matter under this condition that every one should celebrate it after his owne forme The contention betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches wakened againe This peace lasted not long for in the yeare of Christ 318 the contention was wakened anew againe which Constantine the Emperour tooke hardly out exhorting the Asiatickes not to be partakers with the Iewes who crucified Christ but they would not obey the Emperours letters for they said they kept not the Iewes Passeover but the new Passeover instituted by Christ But a Councell being convened at Nice for the repressing of the heresie of the Arrians it was appointed that through every Church of the Empire The decree of the Councell of Nice the Pascha should be celebrated upon the Lords day by all The Councell for finding out of the Pascha appointed first that it should be celebrated after the twenty one day of March for at that time the vernall Equinox was upon this day and the Pascha should be celebrated after the Equinox Secondly that after the twenty one day of March they should looke still to the fourteenth day of the moone and after this day should the Passeover be kept upon the Lords day and to find out the time of the Moone they composed the sicle of the golden number for wheresoever in the Kalender the golden number is found of that yeere there is the new Moone and although these rules were sure at the Councell of Nice yet they hold not now for the Equinox is not now fixed upon the twenty one day of March but ever anticipateth it for now it is on the tenth of March but now these who reckon to the Passeover looke to the first new Moone after the first day of Lent and the first Sunday after beginneth the Quadragesima and the seventh Sunday after is the Pascha The Iewish feasts went backeward Marke that all these Iewish feasts being reckoned by the Equinoxe they goe backward from the day upon which they were first instituted when the Passeover was instituted at the first it fell upon the twenty seventh day of March. When the Passeover was instituteâ— the Equinoxe was upon the 27 day of March. At the Councell of Nice the Equinoxe turned backe to the twenty one day on which the Passeover was kept and now it is turned backe to the tenth day If the Passeover should be kept now according to the Equinoxe it should be kept the tenth of March. The reason why the Equinoxe varieth so is because in the space of every hundreth and sixe yeares Why the Equinox varieth At the Creation the Equinox was upn tho 3 day of April the whole Spheres come from the South to the North by motion of the Firmament one degree the world being created upon the third of Aprill which was the Equinox then now it is turned backe to the tenth of March and if the world were to continue so long it would turne to the tenth of Ianuary By this the Lord would teach the Iewes that all their feasts have taken an end but the Sabbath continually goeth forward for it shall fall this yeare upon the first of Ianuary it will fall upon the second of Ianuary the next yeare and so forth but the feasts goe backeward that which falleth upon Saturday this yeare shall fall upon Friday the next yeare and as the Planets have a contrary course to the first mover going backeward whereas the first mover goeth forward so these feasts going backeward turne to nothing but the Sabbath going still forward shall end in that eternall Sabbath Conclusion The conclusion of this is these feasts being so alterable and moveable it was a foolish contention betwixt the Easterne and the Westerne Churches about the keeping of the Passeover EXERCITAT XX. Of the Pentecost A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Levit 23.15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that yee brought the sheafe of the wave-offering seven Sabbaths shall be compleat c. THe Pentecost is called the feast of weekes because there were seven weekes betwixt the morrow after the Passeover and it is called the Pentecost from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fifty and in Hebrew Haghashibignoth There were sundry memorable things reckoned by the number of fifty in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many memorable things by the number of fifty as fifty dayes from their comming out of Egypt unto the giving of the Law The Dough which they brought out of Egypt lasted thirty dayes for the Manna descended the sixeteenth day of the second moneth now betwixt the fifteenth day of the first moneth when they came out of Egypt to the sixteenth day of the second moneth are just thirty dayes after that time within fifteene dayes they came to Sinai that maketh forty five dayes then the Lord commanded them to sanctifie themselves three dayes annd that maketh forty eight dayes then the second day after that the Law was given So there were fifty dayes betwixt the morrow after the Passeover and the Pentecost So there were fifty dayes after Christs Resurruction and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles so in the fiftieth yeare was the Iubile The errour of the Samaritans in reckoning of the Pentecost There were seven weekes from the morrow after the Passeover to the Pentecost the Samaritans mistaking the word Sabbath they kept seven Pentecosts in one yeare therefore they were called Hebdomaditai They began to reckon the Pentecost from the morrow after the Passeover which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the first Sabbath after the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ rose upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as there were fifty dayes betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Pentecost so there were fifty dayes betwixt Christs Resurrection and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost The Angell stirred the poole at the Passeover At the Pentecost the man which had an infirmitie thirty eight yeeres was cured Ioh. 5.5 For it is said verse 4. That an Angell went downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at a certaine season and the Hebrewes say lemognad hase and the Helâ—nists say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 following the Hebrewes at this season that is at the Pentecost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is taken distributivè so Mat. 27.15 The Angell came downe at their feasts when many people were met together at Ierusalem conferre Ioh. 4.36 with cap. 5.1 At that Pentecost the Angell but came downe but at the great Pentecost the Holy Ghost came downe When the Barley Harvest began Vpon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the beginning of their Harvest and then there were but handfuls of Barley brought in therefore at the Passeover they read the History of Ruth in the dayes of the Barley Harvest Ruth 1.22 In the beginning of the Barley Harvest the Chaldee Paraphrast paraphraseth it at the Pentecost But at the
seeing he had not taken in Ierusalem a long time after Answ That part of Ierusalem which stood in the tribe of Benjamin was taken in by Saul before and to this part David brought the head of Goliah but the other part was possessed still by the Iebusites untill David was crowned King both over Israel and Iuda and the first victory that he got after he was crowned King over both Israel and Iuda was over the Iebusites Ierusalem is called the midst of the earth Ezek. 38.12 in the originall Tabbur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vmbilicus metaphorice Locus editus why Ierusalem is called the midst or the navil of the earth umbilicus because it stood upon the hils as the Navell doth in the Bodie by this is understood that parable of Gaal Iudg. 9.37 Behold people came downe from the Navell of the earth that is from Ierusalem hence all the Regions round about Ierusalem take their denomination from the situation of it Other countries take their denominations from the situation of Ierusalem Psal 89.12 the north and the sea thou hast created them and it is called the north in respect of Ierusalem So Psalm 107.3 From the East and from the West and from the North from the sea Here the mediterranean Sea in the Scriptures is put for the South in respect of Ierusalem therefore the situation of the heavens is not taken from the body of man in the Scripture The situation of the heavens is taken from the Lord dwelling betwixt the Cherubims as the Philosophers say but from the Lord dwelling betwixt the Cherubims in the west end of the Temple of Ierusalem who sitteth betwixt the Cherubims 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est vespera occasus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est locus campestâ—is et pluraliter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coeli hinc est quod quidam verterunt Equitat super ad Occasum Alii Insidet amoenitatibus Alii Equitat super Coelos looking alwayes towards the East and then his right hand was to the South and his left hand to the North Psal 68.4 extoll him qui equitat super ad occâ—sum who rideth upon the West because the Cherubims stood in the west end of the Temple The Conclusion of this is Ierusalem being in the center of the earth and the line of the Gospel going out from it to be preached through the whole earth to gather in the Church of the Gentiles to the Iewes whereby they might make a compacted Citie therefore glorious things are spoken of it So Ier. 3.17 All the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the name of the Lord to Ierusalem in the originall it is Venikevu They shall run in a line 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 linea corum for the Gospel went out from Ierusalem the sound thereof went to the ends of the earth Psal 19.5 in the originall it is the line thereof for Ierusalem was as the center and the lines went from the center to the ends of the whole earth and the same way that the lines went out from it So shall all Nations returne by the same lines and bee gathered in to Ierusalem which is above EXERCITAT VII In what Tribe the Temple stood A ceremoniall appendix of Command 2. Ezek. 43.12 This is the Law of the house Vpon the top of the mountaine the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy behold this is the Law of the house THat we may the better understand to what Tribe the Temple of Ierusalem did belong Why the Tribes were kept distinct we must marke that the Lord commanded in his Law that neyther the Tribes their possessions nor generations should be confounded to the end they might know of what Tribe Christ should come who was to come of the seede of David according to the flesh therefore he caused to divide the Land into Tribes Num. 36.2 and he commanded that they should not dispone of their possessions eyther amongst themselves or to strangers therefore if a poore man for poverty had morgaged his possession the Lord appointed the yeere of Iubile that it might returne to him againe that yeere Levit. 15.10 To which Tribe the Temple belonged Now Iuda having gotten his lot and Benjamin his for upon these two Tribes the Temple did stand the question is to which of these it did belong for sometimes it is given to the Tribe of Iuda Iosh 15.63 as for the Iebusites the inhabitants of Ierusalem the children of Israel could not drive them out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum contrarie significationis but the Iebusites dwell with the children of Iudah at Ierusalem unto this day In the originall it is Iarash exhareditare to cast them out of their possessions The Temple ascribed to the Tribe of Benjamin Sometimes to the Tribe of Benjamin Iudg. 1.25 Iosh 18.20 and Nehe. 11.24 Ierusalem could not belong to them both alike for mount Moriah standeth betwixt the upper and lower Citie the upper belonged to the Tribe of Iuda and the lower to Benjamin but to which of the Tribes doth mount Moriah belong it seemeth to be ascribed to the Tribe of Benjamin by the testament of Iacob Why Benjamin is called a ravening Woolfe as the scepter to the Tribe of Iuda for Iacob saith in his testament Benjamin shall ravine as a Woolfe in the morning he shall devoure the prey and at night he shall divide the spoyle Gen. 49.27 by which is signified the Altar upon which the sacrifices were burnt and the blood powred out at the foote of the Altar for the Priests killed the sacrifice in the morning and divided the spoyle that is the things which they had gotten from the people they divided amongst themselves at night they call the Altar the ravening Woolfe and the Priests the dividers of the spoyle The Temple ascribed to the Tribe of Iuda Againe the Tribe of Iuda vendicateth the Temple to them Psal 78.67 he refused the Tabernacle of Ioseph and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim but chose the Tribe of Iuda the mount Sion which he loved and he built his sanctuary like high places like the earth which he hath established for ever meaning the Temple which was builded in this Tribe But that we may decide the question we must marke that the Temple was builded upon mount Moriah 2 Chron. 3.1 The Temple was builded upon mount Moriah this mount Moriah was divided from mount Akra by a great valley but in the time of the Macchabees they filled up this valley that they might joyne the Citie to the Temple and made the top of mount Akra lower that they might see the Temple in the Citie The upper and the neather Citie were divided by a great valley which Iosephus calleth Tyropoeon How the upper and neather Citie of Ierusalem were divided in the Scriptures Millo If the line be drawne through this valley then it leaveth Sion towards the South in the
and glistering like gold So Iob. 37.22 Gold commeth out of the north that is faire and cleare weather It was beaten oyle to signifie with what paine and travell the word is prepared and with patience preached and made to shine in his Church No Waxe might be burnt in these lampes because Honey was uncleane therefore Waxe was uncleane Honey might be in no Sacrifice because it fermenteth Levit. 2.11 So no Waxe might serue for light So there was no silke in the Tabernacle because the Worme which maketh silke was an uncleane thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baccae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spicae The Prophet Zacharie in a vision saw two Olive branches empyting themselves thorow the two golden pipes into the Candlesticke and they are compared to two eares of corne What the two Olive trees were in the vision of Zacharie because they were full of Olive berries as the eares were of graines These Olive trees were the cause of the preservation of the Church and the cause of the maintenance in the Candlesticke The two annointed ones which stand before the Lord of the whole earth vers 14. Targum paraphraseth them to be Zerubbabel and Ioshua who represented the Church and commonwealth The Lord commanded to make snuffers of pure gold for the snuffing of the lampes The snuffers of gold what they signified and snuffe-dishes to receive the snufle he would have the snuffe taken from the light to signifie that he would have the word kept in sinceritie and puritie and hee would have the snuffers of gold to teach them to be blamelesse and holy who are censurers and correctors of others and he would have the snuffe-dishes of gold to teach them that the covering of the offences of their brethren was a most excellent thing Lastly in what manner the Priests dressed the lamps The manner how the Priests trimmed the lampes when the lampe was out he lighted it and when it was not out he dressed it when the middlemost lampe was out he lighted it from the Altar but the rest of the lampes every one he lighted from the lampe that was next and he lighted one after another to signifie that one Scripture giveth light to another they say in the Talmud that the cleansing of the innermost Altar was before the trimming of the five lamps and the trimming of the five lamps before the blood of the daily sacrifice and the blood of the daily sacrifice before the trimming of the two lamps and the trimming of the two lamps before the burning of incense That the Priests should order and trimme the lamps The signification of the trimming of the lamps signifieth how Christ and his Ministers should continually looke unto the purity of doctrine and preaching of the light of the Gospel from evening to morning in the darke place of this world untill the day dawne and the day starre arise in our hearts Reve. 1.13 2 Pet. 1.19 EXERCITAT XI Of the Table of the shewbread A ceremoniall appendix of Commande 2. Exod. 25.23 Thou shalt also make a Table of Shittim wood c. vers 30. And thou shalt set upon the Table shewbread before me alway THe Lord commanded to make a Table and to set twelve loaves upon it The loaves represent the Church First the Church is represented by loaves here as many graines make up one loafe so many beleevers make up one Church 1 Cor. 10.17 for we being many are one bread The loaves made of fine flower Secondly these loaves were made of fine flower and not of barley which was a base graine and therefore used in no other sacrifice but in the offering for jealousie Num. 5.15 So Gideon represented by a barley cake Iudg. 7.13 and I bought her for so many Homers of Barley Hos 3.2 but the Wheate was most excellent graine and the flower of the Wheat was most excellent bread Deut. 32.14 he made them eate the fat of the kidneys of Wheate The twelve loaves represented the twelve tribes Thirdly there stood twelve loaves upon this Table to represent the twelve Tribes who came of the twelve Patriarchs The Tribes were represented by many things these twelve Tribes were represented by many things by the twelve stones set up in Iordan and so by the twelve stones set up in the land of Canaan So by the twelve stones set upon the breastplate of Aaron and upon his shoulders in onyx stones So by Canaan divided into twelve parts and from them the twelve Apostles in the New Testament and the new Ierusalem built upon twelve foundations Revel 21.14 These twelve loaves stood before the Lord Why called shewbread therefore they were called panis facierum or propositionis and they signifie that the Church is alwayes the object of the eye of God and therefore he saith set up no Idoll 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gnal panai in my presence Why the bread was removed every Sabbath They were removed every Sabbath and new loaves put in their places to signifie the renuing of the graces of God to his Church None might eate of these loaves Who might eate of the shewbread but the Priests who served in their course that weeke and their children the Priests daughter did eate of this bread when she was a widdow and returned home to her father againe Levit. 22.18 So we being maried to the Law and it having dominion over us Rom. 7.1 we were out of our fathers house and might not eate of his holy bread but being dead to the Law Rom. 7.4 and divorced from our sinnes as widowes we may come home to our fathers house and be partakers of the holy things The Priests so long as they were in this holy service The legall sanctification of the Priests and eate this holy bread they were not to keepe company with their wives for this was a part of their ceremoniall uncleannesse Exod. 19.14 Moyses commanded them to wash their cloathes and not to come at their wives This abstinence 1 Sam. 21. How David asked the shewbread is called via munda a cleane way and to eate in this uncleannesse is called via polluta When David in necessity came to Ahimelech the Priest to aske bread for him and his men the Priests had no common bread to give them but this holy bread this bread the Priests sayd they might not eate of it if they were in via polluta and their vessels not sanctified by via polluta is meant here to keep company with their wives and by the sanctification of the vessels is meant the sanctification of our bodies Our bodies called our vessels for our bodies are called our vessels 1 Thessalon 4.4 That euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in sanctification honour And that this is the meaning it is cleare by Davids answer when he saith they have abstained from women this three dayes 1 Sam. 21. In their necessity David
Priests onely killed the sacrifice and sprinkled the blood and the Lambe was then caried home Secondly It was abhomination to sacrifice in Egypt Maimone in Corban Peshang cap. 1. ◠it was an abhomination to the Egyptians to see beasts killed there because they worshiped beasts as their Gods but it was not abhomination before the Lord for feare of the Egyptians they would not sacrifice there they might have sacrificed there as well as they killed the Paschall Lambe there it was a thing lawfull in it selfe We must distinguish two things in the paschal Lamb it was both a Sacrament and a sacrifice the sprinkling of the blood in the Temple was a sacrifice the eating of the Lambe at home in their severall houses was a Sacrament and so as it was a sacrifice they offered and as it was a Sacrament they received Reasons proving that the Paschall Lambe was a sacrifice Reasons proving that it was a sacrifice are these Reas 1 First 2 Chro. 30.1 Hezekiah gave Commandement that all the people should come to the house of the Lord at Ierusalem to keepe the Passeover Wherefore should he have commanded them to come to the house of the Lord to eat it if it had not been a sacrifice if it had been onely a Sacrament it had beene enough to have bidden come to Ierusalem to eate it Reas 2 Secondly 2 Chro. 35.11 And they killed the Passeover and they sprinkled the blood it was the blood of the sacrifice that the Priest sprinkled Reas 3 Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 6. cap. 45. Iosephus writeth that Cestus Florus when he would shew to the Emperor the multitude of the Iewes that were in Ierusalem at the Passeover he desired the Priests that they might get the number of the people and how did the Priests find out the number of the people he saith by the number of the Lambes which they killed at the Passeover and then they reckoned how many were in every familie at the eating of a Lamb and so they found out the number of the people it was the Priest then that killed those Lambes and none else The Paschall Lambe a figure of Christ The Paschall Lambe was a figure of Iesus Christ the Paschall Lambe was taken the tenth day and separated untill the fourteenth at the evening of the fourteenth it was killed Iesus Christ the true Paschall Lambe Came sixe dayes before the Passeover to Bethania Ioh. 12.1 and the morrow after he went to Ierusalem where they met him with branches of palme trees and this was five dayes before the Passeover then he stayed foure dayes in Ierusalem and was killed in the day of the Passeover at night and thus he accomplished the ceremonies of the Law Quest Whether did the Iewes and Christ eate the Passeover upon the same day or not Answ Christ observed the true day Whether Christ kept the Passeover that same day which the Iewes kept in the end of the fourteenth day and the beginning of the fifteenth he eate it betwixt two evenings but the Iewes transferred the day and eate it in the end of the fifteenth day and beginning of the sixteenth and therefore when Christ eate the Passeover it was the day of the Preparation to the Iewish Passeover although indeed it was the true Passeover Iohn 17.62 When the Passeover preceded the Sabbath they used to transferre the holy actions of that day to the Sabbath that two feasts may not fall together and they did their common worke upon that day which should have been done upon the Passeover and reserved the holy actions to the Sabbath following and it was upon this day that they crucified Christ They kept this translation of feasts Why they transferred their feasts to the Sabbath lest the feast of Lots should have fallen 2 4 7. Lest the feast of the Passeover should have fallen 2 4 6. Lest the feast of the Pentecost should have fallen 3 5 7. Lest the beginning of the new yeare should have fallen 1 4 6. Lest the day of expiation should have fallen 1 3 6. They observed this translation of the feasts because they had certaine feasts which fell upon these dayes that two feasts should not fall together as the three feasts of Dedication the foure fasts mentioned in Zachariah and the feast of Lots When the divers keeping of the Passeover began This diversity was not kept so long as the first Temple stood whence arose it then it seemeth to have taken the beginning from the divers beginning of the moneth for when they reckoned their moneth from the apparition which was doubtfull and uncertaine hence it came to passe that the beginning of the moneth was not alwayes at the selfe-same period for the last day of Adar might fall out so that it should be the beginning of Nisan and therefore the Sanhedrin appointed that the full Moone should be the thirteenth day which according to the verity was the fourteenth this diversitie arose of this because of the divers apparitions of the Moone so they kept the preparation to the Pascha diversly Great dissention betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches for keeping of the Passeover When the Apostles have so clearely determined that matter that no man should bee condemned or judged for not keeping these dayes yet Satan came and did sow his Cockle and his Darnell and raised dissentions in the Churches betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches about the keeping of the Passeover the Easterne Churches alledged that Iohn and Philip celebrated the Passeover in memory of Christs Supper for they kept diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fourteenth day of the Moneth but the Westerne Churches alledged that Peter and Paul kept the Passeover upon the first Lords day after the fourteenth day of the moneth upon which day they kept diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pius Bishop of Rome ordained the Passeover to be kept on the Lords day Pius Bishop of Rome in the yeere of God 147. gave out an Edict that the Pascha should be celebrated by all upon the Lords day yet those in Asia cared not much for this Edict and there arose hot contentions on both the sides Polycarpus Iohns Disciple came into Rome to settle this contention and he appointed that every one should celebrate the Pascha as they were wont yet this contention was not buried for the Easterne and Westerne Churches left not off one to write against another Victor the Bishop of Rome in a Synode holden there Victor his Statute concerning the Passeover ordayned that the Pascha should be celebrated there upon the Lords day from the fourteenth day of March untill the twenty one of that moneth Those of Caesarea Palestina Pontus and Achaia embraced this Edict yet others stood out against it and said they would keepe it according to Iohns tradition wherefore Victor excommunicated all the Bishops in Asia Yet Irenaeus Bishop of Lions Polycarpus Schollar setled the
Pentecost the full Harvest was gathered in their first Harvest was of their Barley of their basest Graine onely but the full Harvest of their best Graine the Wheate was at the Pentecost Christ said Ioh. 4.35 Say ye not Allusion there are foure Moneths and then commeth Harvest Behold I say unto you lift up your eyes and looke on the Fieldes for they are white already unto Harvest But although the Harvest was great yet there were few Labourers Mat. 9 37. Here is an excellent allusion betwixt the Pentecost when their Cornes were ripe being the time of their full Harvest and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost for at the Pascha there was little Harvest but at the Pentecost all the regions were white so before the holy Spirit came downe there was but a small Harvest but when the Holy Ghost came downe The Apostles gathered that which the Prophets had sowne there was a plentifull and a great Harvest and at the Pentecost they gathered that which the Prophets had sowen Iohn 4.38 Yee reaped that wherein yee bestowed no labour Christ is called the first fruits from the dead Christ the first fruits from the dead 1 Cor. 15.20 as a handfull of the first fruits sanctified the whole field of Corne that was growing so Iesus Christ the first fruits from the dead sanctifieth all those who are lying in the Grave to rise againe by his power even when they are in the dust of death Psal 22.15 The day of the Pentecost was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pentecost had but one holy day as the last dayes of the Passeover and the feast of Tabernacles were called gnazereth holy dayes there was but one holy day of the Pentecost but the first and the last dayes of the other great feasts were both holy and yet the Pentecost was the most excellent Feast of all for then the Comforter came and the gift of the Holy Ghost came downe plentifully upon the Church Lastly observe the phrase Act. 2.1 When the dayes of the Pentecost were fulfilled The Scriptures speake of things as done whâ—n they are but in the act of doing that is fulfilling So Ier. 25.12 And it shall come to passe when seventy yeares are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon and that Nation saith the Lord Seventy yeares were not coÌ„plete here for in the seventieth yeare they returned from the captivity so here when the dayes of the Pentecost were fulfilled that is upon the very day of the Pentecost when it was fulfilling This word gnazareth is usually restrained by the Iewes to the last of the Pentecost and it is translated by the Seventy Amos 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word Paul useth Heb. 12.23 for a generall Assembly EXERCITAT XXI Of the Feast of Tabernacles A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Levit. 23.33 And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speake unto the children of Israel saying The fifteenth day of of this seventh moneth shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven dayes unto the Lord. God instituted many things to put his people in memory of his judgements and mercies THe Lord would not have his people forgetfull neither of his mercies nor of his judgements of his mercies Therefore he commanded them to keepe the Passeover in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt he gave them the Law fifty dayes after they came out of Egypt therefore hee would have them to keepe the Pentecost he fed them with Manna therefore he commanded the pot with Manna to be reserved they dwelt in Tabernacles or Boothes all the time that they were in the Wildernesse therefore he commanded them to keepe the feast of Tabernacles lest they should forget his benefits Psal 103 2. Forget not all his benefits So he will not have them forget his judgements therefore he commanded the Censers of Nadab and Abihu to be nailed upon the Altar to be a memoriall unto the children of Israel Num. 16.39.40 The feast of Tabernacles was instituted why the feast of Tabernacles was instituted to put them in remembrance that they were but Pilgrimes in the Wildernesse and had not a permanent dwelling there Their first station in the Wildernesse after they came out of Egypt was Succoth a Boothe or a Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabernaculum Tentorium est etiam proprium nomen loci a tiguriissic dicti a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit obtexit and they had fortytwo Stations in the Wildernesse from the first to the last and all this time when they were in the Wildernesse they had nothing to dwell in but Tents and Boothes so that here they were but Pilgrimes upon the earth as their fathers were before them Psal 39.19 Because our life is a pilgrimage therefore David saith I am tossed up and downe as the Locust Psal 109.23 The Locust is now here now there so is the life of man tossed to and fro and Micah saith Arise and depart for this is not your rest Micah 2.10 Observe how the Lord doth Minister comfort to his people shewing them a sure dwelling Comforts which God giveth to his children dwelling in their tabernacles here and a place of rest for their transitory Tabernacles we dwell in thesâ— bodies but as in a Tabernacle but this is our comfort 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of GOD an house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens When the Patriarches dwelt in Canaan they dwelt in Tents and Tabernacles Heb. 11.9 But their comfort was They looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.10 When they travelled in the Wildernesse with the ambulatory Arke this Tabernacle the Lord refused and his glory departed from it but in place of it Christ himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dwelt amongst us as in the Tabernacle of his flesh Ioh 1.14 where the Shecinah or Divine Majesty dwelleth for ever This was the Tabernacle which the Lord made and not man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.9 Lastly although the grave be called domus saeculi mans long home Eccle. 12.5 Yet our bodies doe rest there but as in a Tabernacle for a while Act. 2.26 Our bodies rest there but for a short time and he hath prepared another City for us to dwell in This feast of Tabernacles was said to be kept seven dayes Levit. 23.34 And the Evangelist saith Vpon the last and great day of the feast Iesus stood up Ioh. 7.37 This was the most solemne day of the feast this day they kept festum laetitiae legis the feast of joy because they ended the reading of the Law this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the next Sabbath they called Sabbath berefith because they began againe to read the booke of Genesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they read three Haphtaroth or Sections that day the first was Haphtaroth elle pekudi
lejom shenishel succoth and it began at 1 King 7.51 So was ended all the words which King Salomon made c. And that day Salomon stood up and blessed all the people So Iesus Christ the true Salomon blessed the people in the great and last day of the feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second Haphtorah which was read this day was Haphtorah Shimhhath Hatorah festum laetitaei legis and it began at Iosh 1. They kept this feast because the Law was ended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At this feast was the dedication of the Temple and the Arke brought into it â— Chro. 3.2.3.7 The remnant of the Iewes that returnâ—d from the caâ—tivity was to keepe this feast Zach. 14.16 and Ioshua began the Prophets The third Haphtaroh which they read was Sabboth Hagadol which began at Mal. 3.4 And it ended with these words Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet Mal. 4.5 And so they joyned the last Section of the law and the last Section of the Prophets both together and it was on this day that Iesus Christ stood up and spake to them who was the true Salomon the true Ioshua the end of the law and the Prophets and whereas the Iewes delighted much in eating and drinking that day Iesus Christ called all those to him who thirst If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke Ioh. 7.37 Last see how upon the first day of this feast they offered thirteene young Bullockes two Rames and fourteene Lambes of the first yeere the second day twelve the third day eleven the fourth day ten the fift day nine the sixt day eight and upon the seventh day of the feast were offered but seven Bullockes the seaventh day of the feast was the great day of the feast and yet it had but the meanest offering which gave them to understand that the Lord was to abolish these sacrafices and to bring in a perfect sacrifice in place of them who is Iesus Christ once to be offered for all At this feast they held up branches and so they held them up to Christ before the Passeover and they sang Hosanna which was a solemne sort of prayer Salva quaeso nunc and they wish not onely peace to him on earth but also in Heaven Then the shoute of a King was amongst them Num. 23.21 EXERCITAT XXII Of the New Moones A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Psal 81.3 Blow up the Trumpet in the New Moone in the time appointed on our solemne feast day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Novilunium a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit quodtunc Luna Sole tegitur vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feria stativa tempas statum quod in numeratum anni diem semper recurrit a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 numeravit supputavit THe New Moone hath two names in the Scripture First it is called Ceseh or Cese Secondly it is called Hhodesh from Hhiddesh renovare They kept the New Moones holy as they did their Sabbaths Wherefore wilt thou goe unto him to day it is neither New Moone nor Sabbath 2 King 4.28 So the Apostle joyneth them both together Coloss 2.16 Let no man therefore judge you in respect of an Holy day or of the New Moone or of the Sabbath Their new Moones and other feasts were Holy dayes they might doe no servile worke in those dayes as to reape sow or plough buy or sell but they might kindle fire dresse meat and such upon them which they might not doe upon the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 NoviluniuÌ„ mensis a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Innovavit In all their other Holy dayes the Passeover pentecost feast of Tabernacles and first day of the new yeare their sacrifice had a feast joyned with it but the first day of the new Moone had no feast added to it Obj. 1 Sam. 20.11.12.13 It is said that it was the day of the new Moone and David desired to goe to Bethlehem to keepe the feast Answ The feast was not kept here for the new Moone but because it was the day of the feast of Trumpets or the first day of the New yeere for the first day of the Moneth and the first day of the New yere fell together therefore the Iewes when they set downe their Haphtorah in the Margent upon 1 Sam. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They set downe Haphtorah berosh Harâ—sh as ye would say a division to be read in the first of the first that is on that which was both the first day of the Moneth and the first day of the New yeere and it was for the first day of the New yeere that the feast was kept and not for the first day of the New Moone The New Moone was celebrated ever upon the first day of the Moneth The new Moone kept ever upon the first day of the moneth and therefore the Moone and the Moneth began both in one day although not at the same houre for the Moone had twentynine dayes and twelve houres but the Moneth had twentynine or thirty dayes successively therefore the twelve houres of the first New Moone excressing over the twentynine dayes of the first moneth were reserved untill the second New Moone which had other twelve houres and those two being joyned together made up the thirty day of the second Month. The Lord would have them to keepe these New Moones Holy to him to teach them Why they kept the new Moones that it was he who ruled and governed the world and all the changes and vicissitudes of it for as the Moone is predominant over all inferior creatures so doth Gods providence rule all things below here the heathen groaped after this when they set a god or a goddesse to every Moneth as Iuno to Ianuary Neptune to February The heathen set a god over every moneth Minerva to March Venus to Aprill Apollo to May Mercury to Iune Iupiter to Iuly Ceres to August Vulcan to September Mars to October Diana to November and Vesta to December But the Lord hath made summer and winter Psal 74.17 And it is he that crowneth the yeere with his goodnesse Psal 65.21 The keeping of these New Moones taught them the estate of the Church in this world A comparison betwixt the moone and the Church the Church is compared to the Moone the Moone is lightned by the Sunne and beautified by it the Church is said to be faire as the Moone Cant. 6.10 She is faire as the Moone when she is cloathed with Christs righteousnesse and as the moone hath her light from the Sunne so hath the Church her light from Iesus Christ The Sunne giveth light and receiveth none the Moone giveth light and receiveth the aire onely transmitteth light but it giveth no light so the Lord onely giveth light but receiveth none the Church receiveth light and communicateth light to others but the worldlings neither receive light nor doe communicate light to others The diverse changes of the Moone
returned were marked 150. when they went to the warres 156. their Generall 162 their marching 163. who were discharged from the warres 164. 165. how they comforted the Souldiers before they joyned battaile 167. their Colours 162. their Ensignes and Motto's ibid. what they did when they were at the shock of the battell 167. Whipping a punishment amongst the Iewes 138. the manner of their whipping 139. not whipt thrice for one fault ibid. it was not a disgrace amongst the Iewes 140. the spirituall use of it ibid Widow why called emptie and dumbe 81. of the Prophets widow ibid. Oppression of the widow a grievous sinne 83. Witnesses the chiefe part in Iudgement depended on them 75. not to proceede without witnesses 76. a faithfull witnesse what ibid. Wiues not to be multiplied 26. the Iewes restraint in multiplying wiues ibid Y Yere divided into foure seasons 89. Leap-yeare what 101. AN EXPLICATION OF THE IVDICIALL LAWES OF MOSES As they are annexed to the Morall and Ceremoniall Lawes Of the Iudiciall Lawes in generall SALOMON the Preacher Eccles 4.12 saith that a threefold Cord is not quickly broken The LORD gaue his people three sorts of Lawes as three Cords to binde them and to keepe them in obedience God gaue his Morall Iudiciall and Ceremoniall Law to his people as a threefold Cord. The first was his morall Law which was properly called his Law Deut. 6.1 Secondly he gaue them his Ceremoniall Lawes which are called his Statutes and Decrees Exod. 12.24 And thirdly his Iudgements which were the Iudiciall Lawes Mal. 4.4 Deut. 24.17 These Iudiciall Lawes were Determinations of the Morall Law The Iudiciall Law what A Determination is either Iuris divini or Humani these Determinations in Moses judiciall Lawes are divini juris Determinatio Iuris divini Iuris humani therefore they had greater force to binde the Iewes than any municipall Law hath to binde the Subjects now in respect they were given by God himselfe and these Lawes of men which draw nearest to them in equitie are most perfect although particularly they cannot be fitted to every Nation no more than a shooe of one measure can serue for every foote The second sort of Determination is Iuris humani when men determinate where there is no expresse commandement of God as concerning circumstances time places persons and such God commandeth in his law that they should pay their first fruits but he determineth not how much they should pay of their first fruits then the Priests come in with their humane determination that the most shall giue no more than one of fiftie and the least shall giue no lesse than one of sixtie Simile When the Israelites were travelling in the Wildernesse they had the Cloud to direct them by day and the pillar of fire to direct them by night yet they desired Iethro to be eyes to them Num. 10.31 What neede had they of Iethro to be eyes to them seeing they had the Cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night Iethro was a guide to them to shew them the particular places and wayes in the Wildernesse as the Cloud and the pillar were their guide to direct them to Canaan So humane Determinations and Lawes are but guides in particular circumstances A comparison betwixt Humane Lawes and Moses Iudiciall Lawes Humane Lawes they command they forbid and sometimes they permit and lastly they punish so yee shall see all these foure in Moses Iudiciall Law First his Iudiciall Lawes doe command but they command the outward man onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iguca lex and here Moses speaketh to them but as a Iudge and they differ from that fierie Law the morall Law that searcheth and peirceth into the heart Deut. 33.2 Secondly Humane Lawes doe prohibite and forbid so doe these Iudiciall Lawes and there are moe of them which are Negatiues than Affirmatiues to shew us the perverse nature of man Thirdly Why Moses Iudiciall Lawes permit many things Humane Lawes giue way and permit something for the eschewing of greater evill so doth Moses Iudiciall Law Levit. 27.10 When a man offered a Beast vnto the Lord which he had vowed he might not change a good for a bad or a bad for a good this was commanded onely for eschewing of greater evill for if it had beene lawfull to change once a good in place of a bad one then they would haue come quickly to this to haue changed a bad for a good So this Law permitted divorcement for the hardnesse of the peoples hearts and for the eschewing of greater inconvenience least hard-hearted men should haue killed their wiues Fourthly The punishments of the Iudiciall Law alterable the punishments inflicted by humane lawes are alterable so were the punishments in Moses Iudiciall Law therefore the Iewes say of them ascendunt descendunt which they vnderstand not of the greatest and highest transgressions but of the middle sort of transgressions which praecepta media their middle Precepts did forbid Example Ex. 22. If a man kept a pushing Oxe knowing that he were wont to push if he kill a man then the Law ordaineth that the man shall die or else to redeeme himselfe with a summe of money here the Law ascended or descended but if a man had wilfully killed a man that was praeceptum grave the punishment neither ascended nor descended but he was to die the death The Scripture compareth the morall Law to a prison Gal. 3.22 the Ceremoniall Law to a second Ward and these Iudiciall Lawes to a Iailor to keepe the transgressors in close prison that none of them breake out CHAPTER I. That Kingly Government is the best Government IVDG 17.6 In those dayes there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was good in his owne eyes IN government there are fiue things to be considered first potestas secondly ordo thirdly modus fourthly titulus and fiftly vsus Fiue things in Government First there must be a power to exercise government secondly order that some command and some obey some to be superiors and some to be inferiors thirdly the manner whether the governement be Monarchicall by one or Aristocraticall by moe fourthly the title whether it be by Succession or Election and last the vse how they exercise this Authoritie What things essentiall and what accidentall in Government That there should be a power and order in Government these two are essentiall in all Governments no Government can stand without these two but the manner whether it be by one or by moe and the title whether it be by Succession or Election and the vse whether they governe well or not these three are but accidentall in Government Monarchicall the best Government Of these two sorts of Government Monarchicall is the best Their reasons who hold Aristocraticall Government to be the best Levi ben Gerson vpon the 1 Sam. 8. holdeth that Aristocraticall Government is best and to be
the vulgar Latine is sound and free from corruption which was translated by Saint Hierome under Pope Damasus and so continued in the Church of Rome The Iewes kept faithfull the booke of God without corruption The Iewes to whom The Oracles of God were committed Rom. 3.2 therefore it was called Their Law Ioh. 8.17 would they have corrupted their owne Evidents Augustine calleth the Iewes Capsarios nostros who faithfully kept the booke of God and reserved it unto us without corruption he saith Dispersos esse Iudaeos infidelesut testarentur Scripturas esse veras The unbeleeving Iewes were scattered through the world that they might testifie the Scriptures to be true The Iewes numbred the Verses Words and Letters of the Bible and shall wee thinke that the Iewes would have corrupted the Text who have numbred the words letters and verses of the Bible and R. Zaddias hath numbred the letters words and verses and summed up all the verses at the end of every booke and they have observed that all the letters are found in one verse Zeph. 3.8 as also foure of the finall letters they carry such respect to the Law that if it but fall to the ground they institute a fast for it They would write no language but in Hebrew letters The superstitious Iewes at this day are so carefull to keepe the letters and words of the Law that they will have neither Chaldee Syriacke nor Hebrew words wrirten but in Hebrew letters and it greeved them when they saw in Origens Hexupla Vide Guiliel Schiekardum de jure regio Hebrew words written in Greeke Characters when they saw the copie which was presented to Alexander the Great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having the name Iehova still written in Golden letters they were much greeved at it and when they see any thing changed in our copies now in disdaine they call it Hhomesh pesul she l gelahhim that is Pentateuchus rasorum Monachorum the Pentateuch of the shaven Monkes The Iewes after the death of Christ were dispersed among many Nations and they never met together againe and albeit they would have corrupted the Scripture how could they have falsified all the Copies Bellarmin maketh this objection to himselfe Bellarm. lib. 2. Cap. 2. De verbo dei Some men will say that the Hebrew Text was corrupted after the dayes of Saint Hierome and Augustine Hee answereth that Augustins reasons serve for all times against the corruption of the Hebrew Text Serrarius in prolegom Bibliacâ—s And Serrarius acknowledgeth that there is but small or no corruption in the Hebrew Text Corruptio Physica Mathematica Moralis he maketh a threefold corruption The first Physicall the second Mathematicall and the third Morall Physicall corruption he maketh to be this when it wanteth any member which it should have Mathematicall corruption hee maketh to bee this when there are some faults in the print which we call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a morall corruption he maketh to be this when one of purpose goeth about to corrupt the Text and in effect he commeth to this that the errours which are found in the Text are but errours in the print and not in the matter But now lately there is one risen up called Morinus who hath set himselfe to improve the originall Hebrew Text and to preferre the Samaritan to it as the originall Difference betwixt hebraeo-samaritana and hebraeo-samaritano-samaritana in their Copies We must put a difference betwixt Hebraeo-Samaritana and Hebraeo-samaritano-samaritana Hebraeo-samaritana is that which Moyses wrote from the Lord and delivered to the Iewes it is called Hebraeo-samaritana because the Hebrew was written in the Samaritan Character at the first and so kept still till after the captivity and this wee grant to be the first and originall writing by which the Church should be ruled But that this Hebraeo-samaritano-samaritana should be the first originall that in no way must we grant and the reasons are these Reason 1 Reasons to prove that the Samaritan copy is not the originall First the Samaritans were Idolaters they were brought out of Assyria by Salmanasses and they erected a false worship in Iudea for the which they were hated by the people of God Ioh. 4. They branded them alwayes with these two letters Gnaijn Zain that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cultus alienus strange worship The Lord concredited his oracles to his owne people Deut. 33.4 The Law is the inheritance of the congregation of Iacob Therefore the Law was not committed to their custodie who were not Gods people they had no right to his inheritance Reason 2 Secondly if the Samaritan copie were the originall then it should follow that the Church hath wanted the true originall Text untill the yeare of God 1626. when Petrus de Valle brought it from Damascus Reason 3 The Samaritan Copie differed as much from the originall The Samaritan differeth as much from the originall as the Seventy doe as the Seventy doe but none of them hold that the translation of the Seventy is the originall by which all others should be tryed why then should they give this prerogative to the Samaritan Copie to be the originall this Samaritan Copie addeth to the originall Text which was The inheritance of the Iewes Deut. 33.4 and diminisheth also from it It addeth to the originall Text Iosh 21. two Verses 36.37 Verses So Gen. 4. it addeth a long speech or conference betwixt Cain and Abel which is not in the originall Text. So Targum Hierosolymitanum supplyeth the same 28. verses here which are not in the originall Hebrew Text a conference betwixt Cain and Abel whether there be any providence of God or not or whether there be any reward for the just or punishment for the wicked Abel holdeth the affirmative and Cain the negative part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this note of the Masoreth in the margent should not be read this wayes Pesu pesuki bimtzegno pesuk Viginti octo versus desiderantur in medio hujus versus There are twenty eight Verses wanting in the midst of this verse But it should be read this wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pesukim pasekin bimtzeghnoth pasuk that is There are twenty eight verses whose sense endeth in the midst of the verse therefore when the Scripture saith that Cain talked with his brother it was to perswade him to goe out to the field and not that he had a long conference with him Both the Samaritan Copie then and the Targum of Ierusalem wrong the Text as defective putting in these 28. verses which the Spirit of God never indited As it addeth to the originall Hebrew Text so it diminisheth somethings from it Hos 4.11 I have called my Sonne out of Egypt These words are not in the Samaritan Copie So these words Zach. 12.10 They shall behold him whom they pierced Reason 4 If this Samaritan Copie were the
men Psal 101. when hee entred to his kingdome 144. So a Psalme to his Sonne Salomon when hee was to succeed into the kingdome Psal 72. Lastly Psalmi alphabetici some Psalmes are divided according to the Letters of the Alphabet as Psal 25.134.111.112.119.145 These Psalmes were distinguished by the Letters that they might keepe them the better in their memories and as Matthew summeth up the genealogie of Christ into three foureteene generations for the memories cause So these Psalmes are set downe after the order of the Alphabet to helpe the memory Psal 25 wanteth three Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 111. every verse hath two letters of the Alphabet and the two last verses have three letters to make up the Alphabet So Psal 112. hath the letters after the same manner The 119. is distinguished by the letters of the Alphabet and here yee shall see that every Section as it beginneth with the letter so all the verses of that section began with that same letter as the first Section beginneth with × therefore all the eight verses in the first Section begin with × c. So Psal 145. Is set downe after the order of the Alphabet The Syriak Arabick Seventy and vulgar Latin adde this verse to Psalme 145. and make it the 4. verse but it wanteth the Letter × Here some goe about to prove by this that the originall Copie is defective and therefore the Arabicke translation addeth a verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fideiis dominus in omninus verbis suis benigbutin omnibus operibus suis so doe the Seventy and the Vulgar Latine but if it be defective here why doe they not supply a verse likewise in Psal 34. where ו is defective in the Alphabet we are not to thinke that there is any defect in the matter because these letters of the Alphabet are wanting for the Lord fitted these letters to the matter onely and not the matter to the letters and because the holy Ghost hath not set downe the matter here therefore the Letter × is left out but not this wayes because the Letter × is wanting here therefore the letter is wanting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The five last Psalmes begin with Halleluia and end with it because they are the conclusion and summe of the whole praises of God So the Church in the revelation concludeth after the victory with the same words Reve. 19.1 Alleluia salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God Conclusion The Conclusion of this is the Psalmes are generally intituled Tehilim praises from the most excellent part of them Therefore our chiefe care should bee to praise God here in this life and then in the life to come we shall sing the song of Moyses the servant of God and the song of the Lambe Reve. 15.3 EXERCITAT Of the division of the Law and the Prophets in parashoth and haphtaroth Act. 15.21 For Moyses of old time had in every City them that preach him being read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day THe Scriptures were not divided into Chapters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we have them now divided therefore the Iewes say that the whole Law is Instar vnius pesuk that is but as one verse The Old Testament was divided into parashoth and Haphtaroth this division into parashoth was most ancient Act. 8.32 The place of Scripture which he read was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Section and the Syriacke calleth it pasuka They distinguished not these parashoth and haphtaroth by numbers as we doe our Chapters they sayd not the first parashah the second parashah but they distinguish them by the first words of the Section as the first parashah is called Bereshith the second Elle toledoth Noah c. They used to divide and distinguish these great parashoth and haphtaroth three wayes First they distinguished them with three great P P P. Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they distinguished them with three great Samechs as Gen. 20.10 these Samechs or Semucheth make not so great a distinction as when they are distinguished by three great P P P 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there is some coherence whch they are distinguished by Samech with that which goeth before So in the particular parashoth when yee see them distinguished by parashah or by Semuchah but onely with great letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gen. 32.2 this word vaijshlahh beginneth the parashah in great letters Ioh. 7.37 In the last day that great day of the feast Iesus stood and cryed saying c. This was the eight day of the feast of the Tabernacles They read three sections upon the eight day of the feast of tabernacles when the Law was ended and it is called the great Sabbath This day they kept Festum laetitiae legis The feast of joy because they ended the reading of the Law that day and the next Sabbath they called it Sabbath bereshith because they began to reade the booke of Genesis againe And yee shall see that this day they read three Haphtaroth or Sections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first was haphtaroth elle pekudi lejom sheni shel Succoth and it began 1 King 7.51 So was ended all the words which King Salomon made c. And that day Salomon stood up and blessed the people So the true Salomon Iesus Christ blessed the people In that great and last day of the feast The second haphtarah which was read this day was Iosh 1. haphtaroth shimhhath torah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sectio laetitiae legis because the Law was ended and Ioshua began the Prophets The third parashah which they read was Malac. 3. Haphtaroth sabbath hagadol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it ended thus Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet and so they joyned the last Section of the Law and the last Section of the Prophets both together and it was in this day that Iesus Christ stood up and spake to them the true Salomon the true Ioshua the end of the Law and the Prophets And whereas the Iewes on this day delighted themselves much with banqueting and drinke Iesus Christ calleth all those to him who thirst and he promiseth to refresh them If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke Scaliger holdeth that the Apostle Coloss 2.16 Let no man Iudge you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in parte Sabbathi In Elencho trihares cap. 21. pag. 217. signifieth that which the Hebrewes call Parashah and which the Talmud calleth Perek or Chelek or which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Apostle meaneth onely here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he would not have the Iewes to condemne the Colossians for not observing their Iewish Sabbaths as he would have the Gentiles to abstaine from things strangled and blood Act. 15.29 That they might not give offence to the weake Iewes The
Tabernacle divided in three parts 9 10 how it was transported 15 how it differed from the Temple ibid. Temple what light was in it 9 to what tribe it belonged 25 divided by a line 25 c. the second Temple built after the manner of the first 31 how the second excelled the first 31 it is called gold Ibid. how God removed from it by degrees 33 many things added to it which were not in the Tabernacle 50. Tithes payed by the people and by the Levites 121 three sorts of tithes 125 why they were payed 123 to tithe what 122. Tribes why kept distinct 23 represented by many things 42 how they are reckoned in the Scripture 278. Tyrians helped to build the first second temple 30 V Vaile a token of subjection 150 Venus how worshipped 77. Vncleanenesse of two sorts 4 the great uncleannesse of the woman 5 uncleannesse of the child 6 three sorts of uncleanenesse 143 imputed uncleannesse of two sorts 144. W Wants three sorts of wants 233. Water for seed 141 the bitter water 150 why the woman dranke it 151 why out of an earthen vessell ibid the effects of it 152 Whoredomes of the parents how punished in the children 144. Wine put for strong drinke 80. Woman not to weare mans apparell 77 the woman gives seed in generation 153. Words why repeated 127. Y Yeere of rest 110 yeere two fold 117. Z Zachariah an inferrior Priest 4. how the Angel appeared to him at the time of incense ibid Additions Pag. 171 the Lord gave his people the morall Law and the ceremonies and the Gospell when the ceremoniall Law was given it derogated nothing from the morall Law there was nothing abrogated or changed in the first Law or subrogated in place of the morall Law but when the Gospel came in the ceremonies were abrogated et superinducta est spes melior Pag. 137 35. Some Lawes are naturall and ceremoniall some are judiciall and ceremoniall and some are meere ceremoniall naturall and ceremoniall where the ground of the Law is naturall and the ceremony annexed the ceremony being taken away the naturall part may stand Example the father was bound to give his sonne a double portion because he was his strength and because he was a type of Christ take away the type the morall part standeth So where the Law is Iudiciall and ceremoniall Example Cities of refuge were appointed to save the mankiller and he was to abide there untill the death of the Highpriest take away this ceremony and Cities of refuge may remaine Thirdly where the law is ceremoniall and Iudiciall a Magistrate cannot make the ceremoniall part a part of the Iudiciall Example this was a judiciall and ceremoniall Law that the malefactor should be hanged upon a tree and that he should be cut downe before the night because he defiled the land a magistrate may cause hang a theefe now but he cannot cause hang him as accursed or not suffer him to hang all night because he defiled the Land EXERCITATIONS DIVINE Of the Ceremoniall Lawes which are annexed to the Commandements in the first and second Tables EXERCITAT I. Of the reducing of the Ceremonies of the Law in generall unto the Commandements THe Apostle Paul willeth Timothy to hold fast the forme of sound words which he had heard of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie capsule in â—uibus singula monetarum genera ordine certo disponunt ut in promptu singula habeant cum opus fuerit 2 Tim. 1.13 In the Syriack it is Hhora foramina a speech borrowed froÌ„ Merchants who have severall boxes or holes wherein they put their severall sorts of Money So should Divines have proper places of reference to which they should referre their severall heads Amongst the rest it is not the least skill to referre the Ceremonies of the Law rightly to their owne commandements and digest them in their severall places Thomas 1 2. quest 101. Art 4. The Schoolemen divide the ceremonies in foure sorts in sacrificia sacramenta sacra observantias In Sacrifices Sacraments holy things as the place the time of their worship c. and ordinances which they did observe although all the ceremonies may be re-reduced to these foure heads yet we must follow another order and reduce them to the Commandements First some ceremonies cannot be reduced to one Commandement Some ceremonies belong to all the Commandements but they belong to them all as to weare fringes upon their garments is a ceremonie that cannot be referred to one Commandement because it served for the keeping of all the Commandements Num. 15.39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe that yee may looke upon it and remember all the Commandements So Deut. 21.23 He that is hanged is accursed of God this ceremonie belongeth to all the Commandements as the Apostle applyeth it to the breach of the whole Commandements Gal. 3.10 and 13. Some ceremonies belong to two Commandements Secondly some ceremonies belong to two Commandements as the purification of a woman after her child-birth is a ceremoniall Law which signifieth that they did conceive their children in originall sinne and therefore had neede to bee purged and purified after their birth Now because originall sinne is condemned in the first and last Commandement therefore this ceremoniall Law is annexed to them both originall sin is condemned in these two Commandements for in the other commandements where the full consent and act of sinne is forbidden it is not forbidden Thirdly some ceremonies in divers respects Some ceremonies in divers respects belong to divers commandements may be referred to divers Commandements as Levit. 17.14 Yee shall eate the blood of no manner of flesh as they were to abstaine from blood in reverence of the blood of Christ which was to be shed for them then it belongeth to the second Commandement as the rest of the significative ceremonies but as they were to abstaine from blood because the life was in it it was cruelty to eate it and in that respect it belonged to the sixt Commandement So Num. 18.21 and 24. and behold I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance Now as the priests gathered the tithes and received them from the people for serving at the Altar it was a dutie required of them in the second Commandement therefore it is sayd the tenth shall be theirs for their service which they serve even the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation but as the people payed these Tithes to the Priests it is a duty required in the fift Commandement to honour them So Deut. 21.17 He shall give the first borne a double portion of all that he hath This ceremoniall Law as the eldest sonne was a type of Christ is a dutie of the second Commandement to give him the double portion but as he was his fathers first borne to keepe the families distinguished that they should not bee confounded in the Tribes it is
a duty required in the fift Commandement because parents should provide for their children Lastly these ceremonies generally for the most part are referred to the second Commandement Ceremonies belonging to the first Commandement EXERCITAT II. Of the purification of the woman after her child-birth Luk. 2.22 And when the dayes of her purification according to the Law of Moyses were accomplished they brought him to Ierusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the Law of the Lord Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is sayd in the Law of the Lord a paire of Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons How this ceremoniall Law pertaineth to the first Commandement IT may seeme strange to some how this ceremoniall Law should belong to the first Commandement but this is not strange for our conception in sinne is condemned in the Commandements but it is not condemned in any of the Commandements where the act and full deliberation of the minde is forbidden therefore the negative part is especially condemned in the last Commandement and the affirmative is commanded in the first Commandement which requireth the purity of our nature that we may love the Lord with all our heart and so the child must crave pardon for his sinne Psal 51.5 and the mother here must offer her sacrifice for her selfe and her child Two sorts of uncleanenesse the greater and the â—â—sser The mother when she conceived and bare a female she was uncleane in her great uncleannesse seventeene dayes and in her lesse uncleannesse shee was uncleane threescore and sixe dayes Levit. 12.4 When she conceived and bare a male she was uncleane in her great uncleannesse seven dayes and shee was in her lesse uncleannesse thirtie three dayes Ver. 5. The reason why she was longer uncleane when shee bare a female than when she bare a male The reason why the mother was longer uncleane when she bare a female than when she bare a male was not morall because the woman sinned first and not the man but the reason of this is naturall because the male is sooner quickned in his mothers bellie and mooveth more quickly by reason of the greater heat and dryeth up sooner the humidities than the female doth the female againe is more slowly quickned by reason of the greater cold and humiditie and therefore the mother had a longer time prescribed to her for her purification The mother when shee was purified The mother offered for her selfe and her child when she was purified shee was to offer a sacrifice for herselfe and her child Some hold that shee was to offer a sacrifice for herselfe and not for her child and therefore they read the words this wayes When the dayes of her purification are fulfilled for a sonne or for a daughter shee shall bring a lambe of the first yeere for a burnt offering c. But the Text seemeth rather to be read this wayes When the dayes of her purification are fulfilled for a sonne or for a daughter she shall bring a lambe of the first yeere for a burnt offering Mary offered a sacrifice for herselfe and for her sonne And the practise of Mary the Virgin confirmeth this that day that she was purified shee brought a paire of Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons and offered them to the Lord for herselfe and for her child Object But it may be sayd Luk. 2.22 Cum impleti essent dies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when the dayes of her purification were fulfilled and not of their purification Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here according to the Hebrew phrase and so it is in the Syriack for the Hebrews put the plurall number for the singular The Hebrewes put the plurall number for the singular and the singular for the plurall oft times as Iud. 12.17 He was buried in the Cities of David that is in one of the Cities of David so Matth. 27.44 the Theeves railed upon him that is one of the Theeves railed upon him So Ionas 1.5 he went downe into the sides of the ship that is to one of the sides So Psal 1.3 A tree planted by the rivers of waters that is one of the rivers So likewise they put the singular number for the plurall number as here the dayes of her purification The child was uncleane as long as the mother was uncleane for the dayes of her and his purification For so long as the mother was uncleane the child who suckt her was also uncleane and Christ who was subject to the Law although there was no morall uncleannesse in him yet he was legally uncleane all this time untill his mother was purified and this serveth for our great comfort that hee became uncleane legally to take away our morall uncleannesse Quest But if Christ was uncleane all this time how could he be circumcised the eight day Answ Christ was but in his great uncleanenesse untill the seventh day as his mother was and therefore he was circumcised the eight day but the females who were not circumcised were uncleane untill the foureteenth day Quest It may be asked why Mary offered a sacrifice for her purification seeing she conceived not her child in originall sinne and this sacrifice was appointed as a remedie against originall sinne Answ As Christ who knew not sinne yet became legally uncleane for our cause so he would have his mother also for her legall uncleanenesse to offer that sacrifice which all other women were bound to offer who were both legally and morally uncleane Conclusion The Conclusion of this is as Elisha when he cured the unsavory waters of Iericho did cast salt into the spring of the waters 2 King 2.21 So we must crave of God that he would first purge the bitter roote of originall sinne before he come to purge our other sinnes David craved pardon of the Lord for this sinne Psalme 51.5 EXERCITAT III. Of the place of Gods worship A ceremoniall appendix of Commandement II. Deut. 12.5 But unto the place which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your Tribes to put his name there even unto his habitation shall yee seeke and thither shall yee come THe places which served for the worship of God Places for worship approved or commanded by God were either places commanded by God or approved by him places commanded as the Tabernacle and Temple places approved by God was their Synagogues and places of prayer their Synagogues Psal 74 8. they have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the land their place of prayer was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Syriack Domus orationis a house of prayer Act. 16.13 And on the Sabboth day we went out of the City by a river where prayer was wont to be made The Tabernacle and Temple were Loci ut sic Locus ut locus ut sic as
to the feast of the Tabernacles and Ioh. 2.37 it is called the last and the great day of the feast Besides these legall feasts in this moneth they had likewise on the fourth day the fast of Godaliah and upon the twenty third day was festum latitiae legis et benedictio They had but one feast in the Moneth Nisan and one in Iair the Pentecost So the Lord commanded that the Land should rest in the seventh yeere and every seventh seventh in the Iubile The lan◠was laboured six yeeres and these yeeres were called Anni georgici The land was to rest the seventh yeere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this was called annus shemittah from Shamat liberum demittere and not to seeke any due of it for those who laboured the ground to seek fruit of it every yeere was too much and gave no time of rest to the ground The Lord taught the Iewes sundry things by the resting of the Land What things the Iewes were taught by the rest of the seventh yeere for as the Sabbath day taught them that as they were the Lords they behoved to cease from their owne workes to doe his worke So the Sabbath of the seventh yeere taught them that both they and their land was the Lords and therefore it was to rest Secondly this yeere taught them to depend upon the Lords providence for the Lord promised his blessing upon the sixt yeere that the Land should bring out for three yeeres Levi. 25.20 Thirdly this yeere was a signe to them of their eternall rest Lastly he instituted this yeere to teach them to be pitifull to the poore for those things which grew of their owne accord that yeere were alloted to the poore and to the strangers Quest How could they live seeing the land rested the seventh yeare Answ The Lord answered Levit. 25.21 How God blessed the sixt yeere that it served for three yeeres Thar he should so blesse the sixt yeere that it should serve for three yeares and here we may see how the promises were fulfilled which were made Levit. 26 10. Ye shall bring out the old because of the new that is there shall be such plenty of new that yee must bring forth the old to make roome for it and that is that which Amos speaketh cap. 9.13 Haebraice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a specie in speciem et chaldaice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab anno in annum Arator apprehendet messorem the plowman shall ever take the reaper that is the old and the new shall meete together So Psal 144.13 That our garners may be full affording all manner of store but the Chaldee Paraphrast paraphraseth it Affording corne from one yeere to another The fertility of the seventh yeare was not meerely naturall Here we may observe that this fertility of the seventh yeare was not merely naturall but proceeded from the blessing of God Secondly all those who rested the seventh yere from their labours yet they wanted nothing but it was supplied by the blessing of God Mal. 3.10 Effundam vobis vsque ad non sufficientiam that is that yee shall not have vessells to containe the oyle and the wine nor garners to containe the corne which I shall bestow upon you Never man suffered any losse in Gods service So those who abstaine from their labours upon the Sabbath it shall never impoverish them for the blessing of God upon the weeke dayes shall supply all their wants so the Lord promised when they shall goe up to Ierusalem to serve him at their feasts that he would keepe their land from the incursion of the enemies Exo. 34.24 and we see Iosh 5.2 When they were circumcised the Lord strooke such a feare and terror in the hearts of the Canaanites that they durst not touch them as Simeon Levi killed the Sichemites when they were newly circumcised never man yet got hurt in the service of God He shall still find the Lords protecting Hand and blessing in his service When hee sent out the seventy Disciples without purse scrip and shooes he said Lacked ye any thing and they said Nothing Luc. 22.35 Nebuchadnezzer shall not want a reward for his service which he did to the Lord albeit he was an heathen for hee got the Land of Egypt for his wages Ezek. 29.20 The next priviledge of the Sabbaticke yeare was this Deut. 14.1 Debts were payed in the seventh yeare that mens debts were pardoned to them if they became poore and had nothing to satisfie but not if they had sufficient to pay then they were bound to satisfie and if they were poore the Lord commanded to lend unto them Deut. 15.19 although the seventh yeare was at hand but that which was borrowed for necessitie onely was not to be restored and the naturall Iewes had onely this priviledge but not the Proselytes The third priviledge of this yeare was this Servants were set a liberty this yeare Exod. 21.2 He shall goe out free in the seventh yeere paying nothing to wit if he was an Hebrew servant but if hee was not an Hebrew servant but a stranger then he was to serve untill the yeare of the Iubile Levit. 25.4 The fourth thing which was done in the seventh yeare The Law was publikely read this yeare the Law was publikely read Deut. 31.10 Quest Whether or not kept they alwayes these sabbaticall yeares Answ Not Ier. 34.14 therefore the Lord plagued them with divers plagues and especially with barrennesse of the sixt yeare 2 Mach. 6.43.49 Quest When began this yeare of the rest Answ Some hold that it began after the land was divided by Lot At what yeare the first Rest began but seeing the Land was twise divided by Lot first in Gilgal Ioh. 14. Secondly in Siloh a few yeares after because the first division was not perfected this account of the seventh yeare seemeth to begin at the latter division of the Land Ios 18 2. Quest What time of the yeare began this rest of the seventh yeare Answ From Tishri and not from Nisan At what time of the were this Rest began for if it had begun in Nisan then they should have lost two Harvests first they might not cut downe the Corne which was growing upon the ground in Nisan and then secondly they might not sow in Tishri and so they should have lost both the Harvests Exod. 23.16 and 34.22 but the Lord saith Levit. 25.27 Yee shall sow the eighth yeare therefore they wanted but one sowing and one Harvest Of the Jubile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Produxit eduxit Their great Sabbaticall yeare was the yeare of the Iubile It was called the Iubile from Iobhel or hobhel deduxit or produxit because it brought men backe againe to their first estate the Seventy translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they were brought backe to their first estate and Philo Iudaeus calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 restitutio and Iosephus 〈◊〉
out of the Sanctuary Ezek. 44.17 and so by their meates putting a distinction betwixt clean and uncleane and so by their houses when he commanded the Law to be written upon the posts of their doores and by the Battlements to be put about their new houses and so by their husbandry when he commanded them not to plow with an Oxe and an Asse and not to sow their fields ' with divers sorts of seede So by their flocks to offer their first borne of them to him and here when they were walking in the fields if a birds nest were before them in the way either in a tree or upon the ground they were commanded to spare the damme to teach them reverence to their Parents wheresoever they lookt they had some instruction before them He forbiddeth them to kill the Damme and the yong ones together Why God would not have the Iewes to kill the Damme with the yong ones he commanded them to eate flesh after the flood but here he would restraine their appetite that they should not kill both the Damme and the yong ones and which is more the Lord forbiddeth when they are about to sacrifice that they kill not the Cow or the Ewe and their young ones both in one day Levit. 22.27 So the Iewes say that they might not kill the damme upon the young ones although it were for cleansed of the Leprosie Lev. 14.4 And if he will not have this done for his owne worship farre lesse will he have men do it for their own private use God will have mercy and not sacrifice Matth. 9.13 he forbiddeth them to kil the Dam but they might take the young ones he will not have them like the Pythagoreans who thought it unlawfull to kill any beast or fowle neither will he have them like Barbarians who kill all without respect but he will have them kill the young ones and spare the old to teach them reverence towards their parents No creature but man may make use of it there is no creature but man may make some use of it either to make it the object of his pity or else to imitate it as the Storke the Crane and Swallowes Who know their times Iere. 8.7 yea the Lord sendeth the sluggard to the pismire to learne Prov 6.6 Honour thy father and thy mother is the greatest Commandement in the second table and it hath this promise annexed unto it that they who honour their parents shall live a long life and here the Lord joyneth it to the meanest of all the Commandements which the Iewes call Praeceptum leve the Lord set the ceremonies Sejag Latorah as a hedge about the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as the hedge is a fence to keepe out beasts so were these ceremonies set as a hedge to keepe the Iewes that they should not breake in to violate the morall This law to spare the Damme upon the yong ones binds us not now If a man should find a bird fitting in this land upon her yong ones he is not bound by this Law to spare her more then he is bound when he reapeth his field to leave the gleanings ungathered yet he is bound by the Morall Law to shew pity to his beast and so upon the foule neither could he promise to himselfe longer life if he should doe so but onely he must looke to the morall precept which obligeth man still when these ceremonies are abolished Object It may be said where the reason or the promise annexed to the Law is perpetuall there the law is perpetuall but this promise is perpetuall long life to the obedient child therefore it might seeme that this law is perpetuall How the promise is annexed to this ceremoniall precept and to the morall precept Simile Answ The promise is properly annexed to the morall Law and but accidentally to the ceremoniall Law a father hath a child whom he mindeth to make his heire he biddeth his child doe such and such things which are but trifles and then he promiseth unto him the inheritance there are more weighty conditions included in this promise but for the childs nonage and because as yet he is not capable of the greater conditions therefore his father setteth downe those meaner conditions unto him the inheritance is promised unto him especially if he observe the maine conditions but the meaner are set downe for the present to him so dealleth the Lord with the Iewes here The keeping of the whole Commandements hath this promise of long life annexed unto it Prov. 3.1.2 my sonne forget not my law but let thine heart keepe my Commandements for length of dayes and long life and peace shall they adde unto thee so Deut. 8.1 and 30.16 But it is more particulary annexed to this Commandement and it is called the first Commandement with promise Ephes 6.2 Commandement VI. EXERCITAT XXVI That the Jewes might eat no blood A ceremoniall appendix of Command 6. Deut. 12.24 Thou shalt not eate it thou shalt powre it upon the earth as water The blood is not the forme to the body THe Lord forbiddeth the Iewes his people to eate blood because the life is in the blood the blood is not the forme to the living body because one body cannot be the forme to another neither is it a part of the body for it nourisheth the rest of the body and one part nourisheth not another and it is more excellent than milke melancholly or marrow for they have their residence in some particular parts of the body but the blood is dispersed through the whole body and none of those are profitable to the body unlesse they be mixed with blood Why the life is said to be in the blood The life is said to be in the blood because the naturall heat is preserved in the body by blood the blood it selfe is a thing naturally cold and it is the heat of the spirits which commeth from the heart that heateth the body and the blood but keepeth in the heat as a mans cloathes doe quae non calefaciunt sed recalefaciunt it but keepeth in the spirits which are in the heart but when the blood is let out then the spirits faile and the blood is congealed Although the soule be said to be in the blood The blood is not the seat of the soule yet we must not thinke that the blood is the seat of the soule because the seat of the soule is some principall member of the bodie but the blood is not a member of the body the seat of the soule is a firme and a permament thing and it hath sense especially the Touch but the blood in it selfe hath no sense wherefore it is not the seat of the soule but the common instrument and Vehiculum which carieth the spirits The life is in the blood The passions shew themselves in the blood all the passions of man shew themselves in the blood as the blood is hote with
anger it flyeth for feare it groweth slow for griefe and spreadeth it selfe abroad for joy and in shame it maketh the face to blush The life is in the blood therefore David saith Psal 30.10 What profit is in my blood that is in my life and Virgil calleth it the purpure soule God taught his people to abstaine from blood for two reasons First Why God would have his people abstaine from blood in reverence of the blood of Christ which was to expiate their sinnes wherefore the blood was called the atonement of the soule Levit. chap. 17.11 that is the soule or the life of the beast is made the ransome for the soule or life of man and therefore it should not be eaten and for this cause they were commanded to cover it in the earth with dust contrary to this is that Iob 16.18 They were to cover the blood Let not the earth cover my blood and Ezek. 24.7 8. Their blood is in the midst of her she set it upon the top of a Rocke she powered it not upon the ground to cover it with dust that it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance I have set her blood upon the top of a Rocke that it should not be covered But in this respect it is not an appendix of the sixt Commandement but in another respect the Lord commanded them to abstaine from blood and not to eate it to teach them to abstaine from cruelty and then it is a ceremoniall appendix of the sixt Commandement How the Romans by degrees became cruell The corruption of man is such when he beholdeth cruell things then he beginneth to be more cruell the Romanes used at the first to set wild beasts upon the stage to kill one another and after this they came to be delighted to see Gladiators and Fensers kill one another and thirdly they delighted to see men cast unto the wild beasts so that from the sight of killing of beasts they delighted to see men killed and so from eating of blood they might have beene drawne to cruelty and shedding of the blood of men for those who are but acquainted with the shedding of the blood of Beasts doe care little for the shedding of the blood of men Nimrod was a mighty hunter Gen. 10.9 and then he became a cruell murtherer of men Pythagoras that he might teach men to abstaine from blood taught men alwayes to abstaine from the shedding of the blood of Beasts Obj. It may be said where the reason of the law is perpetuall the law is perpetuall ye shall eat no blood because the life is in the blood this reason is perpetuall therefore this law may seeme to be perpetuall Answ What part of this Law is morall Thus much of the law is perpetuall that they should not eat membrum de vivo or while it is palpitans sanguis that is the morall precept Ezek. 33.25 Yee eat with the blood which must be understood ye eate while the life is in the blood this is a breach of the morall precept and it is joyned here by the Prophet with other morall transgressions Yee lift up your eyes to your Idols yee shed blood and yee eate blood But this is the Ceremoniall part simply to eat blood the Lord commandeth to give that which dyed of it selfe to the stranger Deut. 14.21 But if this were a morall precept simply to abstaine from Blood then no stranger might eat Blood or eate that which dyed of it selfe To eat blood simply was not a morall Law and the Apostles Act. 15.20 renued this precept of abstinence from blood Why the Apostles renued this precept and they give this to be the reason vers 21. For Moses of old time had in every citie those that preach him being read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day that is seeing Moses ceremoniall law is yet professed by the Iewes ye must beare with the weake Iewes untill ye and they be fully united and this occasion being taken away the law ceaseth He commanded the Iewes to abstaine from blood Why he commanded the Iewes to abstaine from blood because the Church was in her infancy yet therefore to command the Iewes still to abstaine from blood it is even all one as if one should command that a man should be continually nursed with milke because he suckt milke when he was a child Quest Why did not the Apostles forbid them to abstaine from fat as well as from blood Seeing to eate the fat was forbidden in Moses Law as well as to eate the blood Answ This precept of abstinence from blood was given to Noah and it was one of the seven precepts Why the Apostle commanded abstinence from blood but abstinence from fat was not commanded untill the ceremoniall law was given Levit. 3.16.17 and because the Iewes esteemed more of this interdiction of eating of blood therefore the Apostles commanded them abstinence from it Tertulian in his Apology for the Christians showeth that they would not eate blood or strangled Tertullian in Apolog. c. 9. and that the heathen used to come to them with bottles of blood and to force them to drinke of it by this it appeared that the Christians in his time abstained from blood but Beatus Renanus commenting upon that place of Tertullian noteth well that the Christians were too superstitious in that Nam citraâ—scandalum Iudaeorum fuit inscitia servare they were bound onely to abstaine from blood that they might not offend the Iewes Ob. But Blandina the Martyer abstained from blood Answ The reason of this was the danger of future scandall which might follow for the Christians were charged by the Pagans that they spilt the blood of Infants did drinke it now if she had not abstained from blood how could she have contested with the Pagans How the Pagans charged the Christians with drinking of blood It is not likely that we drinke the blood of Infants who abstaine from the blood of beasts the Councell of Orleance is justly censured for renuing this abstinence from blood as Iudaizing in this point Conclusion The conclusion of this is the Lord by degrees trained up his people to be mercifull as he forbad them to kill the damme sitting upon the young ones so he would not have the flesh of the beast eaten that killed a man and hee forbiddeth to eate that which is torne of beasts Exod. 22.21 And here he forbiddeth them to eate blood EXERCITAT XXVII That the Jewes might not seethe a Kid in the mothers milke to teach them not to be cruell A ceremoniall appendix of Command 6. Exod. 23.19 Thou shalt not seeth a Kid in the mothers milke A Philosopher in Egypt asked a Iew upon a time why the Iewes abstained from Swines flesh and would eate none of that which was holden to be most wholsome the Iew answered him by another question What was the reason why the Egyptians had so many Hieroglyphickes and the Pythagoreans
made it We are not to make an allâ—goricall application of any thing in the old Testament to the Church in the new but where the holy Ghost hath made it Example Galat. 4.25 Hagar and Sara in the old Testament are applied allegorically to the new coveant and they are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Syriacke hath it to be at peace together or agree together Hagar her sonne Ismael and the Law and Ierusalem below here and her children are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sara againe the freewoman her sonne Isaac the new covenant Ierusalem which is from above and her children are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Hagar and her children Psal 40.6 Mine eare hast thou boared but Heb. 10.5 A bodie hast thou prepared for me it is commonly holden that this is an allegoricall application applied to Christ taken from the boaring of the servants eare under the Law but if it had beene an allusion to that forme under the Law why would the Apostle then who was most skilfull in application of the ceremonies set it downe thus thou hast prepared a body for me And David saith Psal 40.6 Thou hast boared mine eares Whereas the right eare of the servant was onely boared EXERCITAT XXXVI Of the abrogation of the Ceremoniall Law THE Leviticall ceremonies are considered three wayes first with CHRIST Secondly The ceremonies considered three wayes without Christ and thirdly against Christ In the first estate they were weake Elements and could bring nothing to perfection Heb. 10 1. And therefore they were to be abolished and the Gospel was to come in the place of them Heb. 7.19 The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by the which we draw neare to God First Lex rogatur the Law is given Secondly Subrogatur when somethings are added to the first Law Lex rogatur subrogatur obrogatur derogatur abrogatur Thirdly Obrogatur when something is changed in the first Law Fourthly derogatur when something is taken from it Fifty Abrogatur when it is altogether abolished and taken away When the ceremoniall Law was given The ceremonial law was was not changed in part but altogether abolished there was nothing subrogate or put to it neither was it obrogated changed in part neither was it derogated any thing taken from it but fully abrogated and therfore the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superinducta est spes melior the new covenant was not brought in upon the old that they might be both joyned in one but the old was first abrogated and the new brought in in the place of it Againe the Apostle saith Gods chiefe delight was not in sacrifices under the Law A body hast thou prepared for me as if he would say thou hast made choice of no sacrifices thou wouldst not have them for thou tookest no delight in them thy delight was in the most excellent thing and not in the basest 1 Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and in sacrifices as in obeying behold to obey is better then sacrifice A threefold use of the ceremonies under the Law These ceremonies had three speciall uses when they were in force first to helpe the Iewes infancy but the Church under Christ comming to mans age these ceremonies have no use now many things become a child which are unseemely in a man Secondly these ceremonies served for signification when we have the fruit there is no use of the blossome so when Christ is come there is no use of the ceremonies Thirdly these ceremonies served to make a partition wall betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles but this partition wall is now broken downe and there is one sheepheard and one sheepfold Ioh. 10.16 and therefore this use ceaseth now Three errours concer-cerning Christ Secondly the ceremonies are considered without Christ when the Apostles did beare with the weake Iewes for a while And in this estate they were beggerly elements Coloss 2.20 Scotus observeth the periode of circumcision the first period was from the institution of it untill the time that Christ was baptized then it was Necessaria et utilis the second period was from the Baptisme of Christ untill the promulgation of the Gospell Goe teach all Nations Baptizing them Matth. 28.19 In this period it was Vtilis sed non necessaria Profitable but not necessary the third period from the promulgation of the Gospell untill the destruction of the Temple it was Licita in this period Sed non vtilis The fourth period was from the destruction of the Temple or rather from the Councell of the Apostles even unto this time then it was altogether Illicita In this estate when the ceremonies were Licita sed non vtilis they did beare with the weake Iewes at Ierusalem but not at Antioch who would have added the ceremonies to the Gospell Paul circumcised Timothy Act. 16.3 bearing with the weake Iewes but hee would no wayes beare with the malicious Iewes therefore hee would not Circumcise Titus lest hee should strengthen them in their obstinacy Galath 2.3 The ceremonies being dead and Christ come Quest how could Cornelius Prayers and almes bee acceptable to God seeing he waited for Christ to come Answ There are three sorts of error concerning Christ Error temporis condetionis persona the first was error temporis the second was error conditionis and the third was error personae Error temporis was twofold either of simple ignorance or of affected ignorance simple ignorance as that of Cornelius and for this cause Peter was sent to teach him that Christ was come and therefore his error was pardonable affected ignorance is that ignorance of the Iewes who will not know nor beleeve that Christ is come although the truth bee evidently demonstrated unto them Error conditionis was that in the Apostles who tooke Christs Kingdome to be a Worldly Kingdome at the first Act. 1.6 When wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel This error was a dangerous error but yet was pardoned because as yet the holy Ghost was not come downe upon them the third was error personae and this was when they tooke false christs for the true Christ Matth. 24.24 And this error was alwayes damnable Quest Whether may these lawes which are mixtly ceremoniall be kept now under the Gospel or not Answ Where the ground of the law is ceremoniall and the Iudiciall but an appendix of it it no wayes may be kept Example this is a ceremoniall law cursed is he that hangeth upon a tree Whether Lawes mixtly ceremoniall doe bind the ceremoniall part is that he is accursed that hangeth upon a tree wee must not thinke that hee is accursed now who hangeth upon a tree therefore that law is quite abolished the Iudiciall part is this that he shall not hang all night upon the tree and this law bindes not Christians now because it is an appendix of
this ceremoniall Law but where the ground of the Law is Iudiciall and the ceremony but an appendix of it then the Iudiciall law may be observed at least the equitie of it Example Cities of refuge were appointed as a Iudiciall Law to save the mankiller from the revenger of the blood there was a ceremony annexed to this Law that they should stay within the City of refuge untill the death of the High-priest this was but an appendix of the judiciall Law therefore the Law may stand that Cities of refuge bee kept or at least the equity of it that those who casually kill be not slaine Quest What if a Christian now should keepe any of the ceremonies commanded in the Law Answ There is a three fold use of the ceremonies Materialis formalis mixtus vsus a materiall a formall and a mixed use A threefold use of the ceremoniall Law Materialis as if a man should abstaine from eating of swines flesh onely because it were unwholsome he Iudaizeth not in this case but if hee should abstaine from swines flesh as a meat uncleane and forbidden in the Law then he should formally keepe the ceremony and truely Iudaize the mixt use is this when a Christian borroweth Iewish ceremonies to any use in the Christian Church Marke how the Apostles in their practise renounced the ceremonies of the Law first the Apostles kept the Christian Sabbath after Christs Resurrection and not the Iewish Sabbath therefore they renounced the ceremonies and the Apostle willeth the Corinthians to keepe the Passeover all the dayes of their life in holinesse and restrained it not to some few dayes as the Iewes Passeover was Object But when the dayes of the Pentecost were fulfilled Act. 2.1.2 Cor. 16. Here Paul reckoneth according to the Iewish Pentecost Answ When he speaketh of their Pentecost here and when he sayes the dayes of their fast were expired Act. 27.9 the Iewes at the day of expiation had a great fast Paul doth not Iudaize here but onely marketh these for a civill use to know the time of the yeare which was most knowne to the Iewes when Paul Act. 17.19 calleth Areopagus Mars street none will thinke that Paul worshipped Mars here but he useth onely this name as a name of distinctiō to know this street frō other streets so when he sayes that he sayled in a ship that had the badge of Castor and Pollux Act. 28.11 we must not thinke he worshipped Castor and Pollux but hee useth them onely as names of distinction to put a difference betwixt this ship and other ships Paul used the names of the Iewes feasts for distinction so when Paul useth the name of the Pentecost and the name of the fast Act. 2. and 27.9 he used them onely as names for distinctions sake and not for any Iewish observation and when Paul practised any of these ceremonies he practised them not for the ceremonies themselves but for the weake Iewes sake Example When he did shave his head in Cenchrea the Port towne in Corinth Act. 18.18 this was not according to the Law altogether Paul did not shave his head according to the law for if he had done it according to the Law he should have gone to Ierusalem and there have cast the haire of his Nazarits vow under the Altar and burnt it after the death of Christ none of the Apostles ever went to the brasen Altar againe to sacrifice but onely they practised some of the meaner ceremonies bearing with the weake Iewes Quest How could these ceremonies be hinderances from Christ seeing they were types of him to come Answ Christ saith Ioh. 16.7 If I goe not away the Comforter shall not come Christs bodily presence amongst the Apostles hindered his spirituall presence amongst them if the bodily presence of Christ hindered the comming of the Spirit unto them how much more did these ceremonies under the Law hinder the sight of his Incarnation and obscure his glory amongst them The ceremonies in the third estate are against Christ In the third estate these ceremonies were against Christ in this estate the Apostle calleth it concision and not circumcision Phil. 3.2 In the third estate the Iewes preferred the shadow to the body The errour of the Iewes in preferring the Ceremonies to Christ the bones to the marrow and the letter to the spirit they preferre the shadow to the body the ceremonies to Christ the bones to the marrow because they content themselves onely with the outward figures and types and seeke not for the thing signified and so they have the killing letter but not the quickning spirit and therefore Saint Hierome compareth them well now to dogges who get onely the bones to gnaw but they get none of the marrow or that hidden Manna Iesus Christ to their saluation Conclusion The conclusion of this is it was a great benefit to learning when the obscure Hieroglyphicks in Egypt were changed into letters and the darke and mysticall writings of Plato were changed by Aristotle into a cleare and plaine forme of writing It is a farre greater benefit when the Lord hath changed these darke figures and shadowes into the cleare light of the Gospel Hovv to make use of the Ceremonies of the Law in opening of a Text and reducing them to practise Of the Notes whereby Aaron and his posterity were discerned to be called to the Priesthood Num. 17.2 And the Lord spake unto Moses saying speake unto the Children of Israel and take every one of them a rod c. WHen Corah and his complices murmured against Aaron and contended with him for the Priesthood as we may see in the Chapter preceding the Lord commanded every one of the first borne of the tribes to bring a rod to him that by this new miracle causing Aarons rod to blossome he might end this controversie and confirme Aaron the more in the Priesthood The Prince of the tribe represented the whole tribe Secondly hee commanded that the names of the Princes of the tribes should be written upon the rods and the reason was because the Prince represented the whole tribe so the Prince being repelled from the Priesthood the whole tribe was repelled Write thou every mans name upon his rod. Aaron had not written upon his rod the Tribe of Levi but the name of Aaron and so the rest of the Princes Another reason wherfore the names were written upon the rods of the Princes was because the Princes of the tribes were their first borne and therefore they might seeme to claime right to the Priesthood every mans name was written upon his rod and Aarons name was written upon his rod because he was the first borne of Levi for the first borne of Levi was Cohath and he begot Amram and Amram begot Aaron who was elder than his brother Moses Quest How were the Tribes reckoned in the Scriptures Answ How the tribes are reckoned in the Scripture Whē a matter is in hand which
for the present day but lay up nothing against the morrow the Grashopper provideth not against the winter as the Ant doth there are others of them who liue by rapine as the Caterpillers who devour all and then flie away Nahum 3.16 and Nahum compareth the Merchants of Ninive to these that carry all the wealth away with them and there are some of those people which are insatiable as the Horsleach that hath two daughters who cry continually Prov. 30.15 Giue giue This sort of people are governed by instinct onely the Locusts haue no King yet they goe out in bands the Ant hath no guide Prov. 6.7 overseer or ruler yet shee provideth her meat in the Summer and gathereth her foode in the harvest although they haue no King or ruler to command them and oversee them neither a guide to direct them yet they are ruled by instinct There are a second sort of people that God hath placed here below and they are men and there is a greater difference amongst this people than amongst the former for looke upon some of them and yee shall hardly discerne whether they be men or not and as the Philosophers say there are some sorts of creatures that we cannot tell whether they liue the sensitiue or the vegetatiue life onely there is so little life in them as in the Shel-fish so it is hard to discerne whether those liue the reasonable life or the brutish onely they haue no lawes they lodge in the caues of the earth goe naked eat raw flesh and although they haue the shape of men yet they haue but the heart of beasts in them as Nebuchadnezzar had There are other men who are ruled by reason and politicke government for their God hath taught them he may be called their God in this respect Esay 28.26 as the Prophet Esay calleth him the husband-mans God because he teacheth him how to manure the ground and so God commeth neerer to them they are a people here but yet they are not Gods people and it is better to be a dorekeeper in the house of God Psal 84.10 than in highest advancement amongst such There is a third sort who liue in his Church and this is the highest societie in this life and here we shall see policie justice frugalitie and all vertues because Gods worship is here and as the inferior faculties of the soule are eminenter by way of excellencie contained in the superior so are all those comprehended in Religion and as the shadow followeth the bodie so doth policie and order follow Religion if a man would learne frugalitie let him looke to Ioseph Psal 104.22 who taught the Senatours of Egypt if he would learne policie let him looke to the government of Salomons Court and his house 2 King 4. if he would learne to be a good warriour let him see what order the Lord hath placed in the Campe of the Iewes Numb 80.10 and if he would learne justice he shall see it exactly described in the Law of God My Honourable Lord I haue made choise of your Lop. to recōmend this Treatise to your Patrocinie because yee know what it is to be amongst Gods people many great men if they get their portion in this life amongst the people of this world Psal 17. they care not to be Denisons in the societie of Gods people and they content themselues with the portion of this world and say Benum est hic esse but this is a freedome which is bought at a higher rate it cost the chiefe Captaine a great summe of money to be made a freeman in Rome Act. 22 28. but to be made a freeman in the Church of GOD it cost the price of Christs bloud Great men desire to be out of this first societie they desire not to liue like beasts but if they come to the second societie to liue like civill men that doth content them they giue GOD thankes perhaps for this that they are men and not beasts and that they haue beene bred civilly but few giue God thankes for this that they liue under the Gospell where they may learne Christ not many Noble are called 1 Cor. 2. Sometimes they may tremble and feare Act. 24.25 as Felix did Act 26.28 and put off their conversion to another time and some of them are like Agrippa who almost are perswaded to be Christians but few like Sergius Paulus Act. 13.7 who was converted at Pauls preaching My Lord you haue had still the practise of Religion in your house and one of the best helpes to further you your worthy and religious Lady whose name smelleth now like the wine of Lebanon when shee is gone Hosea 14.7 and now she enjoyeth the fruit of that when neither her Nobilitie birth or worldly honour profited nothing and this I write unto your Lop. beseeching you to goe on in that Christian course that both by your place and example you may draw others unto the truth The Lord promised that he would giue the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession to his Sonne Psal 2.8 this is the Motto of this Iland and the farther North it is the nearer to the ends of the earth studie therefore my good Lord that Iesus Christ may haue his possession enlarged in the North and this shall be your crowne in the latter day when all your possessions shall faile you Your Honours in all dutifull submission IOHN VVEEMSE THE CONTENTS Of the Iudiciall Law in generall Page 1 CHAPTER I. That Kingly Government is best Page 4. CAP. II. An explication of Iothams Parable Page 7 CAP. III. Why God was angry with them for chusing a King Page 12 CAP. IIII. What Samuel meant by mishpat hammelech Page 14 CAP. V. A difference betwixt the election of Saul and the election of David Page 16 CAP. VI. Of the annointing of their Kings and whether the Kings and Priests were annointed with the same oyle or not Page 18 CAP. VII How the Kings of Iudah and Israel brake the commandement in multiplying wiues Page 22 CAP. VIII A comparison betwixt Salomons Kingdome and Christs Page 27 CAP. IX Whether Rahab was a betrayer of the Citie of Iericho Page 34 CAP. X. Whether the Kingdome of Iudah or Israel were the best Government Page 38 CAP. XI Whether the Iewes might chuse Herod for their King Page 44 CAP. XII Whether Ishboseth was a rebell in affecting the Kingdome or not Page 47 CAP. XIII Whether it was lawfull for the Iewes to pay tribute to Caesar or not Page 49 CAP. XIIII Whether Naboth might haue justly denied to sell his vineyard to Ahab or not Page 52 CAP. XV. Whether the Iewes should be tollerated in a Christian Common-wealth Page 57 CAP. XVI Of the Synedrion of the Iewes Page 61 CAP. XVII Whether a Iudge is bound to giue sentence according to things proved and alleadged or according to his owne private knowledge Page 66 CAP.
Subsidies which the King exacteth from the people this wayes come backe againe to their use to keepe and to defend them David had great riches How David came by his riches and he got his riches three wayes first by his tributes secondly by the spoyle of his enemies for he fought twentie battels and got all the spoyle from the enemies and thirdly he had argentum capitationis the pole-money of all the people and all this he laid up for the building of the Temple of the Lord therefore he saith 1 Chro. 22.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in afflictione mea Now behold Begnaneij in my povertie or affliction I haue prepared for the house of the Lord an hundreth thousand talents of gold c. Why calleth he it his povertie because he had nothing but that which he had from the Lord 1 Chron. 29.16 And therefore he would returne it backe againe for the building of a house to him here David multiplied silver but not contrary to the law Salomon how he came by his riches So Salomon exceeded all the Princes of the earth in riches his Dominion was from the river of Egypt to Euphrates and from Libanus Northward to the Mediterran Sea all those were tributaries to him the Queene of Sheba brought out of Arabia Faelix much spices to him 1 King 10. And he had three Navies that came home every third yeere with gold and pretious stones and the whole twelue tribes payd tribute to him he did not here contrary to the law that the King should not multiplie riches but that blessing was then fulfilled in him which was made to Abraham that his seede should possesse from the river of Egypt to Euphrates The Law saith Deut. 17.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non multiplicabit sibi valde lo jarbe lo meod in 2 Chron. 32.27 it is said of Hezekias that he had exceeding much riches Harbe meod the very same words which are in the interdiction did Hezekias gather his riches contrary to the law here Not the meaning of the law then is this that a King should not multiplie gold and silver to put his confidence in them or for unnecessary uses and it seemeth that Salomon brake not this law untill the Temple was built the Citie enlarged and the warres ended then for him in his old age to lay such heavie tributes and taxations upon the people was to multiplie riches unto a wrong end when Salomon gaue gold and silver at Ierusalem as plenteous as stones 2 Chro. 1.15 This was lawfull to giue to his Subjects but Eccles 2.8 he sayes I gathered me also silver and gold when he gathered it onely to satisfie his covetous desire and not for necessary uses that was the transgression of the Law The next part of the interdiction was this that he should not multiplie horses to himselfe The end of this interdiction was first to take away all commerce and dealing with the Egyptians for having commerce with the Egyptians bringing horses from thence they were in danger to be infected with Idolatry Why God forbad them to multiplie Secondly he forbad them to multiply horses least they should trust in them Psal 20.7 Some trust in Chariots and some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God He forbad to multiply horses to trust in them therefore the Lord commandeth Ioshua 11.6 Thou shalt hough their horses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Subnervabis equoâ— Tegnakker Suschen subnervabis equos thou shalt not kill them but cut the master-sinew and make them unfit for any service and warre hereafter Ioshua why commanded to hough the horses that they might doe no service against the people of God afterwards they might take Camels and Asses in the Battell Numb 31.11 and such beasts as were not fit for the warres and if at any time they reserved any of the Horses it was but a small number so we see 2 Sam. 8.4 that David of a thousand Chariots and seaven hundreth horsemen which he tooke in the warres reserved onely horses for an hundreth Chariots but he houghed all the rest of the Chariot horses he left them so that they might serue for other uses but not for the warres and he reserved here but the tenth part of them Salomon at the first was commended for the multitude of his horses When horses and silver may be multiplied because he kept them for the defence of the Countrey but the Law forbiddeth to keepe them for unnecessary uses for ostentation or for trusting in them and so Salomon fell afterwards to multiplie horses and gold exceedingly but not for necessary uses and see how Esay is a Commentary to this law cap. 2.7.8 and sheweth us the end of this interdiction when he saith the land is full of silver and gold Multiplying of horses and gold draw them to Idolatrie neither is there any end of their treasures their land is also full of their horses neither is there any end of their Chariots their land is also full of Idols Here we see why the Lord forbiddeth them to multiplie horses because these drew them to make a league with Idolaters and made them worship Idols Thirdly the King is forbidden to multiplie Wiues The heathens multiply Wiues Pro. 31.3 Giue not thy strength to women nor thy wayes to that which destroyeth Kings the Heathen Kings gaue themselues much to haue many wiues Asshuerus commanded that through all his Provinces which were an hundreth twentie and seaven that the most beautifull Virgins should be brought to him Esth 2.3 Iustini lib. 12. And Darius had as many wiues as there are dayes in the yeere but Salomon exceeded them all in the number of his wiues The number of Salomons Wiues and Concubines are reckoned diversly 1 King 11.3 The reconciliation of these two places King 11 3 and Cant 6.8 concerning â—aâ—omons Wiues it is said that he had seveÌ„ hundreth wiues Princesses and three hundreth Concubines but Cant. 6.8 there are sixtie Queenes and eightie Concubines and Virgines without number where he alludeth to the number of Salomons wiues Genebrard goeth about to reconcile the places this wayes that Salomon at the first had but sixtie Queenes and eightie Concubines but afterward their number came to seven hundreth wiues and three hundreth Concubines but this reconciliation cannot stand for then it should follow that Salomon wrote the Canticles before he repented but the true reconciliation is this although he had seven hundreth Queenes Sixtie Queenes which were in favour with him yet he had sixtie of them who were most in favour with him and honoured by the people and these are set downe Cant. 6.8 and they were brought forth that day that Salomon maried Pharaohs daughter and when they saw her they praised her beautie and dignitie and they said who is shee that looketh out at the windows as the morning the whole number of his Wiues and Concubines seemeth to haue beene
a thousand Eccles 2.28 Of men I haue found one of a thousand but I haue not found a woman amongst these thousands The Iewes restraint of multiplying vviues This Law that the King should not multiplie wiues the Iewes restrained it to eighteene wiues they say that David the King had sixteene wiues 2 Sam. 15.16 the King left ten women which were Concubines to keepe the house these Concubines were his wiues and besides it is said 1 Chro. 3.6 that he had six wiues moe in all he had sixteene So Rehoboam had eighteene wiues 2 Chro. 11.21 And they adde farther that David had six wiues before Nathan came to him 2 Sam. 3.13 then the Lord said unto him 2 Sam. 12.8 if that had beene too little for thee I would haue overmore given thee such such things the word is twice repeated here Cahenna ve cahenna quot illae quot illae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twelue moe make in all these eightteene wiues which David might haue had and the Targum paraphraseth that place Deut. 17.17 Ne multiplicet uxores ultra octodecem ne depravent cor ejus and Salomon Iarchi upon Deut. 17. he shall not multiplie wiues aboue eighteene because we finde that David the King had but eighteene wiues Yee see upon what a sandie ground they build this they say that David and Rehoboam brake not this commandement because they contained themselues within the number of eighteene but Salomon who exceeded the number he brake the commandement To multiplie wiues was altogether against the law Multiplying of wiues was against the Law for they two shall be one flesh bindeth him as well that sitteth upon the throne as him that draweth the water and heweth the wood but this to multiply horses and gold is but secundum quid against the Law that is Multiplying of horses not altogether against the Law it is not simply forbidden but onely for unnecessary uses and to put their trust in them but to enable them for the defence of their Countrey and benefit of the Estate that is not forbidden CHAPTER VIII A comparison betwixt Salomons Kingdome and Christs PSAL. 89.2 His throne shall be established as the Moone and shall endure as the Sunne before me DAVID prayed for his sonne Salomon that the Lord would giue his Iudgements to the King and he compareth his Kingdome to the Moone Salomons Kingdome compared to the Moone Simile for as the Moone borroweth her light from the Sunne so he beggeth of the Lord that he would giue light to his sonne Salomon to direct him and as Astrologians obserue that when the Moone is joyned with a bad Planet then her influence is bad but when she is joyned with a good Planet then her influence is good so Salomon in his Government when he was joyned to Idolatry and strange women then there was a bad influence upon his Government but when he tooke the direction from the Lord then his Kingdome flourished There is a stone in Arabia called Selenites Plinius de Gemmis Simile which groweth with the Moone and decreaseth with it when the Moone is in the wane yee cannot see the stone in the perfect colour but when the Moone is at the full then the stone groweth againe to the full so Salomons Kingdome as long as he got light from the Lord it waxed but when he turned once from the Lord it decayed daily Last it was like the Moone the Moone in twentie eight dayes finisheth her course fourteene dayes to the full Salomons kingdome like the Moone in waxing and waning and fourteene to the wane so from Abraham to Salomon fourteene generations then the Moone was at the full then from the end of Salomons dayes untill Zedekiah were fourteene generations and then his Kingdome decayed and waned Salomon the King when he judged Israel he sat in a throne 1 King 10.18 and the King made a great throne of Ivorie and overlaid it with the best gold the throne had six steps and the top of the throne was round behinde and it stood in the porch of Iudgement where he judged the people 1 King 7.7 and there were stayes in each side in the place of the seat and two Lyons stood behinde the stayes The difference betwixt Salomons throne of Ivorie and the brazen scaffold and twelue Lyons stood there sixe on the one side and sixe upon the other upon the sixe steppes and there was not the like made in any Kingdome 2 Chron. 9.17 This throne of Salomon was called Solium Domini because he judged the Lords judgement there and it differed from that pillar which stood in the Temple for that was a pulpit in which they read the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suggestus 2 Chro. 6.13 and it was called Cijor but this throne was called Cisse and it stood in Domo Libani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thronus next adjacent to the Queenes Palace it was made of Ivory which was in great request amongst the Iewes and Salomon alludeth to it Cant. 4.6 Allusion thy necke is like a Tower of Ivorie There were sixe Lyons upon the one side as he went up to his throne and sixe upon the other What the Lions signified on every side of the Throne a Lyon at every steppe these Lyons on every side signified that all the twelue tribes were subject to Salomon and acknowledged him as their King and the two Lyons which stood before the stayes signified that the two tribes Iuda and Benjamin should not depart from Salomon but continue with him and his posteritie to be stayes to uphold his Kingdome which was signified by the garment of Ahija the Shilonite rent in twelue peices ten were given to Ieroboam and two onely left to Rehoboam Salomons sonne 1 King 11. And the Iewes write The admonitioÌ„s which they gaue the King when he ascended to his Throne In Zâ—norenna P. Shophat 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that as he ascended upon every steppe or degree to his throne a cryer cryed to him thus upon the first steppe he cryed lo titeh Mishpat judicium ne inclinato wrest not judgement secondly when he ascended upon the second steppe he cryed unto him lo tikir panim personam ne respicit accept no persons in judgement when he ascended upon the third steppe he cryed unto him lo tikahh shohher munus ne recipito take no bribes when he ascended upon the fourth steppe he cryed lo tittang lech asherah non plantabis lucum thou shalt not plant a grove when he ascended upon the fift steppe he cryed unto him lo takim lech matzebah noli erigere statuam set not up a pillar when he ascended upon the sixt steppe he cryed unto him lo tizbahh shor ne macato bovem kill not an Oxe that is sacrifice not to
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Iewes held that the woman was beaten and not the man because the word Tihich is in the feminine gender and they reade it she shall be beaten and not the man he committed not adultery he polluted not another mans wife nor a free-woman but a stranger and a slaue therefore he was not to be beaten but to offer a sacrifice but this word Tihieh may agree as well with Bikkoreth which is in the feminine gender and not to reade it ipsa erit vapulatio she shall be beaten but there shall be a beating that is they shall be both beaten and the man so much the rather because he lay with her who was betrothed to another and the words following seeme to imply so much they shall not be put to death this whipping shall be a sufficient punishment for them the Seventie translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Ionathan in his Paraphrase following the rest of the Hebrewes paraphraseth it thus Scrutatio erit in judicio ejus ut vapulet ipsa rea non ipse Object But the man is bound to bring a Ram for his trespasse offering if he had beene whipt why is he commanded to bring an offering Answ Because his sinne was greater than the womans therefore he was both whipt and brought his offering The punishment of the man the woman was alike for every uncleannesse in cunctis nuditatibus pares sunt vir faemina if a free man had lien with a free-woman in Israel then he was bound to marry her or else to pay her dowrie secondly if a free man lay with a bond-maide that was betrothed and not redeemed then they were both whipt but neither of them put to death he died not although the woman was betrothed because she was not a free-woman thirdly if a free man had lien with a freewoman betrothed then they were both to die fourthly if a free man had lien with a married woman then they were both to die Deut. 25. Fiftly if a married man had lien with an unmarried woman they were both to die lastly if both the persons had beene married they were both to die here in cunctis nuditatibus sunt pares vir faemina Conclusion 1 Those who are equall in sinne shall be equall in punishment Conclusion 2 The punishment did not expiate the sinne but the sacrifice Conclusion 3 The whore and the harlot are one flesh therefore but one sacrifice for both CHAPTER XXXVII De Lege Talionis Of the Law of Retaliation EXOD. 21.24 Eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foote for foote THe Lawyers when they interpret this Law they say that there is talio analogica talio jdentitatis Talio Analogica Identitatis and they say that talio identitatis should be observed if the cause be alike and the persons and the manner of doing Example a private man beateth out his neighbours eye in spite and malice therefore his eye should be pulled out againe but talio similitudinis is then to be observed when the fact varieth in many circumstances as who did it to whom he did it c. then talio analogica should be observed but not identitatis example if a sonne should beat his father he should not be beaten againe but he should die the death here they obserue not medium rei but medium personae Medium Rei Personae Example the second in that Parable of Nathan to David when the rich man came and tooke the poore mans sheepe 1 Sam. 12.3 Here medium rei was not to be observed but medium personae because he was a rich man So in commutatiue Iustice we obserue medium rei but in distributiue Iustice we obserue medium personae Againe they distinguish betwixt Radamantheum jus The strict sense of the Law of Retaliation the strict sense of the Law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reciproca paena The strict sense of the Law is when literally they will haue eye for eye and tooth for tooth the milder sense of the Law is when they will haue some other satisfaction for the wrong done the Iewes generally follow this sense of the Law if a man did beat out his neighbours eye or his tooth they followed not this Rhadamantheum ius The milder sense of the Law of Retaliation or the strict sense of the Law that he should pay one of his owne eyes or one of his owne teeth for it but that he should satisfie the man whom he had wronged by paying so much money to him for in these cases that were not deadly they held that they might make recompence and satisfaction by money and they giue this instance out of the Law if an Oxe were wont to push with his horne and it hath beene testified to his owner and he hath not kept him in but that he hath killed a man or a woman then the Oxe shall be stoned to death and his owner shall be put to death or if there be a summe of money laid upon him then he shall giue for the ransome of his life whatsoever is laid upon him Exod. 21.30.31 Here he might redeeme his life with a ransome because he was not the direct killer if he satisfied the parties by giving a sum of money So they held that they might satisfie for such transgressions which were not capitall by paying of money And the law of the twelue Tables amongst the Romans saith The Roman Law of Retaliation Si unum perfoderit unius jactura multari si utrumque unius tantùm ut sceleris sui notam gestare possit quoniam funesta impia manus amputari ei debet pro manu ablata bessis patrimonij sui irrogatur idque in solatium vitae ejus cui oculi sunt effossi auferto If he had put out both the mans eyes they would take but one of his eyes and cut the hand from him for the other eye and then they mitigated that part of the punishment and they made him pay the fourth part of his substance to relieue the man whose eyes he had put out The Heathen say that Ceres the goddesse of Corne Simile cut off the shoulder of Pelops Ceres could not set in a shoulder of flesh and bone againe therefore the gods tooke the next best course and they ordained her to put in a shoulder of Ivorie to Pelops so he that had beaten out an eye or a tooth of a man he could not put it in againe therefore they thought it good that he should put in a shoulder of Ivorie that is with his goods to maintaine him whom he had hurt CHAPTER XXXVIII That theft amongst the Iewes was not capitall EXOD 22.1 If a man shall steale an Oxe or a Sheepe and kill it or sell it he shall restore fiue Oxen for an Oxe and foure Sheepe for a Sheepe THeft by the Law of Moses was punished by restitution paying sometimes
when the bad conscience accuseth 38. how the bad conscience bindeth a man and how long 39. the conscience gods herauld 38. Conclusions drawne from the first and second principles how they differ 35. conclusions of practise drawne from practicall principles 21. D David came nearest to Adam in prudencie 31. he wrote two books of the psalmes and set them in order 166. Daniel compared with Adam 31. he excelled in the interpretation of dreams ibid. Defect threefold 117. Divinitie compared to manna 1 the excellencie of it above all sciences and arts 1 2. compared with Metaphysickes 6. with the mathematicks and physicks ibid. with the lawyer and the physitian ibid with morall philosophie ibid and 7. with grammer and rhetorick 8. it rectifieth all other sciences 9. Dough of Egypt called the bread of the poore 2. Dreams whether more excellent then visions 49. the prophets had the dreams with the interpretation of them 48. the difference of them ibid. why god taught his prophets by dreames 49. E Egypt watered with the feet of men 2. it resembleth the world ibid. the people of god vnderstood not the language of it 93. Elephant hath no proper name in the hebrew 30. it is circumscribed by other words Esdras wrote none of the books over againe which were written before the captivitie but onely set them in order 119. F Faith the daughter of divinitie 5. the farther it goeth from sense and reason the more distinct lesse vniversall 4. how faith sense and reason apprehend things 3. the articles of faith taken generally or speciallie 63. Fast of the Iewes for the translation of the bible in greeke 146. Feast of tabernacles the last day the greatest 174. that day the Iewes read three parashoth ibid. Salomon blessed the people that day ibid. Christ the true Salomon taught the people that great day of the feast ibid. G Gate of knowledge foure fold 26. Generation three fold 15. God appeared immediately or mediately by an angell 45. hee appeared in the likenesse of an old man 26. the name god put to expresse any great thing 27. H Haphtorah the originall of it mistaken 157. Hebrew tongue the originall 92. the dialects of it 93. many words in the Hebrew haue a contrarie signification 103. Hedge fourefold 129. Hellenismes and grecismes how they differ 104 Hereticks labour to ground their heresies on the scripture I Iewes orientall and occidentall 109. faithfull keepers of the scriptures 110. bad interpreters ibid. the fable of the grecizing Iewes concerning the translation of the Seventy 146. they would write no language but in Hebrew letters 111. Ignorance damnable 64. ignorance of infirmitie ibid. Iohn why called a divine 75. he saw Christ three wayes 43 Ioseph came nearest to Adam in oeconomie 31. Ioseph put for the whole Iewes 93. Instruments of musick the Israelites kept them in captivitie 119. Interpretation the necesseitie of it 162. words vnknowne to the Iewes in the old testament interpreted 132. Iustin martyr of a philosopher became a divine 7 he standeth for the translation of the Seventie 143. K King wrote a copie of the law 118. Knowledge of the prophets kept by reading 66. Korahs posteritie died not with him 176. they wrote some of the psalmes ibid. L Language originall the Hebrew 89 90. Languages that haue affinitie with the Hebrew 93. and know in what language any book is written 99. Latine words made Greeke Latine translation vide translation Law or physicke whether more excellent 8. Moses law divided in three parts 164. in fiftie two sections 175. read once in the yeare by the Iewes ibid. the law written in the heart 34. difference betwixt the law of nature and the law of nations 39. the breach of the law of nature worse then of the law of nations ibid. the law perpetuall where the reason of it is perpetuall 41. M Manna the bread of angells 2. it resembleth divinitie ibid. Mary and Martha resemble the naturall and spirituall life Moses came nearest to Adams knowledge of gods attributes 28. N Names fitted to the creatures at the beginning 30. names given to creatures at the beginning which are not â—ound now in the scriptures ibid. many names in the scripture which are not Hebrew names 97. proper names of the Chaldeans Persians and Assyrians 98. Nathan wrote vntill the death of Salomon 121. O Obscuritie three fold 80. Order foure fold 82. order of the Evangelists 83. P Paraphrase what 158. Paraphrases of the Iewes how many 159. Blasphemous to be detested ibid. ridiculous to be rejected 160. paraphrases clearing the Text are to bee admitted 161. Parashah mistaken 174. division in parashoth most ancient 145. parashoth divided three wayes 173 how they distinguished the parashoth ibid. divided according to these who read them 176. Points not from the beginning 124. the Samaritan Copie hath not the Points ibid. they were not with the letters in the dayes of the Seventy ibid. other languages derived from the hebrew have no points 126. They were found out by the Masoreth ibid they are sometimes put in the text and the letters in the margent 128. poynts ommitted in some words 129. Present a thing present foure ways 181 Christ how present in the Sacrament Priest asked counsell for the people 54 wherein hee might erre 57. Prophets understood what they prophesied 47. their prophesies respect the second cause or the event 55. they had their humane learning from men 66. they had not their prophesie by habite 67. they erred not writing the scriptures 68. assisted by the spirit three wayes 72. difference betwixt them and other prophets 68. betwixt them and the Sybils 73. they were the mouth of god 68. they are called the men of the spirit 71. the lord spake in them 57. they wrote not with paine and studie 74. some things written by them not as they were prophets 120. why called the first prophets 164. why the latter ibid. the small prophets cited as one 165. Prophesie how long it endured 55 bestowed anew againe ibid. some prophesies not written 122. Psalmes divided in five bookes 166. psalmes written historically or prophetically 167. the authors of them 166. their inscriptions in generall 168 in particular ibid. some inscriptions are Notes of musicke 170. some instruments of musicke ibid. the diverse times when they were sung ibid. divided according to their subiect ibid. some alphabeticall 171. psalmes of degrees 169. the five last psalmes begin and end with halleluiah 172. Ptolomeus procured not the translation of the Seventy 144. his life 146. R Reading the marginall and line reading 127. marginall and line reading both put in the Text by interpreters 128. diverse readings make not up diverse senses Reason not a judge in matter divine not to be secluded from divinitie ib. she must not transcend her limits 14. Revelation two fold 49. how god revealed himselfe to his church 44. S Solomon compared with Adam 28. he was a holy man 72. his writings not profitable for the whole Church perished 121.
we touch the needle of the compasse with a Loadstone that the stone may draw it right to the pole againe So the mind must be touched with the Loadstone of the Spirit of grace that it may come backe againe to the Lord as to the pole EXERCITAT VI. Of the seven Precepts given to Noah Act. 15.20 We write unto them that they abstaine from things strangled and from blood BEfore the Law was written the Hebrewes say that the Lord gave to Noah seven Precepts which were delivered of Noah by tradition to his posterity after him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these the Iewes call pirke abhoth capitula patrum the traditions of the fathers The most ancient first tradition that we reade of was that Gen. 32.32 because Iacob halted upon his thigh therefore the children of Israel eate not of the sinew which shranke which is upon the hollow of the thigh unto this day So were these seven precepts delivered by tradition The first was against strange worship or idolatry 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should not worship false gods and this they called gnabhuda zar◠strange worship The second they called it gnal birkath hashem that is they should blesse the name of God The third was gnal shepukoth dammim that is he was forbidden to shed innocent blood The fourth was gnalui gniria that is he should not defile himselfe with filthy lusts The fift was gnad hagazael de rapina that he should take nothing by violence or theft The sixt was gnal hadinim de judiciis The seventh was abhar min achai ne menbrum de vivo that he should not pull a member from a living creature and eate of it This precept they say was given last to Noah Gen. 9.4 but the flesh with the life thereof which is the blood thereof shall yee not eate that is How this precept of Noah not to eate blood is to be understood as the Iewes interpret it yee shall not pull a member from a living creature eate of it as the wild beast doth but to stay untill the beast be killed and then eate the flesh thereof neyther shall ye eate the blood while it is hot as if it were yet in the body this is cruelty against a morall precept to eate hot blood while the life is in it Where the reason of the Law is perpetuall the Law is perpetuall for where the reason of the Law is perpetuall the Law must be perpetuall The reason of the Law is ye shall not eate blood because the life is in it so long as the life is in it yee must not eate it and see how this sinne Ezek. 33.35 is matched with other great sinnes Yee eate with the blood and lift up your eyes towards your Idols and shed blood and shall yee possesse the land The morall transgressions of the Law joyned with it here sheweth that it is cruelty to eate hot blood But Levit. 7.27 was the ceremoniall part of the Law and the Apostles in the councill Act. 15. forbiddeth them to eate any thing that was strangled whereby they meant the ceremoniall part of the Law Quest Whether are we to take these precepts as ceremoniall or as morrall Answ The most of these are morrall precepts and the same which are set downe againe in the Law For when the Apostles biddeth them abstaine from fornication Act. 15. See Beza Act. 15. It is the same that is forbidden in the fourth precept given to Noah not revelare turpitudinem and to interpret here fornication for eating of things sacrificed to Idols seemeth to be a strained sense for that is forbidden already by the first precept to Noah And to uncover the nakednesse according to the phrase of the Scripture is meant of bodily pollution and not of spirituall fornication Of eating of blood see more in the appendix of Command 6. Now besides these morrall precepts set downe by the councill they interlace this ceremoniall precept de suffocato forbidding to eate things strangled and they give the reason wherefore the Gentiles should abstaine from these Act. 15.21 For Moyses is read in their Synagogues every Sabbath Why the Apostles forbid to eate blood or things strangled as if Iames should say they professe not onely the morrall Law but also the ceremoniall Law yet therefore yee Gentiles shall doe well to abstaine from these things which may give them offence The Iewes respected these precepts most because they were kept in the Church even from Noahs dayes The Hebrewes adde further that there was no other precept given untill Abrahams dayes then God added the precept of circumcision and afterwards taught them to separate tithes God at the beginning taught his Church by tradition and not by write The Lord taught his Church in her infancie this wayes by traditions and not be write and even as parents teach their children the first elements by word Simile and afterwards by write so the Lord taught his Church first by word and then by write Conclusion The conclusion of this is The Lord never left his Church without his word to direct her before the fall he spake immediatly to Adam and Eve taught them In the second period he taught them by these seven precepts In the third period by the Law written and in the fourth period by the Gospel EXERCITAT VII Of the diverse wayes how God revealed himselfe extraordinarily to his Church Heb. 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets GOd manifested himselfe to his Church God revealed himselfe to his Church foure wayes first by prophesie secondly by the holy Spirit thirdly by Vrim and Thummim and fourthly by the poole Bethesda First by prophesie Sundry sorts of prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were sundry sorts of prophecie the first was lepi face to face to Moyses onely This sort of prophesie was the highest degree of revelation and it drew nearest to that sort of vision which we shall get of God in the heavens He manifested himselfe to Moyses face to face How the Lord manifested himselfe to Moses and hee knew him by his name that is not onely by the face as Princes know many of their Subjects but he knew him inwardly and liked him this was notitia approbationis Moyses saw God face to face yet he saw not the essence of God for hee dwelleth in a light inaccessable Iohn saw Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn saw God three manner of wayes First in his incarnation he saw God dwelling amongst men in the flesh here Secondly in his transfiguration upon the Mount Thirdly in the Spirit upon the Lords day Rev. 1.10 Although Iohn lay in the bosome of Christ and
the King when he should sit upon the Throne of his kingdome to write a Copie of this Law Deut. 17.18 and the Iewes adde further that he was bound to write out two copies one which he should keepe in his treasurie and another which he should carry about with him and they say moreover if Printing had beene found out then yet hee was bound to write them out with his owne hand Thirdly the Lord commanded the Prophets to write their visions upon Tables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant Graeci and to make them plaine Habak 2.2 Esay 8.1 and the Seventy read it to be graven upon the bush tree which is a sort of wood that corrupteth not and it will preserve that which is written upon it and it were to the worlds end Bookes necessary for the Church albeit lost yet they were found againe Fourthly when any booke which was necessary for the use of the Church was lost the Lord had a care that that booke should be found againe as the booke of the law found by Hilkiah 2 King 22.8 Or the Lord endited it anew againe when it was lost as when Iehojakim cut the roule of the lamentations of Ieremie yet the Lord inspired him a new againe to indite this booke to his Scribe Baruch Iere. 36.32 because he thought it necessary still for the Church therefore he would not have it to perish Fiftly in that generall destruction which the Babylonians made at Ierusalem burning their houses and robbing them of their goods The Israelites kept the musicall instruments in the captivity to put them in minde of the worship of God yet as Hierome and Basil observe well it was a speciall providence of God that they should leave to those captives their instruments of Musicke wherewith they used to serve God in the Temple that they might preserve some memorie of their former worship they brought these instruments to Babel with them Psal 137.2 we hung our harpes on willowes If the Lord had such a care of these instruments to have them preserved for his praise much more care had he to have the Scriptures preserved which taught them to worship and he who had a particular care of the parts of the Scripture before it was compleate and numbreth the haires of our heads Matth. 10.30 and the starres of the heavens Psal 147.4 will he not have a speciall care that none of these Bookes should perish which are canonicall That fable of Esdras then is to be rejected lib. 4. The fable of Esdras rejected cap. 4.23 So cap. 14.21 to the 24. verse he sheweth how the booke of God was lost in the Captivity and that Esdras the Scribe by holy inspiration wrote it all anew againe but this is false see we not how Daniel read out of the prophesie of Ieremie how long the captivitie should last Dan. 2.9 The booke of God then was not lost in the captivity and written anew againe by Esdras Esdras wrote nothing of the Scriptures but onely set the bookes in order but onely he set the bookes in order after the captivity nihil ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fecit sed ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee did nothing in correcting the booke of God but onely set it downe in order But we reade often times in the Scriptures of many Bookes wanting now which were extant before as the Bookes of the battels of the Lord Ans Num. 21.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this it cannot bee inferred that any canonicall booke is perished for this word Sepher signifieth a relation as well by word as by write Secondly although wee grant that it was a written booke yet it will not follow that it was a holy Booke Thirdly although we grant that it was an holy booke yet it will not follow that it was a canonicall booke The bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iuda and Israel were but civill records Some things written by the Prophets not as they were Prophets and belonged nothing to the canon of the Scriptures Secondly some bookes that were written by the Prophets were not written by them as they were Prophets Salomon wrote of Hearbes Trees and Plants 1 King 4.33 But what bookes were these They were but bookes of things which were under the Moone and of things corruptible and because they served not for the edification of the Church afterwards Hezekiah buried Salomons bookes of physick therefore the Lord suffered them to perish Suidas saith that the booke which Salomon wrote of Physicke was affixed upon the gate in the entrie of the Temple and because the people trusted too much in it neglecting the Lord as Asa put his trust in the Physitians 2 Chro. 13. therefore Hezekiah caused to pull away this booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and bury it And the Talmud saith that Hezekiah did two memorable things First Ganaz Sepher rephuoth Abscondit librum medicinarum He hid the bookes of Physicke which Salomon had written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And secondly Cathath nahhash hannehhushoth shegnashe Moshe Comminuit aeneum serpentem quem fecerat Moses He brake the brasen Serpent which Moyses made Salomon spake three thousand Proverbes 1 King 4.32 yet of all these Proverbes scarce eyght hundred are put in the Canon Some of these Proverbes the servants of Hezekiah King of Iuda copied out Prov. 25.1 And as they saw the King their master bury Salomons booke which he knew was hurtfull to the Church Salomoni Proverbs and Songs which were not profitable to the Church perished so those servants copied out these Proverbes which were profitable for the Church whereas the rest perished So Salomon wrote a thousand and five Songes of all which Songes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est utriusque numeri quae vel quod the Lord made choyse but of one to be insert in the Canon which is called the Song of Songes or canticum canticorum quae Salomonis rather then canticum canticorum quod Salomonis it was the most excellent Song of all Salomons Songs rather then the excellentest Song compared with other Songes But all bookes written by thē for the whole Church none of them are perished as the Prophesies of Nathan Ahija and Iddo For Burgensis observeth well upon 1 Chro. 29. That the first booke of Samuel is holden to be written by Samuel himselfe So the second Booke of Samuel and the second booke of the Kings were written by Nathan and Gad who lived with David and Salomon and wrote untill the death of Salomon then Iddo and Ahija wrote the historie following of Ieroboam interlacing somethings of Salomon and Rehoboam Object 1 Chron. 29.29 Now the acts of David the King first and last behold they are written in the booke of Samuel the Seer and in the booke of Nathan the Prophet and in the booke of Gad the Seer with all his reigne and his might and the times that went over him and over Israel and all
the Kingdomes of the Countries But these words cannot be understood of the bookes of Samuel for wee reade not in these bookes what David did abroad in these Countries therefore some other bookes must be understood here written by Gad and Nathan which are not extant Ans Not onely the things which David did in Israel are set downe in the booke of Samuels but also the things which he did abroad in other Countries as against Zoba King of Hadadezzar Hierom. in Esa 13. against the Moabites and against Tobh King of Hemath And where it is sayd over all the kingdomes of the countries it is the manner of the Scripture as Hierome marketh by the whole Countries to understand the next adjacent countries whereof it speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore in the originall it is Haaratzoth Of that carth Ob. 2 Chro. 33 19. The prayer of Manasseh and how God was intreated of him and all his sinne and his trespasse and the places wherein he built high places and set up groves and graven images before he was humbled behold they are written among the saying of the Seers or Hosai But in the whole booke of the Kings there is no mention made of his affliction or of the cause which mooved him to repent or of his prayers which he made to God in time of his affliction then this booke of the prophet is not now extant So the acts of Baasha Zimri and Omri are they not written in the Bookes of the Chronicles of Israel 1 Kings 16.5 27. But nothing concerning their actes are found in the bookes of the Kings or in the Chronicles therefore those bookes are perished when the Scriptures remit us to those bookes it giveth us to understand that these bookes are worthy to be trusted as written by the Seers of God neyther doth the Scripture cite them as it doth some short sentences out of the Heathen Poets The Apostle saith of those Poets that they sayd the truth Tit. 1.13 But the Spirit of God remitteth us to these bookes that we may be fully instructed by them in the whole truth of the Acts of those Kings Answ First we must know that there were many Prophets who prophesied whose prophesies were never written as the prophesies of the children of the Prophets Some prophesies of the Prophets were not written and the prophesies of those who prophesied from the dayes of Eli to David as some of Asaph Heman and Ieduthun Secondly all the things which were written by the Seers were not written by them as Seers Salomon wrote many things which he wrote not as a Prophet and so did David Thirdly Something 's written by the Prophets profitable for the Church then but not profitable now many things which they wrote then as Seers and were profitable to the Church for that time were not profitable for the Church now and the Spirit of God remitted them then to the civill records and to some prophesies which were then extant but are perished now because now they were not necessary for the Church but all these things which the Lord endited to them by his Spirit and which he thought to be necessary for his Church to be the Canon and rule of our faith all those the Lords watchfull eye hath kept and preserved that none of them are perished The Conclusion of this is Conclusion The bookes of Emperours and Kings are lost yet the Lord hath kept the register of the little Kings of Iuda and Israel both in whole and in parts although they were but Shepherds and banished men And the Church would rather spend her best blood then shee would part with that pretious Iewell or any part of it therefore they called those who delivered the booke of God to the persecuting Tyrants Traditores EXERCITAT XIIII That the points were not originally with the Letters from the beginning Neh. 8.8 So they read in the Booke the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading of the Law WE have showne that the Scriptures are not corrupt and that no essentiall or integrall part is wanting in the holy Scriptures Now it resteth to show that the Points the accidentall ornaments were not from the beginning The Iewes who are faithfull keepers but bad interpreters of the Scriptures interpret these words Nehe. 8.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after this manner vaijkren bassepher betorath They read in the booke of the Law this they expound to be the litterall sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Ezra gave Mephorash distinctly that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adding the Points and distinctions Veshom Shâ—cel Appenentes intellectum and gave the sense that is he added the Targum or paraphrase to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vajabhinu bammikra and caused them to understand the reading of the Law that is he added the Kabbala But this is a false Glosse Ezra read the Law to them gave them not onely the grammaticall sense but also the spirituall and true meaning of the words he neither added points nor Targum or Kabbala to it The points were not then from the beginning as may be seene by these reasons following Reason 5 The first reason is taken from the Samaritan Character The Iewes acknowledge that the letters of the law which they have now are not the ancient Characters in which Moyses wrote the Law But to these ancient Characters there is no vowell subjoyned as we may see in the forme of the Shekell set downe by Arias Montanus Beza and Villalpand upon Ezekiel Reason 2 The second reason is taken from the first exemplar of the Iewes which they kept in their Synagogues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they have most exactly written and rouled up this booke which is the cheefe booke in their estimation and whereof they account more then of any other Hebrew Bible yet there is neyther Poynt nor Accent in this booke but onely Consonants This may be seene also in their ancient billes of divorce wherein are neyther Points nor Accents Therefore the Points were not from the beginning Reason 3 The third reason is taken from the names of the Points and Accents which are Chaldee names therefore they were imposed after the captivity Object But they who maintaine that the Poynts were from the beginning say that this reason holdeth not for the names of the Moneths are Chaldee names imposed after the captivity and yet the Moneths were from the beginning So the Points may be from the beginning although the Chaldee names were given to them after the captivitie Answ As the Moneths were from the beginning and had Chaldee names given unto them after the captivity so the value of the Points were from the beginning but the figures and the names of the Points were set downe a long time afterwards Reason 4 The fourth reason is taken from the translation of the Seventy for when the Seventy read the Hebrew Text wanting the
Eleazar the Highpriest and the Synedriâ—n at Ierusalem had approved this translation why would the Iewes at Ierusalem have so hated this translation The Iewes kept a fast for this Translation For yearely in remembrance of this translation they kept a fast the eight day of Tebheth which moneth answereth to our December and the Iewes say that there was three dayes darkenesse when the Law was translated these Angaria or fastings which they call Tagnanejoth were appointed eyther propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the great wrath of God which did hang over them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for some great plague or for killing some just man so the Iewes observed these Angaria in remembrance of this translation as a day of great heavinesse and not as a day of great joy and they applyed that place of Solomon Eccles 3.1 There is a time to rent and a time to sow they who made this schisme say they rent the Law when they translated it Reason 5 Fiftly If we shall marke what manner of man this Ptolomeus King of Aegypt was Ptolomeus Philadelphus a vitious man we shall hardly be induced to thinke that he had such a care in translating of the Bible or that he would be at such charges to send for such a number of learned men to translate it for hee was a most vile and wicked man and hee was called Philadelphus as the Parca or weerdsisters are called Eumenides for he killed his two brethren borne of Eurices and committed incest with his owne sister Arcinoe Reason 6 Iosep lib. 11.2 Sixtly Iosephus writeth that the Law was sent by Eleazer the hie Priest to Aegypt written in Golden Letters but this is improbable for the Hebrew Doctors write that it was not lawfull for any no not for the King to write the Law but onely with Inke and when they saw the copy that was presented to Alexander the great Guliâ—l Shickardus lib. 2. de sure reg Hebrae having the name Iehova still written in Golden Letters the wise men amongst the Iewes would have them rased out and to bee written with Inke See how the grecizing Iewes made up this fable of the agreement and consent of the Seventy translating the Bible The fable of the grecizing Iewes concerning the Translation of the Seventie this fable arose as Scaliger observeh well out of the misapplying of that place Exod. 24.9 And Moses ascended and Aaron vers 11. And Seventie of the Elders of Israel And there the Septuagints adde which is not in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Of the chosen men of Israel none of them did disagree and hence afterward was this uniformity made up of the Seventy translating the Law in Aegypt whereas there is no such thing in the originall text but onely this wayes it standeth in the Text. They saw the Lord and upon the Nobles of Israel he layd not his hand that is although they saw the Lord yet they dyed not that which was spoken of the Seventy in Moyses time they applyed it to these Seventy who were sent to Aegypt in the dayes of Ptolemeus and againe they misinterpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus The chosen of Israel none of them did disagree but in the originall it is None of them did die Wherefore Scaliger judgeth and not without cause that this Translation of the Seventy was not procured thus The cause that moved the Iewes to procure this Translation of the Seventie and the grecizing Iewes doe fable but he saith the matter fell out after this manner When the Scattered Iewes lived under Ptolemeus King of Aegypt then they were enforced to write their contracts in Greeke and to reckon their times by the reigne of the Kings of Aegypt who redacted them to this necessitie to speake the Greeke tongue and these Iewes who lived in Alexandria and through out Aegypt procured this Translation and that it might be read not onely in Aegypt amongst the grecizing Iewes there but also amongst all the grecizing Iewes abroad but the Iewes who keepe the originall text were very loath to admit the Translation of the Seventie to be read in their Synagogues and it was for this Translation as Scaliger holdeth that there was such hatred betweene the Hebrewes and the Greekes The cause of the â—â—atred betwixt the Hebrewes and Grecizing Iewes Act. 6.7 The other Iewes who lived still in Iudea hated these grecizing Iewes who followed the Translation of the Seventy they called them hakkore giphthith reading after the manner of the Egyptians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Legenâ—es Egyptiaâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Retrorsum and Lemiphrang that is the wrong reading because they read from the left hand to the right and not from the right hand to the left as the Hebrewes doe By this which hath beene said wee may perceive that this Translation of the Seventy was not procured by Ptolomeus Philadelphus This much onely wee must grant This Translation was procured under Ptolomeus but not by him first that this Translation was translated in the dayes of Ptolomeus Philadelpus Secondly that it was translated by seventy Iewes but that Ptolomeus was the cause why it was translated or that the Seventy were put in severall Cels when they translated it or were divinely inspired as the Prophets of God were when they translated it The Seventy were not inspired as Prophets when they translated the Bible all these are too bee denyed This Translation of the Seventy which we have now is not that which the Seventy wrote Origen never saw it as may appeare by his Hexapla for it was burnt by Dioclesian as some hold in the Library of Alexandria or as others hold by Iulius Caesar when he burnt Serapion Barouius Tom. 2. Vido Lipsium de Bibliotheca The Seventy were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired by the holy Spirit and therefore we are not to paralell the Hebrew Text and the translation of the Seventy but where the holy Ghost hath paralelled them There were other Translations of the Old Testament First Diverse translation of the old Testament the Arabicke translation of the Testament Secondly the Persicke translation upon the five bookes of Moyses which was translated by Iacobus Tavasus And thirdly the Ethiopian translation translated by Damianus Agoeis And lastly the Armenian translation Guido fabratius sent to the King of France the Arabicke Ethiopian Persian and Armenian translations and all in their owne Characters which if the King had caused print in their owne Characters and digested them in Columnes as Origen did his Octupla it had beene regium opus a princely worke The first Latine translation out of the Hebrew was Hieroms translation The first Translation out of the Hebrew into Latin was that of Hiero. foure hundred yeares after Christ in the dayes of Pope Damasus there were other translations in Latine of which Augustine maketh mention but they were
Revel 11.19 things which are hid and obscure are said by the Hebrewes to be far off Deut. 30.14 and things which are cleare and manifest are said to be neare at hand thus we see how farre the Gospell exceedeth the Law but yet we are not to vilifie and count basely of those ceremonies for the holy Ghost hath registred the least instrument and the basest things in the Sanctuary and David gave to Salomon a patterne of the table Candlesticke Lampes flesh-hookes and bowles 1 Chron. 28.11 17. It may be said perhaps that they had some use then 2 Cot. 5.10 but old things are past away and all things are become new what use then can they have in the Church now they have no use for signification now in the Church or to fore-shadow things to come seeing Christ the Body himselfe is come yet they have many other good uses first we should delight to looke backe to see the antiquitie of them for even as men delight to behold the cloathes and Armour of their predecessors which they wore long agoe So should we delight to see the cloathes in which Christ was wrapped in his infancy and the Cradle in which Christ lay Secondly this should teach us to be thankefull to God that we have so cleare a light under the Gospel which they had not under the Law it was a great benefit to learning when the obscure Hieroglyphicks in Egypt were changed into letters and the darke and mysticall writings of Plato were changed by Aristotle into a cleare and plaine forme of writing farre greater is the benefit that the Church hath now when the Lord hath changed these figures and ceremonies into the cleare light of the Gospell Thirdly these doe let us see that God will performe the rest of his promises as he hath fulfilled all these types already and lastly they let us see the miserable estate of the Iewes who cleave still to these ceremonies as yet Hierom compareth the Iewes before Christ came into the world to these that eate the flesh and he compared Christians under the Gospell to those who eate the marrow but he compareth the Iewes after they had rejected Christ to the dogges who gnaw the bones cleaving onely to the killing letter but not seeking to Iesus Christ the quickning Spirit And now Sir I dedicate this part of my labours to you that it may remaine a note of my thankefulnesse for your favours to me I know Sir that ye will make better use of it then most men in these dayes doe with such Treatises casting them by and rather reade any trifle than that which conduceth to the informing of the soule to God-ward yea preaching it selfe they are weary of except perhaps some new mans odde elocution invite them for a fit but by and by they looke after a new straine as it were for new fashions of cloathes But I know Sir your breeding craveth another thing of you who was bred up under so wise and religious a mother who for the educatioÌ„ of her children was another Monica as your selfe and your vertuous sister Mistris Katherine are sufficient proofes I cannot passe by her name upon this occasion whose life and death was to mean instruction Good cause have you to keepe that methode as yee have begun it in your eldest sonne so to prosecute the same with your many hopefull children which GOD hath given you by your Noble match which is one of the best borne Ladies of this Land who dignifieth her birth by her Christian humble and godly life Sir beleeve me that godlinesse is more true Honour to you than your birth although you be never so well descended and to be more esteemed than the place which yee have about our Gracious King and more than all morall vertues whatsoever which are but splendida peccata without piety your Honour and worldly credite are but trifles compared to this they cannot keepe a man alive in this world nor doe him any good in the world to come Eccles 12. â—3 for this is the whole man this makes up a complete man and he is but the shadow of a man that wants this Psal 34.7 The Angels of the Lord pitch round about them that feare him and deliver them and hath any man in this Court gotten more remarkeable deliverances than you have I am sure ye will not let these benefits of the Lord slip out of your minde reade often the sixty two Psalme Heb. 12.20 and meditate upon it The God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Now for these my labours if they serve for any Christian use in the Church I am satisfied and that I may doe so I humbly pray to God and shall still for your prosperity Your Honours still to be commanded in the Lord Iohn Weemes A Table of the Contents of the Exercitations of this Booke EXERCITAT I. OF the reducing of the ceremonies of the Law in generall unto the Commandements Pag. 1. First Commandement EXERCITAT II. Of the purification of the woman after her childbirth Pag. 4 Second Commandement EXERCITAT III. Of the place of Gods worship Pag. 7 EXERCITAT IIII. Of the Arke Pag. 11 EXERCITAT V. Where they worshipped when the Arke and Tabernacle were separated Pag. 15 EXERCITAT VI. Of the situation of the City of Ierusalem Pag. 19 EXERCITAT VII In what tribe the Temple stood Pag. 23 EXERCITAT VIII Of the Temple of Ierusalem Pag. 28 A comparison betwixt the first and second Temple Pag. 30 A comparison betwixt the Temple and Christ Pag. 32 A comparison betwixt the Temple and Heaven Pag. 33 EXERCITAT IX Of the Churbims Pag. 34 EXERCITAT X. Of the golden Candle sticke Pag. 39 EXERCITAT XI Of the table of Shewbread Pag. 42 EXERCITAT XII Of the Altar Pag. 45 EXERCITAT XIII Of the Sacrifices in generall Pag. 51 EXERCITAT XIIII Of the Sacrifices in particular and first of the burnt offering Pag. 56 Of the meat offring Pag. 58 Of the peace offring Pag. 59 Of the sinne offring Pag. 63 Of the trespasse offring Pag. 68 EXERCITAT XV. Of the Priests apparrell Pag. 69 EXERCITAT XVI The Lord would not have his people use the customes of the heathen Priests Pag. 73 EXERCITAT XVII That a woman might not weare a mans apparrell Pag. 76 Third Commandement EXERCITAT XVIII Of the Nazarite Vow Pag. 78 Fourth Commandement EXERCITAT XIX Of the passeover Pag. 84 EXERCITAT XX. Of the pentecost Pag. 93 EXERCITAT XXI Of the feast of Tabernacles Pag. 96 EXERCITAT XXII Of the new Moones Pag. 100 EXERCITAT XXIII Of the day of expiation Pag. 106 EXERCITAT XXIIII Of the seuenth yeeres rest and the Iubile Pag. 110 Of the
Iubile Pag. 114 Fift Commandement EXERCITAT XXV Of the maintenance of the Priest under the Law Pag. 121 EXERCITAT XXVI The Iewes might not kill the damme sitting upon the young ones Pag. 128 Sixt Commandement EXERCITAT XXVII That the Iewes might eate no blood Pag. 132 EXERCITAT XXVIII The Iewes might not seeth a kid in the mothers milke to teach them not to be cruell Pag. 136 Seventh Commandement EXERCITAT XXIX When a bastard might enter into the Congregation under the Law Pag. 140 EXERCITAT XXX The Priests daughter that defiled her selfe with fornication was to be burnt Pag. 147 EXERCITAT XXXI How the woman suspected of adulterie was tryed by her jealous husband Pag. 150 Eight Commandement EXERCITAT XXXII Of devouring of holy things Pag. 154 EXERCITAT XXXIII Of the Iewes Phylacteries a ceremony for keeping of all the Commandements Pag. 158 EXERCITAT XXXIIII A ceremony for a breach of all the Commandements Pag. 161 EXERCITAT XXXV Of the Iewes logicall helpes for the understanding of the ceremoniall Law Pag. 164 EXERCITAT XXXVI How to understand the signification of the ceremonies of Moses Law Pag. 154 EXERCITAT XXXVII Of the abrogation of the ceremoniall Law Pag. 171 How to make use of the ceremonies of the Law in opening of a Text and reducing them to practise Pag. 177 Of the priviledge of the first berne in Israel Pag. 192 Of Satans accusation of Ioshua the Highpriest Pag. 225 Of the eating of holy things Pag. 245 Of the pollution by the dead Pag. 250 Of the Comforts in death Pag. 251 A Table of the places of Scripture explained in this Booke of the explanation of the Ceremoniall Law the first number sheweth the Chapters the second the Verse and the third the Page Genesis Cap. Ver. pag. 1 5 195 4 23 228 18 11 152 30 22 152 31 39 203 34 30 147 41 45 220 49 27 24 Exodus 6 20 194 8 11 255 19 14 43 21 2 113 22 31 137 25 22 29 Levit. 2 13 53 3 11 62  17 6 4 3 64 5 15 68 7 24 60 10 18 66 12 4 5 15 17 138 16 23 72 17 14 3 20 10 111 24 2 40  9 247 26 25 161 Numb 4 7 56 11 11 61 12 4 204  10 5â— 13 16 219 15 39 2 16 39 97 17 2 17â— 18 2 121  16 56 19 16 250 31 1 141 Deut. 5 1 116 12 9 14 16 10 127  15 62 21 17 3 25 5 195 32 14 42 33 12 26  16 12 Iosh 15 5 25  63 24 Iudg. 9 37 22 11 2 145 12 17 6 13 7 79 16 13 254 Ruth 1 22 94 4 4 196 1. Sam. 3 3 10 4 20 11 7 9 18 11 24 60 17 54 22 18 10 21 20 6 60  30 146 2 Sam. 4 12 162 6 2 14 13 2 219 18 12 225 1 King 2 19 220 3 3 16 5 18 30 6 23 11 7 21 29  29 â—6  49 10 8 41 8 2 King 21 21 7 4 28 100 1 Chron. 1 30 17 21 3 226 23 24 187  25 14 25 5 114 2 Chron. 1 3 15 5 5 16 6 30 33 8 11 14 30 1 88 35 11 84 Ezra 2 7 30 3 8 187  12 31 10 18 216 Nehem. 11 24 24 13 1 142 Esth 8 8 226 Iob. 3 13 252 7 1 256  6 257  7 252 9 25 256 13 26 151 16 18 133 18 13 229 Psal 1 4 6 7 4 36 14 3 62 15 1 8 17 18 36 20 3 49 24 7 11 27 6 58 45 2 59 50 21 74 68 4 22 71 4 215 72 5 199 74 8 7 78 67 15 80 11 21 89 12 22 92 9 21 99 5 11 107 3 22 109 18 151  23 97 118 27 49 120 5 8 129 5 121 132 8 11 142 6 126 144 13 112 Prover 9 17 151 15 17 251 17 1 60 20 25 154 23 6 124 Eccles 1 5 120 5 2 157 7 2 251 Cant. 3 7 39 5 1 62  13 53 6 10 102 7 13 183 Esay 1 13 63 5 14 259 7 20 81 8 18 201 11 5 70 16 14 256 22 21 70 25 6 59 40 11 61 43 7 11 49 16 159 56 7 8 Iere. 2 3 156 3 16 14 14 8 33  9 69 15 19 214 17 12 15 18 20 221 25 12 96 31 â—9 19 46 20 73 51 20 2â—5  35 196 Lament 2 15 29 3 15 85  24 126 4 1 31 Ezek. 8 16 30 16 24 153 23 3 73 24 7 133 33 25 134 38 12 22 39 15 250 44 17 69  30 127 Dan. 8 6 47  11 56 Hosea 2 4 73 11 6 1â—4 Ioel. 2 17 30 Amos. 2 6 18  11 80 7 17 128 9 13 112 Ionah 1 5 6 3 17 23 Micah 2 10 97 Hagg. 1 9 31 1 15 213 Zach. 4 12 40 8 19 106 9 6 143  9 21 Malach. 1 7 47 2 8 9  9 225 3 5 153 3 10 112 Matth. 2 23 82 5 36 28 11 23 203 17 1 116 21 19 190 25 33 218 26 55 179 27 44 6 Mark 9 49 53 10 30 107 11 16 32 14 12 84 16 5 35 Luc. 1 11 48 2 22 4 9 4 116  59 35 Ioh. 1 14 98 2 6 109 4 35 95  38 95 5 5 94 7 38 98 12 1 88 16 20 253 Act. 1 10 36  19 19  21 142 2 1 96 3 2 79  11 210 7 42 82 17 19 175 15 20 136 19 39 143 Rom. 7 1 43 1 Cor. 5 21 67 7 37 141 10 17 42 2 Cor. 1 21 58 5 1 97 Galat. 2 9 29  19 218 Ephes 1 7 198 5 2 57 6 14 70 Philip. 2 10 236 3 6 239 4 1 240 Coloss 2 3 32  16 100 4 11 219 1 Thes 2 19 240 4 4 44 1 Tim. 4 4 245  11 186 2 Tim. 1 13 1 2 22 186 4 6 57 Heb. 4 13 53 5 4 170 9 4 48  9 902 10 5 170 11 11 153 13 4 44  10 51 1 Pet. 1 12 12  18 197 2 18 197 2 Pet. 1 19 10 1 Ioh. 2 27 58 Iude  8 229  12 183 Revel 1 13 70 3 12 30 4 7 37 5 5 229 11 2 30 15 6 70 21 23 9 A Table of the Hebrew words expounded in this booke × ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 146 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 63 ב 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 123 × ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 159 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 185 ד 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 194 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 35 ×” 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 ×– 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 196 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 162 ×— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 100 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 63 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 144 ט 〈◊〉
translated from the family of Phinehas to Ithamars posterity Ob. for Eli was of the posterity of Ithamar and not of Phinehas and from Eli it came to his sonne Phimehas and then to Achitub and then to Achiaz the brother of Ahimelech and then it was restored to Zadoc see 1 Chron. 24.3 for foure generations the posteritie of Phinehas wanted the Priesthood Elies posterity had it de facto et non de jure Ans therefore it is to be marked what bad successe most of them had in the Priesthood Eli brake his necke his sonne Phinehas was killed in the battell Abiathar was put from the Priesthood and his soone Ahimelech was slaine by Doeg and all this time when they wanted the Priesthood the posterity of Elcazer farre surpassed the posterity of Ithamar 1 Chron. 24.4 Againe it was promised to Phinehas posterity conditionally if they should walke in their fathers wayes This promise of the Priesthood was not made so absolutely to Phinehas but that Phinehas posterity for their sinnes might be deprived of it for a time even as the promise made to David that the Kingdome should continue with his posterity for ever did not exclude the captivity of Babylon and the overthrow of the kingdome for a time yet by vertue of this promise made to Phinehas his posterity could not want it for ever And thirdly it is so promised to his posterity that it should not be taken for ever from him as it was from the posterity of Eli. This rod brought forth Almonds without a roote the fathers reason out of this place against the Iewes who will not beleeve that the Virgin could beare a sonne why will ye beleeve this say they that Aarons rod brought forth Almonds without a roote and cannot beleeve that a Virgin can beare a sonne ye beleeve that Eva was created out of the side of Adam and that Adam was created out of the dust why may yee not beleeve this likewise that God can create a child in the Wombe of the Virgin Yee beleeve that Sara an old withered stocke conceived by the power of God and why ye will not beleeve this that God by his power created the Child in the Wombe of the Virgin The tree blossomed although it was withered Hence we may gather that the withered tree the Church of the Iewes shall flourish againe a man looking with a naturall eye upon that heape of dry bones Ezek. 37. would never thinke that they should rise againe but the Lord by the mighty wind of his Spirit gathered these bones together and made them to live so the Lord by his mighty power shall make the withered tree of the Iewes to flourish againe Obj. But ye will say that Christ cursed the figtree which represented the Church of the Iewes and said Never fruit grow upon thee henceforth Mat. 21.19 Then it may seeme that this tree shall never flourish againe Answ That figtree that was accursed by Christ never to beare fruit againe represented the Iewes who lived then and those who shall live till the conversion of the Iewes but when the wrath of God is come upon them to the full as the Apostle speakes then the Lord shall call them and their rod shall flourish againe Quest Whether kept this rod still the buds blossomes and Almonds when it was laid up before the Lord or not No question it did Answ for the Lord commandeth to lay it up as a testimony against the rebels now when it kept the buds blossomes and Almonds it testified the more vively against them and as the Manna lasted so many hundreth yeares in the golden pot so did this rod keepe the blossomes and Almonds When Aarons rod budded it was a token to him that he was called of the Lord he that runneth and is not sent by the Lord shall never doe good in that holy Calling these Agrippa who were borne with their feet formost it was a bad token of their evill government to follow as it fell out in Herod Agrippa who was a very bad Governour so when a Preacher is not sent by God to his people and the Lord doth not make his rod to bud he shall never be a profitable Minister in his Calling Of the priviledges of the first borne under the Law and what he was bound to doe to his brethren and kinsmen Matth. 22.24 If a man die having no children his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto him AFter that the Pharisees had tempted Christ the same day the Sadduces came to tempt him who denyed the Resurrection and they reason with Christ ab absurdo if there were a Resurrection then this absurdity would follow that seven men should have one wife at the Resurrection but this is absurd therefore c. and thus they goe about to ground upon Moses Law For Moses commanded in the Law that if a man dye without seed then his brother should raise up his seed unto him Deut. 35.5 Now there fell out a case among us that a man married a wife and dyed without children his brother married his wife and he dyed without children also and seven brethren had her to wife Whose wife then shall she be in the Resurrection Our Lord answereth that they erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God for in the Resurrection men neither marry nor give in marriage but are like the Angels of God The Sadduces who denyed the Resurrection put this question to Christ He that denyeth the immortality of the soule cannot hold one sound point in Religion the Sadduces denyed the immortality of the soule they held the soule to be like Quickesilver which made the body to stirre or like Salt that kept the body from corruption as Epicurus held and the best that they made of it they said it was an exact temperature of the humours of the body and then for the Angels they said they were but good thoughts but not subsisting spirits Now if the soule be not an immortall substance the body cannot be joyned to it againe for the weale of the body dependeth upon the soules immortality they held the soule to be mortall and therefore of necessity they behoved to deny the resurrection Tertullian called the Marcionites and Valentinians qui credebant reditum animae non corporis partiarios Saducaeos We who professe our selves to be Christians say the Creed and repeate this Article often I beleeve the resurruction of the body but yet if we will looke to the lives of most part of men we shall heare than say no other thing but that which the Sadduces and Epicures said 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eate let us drinke for to morrow we shall dye that is be quite extinguished in soule and body as if there were no more of us after our death thā beasts when they are knockt on the head when the Pharises reasoned with the Sadduces they said unto thē Why study ye to keep the Law seeing ye beleeve not the immortality
of the soule they answered That it might be well with them in this life we professe the immortality of the soule why study we not then to keepe the Law that it may goe well with us in the time to come Augustine said if he were perswaded that the soule were mortall then of all religions he would chuse to be the Epicure or Sadduce but seeing the soule is an immortall substance Let us detest these bruit beasts who imagine that death is the end both of soule and body the soule liveth for ever then the body must live for ever either in weale or woe Let us study therefore to feed the soule with that immortall food of the Word of God and not say with the rich man in the Gospell Luc. 12.19 Soule thou hast enough if we would have that happy conjunction betwixt the soule and the body againe Moses said if a man dye having no children Quest The question may be asked here how Moses could command such a thing for incest is condemned in the morall law and forbidden in the seventh Commandement Ans We must distinguish betwixt these lawes which are morall positive lawes and those which are divine positive lawes Morale positivum divinuâ— positivum Morall positive lawes are such as the very light of nature commandeth Divine positive are those which are accessory commandements added to the first Example this is a morall positive law that a man should not lye with his mother nor with his mother in law for this is a fornication that is not named amongst the Gentiles 1 Cor. 5.1 And it was for this sort of incest that the Canaanites were cast out of Canaan So this is primarium jus naturae or morale positivum that a man should not lye with his daughter nor his daughters daughter descendendo descending downeward but this againe is divinum positivum or secundarium jus naturae in the collaterall line that a man should not lye with his sister or his brothers wife No marriage in the collaterall line was forbidden at the first by the law of nature or morall positive law but it was forbidden afterwards by the divine positive law Levit. 18.16 When Lot lay with his daughters this was incest in the highest degree because it was contrary to Ius naturale the morall positive law but when Amram married Iochabed Dodatho his fathers sister Exod. 6 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amita It should not be translated Patrueâ—is cozin-german but his fathers sister see Num. 26.59 This was not against the morall positive or naturall part of the law because it was not in the right line but in the collaterall although in the neerest degree it was against the divine positive law and that the Church might be replenished with people God over-saw this sort of marriage at the first but God doth more here hee commanded the brother to raise up seede to his brother First This Commandement was not against the morall positive Law this is not contra primarium jus naturae because it was not in the right line Secondly it is an exception from secundarium ius naturae for when God commanded to doe this hee willed them not to doe this to satisfie lust for that were against primarium jus naturae the morall positive law but onely that the elder brother might be a tipe of Iesus CHRIST who should never want a seede in the Church If he dye having no children In the originall it is having no seede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not be translated sonnes here for daughters succeeded likewise to the inheritance when the fathers had no sonnes therefore it should be translated haeving no children The women raised up seed to their parents which comprehends both the males and femals the women raised up seede to their parents as well as the males marrying within their owne tribe therefore that saying in the Talmud was not true qui masculam prolem non habuit etsi filias habuerit plurimas in eo genus est consummatum His brother shall marry his wife and raise up seede to him What brother had this priviledge The eldest brother was bound to raise up seed onely he that was the eldest brother and therefore Deut. 25.5 If brethren dwell together and one of them dye one of them Numerus Cardinaliâ— pro ordinali that is the eldest of them Gen. 1.5 and the evening and the morning were one day that is the first day this is cardinalis numeruâ— pro ordinali if the third brother had raised up seede to the second brother then it had beene incest He that was the first borne in Israel What things the first borne did to the rest he was bound to do three things to his brethren kinsmen first he was bound to revenge his blood their was vindex sanguinis Secondly he was Goel and redeemed the morgaged lands of his neere kinsman and thirdly it was he that delivered him out of prison all these three he was bound to doe to him jure propinquitatis because hee was his neerest kinsman What things due to the eldest brother There were three things againe which were due to him First hee had a double portion of his fathers goods Secondly he had the whole inheritance and thirdly if he dyed without children his brother was to raise up seed unto him Christ our Goel revengeth our blood upon his enemies Now let us apply these to Christ First Christ is our Goel or vindex sanguinis the revenger of our blood upon that red Dragon who thristeth for the blood of man and upon all the enemies who thirst for the blood of his children the revenger of blood or Goel Deut. 19.6 when he pursued the killer his heart waxed hote in the pursuite Iesus Christ our Goel when hee doth see the blood of the Saints shed his heart waxeth hote and he furbisheth the sword to make it drunke with the blood of his enemies Iere. 51.35 The violence done to me to my flesh be upon thee Babylon shall Sion say and my blood be upon the Chaldeans shall Ierusalem say now marke what is said in the chapter preceding Iere. 30.50 How teares are said to offend Thy Goel or redeemer is strong and I will pleade thy cause See how the revenger of the blood makes Babylon and Chaldea answer for all Iob saith Cap. 17. My teares ascend before the Lord Teares naturally descend but as the Sunne drawes up the exhalations and they fall downe againe so the wrongs that are done to the Saints they come up before their Goel and then fall downe againe upon the enemies heads they shall answer for all the blood shed from Abel to Zachary and all this innocent blood which is shed now the Lord will require it at their hand Secondly he redeemed the morgaged land Ruth 4.4 and Ier. 32.7 when Hanameel the sonne of Shallum had morgaged his field that was in Anathoth the right of redemption belonged