Part 7

Whether their _Oratories_ or places of prayer called _Proseuchæ_, were different places from their _Schools_, or _Synagogues_, I have not yet learned. That some of these were without the City, that proveth nothing, for so might _Synagogues_ and _Schools_ too. _Epiphanius_ treateth of those _Oratories_,[218] but there he speaketh not one word to shew the lawfulness of civil businesses to be done in them: could that be proved, a difference would easily be shewn. Some say[219] they were _Synagogues_, others[220] _Schools_. Of this _house of prayer_, mention is made, _Acts 16. 13._ in which S. _Paul_ sate down and spake unto the woman: which gesture intimateth rather preaching than praying: true, all gesture was in use for prayer; standing, kneeling, sitting: _Abraham stood before the Lord_, _Gen. 18. 22._ that is, _he prayed_. _The Publican stood afar off and prayed_, _Luke 18. 13._ Whence by way of Proverb they say,[221] _Sine stationibus non subsisteret mundus_; Were it not for standing, the World could not stand, _Stephen kneeled_, _Acts 7. 60._ _David_ sate before the _Lord_, and said, _2 Sam. 7. 18._ Yet _sitting_, when the _speech_ is to the _people_, not to the _Lord_, implieth _preaching_, not _prayer_. It is probable, that as at the gate of the _Temple_, so at the gate of these _Oratories_, the poorer sort of people assembled to expect alms: Whence some use the word[222] _Proseucha_, to signifie an _Hospital_.

[218] _Epiphan. Tom. 2. l. 3. c. 80._

[219] _Beza. Act. 16. 13._

[220] _Philo Jud. de vita Mosis, p. 530._

[221] _R. Juda. in lib. Musar. vide Drus. præs. Matth. 6. 5._

[222] _Qua te quæro Proseucha? Juven. Sat. 3._

The[223] _Talmudists_ taxed the peoples negligence in prayer, saying they used three sorts of _Amen_, and all faulty. _A faint Amen_, when they prayed without fervency. _A hasty Amen_, when they said _Amen_, before the prayer was done. _A lazy Amen_, when they pronounced it at length, as if they were asleep, dividing the word _A-men_. The first they termed ‎‏יתומה‏‎ _Jethoma_, _pupillum_. The second ‎‏חטופה‏‎ _Chetupah_, _Surreptitium_. The third, ‎‏קטועה‏‎ _Ketugna_, _Sectile_, _quasi in duas partes sectum per oscitantiam_.

[223] _Caninius de locis N. Testam. cap. 5. p. 38._

CHAP. III.

_Of the Gates of Jerusalem._

The gates of the whole circuit of the[224] wall about _Jerusalem_ were nine: The _Sheep-gate_, _Neh. 3. 1._ This was near the _Temple_, and thorow it were led the _Sheep_ which were to be sacrificed, being washed in the Pool _Bethsada_ near the gate: _The Fish-gate_ _Nehem. 3. 3._ before this _Judas_ is thought to have hanged himself. Some[225] think that these two Gates, and likewise the _Horse gate_, _Nehem. 3. 28._ were so called, because they were in manner of three several _Market places_, and at the one Gate, _Sheep_, at the other, _Fish_, and at the third, _Horses_ were sold. The _Old gate_ was so called, because it was supposed to have remained from the time of the _Jebusites_, and not to have been destroyed by the _Assyrians_; it was near _Calvary_, and without this Gate _Christ_ was crucified. Concerning the other Gates little is spoken.

[224] _Scheindler pentaglot._

[225] _Stukius conviv. l. 2. c. 11._

Touching the Gates of the _Temple_, there were[226] two of principal note, both built by _Solomon_, the one for those that were new married, the other for mourners and excommunicate persons. The mourners were distinguished from the excommunicate persons, by having their lips covered with a skirt of their garment; none entered that gate with their lip uncovered, but such as were excommunicate. Now the _Israelites_ which one the _Sabbath_ days sate between those Gates said unto the _new married_: _He, whose Name dwelleth in this house, glad thee with children_. Unto the mourner, _He, which dwelleth in this house, glad and comfort thee_. Unto the excommunicate, _He, which dwelleth in this house, move thy heart to harken to the words of thy fellows_.

[226] _R. Juda in l. Musar. vid. Dru. præterit. Joan. 9. 22._

Among the _Jews_, the gates were places of chiefest _strength_, so that they being taken or defended, the whole City was taken, or defended: and they were chief places of _Jurisdiction_, for in them _Judges_ were wont to sit, and to decide controversies. Hence proceeded those phrases: _The gates of Hell shall not prevail against thee_, &c. And, _Thy seed shall possess the gates of his Enemies_.

CHAP. IV.

_Of their Groves, and high Places._

The ancient _Heathens_ did not only not build _Temples_,[227] but they held it utterly unlawful so to do. The reason of this might be, because they thought no _Temple_ spacious enough for the _Sun_, which was their chief God. Hence came that saying,[228] _Mundus universus est Templum Solis_; _The whole world is a Temple for the Sun_. Moreover, they thought it unfit to straiten, and confine the supposed Infiniteness of their fancied _Deities_ within walls; and therefore when after-times had brought in the use of _Temples_, yet their _God Terminus_, and divers others of their _Gods_ were worshipped in _Temples_ open roofed, which were therefore called ὕπαιθρα. This I take to be the reason why they made choice of _Hills_ and _Mountains_, as the convenientest places for their Idols. These _consecrated Hills_, are those _high places_ which the _Scripture_ so often forbids. Afterwards, as the number of their _Gods_ encreased; so the number of their _consecrated hills_ was multiplied, from which their _Gods_ and _Goddesses_ took their names; as _Mercurius Cyllenius_, _Venus Erycina_, _Jupiter Capitolinus_. At length to beautifie these _holy hills_, the places of their idolatrous worship they beset them with trees, and hence came the _consecration of Groves, and Woods_, from which their Idols many times were named.[229] At last some choice and select Trees began to be _consecrated_.[230] Those _French Magi_, termed _Dryadæ_, worshipped the _Oak_, in _Greek_ termed Δρῦς, and thence had their names. The _Etrurians_ worshipped an _Holm-tree_; and[231] amongst the _Celtæ_, a _tall Oak_ was the very Idol or Image of _Jupiter_.

[227] _Hospin. de Ori. Templ. pag. 1._

[228] _Alex ab Alex. lib. 2. cap. 2._

[229] _Populus Alcidæ gratissima, vitis Iaccho. Formosæ myrtus Veneri, sua Laurea Phœbo Virg. Eclog. 7._

[230] _Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 16. c. 44._

[231] _Maximus Tyrius, Ser. 38. fol. 225. edit. Steph._

Among the _Israelites_, the Idolatry began under the Judges, _Othniel_ and _Ehud_, _Judg. 3. 7._ and at the last it became so common in _Israel_, that they had peculiar _Priests_, whom they termed _Prophets of the Grove_, _1 King. 18. 19._ and _Idols_ of the _Grove_; that is, _peculiar Idols_, unto whom their _Groves_ were _consecrated_, _2 King. 21. 7._ _2 Chron. 15. 16._ As Christians in the consecration of their _Churches_, make special choice of some peculiar Saints, by whose name they call them, as Saint _Peter’s Church_, S. _Paul_’s, S. _Andrews_, &c. So they consecrated their _Groves_ unto particular _Idols_; whence in prophane Authors we read of _Diana Nemorensis_, _Diana Arduenna_, _Albunea Dea_; all receiving their names from the _Groves_ in which they were worshipped: yea, the _Idol_ it self is sometimes called by the name of a _Grove_: _~Josiah~ brought out the Grove from the House of the Lord_, _2 King. 23. 6._ It is probable, that in this Idol was pourtraited the form and similitude of a _Grove_, and thence it was called a _Grove_, as those silver similitudes of _Diana_’s _Temple_ made by _Demetrius_, were termed _Temples of Diana_, _Acts 19. 24._

CHAP. V.

_The Cities of Refuge._

These places of _Refuge_, appointed by God, differed from those of _Hercules_, and _Romulus_, and other _Heathens_; because God allowed safety only to those, who were guiltless in respect of their intention: but the others were common Sanctuaries, as well for the guilty as the guiltless. If any man did fortuitously or by chance kill another man, in such a case liberty was granted unto the offender to fly; at first, unto the _Altar_ for refuge, as is implied by that text of Scripture, _If any man come presumptuously unto his Neighbour, to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine Altar_, _Exod. 21. 14._ Yea, we may conjecture this custome of refuge to have continued in force always, by the practice of _Joab_, _1 King. 2. 28._ Notwithstanding, lest the Altar might be too far distant from the place where the fact might be committed, it is probable that therefore God ordained certain _Asyla_, or _Cities of Refuge_, which for the same reason are thought to have been[232] equally distant one from the other in _Canaan_: The Cities were in number six; _Bezer_ of the _Reubenites_ Country, _Ramoth_ of _Gilead_, in the _Gadites_, and _Golan_ in _Bashan_, of the _Manassites_: these three _Moses_ separated beyond _Jordan_, _Deut. 4. 41, 43._ The other three, appointed by _Joshua_ in the Land of _Canaan_, were _Cadesh_ in _Galilee_ in Mount _Naphthali_; _Schechem_ in _Ephraim_, and _Kiratharba_ (which is _Hebron_) in the Mountain of _Judah_, _Josh. 20. 7._ There are other Cities of like nature: _God_ promised the _Israelites_, upon condition of their obedience, after their Coasts were inlarged; but it seemeth that disobedience hindred the accomplishment thereof, for the Scripture mentioneth not the fulfilling of it.

[232] _Rab. Salom. Iarchi. Deut. 19._

Concerning these Cities, the _Hebrews_ note from these words, _Thou shalt prepare the way_, _Deut. 9. 3._ That the _Senate_, or _Magistrate_ in _Israel_, were bound to prepare the ways to the _Cities of Refuge_, and[233] to make them fit, and broad, and to remove out of them all stumbling-blocks and obstacles: and they suffered not any Hill or Dale to be in the way, nor water-streams, but they made a Bridge over it, that nothing might hinder him that fled thither. And the breadth of the way to the _Cities of Refuge_, was not less than two and thirty Cubits, and at the partitions of the ways, they set up in writing, _Refuge, Refuge_: that the man-slayer might know and turn thitherward. On the fifteenth of the moneth _Adar_, or _February_, every year the _Magistrates_ sent messengers to prepare the ways.

[233] _Maimon. in Rotsach. cap. 8. sect. 5._

Furthermore it was provided, that two or three wise men should be imployed, to perswade the _Avenger of blood_, if haply he did pursue the man-slayer on the way, that he should offer no violence, until the Cause were heard and examined. The manner of examination was thus; The Consistory or Bench of _Justices_, who lived in that quarter where the murder was committed,[234] placed the party being brought back from the _City of Refuge_, in the Court, or Judgment-Hall, and diligently enquired and examined the cause, who if he were found guilty of voluntary murder, then was he punished with death, but if otherwise the Fact were found casual, then did they safely conduct the party back again to the _City of Refuge_, where he enjoyed his liberty, not only within the walls of the City, but within certain Territories and bounds of the City, being confined to such and such limits, until the death of the _High Priest_, that was in those days, at what time it was lawful for the offender to return and come into his own City, and unto his own house, even unto the City from whence he fled, _Josh. 20. 6._ By this means the offender, though he was not punished with death, yet he lived for the time a kind of exile, for his own humiliation, and for the abatement of his wrath, who was the _avenger of blood_. The _Areopagitæ_[235] had a proceeding against mans slaughter not much unlike, punishing the offender ἀπενιαυτισμῷ, with a _years banishment_: Why the time of this exilement was limited to the death of the _High Priest_ at that time, is not agreed upon by Expositors. But it is most probably thought, that the offender was therefore confined within that City as within a Prison, during the _High Priest_’s life,[236] because the offence did most directly strike against him, as being amongst men, ἄρχηγος, _Ac princeps sanctitatis_, _The chief God on earth_.

[234] _Paul. Fag. Num. 35. 6._

[235] _Masius in Jos. cap. 20._

[236] _Masius ibid._

THE THIRD BOOK TREATETH OF DAIES and TIMES.

CHAP. I.

_Days, Hours, Weeks, and Years._

Before we treat of their Feasts, it will be needful, by way of Preface, to understand somewhat concerning the divisions of their _Days_, _Hours_, _Weeks_, &c.

Their _Day_ was two-fold; _Natural_, containing _day_ and _night_, and consisting of 24 hours; or _Artificial_, beginning at _Sun-rising_ and ending at _Sun-set_. Of this is that, _Are there not twelve hours in the day?_ _John 11. 9._

The _Natural day_ was again two-fold: _Civil_, _a working-day_, which was destined for civil businesses and works: this began at _Sun-rising_, and held till the next _Sun-rising_, _Mat. 28. 1._ or _Sacred_, a Festival or Holy-day, destined for holy exercises: this began at _Sun-set_, and continued till the next _Sun-set_.

Their night was divided into four _quarters_, or _greater hours_, termed four _Watches_, each _Watch_ containing three _lesser hours_. The first they called _Caput vigiliarum_, the beginning of the watches, _Lam. 2. 19._ the second was the middle watch, _Judg. 7. 19._ not so termed, because there were only three _watches_, as _Drusius_[237] would perswade, but because it dured till _midnight_. The _third watch_, began at _midnight_, and held till three of the clock in the morning. If he come in the _second_, or _third watch_, _Luk. 12. 38._ The _last_, called the _morning watch_, _Exod. 14. 24._ began at three of the clock, and ended at six in the morning. In the _fourth watch_ of the night, _Jesus_ went out unto them, _Mat. 14. 25._ These _Watches_ also were called by other names, according to that part of the night which closed each watch. The _first_ was termed ὀψὲ, the _even_. The _second_, μεσονύκτιον _Midnight_. The _third_ ἀλεκτοροφωνία, _Cock-crowing_. The _fourth_ πρωῒ, the _Dawning_. _Ye know not when the Master of the house will come, at Even, or at Midnight, or at Cock-crowing, or at the Dawning_, _Mark 13. 35._

[237] _Drus. Judic. 7. 19._

The day was likewise divided into four _quarters_, as appeareth by the Parable of the Labourers hired into the Vineyard, _Mat. 20._ The _first quarter_ began at six of the clock in the morning, and held till nine. The _second quarter_ ended at twelve of the clock. The _third quarter_ at three in the after-noon. The _fourth quarter_ at six of the night. The first _quarter_ was called the _third hour_, _vers. 3._ The second _quarter_, the _sixth hour_, _vers. 5._ The third _quarter_, the _ninth hour_, _vers. 5._ The last _quarter_, the _eleventh hour_, _vers. 6._

Where note, that the three first quarters had their names from the hour of the day, which closed the quarter (for they began their count of their lesser hours, from six a clock in the morning, and our 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. was their 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.) only the last was called the _eleventh hour_, by our _Saviour Christ_; whereas among the common people, it either was called, or should have been called, by proportion with the rest, the _twelfth hour_; to intimate unto us, that though _God_ in his mercy accept _labourers_ into his Vineyard _eleven hours_ of the day, yet he seldome calleth any of the _twelfth_; for that is rather an hour to discharge servants, than to admit new.

Some Expositors finding mention of the dawning of the day, in this Parable, _vers. 1._[238] They reckon the 4 _quarters_ of the day after this manner. _Hora prima_, _Hora tertia_, _Hora sexta_, _Hora nona_. Where first they err, in taking the _dawning_ of the day for the _first hour_ of the day; for πρωὶ the _dawning_, signifieth the _last quarter of the night_, called the _Morning watch_. Secondly, they err in making the _last quarter of the day_ to be the _ninth hour_, for what then shall become of the _eleventh hour_, mentioned in the same Parable?

[238] _Erat autem primus ternarius à prima usq; ad tertiam, & dicebatur prima hora, secundus erat à tertia, usq; ad sextam & dicebatur hora tertia, tertius erat à sexta usq; ad nonam, & dicebatur sexta; quartus à nona usq; ad ultimam quæ erat duodecima, & dicebatur nona. Refellit hanc opinionem Toletus, receptam licet à multis recensionem (ut ipse ait) quoniam de undecima cujus meminit parabola, altum apud hos silentium. Jure vapulant à te, Tolete, qui excludunt undecimam constanter tamen asserenda est contra te quadripartita diei divisio, in hoc potissimum illorum error consistit, quod horam primam faciunt, non inveniunt; horam undecimam inveniunt excludunt tamen, nihil à mente Evangelistarum magis alienum, quam ut ὁ πρωιὴ verteretur hora prima diei, quæ in illorum scriptis sonat quartam noctis vigiliam. Vid. Tolet. in Joan. cap. 19. Annot. 8._

By this division of the day into these four _quarters_, or _greater hours_, the _Evangelists_ are reconciled touching our _Saviour_’s Passion. He was crucified at the third hour, _Mark 15. 25._ S. _John_ intimateth his examination before _Pilate_, to have been _Hora quasi sexta_, _about the sixth hour_, _John 19. 14._ In the first place, understand by his crucifying, not _his hanging on the Cross_, which was not till the _sixth hour_, _Luk. 23. 44._ nor his _expiration_, which was not till the _ninth hour_, _Mar. 15. 34._ but his _examination_ under _Pilate_, at which time the people cried out, _Crucifie him, Crucifie him_; and then the third and sixth hour will easily be reconciled, for these two hours immediately following one another, what was done on the third hour, might truly be said to be done about the sixth.

Lastly, This sheweth that the hours among the _Jews_ were of two sorts; some lesser, of which the day contained twelve: others _greater_, of which the day contained four, as hath been above shewn: the lesser are termed _hours of the day_, _Are there not twelve hours of the day?_ _John 11. 9._ The greater, some term _hours of the Temple_, or _hours of prayer_. _Peter_ and _John_ went up into the _Temple_, at the _ninth hour of prayer_, _Acts 3. 1._ But in truth there are but three hours of prayer, the _third_, the _sixth_, and the _ninth_.[239] The _third_ instituted by _Abraham_, the _sixth_ by _Isaac_, and the _ninth_ by _Jacob_. The _third hour_ the _Holy Gost_ descended upon the _Apostles_, _Acts 2. 15._ About the _sixth_ _Peter_ went up to the house-top to pray, _Acts 10. 9._ At the _ninth_, _Peter_ and _John_ went into the _Temple_, _Acts 3. 1._

[239] _Drusius in præterit. Act. 3. 1. Non fuisse ultra tres horas precationis in die apud Judæos, clare testatur David Kimchi._

From these greater hours of the day and night, the _Canonical hours_,[240] in use in the _Roman Church_, had their beginning; each _Canonical_ hour containeth three lesser hours, so that in the whole night and day there are eight _Canonical hours_. At six of the clock in the evening began the first, and that is termed _Hora vespertina_; or _vespertinum_ simply, (_officium_ being understood) their _Vespertine_. At nine of the clock at night began the second, and that is termed _Completorium_, their _Completory_. At midnight began the third, _Nocturnum_, their _Nocturn_. At three of the clock in the morning, began their _Matutinum_, their _Matines_. The Canonical hours for their day-service were named, _Hora prima_, _tertia_, _sexta_, _nona_. Their first hour began from six of the clock in the morning, and held till nine: the third from nine till twelve, the sixth from twelve till three, the ninth from three till six at night.

[240] _Vide Bellarm. de bonis oper. in part. 1. cap. 10._

The Dial in use among the ancient _Jews_, differed from that in use among us: theirs were a kind of stairs; the time of the day was distinguished, _not by lines_, but by _steps_, or _degrees_; the shade of the Sun every half hour moved forward to a new _degree_. In the Dial of _Ahaz_, the _Sun_ went back ‎‏מעלות‏‎ _Magnoloth_, _degrees_, or _steps_, not _lines_, _Isai. 38. 8._

Their weeks were two-fold; the one was _ordinary_ consisting of _seven daies_, the other _extraordinary_ and _Prophetical_, consisting of _seven years_. _Dan. 9. 24._ The first is termed _Hebdomas diaria_, _a week of daies_; the second, _Hebdomas annalis_, _a week of years_.

The _Hebrews_ at first measured their moneths according to the course of the _Sun_, whence they are called _Menses solares_; and then every moneth consisted of thirty daies. The waters prevailed from the seventeenth day of the second moneth, _Gen. 17. 13._ unto the seventh day of the seven moneth, _Gen. 8. 4._ that is, full five moneths. If we will number the daies, they were an hundred and fifty, _Gen. 7. 24._ Whereby it appeareth, that every moneth contained full thirty daies. After the _Israelites_ departure out of _Egypt_, then they measured their moneths by the course of the Moon; they are termed _Menses Lunares_: they contained either thirty daies, and then they were called _Menses pleni_, _full moneths_: or twenty nine daies, and then they were called _Menses cavi_, _Deficient Moneths_.

The _Sun_ exceedeth the _Moon_ in her course eleven daies, hence[241] every third or second year, one month was inserted. Now because the twelfth moneth in the _Hebrew Kalender_ was called _Adar_, hence when a month was inserted, the last was called _Ve-adar_,the second _Adar_.

[241] _Vide Kalendarium Hebraicum Munsteri pag. 62._

Before their captivity in _Babylon_, they counted their moneths without any name, according to the number. The _First, Second, Third moneth, &c._ After their return from _Babylon_, they called them by these names: