any Body might guefs, without that Doctor's Learning, was to keep their Cloths in. He fhews a great Deal of the Ufe of the Cifta in the Orgian and Eleufinian Sacra Pars obfcura cavis celebrabant Orgia Ciftis. Catul. Pelei Nupt. Et levis occultis confcia Cifta facris. Tibul. Lib. 1. El. 8. Now what a mighty Wonder is this, that these idola trous Priefts, who pretended to fuch an Abundance of myfterious and abfconded Rites in their Superftitions, fhould make Ufe of a Cheft to keep their Trinkets in, from the Eyes of the Vulgar. If they had been laid openi to every Body's Eyes, all their myfterious Sacredness had been loft; which was kept up by their lying under Lock and Key. Befides, thefe Priefts of Cybele and Bacchus were a fort of itinerant Gypfies, that carried about their Trinkets from Place to Place, and therefore they must have a Cheft, or fomething like it, to carry their Rareefhow in; unless you would have them put them in their Pockets. For my Part, I cannot imagine any Analogy between thefe Cifte and the Ark of the Covenant; only they were both Repofitories, the one for the Law, the other for the Idolaters lewd Fopperies. If the Law was to be laid up carefully, why was not a Cheft a very proper and appofite Convenience for this Purpofe? Or why muft they needs copy from Egypt fuch a wonderful Contrivance? Certainly no Nation in the World could be fo ftupid, as not presently to think of this themselves. But who can think without Horror, that God Almighty fhould inftitute his facred Ark in Imitation of the lewd Cifte of the Heathen? Read but Clemens Alexandrinus's Protrepticon, and fee what thofe Cifta were filled with, Phalli, the Pudenda Bacchi, &c. and let any modeft Chriftian judge, if it can be fuppofed, that the Purity of the Divine Law could condefcend to be the Ape to fuch horrid Debauchery. Moons not Ægyptian. * Feafts of 6. The Reason why the Feafts of the New Moons the New were commanded to the Jews, was not I conceive any wife in Imitation of the Gentiles; but to engage them more particularly to Piety, and an Obfervation of the ancient patriarchal Ufage. They were enjoined them as a pious Inftitution, that fome Portion of each Divifion of Time might be kept holy, to give a Bleffing to the reft; for as the Sabbath was fet afide to be kept holy in the Week, the Paffover, Feaft of Tabernacles, &c. for the Year; fo was the Feaft of the New-Moon ordained to give a Bleffing to the Month. Indeed it cannot be denied, but that the Heathens kept holy the New-Moons too, when they offered up confiderable Sacrifices to the Gods, as Meurfius, and Monfieur Petit have fufficiently proved, and Dr. Spencer more at large. And it is plain from that paffage of Demofthenes, where he fays, that in the New-Moons all come up to the Acropolis, and fupplicatę the Gods to give Bleffings to the City and themselves." But then I can never affent, that Mofes took this from the Heathens. It rather feems to me to be a Practice of the true Worshipers of God through all Ages down from the earliest Times; and fo defcended both to the Jews and Gentiles from their common Progenitor Noah. And it is yet more probable to affign these Feafts an Original in those ancient Times, when perhaps the lunar was the only Year, the folar Motion being not yet fufficiently adjusted; and then the New-Moon muft with them have all the Solemnity of a New-Years-Day. Which Opinion will be yet more fatisfactory, if we confider the Obfervation which a learned Man has made, That God does not bid the Jews remember to keep Holy the New-Moons, as he does the Sabbath, but only gives them fuch Rites to obferve them with, fuppofing they knew, that they were to be obferved before. Nor Washings. ་ 7. And as for Washings and Luftrations, I cannot af fent, that they had by any Means their Original from the Gentiles Luftration, but were probably brought into *Orat. I. in Ariftog. Jo. Cler, in Numb, 28. Ufe Ufe by the firft Sacrificers in the Eastern Countries, and might be as old as Noah or Adam. For Washing the Hands and the Feet was a Part of the ancient Cultus, or Neatnefs, which was a Preparation which was never omitted, when they enterprifed any Thing which required Neatnefs or Reverence. Thus we find it used always before Meals in Abraham's Time, Gen. xviii. 35 19, 2. And without Doubt natural Reafon would fuga geft, that the fame Refpect was owing to God Almighty, by all who approached his Altar at a Sacrifice; and was as eafy and natural a Token of the Reverence they owed to him, as putting off the Shoes and bowing down. And I doubt not, but the fprinkling the Peo ple with Water mixed with the Ashes of the Sacrifice, was as ancient It being ufed, not only in the Jewish, but in the Roman Sacrifices, Ovid. Faft. Lib. 4. For it was thought requifite, that all, who were prefent, fhould in fome Measure partake of the Sacrifice; therefore as I fhewed you before in the beginning of this Difcourse, fome eat of it there, and others carried Pieces of it Home with them. But in expiatory Sacrifices, for the whole People, where the Sacrifice would not fuffice for all to eat of it, it was thought fufficient to mix the Afhes of it with Water, and fo to fprinkle them all with it, that fo all might receive fomething of the Expiation. 8. After fo many Ages from the first Use of Temples, Nor the it is a very difficult Matter exactly to ascertain the Òri- Temple: ginal of them. 'Tis true, Herodotus fays, the Egypti ans firft invented them, because the Greeks derived moft of their Customs from that Nation; and therefore the Greek Writers feldom fetch the Original of any Thing any farther. I am apt to think that there was not a general Ufe of Temples, till fuch Time as Idolatry spread over the World, and had dedicated the Tombs of Heroes to a fuperftitious Ufe. But yet long before this, and as ancient as the Noachical Times, there were not wanting Temples, or Houfes dedicated to a religious Ufe. For good Men in all Ages have ufed a religious Worship in Publick, even in Enos's Time, when Men began to call upon the Name of the Lord in publick Congregations, after Mankind was confiderably increased; and therefore in great Cities and fetled Polities, the Convenience of Temples for appointed Places to meet together in, and to defend from the Injuries of the Weather, could not be long wanting. The ancienteft Places of religious Worship I take to be Groves; which were used by the Patriarchs, and were lawful Places of Worship till fuch Time, as by Reason of the idolatrous Superftition they were applied to, they were taken away by the Mofaical Law. So Lucian fays, That Woods and Mountains were first confecrated to the Gods, Lib. de Sacrif. And Pling fpeaking of Trees fays, Hac fuere Numinum Templa, prifcoque ritu fimplicia Rura etiam nunc Deo pracellentem Arborem dicant. Thefe were formerly the Temples of the Gods, and thofe rural Places which maintain the ancient and fimple Rires, are wont to dedicate an extraordinary Tree to fome God. Thus, Gen. xxi. 23. Abraham planted a Grove in Beerfheba, and called there on the Name of the Lord, the everlasting God. And it probably was in a Grove, where Abraham defigned to facrifice Ifaac, and where the Ram was caught in a Thicket by his Horns, Gen. xxii. 13. And fo probably was the Place where Jacob flept, Gen. xxviii. 22. which he fays, fhall be called the Houfe of God. Not that from hence it can be concluded, that there were no Temples at that Time, because the Patriarchs did not use them. For they living a paftoral unfettled Life, could not have Convenience to build them, and were therefore contented with the more ancient Custom; but this very laft Text implies, there were at that Time Temples or Houses of God, becaufe Jacob, metaphori cally, calls that Stone or Place fo, which is an undoubt ed Allufion to the Temples of thofe Times. And in all Probability Noah built a Temple prefently after the Flood, for the Convenience of religious Worship. He is in Scripture exprefsly faid, to have built an Altar, Gen. viii. 20. which is directly contradictory to Herodotus, who makes the Ægyptians Inventors of Altars too. And why he might rot build a Temple, as well as an Altar, I fee no Reason. Nay, prophane Hiftory gives a great Customs And I doubt not, but that a great many Ufages in Other Na the Jewish Law came the fame Way, and were taken tions have up both by the Heathens and them from their common like the Progenitors; and fometimes it may be by Chance and Jewish. ordinary Convenience. And I dare fay, a learned Man might as eafily prove, that the Jewish Ceremonies were derived from any other Nation, where the like are to be found, as the Egyptians. *Philoftratus defcribes the Veftments of the ancient Indian Priefts juft like the Jewish; and fays they ufe Oil in their Confecration. And t Strabo fays it is a great Crime there (as among the Jews) to offer a maimed Victim; that they have a Lex Talionis, and that there is a Law, that no Indian fhould be a Slave. The Brachmans, the Indian Priests, wear Bells about them like the Jewish High-Prieft. Slaves there have their Ears bored through, and a perpetual Light is kept in their Temples; Women and new-born Children are unclean, till they are purified with Luftrations. They punifh Inceft and Adultery with Death. Only the Vil. Ap. Lib. 3. Cap. 4. X 2 + Str. Lib. 15. Brach |