John Trapp on Haggai 2:11

Verſe 11. Ask now the Prieſt concerning the Law] For who ſhould know the law better then the Prieſts? And who ſo fit to reſolve caſes of conſcience as they? It was their office, Levit. 10.10, 11. Deut. 33.10. Mal. 2.7. See the Note there. It was an evil time with Gods people, when he was put to complain, who is blind but my ſervant? or deaf as my meſſenger, that I ſent, Iſay 42.19?Viu. in Aug. de civ. Dei. l. 4. c 1. When the Prophet was a foole, the ſpiritual man was mad for the multitude of their iniquity,, and the great hatred, Hoſ. 9.7. Varro upbraided the Roman Prieſts of old with their groſſe ignorance of many things in point of their own rites and religions: and Cicero brake a jeſt upon C. Popilius an ignorant Lawyer at Rome. For when Popilius, being called for a witneſſe to ſome controverſy, anſwered Nihil ſe ſcire that hee knew nothing, Cicero anſwered by way of jear, Put as fortaſſe te de jure interrogari you mean (perhaps) that you know nothing in the law, which yet you profeſſe to have skill in. What a ſhame was it for the Phariſees who took upon them to be guides of the blind, teachers of babes &c. Rom. 2.19.20. to be found, blind leaders of the blind, Mat. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Enni[illegible: 1 letter]s 15? So is it for Divines being asked concerning the Law, or will of God in ſuch and ſuch caſes, not to be able to anſwer diſcreetly, and intelligently as he did Mark 12.34. as an egregie cordat us homo? But ſo bungler-like, and ſo farre from the purpoſe, that it my well be ſeene that deſiring to be teachers of the Low, they underſt and neither what they ſay, nor whereof they affirme. 1 Tim. 1.7. How like the motion of a puppet, the language of a Parret is the diſcourſe of ſuch unlearned or unintereſſed Caſuiſts? Every Miniſter of Gods making can truly ſay, The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I ſhould know to time a word to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned, Eſay 50.4. See 1 Cor. 12.8. Tit. 1.9. Eph. 3.4, 7.1 Cor. 2.13.