THE JEWES Synagogue OR A TREATISE CONCERNING The ancient Orders and manner of Worship used by the JEWES in their SYNAGOGVE-ASSEMBLIES Gathered out of the Sacred SCRIPTURES the Jewish Rabines and such Modern Authors which have been most conversant in the study of Jewish Customes WHEREIN By comparing the SCRIPTURES in the Old and New Testament together many truths are fully opened and sundry Controversies about Church-Government truly and plainly stated By William Pinchion of Springfeild in N. England LONDON Printed for John Bellamie and are to be sold at his shop at the three golden Lions in Cornhill neer the Royall Exchange 1652. To the Christian Readers of great BRITANY CHristian Reader all the Authors that I have read about the discipline of the Iews Synagogues have mixed many of the Jewes late superstitious practices among some of their ancient approved practices and because they have not distinguished the one from the other they have rather confounded the Reader than given him any distinct aime how to judge of their Synagogue-orders and whether they were ever any particular Churches of Jesus Christ Nay many learned have concluded that they never were ordained for any true Churches of Christ And therefore they have slighted all their discipline-practices as nothing exemplary to the government of the particular Churches of Iesus Christ at this day But my apprehensions are otherwise for I conceive that Iesus Christ did originally ordain them as true particular visible Churches Therefore I thought it necessary to search out as well as I could their Synagogue-worship together with some of their ancient Discipline-practices and herein I have endeavoured to avoid their late superstitious observations which they have added from their own brains in the time of their Apostasie This labour I thought necessary to communicate to the godly for the better searching into the fundamental grounds of Church-Discipline If any thing I have alledged be profitable to thy understanding let God have the glory in the wise improvement thereof for the peace and comfort of all the Churches of Iesus Christ Amen A Table of some chiefe Heads Chap. 1. That the Jewes Synagogue-Assemblies were true visible Churches of Jesus Christ 1 THe Jewes Synagogues were particular Churches of Jesus Christ pag. 1. 2 Their nationall Church-worship was not sufficient of it self to preserve the truth of Religion among them But their Synagogue-worship was sufficient without their nationall worship both when they lived in the wildernesse and when they lived in Heathen Countries p. 9 3 The antiquity of Synagogues in heathen countries p. 12 4 The provident care of Jesus Christ for the speedy spreading of particular Christian Churches into all parts of the world doth mightily appeare by his dispersing the Jewes into sundry heathen countries to build Synagogues and to get Assemblies before hand fit for the Apostles and Disciples of Christ to preach to 12 5 The Christians that were first converted by the Apostles in the Iewes Synagogue did not presently separate themselves from the Iewes Synagogues to make particular Churches by themselves untill the Synagogues did first persecute them for their faith in Christ crucified 15 6 Iesus Christ did ordain that the place of his particular Church-meetings should be conveniently seated in some convenient distance from every ones dwelling 16 7 If ten men of Israel did live remote from any synagogue they must prepare a new synagogue nigh and fit for their dwellings 17 8 That kinde of worship which Christ ordained to be used in their synagogue-assemblies was prayer and preaching without any leviticall ceremony 18 9 They used to keep weekly Lectures in their synagogues 21 10 How the Iewes received Heathens to be members of their Nationall Church and of their particular synagogue also 21 11 The Iudges of their Sanhedrims were the Elders of their nationall Church 22 12 In their synogogues they observed dayes of publick fasting upon occasion of any distresse that was upon them 24 13 How the blessing was pronounced in the synagogue after the Lecture of the Law was ended 25 14 No Leviticall worship was lawfull to be used in their synagogues 25 15 What officers the Iewes had in their synagogues 26 16 Why they called the Pastor of their synagogue Zeliah Zibbur 26 17 In the Heathen countries when the Hebrew tongue was lost from the common use then Zeliach Zibbur did read his text in the Hebrew tongue but afterwards he did expound it in the common Dialect of that nation where they lived 27 18 The Pastors of their synagogues were not Levites but they were chosen out of any tribe 28 19 The manner how the Elders of the Sanhedrim made Doctors at large 92 20 This phrase Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven is a Talmud phrase 29 21 The Discipline which Christ ordained for the government of the Iewish synagogue is recorded in fragments by Maymony and the two Talmuds 31 22 The New Testament hath many phrases that are Talmudique which cannot be so fitly opened as by the Talmud 32 Chap. 2. That the government of the Church of the Jewes was instituted by Jesus Christ to be 1. Dependent when they lived together in the land of Canaan 2. Independent when they inhabited in Heathen Countries 1 The Jewes Synagogue Discipline was sometimes dependent and sometimes independent 38 2 In heathen countries every Synagogue had a generall license to exercise such a discipline among themselves as tended to the correction of vice except life and limb 39 3 Their synagogue-Discipline was dependent as long as they lived in Canaan 41 4 When the Sanhedrim government was first ordained 41 5 Iesus Christ first constituted the Sanhedrim government 42 6 The high Sanhedrim ordained all the other Sanhedrims 43 7 To sit in Moses Chaire is to judge according to Moses Lawes 46 8 The Elders of the Sanhedrim were the generall Elders of the Church and therefore they had power to deale in all matters of Religion as well as in civill causes 47 9 The High Sacrificer was not the chiefe Elder of the Nationall Church of Israel as some affirm 49 10 Christ gave the power of excommunication originally to the Elders of the Sanhedrim in the Wildernesse 53 11 In what cases the Elders of the Sanhedrim did excommunicate 55 12 An excommunicate person and a publicane might goe into the Temple but an heathen might not 58 13 What kinde of excommunication is the Anathema Maranatha 59 14 Christ did not first ordain excommunication in Matth. chap. 18. 1 62 15 This phrase Tell the Church means nothing else but Tell the Elders of the Sanhedrim 69 16 A Court of Elders is a Church in Scripture phrase 70 17 All the outward professors of faith through the world doe make an universall visible Church of Christ 78 18 Who are to he accounted as fit persons to be admitted as members of a particular visible Church 80 Chap. 3. That Schools of learning were at the first erected by Jesus Christ for
not ashamed to expound the Law of God being sent unto the people for that purpose hence I gather that any Prince of any Tribe having a fair calling by the Sanhedrin might as lawfully preach in any synagogue of the Jews as Paul of Benjamin might or as the Apostles of Iudah might But this example ought not to be imitated by such as want an outward calling or that want learned abilities After this Iehosaphat prosecuted this new-begun Reformation by restoring the Sanhedrin courts to their original puritie First He reformed those Courts that consisted of three and twenty Judges in all the strong Cities of Iuda Citie by Citie 1 Chron. 19. 5. 2. He reformed the high Sanhedrin of seventy Judges setting up some Levits some Priests and some of the chief families of Israel for the Judgements and Cause of the Lord 1 Chron. 19. 8. The Rulers of Israel did not take themselves necessarily tyed to set up some Levits among the Elders of Israel For the Hebrew Doctors say that this high Sanhedrin might be all of Israel though usually they adjoyned some of Levi to them Aaron was joyned to Moses the King in the first election Numb 11. afterwards Moses also did appoint some Priests and Levits to sit with the other Judges of the other Tribes Deut. 17. 9 to 14. and Aaron was joyned with Hur among the Elders of Israel at Mount Sinai Exod. 24. 14. After the captivitie Ezra also did obtain so much favour of the Persian Princes that he restored this government again to the puritie thereof Ezra 7. 25 26. with ch 10. 14. But in processe of time when the Romane Emperours were Lords over the Jewes then they took away from them the power of life and death about a yeare or two before the death of Christ For Talmud Ierusalemi and Maymony in San. do shew that 48. yeers before the destruction of Ierusalem causes of life and death were taken away from Israel and this Testimony is confirmed by the Jews own confession to Pilate for they told Pilate that it was not lawful for them to put any man to death Ioh. 18. 31. and this was brought to passe before the death of Christ by Gods special providence that the words of Christ might be fulfilled when he fore-told the manner of his death that it should not be after the Iewish but after the Romane manner Ioh. 12. 32. 33. Mat. 20. 19. And yet though the Romans took away the power of life and death from the Jewes they did not take away all power of Government from the Jews but they still left them to exercise the power of their Sanhedrin Courts in all other cases as Pilats speech to the Scribes and Pharisees doth import when he bade them take Christ and judge him according to their own Law Ioh. 18. 31. * And our Saviour taught the Jews to Hear that is to say To sit in Moses chair is to iudge according to Moses Lawes to obey the Scribes and Pharisees as long as they sate in Moses chair that is to say As long as they judged according to the Gramatical sense of Moses precepts and for that cause our Saviour doth eight times over curse them because they urged the observation of their own traditions with equal authoritie to Moses Lawes Mat. 23. Therefore the Jews did exercise the power of Government in their Sanhedrin Courts except in the case of life and death when the Romans had taken away from them the power of life and death Scholar I had thought this speech of hearing the Scribes and Pharisees that sit in Moses chair had been meant of such Preachers and Teachers as used to expound Moses Laws in their synagogues and not of the Sanhedrin Doctors that expounded Moses Laws in their Sanhedrin Courts or Scholes Teacher This speech Hear the Scribes and Pharisees that sit in Moses chair doth plainly point out unto us that we must hear and obey the Laws and Constitutions of the Scribes and Pharisees as long as they sit in Moses chair that is to say As long as they expounded Moses Laws in a Grammatical sense For as Christ the Angel Act. 7. was the first giver of all Moses Laws and ordained Moses to be the chief head of the Sanhedrin Court so he bade the Jews Hear all those that sit in Moses chair It was Christ that bade Moses charge the Levits to lay up the book of the Law in the side of the Ark as the Standard of all their Laws and Constitutions and as the rule of all their judgements and proceedings Deuterenomie chapter 31. verse 24 25. Scholar You said ere-while that the Elders of the Sanhedrin were the Elders of the Church But how doe you prove that the Elders of the High Sanhedrin were the general Elders of the whole Church in all matters of Religion as well as in matters of the Common weal Teacher I have already proved that Christ did put this power into their hands 1. They are plainly called the Elders of the Church Levit. 4. 14 15. 2. It is evident that every Elder of the chief Synedrion was chosen to be a general Elder of the whole Church Numb 11. 25. 30. And the Elders of this high Synedrion set up other Courts and other Elders in every Citie who judged in all matters of Religion that fell out in their respective parts as The Elders of the Sanhedrin were the general Elders of the Church and therefore they had power to deal in all matters of Religion as well as in civil causes well as in civil matters except the matter were too hard for them and then in such cases Moses ordained before-hand that all such hard matters should be brought in an orderly way unto the high Synedrion which was setled afterwards at Ierusalem And this orderly way of bringing the difficult causes before them is described by the Hebrew Doctors as you may see it set down by Mr Ains in Deut. chap. 17. 9. 3. It is evident that the Elders of the high Synedrion were the general Elders of the Church because they were ordained to bee Judges not only in civil Causes but also in Levitical matters as these places well examined doe fully testifie Deut. 19. 12. and 21. 2. 19 20. and 22. 15. to 19. and 25. 7 8 9. and 27. 1. and 29. 10. and 31. 9. And the Angel-Iehovah Christ 1 Cor. 10. commanded Moses the Magistrate as well as Aaron the Priest to instruct the people in all his Levitical Laws Speak ye to all the people of Israel saying c. that is Teach them to observe all my Levitical Laws Levit. 11. 2. Hence it is evident that if any question did arise about the practise of the Levitical Lawes that Moses the chief Magistrate as he was the Head of the Sanhedrin must expound the true sense and meaning of such Lawes both to the Levits and people and in case any did walk contrary to their Teaching they might correct and punish them as
in Apoc. 90. 108 But they say they whipt the high Priest for his faults â—s much as any other man As for example if the high Priest do marry a widdow and lie with her he was beaten twice once for transgressing this Law He shall not take a widdow and once for this He shall not profane Ains Levit. 21. 15. Yea the Talmud in Sanhedrin sheweth that the high Priest was judged in all sorts as any other man Therefore the high Priest was not by the vertue of his high Priests Office the chief Elder of the National Church But the Judges of the high Sanhedrin whereof the King was the head were the chief Elders of the National Church They had the charge and the burden laid upon them to deal in all Levitical controversies as well as in matters of civil justice for as it was the Angel Acts 7. that gave Moses lively Oracles that said unto Moses the King as well as unto Aaron the Priest as they were chief persons in the high Sanhedrin that he should instruct the people in the observation of all Levitical Ordinances Levit. 11. 2. and so on as it follows in the next Chapter as I have noted above 2. It was Moses the King as well as Aaron the Priest that charged all Israel to observe holy convocations every Sabbath in all their dwellings Levit. 23. 3. Christ commanded them to charge the people to observe the Sabbath 3. It was the Angel that had the Name of God in him that first ordained the Elders of the high Sanhedrin as the general Elders of the Church in all matters of Religion as well as in matters of civil Justice they must regain people from Apostacie Therefore Iehovah the Mediator to whom the Father hath committed all authority and power said to the Judges of the Sanhedrin Hear I pray you O ye heads of Jacob and ye Princes of the house of Israel should not ye know judgement Mica 3. 1. As if Christ should say none ought to be Iudges of the Sanhedrin but wise and godly men such as are able to judge and trie causes exactly according to all the Ordinances of Moses We may take Iehosophats example for a Lanthorn to our feet in this case He charged the Iudges to try all matters of Religion as well as civil affairs 2 Chron. 19. But how could they be competent Iudges except they were learned in the Levitical Laws as well as in the Iudicials This shews what care ought to be taken in all those whom it concerns to seek out for the ablest men that can be found for Elders and Iudges for variety of great and difficult matters appertained to their judgement Vide Ans in Levit. 5. 15. and Deut. 25. 2. 4. It is evident that the Iudges of the Sanhedrin were the general Elders of the whole Church because the Sin-offering of the whole Church was presented to the Lord by their hands For if the whole Church did sinne ignorantly in their practise against any branch of the Law of God through the erroneous teaching of the Elders of the Sanhedrin then as soon as this sinfull practise was found out by any man of Israel the Church must bring a bullock for a sin-offering and yet the whole Church of people were not bound to come to Ierusalem to offer this general Church sinne-offering But the whole Church did it being absent by their Elders onely namely by the Elders of the high Sanhedrin Yet still the question will be who among them was the Churches chief Elder in this action The answer is Not the high Priest although he were one of their Elders chosen to be of the Sanhedrin But the Elders of the Sanhedrin Court in general or any three of them did bring this bullock as they were the Churches Elders they laid their hand upon the head of the said Bullock in the name of the whole Church whose sin-offering it was verse 14. 21. Therefore the Elders of the high Sanhedrin might be called the Church for they were the whole Church representatively But after the Churches Elders had thus presented the said Bullock for the sinne-offering of the whole Church it belonged to the high Priect as he was the chief anointed Priest to kill the said Bullock before Iehovah Ains Levit 4. 13 14 15. Hence it follows that the Judges of the high Sanhedrin Court were the General Elders of the whole Church and this thing is put out of doubt because they are plainly called the Elders of the whole Congregation in v. 15. This is so plain that nothing can be plainer spoken and so in like sort the Elders of all the other Sanhedrins being many thousands in all were to be accounted as the Elders of the Church also in all the parts of Canaan in their respective Tribes they must bear the burden with the high Sanhedrin as their Delegates And when the Churches sin-offering was to be offered Aaron the high Priest as he was an Elder of the Sanhedrin must speak to the sons of Israel to bring it namely he must speak to the chief sons of Israel which were the Elders of the high Sanhedrin Court to bring it vide Ains Levit. 9. 3. For these Elders were the highest Officers that the Church had And therefore the term Elder is a superior Title to the term Bishop For the term Bishop is given to those inserior Officers that attended upon the Elders of the Sanhedrin Court Numb 3â— 14. vide also Ains in Deut. 16. 18. Yet an Apostate Priest might be a Bishop after his repentance but he might not be an Elder of the Sanhedrin neither might he be restored to be a full Priest any more but he might serve as a Bishop in a place of inferiority in the Temple Ains Levit. 21. 20. ult And I grant that the term Bishop is sometimes given to the highest degree of men For it is sometimes given to the Emperors of Asia as a Title of Honour to their Office And Eleazar the Prince of Princes over the Levites did exercise the Bishops Office over them Ains in Numb 3. 32. That is he did oversee them And in that sense every inferiour Officer that takes the charge to oversee others is a Bishop and so the term Bishop may properly be given to all Officer both high and lâ—w that take upon them the charge to oversee others as well in civil as in religious matters But the term Elder is never given to inferior Officers as the term Bishop is this distinction I bring in for the honour of the term Elder by way of parenthesis onely Scholar Was the power of Excommunication given to the first Elders of the Sanhedrin when they were first ordained in the wilderness or not Teacher I make no question but Iehovah the Mediator from Iehovah gave them all power that was sutable to the well ordering of his Church from the very first time that he ordained them to be the general Elders of his Church in the
preserve the truth of Religion among them But their Synagogue worship was sufficient without National worship both when they lived in the Wildernes and when they lived in heathen countries in the land of Canaan three times a yeer Religion would have perished among them if it had not been for this command of Christ to observe those particular Church-Assemblies in all their dwellings And this is evident by considering the defects that were in their National Church-worship 1. In regard of Persons 2. Of Place 3. Of time First Consider the Persons that were enjoyned to be present at their National Church-Assemblies and they were but some part of those persons that were to be instructed in Faith and Holiness For neither bond-men nor women nor children were bound to be present at any of their National Church-meetings onely men that were free were commanded to meet three times a year vid. Ainsw on Exod. 23. 17. Therefore their National Church-Assemblies were never intended by Christ as the chief means to train up all sorts of Persons in faith and holines 2. Consider the place that the Son of God appointed for their National Church meetings and that was set but in one of their Tribes which the Lord would chuse therefore all sorts of persons could not come thither every sabbath day in regard of the length of the way for the place was a great way off from most of their dwellings Therefore the most men could not come thither every sabbath especially if any infirmity were upon them and if it had been possible for all sorts of persons to assemble every sabbath unto the Lords Temple yet so great a multitude could neither hear the voice of the Priests nor yet see the publike sacrifices with their eyes and in that regard every one that resorted to the National Church-Assembly were commanded by Christ to bring their own private sacrifice over and above the publike and not to come before the Lord emptie Deut. 12. Therefore the place of their National Church meetings was never intended by Christ as the onely Church meeting of the Israelites for the training up of all sorts of persons every seventh day in faith and holines 3. Consider the time of this National Church-worship and that was commanded to be done not every sabbath or seventh day but onely three times a yeer Exod. 23. 14. 17. Lev. 23. Therefore it must needs follow by necessary consequence that this National Church-Assembly was never intended by Christ as the onely Church-meeting for Israel and therefore Christ must needs establish some other particular Church-meetings for holy convocations in all their dwellings to be observed every seventh day as the most constant and familiar way and means for the education of all sorts of Gods people in faith and holines and what other particular convocations could Israel have in all their dwellings but their synagogue-assemblies whither all sorts of people might easily resort every sabbath Bondmen as well as Freemen Children as well as the most Ancient Women as well as Men Proselites as well as Israelites yea Heathens might come thither to be instructed though they might not come into the holy Temple And these holy convocations in all their dwelings were commanded to be observed in the Wildernes while they were in their travels as well as in the land of Canaan when they came thither Yea they observed these particular Church-Assemblies in all Heathen Countries when they were in dispersion Christ did not leave them in any place of their captivity free from the observation of the holy sabbath in the best manner they could attain but he did fully free them from all their National Church-worship when they were in captivity in heathen countries but he commanded them to observe his National Church-worship but only in that particular place which he had chosen in the land of Canaan and not in heathen Countries nor in the Wildernes From the due consideration of these three circumstances the Angel from whom Moses received lively Oracles doth plainly shew unto us that there was an absolute necessity why he must distribute the National Church of the Jews into particular Church-Assemblies in a convenient distance among all their dwellings for the better instruction of all sorts of people every sabbath or seventh day in faith and holines Scholar I confess you have given me good satisfaction in this point I do conceive that Christ did distribute the National Church of the Iews into sundry particular Churches in a convenient distance among all their dwellings for the better instructing of all sorts of people every sabbath in faith and holines not onely in Canaan but in the Wildernes and in all places of their dispersion by means whereof they did preserve the truth of Religion till the coming of Christ better then the Iews did in Canaan where they did for the most part enjoy the free use of their National Church-Worship And Christ did much honour these dispersed Synagogues with the conversion of many ten thousand souls both of Iews and Heathens by sending abroad his Apostles and Disciples to preach the glad tydings of the Gospel among them Teacher I am glad that you are now satisfied that the Iews synagogues were established by Christ as his particular Churches now seeing you grant their synagogues to be true Churches you must allow their Discipline to be according to the mind of Christ and indeed Christ did highly honour this point of Discipline among them in that their Officers did so freely give way to the Apostles and Disciples to preach in their synagogues This freedom and liberty was a commendable custom among them and it was well rewarded with plentiful preaching and conversion of souls all the world over Scholar In what parts of the world had the Iews liberty to have or build Synagogues Teacher The Iews were scattered abroad into the four winds of heaven by the just anger of Christ for their Apostasie but in the midst of wrath he remembred mercy for at last he gave them favour in the sight of all Nations to have and build synagogues for the free exâ—rcise of their Religion As for example in the daies of Ahasuerus the Persian Emperour The antiquity of Synagogues in heathen Countries Haman did inform the King that there was a people which were dispersed in all his Dominions which was an hundred twenty and seven Provinces that had laws differing from all Nations and differing from the Kings laws and he perswaded the King it was not fit for him to suffer them to live Est 3. 8. Now if Haman had been asked what laws had the Iews differing from all Nations and differing from the Kings laws I believe he could have found no other laws peculiar to them and differing from other Nations but the laws and Ordinances of Iesus Christ which they publikely preached and taught in their synagogues every sabbath in all the said hundred twenty and seven Provinces From this accusation of Haman it may be
safely gathered that the Iews had abundance of synagogues in all the hundred twenty and seven Provinces of Ahasuerus Dominions And we may guess they began to build synagogues in the time of the Babylonian Captivity for Christ did procure favour for the poor captives at the hands of the Babylonian Emperors as well as of the Persian by many stately passages of his wise providence For about the fifth yeer of Nebuchadnezar he caused Daniel to be advanced into the Kings favour by giving him skill The provident care of Christ for speedy spreading of particular Christian Churches into all parts of the world doth mightily appear by his dispersing the Iews into sundry heathen Countries to have Synagogues and to get Assemblies before-hand fit for the Apostles and Disciples of Christ to preach the Gospel to to tell and to expound Nebuchadnezar's dreams and then he procured them another new favour by delivering the three noble Martyrs out of the fiery furnace Thirdly Daniel obtained another new favour of Darius Madai fellow in government with Cyrus when Christ did so miraculously deliver him from the power of the â—ungry lyons Fourthly Christ caused Ester and Mordecai to be highly advanced into favour with Ahasuerus and with Darius Artaxerxes his son and thus it pleased Christ by these stately passages of his providence to procure favour for all the Iews in general that were dispersed into several heathen Countries for the building of synagogues for the free exercise of their Religion And though Haman plotted the overthrow of their Religion yet through the wise providence of Christ to whom the Father gave all authoritie and power Haman was overthrown with all his Amalakite party who had determined the death of the Iews in every Province Then the fear of the Iews fel upon the Heathens and many heathens became Proselites Ester 8. 17. that is to say they did associate themselves with the Iewes to worship God with them in their synagogues And thus the Lord Christ by these stately passages of his providence did promote some of the Iews to special favour with the heathen Emperours by whose favour the rest obtained favour for the erecting of synagogues and for the exercise of their religion in all Countries Nay It appears to me that the Iews began to have and build synagogues in heathen Countries in the dayes of Nebuchad-nezar and in the time of Ieremies preaching for he and Ezekiel did assure them that Nebuchad-nezar should conquer the land and lay it wast for seventy years thereupon many Godly Iews did sell their estates and flee away as they could get opportunitie into divers heathen countries aforehand either unto Babel before they were captivated or else into some of those hundred twenty seven Provinces above-mentioned even as Elias fled from the face of Iezabel so did many Godly Iews flee from persecuting Princes Priests and Prophets into divers heathen countries for safety for God had his out-casts that did hide themselves from the evil day Esa 16. 3. 4. Ier. 40. 11 12. and 43. 5 6 7. and 44. 14. Ezek. 7. 12. and of the number of these out-casts they might well be who had and built synagogues in Corinth and Rome and other remote parts as Mr Broughton thinks in Lam. 1. 3. And Christ Iesus did provide by his special providence that these synagogues should be made famous and eminent for learning and Godlines in all heathen Countries for many heathens were affected to religion and became Proselites and many did accompany the Iews that returned with Zorobabel that could not discerne their fathers house whether they were of Israel or no Ezra 2. 59. 60. and by this quaere into their genealogy it appears that the rulers of the Iews did conceive that there were some heathens among them that had been so long joyned to their Church that they could not finde out their pedigree whether they were Israelites or no. And though forty nine thousand Iews returned at the first Ezra 2. and many after yet many thousands did continue in all Nations and did exercise their Religion in particular Church-assembies which Church is continued till the Gospel of Iesus Christ was preached among them as in Babylon they had a synagogue if not more then one for the Apostle Peter neer 500. years after converted many souls to Christ there and dated his first Epistle from thence 1 Pet. 5. 13. 2. Jesus Christ did still more and more disperse the Jewes after the Chaldean and Persian times by the interchangeable wars that continued long between the Seleucidae and the Lagidae the two legs of the Image Dan. 2. for the seat of their war was for the most part in the land of Canaan and in the Countries adjacent And when the Celeucidae prevailed they led captive many Jews into the Easterne and Northern parts But when the Lagidae prevailed they led many Jews captive into Egypt and the parts adjacent And thus Christ the Lord used these Tyrants as his instruments to disperse the Jews all the world over to build Synagogues for the exercise of Religion and for the instructing and converting of many heathens and for the use of the Apostles and of other Apostolick men that by this means they might have a free and ready entrance to preach the Gospel to the conversion of many ten thousands both of Jews and Heathens And thus the Lord Jesus did before-hand prepare a way for the ready preaching of the Gospel all the world over and then when he was ready to leave the Apostles behinde him he commanded them to go unto all Nations to teach and baptize them into the Name of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost Mat. 28. And Paul himself was so industrous that he did quickly make the word of God to abound from Ierusalem to Illyricum and also to Rome Rom. 15. 14. for he found ready to his hand many Synagogues in all places where he came when he came first to Damascus he found Synagogues there Act. 9. 2. 20. and at Salamis Acts 13. 5. at Antioch in Pisidia chap. 13. 14. at Iconium chap. 14. 1. at Thessalonica 17. 10. at Athens chap. 17. at Corinth 18. 4. at Ephesus chap. 18. 19. at Philippi there was a place for publique worship chap. 16. 13. and by the opportunitie of these Synagogues Paul had a ready entrance to preach the Gospel every-where to the conversion of many ten thousand Iews Act. 21. 20. The Lord Iesus Christ by the seven eyes of his providence prepared these Synagogues by dispersing the Iews all the world over to build them for the preservation of Religion and for the spreading thereof and then the Lord did also make a gracious promise to the Iews that went into dispersion that they should honour him by setting up his pure worship in all those heathen countries where they were captived Ezek. 6. 8. 9. 10. Zac. 10. 9. Ezek. 11. 16. and 12. 16. and this prophesie was fulfilled by the Iews practice of Religion
for example There were certain men in Numb 9. 6. that were unclean by a dead corps In this case they could not tell whether they might come to that second Passeover yea or no. Therefore those men brought the matter before Moses as well as before Aaron as they were the chief Heads of the Synedrion And Moses said unto them in vers 8. Stand still and I will hear what Iehovah will command concerning you This deliberate enquiry of Moses into this difficult matter may teach the Elders of any Church or Common Weal not to passe sentence too hastily in doubtfull cases till they have a word from Christ to warrant their judgement 4. It is also evident that all the Iudges of the Synedrion had need to be wise and learned in the wisdom of the Law because they must give judgement and passe their sentence in all doubtful and difficult cases yea even in doubtful Levitical cases Mamony saith that the Elders of the great Sanhedrin were wont to sit in the Temple to judge and try the Priests both touching their Genealogies and Blemishes and what Priest soever they found dis-allowable by his Genealogie they clothed him in black and so he went out of the Priests Court in the Temple But whosoever they found perfect and fit he was clothed in white and went in and ministred with his brethren Ainswoth in his Preface to Genesis By all these testimonies we may see that the Iudges of the Synedrion Court were the general Elders of the Church to look to all matters as well Levitical as Civil Yea sometimes the Priests were so simple in the knowledge of their duty that the Iudges of the Sanhedrin were fain to teach them their duty As for example If the Priests were unclean or unmeet any kinde of way to burn the Red heifer then it was the proper duty of the Iudges of the Sanhedrin to looke to this matter they must take abundant care to see it done as it ought to be done Ains Numb 10. 7. It belonged also to the Elders of the Sanhedrin to judge in all Levitical Ordinances both of Prohibition and Permission between the Clean and the Vnclean and in all like cases Ains in Exod. 23. 2. and it belonged to them to judge in all cases about tythes Ains Levit. 27. 33. And if a Priest were not able to judge of the signes of the plague of Leprosie then it was not lawful for such a Priest to look upon any Plague till a Master had taught him and made him expert in all Plagues Ains Levit. 13. 3. Therefore seeing the Elders of the Synedrion must judge in all such like Levitical cases as this it follows by necessary consequence that they were the general Elders of the whole Church and therefore they had power to inflict the sentence of Excommunication upon any offender as well as other punishments For they judged in all cases as well in matters of Religion as civil Justice and therefore also by the same rule of equity the Judges of the highest Court now may dispence the same power now both they and their Substitutes provided they take the like care that none be made Judges but such as be learned and godly Scholar You said ere while that Iesus Christ put Aaron the high Priest in trust with the care of matters of Religion as wel as Moses the King In that respect I conceive that the high Priest was the principal Elder of the National Church If so then it belonged to him as the chief Elder of the Church to dispence all actions of Church-discipline and so many learned do conclude and affirm Teacher I grant that many learned Divines do usually say and affirm that the high Priest was the chief Elder of that national Church and thus Chrysostome in Photius Library doth make the high Priest the stay of the State But I Answer first Negatively That the high Sacrificer was The high Sacrificer was not the chief Elder of the National Church in Israel as some affirm many times so simple that he was not fit to be chosen for an Elder of the Sanhedrin and therefore not fit to be the chief Elder of the whole Church But secondly I say that if the high Sacrificer were at any time chosen to be one of the Elders of the Synedrion then by that choice he was made an Elder of the National Church or else not His Priestly Office did not make him an Elder of the high Sanhedrin or Synedrion unlesse he were chosen thereto in an orderly way as all the other Iudges of that Court were But If he were orderly chosen to be one of the Iudges of the Sanhedrin then if his gifts and parts were more eminent then others he might haply be more exercised in judging Levitical Laws and Ordinances then others But if his parts were lesse eminent then some other Iudges of the Sanhedrin then other Iudges chosen out of their Tribes might be more exercised in judging Levitical Laws and Ordinances then he and so they might be preferred above him 2. It is evident that the high Sacrificer was not the chief Elder of the Church as he was the high Priest for though he had a priviledge above all other Priests in the Priests Office yet he had no place among the Elders of the Sanhedrin as he was the high Priest For his high Priests Office fell to him partly by birth which hath no learning nor gifts intailed to it and partly he was chosen by the Elders of the Sanhedrin They anointed the high Priest and installed him into his Office because they were the Churches Elders Ains Levit. 6. 20. And Talmud Ierusalemi in Sanhedrin sheweth that the seventie Elders of the high Sanhedrin might be all of Israel without any one of Levi and that the high Priest was not of the Sanhedrin except he were rarely learned and sage but saith the Talmud they were often times so simple that the Elders of the high Sanhedrin were forced to teach them their duty on Expiation day And this the Elders of the high Sanhedrin did not as a voluntary act but as a duty commanded them by vertue of their Office as they were the Churches Elders For it was the Angel of Gods presence that commanded Moses the Magistrate or head Elder of the Sanhedrin to speak unto Aaron the high Priest after the death of Aarons two sons by fire for their transgression to warn him of his duty on Expiation day lest he might transgress in his duty as his sonnes had done vide Ains on Levit. 16. 1 2. 33. And as the Elders of the high Sanhedrin must anoint the high Priest and instal him into his office so also they might excommunicate him for his offences as the Hebrew Doctors do testifie they say they might not excommunicate the King except in Ieroboams case but in great offence the high Sanhedrin would say unto the King Keep your house for a time and salve your honour v. M. Brough