But no such thing can be drawn out of the word hannilvim, which is taken from the radix lava, signifying simply, and without any adjection, adhaesit, or adjunxit se. But let it be so, that the text meaneth only such as were to adjoin themselves to the religion of the Jews, yet why might not the Jews have taken upon them a matter of civility, not only for themselves, but for such also as were to be joined with them in religion. Could there be nothing promised for proselytes, but only a matter of religion?
Alas! Is this our antagonist's great Achilles, who is thus falling down and succumbing to me, a silly stripling? Yet let us see if there be any more force in the remnant of his reasons.
For a third, he tells us that it is expressly termed a rite and a ceremony, at verses 23 and 28, as the fathers read them.
In the 23rd verse we have no more but susceperunt, as Pagnini, or receperunt, as Tremellius reads it: but to read, susceperunt in solemnem ritum, is to make an addition to the text.
The 28th verse calls not this feast a rite, but only dies memorati, or celebres. And what if we grant that this feast was a rite? might it not, for all that, be merely civil? No, saith the Bishop, “rites, I trust, and ceremonies, pertain to the church, and to the service of God.”
Ans. The version which the Bishop followed, hath a rite, not a ceremony. Now, of rites, it is certain that they belong to the commonwealth as well as to the church. For in jure politico, sui sunt imperati et solemnes ritus, saith Junius.[846]
Fourthly, saith the Bishop, they fast and pray here in this verse (meaning the 31st), fast the eve, the fourteenth, and so then the day following to be holiday of course.
Ans. The Latin version, which the Bishop followeth, and whereupon he buildeth this reason, readeth the 31st verse very corruptly, and no ways according to the original, as will easily appear to any who can compare them together. Wherefore the best interpreters take the fasting and prayer spoken of verse 31, to be meant of the time before their delivery. Now, after they were delivered, they decreed that the matters [pg 1-247] of their fasting and crying should be remembered upon the days of Purim, which were to solemnise that preservation, quam jejunio et precibus fuerant a Deo consequenti, as saith Tremellius.
But Fifthly, saith he, with fasting and prayer (here), alms also is enjoined (at ver. 22), these three will make it past a day of revels or mirth.
I have answered already, that their fasting and praying are not to be referred to the days of Purim, which were memorials of their delivery, but to the time past, when, by the means of fasting and prayer, they did impetrate their delivery, before ever the days of Purim were heard of, and as touching alms, it can make no holiday, because much alms may be, and hath been given upon days of civil joy and solemnity.