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SECTION I.

Containing an examination of thefe arguments, which the Author has advanced, to prove, that, at the time, when facrifices first came into use and practice, 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 friendShips with one another.

THE firft proof, which the Author brings

of this point, is taken from the covenants which Ifaac made with Abimelech, Jacob with Laban, and the Hebrews with the Gibeonites. He fays, "When the men "of old contracted leagues, or engaged in

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friendships with one another, they did it by eating and drinking together. This appears from the inftances of Ifaac and Abimelech, Jacob and Laban, the He"brews and the Gibeonites. Gen. xxvi. 30, 31.-xxxi. 46. Joh. ix. 14 "."

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ANSW, If it fhould be allowed, that eating and drinking was the rite by which the covenants, mentioned, were entered into by the contracting parties; yet these covenants are too late tranfactions for proving, that eating and drinking together was an ufual

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and cuftomary rite, by which men contracted covenants and engaged in friendships, at the time when they firft began to offer facrifices. Sacrifices had been in use for the fspace of two thousand years, and upwards, before the first of these covenants was made. And, therefore, the instances, here alledged, neither do, nor can, prove, that men, when they firft began to offer facrifices, made ufe of the fame rite in engaging in, and renewing, friendship with God, which they had formerly been accustomed to obferve, in making leagues and covenants with one another. If our Author, or any other perfon, would produce inftances of covenants among men, that were contracted by the rite of eating and drinking together, which are really to the purpose; these covenants must be such as were not only contemporary with, but more ancient than, thofe oblations which Cain and Abel offered to God; that is, they must be of an older date, by the space of above two thousand years, than these which our Author mentions. And, if I mistake not, there will be fome difficulty in finding them.

Another thing that is very unfavourable to the Author's fentiments, is, that it doth not appear, from any thing that is faid in the places to which he refers, that eating and drinking was a rite by which the co

venants,

venants, there mentioned, were made, or entered into.

The covenant between Ifaac and Abimelech was made by no other method than that of mutual agreement, and the oath of both the contracting parties to observe and fulfill what they had promised to each other, as is evident from Gen. xxvi. 28-31. Ifaac indeed, on that occafion, made a feast for Abimelech and his attendants; and he and they did eat together, v. 30. But this feaft was made, before he and Abimelech entered into a league of friendship with one another, as appears from the hiftory, and was only a mark of refpect which he put upon a great perfonage, who had come, in a very amicable manner, to feek, and to enter into a covenant of friendship with him. But it was not any rite by which they engaged in cove→ nant or friendship; for the only rite, by which they did this, was a folemn oath, as appears from v. 28, 31.

The covenant, likewife, between Jacob and Laban, was made and entered into by an appeal to God as a witness of their fincerity, and a folemn oath to perform what they had mutually promifed to each other, as is evident from Gen. xxxi. 49-53. On that occafion, indeed, Jacob took a ftone, and fet it up for a pillar; and his brethren did gather ftones, of which they made an heap; and he and they did eat together upon

this heap. Bnt all this was only preparatory to their engaging in a covenant of friendship. The pillar was fet up, and the heap raised, as a standing memorial of the covenant which they were about to make; and they did eat together upon the heap, in teftimony of the cordiality with which they were to enter into a covenant of amity and friendship: But neither the pillar, nor the heap, nor their eating together upon the heap, were any part of their actual engagement in a covenant of friendship, or any rite whereby they entered into fuch an engagement. Thefe were all of a preparatory nature only; all executed previously to their making or enter ing into a covenant. The covenant which followed, as is evident from the hiftory, was not made or contracted by any of these precedent transactions, but by mutual promise, calling upon God as a witnefs of their fincerity, and folemn oath.--After the covenant was thus made, it is, indeed, faid, v. 54. Jacob offered facrifice (Heb. killed a killing, of killable animals) upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread, and they did eat. But as this was done after the covenant was made, their eating and drinking together could not have been any of these rites by which that covenant was made or entered into; and therefore, it makes nothing for the Author's purpose.

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In like manner, the covenant between the Hebrews and the Gibeonites was made and contracted by no other mean, or rite, than that of a folemn oath. Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them to let them live; and the princes of the congregation fware unto them, Josh. ix. 15.—It is faid indeed, v. 14. And the men took of their victuals, and afked not counsel of the Lord. But then, fince it appears from the history, that this happened before Joshuah made a covenant with the Gibeonites, 'tis clear, that the taking of their victuals, could have been no fœderal rite by which the covenant with the Gibeonites was made, or entered into. Besides, it is utterly improbable, that Joshuah and the elders of the congregation would have taken of the dry and mouldy bread which the Gibeonites had brought with them, and have eat of it with them. And, indeed, this paffage, as it runs in the Hebrew, gives us no reason to think that they did. The

זיקחו האנשים מצידם,paffage in the Hebrew is

And the true literal tranflation of these words, is, And they received (or accepted of) the men (Oyo mitzedam) for, or, on account of their victuals, or mouldy and spoiled provifions". And

bmitzedam, for, because of, on account of, their victuals. The prefix 30 min hath this fignification in compofition, in other places; particularly, Deut. vii.

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