Moses and Aaron: Civil and Ecclesiastical Rites, Used by the Ancient Hebrews. Goodwin Thomas Aiken
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 of[125] 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 of[126] φυλακτήριοι, that is, Phylacterians.
[124] Hieronym. in Mat. 23.
[125] Scalig. Tribær. cap. 70.
[126] Concil. quini Sexti, Canon 61.
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 Latine[128] 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.
[127] Vide D. Kimchi. Radic.
[128] Τὸ μεγαλύνεσθαι, apud Euripidem in Bacchis, valet, Magnifice jactare, Efferre. Magnificare apud Varronem & Plinium eadem significatione usurpatur, Theodor. Beza in Mat. 23.
[129] Hieron. in Mat. 23.
There were[130] seven sorts of Pharises. 1. Pharisæus Sichemita. He turned Pharisee for gain, as the Sichemites suffered themselves to be circumcised.
[130] Talmud. tract. Suta. cap. 3.
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. Some[131] derive it from Sedec, Justitia; as if they had been Justitiaries, such as would justifie themselves before Gods Tribunal. There are[132] 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.
[131] Epiphan. l. 1. cap. 14.
[132] ἀπὸ αἱρεσιάρχου Σαδὼκ ὀνομάζεται. Theophylact.
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 to[133] be a branch or skirt of the Dositheans, though in truth Dositheus lived not till[134] 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.
[133] Epiph. hæres. 14. It. Tertul. de præscript. c. 5.
[134] Origen. contra Celsum. l. 2.
[135] Epiph. hæres. 13.
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.
[136] Aboth. cap. 1.
Their Dogmata, Canons, or Constitutions, were, 1. They rejected[137] the Prophets,