Arrow Against the Separationists, Discourse · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Touching the Ievves Synagogue.
Hen. Ainſ.HEre againe you come, with reaſons from our owne practiſe: which were it ſuch as you ſuppoſe, and that we walked not aright, yet helpeth it you nothing. For the trueth ſhal ſtand, though all men fall: and it is Gods word, not mens wayes, that must be our rule in Religion.
For your 1. and 2. objections from the houſes, wherin we meet: I have *In the defenſe of our 6. reaſon.before proved, they are not, neyther ever were Idolies, nor by any law of God to be deſtroyed, though Iewes or any, have worſhiped in them.
Anſwer.
Io. Pa.HEre, before you come vntounto the particular anſwer you ſay ſomething in generall by way of complaint, that I ſhould reaſon againſt you from your owne practiſe: of this you affirme, that were it ſuch as I ſuppoſe, &c. yet it helpeth vsus nothing, &c. Herevnto I reply, 1. It helpeth much to ſet forth the glory of God, to confirme the comfort of the faithful, & to ſtop the mouth of iniquitie, when we do obſerve the contradictory practiſe and doctrine of ſuch as are enimies to the Church of God. And God himſelf hath taught vsus to vrge ſuch things againſt them that are maintainers of errour, to ſhew how he wil condemne the evil ſervāts aLuk. 19.22out of their owne mouthes, by their owne words and deeds: how he will bEzek. 16.43.bring their owne wayes, vponupon their heads: how they cPſ. 7.15.fall into the pits which they dig for others; how he wil make them dRom. 2.1inexcuſable, when they do the ſame things which they condemne in others: how he e1. Cor. 3.19.catcheth the wiſe in their owne craftines. In theſe iudgemēts of God, his glory ſhineth brightly, & they take his name in vaine that do not duely cōſider of theſe his workes in & vpō you, as wel as vponupon others. 2. How do you forget your ſelf, who els where do cōfeſſe that fPraeface to Annot. on Gen. pag. 6the teſtimony of the aduerſary againſt him ſelf, doth help our faith? Your vſe of the Iewes Idol tēple is a teſtimony againſt your ſelf, & yet here you ſay, were your practiſe ſuch as we ſuppoſe that you walked not right, yet it would help vsus nothing. VVe ſuppoſe you have no great conſcience of your owne profeſſion, and therfore can not ſo eaſily be drawne to receive your doctrines without further examination of them by the word of God: Herein we are much holpen and kept from ioyning raſhly vntounto you. Your owne endevour in your writings is to preſſe your adverſaries with their owne practiſe, as gAnimadv p. 12. 59. 123. &c.Mr. Iohnſon and Mr. Smith and others very often: And how partiall therfore are you, that allow that to your ſelf, which you diſallow in others? 3. Though the word of God & not mens wayes muſt be our rule in Religion, yet ſeing ſo many men prefer their owne wayes before the word of God, is it not therfore meete to convince ſuch men by their owne wayes, and to reprove them even by their owne wandrings? As truth deſtroyes errour, ſo doth one errour deſtroy another ſometimes, and one practiſe refute an other and therfore though the holy ſcriptures onelyonly can ſhew the truth of religion, yet erroneous and contradictory practiſes are alſo a meanes to condemne falſhood & ſtop the mouth of thoſe that maintaine ſuch errours. To this end and not further do we alledge your practiſe: far be it from vsus, that we ſhould make your wayes a rule of religion.
But now to come vntounto the obiection itſelf, I ſeek your anſwer here in the proper place, but finde it not, as I expected: In ſtead hereof you ſend me back vntounto the defenſe of your ſixt reaſon, and therein a corner you would hide your head from theforce of this reproofe, but you muſt be brought forth into the light againe: for 1, howſoever you ſay of this Iewes ſynagogue, which you vſed to aſſemble in, that you have before proved, that it is not, nor ever was an Idolie: that have I already reproved and refuted againe: That defenſe of your ſixt reaſon being ſhewed to be vaine. 2. The obiection which I made againſt your ſixt reaſon, did concerne private houſes of Idolatours, as of Papiſts, Moſchovites and ſuch like: but this ſynagogue of the Iewes was not a private place, but a place of publique worſhip where many families of the Iewes did ordinarily meete together in a ſolemne congregation; & ſo alſo hath your ſeparate company done as publiquely and ſolemnely after the Iewes had left it. And therfore thoſe private houſes and this publique ſynagogue are moſt vnequally and vniuſtly matched together, neither can the anſwer of that place be applyed vntounto this. 3, you made exception for the private houſes mentioned in the former place that they were civil houſes, but the ſynagogue of the Iewes whereof I ſpeak, being for the publique worſhip of God may be called a religious place as well as any other. And though ſome perſons dwelt in ſome part of it, that hinders not but that it was to be eſteemed a religious houſe or ſynagogue: you ſee the moſt of the temples in this citie, have divers perſons dwelling in ſeverall parts of them, which yet you condemne as Idolies: If you were not partiall you would conſider this: for the excuſe of our temples, as well as of the Iewes. The Iewes hArba turim, lib. Orach chaim tractat. beth hacceneſeth, ſigno 153.accounting their Beth-midraſch to be an holy place and more holy then other ſynagogues, do yet confeſſe it may be part of ſuch a building where men may have a dwelling place in ſome other parts of it; in that they iElias levita in Tiſchbi. in daraſch.note it to be either an houſe or chamber or parlour (cheder.) And if ſuch an excuſe as this which you make, might have ſaved Idol-temples from ruine in the time of the law: then thoſe Idolaters which had once ſeene the overthrow of Baals houſes, might according to this ſhift have taken ſome old palaces or halles and converted them to the ſervice of Baal, for his ordinary and publiqueworſhip, ſuffring yet ſome perſons to dwell ſtill in ſome other parts thereof, and by this meanes all danger of ruine ſhould be turned away from them. And if they had not old houſes enough convenient for their purpoſe, they might make new, provided that they made ſome roomes above or belovv for their Prieſts and other perſons to dvvell in, and then if any Iehu or Ioſias came to pluck dovvne thoſe Idolies of Chemoſh, Baal or Dagon, they might plead againſt them that thoſe places were civil houſes, and dvvelling houſes of men, though publique vvorſhip vvere ordinarily performed in them, and that therfore ſuch Kings had no authority to demoliſh them: and thus had they had ſome of your ſubtile ſhifts they might have cooſened the lavv, deluded the godly Kings and preſerved their Idol-temples from deſtruction.
MOreover vvhereas you ſayd in the defenſe of your ſixt reaſon, touching the Ievves place of publique vvorſhip vvherein you ſucceeded them, that I do vntruely call it the Iewes Idol-temple; that it may appeare vntounto the reader vvhether I ſpoke truely or not, I deſire theſe fevv things may be conſidered touching the eſtate of the Ievves and their Idolatry according to your ovvne deſcription of Idolatry. As before you led vsus into the Popes vvare houſes, the Pontificall and others ſhops of his: ſo here you muſt give me leave to bring you into the Ievves vvare-houſe, the Thalmud and other ſhops of theirs, that by comparing of them vvith the ſtuffe, that is found in ſome of your owne ſhops, I may thereby ſhew vntounto you, that the Iewes Synagogue is an Idol-temple.
Firſt, as for the members of the Iewes Church, they are by your owne teſtimony all of them heynous and horrible Idols: for you vvrite that kCounterpoy. pag. 143. 144.the bringing of Satans ſeed into the Church, vntounto the Altar of God, may further be minded as a high degree of violating the ſecond commandement, whereby all images, idols and ſimilitudes whatſoever, of the Divel or mens invention or forming are ſeverely forbidden to be brought into Gods houſe, or vſed in his worſhip Now ſuch images or Idols are theſe wicked perſons. For as Children are the images of their parents, &c. So Satans Children (as wicked worldlings be called in the ſcripture,) are his lively images, having loſt the first image of God wherein they were created, &c. As it is a ſyn, and ſo eſteemed, to have images and repreſentations of beaſts, of fowles, of fiſhes, &c. brought into the Church and worſhip of God: ſo would & well might it be eſteemed more horrible, if in any Chriſtian congregation, there ſhould be brought in pictures of the Divil, or other like helliſh repreſentations. Yet men wil not ſee the horror of this ſyn, that the living images and pictures of the ſerpent ſhould be brought into the Church and worſhip of God, &c. Now it being manifeſt and vndenyable that the Iewes are vvicked perſons, deſpiſers of Chriſt, and his Goſpell, and profane wordlings alſo, by your owne confeſſion they muſt be Idols, and images, and conſequently the place of their publique vvorſhip a receptackle of Idols, and an Idol-temple. And yet even in the ſame place where ſuch pictures of the Divil and helliſh repreſentations have bene brought into the vvorſhip of God, even there have you agreed to aſſemble together for the ſervice of Chriſt: The horror of that place hath not deterred you from converting it vntounto your holy place.
Secondly, as for the miniſters of the Iewiſh Church, according to your doctrine they muſt alſo be eſteemed Idolles: for vnlavvfull miniſters you reckon vp in the catalogue or rolle of Idolles and ſay of them as of others idols; lArrow againſt Idolatry ch. 1. ſec. 18.Nor is there leſſe impietie in Idols of an other nature and eſteem for when among men one is ſet vp as head of the Church, an other as Patriark, an other as primate, Arch-Biſhop, Metropolitane, &c. & theſe without calling & appoyntment frō God: theſe be Idol-ſhepheards, not true paſtours of the flock, &c. Now amōg the Ievves at this day, they have vnlavvful offices vvithout calling & appointment from God: Their principall Doctour, to vvhom for honour ſake they give the title of Gaon or excellence, is mElias Levita in Tiſebbi, in Gaon.ſayd to be ſo called, becauſe he muſt be expert in the Thalmud & in the ſixtie treatiſes thereof, vvhichwhich by a Cabaliſticall reckoning are found in the vvord Gaon,vvhichwhich n…yeeldeth the number of ſixtie. And according to his title, vvhichwhich ſignifyeth pride as vvel as excellencie, ſo doth this Rabbine preſume above the holy ſcripture, and out of the Thalmud preacheth vntounto the Ievves a huge burden and loade of ſuperſtitious traditions: And thus his adminiſtration becomes Idolatrous. Thus do the inferiour Rabbines and Ievv-doctours alſo. Their vnlavvfull miniſteries might further be obſerved in the 7. yearely offices vvhichwhich they are oIoan. Buxt. in Synag. Iud. cap. 22.recorded to ſell for money, by an open proclamation in their Synagogue, to vvhomſoever vvill give moſt money for them; as the office of lighting candles, vvhichwhich they performe vvith many ſuperſtitions; the office of diſtributing vvine on their Sabath and at other feaſts: the office of Gelilah to open the rolle of the lavv and to vvrap it vp againe: the offices of hagbohab to cary about and elevate the book of the lavv, &c. the offices of Ets chaijm, to touch thoſe peeces of vvood vntounto vvhichwhich the volume of the lavv is faſtned: in the touching of this tree of life they put great confidence for attayning of vnderſtanding, vertue and long life thereby: the office of Acheron for to propound ſomething to be read out of the lavv; the office of ſchehia, to be a ſubſtitute, ready to ſupply the office of any of the reſt vvhichwhich through negligence ſhould omit the ſame. And many other vvayes it might be ſhevved vvhat Idol-ſhepheards they have. Novv vvhere theſe Thalmudique doctours have adminiſtred, there come you the onelyonly doctour on earth (in your ovvne and your peoples account) that may be lavvfully communicated vvith all; and you that refuſe to vvorſhip in the places vvhere Chriſte Ieſus is preached, have not refuſed to aſſemble ordinarily, vvhere Chriſt Ieſus hath bene condemned and a falſe Meſsias preached.
Thirdly for their prayers, they do therein commit Idolatry many vvayes. They turne God himſelf into an Idol (ſo much as in them lyes) vvhen they call vponupon him, by denying the Trinitie of perſons and by calling vponupon God vvithout Chriſt: and as yourſelf note from others, that by falſe vvorſhippers God pAnimadv. pag. 73.is trāsformed into an Idol, ſo may it be noted of the Ievves, in their miſconceaving of God and vvorſhipping him ſo misformed in their mindes. And if it be true vvhichwhich is taught in your vvritings, that in the Church of England, Chriſt is qH.B. diſc. p. 161.an Idol King & an Idol Chriſte, how much more evident is it, that the Iewes in their worſhip do ſet vp their Chriſte for an Idol? By your doctrine all ſet formes of prayer are rIbid. p. 64deteſtable Idolles. Now that the Iewes have publique preſcript and ſet formes of prayer, their Minhagim or bookes of their publique leiturgies do ſhew it abundantly. And your *Maimon. in miſneh, in Seder tephilloth col haſſcha nah.Maimony ſhewes vsus at larg their order for ſet formes of prayer for appoynted ſeaſons throughout the whole yeare. And ſo according to your profeſſion, if there were nothing els but this, their Synagogue ſhould be an Idol-temple.
Beſides this they have many particular and ſeverall prayers and bleſsings, vvherein they put vaine confidence and make Idols of them. Their ſArba turim, lib. Orachchaijm tract tephil lah. ſig. 58 & 70 &c.Krias ſhema, or Keriath ſhema (as they call it) hath a multitude of ſuperſtitious obſervations in the vſe of it, and as many vaine promiſes annexed vntounto the ſame. Their prayer which they cal tIbid. ſig. 55Kaddiſh, may not be ſayd of leſs then ten perſons; and thoſe all the ſonnes of nobles and great ones which have brought forth the 2. hayres: ſome contēd that there may be one Child or litle one with the other 9, if he have the pentateuch in his hand: others deny it: and theſe ten muſt be all in one place, & ſheliac tſibbur or the miniſter of their ſynagogue with them, &c. But if there be a litle court broken fully into a great court; if there be 9 perſons in the great court, and one in the litle one, they allow this prayer to be ſayd there; but if there be 9 perſons in the litle court and one in the great one, or 5 in one and 5 in an other, they allow it not, &c. An other prayer they have which they call jithgaddel according to the beginning thereof, or Keduſhah and this they may not ſay, in the Hebrew tongue, but in the language of the Thargum, leaſt (as they uIbid. ſig. 56.ſay) the Angels hearing the ſame ſhould envy them for this excellent hymne, and therfore they ſay it in a languagewhich they do not vnderſtand, for the Angels (as they affirme) know not the Aramites tongue. An orher famous prayer they have, which they call ſchemone Eſre conſiſting of 18, parts: This they vvThalm. Babylonic. in megillah ch. 2. fol. 17.hold to have bene made by an hundted and twenty Elders and ſome of them Prophets. In giving a reaſon of this myſticall number, why it hath juſt 18 parts, wherevpon it is denominate; Iehoſhua ben Levi, xThalmud Ieruſalemy in Beracoth ch. 4. f. 7. and. 8.ſaith it is in reference vntounto the 18 firſt pſalmes, reaching vntounto thoſe words, the Lord heare thee in the day trouble, &c. R. Simon ſaith, it is reſpect of the 18. litle bones or ioynts which are in the back bone, becauſe in the houre that a man ſtands and prayes this prayer, it is of neceſsity that he bow with them all: for which reaſon it is ſayd, All my bones ſhall ſay, Lord who is like vntounto thee. R. Levi ſaith it is in reſpect of the 18. memorialles (of the word Iehovah) which are found in the Pſalme which begins thus, give vntounto the Lord ye ſonnes of the mighty, viz. pſ. 29. R. Hanina in the name of R. Phinehas ſaith, it is in reſpect of the 18. times that the fathers, Abraham, Iſaak and Iaakob are mentioned in the law, &c. A number of other ſuch like prayers they have, wherevnto they attribute miraculous power and vertue, as by the ſaying of their Kaddiſh before mentioned they hold that the ſoules of dead men are delivered out of their torment in hell or purgatory and tranſlated into paradiſe: and therfore are Children bound to vſe that prayer for their parents deceaſſed for the ſpace of a yeare or thereabout. VntoUnto theſe prayers they joyne their Phylacteries and make Idols of them alſo: They ſay, zArba Tutim, lib. or. cha. tractat Tephillin fig. 37.Great is the commandement of the Phylacteries: becauſe every one that weares them ſhall prolong his dayes, as it is ſayd, ô Lord by them men live: And Rabba ſaith every one that puts on the Phylacteries & vveares zizith or the fringes and reades Keriath ſhema, and prayes, let him be ſure that he is a Childe of the world to come. And Abaii ſaith, I will be his ſurety that the fire of hell ſhall not have power over him. R. Papa ſaith, I will be his ſurety, that all his ſinnes ſhalbe forgiven him, &c. The Thalmudique canons teach that thoſe Phylacteries which are written aThalmud Bab. in Menachoth cap. 4 f. 42 Arba Turim, orach chaiim in Thephillin ſig. 39. & in Gittin. c. 4. fol. 45by a ſervant, by a woman, by a child, by a gentile, or an Iſraelite changed from them, are vnlawfull for vſe, &c. that if they be written by an heretique, then they are to be burnt: if they be found in the hand of an heretique & it be not knowne whether they were vvritten by him or not, that then they are to be buryed, &c. with an hundred ſuperſtitions more about the making, vſing, keeping and vaine confidence in them.
Againe they turne the ordinance of the prieſts lifting vp his hands in bleſſing the people, into great ſuperſtition; bOrach chaiim in Tephillah ſig. 128. comp with R. Moſes Mikkotſ. in SMG. precep. affir. 20.none of the prieſts may go vp vntounto the ſtaires, pulpit or ſcaffold from whence the bleſſing is pronounced, but he muſt firſt put of his ſhooes. All the prieſts that are preſent are bound to go vp vntounto the ſcaffold (vvhē the Miniſter of the cōgregation comes to a certaine prayer, called ratſah, &c.) & they that do not, ſin againſt three affirmative comandements, viz. Thus ſhall ye bleſs them: ſay vntounto vntounto them: put my name vponupon them: vvhen they are gone vp they are to ſtand on the ſcaffold vvith their faces towards the temple and their backes tovvards the people, having their fingers bowed into the middes of the palme of their handes, vntil the Miniſter have finiſhed an other prayer Modim, &c. VVhen they turne their faces towards the people to bleſſe, they do firſt bleſſe the Lord for that bleſſing, for ſanctifying them with his ſanctification of Aharon, &c. Then they lift vp their hands over againſt their ſhoulders in height, and open their fiſt and devide their fingers according to the midraſch, he ſhewes himſelf through the grates; becauſe that Schecinah or the divine Maieſtie is above vponupon their heads and looketh through the grates of their fingers; and they direct or ſet them ſo, that they may make windooes for the Lord, betwixt ech two fingers one window; and betwixt a thumb and a finger; and betwixt thumb and thumb a window, (9 windowes in all) to eſtabliſh or fulfill that ſaying, he ſhewes himſelf through the grates. (Cant. 2.9.) Then their Miniſter reads or prayes thoſe words: The Lord bleſſe thee, &c. Num. 6.24.25.26. And they ſay after him word for word till he have finiſhed the firſt verſe; and then the congregationanſwers Amen, and ſo they do alſo after the ſecond and againe after the third verſe of that bleſsing. And they may not bleſſe but in the holy tongue: and ſtanding, and with lifting vp of hands, and with a high voyce, &c. The Prieſt that is dOrach Cha. in Tephillah ſig. 128.zebalgan, .i. which lets his ſpitle fall vponupon his beard, or is blinde of one eye, may not lift vp his handes in this bleſsing: but if the men of his citie be vſed vntounto him and do all know that he is Zebalgan, and blinde, then he may lift vp his hands: If his hands be coloured with divers colours and ſkarlet, he may not lift vp his hands, leaſt they ſhould be offended at him: but if the multitude of the mē of the citie do vſe ſuch work, then he may lift vp his hands, then they will not be offended at him, &c If the prieſt eMaimony in miſn. in Tephillah ch. 15. ſec. 4.drink a quadrant of wine at one draught, then he may not lift vp his hands: but if he drink it at two draughts, or two times: or if he put a litle water into the middes of it, then it is lawfull for him: but if he drink more thē a quadrant, although it be mixt, and although he drink it at divers times, yet he may not lift vp his hands, vntill he put his wine from him, &c. And many other vaine obſervations they have about this particular. If fArba Turim, lib. Orach cha in Tephillah. ſigno. 130.any man have ſeene a dreame, & knowes not what he hath ſeene, he is to come before the Prieſts in the houre that they go vp vntounto the ſcaffold where they lift vp their hands to bleſſe: and to ſay thus, o Lord of the world, I am thine, & my dreames are thine: I have dreamed a dreame and I know not what it is: whether I have dreamed for my ſelf, or whether others have dreamed for me, if they be good confirme and ratifie them, as the dreames of Ioſeph: if they be evill, heale them, heale them, as the waters of Marah by the handes of Moſes, and as the waters of Iericho by the hands of Eliſha, as Miriam from her leproſy, and as Naaman from his leproſy, &c. Beſides theſe prayers and bleſsings, they have alſo their ſolemne curſes, wherein they curſe Chriſtians and even Chriſt Ieſus himſelf, praying for the deſtruction of Chriſtians, eſpecially of thoſe Iewes that are converted to Chriſtianitie: wiſhing alſo that the name of Ieſus may be blotted out, as is hBuxtorf. de abbrev. p. 87.noted frō their jimmach ſchemo, though they do it more covertly, according to their Cabaliſticall art. Yea, it appeares that they are more carefull of theſe curſes, then of many other bleſsings: for their canon is, that iOrach a chaiim, in Tephillah, ſig. 126.if the miniſter of their congregation do erre in any one of all the bleſsings by omitting or ſkipping over the ſame: if when they admoniſh him, he know how to returne vntounto the place, they do not remoove him: but if he ſkip over the curſe of heretiques (vnderunder which they reckon thoſe that do embrace Chriſtianitie), they do forth with remoove him leaſt he himſelf be an heretique, &c. Now while you plead againſt our temples that they are to be deſtroyed and avoyded as being kPag. 16…Devilles houſes: if your plea be ſound, then may it juſtly be vſed againſt yourſelf: for as the Devil is denominate of ſlandering and accuſing, ſo where curſing, and blaſphemy are joyned with ſuperſtition and Idolatry, the houſe where theſe ſins are ordinarily and publiquely practiſed, may well be called a Devilles houſe; and conſequently that meeting houſe of the Iewes which you choſe to be your houſe of prayer. Hereby you have condemned your ſelf in that wherein you vvould blame vsus.
Fourthly, they make an Idol of the holy ſcriptures vvhichwhich they vſe in their ſynagogue: of the book of the lavv in ſpeciall: and of the reading thereof. One ſuperſtition is, that they hold it lArba Turim, lib. Ioreh degnah trac. Seph. thorah ſig. 270.vnlavvfull for a man vvhichwhich hath the booke of the lavv to ſell the ſame, though he have many of them: yea that it is vnlawfull to ſell an old one to buy a new one, even when a man hath nothing to eat: onelyonly they allow a man in this caſe of neceſsitie to ſell the ſame, viz. to pay for learning of the law, and for the taking of a wife, vvhen he hath no other meanes to procure the ſame, &c. An other ſuperſtition is, that they mIbid. ſig. 271.make it vnlawfull to write the booke of the law ſave vponupon the parchment which is made of the ſkin of a cleane creature: and not vponupon the ſkin of a fiſh though it be cleane, but vponupon the ſkin of a cleane beaſt, fowle or living creature which is cleane: alſo not vponupon the ſkin of thoſe creatures which are dead and torne.They hold it not lawfull to write the ſame vponupon the parchmēt made of the ſkin of a cleane beaſt, vnleſſe the ſkin be dreſſed purpoſely to that vſe at the firſt, vnleſſe it be made in that name and dedicate to ſuch vſe: R. Moſes bar Maimon nMaimony in miſneh, tract. Tephillin c. 1. ſec. 11writes further, that if a gentile dreſſe them they are vnlawfull, though an Iſraelite ſay vntounto him, dreſſe theſe ſkins for a book of the law: but R. Baruch oIore deah, tract. Sepher thorah. ſig. …71writes that if a gentile make them and an Iſraelite ſtand at his back and help him a litle, then they are lawfull. Alſo for the maner of dreſsing them, they pIbid.hold it vnlawfull to dreſſe theſe ſkinnes ſave with galles: though R. Tam allowes the lime which they have to that purpoſe. They make great queſtion, vponupon which ſide of the parchment the law is to be written and thereabout do Maimony and R. Aſcher differ among themſelves. Alſo they hold it is not to be written but with inke: but R. Tam ſaith it is not called inke, but they make it of certaine kindes of knowne thornes which are ſodden, and of that water they make it, but if it be inke made with galles, then it is vnlawfull for a book of the law, &c. further they qIor. deah. in Seph. thor. ſig. 274.hold ſuperſtitiouſly, that the ſcribe which writes the book of the law, muſt of neceſsitie when he begins to write ſay thus; this booke I write that it may be a holy book of the law: and this ſufficeth for every book, and if he do not thus, the book is vnlawfull. Alſo that he muſt have a book before him out of which he may copie it: that it is vnlawfull to write even one letter which is not out of the copie: (though he knew it never ſo perfectly without the ſame) Seven letters comprehended in the words, Schagnatnaz gats they do idolize after a ſpeciall manner, rIbid. with Thalmud in menachoth, f. 29.writing over them 3 crownes, ſo often as they are repeated in the law, one crowne on the right ſide of the letter, an other on the left, an other above: Theſe crownes are not to be found in any Hebrew Bible that is printed: Therfore the Iewes vſe in their ſynagogue not a printed, but a written book of the law. Againe, although the ſcribe in the beginning of his writing, do ſay he writes the ſame in the name of a holy book for the cōſecration thereof, yet it is further ſIor. dea. ſig. 276.required as neceſſary, that ſo often ashe writes the name of God, he do every time think in himſelf that he writes that name for a holy vſe, and if he do not ſo, the writing is vnlawfull. And if a King ſalute him, as he is writing that name, he may not anſwer him. And when he hath dipt his pen into the ynke to write the name of God, it is not lawfull for him immediately to begin with the name of God leaſt there ſhould bee too much ynke in the pen, but for a praeparative he muſt firſt begin to write the word that comes before the name of God, with that new penfull of ynke. If he write any of the names of God in gold, it is vnlawful: And a number of other ſuperſtitious traditions they have about the meaſures of the booke, the forme of the letters, the ſections open and ſhut, the diſtances betwixt book and book, ſection and ſection, line & line; about the correction of literal faults, and the toleration of them: about the ruling of the book, the ſowing of the parchments with the ſinowes of cleane beaſts, &c. But when it is made, then they tIor. dea. in Seph. th. ſig. 282.give great honour vntounto this book of the law: they are commanded to make a peculiar place for it, and to honour that place with great reverence: they may not ſpit before it, nor turne their backes toward it, nor cary it vponupon their heads as if it were a burden: they that ſee it as it paſſes by are bound to ſtand ſtill, vntill it be paſſed by and brought vntounto his place, or vntill it be covered from their eyes. He that travelles from place to place and hath the book of the law with him, may not put it in a ſack, nor lay it vponupon the back of the aſſe whereon he rides, but he muſt put it in his boſome, over againſt his heart. They may not ſit vponupon that bed, where this booke is layd: They may not touch this book, but through a vayle, wherewith it muſt firſt be covered: They may not bring it into many places: And that houſe where it is, may not be vſed as before it was. VVhen it is worne out, or made vnmeet for vſe, they muſt put it into an earthen veſſell, and ſo bury it: and this, nere vntounto one of their wiſe diſciples or Rabbines. They diſtinguiſh betwixt this book of the law, and the pentateuch, or 5. bookes of Moſes, in reſpect of this forme and maner of writing, thoughthe ſame words be conteyned in both: Though they may lay this book vponupon the back of an other book of the law, and the pentateuch vponupon the Prophets, and Pſalmes, &c. yet they may not lay the Prophets and pſalmes vponupon the back of the pentateuch, nor the pentateuch vponupon the back of this book of the law: ſuch ſuperſtitious differences and degrees of holynes do they forge vntounto themſelves. The ſuperſtitions which they vſe uOrach. ch. tract. keriath hattho rah. ſig. 135 136. &c.in reading this book of the law in their ſynagogues, are alſo very many: concerning the time, the perſons, the order to be obſerved herein; and too long it would be to rehearſe the ſame in like manner alſo do they Idolize the booke of Eſter, both in the writing and in the reading thereof, vſing many of the very ſame ſuperſtitions which they do about the book of the law, though not ſo preciſe herein: yet have they many peculiar traditions here alſo, as vvthalmud Ieruſalemy in megillah. ch. 3. fol. 74. with Orach cha. in megil. ſig. 690 691. Maimony in Megillah c. 2.that the names of the tē ſonnes of Haman are to be written after the manner of a ſong, and yet not as common ſonges; that the names of the men are to be written in the beginning of the leafe or line, and that the particle, veeth that goes with ech of them is to be written in the end of the line: and that otherwiſe the writing is not lawfull: that in the reading of them alſo, they are all to be read with one breath: with a multitude of the like deviſes. Now if popiſh ſuperſtitions have defiled our temples, and made them vnfit for our vſe, how comes it that theſe abſurd and manifold Iewiſh ſuperſtitions have not defiled their ſynagogue and made it vnfit for your vſe?
Fiftly, the Sacrament of Circumciſion obſerved among the Iewes, is alſo ſet vp for an Idoll among them. As you note of the Popiſh Baptiſme, that there are xAnimadv p. 72.two ſorts of idols therein, ſome merely deviſed by men: as their croſſes, exorciſmes, greaſings, &c. ſome perverted by men from holy ſignes to idols, &c So may you ſee both theſe kindes of idols in the Iewiſh circumciſion: for (not to ſpeak of many other ſuperſtitions) their yArba turim, li. Ior. dea, in Milah, ſig. 264 R. Moſes mikk. in SMG. praecep. affir. 28priah, or tearing of the other ſkin with their nayles, (after the foreſkin be cut away) is merely deviſed by themſelves, a more painefull and dangerous thing vntounto the circumciſed infant, thē is the cutting of the foreſkin itſelf. And this priah or perignah, they hold to be ſo neceſſary, that they make circumciſion without it to be no circumciſion: they ſay, he that circumciſeth and vſeth not this priah, is as if he had not circumciſed. Herein their ſuperſtition is greater then the Papiſts, who do not maintaine ſuch a neceſſitie of their inventions and deviſes in the adminiſtration of Baptiſme. Againe, their zIoreh dea. tract. milah or of circumciſion ſig. 265.cuſtome is to ſet a chaire or ſeat for Elias at their act of circumciſing: and the originall of this cuſtome is noted by them to be this: when Elias complayned, I have bene very jelous for the Lord, becauſe the houſe of Iſrael have forſaken thy coveranr (1 Kin. 19.15.) the Rabbines ſay that from that time the Lord made a promiſe vntounto Elias that the Iſraelites ſhould never performe that covenant or work of circumciſion, vntill Elias did ſee it with his eyes: and that from thence forward their wiſe men ordeyned to ſet a chaire for Elias, becauſe he is called the Angell of the covenant. Herein they commit heynous Idolatrie, by aſcribing vntounto Elias a divine power and propertie as though he could be preſent in many places at once wherſoever circumciſion is adminiſtred: As the Papiſts offend by mainteyning the body of Chriſt to be preſent in their maſſe wherſoever it is celebrated; ſo do the Iewes by mainteyning the body of Elias to be preſent in their Idol circumciſion vvherſoever it is adminiſtred by thē, honouring his preſence alſo by ſetting a chaire or throne for him, &c. Againe they turne the ordinance of God into an Idol, by mainteyning an vſe of it, vvhen as it is now aboliſhed: and eſpecially by putting ſo great confidence therein, as that they do thereby aGal. 5.2.3.4.aboliſh themſelves from Chriſt and the ſalvation purchaſed by him. They hold the commandement of circumciſion to be greater then the reſt of the commādements that are to be performed: they ſay bThalmud in Nedarim ch. 3. fol. 31that there are thirteene covenants made concerning circumciſion; becauſe the word covenant is found to be 13. times repeated in Gen. 17. where circumciſion was inſtituted: They cArba turim, l. Ior. dea. in milah, ſig. 260alledge out of their Bereſhith rabbah that Abraham our father ſits at the gate of Hell and ſuffers not any that are circumciſed to be gathered in thither. They affirme that by it men are delivered from the judgement of hell. The Chalde… paraphraſt expounding thoſe words of Solomon, every one hath his ſword vponupon his thigh for the feare by night, dThargum on cant. 3.8notes this ſword vponupon the thigh to be the ſeale of circumciſion in the fleſh, whereby they prevayle and do not feare the divelles or the toads that walk abroad in the night. Yea ſuch confidence they have in this ceremony, that they vſe to eArba Turim, l. Ior. dea. treat. of buriall, ſig. 353. & of circumciſ. ſig. 263.circumciſe dead infants to obteyne and procure the more mercy for them at the reſurrection, though after an other manner, then other infants be commonly circumciſed Now you that condemne our vſe of temples, which have bene abuſed heretofore vntounto the worſhip of Saints: vvhy were you not afraid to worſhip in that Synagogue where Elias hath bene deifyed by the Iewes, and divine honour given vntounto him being but one of the Saints? you that refuſe to heare all the miniſters of Chriſt ſitting in Moſes chaire, what meane you to go and ſit in Elias his chaire, to teach and preach vntounto your people in that very place where the Iewes have ſet that Idolatrous chaire for Elias?
Sixthly, the feaſts of the Iewes which they keep at this day cannot be denyed of you to be Idols, whiles you fH.B. diſc. p. 181.ſay as much of the Idol-feaſts in the Church of England. A whole volume would not ſuffice to expreſſe the innumerable ſuperſtitions of the Iewes which they obſerve herein: They have a whole book in folio conteyning their preparation vntounto one of their feaſts, ſhewing onelyonly what is to be done in the evening of their paſſeover. I will onelyonly note one or two of their impious pactiſes. At their feaſt of reconciliation, their manner in ſome places is to kill a cock for reconciliation. hArba turim lib. Orach cha. tract. jom haccippurim, ſig. 605.The miniſter of the congregation vſeth to take a cocke, and layes his hand vponupon his head, and lifts him vp, and layes him vponupon the head of him that is to be reconciled and ſaith; This for this: This is changed for this: This is wounded for this. Then he turnes vntounto him the ſecond time and ſaith, They ſit in darknes and in the ſhadow of death, being bound in miſerie and yron: He bringeth them out of darknes & the ſhadow of death, and breaks their bands aſunder: fooles by reaſon of their tranſgreſsion and becauſe of their iniquities are aflicted: Then they cry vntounto the Lord in their trouble and he delivereth them out of their diſtreſse he ſends his word and healeth them, and delivereth them from their graves: Let them confeſſe before the Lord his loving kindnes, and his wonders vntounto the Sonnes of men. Life for life. And he doth according to this order three times. After this he layes his hand vponupon the head of the cock after the manner of laying on of hands, and leaning vponupon him killeth him preſently: ſtraight way after the impoſition of hands is the ſlaughter of him. And they vſe to give him vntounto the poore that this may be a reconciliation for his life, &c. At their feaſt of Purim, their maner is in reading the book of Eſter to ſay, iIbid. tract. megillah, ſig. 690.Curſed be Haman: Bleſsed be Mordecai: Curſed be Zereſh, Bleſsed be Eſter: Curſed be all that ſerve Idolles (vnderunder theſe they comprehend all Chriſtians:) Bleſsed be all Iſrael, &c. Yea in the kſig. 695. & Talmud Bab. in Megill. c. 1. fol. 7.ſame place they ſay that they are commanded to make great cheare, and that it is neceſsary to be drunken, till they cannot diſcerne betwixt Arur Haman, and Baruch Mordecai, &c. till they know not Haman from Mordecai: bleſſing from curſing, &c. Of all the Idolatrous feaſts that are kept either at Roome of the Papiſts or at Conſtantinople among the Turkes, I think you cannot name any more deteſtable then theſe, where Chriſt is ſo diſhonoured and Chriſtianity ſo directly blaſphemed and curſed, and drunkennes ſo extolled for a vertue: yet are you become ſo partiall in yourſelf and a judge of ſuch evill thoughts, that you bluſh not to condemne our vſe of temples for the ſuperſtition of the former times, while your ſelves dare venture into this Iewiſh ſynagogue, a neſt of ſuperſtition nothing inferiour vntounto the Papiſts.
Seventhly, as for the diſcipline and cenſures vſed among the Iewes you can not deny them to be Idolles, whiles you lH. B. diſc. p. 234 & 236.make the ſuſpenſion vſed in true Churches of Chriſt to be Idolatrous and an Idol-ſuſpenſion; though nothing ſo abſurd and vile as isthat ſuſpenſion of the Iewes. The cenſures of the Iewes are many firſt they have a kinde of rebuke which they cal neziphah, this they mElias Levita in Tiſchbi in nazaph.refer to the initial letters of nezem zahab be—aph, &c. a Iewell of gold in a ſwines ſnout: Prov. 11.22. This they deſcribe to be the nArba Turim in Ioreh dea. tract. Niddui. ſig. 334.rebuke of a great man vponupon an other: And the manner is, that he which hath it vponupon him muſt hide himſelf & ſit in his houſe, and be aſhamed and not ſee the face of him that hath rebuked him, nor ſtād before him with his head vncovered, and muſt diminiſh his mirth his talke his exerciſes, &c. But others need not to avoyd him, neither is he required to ſeek reconciliation with him that is offended, neither is any abſolution required after this rebuke hath bene borne a certaine time. Againe, they have three ſorts of excōmunication, niddui, cherem and ſhamatha, all which as they are now vſed by the Iewes, are Idolatrous and ſuperſtitious. For the firſt, which is a kinde of ſuſpenſion, they oMay mony in miſneh, in Thalmud thorah, ch. 6.aſſigne foure and twenty cauſes for which it is to be inflicted: Among the reſt, one cauſe is, for deſpiſing even one word of the ſcribes, &c. vvhichwhich are moſt abſurd and impious many times and ought to be deſpiſed: An other vnreaſonable cauſe is, if a Iew ſell any ground vntounto a gentile that is an Idolater (ſuch they account all to be that call vponupon the name of Chriſt) they ſuſpend him, vntill he will take vponupon himſelf all the hurt which may come thereby from the gentile vntounto an Iſraelite, &c. Him that is ſuſpended they avoyd in eating and drinking with him and muſt ſit 4. cubites from him: during the time of this reiection he may not ſhave himſelf, nor waſh himſelf, &c. pThalmud Ieruſalemy in moed katon ch. 3 f. 81. col. 4.He that is thus ſuſpended or reiected by a Rabbine, is reiected of his ſcholler, but he that is reiected of the ſcholler is not reiected of the Rabbine. He that is reiected of the Father of the Iudgement houſe, is reiected of the wiſe man but he that is reiected of the wiſe, is not reiected of the Father of the judgement-houſe. qIor. dea. vbi ſupra.He that is reiected of the prince, is reiected of all Iſrael: but he that is reiected of all Iſrael is not reiected of the prince, &c. As for the abſolution and looſing this band, the forme of words vſed is, ſcherui lach, machol lach: Thou art looſed: thou art forgiven: and if the man to be abſolved be abſent, they ſay, ſcherui lo: He is looſed: Touching the perſons that may abſolve, rMiſneh in Thalmud thor. 2. 7.Maimony ſaith, that three Idiots or private men, or one alone that is approoved may abſolve the ſuſpended perſon, and that a Thalmid or diſciple of the Rabbines may looſe either the anathema or the ſuſpenſion even in the place of the Rabbie; If three have ſuſpended a man and be gone away; if the ſuſpended perſon repent, three others may abſolve him, but ſEx Arba Turim vbi ſupra.R. Abraham ben Dior writes that three other can not abſolve him except they be as great as the three former: & that a third man may give authoritie vntounto two to abſolve, &c. That if a man be reiected by this cenſure of niddui and he know not who it is that hath reiected him, there is no other may abſolve him but the Prince: but if he know who hath reiected him, then he that reiected, may abſolve, though he be one of the people of the Land, or an other like him. They give ſpeciall warning that whoſoever will abſolve or looſe that which his neighbour hath bound muſt conſider diligently whether he be equal vntounto him whether he may be compared with him in wiſedome, and that if he be not like vntounto him in the feare of God and in greatnes that then the abſolutiō be performed by two, &c. Many other are the ſuperſtitious deviſes about this matter, as touching thoſe that are tIbidem, & Maimony in Thal. thor. vbi ſupra.reiected by an oth, touching thoſe that are reiected by dreame, not to be abſolved but by 10. perſons, of ſuch and ſuch qualitie: touching the number of dayes both for neziphah and niddui; touching the ſtone to be left vponupon the cheſt of him that dyes without abſolution: touching cherem or anathema the ſecond kinde of excommunication: to be uIoa Buxt. Epiſt. Heb. inſtitut. c. 6executed with candles lighted in the ſynagogue, and extinguiſhed vponupon the curſe pronounced, to ſignify that the perſon ſo reiected is deprived of the light of heaven: touching their ſhamatha alſo, &c. In theſe cenſures of the Iewes there is as much ſuperſtition and impietie practiſed, as is by the Papiſts in their curſes: and in this regard you had as much cauſe to have avoyded the Iewes ſynagogue vſed by you, as we have to avoyd any place abuſed by the Papiſts for their ſuperſtitious diſcipline.
Laſtly, the very place itſelf, the houſe of prayer or the ſynagogue where the Iewes do aſſemble for their worſhip, is vntounto them a holy place, and conſequently according to your reaſoning vvpag. 178.before, is vnlawfull to be vſed, and to be avoyded as a very Idol, for the holynes that is put in the ſame. Their Thalmudicall canons require and enioyne them, xArba Turim, lib. Orachchaijm tract. beth hacceneſeth. ſig. 151 R. Alphes in megillah c. 3. f. 356.not to laugh, jeaſt, or talk therein: not to cat or drink there; not to dreſſe themſelves there: not to walk vp and downe there: not to go thither in the heat to avoyd the heat of the ſunne: nor in time of rayne to avoyd a ſhewer: yet they hold it lawfull for the diſciples of their Chacamim, their wiſe rabbines to eat and drink in that place: They hold it vnlawfull for a man to invent or deviſe any matter there except it be ſome work of almes, the redeeming of captives or the like. They allow not a man to mourne in that place, except it be for ſome great man of the citie, when as all the inhabitants of the citie be gathered together to lament him: They forbid men to meet one an other there for any neceſſary buſines: but if they do meet there, they are required firſt to read a verſe (of the Bible,) or to ſpeak a word out of the Thalmud: but if they can neither read nor repeat any thing out of their traditionall bookes, then they are required to ſay vntounto ſome childe, read me a verſe, &c. that they may not ſeeme to have met there for any other neceſſary buſineſſe. Their cuſtome is to light candles there for honour, and to bring ſweet herbes or flowres, &c. They eſteeme their ſynagogue ſo holy, that they make it a dangerous matter to ſpit there: yThalmud Ieruſalemy in Beracoth c. 3. fol. 6. col. 4.R Chalaphta ben Saul ſaith if a man neeze in prayer it is an evill ſigne to him. (R. Moſes mikkotſi, ſaith if the ſpit be ready to ariſe it is to be ſwallowed, SMG. precepr. affir. 19.) R. Hanina telles how he ſaw a Rabbine coughing or neezing & laying his hand on his mouth but did not ſpit. R. Iochanan ſaith, he that ſpits in the ſynagogue, let him ſee that his //coſo.cup be cleane: or as R. Moſes mikkotſi relates it, that his “ciſo.bag or Cheſt be cleane: & this he expoundes of his body: How this may be done is ſhewed in the Thalmud by this rule that is there given: to ſpit before him is vnlawfull: to ſpit after him is lawfull: to ſpit on the right hand is vnlawfull: but on the left hand it is lawfull: R. Iehoſhuah ben Levi ſaith, he that ſpits in the houſe of the congregation, is as if he did ſpit in the apple of his eye. R. Ionah ſaith, he that ſpits let him rubit out. R. Ieremie and R. Samuel ſay, he that prayes let him not ſpit till he goe 4 cubites from the place. R. Ioſe ſaith, he that ſpits let him not pray till he go 4. cubites from the place. Theſe are the learned Iew doctours, and ancient Rabbines without whoſe help (as you ſay) we cannot well vnderſtand the ſcriptures. To confirme and countenance the rule before mentioned, ſhewing at what ſide a man muſt ſpit in caſe of neceſſitie; it is alledged in the ſame place of the Thalmud, this is that which is written, a thouſand ſhall fall at thy ſide. (pſ. 90.) to wit, if this rule of ſpitting in right maner be duely obſerved. zThalmud Babylonic. in Schabbath. c. 2. fo. 32.R. Iſmael the ſon of Eleazar ſaith, that for the wickednes of two things or of two words the people of the earth do dy, becauſe they call the holyark (aron) arna; and becauſe they call the houſe of the congregation, the houſe of the folk or people; beth gnam: viz. becauſe they do not in their ſpeech honour the ſynagogue, with a holy title. Now theſe and many other the like ſuperſtitious obſervations do ſhew that the Iewes put as much and more holynes in their ſynagogue, then the papiſts do in their temples: for the Papiſts do not forbid men to walk vp and downe therein: they do not forbid men to fly thether to avoyd a ſhewer of rayne: they are not ſo ſcrupulous about ſpitting there, &c. And therfore the blame that you would lay vponupon vsus for reteyning of ſuch temples wherein ſuperſtitious perſons have put holynes, doth redound vntounto your owne reproofe and comes more heavily vponupon your owne head for vſing the Iewes ſynagogue.