CHAP. XVI. Of Sacrifice. (Book 16)
SAcrifice is within a little as old as sin, and sin not much younger than the world. Adam on the day of his creation (as is most probable) sinneth and sacrificeth: and on the next day after meditates on that whereunto his sacrifice aimeth, even Christ. Cain and Abel imitate the matter of their fathers piety, Sacrifice; but Cain comes far short in the manner. Abel hath fire from Heaven to answer him, and Cain is as hot as fire be∣cause he hath not. Noah takes an odd clean beast of every kind into his Ark for this purpose, to sacrifice him, after his Delivery. And so he does: but for the Chaldee Pa∣raphrasts fancy, that he sacrificed on the very same Altar, whereon Adam and Cain and Abel had sacrificed so long before. I refer it to the belief of a Jew, who by the Poet seems to be of a large faith, Credat Judaeus apella. Decency and order was observed of the Fa∣thers before the Law, for this holy piece of worship. God makes Moses in his Leviticus to bring it into writing. While the Jews Temple stood, or while they might stand in the Temple, they had their dayly sacrifice, till the great Sacrificer offering himself, caused sacrifice and oblation to cease. Now are the Jews content, and as it appears in their Common Prayer book, they beseech God to be so too, with prayers without sacrifice, because they have not now access to their sacrificing place. Their distress (as they think it) for this very thing, might teach them that Messias Nagidh or Christ the Prince hath done what Daniel to them, and an Angel to Daniel had prophecied of him.
Whether the Heathens borrowed their custom of sacrificing from the Jews or from na∣ture, it is not material. Sure I am, that the Jews borrowed some of their abominable sa∣crifices from the Heathen: Sacrificing of men is Heathenish, in Moses his language: yet was this too frequent among the Jews, used also in old time by the Athenians and Cartha∣ginians, as witness Plutarch, Lactantius and others: and in these times by the Indians, as in Cortes, &c. Of this bad use (that the Heathen had got) I cannot tell what should be the reason, unless they thought that cruelty was the best offering, or that their gods were more cruel than merciful. Or this reason may be given. They had learned either from the Jews, or from their Oracles, or from the Devil himself (who cares not to give men some light, thereby to lead them to the more darkness) that a man should once be offered, who should appease the wrath of God (as Christ was) and therefore they in remem∣brance of this man, did sacrifice men, either to see whether they could light on this man, or else in remembrance of him till he should come.
Some condemn Jeptha of this cruelty of sacrificing his own daughter; who yet in Heb. 11. is commended for his faith: Austen doubts whether it is to be counted Gods Commandment, that he slew his own child. But I think no such doubt is necessary, since there is no such strictness of the words in the Text. A Heathen man in Plutarch when he was told that he must either sacrifice his own child to such a Goddess, or else his af∣fairs and enterprises would not prosper, could answer, that he would offer with all his heart such sacrifice as the Goddess would accept, but that she would desire or would be pleased with the blood and murder of his child, he could not be perswaded. I am sure Jephta had reason to be far better instructed in such things as these, than any Heathen in the world.
Varro holds that it was not fit that any sacrifice at all should be offered. His reason in Arnobius is: Quia Dii veri neque desiderant ea, neque deposcunt; ex aere autem facti, testa, gypso, vel marmore multo minus haec curant. For saith he, The true Gods desire not, nor exact any such matter, and those false gods that are made of brass, mortar, marble, &c. care less for them. The Heathen man in his own sense saith only, for his meaning doubtless is, that the Gods that are true Gods are not delighted with this cruelty of slaying beasts, nor do they for their own sustentation or provision desire men to be at this charge. And so the true God which is truth it self, though he commanded sacrifice, yet was it not meerly in respect of himself, that he did it, any further than this, that men should by this manner of worship, acknowledge their submission and humility and obedience to him. For what cares he for beast or bullock, since the World is his and all that is in it, Psal. 50. 12. And Lyranus does set down the special ends wherefore God doth command Israel so many sacrifices.
As first to wean them from Idolatry: for their service of the true God required so much, that they could have hardly any time to think of Idols. And the very beasts they sacrificed, might teach them the vanity of the Idols of Egypt which they once ser∣ved: