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WHiles the Israelites wandered thorow the Wildernesse, their Church was a Tabernacle, and their habitations Tents, so that their whole Campe might be termed a moueable Citie. It was diuided into three parts. In the centre or mid∣dle
of all, was the tabernacle it selfe, with its courts, this they termed the Campe of the Diuine Maiestie. Next round about, pitcht the Priests and Leuites, to whom the charge of the taber∣nacle belonged, (and therefore the nearest adioyning place of habitation, might be the conuenientest for them) this was called the Campe of Leui. In the vtter parts round about Leui, the twelue Tribes pitcht their tents, this they termed the Campe of Israel. The first Campe resembled a great Cathedrall Church with its Church-yard. The second, a priuileged place a∣bout the Church, as it were for Colledges for the habitation of the Clergy. The third, the body of a citie, wherein the townesmen or laity dwelt. The forme of the whole, is probably thought to be fouresquare,a 1.1 some say twelue miles long, and twelue miles broad.
In the Easterne part pitched these three tribes, Iudah, Issachar, and Zabulon. On the Southside, Ruben, Simeon, and Gad. On the West, Ephraim, Manasses, and Beniamin. On the North, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali: and these made vp the outward Campe, termed the Campe of Israel. Betweene each tribe, in euery one of those foure quarters, there were distant spaces like streets, where there was buying and selling as in a market, and tradesmen in their shops, inb 1.2 manner of a city leading to and froe. This Campe isc 1.3 thought to bee round, a mile distant from the tabernacle, that is, a Sab∣bath daies iourney, and this is gathered from,
Ios. 3. 4. where the distance betweene the peo∣ple and the Arke, is commanded to be two thou∣sand cubits.
After this, pitched the Campe of Leui: In the Easterne part Moses, Aaron, and the Priests: in the South, the Cohathites: in the West, the Gershonites: in the North, the Merarites.
In the midle was the Campe of the Diuine Ma∣iestie. Vnto this Dauid alludeth; God is in the middest of her, she shall not bee moued, Psal. 46. 5.
After the same manner, the parts of the Ci∣tie Ierusalem were distinguished, when the common wealth was setled.d 1.4 From the gate of Ierusalem, to the mountaine of the Temple, was the campe of Israel: from the gate of the mountaine of the Temple, to the gate of the Court (which was otherwise called Nicanors gate) was the Campe of Leui: from the gate of the Court, and forward, was the Campe of the Diuine Maiestie.
Furthermore, we are to know, that the twelue Tribes had betweene them foure principall ban∣ners or standards, three Tribes to one standard, for which reason, the Church is said to be terrible as an army with banners, Canticl. 6. 4. The He∣brew word Banner, Num. 2. 2. The Greek transla∣teth e 1.5 Order; and so the Chaldee calleth it f 1.6 Tekes (a word borrowed of the Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) order: Whence the Apostle taketh his phrase, Euery man in his owne order, 1 Cor. 15. 23.
Euery banner was thought to be of three co∣lours, g 1.7 according to the colours of the pre∣cious
stones in the brest-plate, bearing the names of their Patriarchs. But this proporti∣on will not hold in all, seeing Leui (who is not here among the other Tribes) was in the brest∣plate one of the twelue; and Ioseph there gra∣ued on the Berill, hath here two Tribes, Ephraim and Manasses, vnto whom two colours cannot be allowed from the brest-plate.
Each banner had his seuerall motto, or inscrip∣tion. In the first standard was written, from Numb. 10. 25. Rise vp Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee before thee.h 1.8 It is moreouer taught by the Hebrews, that each standard had a distinct signe engrauen in it. Rubens standard had the image of a man: Iudahs the image of a Lion: Ephraims the image of an Oxe: and Dans the image of an Eagle.
These same foure creatures, are vsed by Eze∣kiel 1. 10. to describe thei 1.9 nature of Angels. E∣uery Cherubim is said to haue foure faces; the face of a man, to shew his vnderstanding; of a Lion, to shew his power; of an Oxe, to shew his ministratory office; of an Eagle, to shew his swiftnesse in the execution of Gods will. The same description of Angels you may finde, Reuel. 4. 6.
By the same foure, in the opinion of many of thek 1.10 Fathers, are shadowed forth the foure Euangelists. The man shadowed Saint Mathew, because hee beginneth his Gospell, with the ge∣neration of Christ, according to his humanitie: The Lion Saint Marke, because hee beginneth
his Gospell, from that voice of the Lion roaring in the wildernesse, Vox clamantis in deserto: The Oxe Saint Luke, because hee beginneth with Zacharias the Priest: And the Eagle Saint Iohn, who soaring aloft, beginneth with the Diuinitie of Christ.
Thus haue wee seene how they pitcht their Camps, their marching followeth: and here we are to consider. First, their marching in their iournies thorow the wildernesse. Secondly, their marching in their battles.
Concerning their marching in their iournies, they either moued forward, or abode still, accor∣ding to the mouing or standing of the cloud, which conducted them: The manner thereof is described, Num. 10. and summarily we may view it thus: when God tooke vp the cloud, Moses praied, and the Priests with their trum∣pets blew an alarme, then Iudah the first stan∣dard rose vp, with Issachar and Zabulon, and they marched formost; then followed the Ger∣shonites and Merarites, bearing the boords and couerings of the Tabernacle in wagons. The trumpets ••ounded the second alarme, then Ru∣ben, Simeon and Gad rose vp, and followed the Tabernacle; and after them went the Cohathites, in the midst of the twelue Tribes, bearing on their shoulders, the Arke, Candlesticke, Table, Altar, and other holy things. At the third alarme, rose vp the standard of Ephraim, Manas∣ses, and Beniamin, and these followed the San∣ctuary; vnto this Dauid hath reference, when
he praieth, Psa. 80. 2. Before Ephraim, Beniamin, and Manasses, stirre vp thy strength, and come and saue vs. At the fourth alarme, arose the standard of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali; and to these was committed the care of gathering to∣gether the lam••, feeble, and sicke, and to looke that nothing was left behinde: whence they were called the gathering host, Iosh. 6. 9. vnto this, Dauid alludeth; When my Father and my Mother forsake mee, the Lord will gather mee, Psal. 27. 10.
Concerning their marching in warre. First, the Priests sounded the alarme with trumpets, Num. 10. 9. this they termedl 1.11 Terugnah. Sec••nd∣ly, one Priest was selected out of the rest, to stir vp the hearts of the people, and by a kinde of hortatory Oration, to encourage them for the warre, Deut. 20. 2. him they called Vnctum belli, The anointed of the battle. Thirdly, they marched on by fiue and fiue in battle aray, Exod. 13. 18. so them 1.12 originall signifieth in that place.
In the last place, wee are to consider how they were to deale in besieging a Towne, for the conceiuing whereof, note these two pro∣positions.
1. They were to offer peace vnto all forreiners, and Canaanites, Deut. 20. 10. And this is cleere∣ly signified, Iosh. 11. 19. There was not a Citie that made peace with the children of Israel, saue the Hiuites, the inhabitants of Gibeon, all other they tooke in battell. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Yet here Moab and
Ammon are excepted, Israel must not seeke their peace, Deut, 23. 6.
2. They were to make a couenant with none of the seuen Nations, Deut. 7. 2. Exod. 23. 32. &. 34. 14. With forreiners they might, Iosh. 9. 7. perad∣uenture you dwell among vs, and how shall we make a couenant with you? Not, how shall wee make peace with you?
Some may question, what the difference was betweene making peace, and making a coue∣nant? I answer twofold. 1. The making of peace was a naked stipulation, or promise mutually made, for the laying aside of all hostile affecti∣ons towards each other, whereby life on both sides might be secured: Making a couenant, was a solemne binding of each other to perfor∣mance of this mutuall promise, by outward ceremonies ofn 1.13 cutting a beast in twaine, and passing betweene the parts thereof, Ier. 34. 18. as if they would say; Thus let it be done to him, and thus let his body be cut in two, who shall breake this couenant. Secondly, peace was not conclu∣ded by the Israelites, but onely vpon these termes, that the people should become tributary vnto them, Deut. 20. 11. The making of a couenant was vpon equall termes, without any condi∣tion either of tribute or seruice, as is gathera∣ble from the couenant made by Ioshua with the Gibeonites, where there is no mention of any condition at all, Iosh. 9.
This difference seemeth to me warrantable, and serueth to reconcile many places of Scrip∣ture,
as where God saith; offer peace to all: and make a couenant with none. Secondly, it sheweth the fraud of the Gibeonites to be greater than is commonly conceiued, for they sought not peace simply, but a couenant. Make a league with vs, Iosh. 9. 6. Thirdly, it salueth that common obiection, made in defense of vnaduised oathes, to proue them obligatory, though vnlawfull. The argument is framed thus: The couenant which Ioshua made with the Gibeonites vnaduisedly was vnlawfull: but that was obserued by him, and the breach thereof, when Saul ••lew the Gibeonites, pu∣nished by God, 2 Sam. 21. 1. Therefore, &c. I say it salueth that obiection, because if we diligent∣ly obserue Ioshuahs practise, we shall finde vn∣aduised oathes to be so farre, and onely so farre binding, as they agree with Gods word. Gods word required, that the Gibeonites should haue their liues secured, because they accepted peace; thus farre therefore the couenant was still of force: Gods word required, that the Canaa∣nites after the acceptation of peace should be∣come tributary; here the couenant was not of force, and therefore Ioshua made them hewers of wood, and drawers of water, which is a kinde of tribute in the language of the Scripture, a tribute of the body, though not of the purse, in which sense the Egyptian taskemasters, are in the origi∣nall called tribute-masters, Exod. 1. 11.
Vz••clid. Num. 2. 3.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ioseph. l. 3. Antiq. c. 11. p. 97.
Tradunt Hebraei, filios Israelita cast∣rametatos fuisse in circuitu tabernacu∣li, vt vnum millia∣re interfuerit (i.) spacium mille pas∣sum, et hoc erat i∣ter Sabbati. P. Fag. Num. 2. 3.
Maimon. in Beth. habechirah cap. 7. §. 11.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quisque iuxta ordi∣natam suam aciem.
Ionathan Vzid. Num. 2. 3.
Dicunt in vexillo Rubenfuisse ima∣ginem hominis: in vexillo Iehudah, imaginem leoni••; in vexillo Ephra••m, imaginem bouis: in vexillo Dan, imagi∣nem aquilae. P. Fag. Num. 2. Aben Esra ibid.
Angeli ex hoc versudefiniri pos∣sunt. Sunt enim spiritus intelligentes vt homo, potentes vtLeo, ministratorij vt Bos, & celeres vt Aquila Tremel. in Ezek. 1.
Hieronym. ad ini∣tium sui commenta∣rij in Mat. It. Gre∣gorious homil. 4. in Ezek. Ab Hierony∣mo dissentit D. Au∣gustinus in Mat∣thaeo, & Marco, nam in leone Mat∣thaeum, Marcum in homine putat ad∣umbratum. Augu∣stin. de consensu E∣uangelist. lib. 1. c. 6.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Clangor, Vocifera∣tio. Hebraei dupli∣cem clangore•••• esse statuunt, alterum∣que vocari 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 alterum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quorum ille aequa∣bilis est vox, hic citus concisusque fragor: ille ad con∣uocandos caetus, hic ad ••ccende••dos militum animos facit.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
Haec est causacur Hebraei Faedus fae∣cere, dicant 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (i) Diu••dere, aut dissecare faedus: quemadmodum apud Latinus, dici∣tur Percutere fae∣dus, quae locuti•• fl••xit abantiq••o faederis faciendi more. Sacerdos e••imfer••ebat por∣cum sil••ce, dicens. Sic à Ioue fertat•••• is, qui sanctum hoc fregerit faedu••, vt ego hunc p••r••um ferio. Liuius Decad. 1. lib. 1. p. 7.