Sacrificer of theOld Lei*. i ®q , cations, and feafons.of its celebration ; for as to the nature ofit, itwas inflituted and obferved from the foundatión of the world. And it Teems tohave been the firaac- ceptable facrifice, namely, that whichAbel offered, Gen. 4.4. For whereas it is ex- preflyPaid ofthe offeringofÇain, not only that it was mincha, but that it was of the fruity ofthe earth, that is, a meat offering it is Paid only ofAbel, that he brought F,11`1nty1 lilt n11í n of the fefflings of his flock, and of thefat thereof; that is, either with their fat, or the fat firfilings, the proper matter ofthis facrifice. Our Apofilecalls it his IAoe, hisgift, that is, his jrtp or free-will-offering, as all were before the Law ; andhis l wia, Hob. 11.4. the facriftce that heflew to the Lord. But the name. is flea ex preffed, Gen.$. 20. whereboth the matter and nature alto ofit is let down; Noah builded an altar, and took, of every clean beat{ (Bullocks, Sheep and Goats) andofevery cleanfowl (Turtles and Pigeons) (this God had intimated him in) fit) í1y+1 and offered burnt offerings on the altar. So did Job, before the giving of the Law, chap, a. 5. which God aifo prefcribed.unto his friends, chap. 42. 8. as did Jethro an in the Wi!dernefs, Exod. r8, tz. For from that facrificeof Noah, was this Riteof whole- burnt-offerings derived bytradition unto allNations ofhis pofterity t but the end and ufe of it being loft, it was in procefs of time, by thecraft ofSatan, turned into the chiéfca way ofexercifing their idolatry. The matter therefore of this lacrifice was preferved among the Heathen ;'although Ø. 15. they madeufe ofother creatures alto, then what were allowed in the Law of Mofes, orapplied unto that purpsfe by any who were guided by divine direL`tion. Their principal folemnfaorifices were of the Herd, which therefore they called ßeOvalt,or buthyfia, the facrifice ofOxen, and that ofall fortsofKine. Taitrum Neptuno,,taurum tibi pulcher Apollo, as Virgil. Andhe alto expreffeth the way iof offering thereBulls or Oxen to Neptune, Apollo, and oftheir feigned Deities. Et f Lida imponit taur,orum viieraftammie. They committed their wholeinwards untoflames on theAltar; which expreffeth this Ho- locauft. And they offered Rineofall forts. So Homer tellsus, that Neffor facrificed irie, that is, an Heifer or a Bullock ofone.year old, ivtavwtxtor, faith Eufiathiuí; as in many cafes the Law direlted. And the Poet adds, "He era úxó oyóv ïíyayn, á>lie. Which none had brought to theyoke, as the fame was required in the facrifices of the . Law. To the Moon they facrificed a Bullock, whole horns turned into the likenefsof her firs appearance : __ fferi[emque tibi Proferpina vaccam. And abarren heifer to Proferpina. And Plutarch telleth us, that fame ofthe old /Egy- ptians offered a Red Heifer in facrifice, which I muchdoubt; and fuppofe rather the report to have rifen from the Ceremonies ofthe Red Cow inftituted in the Wildernefs,. when the People cameout ofEgypt. But whereas an Ox was an harmlefs and ufefut creature, fume of them began at length to fuppofe that it was not meet to ufe them in racrifice. But to keep up the old tradition of thiskindof offering, they made a Cake, which they called Papanon, and fafhioned it into the limilitude of anOx, and termed it. an Ox, as Hefychius inaásarór. So the images of idolatrous Groves, placed by Idolaters in the Temple ofold, are called Groves in the Scripture; and the fmall Shrines made for Diana, are called Templer. Sheep alfö they facrificed, efpecially Lambs, to Jupiter, Minerva, and Diana ; and Goats or Sido toBacchus. Whence is that ofthe Poet. Rode caper vites, tamen him cumfiabisad aras, In tua quod fßargi cornus, pop, exit. TheVines cropt by the Goat, yet Wine fuffee To fprinkle him whenmade a facrifice. Which f. 16,
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