piece to eat with the paschal lamb, of which every one was bound to eat as much as the quantity of an olive at least.-After supper a long grace is said, then a cup of wine is again drank by all. This cup was called the cup of blessing, or thanksgiving after meat. The apostle calls it by this very name. (1 Cor. x. 16.) After this the paschal solemnity usually ended by singing the HALLEL, or hymn. The Jews at their great feast, viz. of unleavened bread, or weeks of pentecost, and of tabernacles were wont to sing their great HALLEL (as they call it) or at least some part of it. What I have here noticed of the passover, I have abridged from several authors, I have only selected such parts as will serve to throw light on the subject, before us, and just such parts as I shall bring to harmonize with the account given us in scripture.

For a more extensive account of the passover, see THOS. ELWOOD's Sacred History; CRADDOCK'S Gospel Harmony; GOODWIN'S Moses and Aaron; and THOS. CLARKSON'S Portraiture of Quakerism.

Since the time of our Saviour, it is said the Jews have made many alterations in the passover supper; but all of them have concurred in retaining the bread and the wine as component parts of it. Though I think that scripture adjustment is alone sufficient to obviate the eucharistical notion, yet as I think the account of the passover by no

means foreign to the scripture itself. I have therefore transcribed what I have; but in order that my reader may be better informed by my Plea, I shall transcribe from the scripture account, of the several evangelists such parallel texts as shall bring us to the truth of the matter in debate.

1. Let me inquire after the sacrament or eucharist. Are there any such terms in scripture? Answer, no. We are then to set out with the name of a passover supper, and the only name which is mentioned in scripture. MATTHEW, Xxvi. 17.

Now the first day of the feast of unleav-. ened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him where will thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover ?

MARK, Xxiv. 12.

And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover his disciples said unto him, where wilt thou that we go and prepare,that thou mayest eat the passover? LUKE, XX. 7, 8.

Then cometh the day of unleavened bread; when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, go and prepare us the passover that we may eat.

In the account of the passover we have seen that the feast of unleavened bread, and the passover came at one time. By the above scripture we see that the very time and thing proposed were no more than the passover and feast of unleavened bread.

Dd

MATTHEW, Xxvi. 18.

And he said go to the city, to such a man, and say unto him, the master saith my time is at hand, I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

MARK, xiv. 13, 14.

And he sent forth two of his disciples, and said unto them, go ye into the city and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water, follow him. And wheresoever he should go in, say unto the good man of the house, the master saith, where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared. There maké ready for us.

LUKE, xxii. 9, 10, 11, 12.

And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them.Behold when ye enter into the City, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water,follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the good man of the house, the master saith, Where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.

In the account given us of the passover we learn, that the Jews were careful to remove all leaven from their dwellings. And lest they should be defiled with vessels in which

had been baked leavened bread; they provided place and furniture for that use particularly. The above scripture shows us, that the disciples inquired where the passover should be kept. Our Lord says to them, that in the City a man should show you a room ready furnished and prepared. And they were to make ready the passover.

MATTHEW, Xxvi. 19, 20.

And the disciples did as Jesus appointed them, and they made ready the Passover.Now when the even was come he sat down with the twelve.

MARK, xiv. 16, 17.

And the disciples went forth and come into the City, and found as he had said unto them. And they made ready the Passover. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. LUKE, Xxii. 13, 14, 15.

ver.

And they went and found as he had said unto them and they made ready the PassoAnd when the hour was come, he set down and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, with desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof until it [Passover] shall be fufilled in the kingdom of God.

We learn by what is gone before, the time, the thing inquired about,and the,thing prepared,and the thing set down too, to be the Jews' passover. But our method of transcription, here meets with a difficulty for the want of

order in the scripture account. It must be known to every person, who reads the bible attentively, that though the evangelists agree that Christ sat down with his disciples to the passover supper, they seem much to disagree, as the subject which afterward first occurred: Matthew and Mark show, that the traitor Judas was exposed before the breaking of bread. Luke and John disagree, not only with Matthew and Mark, but apparently disagree with each other: Luke shows that Judas was exposed after the breaking of bread, but John shows that it was in the very time of eating the supper. Though these accounts given us seem to be wild, and apparently insolvable at the first view: yet I shall endeavor (by the account given us of the passover) to harmonize the whole by and by.

Though the account seems to be deranged; yet I have no doubt, but all will agree with me,the texts which relate to the breaking of the bread, ought to be considered as parallel in our subject, and they stand as follows.

MATTHEW, XXVi. 26.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake it and gave it to his disciples, and said, Take eat: this is my body. MARK, XIV. 22.

And as they did eat Jesus took bread and blessed, and brake it and gave to them and said, Take eat this is my body..