Next to the feveral rites of worship injoined to the Jews by Mofes' law, I might inftance in the fcrupulous precepts, which much perplexed their moral actions. For there were few moral duties, which were not nicely circumfcribed, and punctually determined in point of circumstance. The feveral dues of the priefts and Levites, their very charities to the poor, were fo determined in point of time, fo circumftantiated in point of place, fo fcrupuloufly limited and prescribed, as made it hard to avoid offence, in the greatest heed and obfervation; as will appear from feveral inftances which I fhall hereafter mention to you. Nor were they thus perplexed and difciplined with abundance of nice and scrupulous laws, in the worship of God and morality only; but in all their other affairs alfo. They could not fo much as build an house, but after a certain form and manner with battlements added to the roof. They might not dwell in the house they had built (at least as they interpret Mofes) without certain schedules of the law, affixed to the posts, and to parts of their doors. Their houses were fubject to disease, that is to fay, to the plague of leprofy, as well as themselves. They were to be pulled down, where they could not be cured; and in case they could be cured, they were to be purged and cleansed, by divers rites and expiations. They were not without reftraint of law, in the cloaths wherewith they covered themselves. They might not put on any garment of linen and woollen woven together. They were to edge their cloaths with fringes. They were (as themselves expound the law) to wear certain fchedules of the law upon their foreheads, and their arms; which were ftiled phylacteries. Their meat, and the preparation of it, were bounded with far more numerous laws, than any thing which I have yet mentioned. It would be infinite to give an account of the feveral kinds of living creaG 2 tures, tures, the flesh whereof was by the law judged unclean. And the blood and tallow of the clean, yea the flesh itself, in feveral cafes, might not be eaten upon pain of death. Nor was the preparation of their food: any freer from the fcruple of the law, than their food itself. They might not join divers kinds of creatures, as an ox and an afs, in the fame yoke, for tillage of the ground. They might not set their orchards or vineyards, with divers kinds of plants together; nor eat of the fruit of the three first years, nor of the fourth but at Jeru falem. They were forbidden to fow their fields with feveral kinds or forts of feed; nor might they either plow, or fow, either in the feventh, or fiftieth year. They could not reap where they had fowed, nor gather the fruits where they had planted, without the observation of such rules, as were troublesome, at least, in point of circumftance. A corner of the field, oliveyard, and vineyard, was not to be reaped or gathered at all, but left behind them for the poor. They might not glean, where they did reap, or gather the fruits, either in their fields, or their plantations. They might not stoop to take up any little quan tity of what might accidentally fall in gathering. If they had forgotten a sheaf of corn, they might not return to fetch it. Such were the fcruples, which incumbered them in their very charities to the poor. After they had gathered in their fruits, they might not apply them to their ufe, before they had feparated divers portions for other uses. First, a portion to be carried up to the temple, and there prefented before the altar. Then another portion for the priests, to be given to them in the country. Neither of which was to be less than a fixtieth part of all their fruits, by the decree of their wife men. Then a firft tithe to be given to the Levite; then another tithe two years together to be carried to Jerufalem, (in kind or value), and there spent; and the third year given to of the land. the poor After all this, whenfoever they kneaded a mass of dough, a part must be separated for the priest. Whenfoever they killed of the herd, or flock, the priest was to have his share in that. It would be endless to reckon up all particulars in this kind. The general account is thus ftated by the Jews: The poor had nine feveral gifts allotted to them by a standing law, three in the field, four in the vineyard, two in plantations of other kinds; befides the second tithe every third year. The Levites had the tithe of all the fruits that were confiderable. The priests had four and twenty other dues, all but one at the people's charge: And of the dues that were so charged, one was the flesh of the expiatory facrifices, and these facrifices were required for above fifty kinds of fins. But that which I now infist upon is, not the greatness of the expence, which the law charged upon the Jews; but that all their offices of love and charity were fo circumftantiated by the law, that they, who had the best inclinations to thefe duties in the general, muft of neceffity be much incum bered |