The Temple Service in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 13

The Temple Service in the Days of our Savior Described · Chapter 13

p. 141CHAP. XIII. Their manner of eating the Passeover.

IT is indeed beyond our line and compasse to follow the people with their slain Paschals from the Temple to their own homes, to see what they do with them there, for the virge of the Temple confineth our discourse: yet because the eating of these Lambs was so high and holy a right, and since the story of our Saviours last Passeover hath turned the eyes of all men to look p. 142at the custome and demeanour used in this solemnity, the Reader I doubt not will be facile to excuse such a digression, as shall relate the particulars of this great businesse, which were many, and which we will take up one by one.

1. To omit their curiosities in roasting the Paschall Lamb,[a][a]Talm. in Pesach. per. 7. which they commonly did upon a spit or staffe of pomegranate tree, running him in with it at the mouth and out behind) the first observable circumstance towards the eating of him, we may take up in this tradition.

foreign [b] On the evening of the Passeover a man may not eat, [d][d]Ibi. per. 10.from neare the Minchah, till it be dark. In which they inform us of two things, first, that they went not about the Passeover meale till it was night; and the reason of this custome is apparently grounded in the law, because that commanded, they shall eat the flesh in that night, Exod. 12. And accordingly are these words of the Evangelists in the relation of our Saviours Passeover to be understood, when the Even was come, he sate downe with the twelve. Secondly, that they fasted some space before. Neare the time of the Minchah [[c][c]R. Alphes. & R. Sol. & R. Sam in loc., say the Glossaries upon that tradition] meaneth, little before the Evening Sacrifice; and from that time they might eat nothing, that they might eat the unleavened bread which was commanded, with appetite, for the honour of the command.

II. They ate not the Passeover but sitting, foreign [d][d]Talm. ubi supr.No not the poorest in Israel mig…t eat it till he was set downe. [e][e]Gemar. Jer. in Pesac. in loc.R. Simon (in the Jerusalem Gemara) in the name of R. Joshua the son of Levi saith, that olive-quantity that sufficeth to discharge a man that he hath eaten the Passeover, he must eat it sitting downe, foreign: and so it is said Jesus sate downe with the twelve. Now this sitting at their Passeover eating, was not after the manner of our sitting at the t…ble, nor after the manner of their ordinary sitting at other times, but a speciall posture by it selfe. And so they themselves used to observe and to speake of it as they sate.[f][f]Maym. in Noseahh Hagg. How different (said they) is this night from all other nights, for all other nights we eat foreign either sitting or leaning, but this night we all sit leaning: where the two words foreign and foreign▪ which both signifie sitting at meat, are used with so much diversity, as that they are opposed p. 143one to another. And they are set in the like opposition in the Treatise Beracoth in this passage foreign [g][g]Beracoth. per. 6.Did they sit downe to meat? every one gave thankes for himselfe, foreign Did they sit leaning? then one gave thankes for them all. Rabbi Nathan conceives that the difference between the two words consisteth in one of these two things;[h][h]Aruch in foreign that foreign meaneth that they sate close round about their meat, but foreign importeth as if every one of them had sitten single. Or this other interpretation, saith he, may be given that they sate downe for some other businesse, (and not purposely to eat) and meat was set before them, then every one gave thanks for himselfe. But foreign meanes that they sate downe purposely to eat and not for other husinesse, and then one gave thanks for th…m all. But it appeareth by Maymony, and by other Talmudists, that the difference lay in the manner of sitting, and not in the occasion of sitting downe. His words are these,[i][i]Maym. in Hhamets umats. per. 7. The kinde of sitting called foreign Hesibbah, is not required of a woman; but if she be a woman of fashion then it is required of her. And this kinde of sitting is required of a son (at the Passeover) before his father, and of a servant before his master; but a scholar before his teacher must not thus sit downe unlesse his teacher give him leave: And leaning upon the right side is not this posture, nor leaning on the neck, nor on the face. But it was leaning on the left side, as he intimateth in another place, when he saith he must drinke off his cups of wine leaning upon his left side. And the Talmudick Glosse defines that kinde of leaning, briefly thus, foreign It was upon the bed and upon the Table.

Their sitting at meat was commonly upon beds or couches made for that purpose, with the Table before them: Now at other meales they either sate as we do with their bodies erect, or when they would enlarge themselves to more freedome of feasting and refreshing, they sate upon the beds and leaned upon the table on their left elbow, and this or the other posture they used indifferently at other times as they were disposed. But on the Passeover night they thought they were obliged to use this leaning composure, and you may take their reason for it in some of their owne words.[k][k]R. Sol. in Pesach per. 10. They used this foreign leaning posture as free men do, in memoriall of their freedome. And [l][l]Talm. Ierus. ibid. in Gem…r.R. Levi said, because it is the manner of servants to eat standing, therefore p. 144now they eat foreign sitting and leaning to shew that they were got out of servitude into freedome. And againe,[m][m]Mishueh. ibid. & Maym. ubi supr. In every generation a man is bound to behave himselfe at the Passeov…r, as if he himselfe had been delivered out of the bondage of Aegypt, &c. Therefore at meat that night a man is bound to eat, and to drinke, and to sit in a posture of freedome.

Upon this principle and conceit of freedome, they used this manner of discumbency at their meat frequently at other times, but indispensably this night, so far different from the posture injoined and practised at the first Passeover in Aegypt, when they eat it with their loines girded, their shoes on their feet, their staves in their hands, and in haste, Exod. 12.11. And as the thought of their freedome disposed them to this leaning, reposed, secure composure of their elbow upon the t…ble, and their head leaning on the hand, so to embleme out the matter the more highly, they laid their legs under them, sitting upon them, and their seet lying out behinde, as Luke 7.38. removing and acqu…tting their legs and feet as farre as possible from the least shew of standing to attend, or readinesse to goe upon any ones imployment, which might carry the least colour of servitude, or contrariety to their freedome with it. Now according to this manner of fitting and leaning, are we to construe that passage of the Evangelist, about the beloved Disciple's leaning in the bosome of Jesus, Joh. 13.23. and on the breast of Jesus, Joh. 13.28. & 21.20. for so the words are clearly differenced, foreign, or foreign: which some translations not having observed, or at least not expressed, they have intricated the reader in such gross conceptions about this matter [[n][n]Vid. Bez. in Joh. 21.John 21, quasi in ipsius sinu, contra omne decorū sterteret, ut ab imperitis pingi accubitus ille consuevit] as that some have thought and some have pictured John reposing himselfe, or lolling on the breast of Jesus, contrary to all reason & decency. Whereas the manner of their sitting together was only thus; Jesus leaning upon the table on his left elbow, and so turning his face and breast away from the table on one side; Iohn sate in the same posture next before him, with his backe towards Iesus breast or bosome; not so neare as that Iohns backe and Iesus breast did joine together and touch one another; but at such a distance as that there was space for Iesus p. 145to use his right hand upon the table to reach his meat at his pleasure, & so for all the rest as they sate in the like manner. For it is but a strange fancy that some have satisfied themselves withall about this matter, conceiving either that they lay along upon the beds before the table one tumbling upon the breast or before the breast of another; or if they sate leaning on the table, that they sate so close, as that ones backe joined to anothers bosome, which did utterly deprive them of the use of their hands to feed themselves. But their sitting was so, as that indeed they sate the back of one to the breast of another, but with such distance between, that the right hand of every one of them had liberty to come and go betwixt himselfe and his fellow to reach his meat as he had occasion. In such a manner and distance did the beloved Disciple leane before our Saviour, and yet is said very properly to leane in his bosome, because he leaned before his breast, so as that whensoever Christ put up his arme he was in a manner within his embrace. But when Peter beckened to him to enquire who it was that should be the traitour, then foreign he leaned back so far, a… that his back or shoulders rested upon Iesus breast, and he lay in a fitting posture to whisper with him.

III. They being thus set, the first thing toward this Passeover supper that they went about, was, that every one dranke off a cup of wine. So do their owne Directories and Rituals about this matter informe us. The order of the performing of the things commanded for the fifteenth night ([o][o]Maym. ubi sup. per. 8., faith Maymony) was thus, they first mingled a cup for every one of them, and one gave thankes and they dranke it off. And herein he doth follow the Talmud Text, which in the Treatise of the Passeover in the place cited in the Margin before, relateth the very same thing in the very same order.

Among the severall viands, or victuals, or concomitants, or what you will call them, which accompanied the Paschal Lamb at its eating, of which wee shall speake in their course, there were two which they held to be most eminent, and most honourable; and those were Bread and Wine: And amongst other expressions of respect and honour that they shewed to these, this was not a small one, that howsoever they disposed of their p. 146posture of sitting all the rest of the meale, they might not fall to betake themselves to the leaning composure (already described, the emblem of their liberty) when they ate their unleavened bread and dranke their wine. And so my author last cited holdeth out in this tradition foreign [p][p]Id. ibid. per. 7.When is it necessary that they use the leaning posture? Even at that time that they are eating an olive-quantity of unleavened bread and drinking their four cups of wine; and as for the time of eating or drinking of any thing else all the meal, if they sate leaning it was the more commendable, but if they did not it was not so very materiall. Which matter the Gemarists and Glossaries do clear and distinguish upon, thus;[q][q]Gloss. ibid. The unleavened bread requires the leaning posture, but the bitter herbs require it not: Of the wine it is said that it doth require the leaning posture, and it is said that it doth not require it, foreign For they say of it, that the two former cups require this leaning composure, but the two latter r…quire it not.

The eating of unleavened bread at this time, they were enjoyned by a speciall and expresse command, Exod. 12.18. but as for the use of wine, they took it up upon this general ground,[r][r]Talm. Jer. ubi supr. because a man must cheere up his wife and children to make them rejoice at the festivall. And what do they cheere them up withall? with wine. And they were so punctuall and exact in this matter that[s][s]Pesach. per. 10. the poorest man in Israel was bound to drinke off foure cups of wine this night, yea though he lived of the alms basket. [t][t]R. Sam. ib.And if he had no other way to compasse so much wine, or if the Almoners gave him not enough for foure cups, he must sell or pawne his coat, or hire out himselfe for foure cups of wine. The Gemarists do debate the matter, why foure cups of wine rather then any other number, and the result is held out by the Jerusalem Talmud to this purpose;[u][u]Talm. Ier. ubi ante. Whence is the ground for foure cups? Rabbi Jochanan in the name of Rabbi Benajah saith, in parallel to the foure wordt that are used about Israels redemption, foreign, bringing out, delivering, redeeming, and taking. R. Joshua the son of Levi saith, in parallel to the foure cups of Pharaoh, in these texts, Pharaohs cup was in my hand, and I squeezed them into Pharaohs cup. And I gave the cup into Pharaohs hand, and thou shalt give Pharaohs p. 147cup into his hand. R. Levi saith, in parallel to the foure Monarchies, Dan. 7. And our Rabbines say, in parallel to the foure cups of vengeance that the holy blessed God will make the Nations of the World drink off, (for which there are these foure Texts) Thus saith the Lord God of Israel to me, take the wine cup of this fury at mine hand, Jer. 25.15. Babel is a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, Jer. 51.7. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, Psal. 75.8. And this is the p…rtion of their cup, Psal. 11.6. And answerably the Lord will make Israel drinke foure cups of consolation (in these foure Texts) The Lord is the portion of my cup, Psal. 16.5. My cup runneth ov…r, Psal. 23.5. I will take the cup of salvation, Psalme 116.13. which was two.

In these foure cups of wine that they were to drinke, they were curious about the measure and about the mixture,[w][w]Maym. in Hhamets umats. per. 7. & Gloss. ibid. the proportion of wine in eve…y cup might not be lesse then foreign the fourth part of a quarter of an hin, besides what water was mingled with it, for if they did not drink it so mingled, they held they missed of the right performance of that service, foreign. These foure cups, saith the Author cited in the margin, must needs be mingled. And the Talmudick rubrick for this night service, whensoever it speaketh of any of these cups of wine brought to him that officiated in the Haggadah, it useth this expression foreign [x][x]Pesachin. ubi supr.They mingl…d it for him. And it is received among them as a current Maxim, what was delivered by Rabb in the Gemara, foreign That whosoever dranke these foure cups of pure wine, he indeed had done his duty about drinking wine, but he had not done his duty about setting forth their freedome: for this mingling of their wine, was not so much in reference to sobriety, as it was to make the wine the more delightsome. And that is the reason that Maymony giveth when he saith the wine must needs be mingled, namely, that the drinking of it may bee the more delightsome, and all according to the quality of the wine, and the minde of the drinker. Therefore they accounted it somewhat towards the expression of their freedome which they so much affected to expresse at this time, to drinke their wine mingled, which heightned the drinking of it to the more delight,

p. 148The first cup of these four being brought to them as they we now set, one of the Company, (the Master of the family, if there were but one family in the society: or if there were more, some fit man chosen out for that purpose, whom they called foreign the rehearser of the office of the Passeover) gave thanks over the wine, and then they drank it off. The thanksgiving was in reference to the wine, and in reference to the day. The Schools of Hillel and Shammai differ about the precedency of these two, or whether of them should first take place; but whether soever went first, (for it is not worth labour to trace the dispute) the tenour of his thanksgiving was to this purpose; over the wine he said[y][y]Talm. in Beracoth. per. 6. Blessed be thou O Lord who hast created the fruit of the Vine: and as concerning the day he used such word… as these,[z][z]Maym. in Birk. Mazon. Blessed bee thou for this good day, and for this holy convocation, which thou hast given us for joy and rejoycing: Blessed be thou O Lord, who hast sanctified Israel and the times.

[i][i]Id. in Hhamets &c. ubi ante▪IV. [1] Then did they every one of them wash their hands: over which action, the Officiator (for so let us call him) uttered this ejaculation, Blessed be thou O Lord our God who hath sanctified us with his commandements, and hath commanded us concerning the washing of our hands. They used on this night to wash their hands twice, whereas at other Suppers they washed but once, and this different and extraordinary so doing, it was their course to take notice of, and to speake of as they were at supper, using this passage amongst others that they uttered at that time, How different is this night from all other nights! for all other nights we wash but once, but this night we wash twice. They use the word foreign to expresse the washing of their hands by, which betokeneth dipping, for in that way they washed them at this time. The Treatise[2][2]Talm. in Iadajim per. 2. Tosapht. ibid. Jadajim and the Tosaphta there do intimate unto us that they had a twofold way of washing their hands; Netilah and Tebhdah, either by powring water upon them, or by putting them into the water; and they difference these two washings by these circumstances (besides the different application of the water) that he that put his hands into the water needed not to dry them, but he that poured water on them needed: He that had water powred on them, must lift up his hands, yet so as the water might not run above his wrist, nor return upon his hands for making p. 149them uncleane (but there drop off; foreign, Mark. 7.3.) But he that puts his hands into water needed not to lift them up, &c. He that put his hands into the water is said to foreign dip his hands, and he that had water powred upon them was said to be foreign to wash his hands, and yet both of these kinds of washing were indifferently called foreign Netilath Jadajim, washing of the hands.

V. They having washed, the table was then furnished with what provision they held requisite for that supper, and that was of severall sorts: For besides the Passeover Lamb, and unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, for the use of which they had an express command, they had at the least two dishes besides, and sometimes three, which they had taken up the use of, upon tradition. Let us view all their dishes particularly.

1 There were 2. or 3. cakes of unleavened bread[3][3]Vid. Gloss. ad Maym. ubi ante. (for the number is under some dispute,) and the eating of this bread, they held so undispensable a command that infants and sick persons were to be brought to it: and if they were not able to eat it dry, they had it sopt and macerated in some liquid thing, that so they might eat of it at least to the quantity of an olive. And as for persons of health and strength, they were to eat very little meat of all day, that they might eat unleavened bread with hungring and appetite at night: and many of them would fast all day for that purpose. Especially they might not eat unleavened bread of all day, because there should be a distinct appetitive eating of it at the Passeover, and he that ate any unleavened bread that day before that time he was beaten with the Rebels strip…s.

2 The herbs they used were five kinds foreign Lettice, foreign Endive, foreign Succory, foreign B…ets, foreign Horehound, or some such herbs as these, some of them sallet herbs, and some bitter, and these either green or dried, but neither boiled nor pickled. And the generall and the proper reason that is given for the use of this rite of eating bitter herbs is,[4][4]R. Sol. in Exod. 12.Exod 12 that they might hereby remember the bitter affliction that they underwent in Aegypt. But the fancy of a Spanish Jew cited by Aben Ezra, is somewhat singular in this point, which let me produce in his words.

p. 150[5][5]Ab. Ezr. in Exod. 12.Exod 12One of the wise men of Spaine (saith he) saith, it is well known that moisture is predominant in the land of Aegypt, because of the waters of the river, and because they have no raines there, therefore the aire is continually moist. Hereupon it was their custome at all their tables to eat divers kinds of bitter herbs and mustard. And though an Ae…yptian had but one bit of m…at, y t had he ever bitter herbs at his table to dip his meat in, which was a help for their aire. But we will adhere to the judgment of our ancients of blessed memory, which have expounded to us that the bitter herbs were a memoriall of that passage, They made their lives bitter, Exod. 1.

3 The body of the Paschall Lamb was also set upon the table, rosted whole and so brought up,[6][6]Pesach. ubi supr. the legs and inwards, as heart, liver, &c. held by some to have been put and rosted within him, but by others to have be…n fastned by some meanes upon his body, and so rosted on the outside of him: Now besides these three dishes, of bread, flesh, and sallet, so positively appointed by the Law,

4 They used to eat some other meat before they began to eat of the Paschall. And the reason of this was, because they would eat of that to satiety.[7][7]Maym. in Corban. Pesach. per 8. For it was held a choice command that a man should eat the fl…sh of the Pass…over with an eating to satiety; therefore if he had offered his fourteenth dayes peace offerings, then he ate of them first, and afterward he ate of the flesh of the Passeover that he might satiate himselfe with it. Yet if he ate no more then what amounted to the quantity of an olive, he discharged the obligation of his duty. These fourteenth dayes peace offerings were so called, to distinguish them from the peace offerings of his Hagigah and rejoycing at the feast: for those were offerings to which he was obliged of duty, and were to be offered after the eating of the Passeover most ordinarily; but these were some thanks offerings, or vowes, or free will offerings, which being reserved to be offered at their comming up to the festivall, they commonly did so offer them as that when the Altar and Priests had had their parts, they had the other ready for this occasion, to begin the meal on the Passeover night. And so here was one dish more then we find appointed for this time by the Law. Now the Talmudicks speak of two more, which if they were used in the time when the Temple stood, may well be supposed to have been to supply p. 151the want of peace offerings in such companies as had not offered any, nor had any ready for this occasion. And they call them foreign the two boiled meats. The Mishueh in that chapter of Pesachin that hath been cited so oft, delivering the rubrick of the Passeover, saith, they set before him unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, and charoseth, and the two boiled meats, making no difference of time between these and the other particulars named with them, which undoubtedly were in those times of which wee speak. The Gemara thereupon hath these words. It is a command to set before him unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs, and the two boiled meats. And those two boiled meats, what are they? Rab. Hona saith, Broth and Rice. Ezekiah saith, Fish and Egges. Rab. Joseph saith, two sorts of fl…sh were required, one in the memoriall of the Passeover, and the other in memoriall of the Hagigah. And with this last doth Maymony concurre, for he useth the very same words, but he useth also the terme foreign At this time they set upon the table two sorts of fl…sh, &c. as making it questionable whether this custome were in use when the Temple stood, or taken up afterward. I shall not be sollicitous to dispute the case; it seemeth for ought I yet see in the Talmuds, or their Schoolmen, that it was in the Temple times, and that the author cited doth not (by the Phrase he hath used) so much intimate that the custom was taken up after the Temple was fallen, as he doth, that after the Temple was fallen they were glad to take up with these two dishes onelyonly. For whilest that stood, peace offerings were in use, and served for that occasion on the Passeover night, and these two boiled meats were only in request where no peace offerings were to be had, which was but rare; but after the Temple fell there were no peace offerings to be had at all, and so they were constrained to take up onelyonly with these two dishes. Let the Reader scan his meaning from his owne words.[8][8]Id. in Hha…ets &c. pe…. …▪ They set before him (the Officiator) bitter herbs and unleavened bread, and charoseth, and the body of the Lamb, and the flesh of the fourteenth dayes Hagigah. But at this time they set upon the Table t…o sorts of flesh, one in memoriall of the Passeover and the other in m…momoriall of the Hagigah. And whether way soever he turneth th… scales it is not much materiall.

5 They had also a dish of thick sawce which they called p. 152foreign charoseth, [9][9]Aruch in foreignmade of sweet and bitter things grownd and pounded and mingled together,[10][10]Maym. Corban. Pesach. per. 8. as dates, figges, raisins, vinegar, &c.[11][11]Haggadah. Shel. Pesach. And this was a memoriall to them of the clay in which their fathers laboured in the land of Aegypt. They used Charoseth (saith the Talmud) although it were not commanded. Rabbi Eliezer from Rabbi Zadok saitb, it is a command. A command! for what? Rabbi Johanan saith, it is a memoriall of the clay, therefore they make it of all kinds of sweet and bitter things, with vinegar, like clay in which there is a mixture of every thing. The dish in which our Saviour dipped the sop which he gave to Judas is held by exceeding many to have been this dish of the thicke sawce charoseth; which might be very well beleeved, if it might be beleeved that that supper was the Passeover supper, which hath been much asserted, but never yet proved.

VI. The table thus furnished,[12][12]Maym. in Mhamets ubi supr. the Officiator takes some of the sallet of the herbs, and after he hath blessed God for creating the fruit of the ground, he dips it in something (but whether in the thick sawce charoseth, or in wine, or in vinegar, is disputed, and so we will leave it in dispute) and he eateth the quantity of an olive at the least of them, and so do all the rest of the company the like.[13][13]Gloss. ib. Now this dipping and eating of herbs was not under the notion of eating bitter herbs, which the Law enjoined, but it was some other of the herbs, as Lettice, Endive, or the like, and it was for this end meerly, that the children might begin to wonder at this strange beginning of a meal, and might be incited to enquire about the matter. And to put them on to this the more, the company had no sooner eaten of this bit of the sallet, but presently the dishes were all removed from before the Officiator, and a second cup of wine was filled and brought unto him.[14][14]Pesach. ubi supr. And here the children began to enquire about the matter; and if he had no children, the wife enquired; and if there was no wife, the company enquired one of another. And if none enquired, yet hee unasked began thus, How different is this night from all other nights! For on all other nights we eat leavened or unleavened bread indifferently, but on this night unleavened bread only. On all other nights we eat any herbs whatsoever, but this night bitter herbs: On all other nights we eat flesh either roasted, or stewed, or boiled, but on this night we eat flesh p. 153only rosted. On all other nights we wash but once, but on this night we wash twice. On all other nights we eat either sitting or leaning indifferently, on this night we all sit leaning. And according to the capacity of the child he would addresse his speech to him; if he were very young and slender of understanding, he would tell him, Child we w…re all servants, l ke this maid-servant or this manservant that waiteth, and as on this night the Lord redeemed us and brought us into liberty. But to children of capacity, and to the rest of the company, he would tell particularly of the wonders done in Aegypt, and of the manner of their deliverance, and of Gods various goodnesse towards them: and as the Talmud briefly relates it, foreign He began with their disgrace, and ended with their glory; and expounded from that text, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, even through out to the end of the section: which as the Glossaries give the sense meaneth thus; that he began his discourse with the Idolatry of Terah, and their fathers beyond the flood, and he led on the story to their bondage in Ae…ypt, and the wonders done for their deliverance, and the Lords giving them his law, and making them his people; and particularly he took up that text in Deut. 26.5, 6, &c. and enlarged himselfe upon it, and the more the more commendably.

Then are the dishes that were taken away from before him, set before him again, and then he saith[15][15]Ibid. This is the Passeover which we eat, because that the Lord passed over the houses of our fathers in Ae…ypt. And holding up the bitter herbs in his hand, he saith, These are the bitter herbs that we ea… in remembrance that the Aegyptians made the lives of our fathers bitter in Aegypt. And holding up the unleavened bread likewise in his hand, he saith, This is the unleavened bread, which we eat, because the dough of our fathers had not time to be leavened, b…f…re the Lord revealed …imselfe, and redeemed them out of hand. Therefore are we bound to give thankes, to praise, to laud, to glorifie, to extoll, to honour, to praise, to magnifie him that hath done for our fathers and for us, all these wonders, who hath brought us from bondage to freedome, from sorrow to rejoycing, from mourning to a good day, from darknesse to a great light, from affliction to redemption, therefore must we say before him Hallelujah, praise ye the Lord, praise p. 154ye servants of the Lord, prais… the name of the Lord, &…. And so he said over the hundred and thirteenth and the hundred and fourteenth Psalmes, and concludeth with this prayer, Blessed be thou O Lord our God King everlasting, who hath redeemed us, and red…emed our Fathers …ut of Aegypt, and br…ught us to this night to eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs. And then he and all the company with him dranke off the second cup of wine.

VII.[16][16]Maym. ubi supr. And now he washeth his hands againe using the same ejaculation or short prayer that hee had done at washing before: And then taking the two cakes of unleavened bread, he breaketh one of them in two, and layeth the broken upon the whole, and giveth thanks to God, who bringeth bread out of the earth. Not foreign first giving thankes, and then breaking (as was the order of our Saviour Matt. 26.26. Marke 14.22. Luke 22.19. 1 Cor. 11.24. for that action of Christ was farther in the supp…r then we are yet come) but foreign he first brake and then gave thanks; and the Jewes doe make a businesse of the method. For he might not give thanks by their tradition, either over both or either of the cakes whilest they were whole, but over it when it was broken: And they give this reason, because it was the bread of poverty and affliction, and the poore have not whole cakes to give thankes over, but are glad to do it over bits and pi…c s. Hence the phrase and practise of breaking of bread seemeth to have had its originall.

I shall not here follow the dispute that is taken up by the Hebrew writers, about the number of these cakes, whether they were two or three, for some assert the one number, and some the other; and I beleeve both the opinions are true applyed to different and severall times; for before the fall of the Temple, or in those times to which our discourse pointeth,[17][17]Vi. Maym. ubi supr. there were but two used, as may be collected by the best records of those times, but in after times they used three,[18][18]Vid. Buxt. Lex. Talm. in foreign either in reference to the threefold division of the Nation into Priests, Levites, and People;[19][19]Gloss in Maym. in loc. citat. or parallel to the three cakes that a delivered captive was to offer for his deliverance, for Israel was delivered out of slavery at a Passeover. It is more of import to looke a little after that which they called foreign Aphicomen; p. 155about which one would thinke they had two positions, one contrary to another. The Mishueh of the Talmud hath this Tradition foreign [20][20]Pesach. per. 10. balac. 8.they dismisse not the company after the Passeover with an Aphicomen. And yet this is a current saying amongst them foreign [21][21]Gloss. in Maym. ubi. supr.He breaketh one of the cakes in two pieces, and leaveth one h…lfe for the Aphicomen. Now the seeming difference of these two positions is reconciled by referring them to severall times as the number of the cakes was before. The word Aphicomen in their sense, doth meane the last dishes they used at meals, nam…ly of nuts, apples, or sweet meats, wherewithall they closed up their meals when they saw good; but such a closure they might not make at the Passeover supper, and the reason was, because they would eat some of the Paschall Lamb last, and close up the meal with that as the chiefest dish. Last of all (saith Maymony) he eateth of the flesh of the Paschall at the least the quantity of an Olive, and he is to taste no other meat after it at all. But now he eateth to the quantity of an Olive of unleavened breaed, and tasteth nothing at all after that; that is, while the Temple stood, and they had a Paschall Lamb to eate, that was ever the last meat they ate, but in after times when they used no Lamb, they closed the meal with unleavened bread in stead of it, and after that might eat nothing. And so the same Author relateth againe, when he saith, It is from the words of the Scribes that th…y ate nothing after the unleavened bread, not crackyels, nor nuts, or the like, but if he eat unleavened bread, and eat other meats after, or fruits, he must returne and eat unleavened bread last, to the quantity of an Olive, and so he con l…des.

Now when they ate unleavened bread for a closure of all, in this manner the cake that was broken in two that we are speaking of, w…s halfe of it after the breaking of it given to some one in the company to reserve for the Aphicomen, or for the last bit foreign and he laid it under his Napkin: but the other halfe, and (if that were not enough) the other cake also, and if they reserved not an Aphicomen, the two parts of the broken c…ke they us…d thus:[22][22]Maym. ubi ante. The Officiator tooke a bit, and wrapt it tog…ther with the bitter herbs, and dipped them into the thicke sawce, and g…ve thanks and said, Blessed be thou O Lord p. 156our God King everlasting, who hath sanctified us by his commandements, and commanded us concerning the eati…g of unleavened bread, and so he eats, and the rest do likewis…. There is some question moved amongst their Traditionaries, whether the bread and the herbs were to be eaten apart or wrapped together, and they speake of a difference betwixt Hillel and his fellowes about this matter, but the determination is so indifferent, that if hee eat them apart, he gave thankes for them apart, and if together, the thanksgiving specified was sufficient.

VIII.[23][23]Id. ibid. Then fell they to the eating of the flesh that was before them, having hitherto eaten nothing but bread and herbs: and first he giveth thanks, Blessed be th…u O Lord our God King everlasting, who hath sanctified us by his command, and commanded us concerning the eating of the Sacrifice; and so they fell to, and ate of the fourteenth dayes H…gigah, or those peace offerings that they had offered on that day; and of these they made the most of the meal. And th…n giving thanks againe, Blessed be th…u O Lord our God King everlasting, who hath sanctified us by his command, and commanded us concerning the eating of the Passeover, they eat of the flesh of the Lamb, every one at the least the quantity of an Olive; which when they had done, he washeth his hands ag…ine (now after meat) and saith Grace after meat, (for so let me expresse it) over the third cup and they drink it off. And here comes in the mention of the first action of Christ at his last Passeover: Matthew and Mark… indeed record his words as they were eating, One of you sh…ll betray me &c. Even one of the twelve th…t dippeth with me in the dish, &c Mat. 26.21, 22, 23, 24, 25. and Mark. 14.18, 19. 20, 21. (This was most probably at the time when they dipped the unleavened bread and bitter herbs in the thick sawce charoseth.) And Luke relateth also those words, With desire I have desired to e…t this Passeover with you, &c. Luke 22.15, 16. But the first speciall action that is specified is, that he tooke the cup and gave thanks and said, Take this and divide it amongst your selves, Luk. 22.17. This was the third cup at the supper, for there is but one more mentioned after it in that story.

The Traditions of the Jewes expresse the …assage at this time time of the meale thus: foreign p. 157foreign [24][24]Id. ibid.And after (he hath eaten the flesh of the Paschall Lamb) he washeth his hands and blesseth the blessing of the meat (or saith grace after meat) over the third cup, and drinkes it …ff: or briefly thus, foreign They mingle him the third cup, and he giveth thanks over it.

Now this cup was called by them the cup of blessing, as appeareth by these and such like expressions that we me…t withall in their Traditionaries:[25][25]Gloss. in Maym. ubi ante. Many of our Schoolmen foreign thi…ke, that every one of these foure cups required blessing or thanksgivi…g over it; but some againe of …he s…h…lmen thinke, that they were not bound to thanksgiving, but onelyonly over th… fi…st cup, and over the cup of blessing: thus the marginall Gl…sse upon Maymony in the Tract we have so much occasion to use in this Paschall Rituall, on chap. 8. in the beginning; and towards the latter end of the same chapter hee produceth some words of one of their schooles, which helps to tell which of the f…ure cups this cup of blessing was: The words ar… these, foreign [26][26]Ibid.It is forbidden to eat any thing after the unleaven…d bread, (viz. when no Lamb was eaten) but not to drinke any thing beside the cup of blessing, and cup of Hallel: which words hee cleares somewhat more by these words a little after foreign He drinketh two cups after the unleavened bread, the cup of bl…ssing …fter meat, and the cup of the Hallel, and a third cup if he will, of the great H…el. And so Rabbi Alphesi speaks of foreign [27][27]R. Alph. in Pesac in fol.divers si…gular excellencies in the cup of blessing: And[28][28]R. Mord. in Pesach per. 10. Rabbi Mordecai foreign of the cup of blessing having its measure.

Now the reason why the third cup beareth this name of the cup of blessing above all the rest, is partly b…cause the foreign the blessing, or grace after meat was said over it, as terminating the meale; and chiefly to distinguish it from the first cup, for over that and this especially was blessing or thanksgiving uttered. It is a great dispute among the Talmudicall schoolmen, whether there was thanksgiving used over all the four cups alike, and the debate ends most to this vote, that foreign p. 158foreign [29][29]Pisk. Pesachin. fol. 137.He gave thanks most especially o…er t…e first cup, and over t…e cup of blessing (which otherwise is sometime expressed foreign) over the first cup, [30][30]Ibid. fol. 138.and over the third. The Gemara in the chapter oft cited hath this Parable. What is written; And the child grew and was weaned; th… holy blessed God will make a feast f…r the righteous in the day that his mercy shall be shewed to the s…ed of Isaac. After they had eaten, and drunke, they gave Ab…aham our father the cup of blessing to blesse; h… said, I cannot blesse it, because Ismael came from me: He gave it Isaac to b…esse, he said, I cannot, because Esau came from me: He said to Jacob, take it and blesse it, he said, I cannot, because I ma…ried two sisters, whi…h the l…w forbids: He s…id to Moses, take it and blesse it, he said, I cannot, because I was not c unted worthy to go into the Land of Israel neither alive nor de…d: He said to Joshua, take it and blesse it, he said, I cannot, becaus… I hav… no sonne: He saith to David, …ake it and bl…sse it, he said to them, I will b esse it, and it is fit for me to blesse it; as it is said, I will take the cup of Salvation, I will call upon the Lord.

The Apostle us…th this terme the cup of bl…ssing, concerning the Sacramentall cup in the Lords Supper, 1 Cor. 10.16. in which he doth not onelyonly allude to their custome and expr…ssion that we have now in speech, but by this, and by what he speaketh in the n…xt chapter following, it seemeth that the Judaizing Christians in the Church of Corinth did ve…y much imita…e this Paschall custome at the receiving of the Sacrament, a… that they had a supper before and so much wine stirring be…ore, as that some were drunke, 1 Cor. 11.21, 22. And that for conclusion of the meal, they had the bread and wine of the Lords Supper, as they at the Passeover had the unleavened bread, and the cup of blessing.

And as the Apostle in this phrase alludeth to their expression and custome, so doth our Saviour also speake suteably to their practise when he taking this third cup, or the cup of blessing, bids them divide it among th…mselves. For the four cups that were used at the Passeover supper, were enjoined to men, women and child…en all alike.[31][31]Pesach. ubi ante in Gemara. Our Rabbins deliver it for a Tradition, say the Gem…rists, th t these four cups ought to have in them a fourth part of …hin, all alike …or men, women and children. And because we are p. 159fallen upon mention of their being drunke at their supper before the Sacrament in the Church of Corinth, let us take notice of a Talmudick pass…ge or two, that may give some light about such a matter, though it s…ems in pretence to be of a contrary tune. Th…y have a Tradition that runneth thus foreign If any will drinke betwe…n these cups he may, so that he drinke not betweene the third cup and the fourth. The Jerusalem Gemara debating the case why betweene the first and second cup, or betweene the second and third, but not between the third and fourth; it resolves it thus, that this was to prevent their being drunke; but they raise hereupon againe a very just object on, what prevention could be in this? And th…y give t…is poore answer to it,[32][32]Ier. ibid. in Gemara. Because wine at meat maketh n…t a man drunke, but wine after meat d…h. If Religion did not prevaile with them to withhold them from tryall of the truth of this Aphorisme, more then the virtue of the Aphorisme would prevaile to keep them from drunkennesse; I doubt not but there were drunken heads to be found at their Paschall cups, as well as at the Sacr m…ntall Suppers in the Church of Corinth. And the Caution which the Tradition giveth a little after those words alledged but now, doth make the matter somewhat suspitious, when they provide thus: Doth any one sle…p at the P…sse…ver meal and wake a…ain? he may not eat againe after he is awaked. Do m…re of the company sleepe? they may eat againe when they awake; d… th…y all sleep? they may not eat. Rabbi Jose saith, if they n…d or slum…er only, they may eat upon their waking, but if they have been sound asl…ep, they may not.

IX And now are we come to the fourth cup, which was called foreign the cup of the Hallel: foreign [33][33]Pesach. ubi ante. in Mishueh.for …e finished the Hallel at it, and at it he said the blessing of the Song. He had begun the Hallel over the second cup, for hee concluded the Haggadah or shewing forth of their deliverance, (as 1 Corinth. 11.26.) with the rehearsall of the hundred and thirteenth and hundred and fourteenth Psalmes. And now h…e begins with the hundred and fifteenth and rehearseth that, and the hundred and sixteenth, and hundred and seventeenth, and hundred and eighteenth, for these six Psalmes were the Hallel, as was observed even now.

p. 150Now the foreign Blessing of the song was a prayer or blessing that they uttered after the Hallel or the Hymne was finished,[34][34]Ibid. in Gemara. about which there is some dispute betweene R. Judah and R. Johanan in the Gemara what it should be: the one naming one Prayer and the other another: but the Scholiasts thereupon do conclude that the difference between them, is not so much about the prayers themselves as about the order of them or which was uttered first, and they determine these two, to be they, and that they were uttered in this order.

O Lord our God let all thy workes praise th…e, and thy Saints and the righteous ones that do thy will, and thy People the house of Israel, all of them with shouting. L t them praise, and bl…sse, and magnifie, and glorifie, and sing out the name of thy glory with honour and r…nowne, for remembrance of thy Kingdome; for it is g…od to praise thee, and it is lovely to sing unto thy name. For ever and ever thou art G…d. Blessed bee thou O Lord the King, who art to bee lauded with praises, Am…n.

And he concludeth thus; Let the s…ule of all living, blesse thy name, O Lord our God, and the spirit of all fl…sh glorifie and ex…lt thy memoriall for ever, ô our King. For, forever thou art God, and besides thee we have no King, Redeemer, or Saviour, &c.

And here ordinarily the meale was quite ended, and the ate nor dranke no more that night. (compare Mat. 26.29.) Yet they have a Tradition[35][35]Ibid. that if they were minded, they might drinke off a fifth cup of wine, upon this condition, that they should say over the great Hallel over it. But what was the great Hallel? Rabbi Judah saith, from O give thankes, to By the Riv…rs of Babylon; that is, the hundred six and thirtieth Psalme.

Rabbi Johanan saith, from A Song of degrees, to By the Rivers of Babylon; that is, from Psal. 120. to Psal. 137. Rabbi Ahaba… Jacob saith, from For the Lord hath chosen Jacob to himselfe, Ps…l. 135. ver. 4 to By the Rivers of Babylon, Psal. 137.1. Thus they d…bate it in the Gent…ra in the Treatise Pesachin; and in the Treatise Erachin they seem yet to go further, and to adde the hundred and fifth Psalme to this Hallel; and so they make it of a doubtfull measure (as is observed well by the learned Buxtorfius) sometimes larger, sometimes lesse, according as they saw good.

p. 161And now to take up the whole rubrick of this Sacramentall Supper in a short summe, they sate them downe in a leaning posture, began with a cup of wine, over which they hallowed the day; washed their hands; the table is furnished, they first eat some sallet, have a second cup of wine filled, over which is the rehearsall of the Haggadah, and of Psal. 113, 114. and then the wine drunke off. They wash their hands againe, unleavened bread is broken and blessed, and some of it eaten with bitter herbs dipt in the thicke sawce; then eat they the flesh of the peace offerings, and then the flesh of the Lamb; after which they wash; have a third cup of wine filled, or the cup of blessing, over which they first say grace after meat, and then give thankes for the wine and so drinke it off. And lastly, they have a fourth cup of wine filled, over which they say the Hallel out, and a prayer or two after it, and so they have done.

Thus was the Rubrick and Rituall of this great solemne Supper, with which the Reader comparing the action of our Saviour at his last Passeover, he will easily perceive, that the mention of the first thing he did, is coincident with the third cup or the cup of blessing, which he biddeth them to divide among themselves; And then he taketh some of the unleavened bread againe, and blesseth, and breaketh, and giveth to be eaten for his body, from henceforth, in that sense that the flesh of the Paschall Lamb which they had newly eaten had been his body hitherto: And that which was commonly called the cup of the Hallel, he taketh and ordaineth for the cup of the New Testament in his blood, and after it they sung the Hymne or the Hallel out, and so he went out into the Mount of Olives.