"for men in things pertaining to God; that he may "offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have "compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are "out of the way; for that he himself also is coinpassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he "ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to "offer for sins."* The high priest of the Jews therefore, as well as the other priests, was himself taken from among men, and liable to error, that being conscious of his frailty he might offer expiatory sacrifices, as for himself, so for his brethren, and might cherish the same desires, that God would be merciful to others as to himself.

XIV. The expiatory victims sacrificed for the whole congregation used to be brought to the altar, and consecrated to God, not by the whole people, but either by the high priest, or by the elders, and that by the express command of the law. But whatever was done by the high priest or elders on these occasions was done by them as representatives of the people; so that the people were considered as offering every victim, which either the high priest or the elders offered in their stead, and on their behalf.

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But this point is too obvious to require further illustration. We shall conclude this chapter with a brief summary of the arguments advanced in it. In the first place, we have shown, that God appointed the Jewish sacrifices to be offered to himself with certain solemnities. Secondly, those rites were designed and contrived to signify God's power over life and death, his authority to punish and pardon, and his supreme dominion over the universe. It was for this purpose, that God required the victim to be brought to his altar, and there to be offered

• Heb. v. 1.-3.

+ Levit. xvi. 7-9. iv. 15.

and consecrated to him; that he commanded the blood, entrails, or, in the case of burnt offerings, the whole victim, to be laid upon his altar; that is, to be presented to him as the proprietor and governor of all things: and that he directed some sacrifices to be waved towards the various parts of the world; by which they were symbolically presented to him as the universal proprietor and sovereign. Thirdly, we remark, that those rites by which any thing was thus offered or presented to God, partook of the true nature of divine worship, though only of an external kind; and had respect to God, as much as bowing the knees, bending the head or body, or any other similar ceremonies which are employed in sacred services as acts of divine worship. Lastly, we wish it to be observed, that the sacrificial rites, whether performed by the offerer himself, or by the priest, were required to be performed in such a manner, that the external and symbolical worship should be accompanied by the worship of the mind; by that faith in the providence, justice, and goodness of God, that reverence for his holy laws, that repentance for sins, and those purposes of future obedience, which become all sincere and pious men: and whoever offered sacrifices with this state of mind, was accepted by God.

These particulars present a general view of the religious principles and purposes connected with sacrifices; and prove that they were presented to God, like prayers and thanksgiving; with this difference, that other external signs were employed to express the internal worship of the mind. But these remarks are to be understood as referring to sacrifices in general : for those things which belong exclusively to the piacular victims require a separate examination.

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CHAPTER XX.

Proofs that the Jews considered their Sacrifices as having respect to God, and that the Heathens believed their Sacrifices to have respect to their Deities. The Opinion of the Christian Fathers concerning these Rites.

HAVING stated my own sentiments concerning all kinds of sacrifices, I conceive it will not be irrelevant to the subject, to advert to the concordant opinions which have been held by the Jews and Heathens on their respective sacrifices, and by the ancient Christian writers on both.

*

To begin with the Jews: Philo describes those who approached the altars as always approaching them 'for the purpose of supplicating or giving thanks :" which shews that they considered their sacrifices as having respect to God equally with prayers and thanksgivings. The same conclusion is established by another passage of the same author:† If any one ' is desirous of carefully examining the reasons which induced the first men to express their thanksgivings ' and prayers by means of sacrifices, he will find that they were chiefly two. One was the honour of God; a thing good and necessary in itself, independently of every thing else the other was the advantage of the 'offerers; which was twofold, consisting in an enjoyment of good things, and an exemption from evils. To that class which are to be offered to God for ' himself only, the law has assigned the holocaust, from which nothing is taken by human cupidity, but which is presented entire and perfect to the all perfect Deity. Those which are intended for the

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* benefit of men, because opinion has divided them, are also divided by the law into two kinds; one for "the acquisition of good, named a peace offering; the ' other for an exemption from evil, called an offering for sin.' This language implies that they presented their sacrifices to God, as symbolical praises, thankgivings, and supplications.

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II. Similar sentiments are expressed by Abarbinel;* The design of the peace offerings will be evident, as soon as you know that they were either eucharistic, or votive and voluntary. These two kinds may be 'thus described. Our ancestors sometimes sacrificed peace offerings in order to signify their thankful acknowledgments to God for his supreme clemency ' and benevolence towards them, and for all his ' benefits, whether displayed in their inheritance and possession of the land, or in other wonderful achieve'ments; and these which the law calls "sacrifices of thanksgiving," belonged to the first kind. The ' other kind, which included the votive and voluntary, ' was intended as a species of supplications, in which they besought God, that he would be merciful to 'them for the time to come, that he would bless their " crops and prosper all their affairs, and that he would supply them with all the necessaries of life. Hence 'it appears, that oblations of the one kind were a

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sort of thanksgivings for favours previously received; and those of the other, supplications for benefits ' desired.' To the same purpose he says in another place: After the eucharistic sacrifice the scripture speaks of votive and voluntary sacrifices, which were always offered to God, as vows and prayers, in order to obtain prosperity.' These things relate to

* In Præf. ad Levit.

+ Ad Levit. iik

the peace offerings: but let us hear what account this rabbi gives of the design of the piacular sacrifices:* The law has not commanded the blood of any piacular victim to be sprinkled within the sanctuary, except that atonement might be made and pardon ' obtained with God for some offence of more than 'common enormity, such as every crime was believed to be that was committed by the high priest or the Sanhedrim.' This language implies that all piacular victims were sacrificed in order to obtain pardon of sins and favour with God; but that those whose blood was to be carried into the sanctuary, were offered for greater offences than others: for that the same criminal act involved greater criminality when committed by the high priest or Sanhedrim than when committed by any common individual. On the sin offering for the high priest the same author remarks:† He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the victim 'towards the vail of the inner sanctuary and on the 'altar of incense, in order that he may obtain "remission and expiation from before God in the sanctuary.' Of the daily burnt offerings the same writer says: 'The daily burnt offerings were intended as a species of solemn supplications presented to "God, that he would be pleased to remember his ( mercy towards Israel morning and evening, that he ' would increase their corn, and wine, and oil: as is 'evident from the mcat offering and drink offering, which were to accompany them.' So Rabbi Moses Ben Nachman describes the burnt offerings of individuals as supplicating' for the offerers. And Isaac Ben Arama|| considers all sacrifices as so nearly allied to prayers, that he concludes the latter to be avail* In Præf. ad Levit. + Ibid. Ad Levit. xvi. § Ad Levit. i. || Ad Levit. vt.

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