Moses and Aaron. Goodwin Thomas Aiken

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ but one receptacle.123 In time of persecution when they could not openly wear these Phylacteries, then did they tye about their hands a red thread, to put them in mind of the blood of the Covenant of the Law.

      Touching the name Moses calleth them ‎‏טוטפות‏‎ Totaphot, which word hath almost as many Etymologies, as Interpreters; the most probable in my opinion, is, that they should be so called per Antiphrasin, from ‎‏טטף‏‎ Incedere, to go or move, because they were immoveable: Hence the Septuagint translate them, ἀσάλευτα Immoveable ornaments. The Rabbins call them Tephillim, Prayer ornaments:124 others call them Pittacia, & Pittaciola, from πιττάκιον, which signifieth a piece or parcel of Cloth. In the Gospel they are called φυλακτήρια, Phylacteries, from φυλάττω, to conserve or keep. First, because by the use of them, the Law was kept and preserved in memory. Secondly, because the Pharisees superstitiously conceited, that by them, as by Amulets, Spells, and Charms, hanged about their necks themselves might be preserved from dangers. The word φυλακτήριον signifieth a Spell; and Hierome testifieth, that the Pharisees had a such a conceit of these ornaments: In which place he compareth the Pharisees with certain superstitious women of his time, who carried up and down, upon the like ground, pervula evangelia, & crucis ligna, short sentences out of the Gospel, and the reliques of the Cross. The same superstition hath prevailed with many of latter times, who for the same purpose hang the beginning of125 Saint John’s Gospel about their necks. And in the year of our Lord 692. certain Sorcerers were condemned for the like kind of Magick, by the name of126 φυλακτήριοι, that is, Phylacterians.

      Thus much of their Phylacteries: In the same verse is reproved the inlarging of their borders.127 That which we read borders in the Gospel, is called, Num. 15. 38. ‎‏ציצות‏‎ Tsitsith, Fringes: and ‎‏גדילים‏‎ Gedelim, Deut. 22. 10. which word we likewise translate in that place, Fringes. They were in the fore-quoted places commanded, and our Saviour Christ himself did wear them, Luk. 8. 44. The latter Hebrew word signifieth a large Fringe, which agravateth the superstition of the Pharisees, in making their Fringes larger, when the Law had allowed them large. This literal exposition I take to be most agreeable with the Text, though to inlarge in Greek and Latine128 sometimes, signifieth to boast, vaunt, or brag of a thing; and in this sense it may very well fit a Pharisee. The reason of this command was, to put them in mind of the Commandments, Numb. 15. And for the furtherance of this duty,129 they used sharp thorns in in their Fringes, that by the often pricking of the Thorn, whether they walked or sate still, they might be the more mindful of the Commandments.

      There were130 seven sorts of Pharises. 1. Pharisæus Sichemita. He turned Pharisee for gain, as the Sichemites suffered themselves to be circumcised.

      2. Pharisæus truncatus, so called, as if he had no feet, because he would scarce lift them from the ground when he walked, to cause the greater opinion of his meditation.

      3. Pharisæus inpingens. He would shut his eyes when he walked abroad, to avoid the sight of Women, in so much that he often dash’d his head against the walls, that the blood gush’d out.

      4. Pharisæus, Quid debeo facere, & faciam illud. He was wont to say, What ought I to do? and I will do it. Of this sort seemeth the man in the Gospel to have been, who came unto Christ, saying, Good Master, what shall I do? &c. and at last replyed, All these I have done from my youth upward, Luke 18.

      5. Pharisæus mortarius; so called because he wore a hat in manner of a deep Mortar, such as they use to bray spice in, in so much that he could not look upward, nor of either side; onely downward on the ground, and forward or forthright.

      6. Pharisæus ex amore; Such a one as obeyed the Law for the Love of Vertue.

      7. Pharisæus ex timore; Such a one obeyed the Law for fear of punishment. He that conformed for fear had respect chiefly to the negative Commandements; but he that conformed for love, especially respected the Affirmative.

      CHAP. XI.

      Of the Sadduces

      To omit other Etymologies of the name, there are two onely which have shew of probability. Some131 derive it from Sedec, Justitia; as if they had been Justitiaries, such as would justifie themselves before Gods Tribunal. There are132 that derive it, and that upon more warrantable grounds, from Sadoc, the first Author of the heresie; so that the Sadduces were so called from Sadoc, as the Arrians from Arrius, the Pelagians from Pelagius, the Donatists from Donatus, &c.

      This Sadoc lived under Antigonus Sochæus, who succeeded Simeon the Just. He was Antigonus his scholar, and by him brought up in the Doctrine of the Pharisees, but afterwards fell from him, and broacht the heresie of the Sadduces; which heresie, because it had much affinity with that which the Heretique Dositheus taught, hence are the Sadduces said to133 be a branch or skirt of the Dositheans, though in truth Dositheus lived not till134 after Christ; and although these two heresies did agree in many things; yet in a main point they differed.135 Dositheus believed the Resurrection, the Sadduces denyed it; and by consequence the Dositheans believed all other points necessarily flowing from this.

      The occasion of this heresie was this.136 When Antigonus taught, that we must not serve God as servants serve their Masters, for hope of reward, his scholars Sadoc and Baithus understood him, as if he had utterly denied all future rewards or recompence attending a godly life, and thence framed their heresie, denying the resurrection, the world to come, Angels, Spirits, &c.

      Their Dogmata, Canons, or Constitutions, were, 1. They rejected137 the Prophets, & all other Scripture save only the five books of Moses. Therefore our Saviour when he would confute their errour, concerning the resurrection of the dead, he proves it not out of the Prophets, but out of Exod. 3. 6. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, Mat. 22. 32.

      2. They rejected138 all traditions. Whence, As they were called ‎‏מינין‏‎ Minæi, i. Heretiques, in respect of the general opposition between them and Pharisees. First, because the Pharisees were in repute the only Catholicks. Secondly, because in their Doctrine, the Pharisees were much nearer the truth than the Sadduces: so in this respect of this particular opposition, in the ones rejecting, the others urging of traditions, the Sadduces were termed139 ‎‏קראים‏‎ Karaim, Biblers, or Scripturists.

СКАЧАТЬ