Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	ceremonial_a	law_n	moral_a	3,536	5	9.8204	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56691	Search the Scriptures a treatise shewing that all Christians ought to read the Holy Books : with directions to them therein : in three parts.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1685 (1685)	Wing P835; ESTC R23033	72,298	205

foundation as their Masters speak upon which all the precepts depend is this precept of learning the Law which no man can imagine how they should do to such perfection as Moses requires unless they had the benefit of looking into the Book of the Law as often as they pleased Of which that they might be put in mind he took care also that the Law should be read to them publickly every Sabbath day whereby likewise they that could not read if there were any such among them might be assisted to inform their Children by hearing God's Word read unto them in their own language For this is certain that in the Synagogues where they met not for the Ceremonial Worship of God which was performed only at the Temple but for his Moral Service Moses had those that preached him or pronounced his Law with a loud voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from ancient ages or generations being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day They are the words of St. James in the first Christian Council XV. Acts 21. Where Grotius observes that it is believed Moses himself was the Author of this practice which the Apostle affirms had been from old times i. e. from the time of the giving of the Law And so Josephus expresly writes in his second Book against Appion where he shews how Moses propounded to the Jews the most excellent and the most necessary of all other Learning viz. the Law not by letting them hear it once or twice or thrice but every seventh day laying aside their other works he commanded them to assemble together for the hearing of the Law and to learn it throughly and exactly For which end his Five Books were anciently divided into so many Sections as there are weeks in the year that the whole by reading one Section every week might be read over once in a year ending at the Feast of Tabernacles At which Feast in the Solemnity of the year of Release which was correspondent to the Sabbath because it was the seventh of years as that was of days Moses required that there should be a more General Assembly of all Israel called to appear before the Lord their God that the Law might be read to men women and children and they might hear and learn and fear the Lord their God and observe to do all the words of this Law as he speaks XXXI Deut. 10 11 12. Where Moses declaring what God had commanded him about this matter the Hebrew Doctors understand those words v. 11. Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing to be the Command of God to Moses himself requiring him as he did the Elders and Priests under him to read the Law at this great Solemnity as the Ordinary Levites did every Sabbath day And thence they consequently enough conclude that Joshua after his time and the Judges and the Kings of Israel in succeeding Ages were bound to read publickly in this great Assembly to as many as the largest Court of the Temple would hold the principal things in the Book of Deuteronomy that the people might be moved to have an higher esteem of their Law and more reverently attend unto it For it was of mighty force to excite the people to Religion when the chief Authority in the Nation not only owned it but commended it unto them And because all Israel could not be contained in that Court of the Temple therefore while the King was thus reading there the Levites who were specially appointed for this work did the same in the City of Jerusalem after notice had been given of their intention by a solemn sound of Trumpets Thus care was taken that what he had enjoyned Chap. VI. 7. should not be neglected For if they did forget to whet the Law as the word there signifies upon their Childrens minds they themselves were excited and whetted to their duty by the sound of the Trumpets by this solemn Convocation by the Royal Majesty appearing to awaken their attention and by his Authority pressing the Laws of God upon their Consciences This was the constant work also it might be shown of the Prophets out of whose Books there were Lessons also added in after-times to be read together with those out of the Law of Moses How ancient this was we do not certainly know for some derive it from the times of Ezra others think it began after the Persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes Who forbidding the reading of the Law in their Synagogues they chose some portion out of the Prophetical Books as near to the sense of that Section which should have been read out of the Law as could be found to be read in its stead which when that Persecution was over they thought not fit to lay aside but continued the reading of them both But however that be this is a known truth That when our Lord himself came and as his custom was went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read He took a Lesson out of the Prophets for the subject of his first Sermon at Nazareth IV. Luke 16 17. And that it was after the reading of the Law and of the Prophets that St. Paul stood up and preached to the Jews at Antioch XIII Acts 15. From which Examples the custom of reading two Lessons one out of the Old Testament and another out of the New was very early taken up by Christians in their holy Assemblies and continued so long in the Church it appears by Isidore and Gratian that it was most worthily restored by our Learned and Pious Reformers whose study it was to form such an Order of Divine Service as was most agreeable to the Primitive Patterns Which publick Reading was not intended to hinder their private but to stir them up unto it Insomuch that it is a Maxim among the Hebrews That although a man had heard the Law read in the publick Assemblies on the Sabbath yet he was bound also to read himself the Parascha or Section appointed for that Week For this is the Character which David gives of that Blessed man who walks not in the way of the ungodly His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night Psal I. 2. That is saith the Commentary under the name of St. Hierom reads the Scripture perpetually that he may do the things contained therein And thus Isaiah calls upon them in after Ages saying Seek ye out the Book of the Lord and read no one of these shall fail c. That is when you shall hereafter see some of these things fulfilled get a Copy of the Prophetical Books if you want one seek it diligently as the word denotes till you find it and read and you shall see that there is not one word of what I have said that is not come to pass but events shall exactly answer to these predictions And it is well known that Moses himself in the very beginning took particular care that the