Offerings being regarded as an expression of grati- tude and piety, and recpiired as a necessary part of or- dinary private life, were diligently and abundantly pre- sf nted, failure in this point being held as a sign of irre- ligion (Psa. Ixvi, 15 ; ex, 3 ; Jer. xxxviii, 11 ; Matt, viii, 4: ; Acts xxi, 26 ; Isa. xliii, 23). Offerings were sworn by, as being something in themselves holy, from the purpose to which they were consecrated (Matt, xxiii, 18). In the glowing pictures of religious happiness and national prosperity which the poets drew, there is found an ideal perfection of this essential element of Israelitish worship (Isa. xix, 21 ; Ivi, 7 ; Ix, 7 ; Zech. xiv, 21 ; Jer. xvii, 26 ; xxxiii, 18) ; and deprivation of this privilege was among the calamities of the period of exile (Hos. iii, 4).
Under the load and the multiplicity of these outward oblations, however, the Hebrews forgot the substance, lost the thought in the symbol, the thing signified in the sign; and, failing in those devoti(nial sentiments and that practical obedience which offerings were in- tended to prefigure and cultivate, sank into the practice of mere dead works. Thereupon the prophets began to utter their admonitory lessons, to which the world is indebted for so many graphic descriptions of the real nature of religion and the only true worship of Almighty God (Isa. i, 1 1 ; Jer. vi, 20 ; vii, 21 sq. ; Hos. vi, 6 ; Amos V, 22 ; Mic.^ vi, 6 sq. ; comp. Psa. xl, 6 ; li, 17 sq. ; Prov. xxi, 3). Thus the failures of one Church prepared the way for the higher privileges of another, and the law proved a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Matt, v, 23 ; Gal. iii, 24). Even before the advent of our Lord pious and reflecting men, like the Essenes, discovered tiie lamentable abuses of the national ritual, and were led to abstain altogether from the customary forms of a mere outward worship (Joseph. A nt. xviii, i, 5). The 50th Psalm must have had great influence in preparing the minds of thinking men for a pure and spiritual form of worship, the rather because some of its principles strike at the very root of all offerings of a mere outward kind: thus, "I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds; for every beast of the for- est is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. If I
were hungry I would not tell thee; for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving." Indeed, the conception and composi- tion of such a noble piece show what great progress the best-cultivated minds had made from the rudimental notions of primitive times, and may serve of themselves to prove that with all the abuses which had ensued, the Mosaic ritual and institutions were admirably fitted to carry forward the education of the mind of the people. Thus was the Hebrew nation, and through them the world, led on so as to be in some measure prepared for receiving the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, in which all outward offerings arc done away, the one great offering being made, and all those who are members of the Church are required to offer themselves, body, soul, and spirit, a holy offering to the Lord (Heb. x ; llora. xii). "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not ; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Heb. xiii, 15, 16; Matt, ix, 13; xii, 7; Kom. XV, IG ; Phil, ii, 17 ; 2 Tim. iv, 6). See MosAiSM. Lightfoot's work. Be Ministerio Tem.pli, is especially to be recommended on this subject. See also Outram, De Sacrif. ; Keland, .1 nt. Sacr. iii, 1 ; Bauer, Gottesdiensll. Verfass. i, 80 sq. ; lioscnmiiller, Excurs. I nd Lev. The Jewish doctrines on offerings may be found in the treat- ises Ztbachim, Mennchoth, and Temnra, a selection from which, as well as from the Rabbins, is given in that useful little work, Othon. Leu-. Talmud, p. 621 sq. ; see Ugolin. Thesaur. tom. xix. For a general view of the subject, see Sacrifice; and for its different kinds, see Burnt-offering ; Consi!:cration-offp:ring ; Daily- offering; Drink-offering; Heave-offering; Jeal- ousy-offering ; Meat-offering; Oblation; Pro- pitiatory-offering; Purification-offering; Sin- offering ; Wave-offering.
OFFERING denotes whatever is sacrificed or con- sumed in the worship of (lod. In the Christian com- munity there appears to have existed, from the earliest times, a practice of making voluntary offerings for pur- poses not directly connected with public worship. See Oblation ; Offertory.
Offering-days, namely, Christmas, piaster, Whit- suntide, and tlie feast for the dedication of the Church, or, as Beleth says. All-saints', when the alms were al- lotted for the priests' stipend and the purchase of the paschal. By Henry VIlI.'s injunction, 1538, the four general offering-days were changed to Christmas, East- er, Nativity of John the Baptist, and Michaelmas, when money-offerings at the altar were given for the support of the clergy. In the last century, the king, attended by the Knights of the Garter and heralds in their tab- ards, offered, at Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, and All- saints', a bezant in his private chapel ; on six other days gold ; and on Circumcision and Epiphany gold, frankincense, and myrrh, in three purses. — See Wal- cott, Sacred A rclneology (London, 1668), p. 408. Offertorium. See Offertory. Offertory (Lat, offertorinm. from ojfero, I offer) is the name given to that portion of the Romish Liturgy with which the eucharistic service, strictly so called, commences. In the Roman Liturgy it consists of one or two verses from some book of Scripture, generally from the Old Testament, but sometimes from the Epis- tles. In the Ambrosian Liturgy it consists of a prayer, similar in form to the collect or secret of the mass ; and in both this recital is followed by the preparatory offer- ing up of the bread and wine, accompanied b}^ certain ceremonies and forms of prayer.