The court of the Gentiles: or A discourse touching the original of human literature, both philologie and philosophie, from the Scriptures, and Jewish church in order to a demonstration, of 1. The perfection of Gods vvord, and church light. 2: The imperfection of natures light, and mischief of vain pholosophie. 3. The right use of human learning, and especially sound philosophie. / By T.G.

§. 7. * 1.1 As the Grecian, so the Roman Laws also, own their origine to the Mosaick institutes. This necessarily follows upon the former; for (as we before §. 4. proved out of Grotius) the Roman Laws were for the most part extracted out of the Attick and Grecian. So Melancthon, in his Preface to Carion's Chroni∣con, tels us,

that the Roman Citie received its chiefest Laws and judicial order from Athens. For she frequently imitated the particular Examples of this Republick, as when the great∣nes of Usuries gave an occasion to Sedition, Rome followed the counsel of Solon, concerning 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and reduced Usuries to the hundreds &c.

Albeit the Romans received much of their Civil Law from the Grecians; yet as for their Pontifick or Ca∣non law, it proceeded muchly from the Etrusci, who received theirs from the Hebrews. So Grotius in his Annotat. on Mat. 12.1.

In the Pontifick Roman law, whereof a great part proceeded

from the Etrusci; and the Etrusci received it from the Hebrews, &c.

yea, we have proved at large in what foregoes (Book 2. ch. 9. of Politick Theologie) that the Pontifick Laws, for Collegiate Order, Priests, Vestments, Purifications, and all other Sacreds amongst the Romans, were but imitations of Jewish institutes. The same might be farther evinced touching their Civil Law, the 12 Tables, the Agrarian Law, &c. which seem evidently derivations from Moses's Judicial Law.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Roman Laws of Jewish origine.