Moses and Aaron. Goodwin Thomas Aiken
Priest-hood, Adams Priest-hood, is gathered hence,58 because that Gen 4. 3. and 4. Abel and Cain are said to have brought their sacrifices: to have brought them, namely, unto Adam, who offered them unto God in their name. The Priest-hood of the first-born is gatherable hence, because the Levites were appointed to the service of the Altar, instead of the first-born, and as the λύτρον or price of redemption, Num. 3. 41. In the second period, though a private Catechetical exposition of the Law belonged to the Masters of Families, yet the publick Ministerial exposition thereof was appropriated to Priests and Prophets. In the third period, when Prophecy ceased, then the office of expounding Scripture was more common, and instead of Prophets came in a multitude of other Expositors; In general we may call them teachers of Israel, Joh. 3. 10. We may distinguish them into three several sorts. 1. Wisemen. 2. Scribes. 3. Disputers. The Apostle compriseth them all, 1 Cor. 1. 20. Where is the Wise? Where is the Scribe? Where is the Disputer? Unto any of these, or whatsoever other Doctor eminently gifted above others, the title Rabbi was prefixed. First, of their Prophets. Secondly, their Wisemen. Thirdly, their Scribes. Fourthly, their Disputers. Fifthly, their Rabbies.
To prophesie, or to be a Prophet, hath divers acceptions in Scripture. First, it is taken for the books and writings of the Prophets. They have Moses and the Prophets, Luk. 16. 29. Secondly, for the whole Word of God: no Prophesie in the Scripture is of any private motion, 2 Pet. 1. 20. Thirdly, those unto whom God vouchsafed familiarly to reveal himself, they are called Prophets: Abraham was a Prophet, Gen. 20. 7. and Miriam a Prophetess, Exod. 50. 20. Fourthly, ordinary Interpreters of the Word are called Prophets. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, Mat. 10. 14. Lastly, it is taken for those, who are enabled by Divine Revelation, to lay open hidden secrets, transcending all possibility of humane search. Hence it is that Prophets in old time were called Seers, 1 Sam. 9. 9. And their Prophecy was termed a vision, Esay. 1. 1. because God extroardinarily enlightned their minds with the knowledge of these secrets.
There are three observable names applied to prophecy in Scripture. 1. Verbum Domini: 2. Visio: 3. Onus, The Word of the Lord: Vision: A Burthen. The first importeth the Lord speaking, or revealing his secrets; the second implyeth the Prophets attending, or beholding them; the third being applyed onely to Judgements, signifieth the burthensomness of them on that people against whom they came forth.
For the propagation of Learning, Colledges and Schools were in divers places erected for the Prophets; their Scholars were termed59 Filii prophetarum, children of the Prophets, 2 Kin. 6. 1. unto which phrase there is allusion, Matt. 11. 19. Wisdom is justified of her children: by reason of this Relation the Prophet sometimes is called a Father; Elisha cryed out, My Father, my Father, 2 King. 2. 12. The Targum60 expoundeth that place, Rabbi, Rabbi; as much as to say, my Master, my Master: And in truth the Rabbies grew very ambitious of the name Father, which was the reason of our Saviours speech, Matth. 23. 6. Call no man Father upon earth.
The Scripture61 sometimes joyneth to the name of the Prophet, the name of his Father, as Hosea the son of Beeri, Hos. 1. 1. And such a one the Hebrews confess to be both a Prophet, and the son of a Prophet. Sometimes it mentioneth the Prophets name, but not the Fathers; such a one they confess to be a Prophet, but not the son of a Prophet: Sometimes it mentioneth with the Prophet, the name of the City where he prophesied, and then it followeth, that he was a Prophet of that City. When a Prophet is mentioned without the name of the City, then he is thought to be a Prophet of Jerusalem.
2. Wisemen: This title though in it self it be general and common to all Doctors, and Teachers of the Law; yet for many years before our Saviours Incarnation,62 it was either arrogated by the Pharisees, or else by the ignorant multitude appropriated unto them, for an opinion of their extraordinary wisdom, in teaching of Traditions, which they preferred beyond the Law. Hence the Pharisees were called63 Masters of the Traditions: And hence was that councel of R. Eleezer to his Scholars,64 that they should forbid their children from the study of the Bible, and place them between the knees of their wisemen. Likewise65 hence, when any of their Doctors did read Lectures, their saying was, οἱ σοφοὶ ἡμῶν δευτεροῦσι, Our wisemen do teach traditions. The like ambition we shall find among the Grecians, all of them striving to be intituled Σοφοὶ, Wisemen: and hence, whensoever the chief of them had pleased the people in performance of their Orations, or any other publick business, they were honoured with a Grand Σοφῶς, that is, with a loud acclamation of σοφῶς, σοφῶς, Well done, or wisely done; until Pythagoras, in dislike of such swelling Titles, stiled himself Philosophus, a Lover of wisdom; which kind of modesty was afterward practised by the Hebrew Doctors; for they in after times, to avoid the suspicion of arrogancy, refused the name of חכמים Chacamim, Wisemen,66 and stiled themselves, תלמידי חכמים Discipuli sapientium, Learners of wisdom.
3. Scribes: This name was given to two sorts of men, some meerly Laicks, others Clergy-men. The body of the Laick Scribes, were those, to whom was committed the instruction of young children in their minority, especially to teach them to write; we may English them Scriveners. This office was appropriated to the Tribe of Simeon. In this sense we read not of Scribes in the Scripture, although the ground of their first institution hath been taken thence, namely, from those words which Jacob used unto Simeon and Levi; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel, Gen. 49. 7. So that as Levi had no portion, but lived dispersed among the other Tribes, by the benefit of the Altar.67 In like manner Simeon had no portion in the judgement of the Hebrews, but lived scattered among the other tribes, getting their maintenance by teaching and schooling little children: Whether this office of teaching children was appropriated to them, I leave to the inquiry of others; certain I am that the Simeonites had their own inheritance by lot, Josh. 19. 1. And the prophecy concerning their being scattered is thought to have been accomplished in this, that the inheritance of the Simeonites, was taken out of the portion of the children of Judah, Josh. 19. 9. Furthermore it is certain, that if not all Scriveners, yet those publick Notaries, who were imployed in drawing Deeds, and writing Contracts (be they of what Tribe they will) they were called by the name of Scribes. Unto this there is allusion, Psal. 45. 1. My tongue is as the pen of a swift Writer, or ready Scribe. Out of the body of these I conceive certain choice men to have been elected for publick imployments; some to attend the King, as his Secretaries, termed, γραμματεῖς βασιλέως, the Kings Scribes, 2 Kin. 12. 10. Such were Sheia, 2 Sam. 20. 25. And Shaphan, 2 Kin. 22. 3. Others to attend the publick Courts and Consistories: they much resembled our Clarks of Assizes, these were termed, γραμματεῖς λαοῦ the Scribes of the people, Mat. 2. 4. It. 1. Mac. 5. 42.
The second sort of Scribes belonged to the Clergy; they were Expositors of the Law, and thence are they called γραμματεῖς τοῦ νόμου, νομικοὶ, & νομοδιδὰσκαλοι,