The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

Sect. I. The Antiquity and divine institution of Synagogues.

Although the word Synagogues, be rarely found in the Old Testament, spelled sylla∣bically with so many letters in our English Bibles, yet both reason and equivalent expres∣sions used there, do more than probally perswade us, that such conventions and meeting places were no strangers to Israel in those ancient times.

For 1. It is said expresly according as our English utters it, Psal. 74. 4. that the ene∣mie had burnt all the Synagogues of God in the land. Which although the Chaldee render it of the Temple only, and Rabbi Solomon of Shiloh and the first and second Temple only, yet both the plural number used, and the context it self inforceth it, to be interpreted of more conventions than only in one place: And Aquila doth render it expresly Syna∣gogues as our English doth: And Jonathan the Caldee Paraphrast of the Prophets (whosoever was of the Psalms) speaketh the very sense of that clause of the Psalm, even as our English utters it, when he interprets that passage in Esay 7. 19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Assyrian Bee shall come upon all the Houses of Praise.

2. What can we make of these High places that are so often mentioned in Scripture in a commendable sense: as 1 Sam. 9. 19. & 10. 5. 1 Kings 3. 4. &c. other, than that they were Synagogues or places of publick worship for particular congregations? For howso∣ever High places do often hear ill in the Scripture, as places of Idolatry, and false worship, as 1 Kings 11. 7. & 12. 31. Jer. 7. 31. & 19. 5. &c. yet do we find also that some High places escape that brand, and are mentioned with an honourable memorial: And although those also are frequently taxed for Sacrificing there, which service should only

have been exercised at Jerusalem, yet do we never find them taxed for mens worshipping there. In 2 King. 12. 2. & 14. 4. & 15. 4. &c. it is said, that Joash, Amaziah and Uz∣ziah did uprightly in the sight of the Lord, But the high places were not taken away, nor that they should have been destroyed for being places of worship or of publick Assemblies, but the text expresseth still what was their abuse and what should have been removed, namely, that the people should not have sacrificed and burnt incense there, which part of worship was only confined to Jerusalem. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: From the destruction of Shiloh to the building of the Temple high places were lawful, as it is the Jews general and common saying, but they understand it as generally, of lawful∣ness to sacrifice: which when the people would not leave to use after the Temple was built, they are often taxed with it; but with no other part of worship in High places if it were not Idolatrous.

3. How was it possible that the Jews should keep the Sabbath according to the in∣junction laid upon them of having every seventh day a holy meeting or convocation, Lev. 23. 3, 4. if they had not in all times their Synagogue meetings or particular Congre∣gations, which the plural number used of Assemblies or Congregations doth more than seem to intimate in Psal. 26. 12. & 68. 26.

4. Let us cast how the Jews could possibly celebrate those solemnities to which they were obliged, (besides the three Festivals which required their appearance at Jerusa∣lem) if they had not Sygnagogues or meetings of particular Assemblies: when they were in the Wilderness, what could they do on the Sabbath day, when the Taberna∣cle Court would not hold the thousand part of them, and when Family duties only would not reach the rule that was set before them? And when they were come in∣to the land, when distance of place from Jerusalem made going thither every Sabbath impossible, and when every Family were not able to read the Law, much less to expound it, nay when many and many Families were neither able to carry on a Sabbath days work, nor hire or get one that was learned and able to carry it on, what could they then do without Synagogues, but lose the Law, Sabbath, Religion and the knowledge of God and themselves, and all?

5, When Synagogues were now come into use and frequented, how was this use and frequency and frequenting of them first taken up? We read of them under the se∣cond Temple, especially in the Times of our Saviour and of his Apostles: when the people were now lost in hypocrysie and traditions: And can we think that those cor∣rupt times outwent the purer and holyer times of David, Joshuah, Samuel, &c. in finding out so absolutely needful a means for maintaining of Knowledge and Religion as their Synagogue meetings were? Can we conceive that Pharisees should set up these so useful conventions (how useful may be judged by Christs and his Apostles constant frequenting them, to omit all other evidences) and that the Elders and Prophets, and holy men under the Old Testament wanted them? Take but the Chaldee Paraphrasts opinion again upon this point, who upon those words of Deborah, in Judg. 5. 9. My heart is towards the Governours of Israel, that willingly offered themselves, bless ye the Lord, glosseth thus. I am sent to praise the Scribes of Israel, who when this affliction was, ceased not from inquiring after the Law, and now it is comely for them that they sit in the Synagogues likely, and teach the people the words of the Law, and bless and praise the Lord.

It cannot therefore be otherwise imagined (to spare more words upon this proof) but that, seeing the use of Synagogues was of so absolute and inevitable necessity, for the maintaining of Religion, as that in a very short time there could be no Religion without them, they were not only of ancient use among the Isralites even from their first setling in Canaan, but that they had also so warrantable an original, as could not be less than Sacred: for if their founding were not appointed articulately by Moses or some other Prophet, yet was their erecting written so plainly in a most religious necessity, that if they had not a divine Law in terms, they had a divine necessity indeed for their foundation.