The Christian Synagogue, Book 1 · Chapter 6 · Section 5
SECTION V.
Of their Scholasticall Politickes.
PARAGRAPHE I.
Of their Schooles.
THey had speciall places appointed for the education Canon.of their youth.
The places where they taught, were cald Gebaoth hils: so, The hill of Phineas, because the colledge stood vponupon an Ios. 24.hill; so Iudges 7. Collis More, id est, doctris sive docentis of the teacher: so 1. Sam. 19. Collis Dei, Gods hill. 2. Sam. 17. 18. Naioth, pleasant places: Targum expones it, domus 1 Sam. 19. 19.doctrinae, The house of doctrine: So they had a place in Ierusalem, called Mishne, A Colledge: In this Colledge, they studied the repeating of the Law.2 King. 22. 14.
After the captivitie, Colledges were appointed to receiue strangers, and they were called Labrothenu, which Acts 6. 9.is corruptly read, the Libertines: for Lubar, signifies an high place, such as their Colledge stood vponupon.
*Buxtorf. Tyberias.After the destruction of Ierusalem, they had their Vniversitie in Tyberias; and in the time of Antoninus, two hundred and twentie yeares after Christ, they writ the Hierosolymitan Talmud: after the death of Rabbi Iuda the holy, who was the principall of that Vniversity, learning decayed by peece and peece there: But in Babylon, there were three famous Vniversities Neharda, Sora, and Pambeditha, foure hundred and ninetie yeares after Christ, the Baby lonick Talmud was written by them.
In these Schooles, the Lord gaue a speciall token of Canon.his presence.
Ionas fled from the presence of the Lord: that is, from the Confir.Schoole of the Prophets.Iona 1. 3.
The Colledge of the Prophets, was called, The presence Illust.of the Lord: so was the visible Church. Caine was cast out from the presence of the Lord: that is, from the visible Gen. 4. 16.Church: For the visIble Church and the Schooles, are the places where God manifests himselfe most.
They had sundry sorts of Teachers.Canon.
Where is the Scribe, Where is the Disputer, and where is the Confir.Wise-man?1 Cor. 1. 20.
The Apostle alludes here to three sorts of Teachers, Illust.which where amongst the Iewes; first, the Scribe, who handled the Text; secondly, the Disputer, who sought out the mysticall Interpretation of the Text; thirdly, Wise-men (Chochme hammeker) who sought out the secrets of nature: for during the time of the second Temple, they gaue themselues to studie Physicke, rHieron. Epist. ad Galatas. Physicum vult significari.and to search the secrets of nature; therefore Hircanus and Aristobulus made a Law, sHaschmona made this decree.Qui aluerit suem out didicerit sapientiam Graecorum maledict us esto, who feeds a hogge, or learnes the wisedome of the Greeks, let him be accursed: they called Phylosophy and Physicke the wisedome of the Greeks.
tDrus. Exo. 26.They taught their Schollers two manner of wayes, first by continuall speech of the Master, or els by Interrogations and Answers.
When Christ taught his Disciples, he taught them Illust.on the Mountaines by a continued speech, so when he taught the people out of Peters ship: sometimes by Math. 5. 1.Questions and Answers: either when they asked Christ, as when the young man said to Christ, Master, what shall Mat. 16. 16.I doe to inherite eternall life? or when Christ asked them, the peoples opinion of him: Whom say the people that I am, Math. 16. 13.
This forme of teaching, was either foreign, for the refutation of errors: or foreign, for establishing the truth. When he refuted the opinion of the people, some holding him to be Ieremie, some Iohn the Baptist, and some one of the Prophets; this was foreign, and by the confession of Peter, establishing the truth: this was foreign.
These teachers, Ecclesiastes 12. are called Bagnale Asaphoth, Domini collectionum; that is, Who gathered many Disciples into one Schoole: or who gathered many matters into one booke; Autores Pandectarum, The Authors of many subiects.
When they taught their Schollers, they were sayd to giuegive, Prov. 9. 9. and the Latines following them, said; (Sed tameniste Deus quisit da Tytyre,) But O Tytyre, tell Virg. Eclog.me what a God is this, da: id est, doce, Teach me: so the Disciples were said, Accipere, to take, when they learned of their Masters, Prov. 4. Accipe Disciplinam meam, id est, disce, Receiue my instruction, that is, learne: So Marke 1. 22.
They taught their Schollers according to their capacitie Canon.and age.
uPirke abboth siue constitutiones patrum c. 5.At fiue yeare old, he is Ben Mickra, The Sonne of the Illust.Law; they set him then to reade the Law: when he is ten eyare old, they set him Le-mishna, (that is) To the Text of their vnwritten Law: when he is thirteene yeare old, then he is Bar Mitzvah, filius praecepti, The sonne of the precept, then he receiues the Passeover, and is purified: when he is sisteene yeare old, they set him Legemara, which is the accomplishment of these decisions, which are not ended in Mishna, that part of the Talmud. They read not to their Schollers, the beginning or Origen.ending of Ezechiel, nor the beginning of Genesis, before they were thirtie yeares of age: the one containing their Physickes; the other their Metaphysicks.
They had a great care, that young Masters should not Canon.be set to teach their youth.
yPirke abhoth.Those Illust.who learne of young Masters, are like those who eate Grapes before they be ripe, or like those who drinke new Wine: But those who elarne of skilfull old Masters, are like those who eate ripe Grapes, or drinke old Wine.
PARAGRAPHH II.
Of their Title Rabbi.
THE Doctors of the Iewes were content at the first Canon.with their bare names, as Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob.
About the birth of our Lord, or not long before, they Illust.tooke the Tiel Rabbi: and not content with that, some of them got speciall Titles; one was called Hagnolam, lux mundi, The light of the world. Rabbi Iuda, this Title was, Rabbonu Hakkodesh, doctor noster Sanctus, our holy Master: Tzaddias was called Haggaon, illustris, Noble: another was called Abenezra, lapis auxilij, The stone of helpe. Others were called Pekachim, aperti, opened: They reckoned the people but blind, Rom. 1. They were Duces coecorum, Leaders of the blind.
They were called Wise-men, Wisedome is iustified of Mat. 11. 19.her children: Here he alludes to the Pharises, who were called Wise, and their Schollers were caleld their Children: howsoever, they and their children reiected true wisedome; yet the children of wisedome would iustifie her. When they were about to teach, they said; foreign, that is, This day the Wise-men will teach Traditions.
When they tooke these glorious Titles vponupon them, Canon.they disdained the people.
Ioh. 9. 49. These who know not the Law.Confir.
zDrusius in …at.They called them Gnam Haharetz, populus terrae, People Illust.of the earth: they made no more reckoning of them, then of beasts, and they made a Canon, Ne discipulus sapientis ducat filiam terrae, Let not the Disciple of a Wiseman, murry a daughter of the earth: and, It is all one to lye with such a one, as to lye with a beast. They had a peculiar sort of apparell, which they vsed different from the cloathes of the common people, therefore they said; Vesles populi terrae conculcation Pharis aeorum, The cloathes of the people of the earth, are the foot-stoole of the Pharises.
When the holy Ghost revealed not himselfe, any of the foure manner of wayes, *In prolog.spoken of before: then they tooke these glorious Titles to them; so when darknesse came in into the Primitiue Church, then they tooke glorious Titles to them. They called one Comestor, quod devoraverit scripturam, Eater, because he did eate vp the Scripture. Duns. Scotus, they called him, Lumen veritatis, The light of veritie. Occam his Title, was Venerabilis incaeptor, quod novam formam Philosophandi inceperit, Reverend beginner, because he had begun a new forme of Philosophie. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicus Doctor, A teacher like an Angell: and as they disdained the people, counting them beasts, so did the Popish Church: If a beast touch the Mountaine, it shall be killed: (that is) sayes Innocentius the third, If Laicks meddle witht he Scripture, they shall be killed.
PARAGR. III.
Of their Schollers.
AT the first they were called the Sonens of the Prophets, Ps. 3. 3. solius pro discipulo.Numb. 3. 1. These are the Generations of Aaron and Moses: Why are they called generations of Moses? Because Moses taught them: afterward in the Christian Church, they were called Discipels.
When their Schollers were taught, in token of humilitie Canon.they sat at their masters feete.
Acts 22. who was Brought vp at the feete of Gamaliel: Confir.so Deut 33. inserentur pedibus tuis: (this is) The Gentiles shall be made thy Schollers: So Luke 8. And they sat at the feete of Christ.
It was for this, that their Schoole was called Ieshiba, Illust.Sesslo, A sitting: from Iashab, seder, to sit: and they hauehave a saying, aCod. Iur. berachoth. fol. 28. 2.Collocate filios vestros inter genua sapientum, & corum verba bibite cum siti: Place your children betwixt the feete of the wise, and drinke in their words with thirst. And againe, Pulverizate in pulvere pedum eorum: sit in the dust of their feete.
When they were sent out, they were said to stand before the Lord. 2. Reg. 6. 1. 2.
They spake honorably of those who were their Teachers, after they were dead; Syracides 45. memoria eius in benedictionibus, & pax Dei super ipsum; Let his memory be for a blessing, and the peace of God vponupon him.
They ascended by degrees in learning.Canon.
bScal. El. trihar.All the time that the Scholelr sat at his masters feet, Illust.he was called Talmid Chakam, discipulus sapientis, The scholler of the wise: and Katon, minor, young: and this time was called Katon, minoritas, in tutorie; then he was onelyonly called Ben Bethir, The sonne of Bethir. Secondly, he was Graduate, his master laying hands vponupon him, then he was called Bachur Chabhir, foreign socius, A Companion And Zortba Darbhanan, Acutus discipulus, R…bbina test proximus. He that is to be made Master.to the Doctur, now hee was called Iosua Ben Bethir, Iosua the sonne of Bethir, his owne name is prepon'd; but he sat still vponupon the ground. Thirdly, imposition of hands was given him againe, and so hee was master of Art: then he was Samuch, licentiatus, Licentiate; or Promotus, promoued, and his Promotor was called Somech, foreign, imposer of his handes: now he is called Rabbi Iosua Ben Bethir, master Iosua the sonne of Bethir.
It is true, that Christ being but twelue yeares of age, Luke 2. 46.sat amongst the Doctors for his rare gifts; but is was not permitted for others so to doe.
God instituted degrees of learning in the Leviticall Law. From 20. to. 25. they were foreign, Catechised: from 25. to 30. they were as it were Batchelors: at 30. they were Masters of Art as it were; at 50. overseers of others.
So in the Christian Church, they had their degrees in the schooles. First, they were foreign solutores, Resolvers of doubts: Secondly, they were foreign, Prosolutores, Resolvers of hard Questions: Thirdly, foreign, Deciders of Controversies.
There was great modestie in the Schollers at those Canon.times.
They called onelyonly themselues Talmid chakam, discipulos Illust.sapientum, Disciples of the wise, and their greatest title was Talmid tora, discipulus legis, a Scholler of the law. cPlutarch.The Greeks followed their modestie. At the first, those who went to Athens to studie the first yeare, they were called foreign, wise. The second yeare, Bot foreign, lovers of wisedome. The third yerae, they were called Rhetores, Rhetoricians. The fourth yeare, they were called foreign, fooles, the more they knew, the lesse they thought of themselues: it is but the shadow of knowledge which puffs vp the wise of this world.
They went not out of the Schooles, to vndergoe any Canon.publique calling, before they were enabled to teach.
They wondered to see Saul prophecie vponupon a suddaine.Confir.2 Sam. 10. 11.
Psal. 84. 8. de virtute in virtutem, from vertue to vertue: Illust.Targum paraphrases it, Mibbeth Midrasha, Lebeth Midrasha, that is, a schola in scholam, from degree to degree. Paul will not hauehave foreign, young plants to be teachers, and Nazianzen finds fault, Cum ante lanuginem docent senes, When they teach old men before they hauehave haire en their cheeks. dAclianus lib. 10. cap. 6.it is noted of the whelpes of the Lyonesse, that those who hauehave sharpest pawes, they so prick the matrix of the mother, and make hast to be brone, that they never come to their full strength, but are weake all their dayes; whereas those who hauehave not so sharpe pawes, stay till their ordinary time come, and gets full strength. So these Schollers, who through conceit of knowledge hasten to be out, pricking the matrix in which they are bred, come never to such maturitie as others doe, who stayes their ordinary course. When the young Birds begin to flap with the wings, their feathers not being strong enough, they are said, foreign, Irritum facere conatum, To make their enterprise folly: they will be foreign, that is, To hauehave their wings readie of flie before the be flidge: and they will seeme to match the Eagle himselfe: so leaving their dammes, they become a prey to the Kites. So it fareth with young Schollers, who leaue their mother the Vniversitie too soone, they become a prey to Iesuites and Heretiques, their wings being too weake.