^^^^Q        He/hal/not  approach.  ]     He  makes  it  a   ftanding  Law
Verfe  18.  thatnoMan  that  had  ablemifh  ihould  come  to  mini-
fter  unto  him  at  his  Altar.     And   a  reafonable  Law  it
was,  approved  by  Pagans  themfelves  ^  for  it  is  the  -ve
ry  firft  qualificacion  which  Plato  requires  in  him  who
was  to  be  made  a  Prieft,  that  he  (hould  be  oXoy.x^r
^  yv^;©',  Sec.  per  fed  in  all  his  parts,  and  not  a  Baftard^
and  that  he  fhould  be  born  of  honeft  Parents,  who
had  lived  without  the  blemifti  of  Murder,  or  any  o-
ther  Impiety,  Dh.Vl.de  Legtbus,  p.  759.     And  fuch
a  Law  there  was  among  the  ancient  Romans  :  Sacerdot
integer  jit)  That  a  Prieft  fhould  be  intire  in  all  his  parts.
Which  Seneca  mentioning  (  IV  Controv.   2.  )  explains
it  by  the  example  of  Meteilvfy  who  lofing  his  Eyes,
by  adventuring  to  fnatch  the  Palladium  out  of  the
Flames,  when    the    Temple  of  Vefta  was  burnt,  was
denied    the   Priefthood.    For  though  he    had  done
great  Service,  which  did  him  great  honour,  yet  their
Opinion  was,  That  Sacerdos  non  integri  corpora,  qua-
fi  mali  ominis  res,  vitandus  eft  5  a  Prieft  who  wanted
any  part  of  his  Body,  was  to  be  avoided,  as  a   thing
that   boded  ill.     For    thus  it  was  in  Sacrifices,  and
therefore    they    thought  with  much  more  reafon  it
(hould  be  foin  the  Priefts  that  offered  them.     See  D/7-
herrns  Dtfput.  Academ.  Tom.  II. p^  1 87,  &c.
