Arrow Against the Separationists, Admonition · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
THe third Scandall in the allegation of theſe Thalmudicall traditions, is in reſpect of the divine honour which the Iewes give vntounto them, holding that they are the very word of God, immediately delivered of God vntounto Moſes in mount Sinai, when as he was 40. dayes and 40 nights in the mount with God. It is not enough for them to profeſs, teach and practiſe ſuch fabulous, ſuperſtitious and blaſphemous things, vnleſs they obtrude them vponupon God, equalling them with the holy ſcriptures and preferring them before the writings of the Prophets. They tell vsus that there is a double lavv, thorah abſchebicthab, a vvritten law: thorah ſchebeal peh, a law in the mouth: which Moſes did receive but not write, onelyonly delivering it from mouth to mouth vntounto poſteritie: And this is their Thalmud. R. Aben Ezra in his preface to the commentaries vvhichwhich he vvrote on the lavv calleth it the ioy of their heart and the health of their bones, & ſaith there is no difference betwixt theſe two lawes. R. Solomon Iarchi “Commēt. on Deut. 4.14.teacheth, that the ordinances and lawes which the Lord commanded duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page Moſes to teach Iſrael Deut. 4.14. vvere this traditional law, thorah ſchebealpeh, the law delivered by mouth and not vvritten: though now at laſt the Iewes have vvritten the ſame. Maimony to ſhevv the dignitie and excellencie of theſe traditions, %In miſneh, in tephil. col haſſhanah.alledgeth that ſaying from Hab. 3.6, his vvayes are everlaſting; but (ſaith he) read not, halicoth, vvayes: but halacoth traditions. And ſaith, whoſoever teacheth thoſe traditions let him be aſſured that he is a child of the vvorld to come. That Targum or Chaldee paraphraſt which you often alledge, doth interpret thoſe kiſſes of the mouth, Cant 1.1. to be the ſix parts of the Thalmud: and aftervvards againe moſt abſurdly “Thargum on Cant. 5.10.ſpeaks of the ſame, deſiring to ſerve that God, which in the day being clothed with a robe white as ſnow ſtudyeth the 24. bookes of the Bible, and in the night ſeaſon ſtudieth the ſix parts of the Thalmud. And the Thargum Ieruſalemy expounds thoſe words of Iaakob in his bleſſing of Iuda, that his %on Gen. 49.12.teeth ſhould be white with milke, of ſuch as are bakian bahalacah exerciſed in the tradition of the Thalmud. And further that they prefer their Thalmud before the holy ſcriptures, it appeares by ſuch ſayings as are //Buxtorf. recenſ. operis Tal. p. 197.202.noted to be ordinary among the Rabbines: namely, that the words of their vviſe men were more amiable and excellent then the words of the Prophets that the ſcripture or text of the Bible is to be compared vntounto water: the miſchna, (which is one part of the Talmud) vntounto wine: & the Thalmud (or Gemara) vntounto Condite: that the law is like vntounto ſalt, the miſchna like vntounto Pepper & the Thalmud like vntounto ſweet ſpices. If this be ſo, it is no marvel that you do ſo ſugar and ſpice your annotatiōs with the traditiōs of theſe vviſe men. It is affirmed in the %In Babha metſia c. 2. Fol. 33Thalmud, that to be exerciſed in the ſcriptures it is a vertue & no vertue, that is very ſmall in cōpariſon: to be exerciſed in the miſchna, that is a vertue for which they receyve a reward: to be exerciſed in the Gemara, (which is an other part of the Thalmud) is a vertue, then which none is more excellent, R. Solomon expounding thoſe words of Moſes touching the ſubmiſsiō vntounto the) judgement of the Prieſts and Iudges in Iſrael, that itwas not to be declined from neither to the right hand nor to the left, doth herevpon reach that they are to be obeyed and followed, “Comment. on Deut. 17.11.when they ſay that the right hand is the left, or that the left hand is the right hand: and hovv much more when they ſay that the right hand is the right hand, and that the left hand is the left hand? Thus do they ſet men in the ſeat of God, and make vile fleſh like vntounto the moſt high, yea and exalt them into a throne of dignitie above him. In this regard it is more offenſive to alledge ſuch counterfaite ſtuffe as doth faſly beare the name of God, as if it were ſuggeſted by his divine and extraordinary inſpiration. In the popiſh legends there are many fained viſions and mirackles recorded, and ſome of them deviſed onelyonly to perſwade vntounto mercy and workes of charitie: yet do vve juſtly abhor them and the vſe of them to any ſuch end, becauſe they are forged with the great abuſe of Gods name: for the Kingdome of God needs not to be vpholden with any props or pillars borowed from the Kingdom of Satan. He that being to beare witneſſe of any matter, ſhall firſt be convicted of a lye touching the meanes of his knowledge, and touching the perſon from whom he pretends he heard that which he is to vvitneſſe, even for this cauſe deſerves to be condemned and to have his teſtimony reiected: And even ſo the Thalmudiſts being herein manifeſtly guilty of a notorious & blaſphemously touching the meanes of their knowledg, while they pretend a divine revelation from God for all that they ſay, though he never delivered the ſame vntounto any: for this cauſe is their teſtimony alſo to be refuſed exceptit be againſt themſelves. And for this cauſe alſo your boldnes and your fault in frequent alledging of them, is the more inexcuſable.