An Account of Cawdrys Triplex Diatribe, Chapter 5 · Section 17
Sect. 17. The laſt occaſion of the ill ſenſe. foreign in Epiphanius. Of the Phariſees appellation. foreign. Dogmatizing and diſcriminating. Epiphanius's words cleared. Wherein their hypocriſie conſiſted. foreign, 1 Mac. 2. 42. Aſidei foreign turned into foreign, the fault.
THe laſt occaſion of the ill ſenſe of foreign, which I took notice of, was Epiphanius's mention of foreign, as the denotation of the Phariſees name, in reſpect of the voluntary performances wherein they pretended to exceed other Jews. And I leave the Reader to view in that place, §. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. what I thought fit to note on that word, which when he hath done, I ſhall have ſome confidence, that he will need no farther reply of mine to demonſtrate the invalidity of all this Diatribiſt's exceptions againſt thoſe Sections.
For there he will find, 1. That the foreign, as that may denote the ſuperfluity of either noxious, or ridiculous, or but (for number) many and ſo burthenous ceremonies, is not pleaded for by me, and that is anſwer to his 24th §.
2dly. That what was blameable in the Phariſees was not their bare uſing of ſome lawfull, indifferent, or elſe good, and commendable things, not commanded by God, but their teaching ſuch for doctrines, and laying them as burthens on others, and what was conſequent to this, their diſcriminating themſelves proudly and faſtidiouſly from other men, upon this account, and that prevents his 25t §.
3dly. That I no way plead for the Phariſees, but affirme them generally to have been ill men and hypocrites; OnelyOnly I ſay that when they impoſed that name of Phariſee upon themſelves, ſure they meant not to reproach themſelves by ſo doing, and that Epiphanius ſaith they thus impoſed it on pupoſe to denote their foreign, by that meaning ſome performances of theirs, wherein they conceived themſelves to exceed all others, which again was the preventing of all that he addes §. 26. And leſt there ſhould remain any doubt of this (the Diatribiſt ſetting it quite another way, and affirming that Epiphanius cals the hereſie of the Phariſees by that name, as offending both in Will-worſhips of their own deviſing, and alſo in the abundance and ſuperfluity of them) I ſhall ſet down here the words punctually as they are found in Epiphanius, and leave the Reader to judge on whoſe ſide the truthlyes in this particular. foreign, l. 1. Haer. 16.ſaith he, foreign, They were called Phariſees for being ſeparated from others, becauſe of the abundant Will-worſhip whether preſcribed or cuſtomary (ſo foreign frequently ſignifies) among them, for Phares in Hebrew is interpreted Separation.
In which words what is there I pray which can give the leaſt ground for the Diatribiſts gloſs, either that Epiphanius calls the hereſie of the Phariſees by that name, when he only ſets it down as the interpretation of that name of Phariſees, long before Epiphanius, impoſed on them; or that this name was given them as a character of their offending both in Will-worſhips and in the ſuperfluity of them? Certainly neither of theſe hath the leaſt appearance of foundation in Epiphanius, I wonder the Diatribiſt could think fit to cite them from him.
4thly That though hypocriſie were the Phariſees chief crime, and withal the fewel to their pride and deſpiſing of others, yet their doing ſome things which were not commanded was no part of this their hypocriſie, but on the contrary, either their ſaying but not doing, or their doing the lighteſt and neglecting the weightieſt duties, or their preferring their own traditions before the commanded duties, and making the obſervance of the one (as in Corban) their commutation and excuſe for neglecting the other, and this indeed was farre more likely to inflame their pride and deſpiſing of others then the real Chriſtian neceſſary performances would have been; the lighteſt things aſcending higheſt, and appearing moſt viſibly, whileſt the weightier ſink down and lie hid.
But ſtill this is no prejudice to thoſe real performances of more ſtrictneſſe then the law exacts, faſting twiſe in the week, and the like, ſuppoſing, as we here ſuppoſe, that they are not uſed to the ſupplanting of neceſſary duties (but go along very friendly with the practice of them) and offend in no other reſpect, but that they are uncommanded performances. And this avoids all his artifices in §. 27.
5thly That foreign 1 Mac. 2. 42. ſignifies more then a well mindedneſſe to the law, meaning by that the precepts of God, moſt evidently a ſpontaneous performing of ſome things which the law required not. Let the place be there viewed, and theſe two things will be evident, 1. That that phraſe foreign is ſet to denote the Aſidaei by way of periphraſis; Now of them tis certain that they were ſo called from foreign which we ordinarily render mercy, but ſignifies ſaith in Pſal. 36.Kimchi foreign excellence of goodneſs, Rabbini in Prov 22. 28.others foreign abundance of goodneſs, and in Maimonides, exceſſum & ſupremum gradum in one place, the exceſſe and higheſt degree of any performance eſpecially c in P…ke Ave.of charity or beneficence, and in More Nevoch. Part. 3another, benignitatem erga aliquem cui nihil planè debes, vel erga eum qui beneficio dignus eſt, at non tanto, benignity to him to whom you either ow nothing, or not ſo much as you afford him, by which it is manifeſt that the name Aſidaei denotes not only willing but ſpontaneous agents, which keep not themſelves within the line of the law, as to do nothing which is not commanded but have their foreign voluntary performances to offer to God, above that which the foreign the line of law, as the Rabbi Iſmael in Beracoth. c. 1.Rabbines ſtyle it, exacts of them, and ſo are properly ſtyled foreign volunteers in or to the law, as that is oppoſed to preſt or hired ſouldiers of it.
The ſecond thing is, that the men that are there particularly mentioned in that place of the Maccabees, are thoſe that liſted themſelves voluntarily under Mattathias to defend the law by arms, which was no where required of all men that were Jewes, but was the act of the Zelots, at that time, and ſo again an foreign a ſpontaneous and uncommanded performance, above or beſide the law; and ſuch as theſe were farre from being blamed, being every where commended in thoſe men. And the Diatribiſt will never be able in the leaſt degree to make good againſt Scaliger (what he undertakes §. 28.) that our Saviour condemned them.
Laſtly, That all the Fault was when the foreign was turned into foreign, when what they undertook and acted laudably, whileſt ſpontaneouſly, they at length impoſed on others, as neceſſary, and for that it is, that (beſide their hypocriſie of ſeveral kinds) the Phariſees are juſtly cenſured in this matter, and not for the uncommandedneſſe of their actions, and this with the former, are a full anſwer to §. 28.