should be appointed Priests and Levites; all which could not be, (a) whilst the Law of Moses continued. To these we may add that Place (b) in Malachi, Chap. i. where God, foretelling future Events, says that the Offerings of the Hebrews would be an Abomination to him; that from the East to the West, his Name should be celebrated among all Nations; and that Incense, and the purest Things should be offered him. And Daniel in Chap. ix. relating the Prophecy of the Angel Gabriel, concerning Christ, says, that he shall abolish Sacrifices and Offerings: And God has sufficiently signified, not only by Words, but by the Things themselves, that the Sacrifices, prescribed by Moses, are no longer approved by him: Since he has suffered the Jews to be above sixteen hundred Years without a Temple, or Altar, or any Distinction of Families, whence they might know who those are who ought to perform these sacred Rites.

(a) Whilst the Law of Moses continued, &c.] Add this Place of Jeremy, Chap. iii. 16. "In those Days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, the Ark of the Covenant of the "Lord, neither shall it come into their Minds, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visit it, neither shall "that be done any more." (Even the Jews themselves could no longer observe their Law, after they were so much scattered. For it is impossible that all the Males should go up thrice in a Year to Jerusalem, according to the Law, Exod. xxiii. 17. from all those Countries which were inhabited by them. This Law could be given to no other, than a People not very great, nor much distant from the Tabernacle. Le Clerc.)

(b) Malachi, Chap. i. &c.] See Chrysostom's excellent Paragraph upon this Place, in his Second Discourse against the Gentiles.

SECT.

SECT. IX.

And the Difference of Meats.

WHAT has been said concerning the Law of Sacrifices, the same may be affirmed of that, in which different Kinds of Meat are prohibited. It is manifest, that after the universal Deluge (a) God gave to Noah and his Posterity a Right to use any Sort of Food; which Right descended not only to Japhet and Ham, but also to Shem and his Posterity, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But afterwards, when the People in Egypt were tinctured with the vile Superstition of that Nation; then it was, that God first prohibited the eating some Sort of living Creatures; either because for the most Part (b) such were offered by the

(a) God gave to Noah and his Posterity, &c.] The Mention of clean and unclean Creatures, seems to be an Objection against this, in the History of the Deluge; but either this was said by Way of Prolepsis to those who knew the Law; or by unclean, ought to be understood, those which Men naturally avoid for Food, such as Tacitus calls prophane, Hist. VI. Unless any one had rather understand by clean, those which are nourished by Herbs; and by unclean, those which feed on other living Creatures.

(b) Such were offered by the Egyptians, &c.] Origen in his Fourth Book against Celsus: " Some wicked Dæmons, and (as I may call them) Titanic or Gigantic ones, who

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"

were rebellious against the true God, and the heavenly "Angels, and fell from Heaven, and are continually moving "about gross and unclean Bodies here on Earth; having "some Foresight of Things to come, by reason of their Free"dom from earthly Bodies; and being conversant in such Things, and being desirous to draw off Mankind from the "true God; they enter into living Creatures, especially those "that are ravenous, wild and sagacious, and move them to " what they will: Or else they stir up the Fancies of such Hiving Creatures, to fly or move in such a Manner; that "Men, taken by the Divination in these dumb Creatures, might not seek the God that comprehends the Universe, nor inquire after the pure Worship of God; but suffer their Reason to degenerate into earthly Things; such as

"

"

"Birds

the Egyptians to their Gods, and they made Divination by them; or because (a) in that typical Law,

"Birds and Dragons, Foxes and Wolves. For it is observed "by those who are skilled in these Things, that future Pre"dictions are made by such living Creatures as these; the "Demons having no Power to effect that in tame Creatures, "which by reason of their Likeness in Wickedness, not real, "but seeming Wickedness in such Creatures, they are able "to effect in other Creatures. Whence, if any Thing be "wonderful in Moses, this particularly deserves our Admi"ration, that discerning the different Natures of living Crea"tures; and whether instructed by God concerning them, " and the Dæmons appropriated to every one of them; or "whether he understood by his own Wisdom, the several "Ranks and Sorts of them; he pronounced them unclean, "which were esteemed by the Egyptians, and other Nations " to cause Divination, and he declared the other to be clean.” The like to which we find in Theodoret, Book VII. against the Greeks: And not very different from this, is that of Manetho, having established in the Law many other Things, particu "larly such as were contrary to the Customs of the Egyptians." And that which Tacitus says of the Jews: "All Things are "profane amongst them which are sacred amongst us." And afterwards: "They slay a Ram in Contempt of Jupiter Am"mon; and sacrifice an Ox, which the Egyptians worshipped "the God Apis by."

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(a) In that typical Law, &c.] Barnabas in his Epistle: "Moses said, ye shall not eat a Swine, nor an Eagle, nor a "Hawk, nor a Raven, nor any Fish, which hath no Fins. By "which he meant three Opinions figuratively expressed. "What he aims at, is evident from these Words in Deutero<" nomy. And my Judgments shall be established among my People. Now the Commandment of God, is not literally to prohibit eating them; but Moses spake of them in a spiri"tual Sense. He mentions Swine for this End, that they "should not converse with Men who resemble Swine; for

When they live in Luxury, they forget their Master; but "when they want, they own their Master: Thus a Swine, "while he is eating, will not know his Master; when he is "hungry, he cries out, and when he is full he is quiet. "Again, Thou shalt not, says he, eat the Eagle, or the "Hawk, or the Kite, or the Raven. As much as to say, you "shall not converse with such Men, who know not how to get their Food by Labour and Pains, but unjustly steal it "from others; and who walk about as if they were sincere, "when

9 2

Law, the particular Voices of Men were represented by certain Kinds of living Creatures. That these Precepts

"when they lie in wait for others. Thus these slothful Crea

tures contrive how they may devour the Flesh of others, "being pestilent by their Wickedness. Again, Thou shalt "not eat, says he, the Lamprey, nor the Pourcontrel, nor the Cuttle; that is to say, you shall not converse with "those Men who are finally wicked, and condemned to "Death: As these Sort of Fish alone are doomed to swim at "the Bottom of the Sea, not like others to hover on the Top "of the Water, but to dwell on the Ground at the Bottom. Also he says, thou shalt not eat the Coney: Wherefore? "That you may not be a Corrupter of Children, nor such "like; for the Hare has a new Place to lay her Excrements "in every Year, for so many Years as she lives, so many "Holes has she under Ground. Further, thou shalt not eat "the Hyæna; that is, thou shalt not be an Adulterer, or "unclean Person, or such like: For what Reason? Because "this Creature changes its Nature every Year, and some"times is a Male, and sometimes a Female. And he justly "hated the Weasel; as much as to say, you shall not be like "such Per ons who, we have heard, have committed Iniquity "in their Mouths, by Uncleanness; neither shall you have "Correspondence with such Workers of Iniquity; for this "Animal conceives in its mouth. Concerning Meats there"fore, Moses meant three Things spiritually; but they, through fleshly Inclinations, understood him of Meats. But "David knew these three Opinions, and therefore agreeably "thereto he says, Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the "Counsel of the Ungodly, as Fishes wander in Darkness at the "Bottom of the Sea: And hath not stood in the Way of Sinners, "viz. like them, who though they would seem to fear God, "sin like Swine: And hath not sat in the Seat of the Scornful, "like Birds watching for their Prey. Thus you have the End "and the Meaning of them. But Moses commanded to eat

every Creature that is cloven-footed, and that chewed the "Cud. And what does he mean by this? He that receiveth "Meat, knoweth him that feeds him, and is satisfied with "it, and seems to rejoice: Which is very well said, if we ** consider the Command. What, therefore, is the Meaning "of it? Why, converse with those who fear their Master; "with those who meditate in their Hearts upon the Word "they have received; with those who speak of, and keep "the Judgments of their Master; with those who know that "Meditation is a pleasant Work, and belongs to those who thoroughly consi er their Master's Word. But what means

"cloven

Precepts were not universal, appears from the Instance of what is appointed concerning the Flesh of a Beast that died of itself, Deut. xiv. that it was not lawful for the Israelites to eat it, (a) but it was lawful for Strangers, which Strangers the Jews were commanded to perform all good Offices to, as esteemed of God. And the ancient Hebrew Teachers openly declare, (b) that in the Times of the Messiah, the Law of the Prohibition of Meats should cease, and that Swine's Flesh should be as clean as that of an Ox. And certainly, since God designed to gather a People to himself out of all Nations, it was more reasonable that he should make Liberty and not Bondage, in such Things, common to all. Now follows an Examination of Festival Days.

"cloven-footed? That a Man should walk uprightly in this *World, in Expectation of another Life. See what excellent "Laws are established by Moses." Clemens commends this of Barnabas, in his Fifth Strome. You may find also many Things • partly like, and partly the same with these, in Philo's Book of Agriculture; and in the Book entitled, The Wicked lay Snares for the Righteous; which are too long to be transcribed. The like is to be seen in Eusebius, out of Aristaus, Book VIII. Chap. 9.

(a) But it was lawful for Strangers, &c.] Holy Men, but not circumcised, which you find mentioned, Levit. xxii. 25. and xxv. 4, 7. and the Talmud, Chap. of the King, and of the Council; and in Maimonides's Book of Idolatry.

(b) That in the Times of the Messiah, &c.] Thus R. Samuel in Mechor Chaim. The Talmud, entitled, Nida, says, the Law was to continue but till the Times of the Messiah. We may moreover observe, that some Hebrew Teachers, among whom is Bechai, were of Opinion, that the Laws, concerning forbidden Meats, were peculiar to the Land of Canaan, nor was any one obliged to observe them out of the Bounds thereof. beside, the Jews themselves are ignorant, or at least dispute about the Signification of many of the Names of those Animals; which we cannot think God would have permitted, if the Obligations to observe that Law, were to have continued till this Time.

And

SECT.