STUDY VII. 79 



All religions have filled their temples with car- 

 nage, and immolated to Deity the life of the 



nevolent mind. Brought up in the habit of abftinence from 

 animal food, during the feafon of Lent, good M. de Saint- 

 Pierre takes it for granted, that this is an inftitution of Chrifti- 

 anity, and endeavours ingenioufly to reconcile it to a law 

 of Nature. But the truth is, the Gofpel contains no fuch 

 injunftion ; and the univerfality of that religion is ftill greater 

 than even the enlarged mind of our Author apprehended, in 

 one refpeél at leaft. How can it be imagined, that Jesus 

 Christ, in faftingfo long in the Wildernefs, intended to fet the 

 example, of an annual abftinence of the fame duration, to his 

 difciples ? What Jew ever thought of making Mofes a pattern 

 iii this fame refpeft ? But While I regret the power of prejudice 

 in another, let me take care that my own be overcome ; or if 

 any remain, that they be harmlefs, or rather on the fide of 

 virtue. 



In the very next paragraph, our Author is betrayed into a 

 fimilar mi (lake, refpefting the nature and defign of the Sacra- 

 ment of the Lord's Supper, by the phrafe in ufe, in that Church 

 whofe communion he had, from education, adopted. That or- 

 dinance is, in Roman Catholic countries, denominated they^- 

 crifice of the mafs. Carried away by the word faaijice, M. de 

 Saint-Pierre is led to reprefent the Chriftian Worfliipper as pre- 

 fenting to GOD, in " the Sacrament, an offering of bread and 

 wine. But it is not fo. He is commanded to take and eat, to 

 take a?id drink, in remembrance of Christ. The facrifice 

 which Chriftianity demands, and which every fincere commu- 

 nicant prefents to GOD, is the Iming facrifice of himfelf, which 

 St. Pauls calls our reafonable fervice. We meet, however, with a 

 beautiful train of thought, in what follows, refpefting the ele- 

 mentary part of the inftitution, ftrongly charaéleriftic of a pious, 

 penetrating, and comprehenfive mind ; and which the devout 

 Proteftant may perufe to advantage. H. H. 



brute 



