inTromfes andThreatnrng.r. zy 3 flay him, and let him beftrangled like Achitophel : Lethis leprafie be at the leprofie Nazi; neither let therebe any reJforation of his ruine ; Let not his burial be in the burial,' of ' Ifrael; Let his Wife be given toftrangers; andlet others humble her in bis deatb. Vuder this turf, let fuel; aone the Son offuch a one be , with bis whale.Inheritance. But unto me, and allIfrael, let God extend hispeace andbleging. Amen. Now, Becaufe it is certain, that this is a form of the greateft and lati Anathema,ofa 4. 24. final and total Excommunication,and yet he who is devoted, is everywhere faid tobe r71111D Meechr'am, and under the Cherem, it is alinedevident, that there three degrees arenot diftinguifhcd as is commonly fitppofed, namely, that the Shammatha fhould exceed the Cherem, and that only theNiddui,the higheft and extremeftfentence in this folcmn form,being fo often called theCherem. Shammatha therefore is only a gene- ralName for the Expulfion of a Perron, fometimes withthe Niddui, and fome- times with the Cherem, which yet I do not fuppofe was alwayes thus horrid and fierce. To add unto the terror of this Sentence , they urea to accompany thee pro- 4 25. pouncingof it with the fundofTrumpets and Horns, as theTargum: faxesBarak did in his cutting of Mezoz, Judges g. 23. He fhammatized him withfour hundred Trumpets. And herein have theybeen imitated bythe Church of Rome/ in their (bakingof Can- dles, and ringing of Benson the like oecafion. I have not reported there things, as though for matter and manner, theywholly Belongedunto the penalties of the Law that were ofDi'vine Inititutionr Many things in the manner of their performance, as they are now expieffed by the Rabbinr, were certainly of their own arbitrary invention. When their Life amongtt them liirft began; is unknown ; though it be not improbable, that fundry things of this nature were pradiredby them before the. deftruetion of the Second Temple, when they had s mixed many of their own Superjfitions with the Worfiip ofGod, as isevident from the Gotpel. But this alto is certain, that God in fundry cafes had appointed that fotne Trani- 4. 26 greffors fhould be feparatedfrom the Congregation, devoted to dcftrudion , and be cut tiff. An inftanceof the Execution of which Inffrtution we have , Ezra ao. 7, S.. They madeaProclamation throughout Judahand Jerufalem unto all the Children oftheCap- tivity , that they fhould gather themfilves together unto Jerusalem, and that whrfoever would not comewithin three days, according to the counfel. of-the Princes; and theElders, all bis fubflance fhouldbedivided, and-himfelffepararedfi'om the Congregationof thaJthat had been carried away. A double penalty is here threatned upondifobedient Perron; the one concerned the Perin of fuch a one, n'nirt S-p0 911+ NIrt , He fball be fe- parated from the Congregation of the Captivity; that is, of Ifrael then returned' outof Captivity: and this was the Niddui or expulfion from Sacred communion which we before defcribed: He fhould be efteemed as anHeathen. Secondly, As tohis fubftance Vol 47 01n+; All his fubJfance his goods and pal: fé òns fhould be anathematized , devoted , put underCherem, taken away for Sacred tees. Hence time have made this diftindion between' the three degrees of excom- munication. Ferft, 'theNiddui concernedonly, thePerfon, and his, reparation from Sacred Of- fices': Cheremhad alfo-Confifcation. ofGoods, attendingof it ; the fub(fance of the Tranfgretiór being devoted ; and Shammatha was accompanied with the death of the devoted Perron; Which carnal penalties under the Gofpel being removed , that great and fore revenge which difobedient finners are to expeét from the hand, of God at the lait day, is fubftituted by our Apoille in the, room ofthem all, Heb. so. 28, 29.' Civil PuniJhments next fucceed, and they were of three forts. Firit, Corporeal: 4. 27. Secondly, Such as refped the Outward Effate and Condition of. the Offendor bhtrdly,,-Capital. Firlt, Corporeal punifhment was that onlyof Stripes, not exceeding the number of forty, Deut. 25.23. An accountof the JewsOpinions, and the manner of their exe- cution. of this punifhment, is given us by many ; in particular, exa6tly by &extort im his Preface unto his Bibliotheca Rabbinica whither I refer the Reader. Theycall it rnp`D, or beating by ffrokes , and fometimes O+1)31N r11p4D , the beating of forty, orwith forty. And hethat was liable unto it, was t117rI p, filius plagarum: Many Crimesdoubtlefs rendered Petfons obnoxious to this penalty; but they arenot di- redly expreffed in the Law. TheYeats now reckon up liven inttances of unlawful copulation
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