Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews

§ 17 Secondly, This Oral Law being thus given, the Preservation of it, seeing Moses is dead long ago, must be enquired after. Now the Jews assign a threefold Depository of it. First, The whole Congregation; Secondly, The Sanhedrin, and Thirdly, The High Priest. To this End they affirm, that it was three times repeated upon the descent of Moses from Mount Sinai, as to what of it, he had then received, and his after additions had the same promulgation. First, It was repeated by himself unto Aaron; Secondly, By them both unto the Elders: and Thirdly, By the Elders unto the whole Congregation; or as Maimonides in Jad Chazakah, Moses delivered it unto Eleazar, Phinehas and Joshua after the Death of Aaron, by whom the Consistory was instructed therein, who taught the People as occasion did require. What the People knew of it is uncertain, but what they did so, was quickly lost; The Consistory or great Sanhedrin [Greek or Hebrew], as they call it, the House of Judgement, of Seventy and one, was more faithful in its charge. Hence Rab. Moses in the same Book, Tractat, [Greek or Hebrew] of Rebels or Transgressors, teacheth us, [Greek or Hebrew], The great Consistory (or House of Judgement) at Jerusalem was the foundation of the Oral Law; These are the Pillars of Doctrine, from whom Statutes and Judgements went forth unto all all Israel. And he afterwards affirms, with what Truth may be easily judged [Greek or Hebrew], whilst this great Consistory continued, there was no dissension in Israel. For not only the famous differences between Hillel and Shammai with their Disciples, which involved all the Schools, Scribes and Lawyers, among them, arose and were propagated whilst that Consistory continued, but also the Atheistical Sect of the Sadducees, rose unto that height and interest, as to obtain the Presidentship in the Sanhedrin its self. But the High Priests are those whom they fix upon as the principal Conservators of this Oral Law. To this End they give us Catalogues of them from first to last, that by their uninterrupted Succession, we we may be secured of the incorrupt preservation of their Original Traditions. Only it may here be added by the way; that they bind not themselves precisely in all their Religious Observances unto this Oral Law whereunto they assign a Divine Original;

§ 17 Secondly, This Orall Law being thus given, the Preservation of it, seeing Moses is dead long ago, must be enquired after. Now the Jews assign a threefold Depository of it. First, The whole Congregation; Secondly, The Sanhedrim, and Thirdly, The High Priest. To this End they affirm, that it was three times repeated upon the descent of Moses from Mount Sinai, as to what of it, he had then received, and his after additions had the same promulgation. First, It was repeated by himself unto Aaron; Secondly, By them both unto the Elders: and Thirdly, By the Elders unto the whole Congregation; or as Maimonides in Jad Chazakah, Moses delivered it unto Eleazar, Phineas and Joshuah after the Death of Aaron, by whom the Consistory was instructed therein, who taught the People as occasion did require. What the People knew of it is uncertain, but what they did so, was quickly lost; The Consistory or great Sanhedrim , as they call it, the House of Judgement, of Seventy and one, was more faithfull in its charge. Hence Rab. Moses in the same Book, Tractat, of Rebells or Transgressors, teacheth us, , The great Consistory (or House of Judgement) at Jerusalem was the foundation of the Orall Law; These are the Pillars of Doctrine, from whom Statutes and Judgements went forth unto all all Israel. And he afterwards affirms, with what Truth may be easily judged , whilest this great Consstory continued, there was no dissention in Israel. For not only the famous differences between Hillel and Shammai with their Disciples, which involved all the Schools, Scribes and Lawyers, among them, arose and were propagated whilest that Consstory continued, but also the Atheistical Sect of the Sadduces, rose unto that height and interest, as to obtain the Presidentship in the Sanhedrim its self. But the High Priests are those whom they fix upon as the principal Conservators of this Orall Law. To this End they give us Catalogues of them from first to last, that by their uninterrupted Succession, we we may be secured of the incorrupt preservation of their Original Traditions. Only it may here be added by the way; that they bind not themselves precisely in all their Religious Observances unto this Oral Law whereunto they assign a Divine Original;