The court of the Gentiles: or A discourse touching the original of human literature, both philologie and philosophie, from the Scriptures, and Jewish church in order to a demonstration, of 1. The perfection of Gods vvord, and church light. 2: The imperfection of natures light, and mischief of vain pholosophie. 3. The right use of human learning, and especially sound philosophie. / By T.G.

§. 11. * 1.1 Besides their expiatorie and federal Sacrifices, the Jews had also their Thank-offerings, called more properly Ob∣lations, in Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Minchah; which consisted chiefly of the Tenths and first-fruits of the Earth; especially of Corne, and Wine, and Oyl: * 1.2 as Deut. 18.3,4. Numb. 18.12. Deut. 14.23. The same the Devil requires of his Devoti, as it appears by the sto∣rie of Anius, the Priest of Apollo, who, in the time of the Tro∣jan war, coming into the Grecian Campe, brought with him store of Corne, Wine, and Oyl;

which (saies Bochart, Can. lib. 1. cap. 14. fol. 440.) were abundantly supplied to him from the Oblations: for of all the increase of the Earth, these three the Devil, God's Ape, exacted of his Worshippers.

The like Bochart (in a Sermon he preached at Caen, Decemb. 30. 1663.) asserted on Gen. 4.3. * 1.3 At the end of the daies: whence he proved,

that by daies was meant the year; at the end whereof, which was in September, Cain and Abel offered up these Sacrifices, which were 1. as commemorations of the Creation, which was in Au∣tumne: 2. as thankful acknowledgements of God's blessing them with the fruits of the Earth; answerable whereto the Jews had their Feast of ingathering of the fruits: whence we read of the joy of harvest &c. Deut. 14.22,23. Ps. 4.7. Also

the feast of Vintage, which was in September. Hence the men of Sichem had their custom of sacrificing, and feasting at the end of the year; of which we read Judg. 9.27. Jer. 41.1.5.8. Hence also other Heathens had the original of their Bacchanalia, which they celebrated about the end of the year, with Trage∣dies and Comedies, wherein also wine, corne, and oil were offe∣red, answerable to the Jewish institutes: which customes are re∣tained by some to this very day.

Thus Bochart. Farther, the Heathens, in imitation of the Jews, offered Tenths to their Gods. So Diogenes Laertius, in the life of Solon, saies,

that all the A∣thenians separated the Tenths of their Fruits for publick sacri∣fices, and common good.

So Tertullian, in his Apol. cap. 14. The Tenths of all are devoted to Hercules.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Jewish Tenths and first fruits.
• * 1.2

  Deut. 18.3,4. Numb. 18.12.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 4.3.