been made to the several parts of it, it is manifeft, I think, that this evidence doth not amount to a clear and good proof, or even to the shadow of a proof, of the point mentioned: and (which is ftill worse for the Author) that, if it did amount to a clear and good proof of it, yet it would, in no way, anfwer the Author's main purpofe; because the tranfactions and allufions, upon which it is grounded, are too late for being proper vouchers of the truth of his opinion, viz. That eating and drinking together was, at the time when men firft began to offer facrifices, a known and cuftomary rite by which they engaged in, and renewed, friendfhips with one another,

The Author, having now finished his direct fcripture-evidence, next endeavours to produce fome collateral proofs, which he places in fuch a light as renders them feemingly favourable to his opinion about facrifices. But as those collateral proofs coincide with the subject of the next section, I shall confider them in it.

SEC

SECTION II.

Containing an examination of what the Author has advanced, to prove, that, upon the fuppofition, that eating and drinking together, was the customary rite by which men made and entered into covenants of amity and friendship with one another, it is natural to think, that they would follow the fame method, and obferve the fame rite, in engaging in, renewing, and keeping up friendship with God; and that, in fact, they did use it for thefe ends and purposes, in the affair of facrifices.

IN order to prove the propofition, contain

ed in the title of this fection, our Author advances many things, which I fhall now confider in the fame order in which they lie in his book.

He fays, "This (i. e. eating and drink"ing together were fœderal rites, by "which men made, and entered into, co"venants of friendship with one another, " and with God) was fo well understood by "the ancients, that whenever any one of"fered a facrifice to God, or to any idol

whatsoever, it was looked upon as an actual engagement either in covenant, or "friendship, with him to whom the facri"fice was made. And hence it is, that to

eat

1

"eat of any facrifice offered to God, is the "fame thing as to be in friendship with "God: as likewife to eat of a facrifice of"fered to any idol, is to be in friendship " with that idol. It was this that made the pfalmift fay, Gather my faints together unto me, thofe that have made a covenant by facrifice with me, Pfal. 1. 5. And when "the Moabites are faid to call the people " of Ifrael unto the facrifices of their gods, "the people did eat, and bowed down to "their gods; it immediately follows, And "Ifrael joined himself to Baal-Peor, Numb. XXV. 2, 3. This practice was fo well "understood, and was fo common in those days, that when the Ifraelites were forbid to make any covenant with the inhabitants " of the land of Canaan, it is expressed thus, "Left when the Canaanites did facrifice unto "their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat "of his facrifice, Exod. xxxiv. 15, 16. "i.e. engage in covenant or friendship with "their gods. So again, they joined themfelves alfo to Baal-Peor, and eat the offerings of the dead, i. e. they entered into a ftate of friendship with gods that were no more than dead men. And hence it

sc

was, that when the firft-born of Egypt "were threatened with deftruction, that "God, by Mofes, inftituted the paffover,

by which a covenant was made betwixt "him and the children of Ifrael.-A Lamb

" for

"for every houfe, (or if the houshold was "too small, then a man and his neighbour "next unto him were to join in procuring a "lamb,)-A lamb was to be taken; and

as there was no altar, the blood was to "be fruck upon the lintel, and the two fidepofts of the door, which ferved instead of << an altar. And then the Lord, on his part, engaged that he would not suffer the deftroyer to come into any of their houses, “Exod. xii. 23. The children of Ifrael

were to eat the flesh of the lamb with one "another; and this was an ordinance to "be kept forever. The blood, upon this "occafion, was given as God's fhare: and "then immediately the people were under "his protection *.

ANSW. Igrant, that facrifices were means by which men engaged in covenant and friendship with God. But that eating and drinking with God was the fole ufe and defign of facrifice, and that this eating and drinking with God was a fymbol of friendfhip with him, and a fœderal rite whereby he and the offerers of facrifice did engage in covenant and friendship with one another and, confequently, that the eating of any facrifice was, in this fenfe, the fame thing as engaging in covenant or friendship with God; these are things which I cannot admit,

mit, without a good and clear proof of them. The Author here alledges fome paffages of fcripture as a proof of them: but none of them, I think, come up to the point, as will appear from a particular infpection of them,

The first paffage quoted by the Author, is, Pfal 1. 5. Gather my faints together unto me, those who have made a covenant by facrifice with me.Here mention is made of a covenant which had been made with God by facrifice. But then there is nothing faid, from which it can be inferred, that the offerers of this facrifice did eat or drink with God, or that his and their eating or drinking together was a symbol of friendship betwixt them, or the foederal rite by which they engaged in covenant with one another. Of all this there is neither a word nor hint in the text; and therefore it proves nothing that is for the Author's purpose.

The fecond text, which the Author quotes, is, Numb. xxv. 2, 3. And they (the Moabites) called the people unto the facrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods: and Ifrael joined himself to Baal-Peor. In these words it is intimated, that Ifrael joined himself to Baal-Peor, by eating of the facrifices which were offered to this idol, and bowing down to him; whence our Author would infer, that the Ifraelites and the idol Baal-Peor did

eat