2180、“牵了一只又嫩又好的小公牛来”表示理性为自己所取的适合的属天-属世之物，或说理性在属世层为自己所取的相匹配的某种属天事物，以便它可以与来自神性的感知结合。这从圣言中“小公牛”或“牛犊”的含义清楚可知，“小公牛”或“牛犊”是指属世良善。由于此处论述的主题是主的理性，所以“牛犊”因属天-属灵之物或良善之真理而被称为“嫩”，因属天之物本身或良善本身而被称为“好”。真正的理性既包含对真理的情感，也包含对良善的情感；但它的主要成分是对真理的情感，如前所示（2072节）。这解释了为何此处先提到“嫩”，后提到“好”；但即便如此，按照习惯做法，圣言仍提到这两者，这是为了真理与良善之间的婚姻，如前所述（2173节）。
“小公牛”或“牛犊”表示属天-属世之物，或也可说，表示属世良善，这一点尤其从祭牲明显看出来，祭牲是希伯来教会和后来的犹太教会的敬拜的主要代表。“小公牛”或“牛犊”表示属天-属世之物，或也可说，表示属世良善。他们的祭牲要么取自牛群，要么取自羊群，因而取自各种洁净的动物，如：公牛、小公牛、公山羊、母绵羊、公绵羊、母山羊、小山羊和绵羊羔，此外还有斑鸠和雏鸽。这一切动物或祭牲都表示敬拜的内在事物，也就是属天和属灵事物（2165，2177节）。取自牛群的动物表示属天-属世事物，而取自羊群的动物则表示属天-理性事物。这两种事物，即属世事物和理性事物越来越内在，并且各种各样；这就是为何这些动物当中有如此多的属和种会用于献祭。这一事实也可从经上的规定明显看出来，即在燔祭中当献上哪种动物，在各种祭祀中当献上哪种动物，如：日常祭，安息日和节日；甘心祭、感恩祭、还愿祭、赎愆祭、赎罪祭；洁净和清洁，按立圣职。经上明确提到在各种祭祀中要用到哪种动物、用多少。除非每种动物都有自己的特定含义，否则这种情况是永远不会出现的。这在论述祭牲的经文中是显而易见的（如出埃及记29章；利未记1，3-4，9，16，23章；民数记7-8，15，29章）。但这不是解释每种动物表示什么的地方。类似情形出现在先知书提到这些动物的地方，由此明显可知“小公牛”表示属天-属世事物。
所表示的只是天上的事物，不是别的，这一点也可从以西结所看到的基路伯，以及约翰所看到宝座前的活物清楚看出来。关于基路伯，该先知说：
它们脸的形像是一个人的脸，它们四个右面都有一个狮子的脸，它们四个左面都有一只牛的脸，它们四个都有一只鹰的脸。（以西结书1:10）
关于宝座前的四活物，约翰说：
宝座周围有四个活物；第一个活物像狮子，第二个活物像小公牛，第三个活物有像人一样的脸，第四个活物像飞鹰。他们说，圣哉，圣哉，圣哉，主神全能者，昔在、今在、以后永在的。（启示录4:6-8）
谁都能看出，基路伯和四活物，以及用来献祭的公牛和小公牛代表神圣事物。这同样适用于摩西对约瑟的预言：
愿这些福都归于约瑟的头上，归于那在弟兄当中为拿细耳人者的头顶上。他头生的公牛有威严；他的角是独角兽的角，用来抵触万民，直到地极。（申命记33:16-17）
没有人能理解这些话，除非他知道牛、独角兽、角和其它事物在内义上表示什么。
至于总体上的祭祀，诚然，它们的确通过摩西被吩咐给以色列人；但存在于大洪水之前的上古教会对祭祀一无所知，他们从来没有想过通过宰杀动物来拜主。存在于大洪水之后的古教会也对祭祀一无所知。古教会的确有代表，但没有祭祀。事实上，建立祭祀的第一个教会是下一个被称为希伯来教会的教会。这个习俗从那里传到周围的外邦民族或非犹太民族，甚至传到亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各，从而传到雅各的后代那里。1343节已经说明，外邦民族或非犹太民族就有祭祀敬拜；雅各的后代在离开埃及之前，因而在通过摩西在西乃山上吩咐祭祀之前也有这种敬拜，这一事实从出埃及记（5:3；10:25，27；18:12；24:4-5），尤其从他们在金牛犊面前的偶像崇拜清楚看出来。
对此，摩西五经是这样描述的：
亚伦就在牛犊面前筑坛，且亚伦宣告说，明日是耶和华的节日。次日清早，他们起来就献上了燔祭，也带来了平安祭；百姓就坐下吃喝，起来玩耍。（出埃及记32:5-6）
摩西还在西乃山上，这事就发生了，因而发生在关于祭坛和祭祀的吩咐临到他们之前。这个吩咐之所以临到他们，是因为他们的祭祀敬拜已经沦为偶像崇拜，与外邦人或非犹太民族无异。他们无法脱离这种敬拜，因为他们视其为至圣。一旦从小就植入人们的某种东西，尤其从父亲那里获得的东西被视为神圣，从而扎下根来，主从来不破碎它，而是把它弯过来，除非它违反秩序本身。这就是为何经上规定祭祀体系要照着摩西五经上所描述的来建立。
祭祀绝不蒙耶和华悦纳，因而只是为了上述原因而被允许和容忍，这一点从先知书很明显地看出来，如我们在耶利米书读到：
万军之耶和华，以色列的神如此说，你们将燔祭加在你们的祭物上，吃肉吧。因为我将你们列祖从埃及陆地领出来的那日，燔祭和祭物的事我并没有向他们提说，也没有吩咐他们。我只吩咐他们这一件，说，当听从我的声音，我就作你们的神。（耶利米书7:21-23）
诗篇：
耶和华啊，祭物和供物，你不喜悦，燔祭和赎罪祭，非你所要。我的神啊，我乐意照你的旨意行。（诗篇40:6，8）
又：
你本不喜爱祭物，若喜爱，我就献上；燔祭你也不悦纳。神所要的祭，就是破碎痛悔的灵。（诗篇51:16-17）
又：
我不从你家中取公牛，也不从你圈内取公山羊。你们要以称谢为祭献与神。（诗篇50:9，13-14；107:21-22；116:17；申命记23:19）
何西阿书：
我喜爱怜悯，不喜爱祭祀，喜爱认识神，胜于燔祭。（何西阿书6:6）
撒母耳对扫罗说：
耶和华岂会喜悦燔祭和平安祭？看哪，顺从胜于祭物，听从胜于公羊的脂油。（撒母耳记上15:22）
弥迦书：
我朝见耶和华，在至高神面前跪拜，当献上什么呢？岂可献一岁的牛犊为燔祭？耶和华岂喜悦千千的公羊，或是万万的油河吗？人啊，祂已指示你何为善，耶和华向你所要的是什么呢？只要你行公义，好怜悯，谦卑地与你的神同行。（弥迦书6:6-8）
从这些经文明显可知，祭祀不是被吩咐的，而是被允许的；还可知在祭祀中要关注的是内在之物，而不是别的；蒙悦纳的是内在之物，而不是外在之物。这也是为何主废除了它们，如但以理在论到主的降临时以这些话所预言的：
一七中间，祂必使祭祀与供献止息。（但以理书9:27）
此处论述的主题是主的降临。关于祭祀的说明，可参看第一卷（922-923，1128，1823节）。至于亚伯拉罕为这三人预备的“小公牛或牛犊”，它的含义和用于祭祀的小公牛或牛犊的一样。它具有类似含义，这一点也可从他吩咐撒拉取三斗细面明显看出来。论到和小公牛一同献上的细面，我们在摩西五经中读到：
你进入那地时；你预备小公牛作燔祭或祭物，称之为还愿或献给耶和华的平安祭时，就要把细面伊法十分之三并油调和作素祭，和小公牛一同献上。（民数记15:2，8-9）
这段经文同样提到数字“三”，在此提到的“十分之三”；而亚伯拉罕吩咐撒拉的是“三斗”。但与公绵羊一同献上的，只有十分之二；与羔羊一同献上的，只有十分之一（民数记15:4-6）。
Potts(1905-1910) 2180
2180. And took a son of an ox tender and good. That this signifies the celestial natural which the rational associated to itself, in order that it might conjoin itself with the perception from the Divine, is evident from the signification in the Word of a "bullock" or "son of an ox," as being natural good. And as the Lord's rational is treated of, it is called "tender" from the celestial-spiritual, or the truth of good; and "good" from the celestial itself, or good itself. In the genuine rational there is the affection of truth and the affection of good; but its chief thing [primarium] is the affection of truth (as before shown, n. 2072). Hence it is first called "tender," and yet is called both "tender and good," according to the usual practice in the Word, to indicate the marriage of good and truth (spoken of above, n. 2173). [2] That a "bullock," or "son of an ox," signifies the celestial natural, or what is the same, natural good, is especially evident from the sacrifices, which were the principal representatives of worship in the Hebrew Church, and afterwards in the Jewish. Their sacrifices were made either from the herd or from the flock, thus from animals of various kinds that were clean, such as oxen, bullocks, he-goats, sheep, rams, she-goats, kids, and lambs; besides turtledoves and young pigeons, all of which animals signified internal things of worship, that is, things celestial and spiritual (n. 2165, 2177); the animals taken from the herd signifying celestial natural things, and those from the flock celestial rational things; and as both the natural and the rational things are more and more interior, and are various, therefore so many kinds and species of those animals were made use of in the sacrifices; as is also evident from its being prescribed what animals should be offered-in the burnt-offerings; in the sacrifices of various kinds, as in those that were daily, those of the Sabbaths and festivals, those that were voluntary, those for thanksgiving and vows, those expiatory of guilt and sin, those of purifying and cleansing, and those of inauguration-and also from their being expressly named, and how many of them should be used in each kind of sacrifice; which would never have been done unless each had signified some special thing. This is very evident from those passages where the sacrifices are treated of (as Exod. 29; Lev. 1, 3-4, 9, 16, 23; Num. 7-8, 15, 29). But this is not the place to set forth what each one signified. The case is similar in the Prophets where these animals are named, and from them it is evident that "bullocks" signified celestial natural things. [3] That no other than heavenly things were signified, is also evident from the cherubs seen by Ezekiel, and from the animals before the throne seen by John. Concerning the cherubs the Prophet says:
The likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and they four had the face of a lion on the right side, and they four had the face of an ox on the left side, and they four had the face of an eagle (Ezek. 1:10). Concerning the four animals before the throne John says:
Around the throne were four animals; the first animal was like a lion, the second animal like a young bullock, the third animal had a face like a man, the fourth animal was like a flying eagle; saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come (Rev. 4:6-8). Everyone can see that holy things were represented by the cherubs and by these animals, and also by the oxen and young bullocks in the sacrifices. In like manner in the prophecy of Moses concerning Joseph:
Let it come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of him that was a Nazirite from his brethren. The firstling of his ox, honor is his; and his horns are the horns of the unicorn, with them he shall push the peoples together, to the ends of the earth (Deut. 33:16-17). None can understand these things unless it is known what an ox, a unicorn, horns, and other things signify in the internal sense. [4] As regards sacrifices in general, they were indeed enjoined through Moses on the people of Israel, but the Most Ancient Church, that existed before the flood, knew nothing whatever about sacrifices; nor did it even come into their minds to worship the Lord by slaughtering animals. The Ancient Church, that existed after the flood, was likewise unacquainted with sacrifices. This church was indeed in representatives, but not in sacrifices. In fact sacrifices were first instituted in the following church, which was called the Hebrew Church, and from this spread to the nations, and from the same source they came to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and thus to the descendants of Jacob. That the nations were in a worship of sacrifices, was shown above (n. 1343); and that so were Jacob's posterity before they went out of Egypt, thus before sacrifices were commanded by Moses upon Mount Sinai, is evident from what is said in Exodus 5:3; 10:25, 27; 18:12; 24:4-5; and especially from their idolatrous worship before the golden calf. [5] Thus described in Moses:
Aaron built an altar before the calf, and Aaron made proclamation and said, Tomorrow is the feast of Jehovah. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat, and to drink, and rose up to play (Exod. 32:5-6). This was done while Moses was upon Mount Sinai, and thus before the command concerning the altar and the sacrifices came to them. The command came on this account-that the worship of sacrifices had become idolatrous with them, as it had with the gentiles, and from this worship they could not be withdrawn, because they regarded it as the chief holy thing. For what has once been implanted from infancy as holy, especially if by fathers, and thus inrooted, the Lord never breaks, but bends, unless it is contrary to order itself. This is the reason why it was directed that sacrifices should be instituted in the way described in the books of Moses. [6] That sacrifices were by no means acceptable to Jehovah, thus were merely permitted and tolerated for the reason just stated, is very evident in the Prophets, as we read in Jeremiah:
Thus saith Jehovah Zebaoth the God of Israel, Add your burnt-offerings to your sacrifices, and eat flesh. I spoke not unto your fathers, and I commanded them not in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offering and sacrifice; but this word I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God (Jer. 7:21-23). In David:
O Jehovah, sacrifice and offering Thou hast not willed, burnt-offering and sin-offering Thou hast not required. I have desired to do Thy will, O my God (Ps. 40:6, 8). In the same:
Thou delightest not in sacrifice, that I should give it; burnt-offering Thou dost not accept. The sacrifices of God are a broken* spirit (Ps. 51:16-17). In the same:
I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds; sacrifice to God confession (Ps. 50:9, 13-14; 107:21-22; 116:17; Deut. 23:19). In Hosea:
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings (Hos. 6:6). Samuel said to Saul:
Hath Jehovah pleasure in burnt-offerings and sacrifices? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Sam. 15:22). In Micah:
Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself to the high God? Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself in walking with thy God (Micah 6:6-8). [7] From all this it is now evident that sacrifices were not commanded, but permitted; also that nothing else was regarded in the sacrifices than what is internal; and that it was the internal, not the external, that was acceptable. On this account also, the Lord abrogated them, as was likewise foretold by Daniel in these words:
In the midst of the week shall He cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (Dan. 9:27), where the Lord's advent is treated of. (See what is said concerning sacrifices in volume 1, n. 922-923, 1128, 1823.) As regards the "son of an ox" which Abraham "made" or prepared for the three men, the case is the same as with that animal in the sacrifices. That it had a like signification is evident also from his telling Sarah to take three measures of fine flour. Concerning the fine flour to a bullock, we read in Moses:
When ye be come into the land; when thou shalt make a son of an ox a burnt-offering or a sacrifice, in pronouncing publicly a vow, or peace-offerings unto Jehovah, thou shalt offer upon the son of an ox a meat offering of three tenths of fine flour, mingled with oil (Num. 15:8-9), where it is in like manner "three," here "three tenths," and above, "three measures;" but to a ram there were to be only two tenths, and to a lamb one tenth (Num. 15:4-6). * Contritus; but infractus n. 9818.
Elliott(1983-1999) 2180
2180. 'And took a young bull, tender and good' means a celestial-natural which the rational took to itself in order that it might join itself to perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a young burl' or 'a son of an ox' in the Word as natural good. And because the subject is the Lord's Rational, it is called 'tender' from the celestial-spiritual, which is truth grounded in good, and 'good' from the celestial itself, which is good itself. Within the genuine rational there is both the affection for truth and the affection for good, but that which is first and foremost there is the affection for truth, as shown already in 2072. This explains why 'tender' is mentioned before 'good'; but even so, as is quite usual in the Word, both are mentioned on account of the marriage of truth and good which is referred to above in 2173.
[2] That 'a young bull' or 'a son of an ox' means the celestial-natural, or what amounts to the same, natural good, becomes especially clear from the sacrifices, which were the principal representatives in the worship of the Hebrew Church and after this of the Jewish Church. Their sacrifices were made either from the herd or from the flock, thus from animals of various kinds that were clean, such as oxen, young bulls, he-goats, sheep, rams, she-goats, kids, and lambs, besides doves and fledgling pigeons. All of these creatures meant the internal features of worship, that is, celestial and spiritual things, 2165, 2177, those from the herd meaning celestial-natural, those from the flock celestial-rational. Because both of these - natural things and rational things - are more and more interior and are various, so many genera and so many species of these creatures were therefore employed in sacrifices. This fact becomes clear also from its being laid down as to which creatures were to be offered in burnt offerings and also which in every kind of sacrifice - the daily sacrifices; those offered on sabbaths and at festivals; those made as free-will, eucharistic, or votive offerings; and those offered in purifications, cleansings, and also in inaugurations. Which creatures were to be used, and how many, in each kind of sacrifice is mentioned explicitly. This would never have been done unless each one had had some specific meaning, as is quite evident from those places where the sacrifices are the subject, as in Chapter 29 of Exodus; Chapters 1, 3, 4, 9, 16, and 23 of Leviticus; and Chapters 7, 8, 15, and 29 of Numbers. But this is not the place to explain what each one meant. The situation is similar in the Prophets where those animals are mentioned, from which it may become clear that young bulls meant celestial-natural things.
[3] That none but heavenly things were meant becomes clear also from the cherubim seen by Ezekiel and from the living creatures before the throne which were seen by John. Regarding the cherubim the prophet says,
The likeness of their faces was the face of a man (homo); and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; and they four had the face of an eagle. Ezek 1: 10.
Regarding the four living creatures before the throne John says,
Around the throne were four living creatures - the first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a young bull, the third living creature had a face like a man (homo), the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle - saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. Rev 4: 7, 8.
Anyone may see that holy things were represented by the cherubim and these living creatures, thus also by the oxen and young bulls in the sacrifices. The same applies in the prophecy of Moses concerning Joseph,
Let it come upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers. The firstborn of his ox has honour, and his horns are the horns of a unicorn; with these he will thrust the peoples together, to the ends of the earth. Deut 33: 16, 17.
These words are not intelligible to anyone unless he knows what ox, unicorn, horns, and many other things mean in the internal sense.
[4] As for sacrifices in general they were indeed commanded to the Israelites through Moses. But the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood never knew anything at all about sacrifices, nor did it ever enter their minds to worship the Lord by the slaughtering of animals. The Ancient Church which existed after the Flood knew nothing about it either. Representatives did indeed exist there, but not sacrifices. These were first introduced in the subsequent Church called the Hebrew Church, and from there they spread to the gentile nations, and even to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so to Jacob's descendants. The fact that the gentile nations had sacrificial worship has been shown in 1343, and the fact that Jacob's descendants also had such worship before they left Egypt, thus before sacrifices were commanded through Moses on Mount Sinai, becomes clear from Exod 5: 3; 10: 25, 27; 18: 12; 24: 4, 5.
[5] This is especially clear from their idolatrous worship in front of the golden calf, regarding which the following is said in Moses,
Aaron built an altar in front of the calf, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow there will be a feast to Jehovah. And they rose up early the next morning and presented burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Exod 32: 5, 6.
This happened while Moses was on Mount Sinai, and so before the command came to them regarding the altar and the sacrifices. That command came to them for the reason that sacrificial worship among them had been turned, as it had among the gentiles, into idolatrous worship, from which they could not be drawn away because they looked upon it as-the chief holy thing. Once something has been implanted in people from their earliest years as being holy, the more so if received from their fathers, and thus is inrooted, the Lord in no way breaks it - provided it is not contrary to order itself - but bends it. This was the reason for its being laid down that the sacrificial system should be established, such as one reads in the books of Moses.
[6] The fact that sacrifices were by no means acceptable to Jehovah, and so were merely permitted and tolerated for the reason just stated, is quite evident in the Prophets. Concerning them the following is said in Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, the God of Israel, Add your burnt offerings on to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. I did not speak with your fathers and I did not command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt on the matters of burnt offering and sacrifice. But this matter I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God. Jer 7: 21-23.
In David,
O Jehovah, sacrifice and offering You have not desired; burnt offering and sin-sacrifices You have not sought. I have delighted to do Your will, O my God. Ps 40: 6, 8.
In the same author,
You do not delight in sacrifice that I should give it; burnt offering You do not accept. The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit. Ps 51: 16, 17.
In the same author,
I will not take any young bull from your house, nor he-goats from your folds. Sacrifice to God confession. Ps 50: 9, 14; 107: 21, 22; 116: 17; Deut 23: 18.
In Hosea,
I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:-6.
Samuel said to Saul,
Has Jehovah great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices? Behold, to be submissive is better than sacrifice, to be obedient than the fat of rams. - 1 Sam 15: 22.
In Micah,
With what shall I come before Jehovah and bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does Jehovah require of you but to carry out judgement, and to love mercy, and to humble yourself by walking with your God? Micah 6:-6-8.
[7] From these quotations it is now evident that sacrifices were not commanded but permitted, and also that in sacrifices nothing else was regarded except that which was internal, and that it was that which was internal that was pleasing, not that which was external. For this reason also the Lord abolished them, as was also foretold through Daniel in the following words when he was speaking about the Lord's Coming,
In the middle of the week He will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. Dan 9: 27.
See what has been stated about sacrifices in Volume One, in 922, 923, 1128, 1823. As for 'the young bull' which Abraham made ready or prepared for the three men, the meaning is similar to that of the same animals when used in sacrifices. That it had a similar meaning becomes clear also from the fact that he told Sarah to take three measures of fine flour. Regarding the fine flour that went with the offering of a young bull the following is said in Moses - referring to when they were to come into the land,
When you make ready a young bull for a burnt offering or a sacrifice in the declaring of a vow, or for peace offerings to Jehovah, you shall bring with the young bull a minchah of three tenths of fine flour mixed with oil. Num 15: 8, 9.
Here similarly the number 'three' appears, though three 'tenths' here but three 'measures' in Abraham's instruction to Sarah. But only two tenths went with the offering of a ram, one tenth with that of a lamb, Num 15: 4-6.
Latin(1748-1756) 2180
2180. Quod `accepit filium bovis tenerum et bonum' significet caeleste naturale quod rationale sibi adscivit ut perceptioni ex Divina se conjungeret, constat ex significatione `juvenci' seu `filii bovis' in Verbo quod sit bonum naturale, et quia agitur de Rationali Domini, dicitur `tener' ex caelesti spirituali seu boni vero, ac `bonus' ex ipsa caelesti seu ipso bono; in rationali genuino est affectio veri et est affectio boni, sed primarium ejus est affectio veri, ut prius n. 2072 ostensum, inde `tenerum' praemittitur; at usque utrumque dicitur: ut solitum est in Verbo, propter conjugium veri et boni, de quo supra n. 2173. [2] Quod `juvencus seu filius bovis' significet caeleste naturale; seu quod idem est, bonum naturale, imprimis constare potest a sacrificiis, quae praecipua repraesentativa cultus Ecclesiae Hebraeae et postea Judaicae fuerunt; sacrificia illorum fiebant vel ex armento vel ex grege, ita ex varii generis animalibus quae munda fuerunt, ut es bovibus, juvencis, hircis, ovibus, arietibus, capris, haedis, et agnis, praeter a turturibus et pullis columbarum: omnia illa significabant interna cultus, hoc est, caelestia et spiritualia, n. 2165, 2177, et quidem illa quae de armento, caelestia naturalia, et quae de grege, caelestia rationalia; illa et haec, nempe naturalia et rationalia quia interiora magis et magis sunt ac varia, ideo tot genera ac tot species illorum animalium in sacrificiis adhibebantur; quod etiam inde constare potest quod praescriptum, ut in holocaustis, tum in sacrificiis diversi generis, ut in quotidianis, sabbatorum et festorum, in voluntariis, eucharisticis et votivis, expiatoriis reatus et peccati, tum in purificatoriis et mundatoriis ut et in inauguratoriis, quaenam animalia offerrentur et quod expresse nominata sint, tum quot illorum, in unoquovis genere sacrificii; quod nusquam factum nisi unumquodvis aliquid peculiare significavisset, ut manifeste patet (o)ab illis locis ubi de sacrificiis agitur, ut Exod. xxix; Lev. i; iii; iv; ix; xvi; xxiii; Num. vii; viii; xv; xxix; quid autem (t)unumquodvis significavit, non hujus loci est exponere; similiter se habet apud Prophetas, ubi nominantur; ex illis constare potest quod juvenci {1} significaverint caelestia naturalia; [3] quod non alia quam caelestia significata sint, constare potest etiam ex cherubis visis Ezechieli, et ex animalibus coram throno visis Johanni: de cherubis ita propheta, Similitudo facierum illorum, facies hominis, et facies leonis, ad dextram quatuor illis, et facies bovis ad sinistram quatuor illis, ac facies aquilae quatuor illis, Ezech. i 10;de quatuor animalibus coram throno, ita Johannes, Circa thronum quatuor animalia, primum animal simile leoni, alterum animal simile juvenco, tertium animal habens faciem sicut homo, quartum animal simile aquilae volanti;... dicentia, Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus, Omnipotens, Qui erat, et Qui est, et Qui venturus, Apoc. iv 7, 8;
quod per `cherubos' et per `animalia illa' repraesentata sint sancta unusquisque videre potest, ita quoque per boves et juvencos {2} (o)ibi similiter quae in prophetia Mosis de Josepho, de quo ita, Veniat capiti Josephi et vertici naziraei fratrum illius: primogenito bovis ejus, honos illi, et cornua monocerotis cornua ejus, his populos feriet una, ad fines terrae, Deut. xxxiii 16, 17;
haec nulli intelligibilia forent nisi sciatur quid in sensu interno significat bos, monoceros, cornua, et plura. [4] Quod in genere sacrificia attinet, fuerunt quidem mandata per Mosen populo Israelitico; sed Antiquissima Ecclesia quae ante diluvium, nusquam aliquid novit de sacrificiis, nec in mentem eorum usquam venit ut per mactationes animalium colerent Dominum; Antiqua Ecclesia quae post diluvium, etiam ignoravit; haec quidem in repraesentativis fuit sed non in sacrificiis; verum primum instituta (o)sunt in Ecclesia sequente qua Hebraea dicta, ac inde emanavit ad gentes, (m)inde (o)etiam a Abrahamum, Isacum, et Jacobum, et sic ad hujus posteros; quo gentes in cultu sacrificiorum fuerint, ostensum est n. 1343, et quo Jacobi posteri antequam egressi Aegypto, ita antequam (o)sacrificia per Mosen super monte Sinai mandata,(n) constare potest ex Exod. v 3; x 25, 27; xviii 12; xxiv 4, 5; [5] imprimis ex idololatrico illorum coram vitulo aureo, de quo ita apud Mosen, Aharon aedificavit altare coram vitulo, et proclamavit Aharon, et dixit, Festum Jehovae cras; et surrexerunt mane a crastino, e obtulerunt holocausta, et adduxerunt pacifica; et sedit populus ad edendum et bibendum, et surrexerunt ad ludendum, Exod. xxxii 5, 6;
et hoc factum cum Moses fuit super monte Sinai, (c)ac ita antequam mandatum ad (c)eos pervenit de altari et sacrificiis; quod mandatum idcirco venit, quia cultus sacrificiorum apud eos, sicut apud gentiles, in idololatricum versus erat, a quo cultu non {3} removeri potuerunt quia principale sanctum in illo posuerunt, et quod ut sanctum semel implantatum est, ab infantia, magis a patribus, et sic irradicatum, hoc nisi sit contra ipsum ordinem, Dominus nusquam frangit, sed flectit illa causa fuit quod praescriptum fuerit ut ita instituerentur, sicut in libris Mosis legitur; [6] (m)quod sacrificia nusquam accepta fuerint Jehovae ita quod (o)modo permissa et tolerata ob causam de qua dictum, patet manifeste apud Prophetas; de illis ita apud Jeremiam,(n) Dixit Jehovah Zebaoth, Deus Israelis, Holocausta vestra addite supra sacrificia vestra, et comedite carnem; non locutus sum cum patribus vestris, et non praecepi eis in die quo eduxi eos e terra Aegypti, super verbis holocausti et sacrificii; sed verbum hoc praecepi iis, dicendo, Oboedite voci Meae, et ero vobis in Deum, (x)vii 21-23:
apud Davidem, Jehovah, sacrificium et munus non voluisti,... holocaustum et sacrificia peccati non petiisti, facere voluntatem Tuam, Deus mi desideravi, Ps. xi 7, 9 [A.V. 6, 8]:
apud eundem, Non delectaris sacrificio ut dem, holocaustum non acceptas; sacrificia Dei, spiritus contritus, Ps. li 18, 19 [A.V. 16, 17]:
apud eundem, Non accipiam e domo tua juvencum, e caulis tuis hircos, sacrifica Deo confessionem, Ps. l 9, (x)14; (m) 21, 22; cxvi 17; Deut. xxiii 19:(n) apud Hosheam, Misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium, et cognitionem {4} Dei prae holocaustis, vi 6:
Samuel ad Schaulem, Num complacentia Jehovae in holocaustis et sacrificiis? ecce obtemperare prae sacrificio bonum, oboedientia {5} prae adipe arietum, 1 Sam. xv 22:
apud Micham, In quo praeveniam Jehovam? incurvabo me Deo excelsi? num praeveniam Ipsum holocaustis, vitulis filiis anni, num complacebit Jehovah in millibus arietum, in myriadibus rivorum olei?... indicavit tibi, homo, quid bonum, et quid Jehovah requirens a te, tantum facere judicium, et amare misericordiam, et humiliare se, ambulando cum Deo tuo? vi 6-8. [7] Inde nunc patet quod sacrificia non mandata sint sed permissa, tum quod in sacrificiis nihil aliud spectatum quam internum; et quod internum fuerit, non autem externam, quod placuit; quare etiam Dominus illa abrogavit; sicut etiam {6} praedictum per Danielem his verbis, In medio septimanae cessare faciet sacrIficium et oblationem, ix 27, ubi de Adventu Domini, videantur quae de illis dicta sunt in Parte Prima, n. 922, (o)923, 1128, 1823. (m)Quod attinet `filium bovis' quem Abraham pro tribus viris fecit seu paravit, similiter se habuit ac cum illo in sacrificiis; quod similia significaverit, etiam inde constare potest quod dixerit ad Sarah ut `acciperet tria sata similaginis'; de similagine ad unum juvencum, ita apud Mosen, Cum venerint in terram; cum feceris filium bovis holocaustum aut sacrificium, nuncupando votum, aut pacifica Jehovae, {7} offeres super filium bovis minham de similagine tres decimas mixtas oleo, Num. 8, 9;
ubi similiter `tria,' hic tres decimae, ibi tria sata; at vero ad arietem modo duae decimae, ad agnum decima {8}, ibid. (x)xv 4-6.(n) @1 i boves et.$ @2 i per.$ @3 nec.$ @4 cognitiones 1.$ @5 obedire.$ @6 quoque.$ @7 i et.$ @8 i una.$