A chronological discourse touching, 1 The Church. 2 Christ. 3 Anti-Christ. 4 Gog & Magog. &c. The substaunce whereof, was collected about some 10. or 11. yeares since (as may be gathered by an epistle prefixed before a tractate, called, The visible Christian) but now digested into better order; and first published, by the author himselfe, H. Cl.

CHAP. iij. (Book 3)

Touching the wordes, Synagôgé and Ecclesia. &c. (Book 3)

THe Septuagint, that is, the Seauentie learned Iewes, (or,* 1.1 as Aristeas writes to his brother Philocratos 72. that is, of euery Tribe sixe▪) they, at the request of Ptolemy Philadelph (one of the Kinges of the South in Daniel) did translate the Law into Greeke. These in Moses vse the word Sinagoge for Congregation, speaking of Israel, not of the Tabernacle: for if they speake of the Tabernacle, then they write Tou martyríou of Witnesse, not (as we) of Congregation. It may be, from the mar∣tyring of Beastes in that place, whereby their fayth was witnessed to God-ward.

But in Le••iticus 8. 3. they ioyne both Synagogé & Ecclesia togeather thus: And assemble, Pasan ten Synagogén ecclesias. The whole Synagogue of the Church.* 1.2 The writer of the Màchabees-storie, stiles the same, Ecclesián pistôn. The Church of Beleeuers. In a word, these two wordes, Syna∣gogé and Ecclesia, be vsed each for other in diuine writing▪ whether we intend thereby, the place of sacred meetings, or the people that so meete in these places.

1. Synagogue for the place, as, Ioh. 16. 2. Act. 13. 14. with other places. And Ecclesia for the place; as, 1. Cor. 11. 18. where the Apostle opposeth that place, to their priuate Houses. Compare it with vers. 22. The like in 1. Cor. 14. 34.

2. Synagogue taken for a Conuention of people, as be∣fore: and also in Reuel. 3. 9. And Ecclesia taken for a Conuention of people, as afore; and in many places of the New Testament: yea, for an vnciuill hurlie-burly, as in Act. 19. 39. 41. called else-where, the Beastes of Ephesus.••

A certaine* 1.3 Auncient, putteth this difference be∣tweene them. Ecclesia (sayth he) is a Conuocation▪ and spo∣k••n of reasonable creatures, Capable of a calling: But Synagôge is properly Congregation, and spoken of Beastes of the flocke (for such the Latines c••ll, Greges) who come togeather rather by c••∣action or driuing (for so the Greeke word signifieth) then by cal∣ling vnto as the ••••rmer word importeth. It must needes be graunted for pretty, that he hath said, but how fitting in Diuinitie, it may be guessed, by the vse of the wordes, in the former allegations.

I conclude then, that the Ecclesiasticall word Kyriake, and the two Canonicall, namely Synagoge and Ecclesia, they all be of vs translated Church, intending thereby (as in the former Chapter) An house of meeting, specially, for sacred vse; or, as in this Chapter more plainely, they im∣port, a People so meeting. For in this Discourse, we are not to speake as Ciuilians in their Law, but as Diuines in our Law.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aristeas, of the Septuagints time.
• * 1.2

  1. Macc. 3. 13.
• * 1.3

  August. quest. on Leuit. 57.