Testament both befor the Law and under it was for any other thing so much as in reference and prefiguration to and of these glorious things Now though there be these assured evidences of the time of the year when our Saviour was baptized yet is there but conjecture of the time of the month And that may most constantly be conceived to have been at the Feast of Tabernacles which began on the fifteenth day of the month Levit. 23. 33. upon these probable and not altogether un satisfactory reasons First because he dyed on the fifteenth day of the month Abid or Nisan the day after the Passeover and
because of the cattel turned out there and Lebanon was a large hilly Country from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be white because of the snows that lay upon it so seemeth Aenon to mean a fountainous place or some compass of ground full of springs from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fountain And so the words there were many waters there may be construed as giving the Etymology of the word Aenon John was baptizing in Aenon a place so called because there were many waters there There is mention of Abel Majim or The plain of waters a part of Galilee 2 Chron. 16. 4. And such another manner of speech is that in 2 Chron. 20. 26. They assembled in the valley of Berachah for there they blessed the Lord i. e. the valley so called because they blessed the Lord there Now because this Text is commonly alledged for the proof of dipping in Baptism and the words Because there was much water expounded as giving the reason rather of his baptizing there than giving the Etymology of the word as that John could not baptize but where there was much water for the dipping of the many people that came unto him It may not be amisi a little to look upon the words with reference to such a construction and to examine first what was the manner of baptizing among the Jews before John Baptist came And secondly how far the Baptist did imitate them in their manner Concerning the first We observed upon the first Chapter of this Gospel of John at ver 25. that the rite of baptizing was in use amongst the Jews and for that very end that it is amongst us namely for admission of persons into the Church many years before the Gospel began to be preached or John Baptist appeared and this was shewed from the Jews one writings and testimonies though they be enemies to our baptism And now it may not be impertinent from the same Authors to give some account of the manner of the administration of that rite amongst them or in what manner they used to baptize Towards that we must first take up that traditional maxime mentioned by Maymony in Issure Biah per. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In such a gathering of waters as is fit for the washing of a woman from her separation there they baptize Proselytes Now the waters fit for such a washing they describe thus A man that had an issue was not purified but in a Fountain but a woman that had an issue and all other unclean persons or things were washed in a gathering of waters For this was the Law that in any waters that are gathered together thy wash in as it is said A gathering of waters even in any place Now it must be so that there be therein so much water as amounts to the washing of the whole body of a man at one dipping The wise men have measured this preportion to be a cubit square three cubits deep And this measure contained forty seabs of water Id. in Mikvaoth per. 1. 4. Talm. in Mikvaoth per. 2. 3. c. As for the manner of their washing it was thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one that was washed or baptized must dip his whole body as he was naked at one time And wheresoever in the Law washing of the flesh or washing of garments is spoken of it is no other than washing of the whole body For if a man shall wash himself all over the tip of his little finger only excepted he is yet in his uncleanness And if he be a man of much hair he must dip all the hair of his head for that is as his body And though they were in their cloaths yet their washing was good because the water went through them and they hindred it not Maym. ubi supr Now when there came a Proselyte or a Proselytess to be admitted into the Jews Church and Religion they enquired of them whether they entred not into that Religion for riches or preferment or fear And of a man they inquired whether he had not set his eyes upon some maid of Israel and of a woman whether she had not set her eyes upon some young man of Israel And if no such matter were found out then they acquainted them with the weight of the yoke of the Law and the labour of performing it If they saw that they came out of love to the Law they receive them as it is said When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her then she left speaking unto her Ruth 1. 18. When they receive a proselyte of righteousness and have enquired of him and find none of the causes mentioned they say unto him What sawest thou that caused thee to become a Proselyte Knowest thou not that Israel is at this time poor and oppressed and many calamities are upon them If he say I know it I am one unworthy They receive him out of hand and acquaint him with the fundamentals of the Law namely the Unity of the Godhead and the prohibition of Idolatry and they are large in discourse upon his matter Then they rehearse to him some of the less and some of the greater commandments in the Law but they are not large upon that Then they do acquaint him with the fault of a mans gathering what he had left Deut. 24. 19. and the corner of the field Lev. 23. 22. and about the second tithing Also they acquaint him with the penalties of the Law saying thus to him Know that before thou comest into this Law if thou eatest fat thou wast not punished with cutting off and if thou didst prophane the Sabbath thou wast not punished with stoning but now after thou art proselyted if thou eatest fat thou must be punished with cutting off and if thou prophanest the Sabbath thou must be stoned And they add no more for they are not too punctual with him left cause him to start and decline from the good way to the bad For at the first they draw not a man but with gentle words as it is said With the cords of a man will I draw them Therefore as they acquaint him with the penalties of the commandment so they acquaint him with the reward thereof and shew him that by keeping of these commandments he shall obtain the life of the world to come and that there is no perfect righteous man but he that knoweth these commandments and doth them Moreover they say unto him Know thou that the world to come is not reserved but for the righteous that is for Israel And therefore though thou see Israel in affliction in this world yet there is good laid up for them for they cannot receive much in this world among the Nations lest their heart should be lifted up and so they err and spoil their reward in the world to come as it is said Jesurum waxed fat and kicked Nor doth the blessed God bring upon them much vengeance lest they should perish for all
now in Capreae having forsaken the City living in all filthiness and cruelty 770. Divers cruelties ibid. Strange accusing 771. The boldness of Sejanus and Terentius 772. Divers cruelties more and other occurrencies ibid. Tiberius troubled in mind 773. Among the Jews A Commotion among them occasioned by Pilate ibid. Occurrences in the year of Christ XXXIV Tiberius XIX In the Church Hellenists murmuring against the Hebrews Act. 6. Seven Deacons chosen And their office 777. c. Stephen Martyred 780 c. Act. 7. Bitter persecution against the whole Church 785. Act. 8. Dispersion of the hundred and eight upon the Persecution ibid. Samaria receiveth the Gospel 786. Simon Magus ibid. The Holy Ghost given by imposition of hands 787. The Ethiopian Eunuch converted 789 c. Paul converted and baptized ibid. Act. 9. to ver 10. In the Empire Velleius Paterculus flourisheth 795. Troubles in Rome about Usury 796 c. Tiberius still most bloudily cruel ibid. Strang accusations among the People ibid. Marius and his daughter wrongfully slaughtered ibid. The miserable end of Asinius Gallus and Nerva ibid. The miserable end of Agrippin◠and Drusius ibid. Other Massacres ibid. Occurrences in the Year of Christ XXXV Tiberius XX. In the Church No particular occurrence of the Church mentioned this year 801. In the Empire Tiberius Reign proclaimed for ten years longer and the Consuls punished for it ibid. Many cruelties of the Emperour 802. A feigned Drusus ib. Among the Jews A commotion and slaughter of them caused by Pilate 803 Philip the Tetrach of Trachonitis dyeth ib. Occurrences in the year of Christ XXXVI Tiberius XXI In the Church No particular Occurrence mentioned this year Among the Jews Vitellius Governour of Judea he cometh to Jerusalem is courteous to the Iews 809. Caiaphas removed from the High Priesthood 810. In the Empire A Rebellion in Parthia ib. Tiberius still cruel and shameless 811. Occurrences in the year of Christ XXXVII Tiberius XXII In the Church Paul cometh to Jerusalem 813. Act. 9. vers 23 c. to vers 32. The Disciples afraid of him 814. Persecution lasteth yet ib. Paul presented to the Apostles preacheth boldly is persecuted and goeth to Tarsus 815. In the Empire The Parthian War yet uncomposed 816 817. Artabanus restored to his Kingdom ib. A commotion in Cappadocia ib. Cruelties at Rome ib. Mishaps there through fire and water ib. The death of Thrasyllus the Astrologer ib. Among the Jews A commotion in Samaria 818 c. Pilate put out of Office ib. Agrippa his journey to Rome ib. His imprisoment there ib. War betwixt Herod the Tetrach and Aretas King of Arabia ib. Occurrences in the year of Christ XXXVIII Tiberius XXIII Being also the first year of Caius No particular Occurrence of the Church specified this year In the Empire Macro all base 823. A wicked woman 824. Preparations of War against Aretas 825 c. An Omen to Agrippa in Chains ib. Tiberius near his end ib. His choice of a successor ib. Tiberius his Death ib. Caius his successor ib. Tiberius in a manner cruel being dead ib. Agrippa in perplexity and enlarged 825 c. His dissimulation ib. He beginneth to shew himself in his own colours ib. His cruelty ib. Young Tiberius brought to a miserable end ib. Occurrences in the year of Christ XXXIX Caius II. No Occurrence of the Church mentioned this year In the Empire Cruelties at Rome 831. An end of Macro 832. Among the Jews Great troubles of the Jews in Alexandria 832 c. Agrippa at Alexandria abused ib. A Pageant of one and more madmen ib. Sad outrages upon the Jews ib. Caius will be a God ib. More of their Miseries ib. Agrippa in his own kingdom ib. Yet more Occurrences in the Empire Caius the new God little better than a Devil 836 c. Many and many cruelties of his ib. Occurrences in the year of Christ XL. Caius III. In the Church Peter visiting divers parts 839 840. Act. 9. ver 32. Yet not at Antioch in this visitation ib. Dorcas raised 841. Act. 10. Cornelius converted 842. The keys of the kingdom of Heaven now only used 845. The Holy Ghost given to the Gentiles 847. In the Empire Caius still cruel 848 c. A most inhumane cruelty ib. Caius his luxury and prodigality ib. His strange bridge of Ships ib. His covetousness ib. Among the Jews Herod and Herodias before the Emperour 852. The Alexandrian Jews still perplexed ib. Flaccus his downfall ib. The Jews still distressed for all that ib. Occurrences in the year of Christ XLI Caius Caligula IV. In the Chuhch Antioch receiveth the Gospel 855. Barnabas cometh thither ib. Act. 11. ver 19. to ver 26. Among the Jews Troubles at Jamnia 856 c. Caius his image to be set up in the Temple causing troubles ib. Petronius his Letter hereupon to the Emperour ib. Agrippa his mediation for the Jews ib. Flaccus Avilius his end ib. The Ambassadors of the Alexandrian Jews before the Emperour Apion ib. Philo the Jew and his Writings ib. In the Empire Caius still foolish and cruel 862. Caius profane ib. Occurrences in the year of Christ XXII Caius V. Claudius I. In the Empire Caius his death contrived 865 c. The manner of his death ib. The sequel ib. Dissention about the government ib. Claudius ib. Caesonia and her child slain ib. Claudius made Emperour ib. His demeanour at the beginning ib. In the Church The name of Christian first used 871. Act. 11. ver 26. Among the Jews The Theraputae 872. The affairs of the Jews in Alexandria and Babylonia ib. The rebellion of some Jews ib. Occurrences in the year of Christ XLIII Claudius II. In the Church A famine in Judea and all the world 877. Paul rapt into the third heaven ib. Act. 11. ver 28. Peter not this year at Rome 888. Among the Jews Herod Agrippa his coming to Jerusalem 879 c. Imperial acts in behalf of the Jews ib. Peter not imprisoned this second year of Claudius ib. In the Empire The Moors subdued 881. Claudius beginneth to be cruel and his Empress Messalina wicked ib. Occurrences in the year of Christ XLIV Claudius III. In the Church The martyrdomn of James the great 883. Concerning the Apostles Creed 884. Concerning Traditions 885. Peters imprisonment and delivery ib. In the Empire Some actions of Claudius 887. Messalina abominably wicked ib. An expedition into England ib. A whorish trick of Messalina ib. Among the Jews The fatal end of Herod Agrippa 889. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES CHAP. I. Vers. 1. The former Treatise have I made c. THE Syrian and Arabick render it The former * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which word they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 1. 1. book have I written and so is the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Heathen Authors not only for an oration by word of mouth but also for a Treatise or Discourse that
but the one party called Hebrews and the other Hellenists in reference to their language and residence The Hebrews in Judea or in the Countries of the Eastern dispersion and the other in the Countries and Colonies of the Western And in this sense is that easily understood which is spoken of Paul Chap. 9. 29. that he spake and questioned with the Hellenists namely because he spake their language the Greek tongue he being born in Tarsus where they had Greek Schools And that in Chap. 11. 19 20. They that were scattered spake the word to none but to the Jews only and yet some spake to the Hellenists at Antioch they that spake being themselves Hellenists by birth or Jews born in Cyprus and Cyrene in Greek Colonies and so dealt with them of Antioch that were of the same native reference that they were Sect. Were neglected in the dayly ministration That is in the daily distribution of Alms or the stock of the Church as the Text and reason it self maketh it plain enough though some have conceived that it is to be taken passively as if these widdows had been hindred from ministring to the Apostles as women had ministred to our Saviour Vers. 2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the Disciples unto them Not the whole multitude of believers which at this time were grown to very many thousands but the whole number of the Presbytery or the 108 of whom mention hath been made before For 1. how needless was it that eight or ten thousand people should meet together about this business to choose six or seven men And 2. how impossible was it there should be a joynt choice where the distance and diversities of Countries and Languages had made them so great strangers one to another and when some discontents had driven them into murmurings already 3. They that chose the seven are bidden to look out among themselves men full of the Holy Ghost which among the number of common believers was very hard if at all possible to find for we cannot ever find that the Holy Ghost had come down upon any but the 120. And whereas they are required to be of honest report and wisdom it doth not infer that any of the 108 were otherwise but because there was difference of eminencies and excellencies among them Vers. 3. Seven men This number may seem to refer to the seven Nations of the Western Jews who had made the complaint Cappadocians Ponticks Asians Phrygians Pamphilians Romans and Cretans Sect. The Office of Deacons 1. It was not ministerial or for the preaching of the word but for providing for the poor for as the occasion of their election was complaint of the poor so the end of their choice was to provide for their relief It is true indeed that these seven men at the least two of them Stephen and Philip were Preachers of the word as well as overseers of the poor but this their ministerial function they had before their Deaconry not with it For it is not only the opinion of Epiphanius but even sense and reason do give their vote with him that these men were of the number of the Seventy or at the least of the 108. that had been Christs constant followers and disciples and so had received their ministerial function from Christ and not from the Apostles and it was not an addition to their Deaconry but their Deacon to it For the Text telleth plainly that they were full of the Holy Ghost before they received the imposition of hands and so had in all probability yea indeed past denial received the Holy Ghost when the 120. did they being some of that number 2. Those tables for which the office of Deaconry was ordained were not holy Tables but common For 1. The twelve set an inconsistence between serving these Tables and preaching the Word Vers. 2. which they would never have done if serving of Tables had been the attending upon the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 2. The serving of Tables that they mean they put over from themselves to the Deacons but none can think that they would ever resign or give over the administring the Sacrament 3. There were Ministers enough already for the administration and attending upon the Sacrament and there needed no new ordination or office for it 3. The office of the Deacons was to take care of the poor according to their several wants to gather and receive collections for them to distribute to them to oversee them and to minister to them in their necessities and therefore it is no wonder if the Apostles were so circumspect in their election and so observant in their ordination For these seven were to take this work of the Apostles out of their hands and to dispose of the stock the Church and upon whose care the support of the poor was to depend and their welfare upon their incorruption and then it is no marvel if they were chosen men of good report and they were to converse with variety of languages and nations and therefore it was needful they should be full of the Holy Ghost inabling them to converse with them in their divers tongues Vers. 5. Prochorus Sect. The book of the life of Iohn the Evangelist under his name forged Of Prochorus Nicanor Timon and Parmenas there is no mention in Scripture The book that beareth the name of Prochorus concerning the life miracles and assumption of John the Evangelist doth justly bear this brand in its forehead as it stands in Bilioth Patr. Tom. 7. Historia haec Apocrypha est fabulosa indigna prosus quae legatur The Author bewrayeth himself to be a Romanist by the sign of the cross and the local descent cap. 3. by Linus and Domitian disputing about the coming of Christ and by John Port-Latin bap 10. and by other visible signes although he had thought he had put on a vizor sufficient to have hidden that when he bringeth in Peter calling John the prime Apostle even in the beginning of first Chapter But that none may lose so much time as to read him over let him take a patern of the rest of his pedlary ware out of the twentieth Chapter where he bringeth in John writing a letter to the Devil that possessed a man and by that letter casting him out Sect. Nicolas a Proselite of Antioch He is held to have been the author and occasion of the Sect of the Nicolaitans Rev. 2. 6 15. Iren. lib. 1. cap. 27. Euseb. hist. lib. 3. cap. 29. A sect that misconstrued the doctrine of Christian communitie and Christian liberty to all uncleaness and licentiousness but whether it began to be so misconstrued by Nicolas himself or by some of his followers as the Sadduces abused a good doctrine of Sadoc to a damnable Heresie it is difficult to determine and this is not the proper place to examine it Vers. 7 A great company of the Priests were obedient to the Faith I cannot but wonder at the boldness of
indeed that women might and did receive some of these extraordinary gifts but it was by immediate influence from Heaven and not by any imposition of hands So that now if we look upon this Story and upon others of the like nature through these spectacles it will appear that this Imposition of the Apostles hands was not upon all the Samaritans but upon some selected number nor upon those selected ones for their confirmation in grace but for their ordination to the Ministery and with the imposition of hands they received the Holy Ghost to inable them for that work Vers. 26. Which is desart This is to be applyed to the way to Gaza and not to Gaza it self and so the Syriack and Arabick apply it expresly and warrantably seeing the way was through the wilderness of Judah and there was but one Gaza Vers. 27. A man of Aethiopia There is mention of a double Cush or Aethiopia in Scripture for so is it rendred the one in Arabia and the other in Africk and Homer even in his time speaketh of a twofold Aethiopia Odys 1. but it is questionable whether he mean the same with the Scripture or no since he calleth them Eastern and Western whereas these were East and South Now this man is held and that upon good ground to be of Aethiopia in Africk where the name of Candace is renowned even in Heathen Authors Vers. 33. Who shall declare his generation This Prophecy of Esay which the Eunuch was reading is exceedingly much mistaken by the Jews and this clause of the Prophecy is exceedingly controverted among Christians The Jews understand it some of them concerning Josiah others concerning the whole people of Israel but the Holy Ghost hath in this place put us out of all doubt of whom it speaketh But as for the sense of this clause some Christians understand it concerning the ineffablity of Christs Eternal generation others concerning the ineffability of his incarnation or the generation of his humane Nature united to the Godhead others concerning the wondrous generation of the Church and faithful for it followeth For he was cut off from the Land of the Living and yet the generation of his faithful ones increased But it seemeth to me that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be understood of the age and generation in which Christ lived rather than of his own generation or descent and so is it used by the Holy Ghost in other places as Gen. 6. 9. Acts 13. 36. c. and so is it intepreted here by the Chaldee and other Jewish glossaries Now the meaning of the verse and of this clause is to this purpose He was taken away and hurryed from Prison and from Judgment to Execution and as the LXX hath enlarged the sense by change of Phrase In his poor and dejected estate his Judgment was utterly taken away and no right done him and who can sufficiently speak of the looseness and wickedness of that generation called in the Gospel the viperous adulterous wicked untoward generation which dealt so unjustly and wretchedly with him as to take and cut him off from the Land of the Living Vers. 39. And the Eunuch went on his way rejoycing Dorotheus in Synopsi if he might be believed will tell you what became of this Eunuch afterward as that he preached the Gospel in Arabia in the Isle of Taprobane and all about the red Sea and that he is reported to have suffered matyrdom gloriously and to have been buried there Biblioth patr tom 7. But believe it that list for this I observe to be the constant and common officiousness of Superstition to make any man that is mentioned in the New Testament with a good report to become a Preacher and commonly a Bishop and constantly a Matyr Acts IX § 1. Paul converted IN this year must be placed the conversion of Paul and the reasons to prove time shall be given anon A man a wonder for so will * * * Hiâ—â—on some have his name to signifie in whom was shewed as much as can be seen in man both for want of grace and for abundance Inferior to none in wickedness but only in this that it was not final and inferiour to none in holiness no not to the greatest Apostles A scene on which at one time corrupt Nature shewed her cursed vigor and at another time sanctifying Grace her sacred power and both to such an extent as not many parallels He was born in Tarsus of Cilicia a free City of the Romans and himself a Freeman of that City His Parents were both Jews and therefore he calleth himself an Hebrew of 2 Cor. 11. 21. Phil. 3. 5. Rom. 11. 1. the Hebrews or an Hebrew both by Father and Mother His discent was of Benjamin which from the general division under Jeroboam the first had adhered constant to the Tribe of Juda and so kept Registers of their Genealogies as that Tribe did According to his double Nation he also bare a double name Saul as he was an Hebrew by birth and Paul as he was a Roman by freedom His education was in the Schools of Tarsus where as Strabo recordeth were Scholars no whit inferiour to the Students in Athens Here he attained the Greek Language and Learning and grew expert in Tit. 1. 12. Acts 17. 28. 1 Cor. 1â— 33. Act. 22. 3. Gal. 1. 14. Acts 18. 3. their Philosophy and Poems his skill wherein he sheweth in alledging Epimenides Aratus and Menander From thence he was sent to the University at Jerusalem for the study of Divinity and of the Jewish Law His Tutor was Gamaliel a Pharisee a man of special note and reverence among the people His proficiency was above many of his equals of his own Nation he being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of the Fathers From his youth he also learned a handy trade of making Tents and joyned the working in that by some vicissitudes with his studies which thing was common with the Scholars of the Jews partly for the earning of their maintenance and partly for the avoiding of idleness and sin So Rabbi Juda the great Cabalist bare the name and trade of Hhajat a Shoomaker or Taylor Yet was the learning of this great Scholar but gorgeous ignorance and his forward zeal but the more excellent impiety When he thought he followed holiness he persecuted it and when his studies should have overtaken the truth then had he lost both them and it and himself and all As for Saul saith Luke he made havock of the Church entring into every house and Acts 8. 3. and 22. 4. Acts 26. 11. haling men and women committed them to prison He began now to write his positions in blood and it must be no less than death or abjuration not to be of his opinion Neither was this his fury confined within the walls of Jerusalem or the compass of Judea but overflowed also unto forreign Cities where the Jewish Synagogues acknowledging subjection to the
under this sweet and lovely denomination given equally to them both The current of the story hitherto hath fairly and plainly led this occurrence to this year as the Reader himself will confess upon the trace of the History and he will be confirmed in it when he seeth the next year following to be the year of the famine which next followeth in relation in St. Luke to this that we have in hand Act. 11. 26 27 28. By what names the Professors of the Gospel were called before this time it is plain in Scripture Among themselves they were called b b b Act. 4. 15. Disciples c c c Cap. 5. 14. 6. 1. 9. 1. Believers d d d Act. 8. 1. The Church e e e Act. 8. 2. Devout men f f f Act. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 6. Brethren But among the unbelieving Jews by this sole common and scornful title of g g g Act. 24. 5. The sect of the Nazarites Epiphanius hath found out a strange name for them not to be found elsewhere nor to be warranted any where and that is the name of Jessaeans Before they were called Christians h h h Lib. 1. advers Nazaraeos pag. 120. saith he they were called Jessaei either from Jesse the father of David from whom the Virgin Mary and Christ by her descended or from Jesu the proper name of our Saviour Which thou shalt find in the books of Philo namely in that which he wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which treating of their Policy Praises and monasteries which are about the Marish Marian commonly called Mareotis he speaketh of none others than of Christians Of the same opinion in regard of the men themselves are divers others both the Fathers and later writers though they differ in regard of the name No Romanist but he takes it for granted that Philo in that book that is meant by Epiphanius though he either title it not right or else couch two books under one title speaketh of Christian Monks and from thence who of them doth not plead the antiquity of a Monastick life so confidently that he shall be but laughed to scorn among them that shall deny it They build indeed upon the Ipse Dixit of some of the Fathers to the same purpose besides the likeness of those men in Philo to the Romish Monks that such a thing as this is not altogether to be passed over but something to be examined since it seemeth to carry in it self so great antiquity and weightiness Eusebius therefore in his i i i Lib. 2. c. 15 Ecclesiastical History delivereth such a matter as tradition They say saith he that Mark being first sent in Egypt preached the Gospel there which he also penned and first founded the Churches of Alexandria where so great a multitude of believing men and women grew up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a most Philosophical and strict course that Philo himself vouchsafed to write of their converse meetings feastings and all their demeanor And for this his writing of them He is reckoned by us saith k k k De Scriptorib Eccles. tom 1. pag. 102. Jerome amongst the Ecclesiastical writers because writing concerning the first Church of Mark the Evangelist he breaketh out into the praises of our men relating that they are not only there but also in many other Provinces and calling their dwellings Monasteries Of the same mind with these Fathers are Cedrenus l l l Lib. 2. cap. 16. 17. Nicephorus m m m Bibl. Sanct. l. in voce Philo. Sixtus Senensis n n n Lib. 2. c. 1. de Monach. Bellarmine o o o Apparat. Sacer. in voce Philo. Possevine and others which last cited Jesuite is not contented to be satisfied with this opinion himself but he revileth the Magdeburgenses and all others with them that are not of the same opinion with him For the examining of which before we do believe it we may part their position into these two quaeres First Whether Mark the Evangelist had founded the Church at Alexandria before Philo wrote that book And secondly whether those men about Alexandria reported of by Philo were Christians at all yea or no. First then look upon Philo and upon his age and you shall find that the last year when he was in Embassie at Rome he was ancient and older than any of the other Commissioners that were joyned with him for so he saith of himself Caesar speaking affably to them when they first came before him the standers by thought their matter would go well with them p p p In legat ad Caium But I saith he that seemed to outstrip the others in years and judgement c. and then from him look at the time when Mark is brought by the Ecclesiastical Historians first into Egypt and Alexandria q q q In Chronico Eusebius for we will content our selves with him only hath placed this at the third of Claudius in these words Marcus Evangelista interpres Petri Aegypto Alexandriae Christum annunciat And then is Philo four years older than before To both which add what time would be taken up after Marks preaching before his converts could be disposed into so setled a form of buildings constitutions and exercises and then let indifferency censure whether Philo that was so old so long before should write his two books of the Esseni and the Therapeutae after all this But because we will not build upon this alone let us for the resolution of our second Quaere character out these men that are so highly esteemed for the patterns of all Monasticks and that in Philo's own words and description PART III. The JEVVISH History §. 1. The Therapeutae THEY are called Therapeutae and Therapeutrides saith Philo either because they profess a Physick better than that professed in Cities for that healeth bodies only but this diseased souls Or because they have learned from nature and the holy Laws to serve him that is Those that betake themselves to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this course do it not out of fashion or upon any ones exhortation but ravished with a heavenly love even as the Bacchantes and Corybantes have their raptures until they behold what they desire Then through the desire of an immortal and blessed life reputing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselves to die to this mortal life they leave their estates to sons or daughters or to other kindred voluntarily making them their heirs and to their friends and familiars if they have no kindred When they are thus parted from their goods being taken now by no bait they flie irrevocably leaving Brethren Children Wives Parents numerous Kindreds Societies and Countries where they were born and bred they flit not into other Cities but they make their abode without the walls in gardens or solitary Villages affecting the wilderness not for any hatred of men but because of
being mixed with men of different conditions which thing they know is unprofitable and hurtful This kind of people are in many parts of the world but it abounds in Egypt through every one of those places that are called Nomi especially about Alexandria Now out of all places the chief or best of the Therapeutae are sent into a Colony as it were into their Country into a most convenient region besides the lake Maria upon a low gentle rising bank very fit both for safety and the wholesom air The houses of the company are very mean affording shelter in two most necessary respects against the heat of the Sun and the coldness of the air Nor are they near together like houses in a City for such vicinity is trouble and displeasing to such as love and affect solitude Nor yet far asunder because of that communion which they imbrace and that they may help one another if there be any incursion of thieves Every one of them hath a holy house which is called a * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chappel and Monastery in which they * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being solitary do perform the mysteries of a Religious life bringing in thither neither drink nor meat nor any other necessaries for the use of the body but the Law and the Oracles given by the Prophets and hymns and other things whereby knowledge and religion are increased and perfected Therefore they have God perpetually in their mind insomuch that in their dreams they see nothing but the beauty of the Divine powers and there some of them who by dreaming do vent excellent matters of Philosophy They use to pray twice every day morning and evening at Sun rising and Sun setting and all the time between they meditate and study the Scripture allegorizing them because they believe that mystical things are hid under the plain letter they have also many commentaries of their predecessors of this Sect to this purpose They also made Psalms and Hymns to the praise of God Thus spend they the six days of the week every one in his Cell not so much as looking out of it But on the seventh day they meet together and sit down according to their age demurely with their hands within their coats the right hand betwixt their breast and their skin and the left on their side Then steps forth one of the gravest and skilfullest in their profession and preacheth to them and the rest hearken with all silence only nodding their heads or moving their eyes their place of worship is parted into two rooms one for the men and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other for the women All the week long they never taste meat nor drink any day before Sun setting because they think the studdy of wisdom to be fit for the light and the taking ease of their bodies for the dark some hardly eat above once in three days some in six on the seventh day after they have taken care of the soul they refresh the body Their diet is only bread and salt and some add a little hyssop Their drink spring-water Their cloths mean and only fit to keep out heat and cold At the end of every seven weeks they feast together honouring much the number seven Old women are present at their feasts but they are such as are Virgins upon devotion When they first meet together they first stand and pray that the feast may be blessed to them then sit they down the men on one side and the women on the other some of their young Scholers wait on them their diet is but as at other times bread and salt for their meat hyssop for sauce and water for drink there is general silence all the meal save that one or other asketh or resolveth questions the rest holding their peace and they shew by their several gestures that they understand or approve or doubt Their interpretations of Scripture are all allegories when the president hath satisfied the things proposed they give a general applause and then he singeth a Psalm either of his own making or of some of the ancients And thus do the rest in their course when all have done the young men take away the table and then they rise and fall to a daunce the men apart and the women apart for a while but at last they joyn and dance all together and this is in representation of the dance upon the shore of the red Sea Thus spend they the night when Sun riseth they all turn their faces that way and pray for a happy day and for truth and understanding and so they depart every one to their Cells To this purpose doth Philo describe these Therapeutae of his times which howsoever they are taken for Christians by divers as was said before yet it is so plain by divers passages in Philo's Charactering of them that they were no Christians but Jewish sectaries that it is even needless to determinate it let the reader but consider that it is a Jew that commends their devotion that he himself imitates their manner of expounding the Scriptures by allegories that he saith they had many commentaries of their predecessors to that tenour that they were superstitious about the number seven as he himself is not a little and if there were no other arguments to prove that they were only a Sect of the Jews these were enow §. 2. The affairs of the Jews in Alexandria and Babylonia The death of Caius was an allay to the troubles of the Jews both in Judea and Alexandria and the proclamation of Claudius which we shall hear of the next year was their utter cessation for the present but so it was not in Babylonia The terror and trouble that had seized Judea about the statue of Caesar was removed and extinct with the removal and extinction of Caesar himself so were the pressures of them in Alexandria mitigated much from what they were before though their commotions and troubling continued still in an equal measure For whereas before the displeasure of the Emperor lay so heavy upon them that they neither could nor durst stand out in their own defence when that burden is now removed they gather heart and metal and now though the Greeks and they be continually at daggers drawn yet now it is upon equal terms and they dare strike as well as the other But in Babylonia and thereabout their miseries is but now a brewing and an equal strait is preparing for them as had been to either of the other though it began with some smiling of a seeming happiness and the sunshine of present prosperity The bloodhound of vengeance was to hunt this Nation and not to be taken off till it was destroyed and therefore when it giveth off the quest in one place it takes it in another and leaveth not their footing till it had left them no footing at all Those Jews whose Tragedy we have seen acted already found their own misery though
receive on the day of Pentecost p. 271. Then they receive a Commission to go to all Nations whereas before they were confined to the Jews p. 272. They were again filled with the Holy Ghost so that now they had a power to bestow the same upon others p. 277 278. This power belonged only to the Apostles which they gave only to such as were to be Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel p. 281. Some of the Apostles were Ministers of the Circumcision and others of the Uncircumcision having Agents under them to carry on that work and to shew their agreement and harmony therein p. 329 To three of them viz. Peter James and John Christ did shew himself in his greatest Power Glory and Combat above any of the others the reasons why p. 635. The Apostles could not ordain Apostles as they did other Men by laying on of Hands but by Lot which was an immediate Hand of Christ. p. 745. Apostles were an Order for ever unimitable in the Church and so not Predecessors to or Patterns of Bishops as the Popish Writers plead 787 789 Apparitions of Christ after his Resurrection were eight times particularized 734 735 Architriclinus what he was 547 Areopagus a great Court at Athens where Paul converted Dionysius one of the Bench. 295 Ariel and Harel what they signifie and how they differ 2034 2035. * Ark of Noah its Dimensions being vastly large together with the Partitions of it the creatures in it were without enmity c. p. 5 693. Ark of the Covenant what and how placed in the Temple p. 1086 1087. * The Motions and Stations of the Ark. 2060 to 2062 * Artaxerxes the same with Ahasuerosh a greater Prince than Darius c. 140 Arts Chaldean and curious what 820 Asaph a chief Singer in the Temple and his Sons under him 70 Ashes the way and manner of sprinkling them 981 982 Asmonean Family where it began 909 Asses white Asses were for Men of State and Princes to ride upon among the Israelites 48 50 Assyrian Monarchy its rise growth and end 113 114 Astrologer Wizzard or great Mathematician one that used the Chaldean and curious Arts were much the same 436 820. One of which was Thrasyllus the Intimate of Tiberius a strange Prediction of his 820 Astyages the same with Darius 135 Asuppim the Gates and House of it where and what 1057 1058 * Ave Maria being used as a Prayer shews how senseless Popery is 412 Augustus A Title for one that worthily administred in the Commonwealth 424 Ax as the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree c. after divers meanings is to be understood of the Judgments of God 459 460 B. BALAAM curseth Israels first and last enemy he went to his place signifies he went to Hell Page 37 Baptism It was used in the days of Jacob. p. 18. It was the way to admit Heathens into the Religion of the Jews and by it John admitted the Jews into another Religion than their own viz. the Gospel Religion p. 208 210 408. Many Generations before the times of Christ or the Baptist this was used for the admission of Proselytes into the Church both Men Women and Children p. 209 210 450 525 526. 527. proved out of Jewish Writers This shews why there is so little reason given in the New Testament for the Baptism of Infants because it was so ordinary in the Jewish Church before Christs time p. 210 525 526 527. proved out of Jewish Writers When the Sanhedrim send some Pharisees to question John about the authority by which he baptised they say not a word of Baptism it self that being no strange thing but of long use amongst them p. 212. Whether it may be administred by private men p. 217. Whether inconsistent with Preaching Paul saying I came not to baptize but to preach p. 217. There was three forms of Baptism Of John who baptized in the Name of the Messias then ready to come he not knowing for most of his course that Jesus of Nazareth was he p. 276. Of the Disciples who baptized into the Name of Jesus such as believed Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messias p. 277. Of the Disciples again among the Heathen who baptized them in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost because there was no controversie about Jesus of Nazareth being the Messias among them p. 277. Believing gave admission to whole Housholds unto baptism p. 294. Baptism not to be administred twice none were rebaptized p. 298 299. Baptism was made a Badge or Mark of safety from that approaching vengeance that was a coming on the Jews and Jerusalem both by the Baptist and Peter p. 339. The difference of Baptism under the Law and under the Gospel p. 455. Confession of sins was after not before Baptism p. 457. It was vastly differing from Circumcision yet succeeded it with the reasons of both p. 465 c. It was practised among the Jews even from the first use of Circumcision proved from Scripture and Jewish Writers p. 465. 466. 526 527. The Baptism of John and that since used in the Christian Church were not differing at all except in the form of words p. 467. Baptizing with the Holy Ghost what p. 467 468. Why Christ who needed no cleansing being purity it self would be baptized eight reasons p. 472. Why John refused to admit Christ to baptism p. 472. Whether Women were baptized by John answered affirmatively p. 476. So Jacob admitted Females into the Church by Baptism p. 465 466. The time when Christ was baptized p. 476 477 478. the place where and manner how 478. As soon as any were baptized they used to come out of the water and pray p. 479. The Baptism of John tended to the manifesting of Christ two ways especially p. 530. Baptism is expressed by being born of water p. p. 571 572. Why Christ did not baptize p. 581. The Apostles were baptized by John the Baptist not by Jesus so that his Baptism and theirs were the same p. 581. What the manner of the baptizing of the Jews was before John Baptist came p. 583 584. How far the Baptist did imitate the Jews in their manner of baptizing p. 584. Dipping in Baptism not always practised in the beginning of the Gospel p. 584 585. The term Baptism is used to denote sharp sufferings yea Death it self 250 Barchochebas and Cochebas the same with Ben Coziba he called himself the Messias coyned mony with his own stamp tortured the Christians to make them deny Christ was at the Head of a most desperate Rebellion and reigned two years and an half 366 367 Barjesus commonly called Elymas the same in sence with Magus a Magical Jew who did with tricks and wonders go up and down confronting the Gospel 289 Barrenness or want of Children ascribed to the women throughout the Scripture 397. Marg. 408 Bathings When used and after what manner 941 Bath Kol a Voice pretended to be from Heaven to magnifie some of
or forty nine years from the giving of Cyrus his Patent for the rebuilding Jerusalem to the finishing the rebuilding of it by Nehemiah 2. Into sixty two weeks or four hundred thirty four years Namely from the finishing the building of the City to the beginning of the last week of the seventy In which space of time the times of the Persian Empire which remained after Nehemiah if indeed there was any time now remaining and the times of the Grecian Empire and of Syro-Grecian were all run out and those times also wherein the Romans ruled over the Jews 3. The holy Text divides the last week or the last seven years into two equal parts vers 27. which I thus render And he shall strengthen or confirm the Covenant with many in that one week and the half of that week shall make the sacrifice and oblation to cease or in the half of that week he shall make to cease c. Not in the middle of that week but in the latter half that is the latter three years and an half of the seven First Seven weeks having been reckoned up before and then sixty two weeks vers 25. now there remained one only of the seventy and in reference to that in the middle of it the Messias shall begin his Ministry which being finished in three years and an half the latter halved part of that week he shall make the sacrifice and oblation to cease c. The Nation could not but know could not but take great notice of the Times so exactly set out by the Angel Gabriel Since therefore the coming of the Messias was the great wish and desire of all and since the time of his appearing was so clearly decreed by the Angel that nothing could be more and when the latter half of the last seven years chiefly to be observed was now within a very little come it is no wonder if the people hearing from this venerable Preacher that the Kingdom of Heaven was now come should be stirred â—â— beyond measure to meet him and should flock to him For as we observed before They thought that the Kingdom of God would immediately be manifested Luke XIX 11. II. Another reason of it was this The Institution of Baptism for an Evangelical Sacrament was first in the hand of the Baptist who the Word of the Lord coming to him Luke III. 11. went forth backed with the same authority as the chiefest Prophets had in times past But yet the first use of Baptism was not exhibited at that time For Baptism very many centuries of years backwards had been both known and received in most frequent use among the Jews and for the very same end as it now obtains among Christians namely that by it Proselytes might be admitted into the Church and hence it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptism for Proselytism and was distinct from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptism or washing from uncleanness See the f f f f f f Fol. 45. 2. in the Gloss. Babylonian Talmud in Jevamoth I. I ascribe the first use of it for this end to the Patriarch Jacob when he chose into his family and Church the young women of Sichem and other Heathens who then lived with him Jacob said to his family and to all who were with him Put away from you the strange Gods and be ye clean and change your garments c. Gen. XXXV 2. What that word means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be ye clean Alben Ezra does very well interpret to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The washing of the body or Baptism which reason it self also perswades us to believe II. All the Nation of Israel do assert as it were with one mouth that all the Nation of Israel were brought into the Covenant among other things by Baptism g g g g g g Issure Biah cap. 13. Israel saith Maimonides the great Interpreter of the Jewish Law was admitted into the Covenant by three things namely by Circumcision Baptism and Sacrifice Circumcision was in Egypt as it is said None uncircumcised shall eat of the Passover Baptism was in the Wilderness before the giving of the Law as it is said Thou shalt sanctifie them to day and tomorrow and let them wash their garments III. They assert that that infinite number of Proselytes in the days of David and Solomon were admitted by Baptism h h h h h h Maimonid ibid. The Sanhedrins received not Proselytes in the days of David and Solomon Not in the days of David lest they should betake themselves to Proselytism out of a fear of the Kingdom of Israel Not in the days of Solomon lest they might do the same by reason of the glory of the Kingdom And yet abundance of Proselytes were made in the days of David and Solomon before private men and the great Sanhedrin was full of care about this business For they would not cast them out of the Church because they were baptized c. IV. i i i i i i Id. ibid. Whensoever any Heathen will betake himself and be joyned to the Covenant of Israel and place himself under the wings of the Divine Majesty and take the yoke of the Law upon him voluntary Circumcision Baptism and Oblation are required but if it be a Woman Baptism and Oblation That was a common Axiom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man is a Proselyte untill he be circumcised and baptized It is disputed by the Babylonian Gemara k k k k k k Iâ—vamoth fol. 46. 2. A Proselyte that is circumcised and not baptized what of him R. Eliezer saith Behold he is a Proselyte for so we find concerning our Fathers that they were circumcised but not baptized One is baptized but not circumcised what of him R. Joshua saith Behold he is a Proselyte For so we find concerning the maidservants who were baptized but not circumâ—â—sed But the wise men say is he baptized and not circumcised Or Is he circumcised and not baptized He is not a Proselyte until he be circumcised and baptized But Baptism was sufficient for women so far forth as this held good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—â—am fol. 45 â— One baptizeth a Heathen woman in the name of a woman we can assert that for a deed rightly done Where the Gloss is thus To be baptized in the name of a woman was to be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the washing of a woman polluted and not with the baptism to Proselytism But we may nevertheless assert her who is so baptized for a compleat Proselytess because that Baptism of washing for uncleanness serves for Proselytism to her for a Heathen woman is not baptized or washed for uncleanness V. They baptized also young children for the most part with their Parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m m m m m m â—â—â— Châ—â—â—bb fol. 11. 1. They baptize a little Proselyte according to the judgment of the Sanhedrin that is as the
goes out and so all will be discovered One of them by chance put on his sandals the wrong way for sandals were open both ways so that one might put in his foot either before or behind but he putting on his the wrong way his footsteps when he went out seemed as if he went in and so their hiding place was discovered to the enemies c. Mony therefore in the girdle and provision in the scrip were forbidden the Disciples by Christ First that they might not be careful for temporal things but resign themselves wholly to the care of Christ. Secondly they ought to live of the Gospel which he hints in the last clause of this verse The workman is worthy of his hire That therefore which he had said before Freely ye have received freely give forbad them to preach the Gospel for gain but he forbad not to take food cloathing and other necessaries for the the preaching of the Gospel Two coats and shoes are forbidden them that they might not at all affect pride or worldly pomp or to make themselves sine but rather that their habit and guise might bespeak the greatest humility VERS XI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who in it is worthy In the Talmudick language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who deserves VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shake off the dust of your feet THE Schools of the Scribes taught That the dust of Heathen land defiled by the touch f f f f f f Tosapht ad Kelim cap. 1. The dust of Syria defiles as well as the dust of other Heathen Countries g g g g g g Bab. Sanhedr fol. 12. 1. A Traditioner writer saith They bring not herbs into the land of Israel out of a Heathen land But our Rabbins have permitted it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What difference is there between these R. Jeremiah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The care of their dust is among them The Gloss is They take care lest together with the herbs something of the dust of the Heathen land be brought which defiles in the tent and defiles the purity of the land of Israel h h h h h h Id. Schabb. fol. 15. 2. By reason of six doubts they burn the Truma The doubt of a field in which heretofore might be a Sepulchre The doubt of dust brought from a Heathen land c. Where the Gloss is this Because it may be doubted of all the dust of a Heathen land whether it were not from the sepulchre of the dead i i i i i i Gloss in Sanhear fol. 5. 2. Raâ—bi saw a certain priest standing in a part of the City Aco which part was without the bounds of the land of Israel He said to him is not that Heathen land concerning which they have determined that it is as unclean as a burying place See Pisk Tosaph k k k k k k In Sanhedr cap. 1. artic 30. Therefore that Rite of shaking the dust off the feet commanded the disciples speaks thus much Wheresoever a City of Israel shall not receive you when ye depart by shaking off the dust from your feet shew that ye esteem that City however a City of Israel for a Heathen prophane impure City and as such abhor it VERS XVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall sâ—ourge you in their Synagogues BEZA here as he does very often when he cannot explain a place suspects it For thus he writes When I neither find Synagogues elsewhere to have their names from houses of Judgment as the Hebrews speak nor that civil punishments were taken in Synagogues I suspect this place But without any cause for I. In every Synagogue there was a Civil Triumvirate that is three Magistrates who judged of matters in contest arisiâ—g within that Synagogue which we have noted before II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l l l l l l Sâ—â—hâ—dâ— cap. 1. hal 2. Scourging was by that Beneh of Three So that fivefold scourging of St. Paul 2 Cor. XI 24. was in the Synagogue that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By that Bench of Three Magistrates such as was in every Synagogue It is something obscure that is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But beware of men Of whom else should they beware But perhaps the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men may occur in that sense as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men in these forms of speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Men of the great Assembly and The Men of the House of Judgment c. But we will not contend about it VERS XXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ye shall not have gone over the Cities of Israel c. YE shall not have travailed through the Cities of Israel preaching the Gospel before the Son of man is revealed by his Resurrection Rom. 1. 4. Lay to this Acts III. 19 20. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the times of refreshment may come for ye expect refreshment and consolation under the Messiâ—s And he may send Jesus Christ first preached to you And ver 26. To you first God raising up his son sent him to bless you c. The Epoche of the Messias is stated from the resurrection of Christ. VERS XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beelzebub See Chapter XII Verse 24. VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What ye hear in the ear WE have observed before that allusion is here made to the manner of the Schools where the Doctor whispered out of the Chair into the ear of the Interpreter and he with a loud voice repeated to the whole School that which was spoken in the ear m m m m m m Bab. Sanhedr fol. 7. 2. They said to Judah bar Nachmani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the interpreter of Resh Lachish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do you stand for his Expositor The Gloss is To tâ—ll out the Exposition to the Synagogue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he shall whisper to you We cannot here but repeat that which we produced before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctor whispered him in the ear in Hebrew And we cannot but suspect that that custom in the Church of Corinth which the Apostle reproves of speaking in the Synagogue in an unknown tongue were some footsteps of this Custom We read of whispering in the ear done in another sense namely to a certain woman with child which longed for the perfumed flesh n n n n n n Bab. Joâ—a fol. 82. 2. Therefore Rabbi said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go whisper her that it is the day of expiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They whispered to her and she was whispered that is she was satisfied and at quiet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preach ye upon the house tops Perhaps allusion is made to that Custom o o o o o o Bab. Schabb. fol. 35. 2. when the Minister of the Synagogue on the
VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But every woman I. IT was the custom of the women and that prescribed them under severe Canons that they should not go abroad but with their face vailed If m m m m m m Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 24 a woman do these things she transgresseth the Jewish Law if she go out into the street or into an open Porch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there be not a vail upon her as upon all women although her hair be rolled up under a hood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What n n n n n n 〈◊〉 fol. 72. 1. is the Jewish Law Let not a woman go with her head uncovered This is founded in the Law for it is said of the suspected wife The Priest shall uncover her head Numb V. 18. And the tradition of the School of Ismael is that the Daughters of Israel are admonished hence not to go forth with their heads not vailed And o o o o o o Schab â— â—0 1 Modest women colour one Eye with paint The Gloss there is Modest woman went vailed and uncovered but one Eye that they might see and that Eye they coloured p p p p p p Bava Kama fol. 90. 2. One made bare a womons head in the street she came to complain before R. Akiba and he fined the man four hundred Zuzees II. But however women were vailed in the streets yet when they resorted unto holy Service they took off their vails and exposed their naked faces and that not out of lightness but out of religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q q q q q q 〈◊〉 fol. â—â— 1. The three feasts are the Scabs of the year The Gloss is The three feasts Passover Pentecost and Tabernacles are the breakings out of the year by the reason of the association of men and women and because of transgressions Because in the days of those feasts men and women assembled together to hear Sermons and cast their Eyes upon one another And some say that for this cause they were wont to fast after Passover and Pentecost From whence it may readily be gathered that men and women should not so promiscuously and confusedly meet and sit together nor that they should so look upon one another as in the Courts of the Temple and at Jerusalem when such innumerable multitudes flocked to the Feasts but that women should sit by themselves divided from the men where they might hear and see what is done in the Synagogue yet they themselves remain out of sight Which custom Baronius proves at large and not amiss that those first Churches of the Christians retained When the women therefore did thus meet apart it is no wonder if they took off the vails from their faces when they were now out of the sight of men and the cause of their vailing being removed which indeed was that they might not be seen by men The Apostle therefore does not at all chide this making bare the face absolutely considered but there lies something else within For III. This warning of the Apostle respects not only publick religious meetings but belongs to those things which were done by men and women in their houses and inner chambers for there also they used these rites when they prayed and handled holy things privately as well as in the publick assemblies r r r r r r Hieros Avâ—â—ah Zâ—râ—h fol. 4â— 1. Rabban Gamaliel journying and being asked by one that met him concerning a certain vow he light off his horse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and vailed himself and sat down and loosed the vow So R. Judah Bar Allai on the Sabbath Eve when he composed himself in his house to meet and receive the Sabbath they brought him warm water and he washed his face and hands and feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And vailing himself with his linnin cloth of divers colours he sat down and was like the Angel of the Lord of Hosts So in the example of Nicodemus lately produced He went into his School alone privately and vailed himself and prayed So did men privately and women also on the contrary baring their faces privately A reason is given of the former namely that the men were vailed for reverence towards God and as being ashamed before God but why the women were not vailed also the reason is more obscure A more general may easily be rendred viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That a woman was loosed or free from the precept that is from very many rites to which men were subject as from the carrying of Fringes and Phylacteries from these or the other forms and occasions of prayers and from very many Ceremonies and Laws to which men were bound s s s s s s In Menachoth fol. 43. 2. R. Meir saith Every man is bound to these three benedictions every day Blessed be God that he hath not made me a Heathen that he hath not made me a woman that he hath not made me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stupid or unlearned But Rabb Acha bar Jacob when he heard his Son saying Blessed be God that he hath not made me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlearned stuck at it and upon this reason as the Gloss interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because a Heathen and a woman are not capable of the precept but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rude or unlearned man is capable Deservedly therefore God is blessed that God made him not a Heathen or a woman By this Canon that a woman was loosed from the precept they were exempted from covering the face during Religious Worship when that precept respected men and not women But if you require a more particular reason of this exemption what reason will you find for it It is almost an even lay whether the Canonists exempted women from vailing because they valued them much or because they valued them little In some things they place women below the dignity and without the necessity of observing those or the other rites and whether in this thing they were of the same opinion or that on the contrary they attributed more to the beauty of the faces of women than of men is a just question But whether the thing bend this way or the other the correction and warning of the Apostle doth excellently sute to this or to that as it will appear in what follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dishonoureth her head Dishonoureth her head What head That which she carries upon her shoulders Or that to which she is subjected As the man to Christ the woman to the man That the Apostle is to be understood especially of the later appears from the verse before and indeed from the whole context For to what end are those words produced vers 3. I would have you know that the head of the woman is the man c. unless that they be applyed and make to the Apostles business im the verses following Nor
Angels Whom Whether because of good Angels or because of bad Or because of the Ministers The Reader knows what is said for this sense and for that and for the other which we will not repeat I. Truly if I would understand A vail by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power by Angels I would understand Devils which are called Angels in this very Epistle Chap. Vâ— 3 Aâ—â— iâ— I were of opinion that the Apostle treated here of publick Assemblies only I would render his words to this sense A woman in the publick Assembly of the Church ought to havâ— her face vailed because of the Devils namely that they ensnare not men by the appearance of the beauty of womens faces and provoke them to gaze upon their faces and to behold them with lascivious eyes while they ought rather to look up to Heaven and to be intent upon divine things II. Or if by Angels are to be understood Ministers our Interpretation doth suit very well which makes a vail a sign of shame and reverence before God not of subjection towards the husband For certainly this sounds more Logically women are to be vailed in Religious Worship as being ashamed before God therefore let them be vailed before those who are the Ministers of God than that women are to be vailed in Religious Worship because they are subject to their husbands therefore they are to be vailed before Ministers III. If we take Angels in the most proper sense that is for good Angels and attribute its most proper sense to the expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To have power that is to have power in ones own hand then we might interpret the place after this manner A woman hath not the power of her own head in her own hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of God but is to be vailed in reverence towards God but she hath the power of her head in her own hand of not vailing her self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of the Angels for she oweth not such a Religious reverence to them IV. But I suppose the Apostle looks another way And I. That he does not here speak in his own sense but cites something usual among the Jews not so much to dictate some rule for Christian women as to produce a Jewish custom in confirmation of those things which he had said immediately before II. He had said That the woman is the glory of the man that she was of the man that she was made for the man c. And this may testifie that which is said among the Jews The woman ought to have in her own hand power of her head because of the Angels III. But now there was among them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels or messengers of Espousals who were deputed by this or that man to espouse a wife for him that deputed him Concerning which Angels the Masters here and there discourse largely but especially see Kiddushin b b b b b b Cap. 2. Where it begins thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man espouseth a wife to himself either by himself or by his Angel or Deputy IV. But now although the Canons of the Masters required and the custom of the Nation approved the vailing of womens faces in the streets yet it was permitted women to bare their faces to adorn them to beautifie them in order to honest marriage which reason it self and the custom of the Nation confirms and the Rabbins teach V. Hither the reasoning of the Apostle in this place seems to refer Woman was created for man vers 9. Which is proved O ye Jews by your own consent when ye decree that a woman hath power and ought to have it in her own hand over her own head because of the Angels of Espousals Let her bare her face if she will that she may appear beautiful let her vail it if she will that she may appear modest She hath free power in her own hands to promote her own Espousal and Marriage that she may be for a man since she was created for man VI. It is true indeed that especially obtained which immediately almost followeth after the words newly alledged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is commanded that a man espouse a woman by himself rather than by his Deputy and that which presently follows Let no man espouse a woman before he see her c c c c c c Kiddush fol. 41. 9. But it was very frequently done that after one had seen a woman he betrothed her to himself by his Angels or Deputies either out of his own modesty or some necessity compelling him VII Hence the Apostle seems to make mention of those Angels rather than of the men that deputed them to that business and that the more strongly to confirm and prove the thing which he treats of As if he should say The woman hath not only power of her head to bare her face before him who is to be her husband but before them who are sent and deputed by him to betroth her and from this very thing saith he it is clear that the woman was created for the man seeing she that she might be for the man hath such a power of uncovering her face before those Angels who come to espouse her when otherwise by the custom of the Nation it were not lawful The Apostle conceals the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Espousals and saith only Because of the Angels not Because of the Angels of Espousals for by the very scope of his discourse that is easily understood when in the words immediately going before he saith The woman is created for the man So also the Talmudists very frequently use the single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels when once it is known that they are speaking of Espousals VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That if a man have long hair c. WHether the Apostle reproves mens long hair by occasion offered from his discourse of womens long hair or which is not improbable that these Judaizing Corinthians as yet retained Nazarite-ship and for that cause let their hair grow that which he saith That nature it self teacheth that it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair is sufficiently confirmed from hence that it is womanish There were indeed divers Nations which wore long hair as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The long haired Acheans in Homer Gallia Comata Gaul whose Inhabitants wore long hair in the Historians c. But whether in this they followed the light of nature or rather did it out of their barbarous breeding or that they might appear more terrible to their enemies is upon good reason inquired You will say then whence comes it to pass that the Nazarites let their hair grow and that by divine command I answer it was a sign of humiliation and self-denyal as abstaining from Wine and Grapes also was It made a shew of a certain religious slovenliness and contempt of a mans self They are
these entertainments of strangers were those Agapae concerning which St. Jude speaks in terms and Peter in the same sense though not in terms 2 Pet. II. I. Since the Apostolic Churches imitated the laudable customs of the Synagogues in all things almost which might more largely be demonstrated if this were a place for it it is by no means to be thought that this so piouss so Christian so necessary a custom should be passed over by them I say it again so necessary For II. When the Apostles and Disciples travailed up and down preaching the Gospel poor enough both by the iniquity of the times and by the very command of our Saviour and when at that time not a few were banished from their own dwellings for the profession of the Gospel the honor of the Gospel the necessity of the thing and Christian piety and charity required that they should be sustained by some such relief III. When Gaius is said to be the host of the whole Church Rom. XVI 23. You can scarce take this in another sense than that he was deputed by the Church over the public Hospital where he discharged his office so laudably that he carried away a testimony of praise if he be the same Gaius which it is probable he was from St. John in his third Epistle vers 5. IV. When mention is made of Widdows washing strangers feet 1 Tim. V. 10. And when Phebe is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Servant of the Church at Kenchrea Rom. XVI 1. to omit other women who are said to labour much in the Lord you will scarcely fix a better sense upon these Charecters than that they ministred in that public Hospital of which we are speaking V. And this sense agrees excellently well above all others with the place of Jude alledged as also with that of Peter who treats of the same thing For Jude speaks of Apostate Heretics Seducers the most wicked of all mortal men whom he saith were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spots in their Agapae And do you think these were of the same Church where they so fasted Were these admitted without any scruple to the Agapae if they were appendages to the Lords Supper For Jude saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feeding themselves without fear c. How much more probable is it to think that these strangers were unknown persons under the form of believers wandring up and down and received in the common Hospital of the Church and there scattering their errors and that so much the more boldly as they were themselves the more unknown We are far from denying that some Agapae Love-feasts were used as appendages of the Lords Supper in more antient ages of the Church but whether in the times of the Apostles we ask and whether Jude means such we very much doubt and that such are here pointed out by the Apostle we do not at all believe Those banquetings of the Corinthians before the Eucharist unless we are very much mistaken look far another way and I fear lest while some pursue this place concerning the Lords Supper with such Commentaries of dread and terror that some being moved and terrified thereby do altogether avoid this Sacrament as some deadly thing and not to be medled with I fear I say that they do hit upon the fault and error of the Corinthians in this business and that they do not reduce that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unworthily to their proper crime We believe the Jewish part of this Church although converted to the Gospel yet retained somewhat of their old Leaven and as they Judaized in other things so in this about the Eucharist so grievously erring concerning the proper end of it that they thought it only an appendage of the Passover or some new or superadded form of the commemoration of the going out of Egypt Into which error they might be the more apt to fall they especially who were so inclinable to Judaism both because it was instituted in bread and wine which were in the Passoveâ—â— and because they had drunk in this from their very cradles That the Messiah when he should come would banish or change nothing of the rites of Moses but would promote and raise all unto a more splendid form and pomp That this was the error of the Corinthians about the Eucharist these observations make evident which the Apostle hints both in this verse and those that follow of which in their order as we meet with them And first let us weigh this that is under our hands I. It is clearer than the Sun that the Apostle sharply reproves the Corinthians for these very Suppers I say for the very Suppers and not only for an abuse happening in the Suppers For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own Supper he calls that which was to be eaten at home if any were so hungry before the Eucharist that he could not abstain He dishonoureth the Church with the Supper which was brought into it Weigh these things and think whether these Agapae were those that are supposed II. The Corinthians placed somewhat of Religion in these Suppers when they brought them into the Church But what was that Thus doing they retained the shaddow and memory of keeping the Passover and very willingly they imitated the example of Christ in the Ante-supper that they might the more freely serve their Judaism in so doing yea they dreamt that the Eucharist was instituted for the same commemoration with the Passover It was Epidemical among the Jews converted to the Gospel that they embraced Christianity but did not forgoe Judaism yea that they brought over the things of the Gospel as much as could be to the doctrins and practices of the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Another is drunken There is none that we know that applies not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One is hungry to the poor and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Another is drunken to the rich which we also once believed but they seem rather to be applied to the different Nations Drunken to the Jews celebrating the Passover in their Ante suppers before the Eucharist and Hungry to the Gentiles not being hungry so much out of poverty or necessity as that they would not embrace such an Ante-supper as savouring of Judaism We may interpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another is drunk more favourably than to extend it to extream drunkenness For all know what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 means in Gen. XLIII ult They drunk largely with him and Cantic V. 1. Drink abundantly O Beloved Where the LXX read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were drunk with him and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be ye drunk Brethren But if you will attribute an ignominious sense to it it does not much differ from that liberal pouring in of wine which was allowed and used by some in their celebrating the Passovers But the Apostle seems to inveigh against the very use of the thing namely against the Suppers
speak two or three LET one sing who hath a Psalm let another teach who hath a doctrine and if a third bath exhortation or comfort as vers 3. Let him also utter it VERS XXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by THAT is very frequently said of the Jewish Doctors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sate which means not so much this barely He was sitting as He taught out of the Seat of the Teacher or he sate teaching or ready to teach So that indeed he sate and he taught are all one Examples among the Talmudists are infinite In the same sense the Apostle If something be revealed to some Minister who hath a seat among those that teach c. not revealed in that very instant but if he saith that he hath received some revelation from God then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the first be silent let him be silent that hath a Psalm and give way to him VERS XXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is a shame for women to speak in the Church COmpare that q q q q q q Megill fol. 23. 1. The Rabbins deliver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one is reckoned within the number of Seven of those that read the Law in the Synagogues on the Sabbath day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even a child even a woman But the Wise men say let not a woman read in the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the honour of the Synagogue Note that it was a disgrace to the Church if a woman should read in it which was allowed even to a child even to a servant much more if she usurped any part of the Ministerial Office It was also usual for one or the other sitting by to ask the Teacher of this or that poynt but this also the Apostle forbids women and that for this reason Because it is not allowed women to speak but let them be subject to their husbands vers 34. It was allowed them to answer Amen with others and to sing with the Church but to speak any thing by themselves it was forbidden them CHAP. XV. VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that he was seen of Cephas NAmely going to Emmaus See what we have said at Mark XVI VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once IN a Mountain of Galilee Mat. XXVIII 16. When it is added by the Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But some doubted which is to be warily understood not that some of the Eleven now still doubted of his Resurrection for Thomas himself had believed before but that some of that multitude assembled there with the Eleven doubted Therefore it is not only congruous but necessary to render that verse thus And they the Eleven Disciples seeing him worshipped him but others doubted Not some of the Eleven but others of the company VERS VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After that he was seen of Iames. WHAT James The Son of Zebedee or of Alpheus It is more probable to understand it of James the Son of Alpheus and that he was alive when Paul wrote this and that the Apostle seems on purpose to treat of the appearance of Christ to Peter and James the Minister of the Circumcision and to himself the Minister of the Uncircumcision See the story of one James a Disciple as he is stiled of Jesus a a a a a a Avodah Zarah fol. 16. 2. 27. 2. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As one born out of due time c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An untimely birth Job III. 16. to the LXX Interpreters is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which is to be marked they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An hidden untimely birth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an untimely birth proceeding out of his mothers womb when the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hidden seems rather to denote the contrary namely That it never went out of its mothers womb but was always hidden there So the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an untimely birth hidden in the womb Hence the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very usual among the Talmudists for a woman bringing forth an abortive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A b b b b b b Cherithuth cap. 1. hal 3. woman that comes before her time and brings forth in the figure of a beast or a bird 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coming before her time and bringing forth a sandal secundine or a figured lump c. Numb XII 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As an untimely birth coming out of the mothers womb and devoureth the half of her flesh As though the Apostle should say How far am I from an Apostle As much as some mishapen and desormed lump brought forth by an abortive birth differs from the shape of a man You may render the words in English more apt and clear unless I am mistaken in my conjecture after this manner As to a thing born out of due form than as they are rendred As to one born out of due time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A child not shaped So the LXX in Exod. XXI 22. VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first fruits of them that slept ALthough the Resurrection of Christ compared with some first fruits hath very good harmony with them yet especially it agrees with the offering of the Sheaf commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only as to the thing it self but as to the circumstance of time For first there was the Passover and the day following was a Sabbatic day and on the day following that were the first fruits offered So Christ our Pasover was crucified The day following his crucifixion was the Sabbath and the day following that he the first fruits of them that sleep rose again VERS XXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are baptized for the dead I. IN this sense you may best understand these words Otherwise what shall they do who undergo martyrdom and are baptized in that sense as baptism denotes death by martyrdom if the dead are not at all raised For I. That Baptism is taken for martyrdom appears enough Mat. XX. 22 23. II. See how very well the connection of the following verse agrees to this sense What shall they do who have undergone and do undergo martyrdom if there be not a Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And why do we also every day and every moment go in danger of martyrdom III. He argues from them that die in Christ that is in the Faith of Christ ver 18. And do you believe he would omit an argument from those that die for the Faith of Christ IV. He saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What shall they do Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What do they Not what they mean or denote or signifie by this that they are baptized c. But what shall they do Or what shall become of them They have delivered their bodies
thither out of Macedonia by the order of the Apostle which he dreams of VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With the Church which is in their house SO also it is said of them when they were come back from Rome that they had a Church in their house Rom. XVI 5. And the same is said of Philemon Philem. vers 2. and see Coloss. IV. 15. But in what sense to understand this is somewhat obscure I. Perhaps there were in Aquila's house some which travailed with him from Rome being driven thence by the Edict of Cesar and boarded with him in the same house while they were in their banishment But what then shall we say of them when they went back to Rome to their own dwelling And also what shall we say of the Church in the house of Philemon II. Or perhaps Aquila was the Churches Host as Gains was at Corinth in whose house were other men and women appointed to that office with him And it may be he performed the same Office at Rome when he went back And it may be Philemon did the same at Coloss and thence that of the Apostle to him Prepare me a lodging vers 22. But all these things are somewhat uncertain nor can one see where to fix his foot Let me therefore add another conjecture also III. It is well enough known what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth Midrash The Divinity School or the Chappel was among the Jews and what the difference was between it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Synagogue Now Beth Midrash was called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Rabbanan The School of the Rabbins And it is enquired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What c c c c c c Megill fol. 2◠2. is the School of the Rabbins It is the House of the Rabbins Where the Gloss Why do they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divinity Schools Be Rabbanan Namely Because it is their House for any use In that place the Gemarists treat of Synagogues set apart for holy use and how far it was lawful to put them to common uses either when they now flourished or were fallen to decay and antiquated as to sacred uses And concerning the Beth Midrash which was very near of kin to the Synagogue it is concluded as you see that it is as the very house of the Rabbin teaching in it and to be used by him for any use Mention of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Rabbanan or Beth Midrash and the very thing concerning which we now are speaking brings to remembrance the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Abidan of which the Talmudists write but in a double and various sense The mention of it occurs in Bab Avodah Zarah d d d d d d Fol. 17. 2. where it denotes a Heathen Temple R. Eliezer Ben Parta is examined by a Roman Magistrate and among other things this is demanded of him Why did you not go to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Abidan The Temple He answered I am an old man and I was affraid lest you should tread me under foot To whom the other replied Was ever any old man trod under foot A miracle happened For that very day was an old man trodden upon Where the Gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Abidan is an House or Temple where they eat and drink in honour of an Idol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And void dung that is sacrifice to an Idol c. But elsewhere e e e e e e Schabb. fol. 116. 1. it occurs in another sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Books of the Be Abidan do they snatch them out of the fire or do they not snatch them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yes and No that is sometimes they do and sometimes they do not But what the books of the Be Abidan were the Gloss teacheth in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hereticks wrote books of Disputations to themselves against the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the place where the dispute is is called Be Abidan By Hereticks no doubt is to be made but that Christians are understood and that Be Abidan in this place is not to be taken for a Heathen Temple is clear enough from what follows Rabh say they went not into Be Abidan much less 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into a Heathen Temple Samuel went into a Heathen Temple but went not into Be Abidan They said to Rabba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why went you not to Be Abidan He answered There is a certain Palm in the way and hindreth me We will stock it up say they The place of it saith he is difficult to me The Gloss writes Rabh and Rabba feared to go into Beth Abidan lest in the dispute they might rise up against them and kill them And now let us return to our own business What hinders but that we may be of opinion that the House of Aquila at Ephesus and Rome and of Philemon at Coloss might serve for such a purpose namely sometimes for holy Lectures and disputes either with Jews or among Christians Not that the publick Assembly in the Church should be neglected but that some number out of the Church perhaps the whole company of Ministers and Teachers assembled here and others who breathed more after Gospel Mysteries where the more obscure Articles and Points of Faith were handled and disputes were held if the thing required it either among themselves or against the Jews VERS XXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha THE word Anathema sounds indeed all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherem among the Hebrews as we may see abundantly to omit all other examples in the seventy Interpreters in the last Chapter of Leviticus compared with the Hebrew And the word is taken in a threefold sense especially in the Holy Scripture which the Author of Aruch notes in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherem and that from the Author of Tosaphoth f f f f f f Ad Erachin cap. 4. I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Anathems or somewhat devoted to the Priests that is something which being consecrated to God necessarily falls to the Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g g g g g g Bab. Erachin fol. 28. 2. The Anathemae's of the Priests do not admit Redemption but they are to be given to the Priests for Trumah or an oblation II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Anathema or that which is devoted to the most High Examples of which you have Levit. XXVII 27 28. c. Where the Seventy thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every Anathema shall be holy to the Lord. In Bab. Nedarim h h h h h h Fol. 28. 2. it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which is devoted to Heaven III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Anathema which is devoted of men Of this Levit. XXVII 29. Where again
thought not so honorably of any Version as they did of the Hebrew Bible 803 804 Village a Village was where there was no Synagogue 87 Villages Cities and Towns distinguished 333 334 Vine whether not that Tree in Paradise which was forbidden to Adam 346 Vinegar was the common drink of the Roman Souldiers 477 Virgins Saint Austin's determination about chaste Matrons and Virgins ravished by the Enemy when they broke into the City what 1095 Umanus a Mountain where situate 516 Uncircumcised many among the Jews both Priests and People were uncircumcised Page 760 Unclean with a touch what p. 164. Of all uncleanness Leprosie was the greatest p. 165. Meats unclean what p. 199 200. Unclean and Prophane or Polluted distinguished 199 200 Universities the Cities of the Levites were Universities the Priests were maintained there by Tyths 86 Unlearned Men how they may know the Truth among various and different opinions 1287 Unregenerate Men whether all alike may be said to be of the Devil 1307 Until signifies either concluding or excluding 1235 Vow of Jephtha how to be understood whether he did or did not Sacrifice his Daughter p. 1215 to 1218. Very great care prudence and piety should be used in making a Vow p. 1218. The Vow in Baptism whether obligatory to Infants 1221 Vows difficult to be kept the Casuist Rabbins did easily absolve p. 703. Vows of Consecration and Obligation or Prohibition what 200 201 Urim and Thummim p. 336. What they were and the manner of the inquiry by them p. 1067. Urim and Thummim Prophesie and Revelation were gone from the Jews for four hundred years before Christ came 1284 1288 1289 Usha famed for Decrees made and other things done there by the Jewish Doctors 76 W. WAshing of Hands this was a great mystery of Pharisaism and abounded with nicities p. 199 200. Washing and plunging their Hands what and how they differ p. 344 345. Washing of Hands of how great esteem among the Jews p. 431. Washing of Cups and Platters what p. 431 432. Washing after touching a dead body what Page 790 Watches in the night were three 198 Water the custom of fetching water at the Fountain Siloam and pouring it on the Altar what 1039 Water Gate where situate 510 Water Offering used at the Feast of Tabernacles how performed whence derived and what the meaning of it 560 Water Purifying how curious the Jews were in performing it 34 Ways in the Land of Israel their breadth 323 Wedding to go to a Wedding was reckoned among the works of mercy 246 Week the Days thereof how reckoned by the Jews by the name of first and second of the Sabbath and so on 274 Whiting of the Sepulchres what 235 Whoredom strangely committed under the pretence of Burial 323 Wicked their prosperity did once occasion both weeping and laughing 706 Wicked Men's sins are set down in Scripture that we may avoid them p. 1306. Their wicked Actions shew they be of the Devil p. 1307. Wicked Men long suffered of God is sometimes not the goodness of God to them 1311 Wicked One that wicked One put for the Devil and why he is so called 1306 1307 Widdow gadding about what and what wickedness such run upon p. 123. Widdow where she dwelt in her widowhood 309 Wild-beasts why God did not drive them out of Canaan as well as he did the Canaanites p. 1224. England happy in wanting Wild-beasts p. 1224. Wood devoured is put for Wild-beasts devoured 1224 Wilderness sometimes signifies Fields or Country in opposition to the City sometimes a Campain Country where the ground was not distinguished by Fences sometimes the deserts p. 113 294 295. Wilderness of Judah and of Judea distinguished p. 295 c. A Scheme of the Wilderness of Judah or Idumea adjacent p. 296 297. The Wilderness of Judea where John Baptist was what It was full of Inhabitants Page 296 297 Will and Power of God being well understood and submitted to take off carnal Atheistical Disputes 1320 1321 Wine the Jewish Doctors say that to drink a quart of Wine makes one drunk and so much every one of them drank in their Sacred Feasts judge then how soberly they carried it in those Feasts if they mingled not much water with their Wine p. 61. Wine and Myrrhe used to be given to those that were to dye to make them insensible 267 Wisdom fourfold what 743 Wisemen from the East what their Names and what their Country p. 108 109. Wisemen they were in likelihood Doctors and Scribes in the Sanhedrim but not Members of it like our Judges in the House of Lords 422 Wish Paul wisheth himself accursed for his Brethren the Israelites a strange wish what the meaning of it 1293 1294 1296 Witches a famous Story of eight Witches at Ascalon 14 15 Witness or Testimony was of three sorts vain standing and of the words of them that agreed 355 357 Witnesses false Witnesses what p. 262. They were to suffer the same things which their perjury designed to have brought upon others 263 Women as well as Men under the vail of Sanctity and Devotion practised all manner of wickedness p. 123. Women were exempt from very many Rites in the Jewish Religion which the Men were obliged to p. 123. The Women in Israel were generally Sorceresses p. 244. Whether Women had any Office in the Temple p. 394. There were Women of ill Name among the Jews and several sorts of them p. 414. Women labouring in the Lord and being Servants of the Church what p. 775. What a reproach it was for Women not to be married 1216 1217 Wonder Man is a wonder 1225 Wood devoured put for Wild-beasts devoured 1224 Word as Christ is called The Word of the Lord doth frequently occur amongst the Targumists p. 519 5â—0 How the Spirit worketh by the Word 1152 Word of God not his Providence is the Rule for Men to go by 1276 Working or not working on the Passover Eves the Galileans differed from the Jews about it 78 World how the Jews divided it p. 1. World put for the Gentiles p. 1. How taken by the Jewish Schools p. 534. The World was to be renued at the coming of the Messias p. 220. Saints judging the World expounded against the Fifth Monarchists p. 753. Old and New World doth generally signifie in Scripture the Old Law and New Gospel proved p. 1074 1075. The original of the World strangely misapprehended by some Heathen Philosophers p. 1320 1321. Why God made the World seeing he will mar it in time p. 1322. The World was created in September p. 1322 c. World to come this was a Phrase in common use to oppose the Heresie of the Sadducees who denied immortality it always signified the times of the Messias 190 240 Worms to be devoured by Worms was reckoned an accursed thing only befalling Men of greatest impiety Page 684 Worship of the Jews in the Temple was Sacrificing Washing Purifying c. and worship in the Synagogues was Reading Preaching Hearing and Praying