Alit. 9. Alts r s. TheAuAeri- tieandHypo- erifieofthe Scribes. Deut. 6. phéeofthewtrf Upon theTuefday after and Pharifes, twofold. ' I" lofeyyhui'reporteth,That there were three Sects amongft theIewes; the Effì, the tebufei,and the caducei ; and befides thefe , they had certaine Scribes which were their Sages,orthewifeft men amongft them: The Greeks called thenPhi. lofophers; the Chaldxans, magi;the Latines , Do&ors. And of thefe there were fore in euerie Tribe, andin euerie Sect,&in euerieState,as it paf%thnow amongft vs. Epiphaniesfaith, Thattheyhad two Offices. The one, To expound theLaw , and topreach. it to thePeople , who carne euerie Sabbothto their Synagogues , asappeareth inthe Aíts. And as iofephas and Philonhath it , They werecalledLetIores,Readers, becaufe they read vntò them ; andScribes, becaufetheyexpounded the Scriptures. And Efdras termes themScribes andReaders,::And Saint Luke relateth,That Paul&Remakes con- ming toAnriochia,and entringintothe Synagogue, aScribe read the Law, and Saint Paul preached vnto the People. The fecond Office was, Tobe Iudges, Hefhadbedeliueredto the Princes, and to the Scribes, and theyfhall condemnehim todeath, fo faithSaint c.a athew. And thofe thatprefented the Adulterefl'e to our SauiourChrift, were the antienteft of all thereft of theSects ; forit appeareth in Leuiticus, That they began with that Law that commanded them not to drinke wine,nor anything that mightdiftem- per them ;That yee may haue knowledgetod[ccernebetwixt that which isholyand pro. phane,andmay teach the Children of f aell.They did vfelikewife Philacteries,and other Hypocrifies: And thereforeour Sauiour didno leffe reprehend them,than hedid the Pharifees for their fringes, theywould prickthemfelues with thorns, and their feet were commonlybefineeredwithblood; they hadthe Law writ- ten intheir forehead and inother parts of theirapparel] :Alluding tothat com- mandedbyGod inDeutronomie,Thoufhalt bindmy Precept in thy hand. lofephus re- counteth, That Alexandra mother toHircansesthe High Prieft , andtoAriftobu- lus,did greatly fauour them: & becaufe after his mothersdeath hedenied them this fauour, he was hatedofthe People. Ina word, Indiuine woríhip, and in publiqueprayer,they were molt refpecied not becaufe they were more holy, but becaufe theydid ftriue tofeeme fo : wherewith they did cloake their aua- riceand their crueltie ; and ioyning with the Merchants intheirgaines,theyhad equal part with themalfo intheir punifhment : wherewithbeing offended,they afterwardsfaid, Sy what power doaft thou thefethings a Butthey maybewel enough anfweredwith thatof Saint Chryfa/lome, Yee will notheate ; but though yeebe filent,the littlechildren íhall fpeakeforthhis praife; and fhould they holdtheirpeace, theverse Stones inthe Streetshould voyce him to bethe King, and Meffias. THE L
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