Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

But if we would have a clear and adequate idea of our Author's opinion about the meaning, ufe, and defign of facrifices, we must hear him further on this point. He fays, "To eat and drink together was "the ancient manner of men's engaging in

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

friendship with one another; and there"fore it is natural to conceive that they "fhould take the fame method, and ob"ferve the fame rite, in engaging in friendfhip with God: and if they imagined

[ocr errors]

"that

were fignificant rites, and expreffed in their way, what was principally intended, which was friendfhip and reconciliation to God." p. 301.-" His defign (God's, in the institution of facrifices) was, to retain whatever was neceffary to the keeping up of friendship, fymbolically intimated in the ufe of "fuch things as were the ordinary figns of friendship." p. 115.- Suppofing now that eating and drinking "together were the known ordinary fymbols of "friendship, and were the ufual rites of engaging in "leagues and covenants, and of renewing and rati"fying friendships, it will not be difficult to account "from hence for the origin of facrifices," (viz. by confidering them as having come into use for the fame purposes, in affairs between God and men.) p. 73. In like manner, speaking of peace-offerings, he faith, They who offered thefe facrifices, were looked "upon as in a ftate of friendship with God, and as "partaking of the known fymbols of friendship," (i.e. of facrifices, which were fymbols of friendship.) p. 80. And ftill to the fame purpose, fpeaking of the meatofferings and drink-offerings, he faith, The reafon "why a meat-offering and drink-offering were an

[ocr errors]

nexed to thefe two kinds of facrifices, (burnt-offer❝ings and peace-offerings,) is, the symbols of friend"fhip were offered, p. 278.

"that the Gods did eat with them, as they "did with the Gods, they would make the "fame rites ferve for amity and friendship "with them, as they did with one another. And to the fame purpose, he faith, "Eating "and drinking together was the known me"thod of old of engaging in friendship, and of making covenants and leagues; and if, at any time, men had forfeited their engage

ments, or had broken them, they were, "in fact, reconciled by the fame means by "which they were at firft engaged together. "Now it seems very natural for men who` "C were defirous to make or renew their

friendship with God, to pursue the fame

means and practices, as they did with one "another. Whatever was the method by "which the men of old engaged in cove<< nants, or whatever fœderal rites they used, "or by which they endeavoured to establish "the fecureft friendship with one another, "that would naturally be the means of en

tering into friendships with God. Eating "therefore and drinking with God at his "table, would be as natural a fign of friendship with God, as it was with any of their own species"."

[ocr errors]

¢

From this view which we have taken of the Author's fentiments about facrifices, it

appears,

t

+ Page 73, 74.

Hp. 335-337

appears, he affumes for certain fact, and a firft principle, that eating and drinking together was, in ancient times, a rite by which men entered into leagues and covenants, and engaged in, and renewed, friendships with one another: and that he imagined, that facrifices, at the beginning, came into use and practice, upon the footing of this ancientcuftom of entering into covenants, and engaging in, and renewing friendships by eating and drinking together; this method of contracting and renewing friendfhips being transferred from a common and ordinary to a religious ufe, and made to fubferve the fame purpose in men's tranfactions with God, as it did in their tranfactions with one another.— Agreeably to these notions of the origin and ufe of facrifices, the Author conceives, that facrifices were the Dapes, Epula, or furniture of a table, at which God and the offerers of them did eat and drink together; that his and their eating together, was a symbol or emblem of friendship betwixt them; or a fœderal rite by which he and they, according to the then prevailing cuftom of the world, did engage in, renew, or keep up friendship with one another; and withal, that this fymbolical or emblematical ufe of facrifices was the fole and whole intent or defign of them ". The

That the Author's notions about the use and defign of facrifices are truly and rightly represented here,

is

The truth of thefe notions of our Author about the origin, use, and defign of facrifices, depends upon the truth of the three following propofitions, viz.

First. That, at the time when facrifices came firft into ufe and practice among men, eating and drinking together was an ufual and customary rite, by which men entered into leagues and covenants, and engaged in, renewed, and kept up friendship with one another.

Secondly. That it is natural to think, that men would make ufe of this method, or

rite,

is evident from the following paffages of his book, viz. "Sacrifice was the Dapes, or Epula, which the offerer "partook of, when he was deemed worthy to be ad"mitted to a ftate of friendship.". p. 301. The "owners of all peace-offerings having a certain share "for themfelves to eat, at the fame time, that other "parts were confumed on God's table, as it were by "him; Hence thofe who offered these facrifices "were looked upon as in a flate of friendship with. "God, and as partaking of the common fymbols "of friendship." p. 8o. "When a table was fur"nished out with meat, it was neceflary that bread "fhould likewife be prepared; and accordingly, "the meat-offerings of flower were conftantly at"tendant on the facrifices of animals." p. 90. "A "table, by means of which a friendship was to be en"gaged in, or, if it had been broke, was to be re"eftablifhed, would not have been properly furnished, "if fomething that was ufual to drink had not been "annexed to the flesh and Mincha." p. 104. "Some "fort of liquor being always required as an ingredient "at all entertainments, this was the reason why it was "ufed at all facrifices; and for the fame end in both "cafes, viz. the keeping up a state of friendship by "eating and drinking together." p. 108.

rite, of eating and drinking together, in engaging in, renewing, and keeping up friendship with God: and that in fact, they did make use of it for these ends and purposes.

Thirdly. That, in all facrifices, God and the offerers of them did actually eat and drink together, in some sense or other, either literally, or figuratively and symbolically.

These three propofitions comprehend the effential parts of the Author's fentiments about the origin, ufe, and defign of facrifices. And, therefore, if it fhall be found, that he produces a good proof of the truth of them, his fyftem muft ftand upon a firm and folid bafis, and ought to be admitted by all reasonable men. But if it fhall be found, that he fails in the proof of all or any of them, that system cannot be regarded any further than as being an ingenious imagination or conceit of the Author, which has nothing to fupport it. I fhall therefore confider all that he has advanced to prove the truth of each of these three propofitions, and examine the ftrength and validity of it.

SE C

« AnteriorContinuar »