The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is a public religious action, rite, or ceremony, in "Commemoration of the death of Chrift, and of the benefits which we receive thereby." Every thing advanced concerning it, beyond and besides this, is precarious and far-fetched, When it is confidered what advantages we receive from the fufferings of our Lord, it seems improper to commemorate his beneficial death with mourning and fafting; and when it is confidered how much he fuffered, it feems as improper to commemorate his death by a feaft, or a banquet, This ceremony, therefore, is neither a feaft, nor a fast; but something between both. It is a short, fober, frugal repast, on a piece of bread, and a draught of wine. CURSORY I have fome doubt whether note, for notes, is good Latin: But fince notare means to obferve, why should not note mean Obfervations, Notes, Remarks? THE HE Nile is called by the Greeks Méλas, by the Hebrews Shihor, Niger. Paufanias fays, that the images of all the River-Gods were made of white flone,-except that of the Nile, which was of black. Porphyry observes, that the statues of the Gods were often made of black marble, to denote the inconfpicuous nature of the Deity. Hoλno dau και μέλανι λιθῳ τὸ ἀφανὲς αυτς τῆς ἐσίας ἐδήλωσαν, See Eufebius, Præp. Evang. III. 7. P. 98. Πολλοὶ The Abbe Couture, in his Differtation on the Fafti, in the Mem. de l'Acad. T. II. 89. fays, "Lucan, speaking of himself, after the manner of the the Poets, that is, with great felf-fufficiency, afferts, Nec meus Eudoxi vincatur Faftibus annus. Now, if he had looked carefully into Lucan, X. 187., he might have found, that they are not the words of the Poet, but of Julius Cæfar; who was the Reformer of the Roman Year, and might speak thus, without arrogance. I do not remember to have seen in any Author the time mentioned, when the Olympic Games, and other games of the fame kind in other places, ceafed to be celebrated.* In order to be chofen one of the fix principal magiftrates of Strasburg, a man must prove that he is ignoble, and a Plebeian, defcended from Plebeians for eight generations. See La Mothe le Vayer. "The more abfurd and incredible any divine mystery, the greater honour," fays Bacon, we do to God in believing it." I wonder that fuch a man should have adopted such a doctrine, and have had fo little regard for his own reputation; for he who talks in this manner, will always fall under * In a subsequent paffage, Dr. Jortin observes from Massieu, Hift. de L'Acad. III. 67. That the Ifthmian Games ceased about the time of the Emperor Hadrian. + See Vol. I. of this work, P. 373. the the fufpicion of being either a true Fanatic, or a difguifed Infidel. As to Bacon's Editor, he hath taken fufficient care, both in his note upon this paffage, and in a Preface, Vol. II. p. 284. to let us know that he himself is not a Fanatic. See Bacon's Works, by Shaw. As to Bacon, he feems to have given way to his fancy, and exercised his wit, in drawing up Chriftian Paradoxes. Vol. I. P. 262. II. p. 285. The fame Author tells us, that "the age of the cat terminates between fix and ten." What Juvenal fays of Tyrants, (Sat. X. 112) is true of Cats, -that feldom do they die a natural death. Ad generum Cereris fine cæde et vulnere pauca But, if they escape the hands of violence, they hold out beyond the period affigned by Bacon. I had one that lived with me fourteen years *; and I have heard of fome that were much older. How little the duties of Toleration and Moderation were understood, either by Papifts or Proteftants, in the fixteenth century, is evident from a letter of Melanchthon, who yet seems to have been *For an Epitaph on this favourite domeftick, fee No. XIX. of the Lusus POETICI, inferted in Vol. I. Page 39. a Divine á Divine of much mildness and good nature. Con cerning the burning of Servetus, he fays to Bullinger,'« "Legi qua de Serveti blafphemiis refpondiftis, et pietatem ac judicia veftra probo. Judico etiam Senatum Genevenfem rectè feciffe, quod hominem pertinacem, et non omiffurum blafphemias fuftulit: Ac miratus fum effe, qui feveritatem illam improbent." It is certain that the Romans greatly abhorred and condemned human facrifices, long before Chriftianity had made its appearance amongst them': and I obferve that the Fathers and ApologiftsTatian, Theophilus, Athanafius, Tertullian, Cyprian, Minucius, Firmicus, Prudentius,-speak with caution upon this fubject. None of them fay directly that human victims were offered up to Jupiter Latiaris, but only human blood; which might be done many ways, without any human facrifice in form. I take the cafe to have been, that at a certain time of the year, when they had fhews in the Amphitheatre, they took the blood of fome condemned man, fome gladiator, or fome criminal who was expofed to wild beafts, and offered it up to this Jupiter*. If a Cæfar, a Livy, or a Tacitus had lived in later ages, and heard of the proceedings of the Inquifition, they would have faid that thofe nations worshipped Christ, and his mother, as a Goddess; and used to * See Juftin Martyr, p, 128. and Thirlby's note. offer |