their debts and thence it was called b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schemita laihoua The Lords release Deut. 15. 2. Seeing they were that yeare forbid to till their ground here question might bee made what they should eat then in the time of this intermission Answ I will command my blessing vpon you in the sixth yeare and it shall bring forth fruit for three yeares Leu. 25. 20 21. saith the Lord. Seeing euery seuenth yeare debts according to Gods command were to bee remitted some might demand whether this might not much endamage their estates if they did lend or harden their hearts not to lend Answ It could not endamage their estates for it is a most infallible Maxime No man is a loser by seruing God Whence the Hebrewes themselues interpret this to be rather Mandatum probationis A command of triall such as Abrahams offering vp of Isaak was which God commanded not intending that he should be sacrificed but that Abrahams loue might bee tried rather than Mandatum obedientiae A command of obedience To this purpose speaketh Aben Esra interpreting these words Saue when there shall be no poore among you Deut. 15. 4. c Aben Esra Deut. 15. 4. That is saith he as if the Lord had said Know that that which I haue commanded thee that thou shouldest not exact of thy brother will be needlesse If all Israel or the greater part obey the voice of God then there shall bee no poore amongst you to whom it shall be needfull for thee to lend yea all of you shall be able to lend to many nations The reasons why this feast was instituted are thought to be First to teach the people to depend vpon Gods prouidence by faith for though the owner of the field might gather euen on that yeare for the maintenance of himselfe and his family Leuit. 25. 6. yet he was neither to sow his field thereby to make his haruest the greater nor to hedge his field or locke vp his cornyard thereby to enioy the proprietie but to let all be common and euery mans hand equall in euery place Secondly they were hereby put in minde of that happy estate which Adam enioyed in his innocency when the earth brought forth her increase without manuring Lastly it shadowed forth that euerlasting Sabbath which we expect in the heauens d Vid. Hospinian de Orig. huius festi And some coniecture this to be the ground of Rabbi Elias his opinion e Talmud in Sanedrin c. Helec that the world should continue for six thousand yeares but the seuenth thousand should be the great Sabbaticall yeare The six thousand yeares answered the six working daies of the weeke the seuenth answered our Sabbath according to that A thousand yeares are but as one day with the Lord 2 Pet. 3. 8. Elias his words are these Six thousand yeares the world shall bee and againe it shall be destroied f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duo millia inamtatis duo millia legis duo millia dierum Messiae Talmud in Sanedrin c. Helec Two thousand shall bee void two thousand vnder the law and two thousand vnder the Messias The substance of this prophecy howsoeuer we reiect as too curious yet seeing that a Iew spake it it may serue to proue against them First That the Messias is already come Secondly That Moses his law ceased at his comming CHAP. X. Of their Iubile THis is the last festiuall which God commanded the Iewes it was celebrated euery fiftieth yeare It is commanded Leuit. 25. 8. Thou shalt number seuen Sabbaths of yeares vnto thee c. The English word Iubile is deriued from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iobel signifying a ram it signifieth also a rams horne Seuen Priests shall beare before the Arke seuen Trumpets of rams hornes Iosh 6. 4. where the word Iobelim is vsed and is expounded by the Chaldee Paraphrast rams hornes Marbachius is of opinion that this yeare was called their Iubile c Marbach in Leuit 25. from Iubal the first inuenter of musicall instruments of whom we reade Gen. 4. 21. Iubal was the Father of all such as handle the Harpe and Organ Other Authors deliuer other reasons of the name but it is most probable that this yeare was termed the yeare of Iubile from Iobelim the rams hornes then sounded There were fiue maine vses of this feast First for the generall release of seruants Secondly for the restoring of lands and tenements vnto their first owners who formerly sold them Thirdly hereby a true distinction of their Tribes was preserued because lands returned vnto their owners in their proper Tribe and seruants to their owne Families d Hospinian de Orig fest c. 9. Fourthly Some are of opinion that as the Grecians did compute their times by the number of Olympiads the Romans by their lustra the Christians by their Indictions So the Iewes by their Iubiles Lastly it did mystically shadow forth that spirituall Iubile which Christians enioy vnder Christ by whose bloud wee haue not onely a reentry into the Kingdome of heauen which we had formerly forfeited by our sinnes and this was haply signified by the Israelites reentry vpon their lands formerly sold but also the sound of the Gospell which was in this feast typed out vnto vs by the noise of Trumpets is gone throughout the world And thus the Lord God hath blowen the Trumpet as Zacharies phrase is Zach. 9. 14. But neither this release of seruants nor restoring of lands was e Moses Aegyptius in Halacha Schemita Veiobel c. 10. vntill the tenth day of the first moneth Tisri at which time it was proclaimed by the sound of Trumpets or rams hornes the nine first daies of this moneth the seruants feasted and made merry and wore garlands in token of their liberty approaching CHAP. XI The Feast of Purim and the feast of consecration or Dedication PVr is a Persian word and signifieth a lot whence this feast of lots is called Purim i. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A lottery it began on the fourteenth of Adar and continued till the end of the fifteenth Ester 9. 21. It was instituted by Mordecay in remembrance of the Iewes deliuery from Haman before whom lots were cast day by day and moneth by moneth for the destruction of them In these two daies they reade the history of Esther in their Synagogues and as often as they heare mention of Haman a Hospinian de fest fol. 33. ex Antonio Margarita in lib. de ceremoniis Iudaeorum they doe with their fists and hammers beat vpon the benches and boords as if they did knocke vpon Hamans head The feast of Dedication is termed in the N. T. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas a feast wherein something is renewed because those things onely are reputed consecrated which are separated from their common vse and dedicated to some new and holy vse We shall reade of many things consecrated in the old Testament the
Psal 23. 5. Thou annointest my head with oyle After these ceremonies of preparation had beene performed then they proceeded to giuing thankes The master of the house sitting downe together with his guestes tooke a cup full of wine in his right hand and therewith began his consecration after this manner l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedictus sis tu Domine Deus noster rex mundi qui creas â—â—â—ctum vitis Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the world which createst the fruit of the vine Hauing said thus he first lightly tasted of the wine and from him it past round the table Thâ—s grace or thanksgiuing they call m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bircath haiaijn the blessing of the cup. With this Christ himselfe seemeth to haue begun his supper He tooke the cup and gaue thankes and said Take this and diuide it among yourselues for I say vnto you I will not drinke of the fruit of the vine vntill the kingdome of God shall come Luk. 22. 17. 18. After the blessing of the cuppe the master of the house tooke the bread which they did Scindere but not Abscindere lightly cut for the easier breaking thereof but not cut in sunder holding this in both his hands he consecrated it with these words Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the world which bringest forth bread out of the earth This consecration of bread they termed n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedictionem panis Drusius in N. T. part altera p. 78. Bircath halechem After the consecration he broake the bread whence the master of the house or he who performed these blessings in his stead was termed * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habotseang i the breaker the bread being broken he distrbuted to euery one that sate at the table a morsell which being done then they began to feede vpon the other dishes that were prouided This rite of blessing both the cup the bread they obserued only in their solemne festiualls otherwise they consecrated the bread alone and not the cup. In their feast time they seasoned their meat with good conference such as might either yeeld matter of instruction or exercise their wits which practise was also obserued in their Christian loue o Non tam coenam coenant quà m disciplinam Tertul. Apolog c. 39. feasts Of the first sort was that parable proposed by our blessed Sauiour at a feast Luk. 14. 7. Of the second was Sampsons riddle which he proposed vnto his companions Iud. 14. 12. At the end of the feast they againe gaue thankes which was performed in this manner either by the master of the house himselfe or by some guest if there were any of better note at the table he taking a cup of wine in both his hands began thus Let vs blesse him who hath fed vs with his owne and of whose goodnesse we liue then all the guests answered Blessed bee hee of whose meat wee haue eaten and of whose goodnesse wee liue This grace they call p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bircath Hamazon q Vid. P. Fag in praec Hebr. And this is thought to bee the cup wherewith Christ after Supper commended the mysterie of his bloud to his disciples after this he which began the thanksgiuing proceedeth Blessed be he and blessed be his name c. annexing a long praier in which he gaue thanks First for their present food 2. For their deliuerance from the Egyptian seruitude 3. For the couenant of circumcision 4. For the law giuen by the ministery of Moses Then he praied that God would haue mercy 1. On his people Israel 2. On his owne city Ierusalem 3. On Sion the tabernacle of his glory 4. On the Kingdome of the house of Dauid his anointed 5. That hee would send Elias the Prophet Lastly that he would make them worthy of the daies of the Messiah and of the life of the world to come This praier being ended then all the guests which sate at the table with a soft and low voice said vnto themselues in this manner Feare the Lord all yee his holy ones because there is no penury to those that feare him the young Lions doe want and suffer hunger but those that seeke the Lord want no good thing Afterward hee which began the thanksgiuing blessed the cup in the same forme of words as he vsed at the first sitting downe saying Blessed be thou O Lord God the King of the world which createst the fruit of the Vine And therewith hee dranke a little of the wine and so the cup passed round the table Thus they began and ended their feasts with the blessing of a cup this cup they termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cos hillel Poculum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A cup of thankesgiuing and both these cups are mentioned by Saint Luke and which is worth our obseruation the words of consecration whereby it was instituted as part of the blessed sacrament in the New Testament were added only to the last cup. This cup is the New Testament in my bloud which is shed for you After all this they sung Å¿ Scaliger de emend temp l. 6. p. 273. Hymnes and Psalmes which also was practised by our most blessed Sauiour Marke 14. 26. So that howsoeuer hee vsed not any superstitions either then practised or since added by after Iewes as the drinking of t Moses Kotsensis fol. 118. col 1. 4. cups of wine u Sebastian Munster Matt. 26. or the breaking of the bread with all ten fingers in allusion to the ten commandements c. yet in the beginning and ending wee see his practise sutable with theirs If any desire a larger discourse of these blessings noted out of the Rabbines let him reade * It. prec Hebr. per Fagium editas P. Fagius his comment on Deut. 8. 10. From whom I haue borrowed a great part of what I haue herein deliuered If any shall here obiect that I seeme to make the blessed Sacrament of our Lords body and bloud a Iewish ceremonie I answer no For as a kinde of initiatory purification by water was vsed before by the Iewes of old and no Proselyte was admitted into the Church of the Iewes without this purification yet it was no more a Sacrament to them then Circumcision was to Turkes and Saracens Thus neither was breaking the bread sacramentall to the Iew but then it became a Sacrament when Christ said of it This is my body This cup is the New-Testament in my bloud c. Luke 22. 19. The Iewes could not say The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ 1 Cor. 10. 16. The last thing considerable in their feasts is their gesture In the daies of our Sauiour it is y Voces quibus vsi sunt Euangelistae sonant accubitum non sessionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 26. 〈◊〉
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
he saith Blessed be the Lord our God the King of the world who hath created man after his owne image according to the image of his owne likenesse and hath thereby prepared vnto himselfe an euerlasting building blessed be thou O Lord who hast created him Then followeth againe Blessed art thou O Lord our God who hast created ioy and gladnesse the bridegroome and the bride charity and brotherly loue reioycing and pleasure peace and society I beseech thee O Lord let there suddenly be heard in the cities of Iudah and the streets of Ierusalem the voice of ioy and gladnesse the voice of the bridegroome the bride the voice of exultation in the bride-chamber is sweeter than any feast and children sweeter than the sweetnesse of a song and this being ended he drinketh to the maried couple This custome of praising God at such times was not needlesse or superfluous for the fruit of the wombe was expected as a speciall blessing from God and so acknowledged by them in that saying That foure keies were in the hand of him who was the Lord of the whole world which were committed neither to Angell nor Seraphim Namely o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Targum Hierosol Gen. 30. 21. Clauis pluuiae clauis cibationis clauis sepulchrorum clauis sterilitatis Concerning the key of raine thus speaketh the Scripture The Lord will open to thee his good treasure Deut. 28. Concerning the key of food Thou openest thy hands Psalm 145. Concerning the key of the graue When I shall open your sepulchers Ezek. 37. Concerning the key of barrennesse God remembred Rachel and opened her wombe Gen. 30. Whereby is intimated that these foure things God hath reserued in his owne hand and custody Namely Raine Food the Raising of our bodies and the Procreation of children The time of the mariage feast appeareth cleerely to haue beene vsually p Vid. Thisbit in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seuen daies Sampson continued his feast seuen daies Iud. 14. 10 11. And of this seuen daies feast q Augustin quaest super Genes 88. Diuines doe vnderstand that speech of Labans vnto Iacob concerning Leah Fulfill her weeke and we will also giue thee this Gen. 29. 27. In which speech it is thought that Laban did desire Iacob not to reiect and turne away Leah but to confirme the present mariage by fulfilling the vsuall daies of her mariage feast From this custome together with the practise of Ioseph mourning seuen daies for his father Gen. 50. 10. arose that vsuall prouerbe among the Iewes Septem ad conuiuium Septem ad luctum The chiefe gouernour of the feast was called r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baal mischie which name is fitly expressed by being called the Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruler of the feast Iohn 2. 9. The moderne Iewes in Italy when they inuite any to a mariage feast vse this forme of words Such a one or such a one intreateth you to credit his daughters mariage with your presence at the feast c. Then he which is inuited replieth t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stakius de conuin l. 2. c. 3. Mazal tob which some interpret to be the wishing of good lucke in generall but I rather thinke that hereby was wished to the maried parties a speciall blessing in the procreation of children whence the wedding ring giuen vnto the Bridewife had u Munster Gen. 30. this inscription or posie Mazal tob and the Hebrews call the Planet Iupiter Mazal whose influence they thought to be of great efficacie and force for generation but in truth Mazal signifieth any other Planet or Starre in the heauen according to that Hebrew prouerb x Non est tibi vlla herba inferites cui non sit Mazal in firmamento ferit ipsam 〈◊〉 Mazal duit ei Crâ—sce There is no herbe in the earth which hath not a Mazal or Starre in the firmament answering it and striking it saying Grow Now tob signifieth good so that the phrase soundeth as much as Be it done in a good houre or vnder a good Planet At the time of the mariage also the man gaue his wife a dowrie-bill which the Scriuener wrote and the bridegroome paid for whereby he endowed his spouse if shee were a virgin with two hundred deneyrs that is fifty shekels and if she had beene maried before with an hundred deniers that is twenty fiue shekels and this was called the root or principall of the dowry the dowry might not be lesse but more so much as he would though it were to a talent of gold There is mention of a contract betweene Tobias and Sarra and that was performed not by a Scriuener but by Raguel the womans father where wee may obserue that before the writing of this bill there was a giuing of the woman vnto her husband The forme of words there vsed is Behold take her after the law of Moses Tobit 7. 14. A copie of this dowry-bill is taken by Bertram out of the Babylon Talmud The words thereof are thus y Talmud Bab. vid. Buxtorf Grammatic Chald. p. 389. Vpon the sixt day of the weeke the fourth of the moneth Siuan in the yeere fiue thousand two hundred fiftie foure of the creation of the world according to the computation which we vse here at Massilia a Citie which is situate neere the Seashoare the bridegroome Rabbi Moses the sonne of Rabbi Iehuda said vnto the bridewife Clarona the daughter of Rabbi Dauid the sonne of Rabbi Moses a Citizen of Lisbon Be vnto me a wife according to the law of Moses and Israel and I according to the word of God will worship honor maintain gouerne thee according to the manner of the husbands among the Iewes which doe worship honour maintaine and gouerne their wiues faithfully I also doe bestow vpon thee the dowry of thy virginity two hundred deniers in siluer which belong vnto thee by the law and moreouer thy food thy apparell and sufficient necessaries as likewise the knowledge of thee according to the custome of all the earth Thus Clarona the virgin rested and became a wife to Rabbi Moses the sonne of Iehuda the bridegroome After the mariage was finished then the wife might challenge from her husband three things as debt 1. Food 2. Apparell 3. Cohabitation or the right of the bed which they note from Exod. 21. 10. where it is said If hee take him another wife her food her raiment and her dutie of mariage shall he not diminish And vnto this the Apostle alludeth calling it Due beneuolence 1 Cor. 7. 3. The wife when she was first presented vnto her husband couered her head with a veile in token of subiection Rebecca tooke a veile and couered her selfe Gen. 24. 65. and for this cause namely in signe of subiection ought the woman to haue power on her head 1 Cor. 11. 10. where by power the Apostle vnderstandeth a veile Doe any aske the question why hee should denote this
veile by the name of power especially seeing it was in token of subiection The Apostle being an Hebrew of the Hebrewes might haue respect vnto the Hebrew word z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Velamen multeris a verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Subiecit Radid signifying a veile which commeth from the root Radad to beare rule and authority and so might vse the Greeke word signifying a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power in the same sense as the Hebrews did And in truth what was this subiection to the husband but a kinde of power and protection deriued vnto the wife in comparison of her former state being a virgin and therefore in case her husband was â—ealous of her amongst other tokens of sorrow shee was commanded to stand at her triall with her b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sine Radid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic ego interpretor verba Maimon in Sota c. 3. §. 5. head vncouered Numb 5. 18. intimating thereby that if shee could not then cleere her selfe she was from thence forward depriued of all power which heretofore she enioyed by the meanes of her husband After the mariage was finished sometimes there was permitted a bill of diuorce this the Hebrewes called c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gracè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepher Kerithuth A bill of cutting off because the woman is by this meanes cut off from her husbands family d Maimon de diuort c. 1. §. 1. Ten things were thought requisite as the root and foundation of a diuorce 1. That a man put her not away but of his owne will 2. That hee put her away by writing not by any other thing 3. That the matter of the writing be to diuorce her and put her away out of her possession 4. That the matter of that diuorcement be betweene him and her 5. That it be written by her name 6. That there be no action wanting after the writing thereof saue the deliuery of it vnto her 7. That he giue it vnto her 8. That he giue it her before witnesses 9. That hee giue it her by the Law of diuorces 10. That it bee the husband or his deputy that deliuereth it vnto her The forme or copy of this bill of diuorcement was as it followeth e e Haec forma reperitur opud Mosem Kotsensem fo 1. 33. Aliud exemplar ibidem habetur It. in Mose Aegyptio part 2. fol. 59. vnde desumpta est haec testium subscriptio quam apposuimus vpon such a day of the weeke such and such of the moneth N. such or such an yeare of the creation of the world according to the computation which we vse here in this Citie N. situate neere the riuer N. that I of the Country N. the sonne of Rabbi N. of the Country N. But now I dwelling in such or such a place neere such or such a riuer haue desired of mine owne free will without any coaction and haue diuorced dismissed and cast out thee thee I say thee my wife N. of the Country N. the daughter of Rabby N. dwelling in such or such a Country and dwelling now in such or such a place situate neere such or such a riuer which hast beene my wife heretofore but now I doe diuorce thee dismisse thee and cast thee out that thou maiest be free and haue the rule of thy selfe to depart and to marry with any other man whom thou wilt and let no man be refused by thee for mee from this day forward for euer Thus be thou lawfull for any man and this shall be to thee from me a bill of separation a bill of diuorce and a letter of dismission According to the Law of Moses and Israel N. the sonne of N. witnesse N. the sonne of N. witnesse This bill was written by a f Solomon Iarchi Hos cap. 1. 10. Scriuener or publique notary And g Maimon de diuort cap. 11. §. 18. furthermore a woman being diuorced or otherwise a widow it was not lawfull for her to marry againe till shee had taried ninetie dayes besides the day of her diuorce or of her husbands death and her last espousals to the end that it might bee knowne whether she were with childe or no and that there might be proofe whether it were the seed of her first husband or of her second It was a common custome among the Romans about the time of our Sauiours birth euen for the women to diuorce their husbands and to marrie againe at their pleasure Of this Heathen Authors speake Sic fiunt octo mariti Quinque per autumnos Iuuenal Satyr 6. vers 230. Et nubet decimoiam Thelesina viro Martial lib. 8. h Senec. 3. de Ben f. 16. Non consulum sed maritorum numero annos suâ—s computant c. The bill tenderd by the woman was termed i Plutarch in Alcibiade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Letters of forsaking not letters of cutting off or putting away This same practise was in vse also among the Hebrews Hence is that saying of our Sauiour If a woman shall put away her husband and bee married to another c. Mark 10. 12. Now although at that time humane lawes forbad not mariages renewed with others vpon such diuorces yet Gods law condemned both such diuorces and such mariages and before God persons marying after such diuorcements were reputed digamites that is to haue two husbands or two wiues For this reason a Minister aboue others is commanded to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The husband of one wife 1 Tim. 3. 2. And the woman she is commanded to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wife of one husband 1 Tim. 5. 9. In which texts second mariages in case of the husbands or wiues death are no more forbidden then the Poet forbade them in the like phrase Vnico gaudens mulier marito Horat carmin 3. 14. Note in the last place that among the Iewes the bridewoman also brought a dowrie to her husband it was sometimes more sometimes lesse it was called by the k Elias Thiâ—bit It. Solomon Iarchi Gen. 31. 15. Rabbins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nedunia Raguel gaue with his daughter Sarra halfe his goods seruants and cattell and money Tob. 10. 10. CHAP. V. Of their Burials AT the time of a mans death before his buriall many ceremonies were obserued First the next of the kinne closed the eyes of the deceased body Ioseph shall put his hands vpon thy eyes Gen. 46. 4. This was likewise practised both by the Romans and the Grecians Ille meos oculos comprimat ille tuos Ouid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Iliad II. Secondly they washed the body being dead Tabitha died and when they had washed her they laid her vp in an vpper chamber Acts 9. 37. The Baptization or washing at such a time was threefold The first was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles 34. 26. A washing from the pollution contracted by the touch of a dead carcasse so that