oth.
16. (1.) The Jews expressly contend that their oral law, their mass of traditions, was from God himself. They say, it was partly deli-
SECT. 15-17.] ABOUT TRADITIONS. 135
vered unto Moses on Mount Sinai, and partly added by him from divine revelations which he afterwards received. Hence the autho- rity of it with them is no less than that of the written word (which hath all its authority from its divine original), and the usefulness of it is much more. For although they cannot deny but that this and that particular tradition,—that is, practice, custom, or exposition of any place of Scripture,—were first introduced, expressed, and declared, at such or such seasons, by such masters or schools amongst them, yet they will not grant that they were then first invented or found out, but only that they were then first declared, out of the cabalistical abyss wherein they were preserved from their first revelation; as all of them agree who have written any thing about the nature, propa- gation, and continuance of their oral law.
And this is the persuasion of the Romanists about their Cabala of traditions. They plead them to be all of a divine original, partly from Christ, and partly from his apostles. Whatever they have added unto the written word, yea, though it be never so contrary thereunto, still they pretend that it is part of the oral law which they have received from them by living tradition! Let one conven- tion of their doctors determine that images are to be adored ; another, that transubstantiation is to be believed; a third, add a new creed with an equal number of articles unto the old;—let one doctor ad- vance the opinion of purgatory; another, of justification by works: all is one,—these things are not then first invented, but only declared out of that unsearchable treasure of traditions which they have in their custody. Had they not inlaid this persuasion in the minds of
men, they know that their whole fabric would, of its own accord, have long since sunk into confusion. But they highly contend, at this day, that they need no other argument to prove any thing to be of a heavenly extract and divine original, but that themselves think so, and practise accordingly.
17. (2.) This oral law being thus given, the preservation of it, seeing Moses is dead long ago, must be inquired after. Now, the Jews assign a threefold depository of 1t;—first, the whole congre- gation; secondly, the sanhedrim; and thirdly, the high priest. To this end they aftirm that it was three tumes repeated, upon the de- scent of Moses from Mount Sinai, as to what of it he had then re- ceived, and his after additions had the same promulgation. First, it was repeated by himself unto Aaron; secondly, by them both unto the elders; and thirdly, by the elders unto the whole congre- gation: or, as Maimonides in Jad Chazachah, Moses delivered it unto Eleazar, Phinehas, and Joshua, after the death of Aaron; by whom the consistory was instructed therein, who taught the people as oc- casion did require. What the people knew of it is uncertain, but what they did know was quickly lost. The consistory, or great sanhe-
136 AGREEMENT OF JEWS AND PAPISTS [EXERC. VII.
drim, Ins) Dyaw Sy ps m3, as they call it, “the house of judgment of seventy and one,” ‘was more faithful in its charge. Hence Rab. Moses in the same book, Tractat. nnn, “ of rebels” or “ transgres- sors,” teacheth us, “Woy om) na Syaw min apy on odwyvaw Syn pt na Sew» 596 xy pawn pn ono menn;—“The great consistory” (or house of judgment) “at Jerusalem was the foundation of the oral law: these are the pillars of doctrine, from whom statutes and judgments went forth unto all Israel” And he afterwards affirms, with what truth may be easily judged, npbny nnn xb pp Svan ps nya nw Syqwea;—“ Whilst this great consistory continued, there was no dis- sension in Israel :” for not only the famous differences between Hillel and Shammai, with their disciples, which involved all the schools, scribes, and lawyers, among them, arose and were propagated whilst that consistory continued, but also the atheistical sect of the Saddu- cees rose unto that height and interest as to obtain the presidentship in the sanhedrim itself! But the high priests are those whom they fix upon as the principal conservators of this oral law. To this end they give us catalogues of them from first to last; that, by their un- interrupted succession, we may be secured of the incorrupt preser- vation of their original traditions. Only it may here be added, by the way, that they bind not themselves precisely, in all their religi- ous observances, unto this oral law, whereunto they assign a divine original; but ascribe an authority unto the sanhedrim and the high priest to constitute things of themselves in the worship of God, be- side and beyond the word. For whatever they pretend of their oral law, when they come unto particular instances, they would fain educe the constitutions of it from some word, or letter, or manner of interpretation of the Scripture itself; but those constitutions of the consistory and wise men they ascribe unto their own authority. Some of these are recounted by Maimonides, in his Preface unto Jad Chazachah; as the reading of the book or roll of Esther with fasting; lights on the feast of dedication; the fast on the seventh of Ab, or July; various mixtures and washings of hands;—things plainly of that nature which our Lord Jesus condemned amongst them. And it is observable how he frees them from transgressing that pre- cept, Deut. xii. 32, “ Thou shalt not add unto this word,” by this con- stitution, MON Ys) Anya mdyo nnpd ww any mwyd my na'pT DN Nd ‘Th “OW. we JD NOX TINT by ppYow Yn 2; —“For,” saith he, “they say not that the holy, blessed God hath commanded these things, that there should be such mixtures, that the book of Esther should be read with fasting; for if they should say so, they should add'to the law: but thus we speak, ‘Suchand such a prophet, or the consistory, commanded and appointed that the book of Esther should be read with fasting, to celebrate the glory of the holy, blessed God in our deliverance.” And so of the rest, It seems, then, they may add what they will of their