Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

ignorant of the righteousness of God," and would, by "building again the things they "had deftroyed, become tranfgreffors b'

[ocr errors]

If the hypothefis I have laid down (and, as I think, proved) be true, it will from thence follow, that the profelytes of the gate, con verted to christianity, could not be obliged to abstain from these four things, by virtue of the law of Mofes, or from this advice founded upon it, longer than while the Jewish polity lafted; fince, it being a civil law of the Jewish 7 polity only, that law, and the advice built upon it, muft drop with all the reft; which, perhaps, is the reason, if the church of Thyatira, to which St. John writes, was a church of the Jews (as I have offered fome observations to prove in the Second Effay), why the Spirit blames that church for "fornication "and" (things facrificed to idols, édonótula, or things offered to an idol in honour of the idol; that is)" idolatry."" but will put upon "them none other burthen "," not the whole burthen laid in this decree f; and therefore does not blame them at all for eating things ftrangled and blood, or perhaps even things facrificed to idols, unless they ate them as fuch, and in honour of the idol to which they had

a Rom x. 3. Rev. ii. 18. • Ver. 24.

b Gal. ii. 18.
d Ver. 20.
f Acts xv. 18.

been

been facrificed. And yet things strangled and blood used to attend idolatry, as well as the other two, as Spencer has fully proved: and which may therefore, by the way, ferve as a farther objection to his hypothefis.

There is another objection that lies against mine; namely, the fenfe that the primitive church had of this decree, who regulated their sentiments and conduct by it, as by a common and standing law of christianity. But, as this is an objection to my hypothefis only in common with all others, that make it but of a particular and temporary obligation, I shall refer my reader to other authors for an anfwer to it: for what will ferve as an answer in their cafe will, in a great measure, ferve in mine. I content myself with this the rather, because, whatever deference we pay the fathers or the primitive church in our days in matters of fact, there is little paid them in other matters without the plain evidence of reafon and fcripture, much less against it; their opinions in fuch cafes (and there are a great many of them) ferving only to fhew us, that they were liable to ignorance and error as well as we,

AN

AN

APPENDIX,

BEING

A Paraphrafe and Notes on the XVIIth Chapter of LEVITICUS.

LEVIT. XVII.

PARAPHRASE.

CONTENTS.

THE law reftraining every Ifraelite or profelyte to the Jewish religion from killing any ox, Theep, or goat, any where but at the tabernacle. This law intended to preferve them from idolatry. Eating of blood, or that which dieth of itself, or was torn by beafts, and things frangled, forbid den, with the reasons of thefe prohibitions.

[ocr errors]

CONTENTS.

THE law reftraining

every one of the Ifraelitish nation or religion, upon pain of death, from eating any ox, fheep, or goat, that was flain any where but at the door of the tabernacle; and whofe blood had not been fprinkled, and whofe fat had not been burnt on the altar, ver. 1-8. This law intended to preserve them from idolatry, ver. 5-8. This law extended to the ftranger that fojourned

[blocks in formation]

a Ver. 3. "Of the houfe of Ifrael." I take these words to be in oppofition to the stranger that fojourneth among you, ver. 8. or the profelytes of the gate; and therefore to include the profelytes of righteoufnefs, who were Ifraelites, though they were not of Ifrael; Ifraelites by religion and profeffion, though not by birth. And I take them the rather to be included here, because God fays, Exod. xii. 49. "One law fhall be to him that is home-born, and to him that fojourneth among "you." N. B. The Septuagint adds here," Or of the profelytes that fojourn among you."

"That killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat." These words are fo general as to take in all manner of killing; killing for private ufe, as well as for facrifice. And thus fays, R. Mofes, Mor. Nevoc. p. iii. c. 46. "Because "the Ifraelites were rebellious and contumacious, per"fifted in the wicked cuftoms in which they were edu"cated, and made themselves the companions of devils "by eating round the blood, therefore God commanded, "that all beafts that were killed fhould be peace-offer"ings;" i. e. should be killed before the tabernacle, and their blood fprinkled, and their fat burnt on the al

tar.

« AnteriorContinuar »