The truth of Christian religion in six books / written in Latine by Hugo Grotius ; and now translated into English, with the addition of a seventh book, by Symon Patrick ...

SECT. VIII. As the Sacrifices, which of themselves were never well-pleasing unto God.

THE first and chief thing to be conside∣red, are the Sacrifices, which many of the Hebrews think were invented by Man, before that they were commanded by God. And true it is indeed, the Hebrews were desi∣rous of abundance of Rites and Ceremonies, so that there was cause enough why GOD should enjoyn them very many, if it were but for this reason, lest they should return unto the worship of false Gods, by the remembrance of their sojourning in Egypt.

Howbeit when their Posterity made too great account of them, as though of themselves they had been acceptable unto God, and a part of true piety; then did the Prophets repre∣hend them for it: About Sacrifices, saith God by David, in the fiftieth Psalm, I will not so much as exchange a word with thee; as if I

were desirous to have thy burnt offerings conti∣nually before me. I will take no Buliock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds.

For every beast of the forest is mine, and so are the cattel upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wila beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the World is mine, and the fulness thereof: thinkest thou that I will eat the flesh of Bulls, or drink the bloud of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most high.

Some there are among the Hebrews, who say that this is spoken, because they that of∣fered those sacrifices, were of an impure mind, and dishonest conversation. But the words now alledged shew another matter, to wit, that the thing in it self was no whit acceptable un∣to God. For if we consider the whole series and order of the Psalm, we shall and that God in these words speaks unto the godly: for he had said, Gather my Saints together unto me, and hear my people: which are the words of a Teacher and one that instructeth. Then having ended those words now alledged, as his man∣ner is, he speaks unto the wicked: But unto the wicked God saith. To the same sense we may cite other places, as in the 51. Psal. Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it thee, but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. The sacrifice of God is a broken Spirit: a broken

and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. So likewise in the fortieth Psalm; Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, but hast tied me to thee, as he whose ear was boared through, to be thy servant: burnt-offering and sin-offer∣ing hast thou not required. Then said I, Loe, I come: In the volume of the book it is written of me: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea thy Law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation: Loe, I have not refrained my Lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness with∣in my heart, I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lo∣ving kindness, and thy truth from the great Con∣gregation. The like we read in the Prophet Isaiah, chap. 1. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord? I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts, and I delight not in the bloud of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts? Answer∣able to this place, and the Interpreter of it, is that in Jer. 7. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt-offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat their flesh your selves: For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt, concerning burnt of∣ferings and sacrifices. But this thing command∣ed

I them saying Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my People: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. Agreeing with this, is that in Hosea 6. To shew mercy to men, is more acceptable to me than sacrifice, to think rightly of God more than all burnt-offerings. Lastly, in the sixth of Micah, when the que∣stion was made, what was the best way to ob∣tain the favour of God? whether by coming before him with a great number of rams, or with a great quantity of Oyl, or with Calves of a Year old? to this God answers and saith, I will tell thee what is truly good and acceptable unto me; namely, to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

By all which places it being apparent, that Sacrifices are not in the number of those things which God desires for themselves or primari∣ly; and that the People (a naughty supersti∣tion creeping in, as is usual, by little and little among them) placed a great part of their pie∣ty in them, and believed they made a suffici∣ent compensation for their sins by sacrifices: what wonder is it, if God at length took a∣way a thing, which was not now in its own nature indifferent, but whose use was now be∣come a Vice? since King Hezekiah did not stick to break even the brazen Serpent, erected by Moses; because the People began to ho∣nour it with Religious Worship.

Moreover, there are divers Prophecies, that foretold these sacrifices, whereof we speak, should come to an end: which any one may easily conceive, who doth but consider that according to the Law of Moses, only the posterity of Aaron was to do sacrifice, and that only in their own Country. But in the 110 Psalm, there is a King promised, whose dominion should be most ample, the beginning whereof should be out of Sion: and this same King was to be a Priest also for ever, and that after the order of Melchisedeck. So Isaiah saith, chap. 19. That there shall be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the Land of Egypt, where not only the Aegyptians, but the Assy∣rians also, and the Israelites shall worship God. And in the 66 chapter, he saith, that the People of all Nations and Languages which are far and widely distant, shall come as well as the Israelites, and offer gifts unto God, and of them also there shall be ordained Priests and Levites: All which could not come to pass so long as the Law of Moses remained in force. Add unto these that in the first of Malachy God foretelling future things, saith he, abhorred the offerings of the He∣brews, I have no pleasure in you, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be of∣fered

unto my name, and a pure offering, for my name shall be great among the Heathen, saith the Lord of Hosts.

Lastly, Daniel in his 9. chapter rehearsing the Prophecy of the Angel Gabriel concerning Christ, saith, that he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. And not by words only, but really and indeed God plainly enough shews that he likes not any longer those Sacrifi∣ces which were prescribed by Moses, seeing that he hath suffered the Jews for the space of one thousand six hundred years and more to be without Temple, without Altar, and without any certain distinction of their Tribes or Line∣age; whence it might appear who they are that may lawfully offer sacrifice.