An explication of the iudiciall lawes of Moses. Plainely discovering divers of their ancient rites and customes. As in their governours, government, synedrion, punishments, civill accompts, contracts, marriages, warres, and burialls. Also their oeconomicks, (vizt.) their dwellings, feasting, clothing, and husbandrie. Together with two treatises, the one shewing the different estate of the godly and wicked in this life, and in the life to come. The other, declaring how the wicked may be inlightned by the preaching of the gospel, and yet become worse after they be illuminated. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, and doe serue as a speciall helpe for the true understanding of divers difficult texts of scriptures. ... / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods word.

CHAPTER XXXIX. Of their proceeding in judgement before they executed the malefactor.

EZEK. 9. 10. Goe through the midst of Ierusalem, and set a marke upon the forehead of those that sigh &c.

THose who were appointed to be saved amongst the people of God, he used to set a marke upon them, Exod. 12. When the Egyptians were to be

destroyed, the Lord commanded his people to sprinkle the bloud of the Paschall Lambe upon the lintels of their doores; and from this as Epiphanius marketh, the Egyptians used at the Equinoxe in the Spring, to take vermilion and to rubbe over all their trees and houses with it, saying that, at that time of the yeere the fire had almost burnt up all Egypt, and therefore they use this as a signe in remembrance of their deliverance. So the Lord commanded Ezekiel to set a marke upon those of Ierusalem that mourned, whom he was minded to saue. Ezek. 9. 4.

But what was the reason that he set not a marke of [Quest.] destruction upon them that were to be destroyed, as he set upon these who were to be saved?

The reason was, [Answ.] because of the great number that was to be destroyed, in respect of the handfull that was to be saved, for where there was one to be saved, there was a hundred to be destroyed; there were but seven thousand who bowed not their knee to Baall, and of the great multitude that came out of Egypt, onely two entred into the land of Canaan. And Revel. 7. 4. of all the Tribes of Israel there were but one hundred and for∣tie foure thousand sealed in the fore-head. And in Ie∣remies time it was very hard to find one that executed judgement in all the streetes of Ierusalem, Ier. 5. 1. There were a few good men at that time, as Ieremie himselfe, Ebedmelech the Blackmoore, Vriah the Prophet, and the Rechabites▪ But the most of the rest were naught, and if Ierusalem had beene searched few had been found in it. And this was a griefe to the Prophet Micah, which made him to complaine, that hee could not get a cluster to eate, Mica. 7. 1. meaning that the good men were perished out of the earth.

The Heathen learned this of the people of God, to marke those who were to be saved with the letter ••tau,

and these that were condemned with the letter •• theta. It was the custome of the ancient warriors, when they re∣turned from battaile, he who kept the register of their names, marked the names of those who returned safe with the letter tau, and the names of those who were wanting with the letter theta, the Latines learned this from the Grecians, the Grecians from the Egyptians, and the Egyptians from the people of God. Persius

Si potis es vitio nigrum praefigere theta.

They put not two to death in one day, except they were guiltie of one crime, and they giue this example; If a man had lien with the Priests daughter, he and she were not put to death both in one day, because she was guiltie of a greater sinne then he, therefore she was to be burnt quicke, but he was not to be put to death that day, neither was he burnt quicke as she was.

How came it to passe then that they put Christ and the two theeves to death in one day, seing Christ▪ was [Quest.] condemned for affecting the Kingdome, and the theeves for theft?

Christ and the two theeves were condemned [Answ.] for one fault because they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, troublers of the peace of the Kingdome; and therefore the theife said, thou art 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the same condemnation, Luke 23. 40. Barrabas was a murtherer and so should haue dyed by the sword, but because he made insurrection and trou∣bled the common peace, therefore he was to be cruci∣fied. And the Hebrewes call these [perizim] effractores, and the Rabbins called them listin, from the Greeke word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they tooke armes to trouble the peace of the Common-wealth, and they used to crucifie all these who troubled the Kingdome and made insurrection.

Notes

• Those that were to bee saved, the Lord caused to marke them.
• Lib. 1. cont▪ har. 18.
• God did not marke those who were to be destroyed, because of their great number.
• The heathen marked the condemned with theta, and them that were absolved in judgement with ta••. Ascon. ped:
• The Iewes put not two to death in one day, but for the same crime.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 seditiosi Mark. 15. 7. a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sediti•• factio▪
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Effractores.