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fore it will be expedient to give (though it may prove a work of fome length and labour) an enlarged Hiftory of this whole

matter.

AS SACRIFICE is almost coeval with the human Race: its nature and fuppofed effects depend on the knowledge of its Original; which is only to be found in the notions, habits, and cuftoms of the first mortals.

The PRINCIPLE advanced in the fourth Section of the fourth Book of this work, together with the reasoning on that Principle concerning the ANCIENT MODE OF CONVERSE BY ACTION IN AID OF WORDS, will lead us (fo prolific is that Principle, in laying open the moft fecret treasures of Antiquity) to the true rationale of this widely extended, and as widely mistaken, Rite of Sacrifice. This will fhew, how the common fentiments of our Nature would draw the firft Men into this mode of worship, whether the SACRIFICE WAS EUCHARISTICAL, PROPITIATORY, or EXPIATORY. Under one or other of these Claffes, I fuppofe, all forts of Sacrifice may

Though the

be reasonably comprized. Egyptians, we are told, extended the number to fix hundred fixty and fix. But their Sacrifices, like their Kings, were wantonly multiplied at pleasure, in defiance of time and truth, to fit the purpose of every fabling or defigning Prieft. For, the Sentiments which nature and reafon excite in every pious breast towards the Author and Support of our Being, are fimply thefe, Gratitude for good bestowed; Application to him for good fought or wanted; and Repentance for, and deprecation of, Crimes committed.

1. Gratitude gave birth to Euchariftical Sacrifice. And this duty was, in the most early times, discharged in EXPRESSIVE ACTION; the leaft equivocal of which was, the Offerer's bringing the first fruits of Pafturage or Agriculture, to that fequeftered place, where the Deity used to be more folemnly invoked, at the ftated times of religious Worship; and there, presenting them in homage, with a demeanour which Spoke to this purpose "I do hereby ac

knowledge thee, O my God! to be the

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"Author and giver of all good: and do

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now, with humble gratitude, return my “warmest thanks for these thy bleffings, "particularly bestowed upon me."

Things, thus devoted, became, from thenceforth, facred. And to prevent their defecration, the readieft way was to fend them to the Table of the Prieft, or to confume them in the fire of the Altar.

2. The PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE Was precatory, to implore fuccefs to their labours, in order to procure and improve to their use these common bleffings of Providence; and deprecatory, to avert the evils due to the past abuse of such bleffings. And in this species of Sacrifice, likewise, the oblation was fo contrived as to be an Action equally expreffive of an invocation. for the continuance of God's favour; and for the remiffion of the Offerer's tranfgreffions.

3. But it is the third Sort, the EXPIATORY SACRIFICE, which, by reason of the horrid abuses it early underwent, hath obfcured the whole face of things: yet the luciferous Principle here applied, to illuf

trate

trate this whole matter, fhews EXPIATORY SACRIFICE to be in its nature as intelligible, and in practice as rational, as either of the other two. Here, inftead of presenting the firft fruits of agriculture and pafturage, in corn, wine, oil, and wool, as in the euchariftical, or a portion of what was to be fown or otherwife propagated, as in the propitiatory; fome chofen Animal, precious to the repenting Criminal, who deprecates, or fuppofed to be obnoxious to the Deity, who is to be appeased, was offered up and flain at the Altar, in an Action, which, in all languages, when tranflated into words, fpeaks to this purpose, -"I confefs my

tranfgreffions at thy footftool, O my God, "and, with the deepeft contrition, implore

..

thy Pardon; confeffing that I deferve "death for these my offences."-The latter part of the Confeffion was more forcibly expreffed by the Action of striking the devoted animal, and depriving it of life; which, when put into words, concluded in this manner-"And I own that I myself "deferve the death which I now inflict "on this Animal."

But here it will be proper to observe, that as crimes of a lighter complexion. were atoned for, as well as deprecated in the propitiatory Sacrifice; so those of a deeper dye could be only blotted out by the expiatory. This frequently brought into both the flaughter, or at leaft, the confecration of a devoted animal, by an action which spoke alike in each; but louder in the expiatory; while in all the three, the action of Sacrifice still expreffed a reasonable language.

But this fyftem of Sacrifice, fo well fupported by what we know of plain and fimple Nature, in its moft early movements, is further realized by what Hiftorians tell us was pronounced by the mouth of the Sacrificer himself; who frequently explained his own action by the words with which he accompanied it.

We learn from Antiquity, that when friendly or adverfe States had entered into an alliance for mutual defence, or ended a war on mutual conditions, the League was folemnized by the two parties with the additional Sanction of a SACRIFICE, in its nature

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