one another's bosom, was a sign or t union between the guests. Which everal passages of scripture, as what is s bosom, and of the son's being in the erd. When the guests were thus placed he master of the family, or some other ok a cup full of wine mixed with wahad given God thanks, drank it up, we one round to every one there prel obliged to drink thereof. Hence the CHRIST, drink ye all of it. Afterthe bitter herbs and unleavened bread, d in the mixture before-mentioned. of the family drank another cup, that with several thanksgivings, after which, g again as before. Lastly, they eat and drank the third cup, which of blessing, or thanksgiving. The ended with the fourth cup, and the alms *. This is what by St. Mark is

,

It cannot exactly be determined, HRIST observed all these particulars. = that he did, and we meet with some · Gospel. St. Luke speaks only of count he gives of the institution of

he Israelites, under pain of death, not -ned bread, as long as the passover

John i. 18. compared with Philip. ii. 6. Matt, xxvi. 27. 1 Cor. x. 16. ony, they sung at several times the following cxiv. 2. Psal. cxvi, cxvii, cxviii. or cxxxxvi. termed the hallel, or praise. The master of r, explained and gave an account of every cere Luke xxii.

* See Matt, xxvi, &c.

1

asted. Several reasons may be assigned for this insti-, cution, but there is only one set down in scripture, viz. that it was to put them in mind of their forefathers comEng out of Egypt, in such haste, that they had not time so much as to get their dough leavened *. But one may suppose, by the metaphorical sense that is commonly out upon the word leaven, and which is used by JESUS CHRIST and St. Paul', that this prohibition had a moral view, and that the divine legislator's design in giving it, was to cleanse their minds from malice, eny, animosity, and hypocrisy : in a word, from the eaven of Egypt . However it be, the Hebrews took a very particular care to search for all the leaven that might be in their houses, and to fling it either into the ire or water. Their descendants have carried this point co a superstitious nicety. Though the passover was to be celebrated at Jerusalem, yet they that were not able to go thither, might eat the unleavened bread in their own houses. As there was no other sort of bread in that city, when JESUS CHRIST instituted his last supber, it cannot be questioned but that he made use of it. And yet the Greek church, which hath retained leavened bread in the eucharist, imagined that JESUS CHRIST used it; and the better to support their opinion, they have asserted, that he celebrated the passover one day before the Jews. We shall hereafter examine this matcer. The Latins have, on the other hand, supposed, that the better to conform themselves with JESUS CHRIST's institution, they ought to celebrate the Lord's supper, with unleavened bread, This was one of the occasions of the schism between the eastern and western churches; which, after all, was a very slight one, and consequently very scandalous, since after the abrogating

Exod. xxii. 34. 39. Deut. xvi, 3.

1 Matth. xvi. 6. 1 Cor.

, and since JESUS CHRIST, by about it, hath left the church enis respect.

er the feast of unleavened bread, that - of Nisan, they offered up to God, t-fruits of the corn that was ripe at ats and barley. These first-fruits called in Hebrew Homer, or Gomer, at was afterwards given to the meaorn, which was threshed out of the n was performed with a great deal wards the close of the fifteenth day, nted some grave and sober persons, amber of people, went with scythes fields that lay nearest Jerusalem, eaf of barley. When they were apers, having got first the owner's nto the harvest; and after they had they carried it in a basket to the to offer it up. The high-priest grain, caused it to be dried upon round; then putting some oil and presented it to God. After that o for a whole burnt-sacrifice, with were accompanied with libations. egin the harvest, till this offering There seems to be an allusion to ns", where the angel orders the ne harvest.

Jos. Antiq. 1. iii. c. 10.

5 xvi. 16. that the Homer held as much as ach can eat in a day. According to the is measure contained about 43 hen eggs, as the tenth part of an Epha, which held

N

THUS have we explained the several particulars observed in the celebration of the passover. It remains now that we should examine a question, which hath exercised the wits of several criticks; i. e. Whether our Saviour celebrated the passover the year he was put to death, on the same day as the Jews kept theirs? We have observed before, that the Greek church maintains JESUS CHRIST celebrated it one day sooner than ordinary; and have shewed at the same time, what reasons they alledge to support their opinion. Some authors have inferred from a few passages out of St. John's gospel, that for several reasons which they bring, the Jews did not keep the passover that year on the fourteenth day of the month, as usual, but the day after. The first of these passages is in the thirteenth chapter, wherein it is said, that before the feast of the passover, when supper was ended, whereby they understand the holy communion, JESUS CHRIST washed his disciples' feet. The second occurs in the eighteenth chapter P; JESUS was apprehended by the Jews, had celebrated the passover, and instituted the eucharist the night before; and yet the Evangelist says, that the Jews would not go into the prætorium, or judgment-hall, for fear they should defile themselves, and thereby become unfit to eat the passover. The third is in the nineteenth chapter, where the day on which Christ was crucified is stiled the preparation of the passover.

NOTWITHSTANDING which, other writers have asserted and maintained, that JESUS CHRIST celebrated the passover on the same day as the Jews. And indeed there are very good reasons to believe that he did. 1. Supposing the Jews had put it off for any time that year, JESUS CHRIST would, in all probability, have complied with it, else the Jews would never have failed to lay this to his charge, since after public notice was

hat have thoroughly examined the reahis delay, find no manner of weight y are grounded upon customs that are te than the times of JESUS CHRIST. en, for instance, two different ways of As it was known only by

w-moon.

d not its conjunction with the sun, room for celebrating the passover on Besides, the Caraite Thalmudists y with the rest of the Jewish nation, celebrate the feast on the same day over, the custom of transferring the fell on the day before the sabbath, is date. 3. It is unquestionably certain, to be sacrificed publickly in the temas necessary that the priests should at the bottom of the altar. As all = plainly injoined by the law, JESUS t have omitted any one of them. Bethat the priests would have minismanifold an innovation as this must e three other Evangelists expressly IRIST celebrated the passover on the were used to do it, which seems enquestion. It is therefore more prosense upon St. John's expressions, opinion which manifestly contradicts ngelists. For it may reasonably be e first of the forementioned pasnot speak of the Lord's supper, or but only of a private supper at Be