Tricoenivm Christi in nocte proditionis suæ The threefold svpper of Christ in the night that he vvas betrayed / explained by Edvvard Kellett.

CHAP. XV. The Contents of the fifteenth Chapter.

1. The Ceremonies after their Table-talke.

2. They continued to eate unleavened bread, seven dayes.

3. But, it seemeth, the Israelites were not bound, to keepe the Festivall, at their first Passeover, or Exodus, though they did eate unleavened bread.

4. Nothing was to be left till the morning.

5. They burned the remainder of the Passeover, if any remainder were: Reasons there∣of: Holy Sacramentall Reliques not to be prophaned: The Romanes Protervia, or Feast of frowardnesse.

PARAGRAPH. 1.

WHen that sacred Conference, and Supper was ended, or almost ended, I judge, other lasting, subsequent Ceremonies of the Passeover, to be these.

• 1. That they continued their eating of unleavened bread, for seven dayes after.
• 2. That no part of the Passeover, was to be left till the morning.
• 3. That they burned with fire the remainder thereof, if there were any remainder.

PAR. 2.

THe next fixed, subsequent rite, was, the continuing to eate unleavened bread, seven dayes, Exod. 12.15. Seven dayes shall ye eate unleavened bread; even the first day shall ye put away leaven out of your houses; for, whosoever eateth leavened bread, from the first day, till the seventh day, that soule shall be cut off from Israel: most effectually is it precepted, and ingeminated, ver. 17. Yee shall observe the feast of unleavened bread;

for in this selfe-same day, have I brought your Armies out of the Land of Aegypt, therefore ye shall observe this day, in your generations, by an ordinance for ever, Exod. 12.17. In the first moneth on the 14. day of the moneth at Even, ye shall eate unleavened bread, untill the 21. day of the moneth at Even, ver. 18. see it further ratified, the 19. and 20. verses; No precept whatsoever concerning the Passeover, is so largely and fully precepted: Levit. 23.5. On the 14. day, is the Lords Passeover, and on the 15. is the feast of un∣leavened bread: But how commeth it to passe, that there is a memoriall for the 15. day; and in Exodus, for the 14. day? I answere this place of Leviticus discriminateth the Sacramentall Passeover, from the festivall solemnities of the Passeover: the Passeover was indeede to be slaine, on the 14. day toward night: so both Exodus and Leviticus, speaketh of the immolation, and of the preparation; yet was not the Passeover eaten or to be eaten, till the even; or betweene the two evenings, when the 15. day began; and then did they eate both the Passeover, and unleavened bread, as both Exodus and Leviticus accord; nor might they eate the Passeover, without unleavened bread, nor unleavened bread, in reference to that feast, without the Passeover; nor either till the beginning of the 15. day; and though the Sacramentall Passeover was ended that night; and the analecta, or remaines (if any) were bur∣ned, ere the morning; yet the Paschall-festivity continued with unleavened bread, and other sacrifices, full 7. dayes inclusive, including the Sacramentall Passeover: Likewise Numb. 28.16. is exactly the same distinction; In the 14. day of the first mo∣neth is the Passeover of the Lord; in the 15. day of this moneth, is the feast: seven dayes shall unleavened bread be eaten: killed on the 14. eaten the beginning of the Evening of the 15. day: for on the first minute of the second evening, began the first minute of the 15. day.

PAR. 3.

NOw though it be generally confessed; the eating of unleavened bread seven dayes, was one of the lasting Ceremonies; yet some question; whether this was commanded, to begin at the first Aegyptian Passeover? That much feasting was then commanded, I cannot thinke; that they went out onely with unleavened bread, is apparent; that they are onely unleavened bread, till Manna did fall, Iose∣phus saith: But they are not unleavened bread, with a religious intent, but for want of other bread, saith D^r. Willet: if he speake of the last 23. dayes; I confesse they had no religious respect, in the eating of unleavened bread: for they had no precept to eate unleavened beyond 7. dayes, in any sacred relation: yet consider, that the ob∣servation of 7. dayes eating unleavened bread, was enjoyned, before they went out of Aegypt; and so they undoubtedly observed them. Oh, but saith Dr. Willet, they went out in haste? I answere, haste and Religion may stand together; yea, they had beene irreligious, in that point, if they had not hasted; they had haste, and were in all haste, till the Armies of Aegypt were drowned; Now this being 7. dayes, from the eating of the Paschall-Lambe; the inhibition of leavened bread conduced more, to hasten their haste: For unleavened bread, or manchets, or cakes are soo∣ner made, than any flower or bread can be leavened; make ready quickly three measures of fine meale saith Abraham, to Sarah, Gen. 18.6. She could not so soone have lea∣vened, and made it ready, for eating: Moreover the eating of bread, of unleavened bread, of unleavened bread for want of other, or for necessity, excludeth not devout intents, or performances; if a Religious observation was appointed, a naturall du∣ty may concurre with an holy end: At all their feasts, they satisfied nature, either wholly or in part; these civill or naturall respects did joyne hand in hand, with de∣vout and Sacred intentions. Lastly, the Divine Scriptures are to be understood li∣terally, as they offer themselves, in their first sense to the hearer, or reader, (if there follow no inconvenience, or absurditie) therefore in the commandement to eate unleavened bread 7. dayes, is included a sacred duty; and an holy observation might be performed, though they had no other bread to eate, though they were in

want, and necessitie, and haste: See this precept of eating unleavened bread 7. dayes, recommanded, Deut. 16.2. &c. that you may not doubt, but it was eternall, pro statu illius politiae; not absolutely, but periodically aeternall.

PAR. 4.

ANother subsequent, fixed ceremony was this; Exod. 12.10. Yet shall let no∣thing of it remaine untill the morning. This precept was not absolute, and ir∣respective, even at the first Passeover, if it had beene exactly necessary, there needed no second annexed command in default thereof, viz. that which remaineth of it till the morning ye shall burne with fire, ibid. In this sixt precept, the first of these two ob∣serve; that the Israelites might eate of the Passeover often, if their stomacke served them, till almost the very morning: and I have read it as a tradition that the last meale, which they ate, that night was a bit, or morcell of the Passeover; as, the last draught they dranke that night, was of Sanctified wine. Certainely, great reason there was, that nothing should be left untill the morning; for the Aegyptians might have profaned it; dogges might have torne it; and if there were any part left, some perhaps might have worshipped it. As it was to be rosted whole, so they might eate it wholy, if they could conveniently without gluttony, excesse, or any other intemperancie; and if the number of Communicants had beene great, and the Lambe but little, and adaequate for them. Voluntary offerings might be eaten, on the first day, and if any remained, it might bee eaten, on the second day; but on the third day; the remainder of the flesh was to bee burnt with fire, Levit. 7.16. &c. If any flesh of the Sacrifice of Peace-offerings be eaten at all, on the third day—it shall be an abomination, Levit. 7.18. The flesh of the Sacrifice of Peace-offerings for thankesgiving, shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it untill the morning, Levit. 7.15. he might eate of it any part of the day, or any part of the night: the strictest Law of all was for the speedy con∣suming of the Passeover; of all other, that must not be kept, lest it bee dis-religio∣nized, or adored: let them consider this precept, who long keepe the blessed Sa∣crament, never without some possible danger; sometimes likely, sometimes appa∣rent, from wormes, theeves, mice, nastinesse, mouldinesse, stinke, &c. And yet, be∣cause God never liked intemperance, rather than they should play the gluttons, and cramme their guts too full; he commanded them to burne that, which was left; and this was an unchangeable, closing, and parting ceremony.

PAR. 5.

THe next subsequent, fixed ceremonic was this; they burned the remainder of the Passeover, if any remainder were; no sinne it was to burne it; a sinne it had beene not to burne it. Flesh, if any were left, and bones were certainely to be burned; no Passeover was exempted from this conclusive Ceremony, and binding precept; not fading by time, till the death of the Messiah. Iunius questioneth whether the skin were burnt with fire? and resolveth for the affirmative: I thinke the skin and entralls, with its ordure were removed, a good while before the eating of the flesh; and if they were burnt, (as doubt may be made of the wooll and of the skin) they were burnt either before the manducation of the Sacrament, or in another fire, after the end of all: for if they were burnt after the full end, of their Pascha∣tizing banquet; no shadow of reason evinceth, or probabilizeth, that the Sacrae re∣liquae, sacred reliques of the flesh, (if any were) or of the bones, (for whose not breaking such strict order was given) were consumed, in the same fire, which the retrimenta, & excrementa Naturae, the retriments, and excrements of nature, or or∣dure, were: Reverend opinion, or estimate of things, once sacred, perswadeth the contrary. Heathens would say, such a mixture were an abhomination. Divinis rebus suus constet honos intemeratus, let holy things be attended with reverence: as the whole Lambe was rosted with fire, so the residue or remainder, was to be burnt with fire; they burned the remainder thereof with fire, if any remainder were,

Exod. 12.10. Ye shall let nothing of it remaine untill the morning; and that which remai∣neth of it, till the morning, shall ye burne with fire; it is repeated thus, Numb. 9.12. They shall leave none of it unto the morning; nor breake any bone of it; the coupling of these together, doth shew, it was an eternall ceremonie; though Iunius opi∣neth, this ceremonie seemeth to be peculiar unto this first celebration of the Passe∣over. This excellent reason about this point may be given, Levit. 7.15. The flesh of the Sacrifice of the Peace-offerings for thankesgiving, shall be eaten the same day, that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it till the morning; but the Passeover was an Euchari∣sticall Sacrifice: Cornelius Cornelii â lapide, maketh this ceremony to be perpetuall: for it seemeth not consonant to so great a devout Sacrament, that the dogges might gnaw the bones thereof; nor other profanation to be used to any part of it: its an old Proverbe used by Aulus Gellius (13.16.) Inter os, & offam, betweene the mouth and the morsell, many mischances may come; which is all one with that,

Multa cadunt inter calicem, supremaque labra,

that is,

Betweene the cup, and upper lip, Many times the Wine doth drip.

or,

Full many dangers quickely slip.

But how many sort of abuses, or prophanations might be used, to the reliques of that Sacred banquet, if they had not beene burnt who knoweth? therefore God who onely did foreknow, did also provide an antidote to such horrid abuses, by burning what was left: the Romans had one kinde of Sacrifice which was called Protervia, Frowardnesse, in that feast it was the fashion; that if any thing had beene left of the banquet, or feast, it should be consumed with fire; this made Cato (who was no common jeaster) when Albidius had wasted his goods, and at last had his house burnt, to scoffe, saying, that he did Proterviam facere, offer the Sacrifice Protervia, and what he could not eate, he did burne; Macrobius (Saturnal. 2.2.) This also amongst other parts of devotion among the Romans, it seemed, they bor∣rowed from the Paschall-Lambes remainders burned. So much for the prescribed ceremonies of the Passeover, whether temporary or perpetuall.

The Prayer.

LOrd, thy Law was the guide of performance unto the Jewes for the ceremo∣nies, and Service of their Passeover; thy Prescriptions, their directions, give me grace, good Lord, still to looke up to thy Commandements, and to regulate my thoughts, words, and workes, thereby; through the mediation of my blessed Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.