Works, Book 4 · Letter 66 – Letter 67
EPISTLE LXVI.
Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Twisse's 7 Quaere's, viz. about the antiquity of Synagogues among Iews the and of Even-song in the Christian Church, as also about the meaning of some difficult places of Scripture, viz. Matth. 24. 20. Matth. 25. 31, &c. Isa. 66. 23, &c.
SIR,
I Turned over the leaves both of the Bishop's and D. Heylin's Book, when they came newly out, that I might see their Principles and the way they went: further I am not acquainted with them; because I took no pleasure neither in their Conclusions nor their Grounds, which, if they be urged, would overthrow a great deal more than they are aware of.
1. If there be any such Author the Dr. opposeth for affirming the Sabbath to have been comprehended under one of the 7 Commandments of the Sons of Noah, I suppose it is Godwyn in his Moses and …aron, Lib. 1. cap. 3.
2. That of Aben Ezra upon Exod. 20. 10. seems to me to be very evident for that Opinion. For though it be as much as I can do to understand a piece of Rabbinism, yet methinks this passage, if it be translated, will sound thus; Ecce non dubium est quin dictio [foreign Tu] comprehend … unumquemque qui est silius praecepti. Ideirco foreign Filius tuus & Filia tua sunt parvidi quorum requies est super te, tibique incumbit officium custodiendi eos, ne quicquamfaciant quod tibi vetitum sit. Similiter de foreign Servo tuo & Ancillâ tuâ; quoniam in pot… state tua est, tui est officii custodire eum, neque sinere eum ut serviat alteri. Sin minùs, tu transgredieris praeceptum foreign Non facies; quòd eo spectat ut quiescat Servus tuus & Ancilla tua perinde ut tu ipse; sunt exposult Moses Dominus noster viâ quam commemoravi.It may be confirmed out of the Acts, where the foreign, who were of the order of those Prosehtes of the Gate, are found to frequent the Synagogues diligently every Sabbath-day, as the Iews did Acts …3. vers. 14, 42, 43. & ch. 17. vers. 1, 4, 17. & ch. 16. 13, 14. & ch. 18. 4. Et secundùm hunc Doctorem vovebii foreign Peregrinus qui est intra portas tuas, quod non facturus sit opus in Die Sabbati neque in Die Expiationum. Propterea scriptum est secundò Peregrinus. Similiter atque de praecepto Nuditatis, cùm secundùm hunc Doctorem vovebit quòd custoditurus sit praeceptum Nuditatis; eodémque modo de Comestione sanguinis. This Dominus Moses he here cites, I take to be Rabbi Moses Haddarschan, who lived an hundred years before him, and was Master to R. Solomon Iarchi. Maimonides, whom Ainsworth cites for the contrary opinion, and Aben Ezra, were both of an age and contemporaries.
3. For Synagogues, I am inclined to believe they were before the Captivity, and not first taken up there, as the more common opinion is. But how to evict it against him that shall obstinately maintain the contrary, I confess I know not. That in Act. 15. 21. [Moses foreign hath in every City them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath-day] will not reach so far; yet foreign is more than foreign If I should allege that of Psal 74. 8. They have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the land; they would say as Iunius doth, that this Psalm was composed under the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes: and indeed that which follows [We see not our signs, there is no more any Prophet, neither any among us that knoweth how long] may seem to argue it cannot be meant of that vastation by Nebuchadnezzar; for then there were both Prophets, and those that knew how long. But if this be granted, there will arise another difficulty, viz. That either this Psalm is no Canonical Scripture, or That some part of the Canonical Scripture was written long after Malachy, when there was no Prophet and the foreign had ceased. And if this, why not the first Book of Maccabees? There remains but yours Lev. 23. 3. which to me hath appearance of probability; but he that were refractory would pick some hole or other, either in the word translated [Convocation] or in [dwellings,] especially in the first. See Vulgat. and LXX. But did not the Levites (shall we think) teach the people out of Ierusalem in the places abroad where they dwelt? And did not the people use to resort to such as could teach them, on Sabbath-days and New-moons? What doth that of the Shunamite argue else, 2 Kings 4. 23? where her husband saith unto her, Wherefore wilt thou go to him (the man of God) to day? It is neither New-moon, nor Sabbath. If this; had they not some place where to resort and assemble? Besides; were there not then Colleges of Prophets and Prophets Sons in Israel? In the same*2 Kings, c. 4. chapter we shall find they had, and an hundred men in a place, vers. 43. and in chap. 6. initio, that they had Houses where they lived together. Did not the Israelites erect foreign and Houses of false worship too may? Could they think of building Places to transgress God's commandment in, and never of Places wherein to be instructed in his Law? But the Scripture is silent. I answer, If the silence of Scripture be an argument sufficient to conclude against matter of Fact in the times preceding, for the use whereof we have testimony enough in the times following, without any express intimation of Novelty; then must we not think that the Iews paid Tithes from Ioshua's time to Hezekiah's, (for there is no tittle intimating they did) nor that ever they kept the year of Iubilee; for where is it mentioned they did? and so of other the like.
4. For Even-song publick in the Church, there is very little to be produced out of the Monuments remaining of those First Ages. That the Monks used it in their Monasteries, it is granted, because affirmed that it was from their example derived into the Church. That in their private Devotions devout Christians observed the ninth hour as well as the first, third and sixth, in those elder times, may be proved out of Tertullian de Iejunio cap. 10. and S. Cyprian de Oratione Dominica. But for Vespers in ortu Ecclesiae, neither of them mentions them. Yet Tertullian in his Apology, together with Pliny ad Trajanum, hath antelucani coetus; and in his Lib. 2. ad Vxorem, cap. 4. Nocturnae convocationes: But as those seem not to have been properly those we call Mattins, so neither these our Vespertinae. And in this inquisition notice is to be taken, that both Mattins and Even-song were distinct from the foreign or solemn address of the Church to God in the holy Eucharist, which they termed Sacrificium Christianum. Well, the most ancient Testimony to be found of Vespertinae in coetu Ecclesiae is with the Author of the foreign or foreign which, though it be an Apocryphal writing and of a false inscription, yet is the most ancient Record of Ecclesiastical Antiquity, by way of purposed Collection, that is at this day extant, and not younger than 200 years after Christ at the most. The Author, whosoever he were, seeming to have gathered this Rhapsodie out of the Customes and Ceremonies he found then in use in the Churches founded by the Apostles; and supposing them to have been derived from their institution, accordingly fathered them upon them; and where there was any singularity or difference, brings in that Apostle, whose Church he found it in, as speaking in Council, &c, It is put by Eusebius, in his Catalogue of Sacred Books, amongst the foreign, by the name of foreign, and is often quoted by Epiphanius by the name we give it. In this Rhapsody, Lib. 8. cap. 35. is not only mention, but the Form of Evening Prayer, foreign, &c. foreign. Tuns sequitur orandi forma.with the solemn dismissing (at the beginning thereof) of the Catechumeni, &c. as at the Eucharist, ascribed to Iames the Brother of our Lord in particular. Whence it may seem, according to my former supposition, not to have been common at first to all Churches, but peculiar to that*Out of conformation to the times of Worship and Prayer in the Iewish Church, whose custome and practice herein gave opportunity and freedom at the beginning to exercise the like in the Christian there residing; yea even sometimes in the chambers of the Temple it self, which were wont to be taken up by Fraternities and Companies coming thither to worship. But this could not be so regularly observed among the Gentiles without much difficulty and danger. Consider Acts 2. 46. with Acts 3. 1. & Ch. 4. 3. For the ninth hour answers our Evening-prayer, and then began the foreign with the Iews. of Ierusalem, whereof this Iames was the first Bishop; whence also the Liturgy of that Church (though the greatest part thereof (as now it is) were afterward at several times added) bears the name of S. Iames his Liturgy. The next Testimony for antiquity is that of the Council of Laodicea, (which, if Baronius his arguments be good, was before the first Council of Nice,) the 17. and 18. Canons whereof are, Quòd non oportet foreign Psalmos contexere, sed interjecto inter unumquemque Psalmum spatio Lectionem fieri: The next, Idem ministerium Precum semper & in nonis & vesperis fieri debere; Gr. foreign. Though I cite both Canons, yet I suppose not the latter to have reference to the former, (for what had the Evening to do with the Synaxis?) but the meaning to be, that one and the same Form of Prayer should be used both at the ninth hour and at the Vespers.
5. Concerning that in Matth. 24. Pray that your flight be not in the Winter, nor on the Sabbath-day, I conceive thus; That the believing and Christian Iews, even the Apostles themselves, were to observe the Rites and Ordinances of Moses (and consequently that of the Sabbath together with the Lord's-day) until their Temple and Politie founded and constituted by God him…elf should be actually and fully dissolved. And do we not find they did so? yea even S. Paul himself, who was so great a Vindex of the liberty of the believing Gentiles, that they should be tied no farther than the foreign or Proselytes of the Gate were. Therefore Acts 21. it is accounted a slander or calumnie which was reported of S. Paul, that he should teach the Iews which were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and that they ought not to circumcise their children nor walk after the customs. For neither he nor any other of the Apostles taught that the Iews should do so, either abroad among the Gentiles, or at home in Iudaea. For the Gentiles indeed they did, and S. Paul (whose charge they were) more zealously than the rest, that they should have no such imposed upon them, according to the decree of the S…nod, Acts 15. Consider it with that Story Acts 21. à vers. 20. & deinceps. This therefore being to be the condition of the believing Iews when their City should be compassed with an Army by Cestius Gallus, (at which time they were admonished to flee (to save themselves) with all speed into the mountains of Petraea, as soon as Cestius by withdrawing a little his Army should give them that liberty) our Saviour saith here, Pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath-day. For he speaks not of any flight to be when the City should be taken, or when it should be once besieged by Titus; for both would be too late; but of a warning beleaguering to precede it.
6. Concerning that in Matth. 25.This Sixth Section containing T…e description of the great Iudgement accorded with Apocal. 20. was in the former edition of Mr. Mede's Epistles printed at the end of his First Letter to Dr. Meddus. when our Blessed Saviour shall sit upon his Throne of Royalty to judge the world; I conceive a Figure to be in that expression of placing the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on the left, borrowed from the custome of the Iews in their Tribunals, to place such as were to be absolved on the right hand, where stood the Scribe who took the Votes for Absolution; and those who were to receive the sentence of Condemnation, on the left hand, where stood the Scribe which took the Votes for Condemnation. Such a custom of theirs Drusius in his Notes upon that place observes out of Moses de Kotsi. That therefore nothing else is meant thereby, but that our Saviour should distinguish the world of men into two Orders; one of such as should receive the Sentence of bliss and Absolution, the other of such as should receive the Sentence of Condemnation. That he should first pronounce the Sentence of Absolution upon such as are to be absolved; and that once finished, then to pronounce the Sentence of Condemnation upon such as are to be condemned. Now I suppose the Sentence of Absolution shall continue all the time of the First Resurrection, that is, all the Thousand years long; that, that once ended and finished, (and not before) he shall then proceed to pronounce the Sentence of Condemnation upon such as are to be condemned. For so the Text saith, that he shall in the first place pronounce the Sentence of bliss and Absolution upon those who are to be absolved; and that done, then come to the Sentence of Condemnation upon those who shall be in statu & ordine damnandorum: that is, successively and not at one and the same time;*Ka…rat … junllim quae tempo… di…sa sorent. N… dum cum Agnus L…rum sutur…m… m… nu sedentis super Thronom resignandum acceperat; quo tem…ore …ec omnia particielati… & distinctnis potefacienda crant. though the Scripture here mentions not the Intervallum which shall be between the beginning of the one and the other. Thus you see, although my plough stand still, unless sometimes it joggs me, yet then I am not unwilling to listen unto it.
7. To that in the end of Esay 66. of Festivities in the Kingdom of Christ, I answer, I see no reason why the Lord's-day should not be a celebrious Day when the Lord reigneth. Yet I think the expression there is accommodated to the condition and Diurnial of the Church under the Old Testament ad capium Auditorum; and no more thereby to be understood, but that in that New world not the Iews alone, as then did, but all the Nations should come before the Lord to worship him in the frequent Festivities then to be, whatsoever they should be.
Thus I have, as well as I could, answered your Sabbatical number of Quaeres; if not so largely and fully as you desired, it is because there were too many of them for the narrowness of my mind to intend at one time—Thus therefore with my Prayers to the Almighty for the continuance of his blessing and favour to you and yours, I rest
Christ's College, April 18. 1636. Your respectful and true Friend, Ios. Mede.
EPISTLE LXVII.
Mr. Mede's Second Letter to Mr. Estwick, touching the Gothick Liturgy, and the time when the Goths became Christians.
SIR,
—THE Cothick Missal is that which the Goths in Spain used till they received the Roman; The former part of this, (as also of the following Letter) contains matter either of News or of private concern.which though, as all other Liturgies, it be to be supposed to have received many alterations and additions in time, yet no doubt may retain some ancient passages, whereof these Prayers pro defunctis may be some, either received from the Spanish or African Christians, or from the beginning of their Christianity, which was before Chiliasm was condemned by Damasus, or they plundered the Roman Empire. For Theophilus Gothorum Episcopus was at the Council of Nice. Anno 360. Vlphilus their Bishop at a Council at Constantinople assented to the Formula Ariminensis, from whence the Goths became first infected with Arrianism. S. Augustine de Civitate Dei useth this argument of the Goths Christianity, against the Gentiles calumny. That the Ruine of the Empire was for their rejecting their ancient Gods and receiving the Christian Religion. For they were Christians that took and sacked Rome, saith he, and not Gentiles. Vide—
Thus with my wonted affection and prayers I rest
Christ's Coll. Nov. 9. 1636. Your assured Friend, Ioseph Mede.