3. The Jews either acknowledge not or insist not much on this distinction, which is evidently founded in the things themselves, but, casting all these parts of the law together, contend that there is amongst them six hundred and thirteen precepts: for the numeral letters of 771n denote six hundred and eleven of them; and the other two,—which, as they say, are the first two of the decalogue,—were delivered by God himself to the people, and so come not within the compass of the word Torah in that place: whence they take this im- portant consideration, namely, Deut. XXXILL 4, “Moses commanded us a law,” that is, of six hundred and eleven precepts; two being given by God himself, completes the number of six hundred and thirteen. There is none who sees not the vanity and folly of these things; which yet is a part of their oral law, whereunto, as hath been showed, they ascribe more, oftentimes, than to the written word itself.
4, Of these six hundred and thirteen precepts, two hundred and forty-eight, they say, are affirmative precepts; because there are, as they affirm (which I leave to our anatomists to judge of), so many distinct members or bones in the body of a man: and three hundred and sixty-five negative precepts; because there are so many days in the year, man being bound to keep the law with his whole body all the year long : both which numbers make up six hundred and thirteen. And lest this observation should not seem sufficiently strengthened by these arguments, they add that which they suppose conclusive,— namely, that in the decalogue there are six hundred and thirteen letters, if you will but set aside the last two words; which in com- mon civility cannot be well denied unto them.
5. These six hundred and thirteen precepts they divide or dis- tinguish into twelve families, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,—that is, either general part into twelve,—first the afirma- tive, and secondly the negative. And although their distribution be not satisfactory, for many reasons, and hath been also represented by others, yet, for the advantage of the reader, I shall here give a summary account of them.
6. The first family, which hath relation to GoD AND HIS WORSHIP, consists of twenty precepts, which I shall briefly enumerate as those
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482 THE LAW AND PRECEPTS THEREOF. [EXERC. XX.
following, without any examination of their stating of them and due fixing to their several stations:—l. Faith and acknowledgment of God’s divine essence and existence, Exod. xx. 2, 38. 2. Faith of the unity of God, Deut. vi. 4, xxii. 39. 3. Love of God, Deut. vi. 5, te bn Fear of God, Deut. vi. 13. 5. Acknowledgment of God’s righteousness in afflictions, Deut. viii. 5. 6. Prayer unto God, Exod. xxii, 233) Num.uxi. 2) 07: “Adherence unto God, Deut. x. 20. 8. To swear by the name of God, Deut. vi 13, x. 20. 9. To walk in the ways of God, Deut. xxviii. 9. 10. To sanctify the name of God, Lev. xxii. 82. 11. Twice a day to repeat that section, “ Hear, O Israel,” Deut. vi. 4, xi. 138. 12. That we learn and teach the law, Deut. v. 1, xi. 8. 18. To wear phylacteries or tephilin on the head, Deut. vi. 8. 14 To wear them on the arm, Deut. vi. 8. 15. To make fringes, Num. xv. 38-40. 16. To put writings of the Serip- ture on the posts of our doors, Deut. vi. 9. 17. That the people be called together to hear the law, at the end of the feast of tabernacles, Deut. xxxi. 12, 18. That every one write him a copy of the law, Deut. xxxi. 19. 19, That the king, moreover, write out another for himself as king, Deut. xvii. 18. 20. That at our eating of meat we give thanks, or bless God, Deut. vii. 10. This is the first family ; which, though it sometimes fails in educing its precepts from the word, yet good use may be made of the observation in cian these things to one certain head.
7. The second family of the first general head of affirmative pre- cepts, contains those which concern the SANCTUARY AND PRIESTHOOD, being nineteen in number:—1. That a sanctuary, tabernacle, or temple, should be built, Exod. xxv. 8. 2. That, being built, it should be reverenced, Lev. xix. 30. 3. That the priests and Levites always keep the temple, and no others, Num. xviii. 2. 4, That the work or ministry of the temple be performed by the Levites, Num. xviii, 23. 5. That the priests wash their hands and feet before their ministry, Exod. xxx. 19, 20. 6. That the priests attend the lamps of the sanc- tuary, Exod. xxvii. 21. 7. That the priests bless the people, Num. vi. 23, 8. That every [Sabbath] day the shew-bread be renewed, Exod. xxv. 30. 9. That incense be offered twice a day on the golden altar, Exod. xxx. 7, 8. 10. That the fire on the altar be kept always burning, Lev. vi. 12, 18. 11. That the ashes be removed from the altar every day, Lev. vii 10. 12. That the wnclean be separated from the camp and tabernacle, Num. v. 2; Deut. xxiii. 10. 13. That Aaron and his posterity have the principal place and honour in sacred things, Lev. xxi. 8. 14, That the priests wear the garments appointed to their special ministry, Exod. xxviii. 2. 15. That the ark be carried on the shoulders of the Levites, Num. vii. 9. 16. That the anointing oil be made to anoint king and priest, Exod. xxx, 25-30. 17. That the families of the priests minister in the