The Christian Synagogue, Book 1 · Chapter 1
CAP. I.
Of the ordinary meanes how God revealed himselfe to his People.
IN the Introduction to the Booke, we hauehave spoken how GOD revealed himselfe extraordinarily to his people without means: It followeth then, that in the beginning of this Booke, we shew how God reveales himselfe ordinarily with meanes.
The ordinary way how God reveales himselfe to his Canon.people, is by the Scriptures.
Search the Scriptures, for they testifie of me.Confir. Ioh. 5. 39.
The heavens declare the glory of God, but the Scriptures declare onelyonly the will of God.Illust. Psal. 19.
In what Language the Bookes of the Old and New Testament were written.
GOD sanctified two languages, the Hebrew and the Canon.Greeke, for the Old and New Testament.
God the Father sanctified these two languages, when Illust.his Secretaries wrote the holy Scriptures. God the Son vponupon the crosse, sanctified three languages; the Hebrew, Greeke, and Latine: the Hebrew propter legem, for the Law, because the Oracles of God were written in Hebrew: in Greeke propter sapientiam, for wisedome, because Hugo Cardinalis.the wisedome of the Heathen and their Lawes were written in Greeke; in Latine propter imperium, for Empire, because now the Romane Empire was flourishing. God the holy Ghost in the Pentecost, sanctified all Languages.
God made choice of the Hebrew tongue for to write Canon.the Old Testament into it.
There is one verse in Ieremie which is written in the Illust.Chaldie tongue (whereas all the rest is written in the Iere. 10. 11.Hebrew tongue) to the people going to the captivitie. I.foreign* So shalt thou say to them Kidna Ton. erun Lehom. &c.(cursed be the gods who made neither heaven nor earth.) Of purpose the holy Ghost wrote this verse in the Chaldie, that the Iewes going to Babylon, might reply to the Chaldaeans in their owne tongue, when they sollicited them to worship their Idols; cursed be your gods, wee will not worship them, for they neither made heaven nor earth.
There are some parts of Daniel and Esdras written in II.the Chaldie tongue, which were not immediatly inspired by the holy Ghost, but were borrowed by Daniel and Esdra, out of the Chronicles of their Kings; as Nabuchadnazzers dreame, which of purpose was done, that the heathen might giuegive more credit to the Prophecie; notwithstanding, they were sanctified by the holy Ghost, as Aratus his poesie by Paul: tIuniue de Sacra Scriptura contr. Bell. lib. 2. cap. 1.but we denie that all the Chaldie in Daniel and Esdra, was translated out of the civill Records of their Kings, for some of it was inspired immediately by the holy Ghost.
There is one verse in Daniel written in the Chaldie III.tongue, but in the Samaritane Character, Mene mene Dan. 5. 24.tekel vphersen, which verse Daniel could reade, but none of the Chaldaeans could reade it, although it was written in their owne language: uMoyses Gerundensis in Comment. in lib. 5. Moysis extrema parte. Hieronymus in prologo galcato.The Iewes giuegive the reason, because the Characters were Samaritan characters, which farre differed from the Chaldie. xScalig. animad vers. in Euseb. Chro. pag. 103. & Beza annot. in Math. 17. 14.Esdras after the captivitie, left the Samaritan Character Idiotis, (that is) to the Samaritanes, as the Iewes call them, and chused the Chaldie character; before that time they vsed still the Samaritane Character. This Character is found vponupon their Shekel at this day: but after the Captivitie Esdras changed it: it differeth nothing now from the Hebrew Character which we hauehave, whereas before this Chaldie Character differed very farre from the ancient Hebrew Character, and he who could reade the one, could not reade the other, as may be seene here.
foreign
The Samaritane Character. The Chaldaean or Iewish Character.foreign
There is one verse in Exodus, yAbenezra.which was first written IIII.in the Egyptiack tongue, but afterward was translated by Moyses into the Hebrew tongue; She called him Mosche, Exod. 2. 10.from Mascha extrahere, because he was drawne out of the waters. Pharaohs daughter gaue him not the name of Moyses: for in the Egyptiack tongue he was called Monios, as Abernezra testifies vponupon Exodus 2. but Moyses gaue himselfe the Hebrew name.
Secondly, there are some words in the Old Testament V.which are Egyptiack. And they cryed before him Gen. 41. 42(A brech) to bow the knee.
There are some Persian words, as Esther. Seter in the VI.Persick tongue is called a Starre, she was cald before Hadassa.
There are some Arabick words, as may be seene in VII.Iob, Lehhem, caro vivi, quicke flesh.Iob 6. 7.
Some yScaliger in Elech.composed of Egyptiack and Africk, as Totaphoth VIII.frontalia, Frontlets; Tot in the Egyptiack tongue, Exo. 13. 16.signifies two: and Phot in the African tongue, signifieth two also, because they had them written vponupon foure sides, as vponupon an halfe sheete of Paper foulded in two, and * written vponupon both sides.
There are some Syriacke words, Iegar Sahadutha, the foreignIX.heape of witnesse: zTalmud. Babylon.the Hebrewes say therefore, Let not Gen. 31 47the Syriack tongue be vile in thine eyes, because it is found in the Law, Prophets, and written Bookes.
The Hebrew tongue being the mother tongue, the Chaldaean and the Syrian but daughters of her; therefore oftentimes in the Scriptures, the Chaldaean and Syrian are called Hebrew. Gabbatha, a high place, as a Iudgement Ioh. 19. 13.seat, is vsed in Hebrew, yet this is a Syriack word: so Golgotha, dead mens sculls, is called Hebrew, yet it is a Ioh. 19. 17.Syriack word, for in the Hebrew it is Golgoleth. So in Nehemias 13. The Syriack tongue is called the Hebrew tongue. yet it was not pure Hebrew: they wrote a letter Esra. 2. 4. & 5.in the Syriacke tongue, which was vnderstood in the Court without any Interpreter, being a derived tongue from the Hebrew. They spake to them in the Syriack tongue, Dan. 2. 4.that is, in the Chaldaean tongue, but afterward the Chaldie and the Syrian were distinguished.
The holy Ghost wrote the New Testament, in the Canon.Greeke language.
There are sundry Idiomes found in the New Testament, Illust.which are not Greeke.
The hearers of the Apostles were either Iewes or Gentiles: The Iewes were of three sorts; Hebraizing Iewes, Talmundizing Iewes, and Graecizing Iewes.
The first gaue themselues to study the Hebrew Text: the second gaue themselues to reade the Talmud; the third followed the seventies Translation in Greeke.
The Gentiles were either Graecians or Latines; so that ye shall finde fiue sorts of Idiomes in the New Testament.
Hebraismes, as first Hebrew names; as, Aceldama, a field of blood; Hosanna, salvation; Sabboth, rest; Haliluiah, praise the Lord; Bar…ona, the sonne of Iona, Cannites, and such like; 2. Hebrew verses, as Eli Eli lamma sabachthani, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.
So the new Testament vses the Proverbs of the Talmud, as they had a Proverbe, aAnt…nius Nebriss. de provivbijs Talmudici….Are yee of Pambeditha, who can cause an Elephant to goe through a needles eye. These of Pambeditha were great braggers, who said they could doe strange things; hence came that Proverbe amongst them, and Christ vses it, It is easier to cause a Camel Mat. 19. 24. Act. 9. 5.to goe through a needles eye. So this Proverbe, To kicke against the prickes. So they who say to their neighbour, Take out the straw out of thine owne teeth, heares this oftē; Take out the beame out of thine owne eye. The bTalm. Tractatu Menacheth. Cap. 9.Babylonian Talmud shewes how Iannes and Mamre, two Sorcerers of Egypt withstood Moyses, and mocked him when he wrought his miracles; saying to him, (Wilt thou bring straw to Euphrata) as they would say, to carry water into the Sea: for they thought that Moses wrought his miracles by Sorcery, whereas the land of Egypt was full of Sorcery: the Apostle as some thinke, hath relation 2 Tim 3. 8. Iude 9.to this; Iannes and Iambres which withstood Moyses.
The Iewes called Hellenistae, or the Graecizing Iewes, they followed the Seventies Translation. They hauehave Ioh. 7. 35. Acts 6. 1.many peculiar words, which are found in no other Greeke Authors; as foreign a Testament, and foreign a Covenant, in their language are both one thing, and signifie Berith, or foedus, a Covenant. So Gnets they translate it both lignum, a cutted tree, and arborem a growing tree. Whereas other Greekes hauehave two distinct words for them, foreign and foreign; Likewise foreign, for the soule of man, in which sense no Greeke Writer before is observed to take the word. So they hauehave sundry Acts 26. … 13 14. Acts 28.Latine words which they hauehave made Greeke; as cCadmus. Drus.Linteum, a linnen cloth; Macellum, the shambles; Caesar, an Emperour; Denarius, a penny; Artemon, a saile; and a number such, which Drusius in his Booke intituled C…dmus, hath observed. For as many Greeke words were vsed in the East amongst the Hebrewes, when Alexander the Great transported Colonies thither; so many words hauehave beene borrowed from the Latines to the Greekes.
The Gentiles were either Greekes or Latines.
Greekes; therefore ye shall finde so many Graecismes in the New Testament, & verses cited out of the Greeke Poets.
Latines; because the Romaine Empire now flourished, therefore so many Latine words are vsed by the Apostles writing in Greeke.
PARAGRAPHE I.Paragraphe is that by which we make a transition from one speech to another.
Of the Canonicall Bookes of the Old Testament.
THE Bookes Canonicall of the Old Testament, are Canon.twentie-foure.
Iosephus dCont. Appion.infiniti nobis non sunt libri sed viginti duo, Moysis Confir.5. & Prophetae libros 13. reliqui 4. hymnos in deum & vitae humanae praecepta continent. Wee hauehave not infinite Bookes, but onelyonly twenty two; Moyses fiue, and the Prophets containe thirteene: the other foure containe Hymnes to God, and precepts for mans life. So Targum Cant. 5.
These Bookes are divided into the Law, Prophets, Canon.and Psalmes.
The Hebrewes divide them into the Law, Prophets, Illust.and Ketubim, written Bookes.
The Prophets are either Rishonim, the former; or Acharonim, Canon.the latter.
They are called the former, because they described Illust.things alreadie done.
These were Iosuah, Iudges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles. Samuel is called the first of the Prophets, Omnes Prophetae à Samuele: All the Prophets from Samuel.Act. 3. 24.
The later Prophets are either the great Prophets or the small.
They are called the later Prophets, because they foretold things to come.
The greater are three: Esay, Ieremy, Ezechiel: the small are Teri gnetzer, that is, twelue: they were all ioyned in one volume; therefore a testimony cited by Christ out Mar. 1. 2.of any of these Prophets, is sayd to be written in the Prophets.
These written Bookes, were written by those who Canon.had the gift of the holy Spirit, but not the gift of Prophecy.
Dixit David in spiritu Sancto: How doth David in spirit Confir.call him Lord?Mat 22. 43.
A eDrus. in Gen.Prophet is by inspiration and office a Prophet; Illust.that is, who continueth still a Prophet, as Esay and Ieremy; these were properly called Prophets. Againe, there were Prophets by inspiration, but they liued not as Prophets, neither continued they in that calling: for David was a King, and Daniel was a Courtier: fRabbi David Kimchi praefat. in Psal.the first sort, they called them Prophetae permissionem, Prophets by message: the second, they called them Prophetae perspiritum sanctum, Prophets by the holy Spirit onelyonly; because their calling was not still to be Prophets, therefore they called their Bookes, written Bookes.
But by this reason Samuel should not be placed among Obiect. the Prophets, because he was a Iudge.
Although Samuel was a Iudge, yet he continued still Answ. a Prophet, and was Rector of the Schoole of the Prophets.
The Lord hath had an especiall regard for the preservation Canon.of the Bookes of the Old Testament, that they should not perish, nor be corrupted.
The gTalmud. lib. Iuhasin.Hebrews say, that there is a threefold Crowne; Illust.first of the Law: the second of the kingdome, and thirdly of the Priest-hood: and that the Crowne of the Law is more glorious then the other two Crownes, according to that of Salomon, By me Kings reigne. And hTalmud hierosolym. in lib megil. cap. 3.they say, Pro. 8. 15.that Esdras with the rest of the great Synagogue, after the Captivitie, reformed the Common-wealth, from the corruptions of Babel: Et restituerunt magnificentiam in pristinum statum, and they restored the magnificence into the old integritie; that is, the Law of God which excelleth all other in greatnesse.
These Masters of the great Synagogue, *Anschekeneseth hagedola, vir… synagoga magna, the masters of the great Synagogue: so they were called Rab. anaijm, masters of answers.did sundry things for the preservation of the Text. First, they numbred the letters, secondly, the words, thirdly, the verses of the whole Bible, fourthly, their *foreign, is the error in vvriting.corrections of the Orthography in the Margent; for they set downe two letters, Keri velo Cetib, that is, Wee are to follow the reading, foreignand not as it is written. And Cetib velo keri, scribitur & nen legitur, It is written, and not read: last, they sealed the Canon.
The iShindl. pentaglot.Mazorites they called them Siga Hamickra foreign, The hedge of the Scripture: for as the hedge keepes out the theefe; so doth the correction of the Mazorites keepe out the rest of the Correctors, that they should not be bold to correct any thing in the Text. Hence is that saying of theirs; kTalmud. Babylon.Tythes are the hedge of a mans riches: pay thy Tythes and be rich. Vowes are the hedge of the first fruits; the hedge of Wisedome is silence, and the Mazorite is the hedge of the Law.
PARAGRAPHE II.
Of the Apocryphe Bookes of the Old Testament.
THE Apocryphe Bookes were these, whose authoritie Canon.was not knowne in the Iewish Church.
These bookes the Hebrewes called lScaliger in Euseb.Genuzim, from Illust.the Chaldie word Ganaz abscondere, to hide; because their authoritie was not knowne in the Church: therefore it was, that they forbad their children to reade them vntill they came to mature age. So mAth…nas. in Synops. Iuniu… contra Bellar. descriptura.in the Primitiue Church, when they were read, the Reader stood but in the inferior place.
The Greekes called the Canonick Bookes foreign, Canon.put in, because they were within the Canon, and foreign, revealed: they oppose to these, foreign, not to preach; and foreign, to hide; nR…inold.and foreign, because they are not received in the Canon.
Epiphanius oEpiphan. contra bar.his reason is not good, why they are called Illust.Apocryphe Bookes, Because (saith he) they were hidden in the Arke: These Bookes were written a…ter the second Temple; therefore it is better sayd of him who sayes, *Chrysost.foreign, All that which is not within the divine Canon, that is Apocryphe. pIunius de scriptu a cont Bellar.Quid quid abest à sancta, foreign, whatsoever is out of the Chest of the Sanctuary. foreign was Capsa ecclesiae, The chest of the Church, in which the Canonick Bookes were reserved.
There were two sorts of Apocryphe Bookes, Primi Canon.generis, & secundi generis; of the first sort, and second sort.
Primi generis, which the Church made vse of, although Illust.they received them not in the Canon: as the Macchabees, Iesus Syrach, the Wisedome of Salomon, Tobie; qRufinus in Symbolum.These were not called Canonici by the Fathers, but Ecclesiastici.
Secundi generis, were these rOrigen foreign.which they altogether reiected; such were the Bookes of Iannes and Iambres, Petoreth mosche sive foreign, dimissio Moysis ex hac vita: The assumption of Moses, or taking him out of this life. In this Booke is described the strife which was betwixt Michael and the Devill, about the body of Moyses, of which we reade in Iude his Epistle: so foreign the Iude 9.after-birth. So the Prophecie of Enoch, so Apocrypha Ieremiae. Epiphanius sEpiph. de ponder.testifies, that the Iewes sent to Egypt to Ptolomie with the Canonicke Scriptures, seventie two Apocryph Bookes.
PARAGRAPHE III.
Of the Canonicke Bookes of the New Testament.
THE Bookes of the New Testament are Historicall Canon.Doctrinall, and Propheticall.
Historicall, are either of Christ or his Apostles. Of Illust.Christ, the foure Evangelists: of the Apostles, the Acts entreats.
The *Chrysost.foure Evangelists, are like to the foure Rivers which went about the Garden of Eden to water it, and Christ in the midst, as the Tree of Life.
The Doctrinall bookes, are the foureteene Epistles of Paul, of Iames one, and Peter two, of Iohn three, of Iude one.
The Propheticall Booke, is the Booke of the Revelation; containing the state of the Church, from the dayes of Iohn to the end of the world.
The number of the Canonick Bookes are seventie; for even as seventy valiant men stood about the bed of Salomon with Targets: so the Lord hath set these seventie Valiants to defend his Truth.
PARAGRAPHE IIII.
Of the Sealing of the Canon of the New Testament.
IOHN, who out-liued the rest of the Apostles, sealed Canon.the Canon of the Scriptures.
Revel. 22. Cursed is he who addes or takes away, from the Confir.things written in this Booke.
tTertullian. lib. 17. de baptismate.The Sadduces reiected all the Old Testament, but Illust.the fiue Bookes of Moyses; Marcion reiected all the Evangelists, but Luke. Ebion and Caerinthus reiected Iohns Gospell. The Papists adde the Apocryphe Bookes to the Scriptures. But these are equall abhominable before the Pro. 17. 15.Lord, He that iustifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the iust.
PARAGR. V.
How the holy Scriptures must be expounded.
THE Scripture must be interpreted by the same Spirit, Canon.by which it was inspired.
No Scripture is of private interpretation.Confir.
Private interpretation, is either Praeter fundamentum 2 Pet 1. 20. 17.veritatis, by the ground of veritie, or Praeter fundamentum salutis, by the ground of salvation; circa fundamentum Canon.salutis, about the ground of salvation; or contra fundamentum salutis, or contrary to the foundation of salvation.
Praeter fundamentum veritatis, is, when an interpretation agrees not with the place intreated, although it be not contra fundamentum salutis: these the Greeks called foreign, aliena à proposito, out of purpose: as uChrysost.those who seeke Gold in the earth, if they misse the veine, they lose the Gold: so these who interpret Scripture, besides the meaning of the place intreated, they misse the sense of the Scripture.
Praeter fundamentum salutis, is that Interpretation which is not onelyonly besides the veritie, but also besides the foundation Christ: this by the Apostle is called Hay 1 Cor. 3. 15.and stubble, it shall burne, but the builder may be safe.
Circa fundamentum salutis, is that interpretation, which weakneth the foundation, although it raze it not directly.
Contra fundamentum salutis, is that interpretation, Colos. 2. 19which razeth the foundation, Not holding the head Christ.
1. Peter 4. Vnstable soules wrest the Scripture: foreign, It is a word borrowed from torturers, when they put an innocent man vponupon the rack, and makes him to speake the thing he never meant: so these wrest a sense out of the Scriptures, which the holy Ghost never meant. The Iewes fable, that Manna had a taste to every man as he Wisedome Chap. 10.listed, when he did eate of it, but this fable is refuted, Numb. 11. 5. It is as false, that the Scriptures of God hath any sense which heretickes list to giuegive them.
True interpretation, is that interpretation which is Canon.super fundamentum, vponupon the foundation, and giues the true interpretation of the place intreated.
The Doctors of the Iewes were cald bonim, aedificantes, Illust.Builders, because they were bound to build vponupon the Mar. 12. 10.foundation.
PARAGR. VI.
Of the internall light, which shewes the way to come by the sense of the Scripture.
THE meanes to come by the sense of the Scripture, are either internall, or externall.
The internall light whereby we come to the sense of Canon.the Scripture, is the holy Spirit.
Then he opened their vnderstanding, to beleeue the Scriptures. Confir.So revelasti mihi aurem, Thou tookest a vaile off mine Luk 24. … Sam 20. Psal. 40.eare, and made me to vnderstand. Perforare aurem est obedientiae, to bore the eare is for obedience; thou boredst mine eare: but revelare aurem est intelligentiae, to vnvaile the eare is for vnderstanding: The Latines call this dicere in aurem, to speake in the eare.
PARAGR. VII.
Of the externall helpes to come by the sense of the Scripture.
THE externall helpes, which helpe vsus to come by Canon.the sense of the Scripture, are especially fiue.
1. foreign, to consider the Marginall, and line reading Illust.of the Scripture. 2. foreign, the right pointing of a Scripture. 3. foreign, the right collation of Scripture with Scripture. 4. foreign, the right translation of a Scripture. 5. foreign, the customes proper to the Iewes.