Chap. II Of Their Excommunication
They had three Degrees of Excommunication. The first was called in the N. T. a casting out of the Synagogue, John 9. 22. by the Jews519 Niddui i. a separation or putting away. It signified520 a separation from all commerce or society either with man or woman for the distance of four Cubits; also from eating or drinking with any; from the use of the marriage-bed, from shaving, washing, or the like, according to the pleasure of the Judge, and the quality of the offence. It was of force 30 days, yet so that they might be shortened upon repentance. He that was thus excommunicated, had power to be present at divine service, to teach others, and learn of others; he hired servants, and was hired himself, but always on condition of the aforesaid separation. If he remained impenitent, according to the pleasure of the Judge, his punishment was increased, either to the doubling or the tripling of the time, or to the extending of it to their lives end; his male-children were not circumcised; if he died without repentance, then, by the sentence of the Judge, a stone was cast upon his Coffin or Bier, to shew that he was worthy to be stoned. They mourned not for such a one with solemn lamentation, they followed him not unto the grave, nor buried him with common burial.
The second was called in the N. T. a giving one over to Satan, 1 Cor. 5. 5. By the Jews חרם Cherem. For the better understanding of this word, we must know that it is not used in this sense in the Old Testament; there we shall find it applied to persons, or to things; if to persons, then it signifieth a devotion of them to God by their death, Levit. 27. 29. If to things, then it signifieth a devotion of them unto God, by separating them from ordinary use. Hence it is that Achan is punisht for stealing the devoted thing, Josh. 7. Persons thus devoted, were termed by the Greeks ἀναθέματα; and devoted things, ἀναθήματα.521 Notwithstanding, in the Apostles time, both Cherem and ἀνάθεμα, signified a second degree of Excommunication, differing from the former. First because it was not done in a private Court, but published in the audience of the whole Church: Secondly, maledictions and curses were added out of the Law of Moses, At the publishing hereof Candles were kindled; and when the curses were ended, they put out the candles, in token that the excommunicate person was deprived of the light of heaven. This kind of excommunication was exercised against the incestuous person, and against Hymenæus,522 and Alexander.523
The third was called in the New Test. by the Syriack name Maranatha, 1 Cor. 16. that is, the Lord cometh; Maran signifieth the Lord, and Atha cometh and this they say was instituted by Enoch, Judg. 11. The Jews called it Schammatha, the Etymology of which word I find to be twofold. Some say524 it soundeth as much as Maran Atha the Lord cometh. Schem signifieth the Lord, and Atha cometh: others say525 it soundeth there is death, Schem signifying there and Mitha death. Hence we may render it an excommunication to death. And this is thought526 to be the reason of that phrase, 1 John 5. 16. There is a sin unto death, i. which deserveth excommunication to death. R. Gersom527 forbade the breaking open of letters, under the penalty of all three sorts of excommunication. And this was termed Excommunicatio in secreto nominis tetragrammati: see the form thereof in the Chapter of the Sadduces.
In the Greek Church there were528 four degrees of this censure. 1. Σύστασις. Those were censured with this degree, who were only debarred the Lords Table: as for enterance into the Church, hearing the Word, praying with the Congregations, they enjoyed equal liberty with other Christians, they might stand by and behold others receive the Sacrament, but themselves did not partake thereof, whence they were called Stantes. 2. ὑπόπτωσις, concerning this censure, all that I read of it is thus; that he that is thus censured hath admittance into the Church.529 But his place must be behind the Pulpit, and he must depart with the Catechumeni, that is such Pagans who were gained to the Christian Faith, but not fully admitted into the Church, because they wanted Baptism, and therefore that they might not pray promiscuously with other Christians, there was a place behind the Quire of the Church in manner of Cloysters, allotted to them, and was from them called Catechumenum:530 This I take to be the place of this second degree of Excommunication, so that the force of this censure I think to consist in these three things. First, they were barred the Lords Table. Secondly, they might not stand by at the administration of the Lords supper (which was allowed in the first degree) and this appeareth clearly, because the Catechumeni departed always at the celebration of the Communion, for to them principally it was said, Ite missa est. Thirdly, though they might ὑποπεσεῖν fall down on their knees and pray, and were thence called Succumbents, yet this they might not do in the Congregation, but only in that place behind the quire or pulpit, which was allotted to the Catechumeni, and in this also this second degree differeth from the first. The third sort of censure was ἀκρόασις, the party thus censured was permitted to come no further than the Church Porch, where it was lawful for him to hear the Scriptures read, but not to joyn in prayer, not to approach the Lords Table, whence such were termed Audients. The Fourth, and last sort, was πρόκλαυσις, persons under this censure stood quite without the Church, requesting those that entered in, with tears and weeping to petition the Lord for mercy toward them, whence they were called Plorantes.
Seeing it is commonly thought, that Cain was censured by the first degree of Excommunication, called Niddui, and that the last called Schammmatha was of Enochs constitution; both these being of such antiquity, I dare not say that the three degrees of Excommunication were borrowed from the three sorts of uncleanness, which excluded people out of the three Camps, though there was an observable proportion between them.531 Niddui may be parrallel’d with the exclusion out of the Camp of God alone, which befel those that were defiled by touch of the dead: Cherem may be compared to the exclusion out of the Camp of God, and the Camp of Levi, which befel those that were defiled of an issue. Schammatha may be compared with the exclusion out of all three Camps, the Camp of God, the Camp of Levi, and the Camp of Israel, this befel those that were defiled with leprosie; and from the Jews, it is probable that the Greek and Latine Churches borrowed their degrees of Excommunication.
Notes
519 נודי Significat hæc vox Separationem, Elongationem; deducitur à verbo נדה Separavit. Hinc etiam Proscriptus, profligatus, aut separatus quispiam dicitur מיודה
520 Buxtorf. ex Rabbinis Epist. Heb. pag. 55.
521 Budæus ἀναθέματα dici tradit, homines sacros, (i.) quorum capita inferis dicata sunt & devota; ἀναθήματα vero donaria diis consecrata.
522 1 Cor. 5. 5.
523 Tim. 20. 1.
524 שם Dominus אתא venit.
525 Elias Thisbites. in radice שמתא
526 Betram. de Politia Judaic. c. 2. p. 21.
527 Buxtorf. Epi. Hebr. p. 59 in dorso Epistolæ subjici solebat hæc abbreviatura כהרג מת אסור i. prohibitum est per anathema. R. Gersom luminis captivitatis (scil. resignare has literas).
528 Vid. Justelli not. in codicem canonum Eccl. univers. ad canon 55. Bellar. de pœnit. l. 1. c. 22. & Casaub. Exercit. p. 52. observant quintum gradum quem ille μέστωστιν aliter μέθεξιν appellat.
529 Vid. Iustel. loco citato.
530 Hospin. de Templis. p. 88.
531 De quibus. P. Fagius, in Num. 5. 2.