the reason why it was so called which I take to be this On the Sabbath day they were all to repaire to the place of Gods publique worship which was two thousand cubits distant from those who camped nearest Hence follow foure propositions 1. That two thousand cubits any where by proportion might bee called a Sabbath daies iourney Secondly that to those who dwelt in the Campes more remote from the Arke a Sabbath daies iourney was more than two thousand cubits Thirdly That it is now lawfull on the Sabbath day to ioyne with the congregation in the place of Gods publique worship Fourthly That it was vnlawfull for the Iewes hereupon to take liberty to walke idly whither they would if it were not more than two thousand cubits pretending it to bee but a Sabbath daies iourney They added vnto that which God commanded 1. God said Remember to keepe holy a seuenth day In which words God sanctified one day to be Sabbathum i Hospinian de Orig fest cap. 3. they added Sabbatulum so they termed that additament of time which they annexed to the Sabbath This addition of time was twofold some began the Sabbath sooner than others this was done by the Iewes dwelling at Tyberias because they dwelling in a valley the Sunne appeared not to them so soone as it did to others Some againe continued the Sabbath longer than others this was done by those dwelling at Tsepphore a citie placed vpon the top of a mountaine so that the Sunne shined longer to them than it did vnto others thus both of these did Addere de profano ad sacrum Adde somwhat of the working-day immediatly going before or immediatly following after none diminished of the Sabbath k Buxtorf comment Masoret c. 4. ex Musar Hence R. Iose wished that his portion might be with those that began the Sabbath with those of Tyberias and ended it with those of Tsepphore 2. God said to morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath vnto the Lord bake that yee will bake and seeth that yee will seeth Exod. 16. 23. This command was proper to the time of Manna l Iun. Tremel in Exod. 16. the reason is there alleaged why they should prepare that day for the morrow because vpon the Sabbath day they should not finde it in the field The Iewes extend this command to all ages and therfore they dressed no meat this day this haply was the reason that the heathen people thought they m Sueton. August c. 76. deâ—eiun sabbat vid. Martial l. 4. Epig. 4. fasted on the Sabbath though I deny not but this error might be occasioned in part from that phrase Ieiunobis in Sabbato 3. God said ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day Exod. 35. 3. This commandement was only concerning fire for the furtherance of the worke of the Tabernacle n Vatablus in hunc loâ—um Item Tremel Iunius for therefore is the Sabbath mentioned in that chapter to shew that the worke of the Tabernacle ought to giue place to the Sabbath The Iewes hence gather that it is vnlawfull to kindle any fire at all on this day 4. God said In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke This the Iewes vnderstood without any manner of exception o Hospinian de Orig. fest c. de Sabbato Hence they held it vnlawfull to roste an apple to tucke an herbe to climbe a tree to kill or catch a flea Hence they thought it vnlawfull to defend themselues being assaulted by their enemies on the Sabbath day by this meanes twice they became a prey vnto the enemie p Ioseph l. 12. c. 8. First vnto Antiochus whereupon Mattathias made a decree that it should be lawfull vpon the Sabbath to resist their enemies which decree againe they vnderstanding strictly as if it did onely giue leaue to resist when they were actually assaulted and not by any labour that day to preuent the enemies raising of rams setling of engines vnderminings c. they became a prey the second time to Pompey For the right vnderstanding therefore of this command wee are to know that three sorts of seruile workes were allowed 1. Workes of charity God that allowed them to leade their oxe and asse to water on the Sabbath Luke 13. 15. to make their liues more comfortable much more allowed man liberty to dresse conuenient food for himselfe and his family that they might the more comfortably performe holy duties Christ healed on the Sabbath therefore visiting the sicke and the vse of the Physitian was both then and now lawfull 2. Workes directly tending to Gods Worship not onely killing of sacrifices and circumcising of children on that day was allowed but the Priests might lawfully blow their trumpets and hornes on the Sabbath day for the assembling of the people Numb 10. 2. And the people might warrantably goe from their houses to the place of Gods publique worship By proportion it is now warrantable for Christians to ring bells to assemble the people together on the Lords day and to take iourneys to ioyne with the publique congregation or to preach the word Of these we may say though they are in their owne natures bodily labours yet the Temple which was sanctified did change the nature of them and make them holy Matth. 23. 17. Or as the Iewes say concerning the ouerthrow of Iericho which according to their writings fell on the Sabbath day r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 K. D. Kâ—â—chi in Iosh 6. He which commanded the Sabbath to bee sanctified commanded it also to be prophaned 3. Workes of absolute necessity as the defending ones selfe against his enemie and others of like nature concerning which the Iewes haue a saying Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perill of life driues away the Sabbath And the Christians with a little change of a more common prouerb say Necessitas non habet ferias Necessitie hath no holidaies CHAP. IIII. Of their Passeouer and their feast of vnleauened bread SOme of the Fathers haue deriued the word a Tertullian adu Iud. cap. 10. It. Ambros lib. de Myster pasch cap. 1. Pascha from a Greeke verbe signifying to suffer because the sufferings and passion of our Sauiour are celebrated about that time b August in titul Ps 68. This opinion Augustine iustly confuteth for the word is originally an Hebrew word signifiing to passe by to leape or passe ouer The Etymology is Gods owne It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeouer which passed ouer c. Exod. 12. 27. The word Passeouer in scripture hath three acceptions First it is taken for that yearely solemnity which was celebrated vpon the c Eâ— Theologis non pauci omnia quae ad 14â—â— nectiem pertinent 15ae 〈◊〉 quem errorem hauserunt ex turbidis Rabbinorum lacunis qui hodie eundem errorem errant teste Scalig. de emend temp l. 6. p. 270. fourteenth day of Nisan otherwise called Abib you may call it
the Passeouer of the Lambe because on that day toward the euening the Israelites were commanded according to their families to roste a Lambe and eat it in their priuate houses Secondly it signifieth that yearely festiuitie which was celebrated on the fifteenth of Nisan it may bee called the Passeouer of sheepe and Bullocks Deut. 16. 2. Otherwise we may call it the Feast of the Passeouer as the foureteenth of Nisan was called simply the Passeouer In the foureteenth day of the first moneth is the Passeouer of the Lord and in the fifteenth day of this moneth is the Feast Num. 28. 16 17. Toward this Feast wee are to vnderstand that Iosiah gaue vnto the people such a multitude of sheepe lambs kiddes and bullocks Thirdly It is taken for the whole solemnity beginning the fourteenth of Nisan and ending the one and twentieth of the same moneth Now the Feast of vnleauened bread drew nigh which is called the Passeouer Luke 22. 1. So that in this acception it contained the Feast of vnleauened bread also notwithstanding in proper speaking the Feast of vnleauened bread was a distinct Feast from the Passeouer First the Passeouer was to bee kept on the fourteenth day of the first moneth at Euen This was their second sacrament in which although they were enioyned to eat vnleauened bread with the lambe yet the feast of vnleauened bread began not till the morrow following being the fifteenth day of the same moneth and lasted seuen daies of which onely the first and last were holy conuocations wherein in they might doe no seruile worke Leuit. 23. 5 6 7 8. Secondly the Passeouer in the ages following its first institution might not be killed and eaten in any other place saue onely where the Lord did chuse to place his name which afterward was at Ierusalem but the feast of vnleauened bread the Hebrews thought themselues bound to keepe in euery place wheresoeuer they dwelt if they could not bee at Ierusalem and the d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maimon de fermento Azymo c. 6. §. 1. eating of it they say depended not vpon the eating of the Passeouer but it was a commandement by it selfe The rites and ceremonies obserued by the Iewes in the eating of this sacrament their Paschal Lambe agreed with those generall ceremonies vsed in their solemne feasts They blessed the cup and blessed the bread and diuided it amongst the guests and washed the feet of those that sate at the table as is shewen in the chapter of feasts The particulars in which it differed from other feasts are deliuered in those interrogatories or questions proposed in way of Catechisme by some childe at the time of eating their Passeouer or rather in the answer made vnto the childe by him that blessed the table The question was thus What meaneth this seruice The forme of the answer was e Scalig. de emend temp l. 5. p. 270. How different is this night from all other nights for all other nights wee wash but once in this twice thus Christ when supper was ended washed his disciples feet in all other nights we eat either leauened or vnleauened bread in this onely vnleauened in other nights we eat any sort of herbs in this night bitter herbs in all other nights wee eat and drinke either sitting or lying but in this we lie along Then he proceedeth to declare that the Passeouer was in respect that the Lord passed ouer the houses of their fathers in Egypt Secondly hee held vp the bitter herbs in his hand and said These bitter herbs which wee eat are in respect that the Egyptians made the liues of our Fathers bitter in Egypt Thirdly hee held vp the vnleauened bread in his hand and said This vnleauened bread which wee eat is in respect that the dough of our fathers had not time to bee leauened when the Lord appeared vnto them and redeemed them out of the hand of the enemie This kinde of Catechising they say is commanded Exod. 12. 26. They called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haggada i. Annunciatio the declaration or shewing forth of the Passeouer Hence the Apostle borroweth his phrase As often as ye shal eat this bread and drinke this cup yee shall declare or shew forth the Lords death 1 Cor. 11. 26. Concerning this Lambe they are charged thus Vpon the tenth of Abib euery one shall take a Lambe for an house a male of the first yeare without blemish and this he kept vntill the fourteenth day of the same moneth Exod. 12. 3 c. The Lambe it was either of sheepe or goats For an house the whole body of the Israelites was diuided into twelue tribes the tribes into families the families into houses if the house were too few for the eating of the Lambe then the next neighbour ioyned with them in the eating thereof The whole company was termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same sense Saint Marke vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marke the 6th All these words signifie a societie or company of guests so many as can sit at the same table the latter word properly signifieth a bed in a garden and thus in the Gospell the whole multitude sitting on the grasse seeme to be compared vnto a Garden and their seuerall societies or companies vnto so many beds in the garden The number of communicants in this Paschall society f Ioseph de bello Iud. lib. 7. c. 17. was neuer lesse than ten nor more than twenty It followeth in the text A male to note the masculine and peirlesse vertue of our Sauiour whom it did typically shadow forth g Heâ—raâ—cè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filium anni Sunt qui distinguilit inter Filium anni Filium anni sut Filium anni interpretantur qui annum vnum agit nec minor nec maior Filium vero anni sui qui est in anno primo licet eum nondum absob erit Sed Aben Esra negat absque Cabala posse 〈◊〉 quis sit filiâ—â— anni sui nam fieri potest inquit vt sit Vau adduitium siue paragogitum quale in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 similibus Of the first yeare which phrase they interpret thus That the Lambe after it was eight daies old and forward was allowable to be offered for the Passeouer but not before because it is said When a Bullocke or a Sheepe or a Goat is brought forth then it shall bee seuen daies vnder the damme and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offring made by fire vnto the Lord Leuit. 22. 27. And the reason of this law some of the Hebrews haue thought to be h Vid. Munster ad Leuit. 22. because in their opinion nothing in the world was absolutely perfect vntill a Sabbath had past ouer it Moreouer if it were an houre elder than an yeare it was vnlawfull because it is said A male of the first yeare Without blemish as
accomplishment thereof for Scripture mentioneth not the fulfilling of it Concerning these cities the Hebrews note from these words Thou shalt prepare the way Deut. 19. 3. That the Senate or Magistrates in Israel were bound to prepare the waies to the cities of Refuge and b Maimon in Rotsach c. 8. §. 5. to make them fit and broad and to remoue out of them all stumbling blocks and obstacles and they suffered not any hill or dale to be in the way nor water-streames but they made a bridge ouer it that nothing might hinder him that fled thither And the breadth of the way to the cities of Refuge was not lesse than thirty two Cubits and at the partitions of the waies they set vp in writing Refuge Refuge that the manslayer might know and turne thitherward On the fifteenth of the moneth Adar or February euery yeare the Magistrates sent out messengers to prepare the waies Furthermore it was prouided that two or three wise men should bee imploied to perswade the Auenger of bloud if haply he did persue the manslayer on the way that he should offer no violence vntill the cause were heard and examined The manner of examination was thus the consistory or bench of Iustices who liued in that quarter where the murder was commited c Paul Fag Num. 35. 6. placed the party being brought backe from the citie of Refuge in the court or iudgement Hall and diligently enquired and examined the cause who if he were found guilty of voluntary murder then was he punished with death but if otherwise the fact were found casuall then did they safely conduct the party backe againe to the citie of Refuge where hee enioyed his liberty not onely within the walls of the city but within certaine territories and bounds of the city being confined to such and such limits vntil the death of the high Priest that was in those daies at what time it was lawfull for the offender to returne and come vnto his owne city and vnto his owne house euen vnto the citie from whence he fled Iosh. 20. 6. By this meanes the offender though hee was not punished with death yet he liued for the time a kinde of exile for his owne humiliation and for the abatement of his wrath who was the Auenger of bloud d Masius in Ios cap. 20. The Areopagitae had a proceeding against casuall manslaughter not much vnlike punishing the offender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an yeares bannishment why the time of this exilement was limited to the death of the high Priest at that time is not agreed vpon by expositors But it is most probably thought that the offender was therefore confined within that citie as within a prison during the high Priests life e Masius ibid. because the offence did most directly strike against him as being amongst men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac princeps sanctitatis the chiefe God on earth THE THIRD BOOKE TREATETH OF DAIES and Times CHAP. I. Their Daies Houres Weekes and Yeares BEfore wee treat of their feasts it will be needfull by way of Preface to vnderstand somewhat concerning the diuisions of their dayes houres weekes c. Their day was two-fold Naturall conteining day and night and consisting of twenty foure houres or Artificiall beginning at Sunne rising and ending at Sunne set Of this is that Are there not twelue houres in the day Ioh. 11. 9. The Naturall day was againe twofold Ciuill a working day which was destined for ciuill businesses and works this began at Sunne rising and held till the next Sunne rising Matt. 28. 1. or Sacred a festiuall or holiday destined for holy exercises this began at Sunne set and continued till the next Sunne set Their night was diuided into foure quarters or greater houres termed foure watches each watch containing three lesser houres The first they called Caput vigiliarum the beginning of the watches Lament 2. 19. The second was the middle watch Iudges 7. 19. not so termed because there were onely three watches as a Drus Iudic. 7. 19. Drusius would perswade but because it dured till midnight The third watch began at midnight and held till three of the clocke in the morning If he come in the second or third Watch Luke 12. 38. The last called the morning Watch Exod. 14. 24. beganne at three of the clocke and ended at six in the morning In the fourth Watch of the night Iesus went out vnto them Matt. 14. 25. These watches also were called by other names according to that part of the night which closed each watch The first was termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Enen The second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Midnight The third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cock-Crowing And the fourth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Dawning Yee know not when the Master of the house will come at Euen or at Midnight or at Cock-crowing or at the Dawning Mark 13. 35. The day was likewise diuided into foure quarters as appeareth by the parable of the Labourers hired into the vineyard Mat. 20. The first quarter began at six of the clocke in the morning and held till nine The second quarter ended at twelue of the clocke The third quarter at three in the afternoone The fourth quarter at six of the night The first quarter was called the third houre vers 3. The second quarter the sixth houre verse 5. The third quarter the ninth houre vers 5. The last quarter the eleuenth houre vers 6. Where note that the three first quarters had their names from that houre of the day which closed the quarter for they began the count of their lesser houres from six a clocke in the morning and our 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. 1 2 3 4 5 6. was their 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. onely the last was called the eleuenth houre by our Sauiour Christ whereas among the common people it either was called or should haue beene called by proportion with the rest the twelfth houre to intimate vnto vs that though God in his mercy accept labourers into his vineyard eleuen houres of the day yet he seldome calleth any at the twelfth for that is rather an houre to discharge seruants than to admit new Some expositors finding mention of the dawning of the day in this parable verse 1. b Erat autem primus ternarius à prima vsque ad tertiam dicebatur prima hora secundus erat a tertia vsque ad Sextam dicebatur hora tertia tertius erat à sexta vsque ad nonam dicebatur sexta quartus à nona vsque ad vâ—imani quae 〈◊〉 diceb tui nona Resellit hanc opinionem Tol. tus receptam licet a multis recentiorum vt ipse ait quoniam de vndecima cuiua memiâ—â—t parabola altum apud hos silâ—nâ—um Iure vapuâ—aâ—t à te Tolâ—te qui excludunt vndecimam constanter tamen asserenda est contra te qâ—adripartita dici diuisio in hoc
the sinnes of the people and by the performance of certaine rites and ceremonies expiate them and make an attonement vnto God for them The Ceremonies at this time to bee performed concerned either the people and the Priest or the Priest alone Those which concerned the people and the Priest consisted in the afflicting of their soules by fasting Whence this feast was also called a Iosephus de bell Iud. p. 43. Dies ieiunij The fasting day Ier. 36. 6. Which serueth for the vnderstanding of that Acts 27. 9. Sayling was now dangerous because the Feast was already past that is the feast of Expiation was now past and winter was at hand Those Ceremonies which concerned the Priest alone were two First then the high-Priest entred into the Holiest of Holies which was peculiar vnto this day Secondly he being about to sacrifice for himselfe and his house he tooke vnto him a young bullocke for a sinne offering and a ram for a burnt offering putting on his Priestly robes after he had washed himselfe in water he tooke of the Congregation two he-goats for a sinne-offering and a ram for a burnt offering The two he-goats hee presented before the Lord at the doore of the Tabernacle casting lots which of them should be sacrificed which let scape aliue This last was termed the b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnazazal ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnez capra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Azal abâ—jâ— K. D. Kimchi in radic Scape-goat because the other being slaine this was sent aliue into the wildernesse The Greeke Interpreters call this goat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malorum depulsorem A defender from euils which name the Heathens applied to their Tutelar Gods They intimated that when this Scape-goat caried away the sinnes of the people into the wildernesse hee likewise caried away all those euills which belonged vnto those sinnes And for the securing the people in this point the Lord commanded the High Priest to confesse in the name of all the people and to disburden the sins of the whole Congregation vpon the head of the Scape-goat The forme of Confession according to the relation of the Hebrew Doctors was this c P. Fag Leuit. 16. O Lord thy people the house of Israel they haue sinned they haue done wickedly they haue transgressed before thee I beseech thee now ô Lord pardon the sinnes iniquities and transgressions with which the people the house of Israel haue sinned done wickedly and transgressed before thee as it is written in the Law of thy seruant Moses That in that day he shall make attonement for you that he might cleanse you and that you might bee cleane from all your iniquities before the Lord. The moderne Iewes now because there can be no proper sacrifice the Temple of Ierusalem being destroyed the men they take a white cocke on this day the women an hen d Buxtorf Synagog c. 20. This cocke they swing three times about the Priests head saying Gallus Gallinaceus hic commutatio erit pro me That is This cock shall be a propitiation for me After that they kill the cocke acknowledging themselues worthie of death and then they cast the intralls vpon the top of the house that some Rauen or Crow might carrie both them and together with them their sinnes into the wildernesse And lest they might seeme to bee mad without reason they assigne the cause why they make choyce of a cocke at this time to be this This word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gebher in the holy language signifieth a man in their Talmud it signifieth a cocke Now say they the iustice of God requires that as Gebher sinned so Gebher should make satisfaction From this feast of Expiation it is probable that the Grecians vsed an yeerely Expiation of their cities which was performed on this manner Certaine condemned persons were brought forth with garlands vpon their heads in manner of sacrifices these they would tumble from some steepe place into the sea offering them vp to Neptune e Suidas in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing this forme of words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sis pro nobis peripsema As if they had sayd Bethou a reconciliation or propitiation for vs. The like kinde of expiation was vsed among them in time of any pestilence or contagious infection for the remouall of such diseases they then sacrificed certaine men vnto their Gods * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vetus Scholiast in Aristophan Plut. pag. 48. such men they termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These two words are vsed by the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 13. and they are translated filth off-scouring we are made as the filth of the world and as the off-scouring of all things The words signifie properly the filth or dirt scraped off mens shooes or from the pauement of the ground But in f Budaeus annot reliq in Pandect De poenis p. 334. Budaeus his opinion the Apostle had allusion vnto those kindes of expiations in vse among the Heathens As if he had said We are as despicable and as odious in the sight of the people as much loaded with the reuilings and cursings of the multitude as those condemned persons who were offered vp by way of publique expiation Now seeing at this feast principally the High Priest was a type of Christ it will not bee amisse to note the agreement betweene the type and the truth Aaron 1. The high-Priest went into the Holiest of all Leuit. 16. 3. 2. Hee went once a yeare Exod. 30. 10. 3. Hee with the bloud of goats and calues Heb. 9. 12. 4. He alone Heb. 9. 5. Hee cloathed with his Priestly robes Leu. 16. 4. 6. He tooke two goats Leu. 16. 7. The goat did beare the peoples iniquities Christ 1. Christ our High-Priest went into the holy place namely the heauens Hebr. 9. 12. 2. Hee entred once Heb. 9. 12. 3. Hee by his owne bloud Heb. 9. 12. 4. He alone hath trodden the wine-presse Is 63. 3. 5. Hee ordained and sealed to this office by his father from all eternitie 6. He tooke two natures the impassibilitie of his Godhead was shadowed by the Scape-goat his sufferings in his manhood by the goat that was sacrificed Theodoret Quaest 22. in Leuit. Christ was made sin for vs 2 Cor. 5. 22. CHAP. IX The Sabbaticall yeare or Seuenth yeares rest AS euery seuenth day was a Sabbath day so euery seuenth yeare was a Sabbaticall yeare Leuit. 25. And as the Sabbath day signified that they themselues were the Lords and therefore they abstained from their owne worke to doe the Lords So the Sabbaticall yeare was to signifie that both they and their land was the Lords The obseruation of this feast consisted chiefly in two things First in the not tilling or manuring of their ground whence it was called a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schabath Haarets the Sabbath of the land Leuit. 25. 6. Secondly in the Creditors discharging their debtors and releasing
was dead CHAP. VIII Punishments not capitall THe lesser punishments not capitall in vse among the Hebrewes are chiefly foure 1. Imprisonment 2. Restitution 3. Talio 4. Scourging Imprisonment Vnder this are comprehended the prison stockes pillory chaines fetters and the like all which sorts of punishment seeing they differ very little or nothing at all from those which are now in common vse with vs they need no explication The Keepers of the prison if they let any commited vnto them escape were liable to the same punishment which should haue been inflicted on the party escaped This is gatherable from that 1 King 20. 39. Keepe this man if by any meanes he be missing then shall thy life bee for his life Concerning that Libera custodia which a Drus praeter 2. Tim. 1. 18. Drusius proueth to haue beene in vse among the Romans I much doubt whether any such custome were in vse among the Hebrewes That some kinde of prisoners at Rome did goe abroad with a lesser kinde offetters in the day time to their worke and so returne at night to their prison hath elsewhere beene obserued by mee And b Senec. epist 5. Non in lib. de tranquil cap. 10. queÌ„admodum citatur a Drusio Eadem catena custodiam militem copulabat The same chaine tied both the prisoner and the keeper Obserue the vnusuall significations of these two words Custodia a prisoner and Miles a keeper So that Drusius deliuered Seneca his meaning but not his words when hee repeats them thus Eadem catena tam reum quà m militem tenet Obserue further that the prisoner was tied by his right arme and the keeper by the left because the right arme is the stronger and therefore iustly remaineth free rather to the keeper than to the prisoner Hence is that c Senec. de tranquil cap 10. Tuforte leuiorem in sinistra putas catenam Because the keeper tied himselfe vnto the same chaine not in way of punishment but voluntarily for the saftier keeping of the prisoner Restitution This was commanded when goods were vniustly gotten or wrongfully detained Exod. 22. It was d Thom. Aquin. secunda secundae q. 62. threefold Restitution is threefold Secundum idem in identity when the very same thing is restored which is wrongfully gotten Secundum aequale when there is so much for so much in quantity restored the goods vniustly gotten being sold or lost Secundum possible when restitution is made according to that which a man hath not being able to satisfie the whole Restitution in identity was and is principally required Whence it is that if the theft whether Oxe or sheepe were found aliue vpon a man he restored but double Exod. 22. 4. but if they were killed or sold then fiue Oxen were restored for an Oxe and foure sheepe for a sheepe Exod. 22. 1. The Iewes were so precise in this kinde that if they had built an house with a beame or peece of timber vniustly gotten they would pull downe the house and restore the e Dauid Kimchi same beame or peece to the owner From this the Prophet Habbakuk doth not much dissent The stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Habbak 2. 11. Among the Iewes he ought to bee sold that was not of sufficient worth to make restitution Exod. 22. 3. f Augustin epist 54. And Augustine saith of Christians that he which doth not make restitution according to his ability neuer repented And Non remittetur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Talio This was a punishment in the same kinde an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth hand for hand and foot for foot Deut. 19. 21. Talio is twofold Talio identitatis or Pythagorica which was according to the letter of the law when the offendor was punisht with the losse of an eye for putting out anothers eye c. Talio similitudinis or analogica which was when the price of an eye or some proportionable mulct is payed for an eye put out or any other member spoyled The g Oculum pro oculo id est pretium oculi Targum Ionath Deut. 19. 21. It. R. Solomon ibid. Hebrews vnderstand Talio similitudinis that the price of a maime should be payed not Talio identitatis not that the offender should be punisht with the like maime Because to punish like for like in identity is in some cases impossible as if a blinde man put out anothers eye or one toothlesse strike out anothers tooth In case of bodily maimes therefore the h Vid. Munster Exod. 22. â—… Hebrew Doctors say that the party offending was bound to a fiuefold satisfaction First for the hurt in the losse of the member Secondly for the dammage in losse of his labour Thirdly for his paine or griefe arising from the wound Fourthly for the charge in curing it Fifthly for the blemish or deformity thereby occasioned Munster rendreth those fiue thus Damnum sessio dolor medicina confusio The i A. Gellius lib. 11. cap. 1. Romans likewise had a Talio in their law but they also gaue liberty to the offender to make choise whether he would by way of commutation pay a proportionable mulct or in identity suffer the like maime in his body Scourging This was twofold either virgis with rods or flagellis with scourges This latter was more grieuous than the former as appeareth by that Ironicall speech k Cic. pro. Rabirio Porcia lex virgas ab omnium ciuium corpore amouit hic misericors flagella retulit Both were in vse among the Romans but onely the latter among the Hebrews This beating or scourging was commanded Deut. 25. 2 3. where the number of stripes was limited which the Iudge might not exceed Fortie stripes shall hee cause him to haue and not past The Iewes in many things laboured to seeme holy aboue the law For example where the Lord commanded a Sabbath to be sanctified they added their Sabbatulum that is they began their Sabbath about an houre sooner and ended about an houre later then the law required where the Lord forbade them to eat or drinke things sacrificed to Idols they l This bites in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prohibited all drinking with Heathens because it is doubtfull whether it were offered to Idols or no. The Lord commanded them in the time of the Passeouer to put away leauen out of their houses they would not take the m This bit in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 name into their mouthes all the time of that feast The Lord commanded them to abstaine from eating swines flesh they would not so much as name it but in their common talke n Elias This bit ibid. would call a Sow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar acher Another thing In like manner the Lord commanded chiefe malefactors which deserued beating to bee punisht with fortie stripes they in their greatest corrections would giue but thirty nine Of the Iewes fiue
day than there was loue in permitting it vpon the eighth Secondly because in this time of the Mosaicall paedagogie there was a kinde of legall vncleannesse in which the creatures were thought to be as remaining in their bloud for the first seuen daies after their birth Leuit. 22. 27. It. 12. 2 3. Notwithstanding God thought it not conuenient to defer it longer than eight daies for the comfort of the parents which they receiued by a mature and seasonable initiation of their children The manner how Circumcision was administred I finde thus recorded Some of those that were present c Paul Fag Deut. 10. held a vessel full of dust into which they did cast the foreskin being cut off Againe they prepared in the roome a certaine d Christoph Cast in Malac. 3. void chaire for Elias which was done partly in honour of him for which respect also as often as they fell on any difficult place in scripture they would say e Mercerus in abbreuiaturis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veniet Elias omnia enodabit We know that Elias will come and he will tell vs all things but chiefly it was done because they thought Elias to be present there in spirit whose bodily comming they did and doe daily expect These ceremonies are meerely Iewish practised by the latter Iewes but vtterly vnknowne in our Sauiour Christ his time and as it appeareth by the Samaritane woman her speech that prouerbiall saying applied now vnto Elias was of old applied to Christ Iohn 4. 25. Thirdly he which supplied the place of the witnesse or as we phrase it of the Godfather f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—â—as Thisb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 held the child in his armes whiles it was circumcised this Godfather they called Baal Berith and Sandak that is the Master of the couenant Vriah the Priest and Zachariah the sonne of Ieberechiah are g Iun. Tremel Es 8. 2. thought to haue beene Godfathers at the circumcision of Maher-shalal-hash-baz Es 8. 2. and from them the custome of hauing Godfathers in Baptisme to haue taken its originall Fourthly the parents named the childe and in Zaccharies time it seemeth that in the naming of the infant they had respect to some name of his ancestors They said vnto her there is none of thy kindred that is named with this name Luke 1. 61. Other nations had their set daies also after the birth for the naming of their children h Plutarch probl 102. Macrob. Sat. l. 1. c. 16. The Romanes gaue names to their male children on the ninth day to the female on the eighth The i â—ael Rhodig l. 22. c. 12. Athenians gaue names on the tenth k Aristotel hist anâ—â— l 7. c. 12. Others on the seuenth These daies l Tertul. de Idol c. 16. Tertullian calleth Nominalia The Grecians besides the tenth day on which they named the childe they obserued also the fifth m Sâ—bolisist Ariâ—â—â—an in Lusiâ—rat p. 886. It. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on which day the midwines tooke the childe and ranne about a fire made for the purpose vsing that ceremony as a purification of themselues and the childe on this day the neighbours also sent in gifts or small tokens Munera natalitia n Stukius de conuin l. â— c. 16. from which custome that among Christians of the Godfathers sending gifts to the baptised Infant is thought to haue flowne But to returne againe to the rites of the Iewes After the childe had beene circumcised the father said o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses Kotsens in tractat Circumcis fol. 115. Blessed bee our Lord God who hath sanctified vs with his precepts and hath commanded vs that we should cause this childe to enter into the couenant of Abraham After this the whole Church or company present replied in this manner p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses Kots ibid. As thou hast made him to enter into the Couenant so make him also to enter into the Law into Matrimony and into good Workes The penalty for the omission of Circumcision runneth in this forme That soule shall be cut off from his people Gen. 17. 14. I vnderstand the penalty to be pronounced against such an omission which proceeded either from contempt or wilfull neglect In this case the question is what is meant by this phrase His soule shall bee cut off from the people secondly who ought thus to be punisht Whether the childe or the parents and such who supply the place of parents For the first besides Gods secret action in punishing such delinquents mee thinkes there is a rule of direction for the Church how to proceed against such in her discipline if any vnderstand here by cutting off such a mans soule from his people the sentence of Excommunication or casting him out of the Synagogue I shall not oppose it though I rather incline to those who vnderstand hereby a bodily death inflicted vpon such an offender in which sense the phrase is taken Exod. 31. 14. Whosoeuer doth any worke in the Sabbath that soule shall be cut off from amongst his people And it is very remarkable that when Moses his childe was vncircumcised the Lord sought to kill Moses which as it intimateth the punishment for this fault to be a bodily death so it cleerely euinceth that not the childe till he commeth to yeeres of discretion but the parents were liable to the punishment The opinion of the Rabbines concerning this latter point is thus deliuered q Moses Kots tractat circumcis fol. 114. col 4. If the Father circumcise him not then the Iudges are commanded to circumcise him and if it be vnknowne to the Iudges and they circumcise him not when hee is waxen great he is bound to circumcise himselfe and euery day that passeth ouer him after hee is waxen great and he circumciseth not himselfe loe hee breaketh the commandement Here it may be demanded how it is possible for a man after once he hath beene marked with the signe of Circumcision to blot out that character and become vncircumcised for thus some Iewes for feare of Antiochus made themselues vncircumcised 1 Mac. 1. 16. Others for shame after they were gained to the knowledge of Christ and to the entertainment of the Christian faith vncircumcised themselues 1 Cor. 7. 18. r Epithan lib. de mens pond p. 415. It. Celsus l. 7. cap. 25. The answer is that this was done by drawing vp the foreskin with a Chirurgeon his instrument and vnto this the Apostle in the forequoted place alludeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neattrahat praeputium This wicked inuention is ascribed vnto Esau as the first author and practiser thereof CHAP. II. Of their first fruits and their firstlings or first-borne THe vse and end of their first fruits was that the after fruits might be consecrated in them To this purpose they were inioyned to offer the first fruits of their trees which serued for
Altar and the gift on the Altar This gift in Hebrew was termed Corban and it was one of those h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inter quae sacramenta cum quibusdam alijs etiam iusiuranduÌ„ quod Corban appellatur enumerat Ioseph contra Apion lib. 1. p. 147. oathes which in our Sauiour Christs time the Scribes and Pharises accounted principally obligatory If any swore by the Altar it was nothing but if any swore by the oblation of the Altar hee was bound to performe it Mat. 23. 18. yea although Gods law inioyned honour and reliefe towards parents yet if they had bound themselues by this oath Corban that they would not helpe or relieue their parents they taught they were discharged Whence saith their i Talmud Hierasolymit tract de votis cap. 10. Talmud Euery one ought to honour his Father and Mother except hee hath vowed the contrary And it is euident that the Iewes did often by solemne vowes and k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iureiurando se obstringunt huic vel illi homini nihil se commodi praestituros Philo Iud. de specialibus legib p. 595. oathes binde themselues that they would neuer doe good to such or such a man Wee must furthermore know that vsually to their oathes there was an execration or conditionall curse annexed which sometimes was expressed as If I doe not doe thus and thus then the Lord doe so to mee and more also 1 Sam. 14. 44. Also 1 King 20. 10. Sometimes it is vnderstood as I haue sworne if I take from a threed to a shooe latchet Gen. 14. 22. Then let the Lord doe so to mee and more also this or the like is vnderstood and maketh the former part of the oath to sound negatiuely as if Abraham had said I haue sworne I will not take from a threed to a shooe latchet In like manner Psal 95. I haue sworne if they shall enter into my rest that is They shall not enter into my rest Heb. 3. 18. This helpth the exposition of that difficult place Matt. 15. 5. which wee reade i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Per Corban si quicquam tibi prodero Interpretor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si quisquam quemadmodum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 10. 14. Matt. 23. 18. Et execratione subauditâ sensus emergat Per Corban nihil tibi prodero Caeterum si quis vrgeat quod in fonte sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non per Corban vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sciendum quod similis ellipsis in iurandi formulis non est inusitata hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per domicilium hoc Vid. Druâ—um de tribus sectis l. 2. cap. 17. By the gift that is offered by me thou maiest haue profit but if we conceiue it thus according to the forme of the oath Corban By Corban if thou receiue any profit by me and vnderstand the execration implied Then let God doe thus and much more to me The sense will be thus By Corban thou shalt receiue no profit by me This exposition is as agreeable to the scope of the place as it is to their forme of swearing and plainly sheweth how the Pharises by their traditions transgressed the commandement of God For God commanded saying Honour thy father and thy mother But the Scribes and Pharises said Whosoeuer should say to father or mother seeking reliefe By corban thou shalt receiue no profit from me he was discharged CHAP. VII Of their writing their Masorites and their worke WRiting in no nation came to its perfection on a sudden but by degrees The opinions of the ancient concerning the authors and inuenters of letters are different Some say a Plin. lib. 7. cap. 56. Diodor. Sicul. lib. 6. cap. 15. â—admus brought the vse of letters into Greece others say b Seruius lib. 2. Aeneid Palamedes c Alex. Genial l. 2. c. 30. some say Rhadamanthus brought them into Assyria Memnon into Egypt Hercules into Phrygia and Carmenta into Latium Likewise some say the Phenicians had first the knowledge and vse of letters Phaenices primi famae si credimus ausi Mansuram rudibus vocem signare figuris Lucan Others say the d Diodor. Sicul. l. 4. Ethiopians e Plin. l. 7. c. 56. others the Assyrians But vpon better grounds it is thought that f Euseb praepar Euang. l. 18. Moses first taught the vse of letters to the Iewes and that the Phenicians learned them from the Iewes and the Grecians from the Phenicians In like manner the matter vpon which men wrote in ruder times was different Some wrote on rindes of trees whence Liber signifying originally a rinde of a tree is now vsed for a booke g Diogen Laert. in vita Cleanthis some wrote on tile-stones with a bone in stead of a pen some on tables this last was chiefly in vse among the Iewes the Decalogue was written in two tables of stone Againe write these things vpon a table Es 30. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Septuagint as if the writing tables at that time were made of box tree They vsed not then pens or quills but a certaine instrument or punch made of iron or steele called stylus it was sharpe at one end for the more conuenient indenting or caruing of the characters and broad at the other for the scraping or blotting out what had beene written whence sprang that prouerbiall speech h Erasm in Adag Inuertere stilum To vnsay what he hath said or to blot out what hee hath written Scribe stylo hominis write with the pen of man Es 8. 1. Afterward before they came to binde vp bookes in manner as now we haue them they wrote in a roll of paper or parchment which sometimes was ten cubits broad and twentie long Zach. 5. 2. This they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Megilla in Hebrew from Galal To role Volumen in Latine in English a volume from voluo To role In the volume of the Booke it is written Ps 40. 7. And Christ closing the Booke gaue it to the Minister Luk. 4. 20. the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complicans folding or rolling it vp And vers 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Explicans vnfolding or opening it i Buxtorf institut epist p. 4. These volumes were written not with one entire continued writing but the writing was distinguished into many spaces columnes or platformes like vnto so many Areae these platformes filled with writing were in stead of so many pages in a booke and thus we are to vnderstand that Ier. 36. 23. When Iehudi had read three or foure leaues hee cut it with the pen-knife c. These leaues were nothing else but such spaces and platformes in the roll After this manner the Iewes reserue the law written in such rolles and with such spaces in their Synagogues at this day It is much controuersed whether the Iewes did from the beginning write
with vowels and accents or whether they were added by the Masorites for the vnderstanding of which it will be needfull first to enquire who the Masorites were Secondly what their worke was and then to deliuer in a proposition what may bee probably thought in this point First concerning the Masorites wee are to know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masar signifieth Tradere To deliuer and Masora a tradition deliuered from hand to hand to posteritie without writing as the Pythagoreans and Druides were wont to doe but by the figure Synecdoche it signifieth those Criticall notes or Scholion written in the margine of the Bible and those that were the authors of those criticall obseruations were termed Masoritae Masorites Concerning these authors who they were there are two opinions Some k Ahen Esra vid. Buxtorf comment Major c. 3. thinke that they were certaine learned Iewes liuing in the citie Tiberias they termed them Sapientes Tiberiadis The wisemen of Tiberias These wise men are thought to haue added these marginall notes vnto the Hebrew Bibles l Elias Leuita in praesat tertia l. Masoreth â—ammasoreth sometime after the finishing of the Babylon Talmud which was about the yeare of our Lord 506. This opinion is vnlikely for these two reasons 1. m Buxtorf in comment Masor c. 7. Because we cannot finde in histories the continuance of any colledge or schoole in Tiberias so long but rather that degrees in learning ceased there within foure hundred yeeres after our Sauiour his birth 2. n Buxtorf in comment Masor c. 8. In both Talmuds mention is made of the Masora and the things contained therein Others therefore more probably say o R. Asarias R. Gedalia Buxtorf in comment Masor c. 11. that the Masorites were that Ecclesiasticall Senate or Councell held by Esra Haggi Zacharie Malachie and diuers others assembled for the reformation of the Church after their returne from Babylon they are called Viri Synagogae magnae This Councell continued at least forty yeares for Simeon the iust who went out in his Priestly robes to meet and pacifie Alexander the Great comming in hostile manner against Ierusalem p Pirke Aboth c. 1. was the last of that Councell and that was aboue three hundred yeeres before the birth of our Sauiour Esra was the President or chiefe of this Councell he was of such repute among the Iewes that they paralleld him with Moses saying q Talmud l. Sanhedrim c. 2. f. 21. Dignus erat Esra quòd data fuisset lex per manus eius Israeli si non praecessisset eum Moses In the second place wee are to consider the worke what the men of this great Synagogue being the true Masorites did their worke may be reduced to these particulars 1. When this great Councell was assembled they among whom Esra was chiefe who was assisted with the inspiration of Gods spirit r Buxtorf in comment Masor c. 11. determined what bookes were Canonicall what spurious and Apocryphall Secondly Å¿ Tertullian l. de habit muliebr Chrysostom hom 8. ad Hebraeos Irenaeus aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 25. Augustin de mirab sacrae script l. 2. circa finem the authentique and canonicall bookes were purged by them of all errors crept into the Text in time of their captiuitie Thirdly they t Genebrard l. 2. Chronolog digested the old Testament into twentie two bookes according to the number of the Hebrew letters Fourthly they distinguisht it into great sections and verses for though the law was not so confusedly written without any space or note of distinction betweene word and word that it seemed all one continued verse or as the Kabbalists speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theba achath one word vntill the time of the Masorites yet it was not so distinguisht into Sections and Verses as now we haue it Fifthly They added their censures and criticall obseruations concerning the irregularity of many words in respect of the vowells and accents Sixthly they numbred the verses words and letters of euery booke to preuent all possibility of corrupting the Text in future times for now they saw the gift of prophecie should cease Lastly they noted the different writing and different reading for the vnderstanding of which we must know that in the Hebrew text many words are written with more many with fewer letters than they are pronounced u Sunt octo voces quae scriptae sunt in textu sed non leguntur quas adducit Masora Ruth 3. 12. many words written in the text which are not pronounced c. In the margine the difference is expressed whence the difference in the text they terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cethib Scriptionem the writing the difference in the margine they terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keri Lectionem the reading because they doe reade according to that in the margine x Contra hos disputat Eliaâ— Leuita in praefat 3. l. Masoreth hammasoreth This difference is thought by some to be a correction of the Bible according to seuerall copies after their returne from Babylon but that it is of diuine authority containing many mysteries knowne to Moses and the Prophets successiuely though many of them vnknowne to our age and that it was not any correction but the difference it selfe primarily and purposely was intended by the Prophets and holy pen-men of the Scripture euidently appeareth by the diuersity of readings in those bookes which were written by Haggi Zacharie Malachie Daniel and Esra they being the Authors of their owne bookes needed no correction at that time themselues being present yet in them this different reading is vsed In the third place the proposition followeth namely Seeing that the Masorites passed their censure on many words for their irregularity in their vowels and accents therefore The vowels originally were not from the Masorites but of the same antiquity with their words and in truth otherwise they had beene a body or carcasse without a soule CHAP. VIII Israels pitching of their tents or of their camps WHiles the Israelites wandered thorow the Wildernesse their Church was a Tabernacle and their habitations Tents so that their whole Campe might be termed a moueable Citie It was diuided into three parts In the centre or middle of all was the tabernacle it selfe with its courts this they termed the Campe of the Diuine Maiestie Next round about pitcht the Priests and Leuites to whom the charge of the tabernacle belonged and therefore the nearest adioyning place of habitation might be the conuenientest for them this was called the Campe of Leui. In the vtter parts round about Leui the twelue Tribes pitcht their tents this they termed the Campe of Israel The first Campe resembled a great Cathedrall Church with its Church-yard The second a priuileged place about the Church as it were for Colledges for the habitation of the Clergy The third the body of a citie wherein the townesmen or laity dwelt The forme of the whole is probably thought to