Holy things ought to be used with a great deal of Reverence, and by Men of Holinefs and Purity. And for this Reason their constant Custom was, before they went to their Sacrifical Banquets, to Prepare themselves with many previous Rites and Ceremonies, fuppofing, that thereby they did Sanctifie, and fit themselves for the Service of their Deities. Thus the Pagan Priests were wont to forbear the very touching of any Bread that was Leavened, left they should be polluted. They ufed many forts of Luftrations and Washings, cleanfing as well their Cloathes, as their Bodies (efpecially their Hands) with the Pureft Water, that was appropriated to that purpose. They abftained for many days before hand from Eating of Flesh, and from Drinking of Wine. They refrained from the Nuptial Bed, and from all Carnal Pleasures, ufing many Artificial Methods, to fubdue and Mortifie their Senfual Appetites. And when the time for Sacrificing was come, they arrayed themfelves with clean and fpotlefs Garments, which they called their Holy and Religious Drefs. Nor was this the Practice of the

Farinam fermento imbutam attingere, ei fas non eft. Aul. Gell. de Flam. Dial. Not. Attic. lib. 10. c. rs. Of thefe Preparatory Rites, See Stuckius in Sacror. & Sacrificior. defcrip. pag. 79. &c. Gyrald. Hift. Di orum Syntag. 17. P. 497. Natal. Mythol. lib. 1. c. 9. 14

Alex. ab Alex. Gen. dier. 1. 4. c. 17.

Priefts

Priests only. For all the People that were to Eat and Drink before their Deities, were required alfo to Prepare and Purifie themselves throughly after their way; believing that the outward Sanctifications of their Bodies, did ferve to Sanctifie and Cleanse their very Souls and Spirits. Thus they were wont to wash themfelves often ; to give themselves to Faftings and much Abftinence; to deny themfelves those Fleshly Satisfactions, which at other times were lawful. Their Cuftom too, was to make folemn acknowledgments of the Sins of their Lives, Praying to their Gods not to take Vengeance upon them. If any Man had his Hands. Defiled with Blood, or was polluted and ftained with any grofs Wickedness, he was not to come to the Altar: And when their Services were See the Aubeginning, Proclamation was made, is thors above de, who are here? Whereunto they Anfwered, mooi, ngado, that is, Many and Good Men: And if any was found there, that was known to be otherwife, or to be in'a State of Guilt, he was turned out of the Company of the Reft; the very Heathens believing, that none were fit to meddle with things Sacrificed, but fuch as were Upright in Mind, and void of an Evil Confcience.

mentioned.

In Sacrificiis rite celebrandis majorem nullam ceremoniam fuille videmus,quam nihil fibi confcire, bonos ac pios effe. Gyrald.

Syntag. 17. pag. 492.

AND

AND as touching the Jews, every one knows how strictly they were commanded to Cleanfe and Purifie themselves,according to the Sanctifications of the Law, before they prefumed to Eat and Drink before the Holy One of Ifrael; efpecially at the Pafchal Supper, in lieu whereof this Christian Solemnity is fubftituted and appointed: No Man was permitted to partake of the Paffover, that was not duly Prepared for it by the. Rite of Circumcifion. No Profelyte was fuffered to come, that was not firft Sanctified and fitted for it, according as the Law directed in that cafe. None that were in their Uncleanness, or in any refpect legally. Impure, whether Men or Women, were to be admitted, till they were cleanfed from their Pollutions. Nay, not the People themselves only, but their very Houfes also were to be free from all defilements. And hence it was, that fome days before the Feaft, they purged all manner of Leaven out of their Rooms; and for fear any ferment fhould remain in any part of their dwellings, they were wont, the Night before the Paffover, to fearch with a Candle into every hole in their walls, and into every chink and crevife in their Floors. And whatsoever Leaven was found, their Custom was to burn it, ufing

this

this Form of words, Let all the Leaven, and every Leavened thing that is with me, whether I have feen or not feen it, whether I have carryed it forth or no, be diffipated and deftroyed, and accounted as the "duft of the Earth: By which Solemn way of Imprecation, the Jews did clear themfelves of Guilt, and protefted their Innocence to the utmoft of their Knowledge. And when the Hour was come for the Eating of the Paffover, before they fat down, the Feet of the Commmunicants were washed, as at other Feafts; only it is to be Noted, that at this Banquet they wafhed twice, to fhew the Preeminence, and great Dignity of this Religious Solemnity above the rest.

SEEING then this was the general Practice of the Jews and Gentiles both, it abundantly argues it to have been the common Sense of all Mankind, that great and ftrict Preparations were neceffary, before they durft present any Sacrifice unto God, or Feaft together upon any parts thereof. And the Correfpondence that is between this, and other Ancient Sacrifical Banquets, is enough to fhew how Religious and ftrict the care of Chriftians ought to be, in preparing and fitting themfelves for fo Solemn an Ordinance, before they prefume to address themselves to the

Holy

Buxtorf.

Synag.

cap. 12.

Holy Table, to Feast together upon a Sa crificed Saviour, the Spotlefs Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the world. For this is a Feast of the Highest and Nobleft Nature, that ever was. We have an Altar, whereof, neither Heathen nor Jew, hath any right to Eat: And we have a Sacrifice to partake of, which is infinitely better than thousand of Rams, and ten thou fands of Rivers of Oyl. For here we feed on the Son of God himfelf, Christ our Paffover, that was Sacrificed for us, whofe Flesh is Meat indeed, and whofe Blood is Drink indeed. Here we enter into a close Alliance with the Holy One of Ifrael; we are One with Chrift by his Spiritual Body that is given us; we Receive the Seals of our Adoption, and are poffeft of a Title to the Kingdom of Heaven. And this being the Highest Mystery of our Religion, we must not dare to Celebrate it after a rude and rafh manner; but come unto it after great Preparations, having first fearched into our State, and measured our felves by the line of the Gospel, according to which we fhall be Judged in the Great and Terrible day; and fo prefenting our felves before the Holy Table, with clean Hands and a Pure Heart, and with Souls full of God, and in Love with all manner of Piety and Goodness. Those

Ceremonial