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

CHAP. XX. The Contents of the twentieth Chapter.

1. Pererius his fourth Ceremony.

2. Romanes and Jewes at their feasts, changed their cloathes.

3. The Romanes Tricliniary Ornaments; wearing apparell; Larding, and cramming, purple; Scarlet, cloath of gold, silver; Lex vestiaria.

4. The Bed-Ornaments of the Jewes.

5. Ornaments of Idolls; Levites, Priests, High-Priest; Tabernacle.

6. Wearing apparell of the Jewes; varietie thereof for divers occasions; for,

• 1. Gifts.
• 2. Appearance.
• 3. Disguise.
• 4. Sorrow, or Mortification; Sacke-cloath: feasting, white apparrell: extraordinary apparrell approved, at feasts; comely alwayes: new-fanglednesse taxed, in French, English, Spanish; English, in part defended: diversity of apparrell, for severall ages, degrees: abundance of apparrell, a blessing: the excesse taxed.

7. Changing of apparrell at feasts, practised by the Jewes before the Romanes; Ro∣manes had more than one garment on at feasts: the wedding garment not the onely garment: fashions at sacred civill feasts, different.

8. Wedding garment, What.

PARAGRAPH. 1.

THe fourth ceremony, on which Pererius insisteth, now followeth: Quartò, saith he, Romani accubituri mutabant vestes, quòmundiores, viz. & hilariores convivarentur; in antiquis marmoribus Romanis, accumbentes in Tricliniariis lectis, magnâ ex parte, veste duntaxat unâ, super nudo tecti conspiciuntur; that is, fourthly, the Romanes before they went to dinner, or supper, did change their garments; to the intent they might be the more cleanely, and merry, at their feastings: In the ancient, marble statues, among the Romanes, they that lye on their Tricliniary beds, are for the most part, seene to have but one onely garment upon their bare skinne: These points he insisted on; they changed their cloathes; the ends were two, to be cleanlier; to be merrier: Lastly, great part of the ancient Statues, represent the discumbents, with one onely vestment, to cover their bare skinnes: that this was observed in the feasts of the Jewes, is plainely signified in that parable in the Gospell, Mat. 22. Who came in to the feast not ha∣ving a wedding garment, and therefore was cast out into outer darkenesse: thus farre Pererius? I answere, (supposing, though not granting all this to be true) it is more probable that the Iewes, long before did the like; let us come to the proofe by these degrees.

PARA. 2.

FIrst, let us consider the costly hangings, in the roome, where the Romanes fea∣sted, and their tricliniary ornaments, as the Mediastinus, the Scullion, or

varlet of the house attended his Office in the Kitchin; so the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Lecti∣sterniator, or Chamberlaine, decked their neater Chambers, and beds, with hang∣ings, curtaines, carpets, tapestry, and coverlets, according to the estate of their ma∣sters; stragulâ veste, auro, & murice Tyrio depicta probè consternunt, saith Apuleius (lib. 10.) they decke their beds with coverlets, and their hangings of Arras, or ta∣pestry, their aulaea, were of Babylonian painted worke; many of the Aegyptian fa∣shioning; and the Aegyptian hangings were more curious; Martiall. (14.150.)

Haec tibi Memphitis tellus dat munera, victa est Pectine Niliaco jam Babylonis acus:

that is,

The Land of Memphis sends these robes to thee, Babylon's needle now is blind, I see. —Spartâna chlamys, conchylia Coa,

Your Greeke Mandilion, and your Coos purple, are reckoned by Juvenal, (Satyr. 8) as their choyce houshold-stuffe: Martial (14.135.)

Hic opus est pictis accubuisse toris; Here they neede to sit on tapestry:

Acu pictis, Pavoninis; coverlets wrought with needles shadowed like Peacockes feathers: Quid Tyrio recubare toro? saith Tibullus (Eleg. 1.) their very beds were covered with purple; scarlet tapestry did over-spread them: Plantus (in Stycho, act. 5. Scenâ 3.) saith, the Merchant Epignomus brought Lectos eburatos, auratos, dec∣ked with ••vorie and gold, tùm Babylonica peristromata, sella, & tapetia, also Babylo∣nian hangings, or Curtaines, seates, and tapestry: Lucian in the banquet of the Lapithae, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, let us spread the purple Co∣verlets, and lye downe upon them: purpurâ quis non jam Tricliniaria facit? who hangeth not his supping roome or Parlour with purple or Scarlet? saith Pliny (9.39.) Romulus did weare scarlet or purple, saith Pomponius Laetus; and so other both Kings and Consuls: but Plinie (in the place last cited) saith, Lectulus Spinther was the first who used dibapha Tyria in praetextâ the double-ingrayned-throughly-dyed purple, in his gowne or robe, yet prodigality did sprout▪up apace; for Lu∣cullus his discubitory beds were adorned with purple; and himselfe served in dishes of gold and silver, set with rich precious stones, the spoyles of barbarous Nations, as you may finde in Plutarch (in Lucullus his life) Cajus Ʋrbinus and others know∣ing Metellus Pi•••• his will, when they invited him to Supper, Ʋltra Romanorum, ac mortalium usque morem, they did beyond example, adorne their houses, with Arras, Tapestry, and costly hangings, and built stages for Players; the ground was sprink∣led with saffron; and other things done, as in a most stately Temple of the Gods; more particularly, a painted gowne for the most part, was his garment, when hee lay downe feasting, saith Macrobius, (Saturnal. 3.13.) from the authority of Salustius: about the same time they did conquirere altilium enormem saginam, as Tertullian phrazeth excellently that excesse (de Poenit. cap. 11.) or rather I will speake more to the purpose in the words of Tertullian (lib. de Pallio cap. 5.) Aufidius Lurco primus saginâ corpora vitiavit, (it may be, he speaketh of their lar∣ding of meates) & coactis alimentis in adulterinum provexit saporem; which later words can be understood of nothing else but the enforced cramming; which is not so kindely wholesome or pleasing a taste, as when naturally they feede themselves fat, as God taught them to eate; rather than as man compelleth them; Aufidius Lurco was the first, who by larding, and cramming, gave the flesh of creatures a new, but more adulterate savour.

PAR. 3.

ANd thus we cast our eyes on their wearing apparrell, which is the second point inquireable. Seneca (in Thyeste, ver. 953.)

Libet & Tyrio saturas ostro Rumpere vestes;

that is,

It pleaseth me, in sunder for to pull My robes, with Tyrian dye drencht to the full.

What the Romane Court used, Seneca imputeth to the Graecian: and perhaps justly: Martiall (14.154.) saith,

Ebria Sydoniae fuerat de sanguine conchae,

Their wollen robes were drencht, as in a flood, With the Sydonian shell-fish-purple blood.

And their Wooll, which was dyed in Tyrian, or Sydonian colour, was drunke with the liquour of the shell-fish; as Seneca, before, sayd, they were glutted with it: behold the excessive gluttony, and drunkennesse, even in their Scarlet-colours: Plinius (4.48.) saith of old, they were wont to dye their wooll, and cloathes, with so divers and sweete colours, that the cloath did equall the best of flowers, or herbes: purple, and scarlet, was the robe of their Senatours, that extraordinary robe, distinguishing the Patricians, from the Plebeians: optatus (lib. 5.) cum pretiosus inficitur color, Natura saepè convertitur; dum continctione vellus candidum purpurassit; sic alba lana Regalem transit in purpuram; that is, the nature of wooll seemeth to be changed, when it is richly dyed; the candide fleece is impurpled by the intinction; and the white wooll is turned into the Royall scarlet. So, scarlet was the peculiar ornament of Kings, in other Countries. Seneca (de tranquilitate, cap. 1.) non spendeat toga, nec sordeat quidem; let not thy garments be too rich, nor base neither: it may be he gave advice to the time for moderation, and repressing excessivenesse: I am sure Nero forbad the use Amethystini, ac Tyrii coloris, of violet and purple-colour, saith Suetonius (lib. 6.) and vestes auratae, cloth of gold was forbid to any, except to Emperours, Princes, or great ones; when before the use was over-com∣mon: cloth of silver was called vestis Attalica, as invented in Attalus his domini∣ons; and cloth of silver; yea, cloth of gold was worne by the Romane Knights: Tibullus (Eleg. 1.) speaketh of a victorious souldier, and horseman,

Totus & argento contextus; totus & auro, Insideat celeri conspiciendus equo:

that is,

Him on a swift Steede placed, you might behold, Clad whole in cloth of silver, and of gold.

After the Empire was setled in the Caesarean Line, ryot did over-flow, but the more sober behaviour of the Ancients, disliked such intemperance, and curbed them, decreeing Leges Vestiareas.

PAR. 4.

THe third, and next steppe is, to consider the Bed-ornaments of the Jewes, the good housewife so much commended, cloatheth all her houshold with scar∣let, Prov. 31.32. she maketh her selfe coverings of tapestry: Salomon his bed, (on which he did discumbere) was covered with purple, Cant. 3.9. though it bee read in our last translation; Salomon made him a Chariot (a bed, as it is in the Margin) yet the precedent words of the seventh verse, Behold, his bed, and the subsequent words, ver. 10. The middest thereof, being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusa∣lem; inforce me to thinke it was not meant of his Chariot; but is meant of his bed: the Hebrew word (Aphirion) being no where else in Scripture, affordeth conjecture to many interpretations: Kimchi, and Jarchi, S. Ambrose, with others, expound it, per Thalamum, aut lectulum, a bed; others reade Conopaeum, or conopium, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Canopie: most certaine it is, that Salomon had most choyse, costly, and curious Bed-ornaments; in so much, that the comeliest, and fairest among wo∣men, Cant. 7.8. was compared to the Curtaines of Salomon, Cant. 1.5. After this Abasuerus perhaps imitated Salomon: for at his feast were white greene, and blew hangings, fastned with cords of fine linnen, and purple, to silver rings, and pillars of marble; the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and blacke marble, Est. 1.6, The representative whore in Ezekiel, sate up∣on a stately (or honorable) bed, Ezek. 23.41. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. sedisti in

lecto pulcherrimo, as Ʋatablus rendreth the 70. sedisti super lectum honorabilem, as hee rendreth the Hebrew; and expoundeth all thus: In thoro egregio, vel pulchro, benè ornato, & inclyto; which the common whore interpreteth, Prov. 7.16. saying of her selfe, I have decked my bed, with coverings of tapestry, with carved workes, with fine linnen of Aegypt, and she perfumed also her bed, ver. 17. This was long before Romulus was borne; and therefore if the Jewes, in our blessed Saviours time, were so excessive in their chamber, and bed-ornaments; they borrowed not those fashi∣ons, of the Romanes which themselves used long before; but the Romanes imitated the luxurie, and prodigality of the Iewes, and other Easterne Nations.

PAR. 5.

I Might spend much time, if I reckoned up all that may be said, either of the wo∣mens aboundant cost, in adorning their Idolls; or, of the sacred attire of the Le∣vites, Priests, and especially the High-priest, and the Tabernacle; briefely thus, 2 King. 23.7. In the house of the Sodomites, women wove hangings for the grove, Ezek. 16.16. Of thy garments thou didst take, and decke the high places, with divers co∣lours; Thou takedst thy broydered garments, and coveredst Images; Ezek. 16.8. The I∣dolaters cloathed their Images, with blew, and purple, Ier. 10.9. yea silver spread into plates, is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Vphaz, the worke of the workeman, and hands of the founder: Tenues, & subtiles bracteae, seu crustae inducur∣tur ligneo simulacro, quibus imbracteatur; that is, their woodden Images are curiously over-laid, and embellished with gold foyle: that I may speake in the phraize of Ammianus Marcellinus: concerning sacred ornaments: Aarons holy garments, were for glory, and beauty Exod. 28 2. so were the garments of his sonnes, verse 40. made, and wrought, by all that were wise-hearted, whom God had filled with the spirit of wisedome, vers. 3. At the making of the Tabernacle, they offered gold, silver, and brasse, blew, purple, and scarlet, Exod. 25.3. &c. see Exod. 39, 2. &c. and they made the tabernacle, with ten curtaines of fine twined linnen, and blew, and purple, and scarlet; with Cherubims, of cunning worke; Exod. 26.1. And not onely the doore but the very Court of the Tabernacle, was inclosed with rich, broad, and long hangings, Exod. 27.9. &c. And for the very gate of the Court shall be an hanging of 20. Cubites of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linnen, wrought with needle-worke: Moses used purple, and scarlet wooll, to besprinkle things sacred, or to make them sacred, Heb. 9.19.

PAR. 6.

BUt I descend to the wearing apparell of the Jewes: the Jewes had varietie of apparell, (I thinke I may say above other Nations) fitted to all occasions.

• 1. For gifts.
• 2. For appearance in publique.
• 3. For disguise.
• 4. For Mortifica∣tion.
• 5. For feasting.
• 6. For severall ages and degrees in wonderfull plenty.

• 1. Joseph gave Benjamin, five changes of rayments, Gen. 45.22. Naaman brought with him as a present, ten changes of rayments, 2 King. 5.5.
• 2. Iosephs garment was changed, and he shaved himselfe when he appeared before Pharaoh, Gen. 41.14. And Pharaoh arrayed Ioseph in vestments of fine linnen, or silke, ver. 42. So Daniel was cloathed with Scarlet, by Belshazzar his Command, Dan. 5, 29. and Mordecai was cloathed with the royall apparell which the King did weare, Est. 6.11.
• 3. Saul had rayment for disguise, 1 Sam. 28.8. and Ieroboams wife in all likehood 1 King. 24.2. the widdow of Tekoah put on a new mourning apparell, 2 Sam. 14.2. when she undertooke to be a curious Masker.
• 4. In sorrow, squalid apparell was used; Zech. 3.3. Ioshuah the high-priest was cloathed with filthy garments, and God promised him, saying, I will cloath thee with change of rayment: David lay, all night upon the earth, 2 Sam. 12.16. and afterward changed his apparrell, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped, ver. 20. In adversity also many lay in sacke-cloath, and ashes, Est. 4.3. &c.

Cloath of sackcloath was worne in dayes of

tribulation, Revel. 11.3. Yea, it was next their very skinne, Iob 16.15. I have sowed sackecloath upon my skin; penitents sate in sacke-cloath and ashes, Luke 10.13. Iacob rent his cloathes and put sackecloath upon his loynes, Gen. 37.34. Hierome (Epist. ad Lucinium; fol. 69. literâ, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.) saith, ego insignia paupertatis, & quotidiana symbola, id est, signa poenitentiae tibi, & sorori tuae, nisi, quatuor Ciliciola apta proposito, & usibus vestris; that is, I have sent thee, and thy sister 4. hayre-cloathes, or Sacke-cloathes, the ensignes of poverty, and liveries of dayly pennance, fit for your use, and purpose: for hayre-cloth, or sacke-cloath was the induments of penitents. 5. Eccles. 9.8. Let thy garments be alwayes white, saith Salomon; where he speaketh of times of joy, and feasting, as appeareth both by the precedent, and subsequent verses: be alwayes neate, handsome, cleanely; but especially, at mirth, and feasting; alwayes white; not alwayes white; as whitenesse is opposed to blackenesse; but as white is taken for well-coloured, shining, exquisite; and is contra-distinguished to base, beggerly, sordid, or foule; Salomon had linnen yarne, brought out of Aegypt; the Kings Merchants received the linnen yarne, at a price, 2 Chro. 1.16. So that they might frame the cloth, according to their owne desires: other phrases are used, Iam. 2.2. &c, goodly apparell, and gay-clothing, is contra-opposed, to vile ray∣ment: Philo lib. 2. de vit â Contemplativâ) saith, the Iewes are wont to feast in white apparell, which in likelihood they practised, from the cited place of Salomon; yea, saith Philo, the very attendant waiting-boyes, at those their feasts, were tenuissimas & candidissimas praecincti tunicas, clad in very thin and white garments; anteriore parte, ad genua demissas; posteriore ad poplites; the fore part reaching to the knees, the hinder part to their hammes: The Lord threatneth in the day of his Sacrifice, (which was commonly a day of feasting) to punish such as are cloathed with strange apparell, Zeph. 1.8.) which may be well interpreted of such as weare not apparell appro∣priated to the Sacrifice, answerable to that of him, who was punished for not ha∣ving a wedding garment; unto this place of the Prophet Zephanie, might our Sa∣viour allude, in that parable, Revel. 3.18. I counsell thee to buy of me white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed; the wicked woman, Ezek. 23.40. decked her selfe with ornaments, against the feast of her lovers: Pelagius was wont to say; Gloriam ve∣stium, & Ornamentorum Deo esse contrarium; the glory of vestments and ornaments, is contrary to God. S. Hierome (in his first booke against him) poseth him thus; quae sunt rogo, inimicitiae apud Deum, si tunicam habuero mundiorem? I prethee what offence is it to God, if I weare, on my backe an handsome garment? The linnen of the Spouse was fine, cleane, white, Revel. 19.8. Was not Salomon, being cloathed in his royall apparell, heard of God, and accepted at the Dedication of the Tem∣ple; both publickely, by day, 2 Chro. 7.10. and secretly by night, ver. 12. aswell, if not more than any other, who wore meaner apparell? Was not our blessed Savour, his coate of an extraordinary texture, or working? yet, none ever so accepted, as He: for in him was God well pleased, supereminenter: Hierome (ad Eustochium) vestis nec satis munda, nec sordida, & nullâ diversitate nobilis sit; that is, let not thy garments be over-nice, nor yet sluttish, nor variegated like a Peacocke, with divers colours. I judge this passage mis-printed: It ought rather, as I guesse to be reade; Vestis nec nimis munda; since, non satis munda, doth signifie little else; but sordida, & maculata; and mundities, or cleanelinesse, was alwayes allowed for good; though nicenesse, and over-neatnesse bee, in excesse, and faulty: a foule imputati∣on hath beene cast, by the seeming grave Spanish, on the French; and on the English especially, for new-fanglednesse, and dayly-varyed shapes, and fashions of their apparrell: But Ribera, (on Zephan. 1.8) saith the Spaniards are Hujus vani∣tatis supra modum studiosi, qui suis relictis, aliarum Nationum vestibus utuntur; the Spaniards are exceedingly vaine, to follow the fashions of other Nations, and leave their owne guise: his fellow Jesuite Christopher Castrus, on the same place, taxeth the same Nation of the Spaniards, for the same point, of following the hu∣mours of other Nations, in their apparell: In quo vitio maximè sunt Hispani, qui ve∣stibus, & idiomate gentium, quibuscum agunt, delectantur, that is, the Spaniards, of

all other are most to blame to delight in the like apparell of other Nations, and to use their language: This I observed that I may wipe off part of the blot, from the English, for their imputed affection of new-fangled apparrell. 6. Concerning the diversity of garments, for severall ages, and degrees, among the Iewes; I may truely say, Versicolores vestes, & acu-pictae; Raiment of needle-worke, with diverse colours, were in great use, with the Iewes, before Rome was ever heard of: the ve∣ry youth of Ierusalem were brought up in scarlet; Lam. 4.5. Phrygionicae vestes, the Phrygian needle-worke wrought about, with divers colours, was worne as is men∣tioned Psal. 45.13.14. The Kings daughter is described as adorned with them: So Tamar, Davids owne Daughter, being a Virgin had a garment of diverse colours upon her: for with such robes were the Kings daughters, that were Virgins appa∣relled; 1 Sam. 13.18. The good hous-wifes cloathing is of silk, and purple, Pro. 31.22. Ezek. 27.20. They had precious cloathes for Charets: likewise more especially the valiant men did weare Scarlet, Nah. 2.3. Sisera his mother expected, that he should have spolium tincturarum, spolium tincturarum acu intertextum; tinctum his intertexta, as it is, in the Hebrew, Iudg. 5.30. A prey of divers colours, of divers Colours of needle∣worke; a prey of divers Colours, of needle-worke on both sides, meete for the necke of them, that take the spoyle; as our last translation rendred it: So then, about their neckes, they wore those glorious Ornaments, like Collars of SSSS esses: soft raiment was the clothing of delicate persons, in Kings houses, Matth. 11.8. Purple-ray∣ment was on the Kings of Midian, Iudg. 8.26. Captaines and rulers were clothed, in blue, Ezek. 23.6. Gabriel Palaeotus (de sacris Consistorii Consultationibus, pag. 369.) maintaineth from Augustine his authority; quod deceteos, qui aliis praesunt, glo∣riosos, in conspectu populi apparere, nè, si nimiae dejectionis servaretur humilitas, regendi frangeretur authoritas; that is, it behoveth them, who are set over other, to appeare glorious, before the People; lest by over-much humility, the authority of govern∣ment be broken in peeces; but part of that gloriousnesse consisted in gorgeous ap∣parell, as besides what is above written, may be seene, by Isaiah his description of Christ, Isa. 63.1. and Act. 2.21. Herod was arrayed in royall apparell, Jam. 2.2. A rich man is described by being in goodly apparell; and Mordecai went in Roy∣all apparell; Est. 8.15, Compendiously thus: the severall uses, and employments of manifold garments, among the Iewes, and others of former times, pro re natâ, as occasion guided them, may be imagined by the infinite store of them, then hea∣ped up; and this store may be found in the wicked mans wardrobe, Iob. 27.16. Though he beape up silver as the dust, and prepare rayment as the Clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, ver. 17. God promiseth apparell in great abundance, to the Israelites, Zech. 14.14. and yet, upon abuse, the women are taxed for their ex∣cesse herein, Isa. 3.22. are reckoned up changeable suites of Apparells, and Man∣tles, and wimples, and fine linnen, and hoods, and vailes, ver. 23. Ezek. 27.24. They were rich, in broydered worke, and in chests of rich apparrell.

PAR. 7.

NOw, let us closely grapple with Pererius, in these 3 points.

• 1. First, who changed their clothes, at their feastings, first, the Iewes, or the Romanes? Pererius saith, the Iewes tooke up this fashion from the Romanes; yet hee hath not one shadow of proofe: But I have manifested that the Iewes did at such times of feasting, change their apparrell, long before ever the first stone of Rome was layd; and that the Romanes did imitate the fashions of the Iewes, and other Easterne Na∣tions, in apparell and feasting.
• 2. The second point from Pererius his words is questionable, whether the Romanes had on them, one onely vestment, when they feasted? I answere, if Pererius meane; they had onely, one feasting vestment, I will not dislike him; but since he saith from the authority of the statues, that for the most part, that onely vestment was upon their bare, or next to their skinne; hee shall give me leave, to dissent: and to conclude from his owne words, since the statues were onely so, magnâ ex parte, for a great part; it is probable, from a great

• part of, and other statues; they might have more cloaths, to cover their naked bodies: againe as they might have but only one feasting garment, & that only on their bodies, in excessive hot weather, so it is likely they had more than one garment, to keepe a∣way the cold; their evenings being naturally coole; & their suppers being taken late, in the Evening.
• 3. The 3 point disputable, from the opinion of Pererius is, whether that place in the parable, Mat. 22.1.
  • 1. A man had not on a wedding garment, doth prove; that the Iews had only one garment, on their bodies, when they feasted; he saith, this is plainely signified, in that parable: I distinguish, the feasting garment was one∣ly one, for every one; yet is there no signe, or footesteppe of proofe, that the Iewes had onely one vestment a peice, on their bodies at their feastings.
  • 2. Though the intruder were most justly punished; because he had not on the Nuptiall indument, yet it is a sound proofe (and he is not condemned for it) that he came to feast in his owne cloathes (as others were wont.)
  • 3. Suppose the Iewes had on them onely one garment, at their Nuptiall feasts; yet, it is not to be evidenced, that they had it in their other sacred, or civill feasts; for their ceremonies varied, Ezek. 16.7. &c.

God speaketh to Ierusalem, and alludeth even to their marriage ceremonies; yet intimateth more garments, then one on them; thou art come to Ornament of Ornaiments, or, excellent ornaments; I clothed thee with broydered worke; I gir∣ded thee about with fine linnen; I covered thee with silke; I decked thee also with ornaments; thy rayment was of fine linnea, and silke, and broydered worke; of thy garments, thou didst take, and decke the high places; and tookest thy broydered garments, and coverest them: Christ's practise is most plaine against it, Ioh. 13.4. Christ rose from supper, and layd aside his garments, and tooke a towell, and girded himselfe; and ver. 12. After he had washed their feete, and had taken his garments, he sate downe againe; it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, garments, in the plurall number, in both verses: againe, here at this great sacred feast: there is no mention of any especiall feasting indument: I acknowledge that both the Iewes, and after them, the Ro∣manes after their purifications, Pedilavians, or bathings, did put on cleane cloathes, oftimes: but there were both some bathings, without feastings, and many feastings, without bathings; and neither feastings, nor bathings, were alwayes accoutred, with change of vestments; and different were the fashions, at Sacred feasts, from those, at civill feasts: we reade indeed, Mark. 14.51. There followed Christ, a young man; having a linnen-cloath cast about his naked body; and he left his linnen cloth, and fled from them naked: Yet this was not a feasting or Nuptiall garment; but seemes to be a bed-syndon, caught-up, on the sudden; When the putting on of his other apparrell, would have bred more delay, than the young man would in∣dure; in that whirle-wind of state, against our blessed Saviour.

PAR. 8.

BUt concerning the Nuptiall garment instanced upon, by Pererius; and the infe∣rence thereon; let us heare the testimonies of our adversaries, and his friends: Barradius (Tom. 3. pag. 483.) thus; solebant Convivae vestibus indui coenatoriis; quibus induti sumebant cibum linteati; that is, the guests were wont to bee clad, with supping or feasting garments; and these being on, they tooke their meate, in ano∣ther linnen-indument; which garment is here called the wedding garment; because at marriage feasts, all discumbed, clad in syndons; and in the end, (though some∣what enterfering, with his owne former words) I doubt saith Barradius, whether this custome were among the Iewes, for we are not to ascribe the Romane customes to the Iewish Nation: and herein, as also in the plurality of vestments, he crosseth Penerius; who will have this Romane custome to be imitated by the Iewes: Fran∣ciscus Lucas Brugensis, speaking of the young man, who ranne away naked; and holding it very unlikely, it should be S. Iohn the Evangelist; who using this syndon, for a supping garment, forgot for griefe, to put on his dayly garment, holdeth it incredible (to say no more) Apostolis fuisse vestis coenatorias, alias, â quotidianis, aut ••o•• c••nasse amictes syndons, super nado, ut nibil amplius dicam, saith he, that is, that

the Apostles had supping garments, different from their usuall apparell; or, that they did sup, with onely a linnen garment, upon their bate skinne: if Pererius his best friends forsake him, and leave him naked; it is no matter of censure; if I mani∣fest his manifold mistakings: Mine owne opinion is this; Concerning that Nup∣tiall-garment, it was not all, and wholly alike, on every one; nor exactly of the same cloth, stuffe, linnen, colour, cost, length, or breadth; the poore and little short people could not have it, or have it sitting, as the rich and taller people had: what if I should thinke? that the nuptiall garment was some choycer garment of any kind, linnen, stuffe or wollen, silke or velver; or any other chiefe indument; oppo∣sed to dayly or sordid, bare, ragged, or cheape apparell; different from the ordi∣nary wearing; set apart, for sacred or civill feasting? whereby, they might testifie, their unusuall, good respects; and credit both the bridegroome, bride, and them∣selves: And so the delinquent instanced in, by Pererius, might justly be cast into outer darkenesse; for comming in sordid, torne, or common apparrell; when hee had costlyer and better: for there were few but had some cloathes better, than other: arguit impudentiae, (saith Hierome) quòd vestis sordida munditias polluerit nuptiales; that is, he doth checke him for sawcinesse, that would presume to disgrace; the nuptiall cleanelinesse, with his slovenly garments: and yet the guests were ta∣ken, de sepibus, angulis, & platêis, and from the very high-wayes, whose poverty might not excuse them, from having a wedding garment. So much if not too much of the fourth Parallell, or comparison; which Pererius idly, and groundlefly; even in this his most elaborate worke maintaineth, that the Iewes borrowed from the Romanes the custome of feasting-apparell; whereas the Iewes did weare white-feasting-garments; before the head of Tolus was found; or Romulus borne into the world. Pardon (good Reader) my former prolixity; and I promise, to be more briefe, with Pererius; in the subsequent points.

The Prayer.

INfinite, and incomprehensible God; thou art cloathed with light, as with a vest∣ment; and with immortality, as with an everlasting garment; I doe not desire to be cloathed in soft rayment, nor precious attires; to cover my nakednesse, my un∣cleannesse: Let my humble desire be heard, at thy mercy seate, that I may be cloa∣thed with the wooll of the immaculate Lambe of God; and bee arrayed in the cloathes of Christ; that I may partake of his blessing, and be accepted for his sake; and not reprooved for wanting of the wedding garment, at the feast of the Lambe with his Spouse: say Amen, O blessed Saviour; and let all the Children of the Bride-Chamber (whom it concerneth) redouble, Amen, Amen.