Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	aaron_n	altar_n	wine_n	27	3	6.7339	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60477	Christian religion's appeal from the groundless prejudices of the sceptick to the bar of common reason by John Smith.	Smith, John, fl. 1675-1711.	1675 (1675)	Wing S4109; ESTC R26922	707,151	538

Jerusalem who in their Letter to their Brethren in Aegypt 2 Mac. 1. 18. give them an account at large how by the appointment of Jeremy the sacred Fire was hid by some Religious Priests in a Pit and by Nehemiah's Order search being made for it by the posterity of those Priests they found thick Water or Naphthar therein which being laid upon the Sacrifices kindled as soon as the Sun-beams beat thereon and consumed the sacrifices the Memorial whereof they pray the Jews of Aegypt that they would as they of Iudaea had done celebrate Contrary to the plain inference of Nehemiah's Nehem. 10 34. putting it among the Articles of that Covenant he made all the Jews seal to That they would make provision for the perpetual keeping of the Fire upon the Altar according to the appointment of the Law Levit. 9. 24. 10. 1. 3. Which pious act of his he concludes his Book with and presents it to God as a Sacrifice of a sweet odour Nehem. 13. ult And for the Wood-offering at times appointed and for the first-fruits remember me O my God for good All which from the beginning to the end would have been no better than the taking of Gods Name in vain had that Fire which consumed the first acceptable Sacrifice which they offered after their Return been no more then ordinary Fire for then they might without any offence to God have kindled it anew every time they sacrificed Contrary to what follows from Gods accepting those Sacrifices which by Nehemiah's order were offered which upon that consideration God discriminates from those were offered before the Temple was built professing they were unclean because they touched the unclean that is had strange Fire put to them Hag. 2. 12. That no burnt Sacrifice was acceptable to God but what was consumed by holy Fire was a Maxim so universally receiv'd in the Church as Moses expresseth Gods fire coming down upon Abels and not upon Cain's Sacrifice by God 's having respect to Abels and not Cain's and therefore Theodosion Translates that Text Gen. 4. 4 Inflammavit Deus in Abel ejus sacrificium at in Cain ejus sacrificium non inflammavit Deus God sent Fire down upon Abels Sacrifice c. For no other way can be conceiv'd how Cain could know Gods acceptance of his Brother's and rejection of his own but this visible Sign as St. Jerom observes in locum Hence our English Translators parallel Gen. 4. 4. with Lev. 9. 24. 1 Reg. 18. 38. 2 Chron. 7. 1. where 't is said the fire came down from the Lord upon the Sacrifice at the Dedication of the Altar at Elijah's Prayer and at the Dedication of the Temple So that the Sons of Aarons offering with strange fire Lev. 10. 1. seems to be imputed to their being at that time stark Drunk vers 9. 10. which occasion'd that prohibition to the Priests from drinking Wine when they went into the Sanctuary If therefore they had not holy Fire to Sanctifie the Altar the Altar could not Sanctifie the Sacrifice but both remain'd prophane as they had been before the affirming of which is manifestly contrary to those many and plain Promises that in the Second Temple Their Sacrifices should come up with acceptance upon Gods Altar And lastly contrary to as good Authority as Secular Records afford that the Memorial of that holy Fire was Celebrated as long as the Temple stood in the yearly Festival called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the 22d day of Abib say Johasin and the Modern Jewish Calendar but in truth on the 14. of Lous as Josephus calculates So well seen are the modern Jews in their own Antiquities and yet their blind conjectures are by some short-reason'd Theologues embrac'd as Oracles de Bel Jud. 2. 17 When that Festival came which they call Xulophoria on which day the custome was for every one to bring in Wood for the Temple that the Fire on the Altar might never want fuel for they never let it go out but kept it perpetually burning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebels would not permit the adverse party to celebrate that Religious Service and on the day following to wit the 15. of Lous they assaulted the Castle of Antonia This was in the latter end of Nero's 11 year as Scaliger observes to whom for further satisfaction I refer the Reader de emend temp l. 7. an in Comp. Jud. p. c. 49. § 3. No less vain will the Caballistical Assertion touching the absence of Urim and Thummim under the Second Temple appear to him that has but dipp'd his lips fonte Caballino in the Pegasean Spring of mere Humane Learning and by gargling his Palate with that Water has so far rectified it as 't is able to discern of Tastes and to distinguish betwixt the insipid Flegme of frothie and the savoury juice of substantial Authors among which last the often-quoted and never sufficiently praised Josephus gives as full an evidence against the Caballists as can be desired in his Jud. ant 3. 9. where speaking of the two Sardonichs upon the High Priests Shoulders how that that upon the right shoulder as often as the Priest was to Sacrifice sent forth such a sparkling light beyond his own Nature as they that were at a great distance might see it certainly saith he deserves admiration with all men except those that seek by their contempt of Religion to gain a repute of being wise but that is much more admirable which I am now about to say to wit that God was wont to pronounce victory by twelve precious stones which the High Priest wore upon his Breast-plate For before the Army march'd such a Brightness shone from them as gave light to all the people that God was present and would be an aid to them that invocated him Wherefore the Greeks so many of them as do not abhorr our Religion having had such certain experiments of this Miracle as could not be gainsaid call'd the Breast-plate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Oracle But both the Sardonix on the high Priest shoulder and the Gemms on his Breast-plate have ceased to send forth their brightness two hundred years ago God being displeased with our Nation for their contempt and violation of his Law of which I shall speak elsewhere Thus far Josephus whom I make conscience of following rather than the whole College of conjecturing Caballists while he plays the part of an Historian and therefore collect from this Text that the Urim and Thummim continued under the Second Temple almost 300 years and to within little more than one hundred of our Saviours Birth for Josephus wrote his Jewish Antiquities in the latter end of the Reign of Domitian Though I may without impeachment to his credit suspend my assent to his Conclusions when he acts the Divine as he doth in assigning the reason of the Dimness of these precious Stones to be that Nations contempt of Gods Law which I think may better be ascribed to what he did