XIII.
Yea they could not indeed debarre the impure from eating of the Passover: seeing they did not eat it before the Priests, but in their private hou∣ses; as we find that Christ together with his Dis∣ciples did Celebrate the last Passover. For then all the people in some measure did discharge the Office of a Priest, as Philo the Jew speaking of the Paschall doth testifie; When every one of the people do Sacrifice, not expecting the Priests, they being by the permission of the Law allowed once a year on the day appointed, to discharge the Office of a Priest. And if in one Family there were too few to eat up all the Paschall Lamb, they were commanded to call their Neighbours to them, Exod. 12. that they might eat up the whole. The same way seemeth to be observed in Circum∣cision, except that they were not bound only to Circumcise at Jerusalem, as they were oblig'd to Celebrate the Passover there: for I do not remem∣ber that I have read, that the presence of a Priest was necessary to that matter.