Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 9
SECT. 9. Of Lots.
THe Lord who is the righteous judge of the world, Gen. 18.25. and would every man to enjoy his owne, amongſt other meanes hee hath appointed lots to cauſe ſtrife to ceaſe amongſt men, Proverbes 16.33.
Queſt. But lots are caſt into the lappe, and moderated by the Lord, Prov. 16.33. then what needes any other meanes to decide controverſies but lots?
A twofold providence of God, a generall and a particular.Anſw. There is a twofold providence of God; firſt, a generall providence, and then a more particular providence; Poſſeſſions and inheritance are from the parents, but an underſtanding wife is from the Lord, Prov. 19.14. A good wife is given by the ſpeciall providence of God, where we may ſee the ruling hand of God, more than when he beſtowes inheritance by his generall providence; hath God regard of oxen, 1 Cor. 9.9. that is, he hath not this ſpeciall care of them as he hath of men.The lot was reckoned among the inferiour ſort of manifeſtation of Gods will. This diſtribution by lot was reckoned amongſt the inferiour ſorts of manifeſtation of Gods will. Therefore when Ioſhua divided the land by lot, Ioſh. 19.51. he divided it in Shilo before the Lord, at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation where Eliazar the Prieſt was preſent: They reſted not here in a lot, but they conſulted alſo with the Lord by Eleazar the Prieſt concerning this diviſion; Sauls election was by lot, but not Davids: Matthias his election was by lot, but not Saint Pauls; the lot was but an inferiour degree of the manifeſtation of the will of God, 1 Chro. 23.5. the Lord ſpeake by lots, Num. 26.56. ſecundum es ſortis, according to the mouth of the lot, but this was but an inferiour determination by his mouth. Theſe lots were of three ſorts, either they ſerved for diviſion, or conſultation,Lots were of three ſorts. or divination:A diviſorie lot. This diviſorie lot ſerved for to divide poſſeſſions inheritances and goods amongſt men by this diviſorie lot, the tribes got their poſſeſſions in the land of Canaan: And others got their poſſeſſions by this ſort of lot, and therefore a lot is put for an inheritance, Pſal. 16.5. Pſal. 125.3.
In theſe diviſorie lots theſe caveats muſt be looked unto; firſt,What caveats muſt be kept in a diviſorie lot. when lots are caſt to divide controverſies betwixt men, then they muſt have equall right to the things that are to be divided; In Iſrael if the queſtion had beene amongſt brethren for the dividing of their fathers goods, this could not have beene divided by lot, for the eldeſt ſhould have had a double portion; and the lot keepes medium rei & non perſonae, a lot might have beene caſt for deciding amongſt the reſt of the brethren, becauſe they had all alike right to their fathers goods. When the two Goates were preſented before the Lord, Lev. 16.8. (they were juſt alike in all things) which of them ſhould be killed, and which of them ſhould eſcape, here the Lord bids caſt a lot for them: So who ſhould dwell in Ieruſalem and who not, Ezr. 2.11. and ſo the prieſts ſervice was by a diviſorie lot. Secondly, in theſe diviſorie lots this caveat muſt be obſerved, that the lots be not caſt on things unlawfully gotten by robbery (See Ioel 3.3. Naum. 3.10. & Obadiah 11.) or theft; ſuch was the lot that the ſouldiers did caſt upon the coat of Chriſt. Thirdly, in theſe diviſorie lots, men muſt take heede that this be not their chiefe end to know the will o God (for then they are not diviſorie lots, but conſultory lots) but their chie e end muſt be in caſting the lots that ſtri e may ceaſe amongſt brethren.
Conſultory lots.The ſecond ſort of lots are conſultorie lots, when men conſults with the Lord by lots, what ſhould be done in ſuch and ſuch caſes. This lot differeth much from a diviſorie lot, for a diviſorie lot was onelyonly about diviſion of inheritances, and deviding of goods, but a conſultory lot was uſed in higher matters, as who ſhold live and who ſhould die: Such was the lot which was caſt for the triall of him who had the excommunicate thing, and it fell upon Achan, Ioſh 7.18. this was commanded by God himſelfe. This lot obſerves medium perſonae, as the diviſorie lot obſerves medium rei.
Queſt. Whether is it lawfull now to enquire for a guiltie man by lot or not?
Anſw. It is not lawfull, for Iudges now are bound to judge per ſcrutinium, per teſte, by confeſſion and ſuch, and not by lot. But if in a campe all the ſouldiers ſhould tranſgreſſe the kings Edict, and ſhould commit a thing worthy of death, yet the King willing to ſhow mercy, might he not cauſe a lot to be caſt to trie who ſhould live and who ſhould die, this the king may ſafely do, becauſe all are guilty alike here; and ſo of old they uſed decimare exercitum (when all were alike in the tranſgreſſion) that ſome might live and ſome might die.
When the mariners cauſed the lot to be caſt to trie who was guilty in the ſhip, this was an extraordinary triall which is not lawfull for Iudges to follow.
Queſt. Whether may wee call this a divine lot or a diabolicall lot which they did caſt here for finding out the guilty man?Whether the lot which was caſt for Ionas was a divine lot or not.
Anſw. Although the marriners when they did caſt the lot, did it not by inſpiration from God, but expected the event from the devill and not from God, yet the Lord moderate the lot that it fell upon Ionas.
Queſt. What are we to thinke of the lot that fell upon Ionathan, 1 Sam. 14.42. was it a divine lot or not,Whether the lot which fell upon Ionathan was a divine lot or not, ſeeing it fell upon an innocent man?
Anſw. It was a divine lot directed by the hand of God, to ſhow how much hee reſpected an oath, and would not have it violated; and although Saul exacted this oath raſhly of the people; yet he would have it obſerved as he would have the oath made to the Gibeonites kept, although it was procured by their deceit, becauſe his holy name was interpoſed there.
Object. But Ionathan knew nothing of the oath which the people had made to Saul, 1 Sam. 14.28.The repreſentative oath bindes all, but not a perſonall oath.
Anſw. When an oath is exacted of a multitude, it bindes every one in particular if it be a repreſentative oath, as we ſee in the Gibeonites, therefore many yeares afterward Sauls ſonnes were hanged for the breach of of this repreſentative oath. So the Iewes tooke upon them, and bound not onelyonly themſelves, but their poſteritie to keepe the feaſt of Purim, Eſt. 9 29. So the Iſraelites were bound to carrie away Ioſephs bones out of Egypt, becauſe their father Iacob had ſworne it, Gen. 49.29. So Ionathan was bound for to keepe this repreſentative oath which the people had made, although he was not preſent when the oath was made.
Here we may obſerve firſt how much the Lord regards an oath. Secondly, how Princes edicts and commands ſhould be obſerved, although they ſeeme ſtrict and hard to us. And thirdly, it is a fearefull thing to meddle with things devoted or anathematized, whether wittingly as Achan did, or ignorantly as Ionathan did. Secondly, conſultorie lots ſerved to decide who were fitteſt for callings in the Church, as when Ioſeph called Barſabas and Mathias ſtood for the Apoſtleſhip. It was decided by lot; the Apoſtles calling were immediatly from God, therefore this was decided by lot which was immediatly from God.
Why the Apoſtles at the firſt were choſen by lot, and why not afterward.Object. But the reſt of the Apoſtles were not choſen by lot?
Anſw. Beda upon the firſt of the acts gives the reaſon of that, why Mathias was choſen by lot, and not the reſt, becauſe the holy Ghoſt was not come downe upon them before the Pentecoſt, but the ſeven deacons were choſen afterward, not by lot, but by conſent. The canons hath condemned all Eccleſiaſticall election by lot;Men are to be admitted neither to Eccleſiaſticall callings, nor civill offices by lot. Capite fin. de ſortelegis, tit. 21. lib. 5. & can. non ſtatim. therefore Zeno the Emperour tempted the Lord in this caſe, for when the Biſhop of Conſtantinople died, the Emperour was carefull that another ſhould ſucceede in his place: And what doth he? Hee cauſed a write to be layed upon the altar, having theſe words written in it, Si quem domine cenſes dignum hoc miniſterio inſcribe nomen ejus in hac charta, Lord write the name of him whom thou thinkeſt fit for this Biſhopricke into this paper; and hee cauſed to ſhut the gates of the temple,Neciphorus lib. 16. c. 18. leaving the paper upon the altar: On Flavitias corrupting the Sexton of the Church with money, cauſed him to open the gates of the temple in the night and went in and wrote his name upon the paper and ſhut the doore againe, and ſo was choſen Biſhop of Conſtantinople. But men are not to be admitted to any eccleſiaſticall calling, but for the fitneſſe of their gifts. This election was as bad as if it had beene by a conſultory Lot and worſe, and it was a tempting of God.
So men are now not to be admitted to civill callings by a conſultory Lot, but onelyonly for the fitneſſe of their gifts, and by the ſole choiſe of the Prince, or by the ſuffrages and voyces of the people, as the Athenians gave their voyces of old per Petaliſmum, by holding up of an Olive branch. So per oſtraciſmum, by holding up an Oyſter ſhell, when they would have any baniſhed, and ſometimes per foreign, by holding up of their hands, but they made not their choiſe by a Lot, The reaſon why they ſhould not be choſen by a Lot is, becauſe Lots are uncertaine and caſuall.
Object. And if it be ſaid, that Prov. 16.33. The Lot is caſt into the lap, but the diſpoſing thereof is from the Lord.
Anſw. When a man hath other meanes to try by, then it is a tempting of God to uſe Lots, Salomon wils not men here to uſe Lots, becauſe they are directed by the hand of God, but rather he wils this, if men be forced to uſe a Lot, then God ſhould be called upon, by earneſt prayer, that he would direct the caſuality of the Lot, and moderate it.
Queſt. How were the ſeventy Elders of Iſrael choſen, Num. 11.26.27?Of the conceit of the Iewes how the 70. elders of Iſrael were choſen by lot.
Anſw. The Hebrewes in Peſikta, ſayes that they were choſen by a conſultory Lot, after this manner. That day that God ſaid to Moſes, gather me ſeventy men of the tribes of Iſrael. that I may chooſe of them for to be Elders. Moſes ſaid, how can I doe this, If I ſhall chuſe ſixe out of every tribe, then there ſhall be two more then ſeventy, and if I ſhall chooſe five out of every tribe, then there ſhall be ten wanting of the ſeventy. And if I ſhall chooſe ſixe out of this tribe, and five out of another tribe, that will make but ſtrife amongſt the tribes, what doth Moſes in ſuch a caſe, he chooſes ſixe out of every tribe, and brings out ſeventy two papers, and upon ſeventy of the papers, he writes Zaken (Elder) and upon two of the papers, he writes cheleck (part) and he putting them all in a boxe,foreign he ſaith to them, come ye and draw forth your Lots. And he who drew forth Zaken Elder, Moſes ſaid unto him, the Lord hath ſanctified thee for this calling, to be an Elder.foreign but he who drew out cheleck (part,) he ſaid unto him, thou haſt no part in this buſineſſe, Therefore the Hebrewes ſayes that Eldad and Medad, were inter conſcriptos, but they were not thoſe which were written, they got cheleck onelyonly (part,) and not Zaken Elder, but this ſeemes to be but a Rabbinicall dreame.
A lot for divination, is a diabolicall lot.The laſt ſort of Lots is a Lot for divination, to foretell things to come, and this lot is diabolicall and altogether unlawfull. Such was the Lot that Haman did caſt for the ſubverſion of the Iewes Firſt, he enquired by Lot what day of the monethmonth was fit for this. And ſecondly, what monethmonth of the yeare, whether the ſecond, third, or fourth monethmonth. And the Lot ſhewed that the twelfth monethmonth, and the thirteenth day of the monethmonth, was the fitteſt time for this execution. Here wee may obſerve the great providence of God, who overruled this Lot, and made it ſerve for the good of his Church, that he would have the Lot to fall, neither in the ninth, tenth or eleventh monethmonth, but in the twelfth monethmonth, that the Iewes might get leaſure to gather themſelves together to ſtand for their lives, and to ſend letters through all the provinces for the retreating of thoſe wicked letters, which were given out for murthering of all the Iewes, And moſt of all they had this leaſure granted to them, as Rupertus ſaith, that they might ſend to a farre countrey to the heavens, their legats, their prayers, their faſting, their teares, to cry for helpe from heaven in ſuch a diſtreſſe. Haman did caſt purim, in the tranſlation of the 70. the ſupplement is, God made two lots, one for his owne people, and another for the wicked; and ſo the rod of the wicked reſted not upon the lot of the righteous, Pſal. 125.3.
Such a lot of divination was that which Nebuchadnezar uſed, Ezech. 21.21. when hee ſtood at the parting of the way at the head of two wayes to uſe divination, he made his arrows bright, and he conſulted with Images, Saint Ierome ſhewes the way how he divined by his arrowes, he wrote upon the arrowes the names of Ieruſalem and Rabba; and when he pulled forth the arrow on the which the name was written, that towne he began firſt to beſiege; and becauſe Rabba came forth firſt, therefore he began to beſiege Rabba firſt, Cabbhal here ſignifieth expolire to poliſh. The Hebrewes holds that he made the heads of the arrowes bright and the names Rabba and Ieruſalem did appeare in them, as in a looking glaſſe. The Prophet Hoſea ſaith conſulunt lignum which they applied to this ſort of divination, this they called foreign.