Common Places, Part 1 · Chapter 8
The eight Chapter. Of Lots, whereby Gods counſell was aſked: and firſt of Vrim and Thumim; which were ſo called, of charitie and perfection.
AN olde expoſitor of the ſcriptures, called Kimhi, Out of the booke of Iudges, 20, 27. The maner of giuing out oracles by Drim and Thumim. Looke In Iudg. 1, verſe. 1.vponupon the twentie chapter of the booke of Iudges, verſe the 26, noted manie things, not vnprofitable for the vnderſtanding of other places of the ſcripture by queſtions and oracles. He ſaith, that It was the maner among the Hebrues, to aſke queſtions of God: and he that would demand anie thing, touching either publike or weightie matters, he came to the préeſt, who being apparelled with his Ephod garment, ſtood before the arke of the Lord. And vponupon his Ephod were ſet twelue pretious ſtones, wherein the names of the twelue tribes were ingrauen, togither with the names of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob; and alſo all the letters of the Hebrue alphabet. It behooued him that aſked a queſtion, to turne his face towards the préeſt; and his ſpéech ſhould neither be ſo lowd, as hée might plainlie be heard; nor yet ſo lowe, as if he had onlie praied with his inward cogitations: but euen in ſuch wiſe, as Anna praied in the firſt booke of Samuel, where it is ſaid, 1. Sam. 1, 13that She onelie mooued hir lips, & ſaid nothing that might be heard. After this, the oracle was ſhewed to the préeſt in this maner. By the power of the holie Ghoſt, certeine letters appéered foorth, or ſhined vponupon the breaſt, wherin the préeſt did read the oracle or wil of God. And this was that Vrim and Thumim, which is ſpoken of. Theſe be the words of Kimhi. But what credit ſhould be giuen vntounto him, I knowe not. For it might be, that the ſpirit of God gaue out his pleaſure by the mouth of the préeſt, without thoſe letters.
In 1. Sam. 10, verſ. 19.2 Touching lots, we hauehave an example in the firſt of Samuel, the 10. verſe; for there Samuel willeth that all the people ſhould ſtand by tribes. He himſelfe would pronounce nothing, leaſt the thing ſhould ſéeme to be doone by his owne appointment: therefore God pronounced Saule to be king, doubtleſſe not through his owne merit, but for the people ſake, leaſt they ſhould ſtriue among themſelues for the chooſing of him. Saule was choſen by lots. The cauſe of lotting.The matter was permitted vntounto lots, to the intent that diſſention might be auoided. For if Samuel had choſen the king vponupon his owne liking, they might hauehave thought him to be led by fauour & affection. Againe, if the voices of the people ſhould hauehave taken place; no doubt but euerie one would hauehave fauoured his owne tribe: and béeing ſo manie tribes as there were, they would hardlie hauehave agréed all vponupon one man. And wheras Saule was of the leaſt tribe, of lowe degrée, & of baſe parentage; if he ſhould hauehave béene choſen by anie other means, the matter might hauehave béen greatlie ſtomached of all ſorts. Num. 16, 2.Core, Dathan, Abiram, and others of their felowes; ſtirred vp ſedition againſt Moſes and Aaron; bicauſe they ſuppoſed them to hauehave vſurped the principalitie and preeſthood by fraud and colluſion.
Sundrie waies were the lots in old time. Kimhi thinketh, that all the people ſtood before the Lord; for in deliberation and counſell of great matters, it behooued the magiſtrate or prince to ſtand before the high préeſt. So we ſée in the book of Numbers, Num. 27, 22that when Ioſua was appointed to be captaine of the people, he ſtood before Eleazar, and the préeſt vſed to make anſwere through Vrim and Thumim. So dooth Kimhi thinke that Samuel ſtood before the high préeſt, and receiued the oracle of Vrim and Thumim; that is to ſaie, by thoſe letters which were ingrauen in the pretious ſtones of the Ephod. He ſaith moreouer, that the arke perhaps was brought thither: howbeit theſe things be vncertaine. For there is here no mention made, either of the préeſt, or yet of the arke. Rab. Shelomo thinketh, that ſuch was the maner of lots, as that the names of euerie of the tribes were written in ſeuerall ſcrols; which béeing throwne into a pot, were afterward drawne by the chéefe préeſt. It maketh for Kimhi, that there is no mention made of lots. Shelomo followeth the common opinion, which is, that Saules election was doone by lots: which thing was not ſtrange from the vſe & cuſtome of the Iewes. For of two hée goats, Looke in Iudg. 20, 8. Much vſe of lots among the Iewes. Leuit. 16, 8. Ioſua. 13, 6. 1. Par. 24, 31 1 Sam. 14, 41 Ionas. 1, 7. Acts. 1, 26.it was choſen by lots, which of them ſhould ſcape. By lots the land of Canaan was diuided among the tribes; by lots the préeſthood was appointed; by lots Ionas & Ionathas were found out; and by lots Matthias was taken into the apoſtleſhip; as we read in the firſt of the Acts. Wherfore ſéeing lots were in ſuch ſort vſed, commonlie among the Iewes, it ſhould appeare that Shelomo did not thinke amiſſe, in ſaieng that Saule was choſen by lots.
And whereas Kimhi ſaith, that the high préeſt, the arke of the Lord, and the Ephod were preſent; me thinketh it is not agréeable to truth; For the arke at that time was in Kiriathiarim. And if ſo be that the Ephod were there, yet it followeth not of neceſſitie, that therefore the arke was alſo there; for we may ſée how often thoſe things were a ſunder. 1. Sam. 30…For when Dauid fled and came to Ceila, he had Abiathar the préeſt to put on the Ephod, and yet the arke was not carried with him in that flight. The ſame thing was afterward doone in Siceleg, when as yet the arke was preſent with him. But thou wilt ſaie that in the text, lots are not named: I grant, but yet there is another word there of the ſame ſignification. For Lachad ſignifieth, To get, to laie hold on, and to attaine by coniecture.
3 But what lots thoſe were I knowe not; for (as I ſaid) there were manie kinds of lots. Cicero in his booke De diuinatione ſaith, Many kinds of lots.that When one Numerius Suffecius had cut in ſunder a flint ſtone, the lots made in an oke leaped out; & that at the ſame time an Oliue trée bid ſweat honie; and that therefore a little cheſt was made of the ſame trée, into which the lots were caſt: theſe were called Praeneſtine lots, which were verie famous in times paſt. In Plautus we read of lots made of firre and poplar trées, which were caſt into a veſſell of water; and according as euerie lot aroſe, firſt or laſt from the bottom, ſo the matter was decréed. Pauſanias ſaith, that lots were woont to be doone out of a pot made of claie; and that one Creſphon, in the diuiſion that was made of Peloponneſus, to handle the matter that the field of Miſſena might fall out to his ſhare, he corrupted the préeſt Temenus; for he dried others lots by the ſun, but Creſphons by the fier: and therefore Creſphons lots béeing longer, before they were made wet, he obtained the féeld of Miſſena. Darius the king of Perſia, in ſtead of lots, vſed the neighing of a horſſe. And ſome hauehave obſerued the firſt ariſing of the ſun. To vſe lots is nothing elſe, What is to vſe lots.but to doo ſomething, through which we may come by the knowledge of a thing that we knowe not.
Three kinds of lots.But all kinds of lots may be reduced to thrée ſorts. For either we doubt to whom a thing ſhould be adiudged, as in the diuiſion that is made of féelds and poſſeſſions; (theſe lots are called lots of diuiſion:) either we doubt what is to be doone; and ſuch be called conſulting lots: or elſe we would faine knowe, what ſhould come to paſſe; and this is called diuination by lots. But it behooueth verie much to knowe, VponUpon what principle lots depend.vponupon what principle lots doo depend. For, to ſaie that they be ordered by fortune; that were a vaine thing: by diuels, that is ſuperſtitious: by heauen, and the ſtars; that is plaine ridiculous: wherefore they are ruled by God. For (as ſaith Salomon) Lots are put into the boſome, Pro. 16, 33.but they are tempered by the Lord. And Auguſtine vponupon the 30. pſalme ſheweth, that lots are nothing elſe but a ſignifieng of Gods will, when man ſtandeth in doubt. And digreſſing from hence, he ſaith, Lots a token of the will of God.that predeſtination and grace may be called lots; bicauſe they depend not vponupon our merits, but vponupon the mercies of God. For with God, predeſtination is eternall and certaine, though it ſéeme to come to paſſe by lots. And to Honoratus he ſaith, that In a great perſecution, all miniſters ought not to flie awaie; nor yet all abandon themſelues vntounto perill; but thoſe muſt be retained, which ſhall be ſufficient for the preſent vſe; and the reſt to be ſent awaie, that they may be reſerued till a better ſeaſon. But here what maner of chooſing ſhall be had? Thoſe muſt be retained (ſaith he) whom we ſhall thinke to be the more profitable, and better for the people which remaine. But if all ſhall be alike, and all ſhall ſaie, that they would tarie and die; then ſaith he the matter muſt be committed vntounto lots. And in his booke De doctrina christiana, he ſaith; If there happen to méet with thée two poore men, whoſe néed preſentlie is alike, and thou haſt not then wherewith to helpe them both; but one thou canſt helpe, there is no better waie than to deale by lots.
How and when lots muſt be vſed.4 But we muſt beware, that we come not to the triall of lots too vnaduiſedly. For we muſt firſt vſe other meanes and gifts of God; namelie, the ſpirit, the word, reaſon, and diſcretion; and not to deale by lots, except when neceſſitie ſhall require. And it is to be counted neceſſitie, whenſoeuer any thing happeneth, that may tend to the glorie of God, and to the edifieng of his church, which thou canſt not reach vntounto by mans wiſedome: or if thou canſt, yet not without incurring of enuie and ſuſpicion: and ſo doo brethren diuide betwéene them the inheritances. And the Romans, in times paſt, vſed to decide controuerſies by caſting of lots. Secondlie, we muſt beware, that nothing be doone raſhlie: for we muſt come vntounto lots with great reuerence and religion. Thirdlie, we muſt auoid ſuperſtition. Fourthlie, there muſt be no fraud nor deceit. Fiftlie, about lots we muſt not vſe the goſpell, or word of God. But bicauſe we cannot eaſilie beware of all theſe things, Ierom vponupon the prophet Ionas, denieth that it is lawfull in anie wiſe to vſe lots. Howbeit, there be ſome which conſter his meaning to be onlie of ſuperſtitious lots: but he plainelie condemneth all, and ſaith, that Whatſoeuer is read in the holie ſcriptures as touching lots, muſt not be drawne to an example: and yet the opinion of Auguſtine was otherwiſe, (as I ſaid before.) And there is no danger why wée ſhould ſéeme to tempt God; for it is he that ordereth the lots. But thou wilt ſaie; The Iſraelites had an oracle and Ephod, therefore what néed had they of lots? In déede they had ſo; and ſo had they Samuel for their prophet, who willed them in the name of God to caſt lots.
Beda vponupon the Acts ſaith, Beda. Acts. 1, 26. The example of lots in Matthias muſt not be followed.that The election of Matthias into the apoſtleſhip by lots, muſt not be laid hold on for an example. For he ſaith, that as yet they had not receiued the holie ghoſt; which when they had receiued, they vſed no more lots in the chooſing of deacons. Neuertheleſſe, I doubt not, but that both ſorts of election were approoued, and holie alike. And although they had not as yet receiued the gifts of the holie Ghoſt, yet in their harts they had him. Neither tooke they lots in hand, till they had firſt tried all other ordinarie meanes; for they ſawe that there were two men of equall godlines, iudgement, and woorthines, wherby no danger might inſue vponupon the choiſe of anie of them. But in appointing of deacons, there was no néed of lots; ſeuen were brought foorth, and they did chooſe them all. But if ſo be that ſome part onlie of that number ſhould hauehave béene choſen, I doubt not but they might hauehave choſen them by lots. But this in the example of Samuel muſt be followed: In vſing lots they praied vntounto God.they, while lots were caſting, praied the Lord. And Samuel ſaith, that the people ſtood before the Lord; that is, they reuerentlie expected what the Lord would appoint. And we muſt note, that in the text it is written; They ſtill asked the Lord, when as yet they had not found Saule. He ſaid, (ſtill:) for they had firſt aſked the Lord by way of lots, but were rebuked of Samuel, both to the intent they might repent, and that they might ſtand deuoutlie before the Lord: which to doo accordinglie, they aſked the Lord by praier. But when they ſought whether Saule was come, they tried not that by lots: for how could they hauehave found him out by lots, who was hidden among the cariages? But at the praier of Samuel, God ſhewed where he was. And here is to be noted the woonderfull faith of Samuel, who knowing aſſuredlie, that God had appointed Saule to be king, yet doubted not to commit the matter vntounto lots. An other perhaps would hauehave ſaid; It ſhall not be ſo, perhaps the lots will fall out otherwiſe, and ſo will exclude this man.
Of foreſpeaking or foretelling; called Omen.
In 1. Sam. 14, 9.5 Ionathas, in the firſt booke of Samuel the 14. chapter, verſe the 19, deſired to hauehave a ſigne or token to be ſhewed him of the Lord; Sometime a man may preſcribe vntounto himſelfe a ſigne.the Hebrues interpret this ſigne or token to be on this ſort. If they had ſaid; Let vsus come vntounto you, that would hauehave béene a ſigne of mind, both valiant and readie to fight: but contrariwiſe, if they had ſaid; Come ye vntounto vsus, that would hauehave béene a ſigne, that they were alreadie diſcouraged, and faint harted. And Ben Gerſon ſaith, that The beginning of perſecutions coms from conquerours. Howbeit this is onlie a coniecture: for ſometime it happeneth otherwiſe. But this is no new kind of vnderſtanding the will of God. For ſo in the booke of Geneſis, Eleazar the ſeruant of Abraham made this to be his ſigne; The maid which ſhall ſaie to me; Gen. 24, 14.Drinke thou, and afterward I will giuegive thy camels to drinke: the ſame is ſhe, whom the Lord hath aſſigned to be the wife of my maſters ſonne. The Philiſtines alſo decréed with themſelues, that If the arke ſhould be carried by wild and vntamed cattle, directlie to the Iewes, 1. Sam. 6, 9.they would take that as a ſigne of euill ſent by God: but if it happened otherwiſe, they would impute it but to fortune and chance. And this is to aſke a ſigne, What maner of faith is to be confirmed by ſignes.euen that a mans faith may be confirmed. But what faith doo I meane? Not the faith of Moſes lawe, or the truth of the prophets; for that hath béene ſufficientlie confirmed before: but there is ſometime a certeine particular faith of ſome thing not expreſſed in the word of God; and therein confirmation by ſignes is often requiſite. This we ſée happened in the hiſtorie of Gedeon; Iudg. 6, 15.for hée doubted not, but that GOD would deliuer his people from their enimies; but he knew not that he himſelfe ſhould be the deliuerer: wherefore he was to bée confirmed by miracle. That Meſſias would com, all men were ſufficientlie perſuaded; but that Marie the virgin ſhould be his mother, that, God had not ſpeciallie promiſed: herevpon a ſigne was requiſite to be had; Behold Elizabeth thy coſin hath in hir old age conceiued. Luke. 1, 36.Wherefore miracles are otherwhile of force to confirme the faith, be it general or particular. And none ought to thinke, that Ionathas did tempt God, in appointing ſuch a ſigne vntounto himſelf. To tempt God what it is.For to tempt God, is to make a triall of his power, wiſedome, and will; and that, when there is no neceſſitie of the caſe. Wherein the offenſe is double; firſt, After chap. 8, art. 117, and part. 2, ch. 4, art. 54.bicauſe faith is wanting: ſecondlie, for that it is doone curiouſlie; when as neither neceſſitie, nor anie profit dooth require.
Auguſtine in his booke of confeſſions, the 36. chapter, hath theſe words; When ſignes (ſaith he) are craued, not for ſaluation ſake; but to make a proofe or triall, God is tempted. And in his book De vera religione, the 38. chapter, hée ſaith, that There was no cauſe, why Chriſt ſhould caſt himſelfe downe hedlong from the pinacle of the temple, except for triall ſake, which had béen to tempt God. But it fared not thus with Ionathas; for firſt, he wanted not faith; ſecondlie, he was led through neceſſitie, and great profit; namelie, that he might vnderſtand the will of God: he beléeued that all thoſe things were ruled by his mightie power, and that the toongs euen of vngodlie men were ſtirred vp to ſpeake by him. And therfore it followeth, How it happened that God tooke the Philiſtines word for an oracle.that The Philiſtines voice was heard, as an oracle of God. For the gouernment of God is not reſtrained to the elect onelie; but the affections, ſaiengs, and dooings euen of wicked men, are directed by him, to ſerue his glorie. Doubtles the Aegyptians were naughtie people; Exod. 12, 3…yet GOD wan their goodwill towards the Iewes, at their departure out of Aegypt; ſo as they were content to lend them both garments, plate, and iewels, as well gold as ſiluer. 1. Sa. 17, 14▪God turned the hart of Abſolom, that he ſhould not harken vntounto the moſt craftie counſell of Achitophel. God ſtirred vp Roboam, 1. Kin. 12, 15that he ſhould not hearken vntounto the counſell of the wiſe and ſage men. Prou. 21, 1.For (as Salomon ſaith) The harts of kings are in the hand of God. To conclude, all our affections, thoughts, and ſpéeches are directed by his power: wherein, if Ionathas had not perſuaded himſelfe, how could he hauehave ſought or taken a ſigne at the mouthes of wicked men? Certeinlie, others knowe not to what end God will direct the ſaiengs and dooings of men: Ionathas did vnderſtand it by the inſpiration of God.
6 This is not that kind of diuination, This kind of diuination is not forbidden. Deut. 18, 10which the ſcripture forbiddeth, when it is commanded; Let there be no ſoothſaiers among you. Ierom ſaith, that the word (diuination) in the holie ſcripture, is alwaies taken in the woorſer part. For whereas men be ouer gréedie to knowe things to come, therefore manie guiles and illuſions are miniſtred vntounto them. To diuine things comming of neceſſary cauſes, is not forbidden.But ſéeing that things to come doo depend vponupon certeine and neceſſarie cauſes; therefore they appertaine not vntounto that kind of diuination which is forbidden. For the eclipſe of the moone and ſunne; and the traiection, oppoſition, and méeting togither of ſtars is knowne to learned men, how they ſhall be manie yéeres to come, by reaſon of the certeintie of cauſes going before. Alſo things that commonlie change, may be foreſéene by probable ſignes: as a diſeaſe or death may be perceiued by a phyſician. Things contingent are foreſeene onlie of God.But things contingent, which are called foreign, and which ſwaie equally as wel one waie as another, are not foreſéene but of God onlie. For he alone knoweth to what end and purpoſe euerie thing tendeth: wherefore they that profeſſe ſuch ſkill doo commit ſacriledge. Manie ſuch deuiſes did the diuell teach the heathen people; as to obſerue matters, by the entrails of beaſts, by the ſinging, looking, & féeding of birds. Wherefore they were charmers, ſoothſaiers, and obſeruers of ſuch things. Moreouer, they had among them from the ſame ſchoolmaſter, diuining vponupon dreames, lots, propheſies, and oracles. Cicero in his booke of diuination, Two principall ſorts of ſuperſtitious diuination.reduceth all theſe to two ſorts. For ſome he ſaith are naturall, and ſome artificiall: and that thoſe be artificiall, when as knowledge is gathered by the marking and obſeruing of certeine things, as in entrails, and ſoothſaiengs, and ſuch like: but that naturall be thoſe, which happen as vntounto ſoothſaiers, furious perſons, and dreamers. All theſe things are naught, bicauſe that part which belongeth onlie vntounto God, is aſcribed onlie vntounto men. But to come againe to the matter. This part of diuination, Looke in 1. Kin. 20, 31.which Ionathas followed, is called in Latine Omen, which (as Feſtus thinketh) is as it were Oremen. For it is a certeine foretelling, which ſlippeth out of a mans mouth with ſome furie. So the Romans, when they were minded to flie, and leaue their citie; and that the ſtanderd-bearer had fixed their banner in the market place, and had ſaid; Here will it be beſt for vsus, that ſpéech was taken for a ſigne of good luck, and a foreſpeaking of that, which ſhould be indéed. So did Ionathas, by the Philiſtines words, which they ſpake vnaduiſedlie, gather; that God would giuegive him the victorie, and deliuer them into his hands. And certeinlie the Ethnikes in vſing this meanes were to be condemned; but Ionathas not ſo: for he was ſtirred therevnto by God, but ſo were not they. So Gedeon followed a foreſpéech, Iudg, 6, 36.when he fought againſt the Madianites. When it may be lawfull to imitate Ionathas.But wée muſt followe neither Ionathas, nor Gedeon; vnleſſe wée knowe for a certeintie, that we be mooued with the ſame ſpirit that they were. For if we will by the reaſons and arts of men, foretell things contingent, or that may happen afterward; wée ſhall iuſtlie and dulie be blamed. If examples be agréeable with the common lawe, they ſhould prouoke vsus to followe them; but if they be not, we muſt rather woonder at them, than followe them. This caution muſt be vſed in examples.