The kind of new church begun by Eber, called the Hebrew church, was in Syria and Mesopotamia, and also among some nations in the land of Canaan; but it differed from the Ancient church in that it placed the essential of external worship in sacrifices. It acknowledged indeed that the internal of worship was charity, but not so much in heart as the Ancient church. (ib. n. 4680.)
The Most Ancient church, which was before the flood, never knew anything of sacrifices; nor did it ever come into their minds that they should worship the Lord by the immolation of animals. The Ancient church, which was after the flood, was also ignorant of them. This church indeed was in representatives, but they had no sacrifices.[1] They were in fact first instituted in the succeeding which was called the Hebrew church, and from thence went forth to the nations; from thence also they descended to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so to his posterity (ib. n. 2180.)
Sacrifices were at first offered to Jehovah, and afterwards became Idolatrous.
Their worship was such as was afterwards restored among the posterity of Jacob; and its chief characteristic consisted in the fact that they called Jehovah their God, and offered sacrifices. The Most Ancient church with one mind acknowledged the Lord, and called Him Jehovah, — as appears from the first chapters of Genesis, and also from other parts of the Word. The Ancient church, that is the church after the flood, also acknowledged the Lord and called Him Jehovah, — especially those who had internal worship, and were called sons of Shem; but the others, too, who were in external worship, acknowledged Jehovah and worshipped Him. But when internal worship became external, and when it became even idolatrous, and when each nation began to have its own god which it worshipped, the Hebrew nation retained the name of Jehovah, and called Jehovah its God; and in this they were distinguished from other nations (ib. n. 1343). But this church also became idolatrous; and at length it pleased the Lord to establish a new
- ↑ It should be noted that the account of the offerings of Cain and Abel (Gen. iv. 3-5), and of Noah's sacrifice, is in the part of the Word which the author states is not actual history. Of the latter in particular he says, — "What is said of Noah (Gen. viii. 20), that he offered burnt-offerings to Jehovah, is not actual history; but was made historical, because by burnt-offerings the holiness of worship was signified, — as may there be seen" (A. C. n. 1343). Such composed historical narrations, which were not actual facts but mere representative descriptions, appear to have been the mental types which the gross sensualism of the church in its last decline realized, or rather materialized in outward sacrifices.
