The Voice of the Turtle, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
IT was the opinion of Origen, and others of the learned Fathers grounded on the*foreign. Septuagints tranſlation of Deut, 32.8. and other places of Scripture that Lots were not only uſed among men on earth, but even by the Lord himſelfe among the celeſtiall powers and Angels in heaven, who had their ſeverall places and charges aſſigned to them by Lot, who ſhould rule this or that Province Dan. 10.31. who tend this or that perſon, Mat. 18 10. Acts 12.15. who govern this or that Church. Rev. 1.20. Quod ita geſtum eſſe non ſolum in terris arbitror, verum que etiam in coeleſtibus; & hujuſmodi ſortem quae apud Deum diſtinguitur, etiam illo tempore habitam cum divideret & conſtitueret excelſus gentes▪ & diſſeminaret filios Adam, & conſtitu…rit fi…es g…tium ſecundùm … lorum Dei: Which thing was not uſuall upon earth alone, but in heaven alſo with God himſelfe, who allotted to the Angels according to their ſeverall excellencies the tuition of the Nations of the earth, at what time they were diſpoſed of into their ſeverall territories, Origen, in Jeſu Nave. cap. 18. …. 23.
Ambroſan Luc. c. 1. ſummus ſacerdos adhac ſorte quaeritur. The high Prieſt is elected by Lot.St. Ambroſe alſo upon the firſt of Luke, and many (not of former times only, but of later dayes alſo, and thoſe of good eſteeme and note) affirme that the high Prieſt in the old Teſtament was elected by Lot. Beda in Act. c. 1. Alexan. de Ales ſ… part. 2. q. 185. in. 4 Tom. de ſort. c. 2. & Cajotan. in Luc. c. 1. Bulling. in Act. c. 1 Perkins aurea armill. c. 22. Schindl. Lexlc. Pontaglot, Luc. 1.9. The Hebrews, ſaith Mayer on the firſt of the Acts v. 26. were wont to begin no weighty buſineſſe, but having firſt conſulted with the Lord, and the Bible by Lot.
By whom, where in what caſes, and upon what occaſion Lots have been uſed, and where they are ſtill in uſe, is the next point conſiderable.
The Apoſtles of Chriſt parted among themſelves (as Prochorus writeth) the whole world to preach and plant the Goſpell in.Proch. hiſt. Joan. c. 1. And in like manner the 72. Diſciples, which of them ſhould accompany and attend on each Apoſtle, as the Levites did on the Prieſts, and Johns lot light for Aſia, and Prochorus his Lot for to attend on John. And in the Jewiſh Church for the more ready and orderly performance of Sacred offices, the diviſions thereof were made among them by Lot: where the whole body of the tribe of Levi was ſorted into ranks;1 Chron. 25.8.9. & firſt the Prieſts all divided, into twenty foure Companies according to their Families, which took their courſes by turnes, every weeke after weeke in order, the order of their courſes being determined by lott, to take away all murmuring, that none might complaine as being leſſe regarded and caſt behind others: And accordingly the Levites were divided into twenty foure Companies,1 Chron. 14.…. &c. and appointed to attend the former companies of Prieſts: but who, which, and when, was decided likewiſe by Lot. Moreover, the Prieſts that were of each company caſt lotts for the ſharing of offices among themſelves (ut tolleretur materia querimoniarum, for the avoiding of emulation and diſcord in the Church:) as alſo for the better ſettling of ſerviſes, namely who ſhould tend the Altar of Inſence, who the Table of holy Bread, who the dreſſing of the Lampes, who the Altar of burnt-offerings, who ſhould feed the fire, &c. as from the books of the Jewiſh Liturgies is very evident.
Zachary the Prieſt of the courſe of Abi…, went in by lot to burne Incenſe, Luk. 1.9 The Levites Muſicall, and Porters decided by Lot, what courſe ſhould be obſerved in their miniſteriall and muſicall imployments by the one, and which gates of the Temple ſhould be waited at by the other, 1 Chron. 26.13.
The election of Matthias to be an Apoſtle, was by lot, Act. 1.26. Claſſius in meditat. Sacr. ſup feſtum Matth. dicit ſortem eſſe judicium Dei immediatum, & ſolennem divinae voluntatis teſtificationem. Et res (viz. Electio Matthia) ad ejuſmodi fuit inſt…tuenda i, e. per ſortem, ut omnibus conſtaret, non tam hominum ſuffraglis quam Dei arbitrio & voluntate rem omnem peragi. & in Act. 1.26. prec…ti dixerunt, Tu Domine qui corda noſti omnium oſtende utrum elegeris ex his duobus, v. 25. D…di…e dic…ur ſ…tes Du…ru… i…rum virorum, i.…. in …am aut … …j…ciſſe, … extracta poſt modum certam de r… cogn…ſcenda ſent…ntiam pat…fac…r…nt. S…rs …cidit ſuper Matthiam: Si… Dous hoc judicio manifeſtè declaravit Matthiam eſſe divi…ùt deſig…tum & electum Christi Apoſt…l…m ſortibus, qua in pop…le dei …aut oli… in uſu ad explorandum Dei voluntatem certam, Cajet. Levit. 16.8. Numb. 33.58. 1 Sam. 10.20. Prov. 16.33.18.18. The Apoſtles uſed Lots here, becauſe as the Lord had immediatly called the eleven, ſo it was a fitter ſupply of the twelfth roome, that not men, but God ſhould elect one, Mayer in Act. 1.26. Matthias non minus di…itùs electus quam reliqui undecem.
It was St. Auſtius deſire to have it determined by lot amongſt the Paſtors of Gods people, where divers of them are in a City, which of them ſhould ſtay by it, and who retire themſelves in time of publick perſecution, that neither the ſtayer might be taxed with preſumption, nor the removers with cowardize, Auguſt. Epiſt. 80. According to which rule the Geneva Miniſters to this day (as it is reported by ſome) uſe to caſt Lots who ſhall viſit the Peſthouſe, Bar…. in Io…. c. 1.
Lotts were uſed alſo in the diſtribution of civill ſervices among Gods people ordinarily, and that firſt in a military matter, wherein the Levites quarrell, that had his Concubine raviſhed, ſo that ſhe died upon it at Gibia in Benjamin: the other Tribes reſolved to goe up againſt Benjamin by lot, viz. who of them ſhould be Warriours, and who bring in proviſions for thoſe that abode abroad in the field: which thing without much tumult in a Democracie could not eaſily have been determined otherwiſe, Iudg. 20.9, 10. Pet. Martyr, and Fran. Iunius: and ſecondly in a City buſineſſe, where the ſame people after their Babilonian captivity caſt Lots among themſelves, who ſhould take the burden of bringing in wood for the Altar, by Ezra's own direction.