therefore the word Trefpafs does in fact relate to a Cafe of Ignorance, it is only to offending in Holy things: which is rated at the Price of a Trefpafs Offering, whether a man did it knowingly or not.

Should it be fuggested, as perhaps it may, that the words are the fame about these Two forts of Offerings, and that therefore the Things are the fame: That in the Command about the Sin Offering it is-If a Soul fhall fin through ignorance against any of the Commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and fhall do against any of them then a Sin Offering was to be brought, Levit. iv. 2: And it is just the fame in the command about the Trespass Offering-If a Soul fin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, tho' he wift not, yet is he guilty, and fhall bear his Iniquity; he shall bring a Ram-for a Trefpafs Offering, and the Prieft hall make an Atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred, and wift it not, Lev. v. 17, 18. They Both offended through ignorance; and both

offended

offended against the Law forbidding fomething to be done and yet They were to bring different Sacrifices, and the Offence of the One was greater than That of the Other, if one were to judge from the nature of the Sacrifice.

But the Solution of the difficulty feems to me to be thus. In this laft place it is commanded, that Ignorance of Trespalles in Holy things fhould be expiated by a peculiar and proper Sacrifice and that this Sort of Offences fhould be ranked among the groffer faults, fuch as come under the denomination of, or Tref paffes. Mofes had been speaking concerning Ignorance in the Holy things of the Lord; and he had said, that the Offender was to make amends for the harm he had done in the Holy thing, by adding a fifth part thereto; and then the Priest was to make Atonement for him with the Ram of the Trespass Offering, and it should be forgiven him, v. 15, 16. And then it immediately follows- If a Soul Sin and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, tho' be wift it not, yet he is guilty.

guilty. What now are thefe Things forbidden, but what he was fpeaking about in the immediate preceding words, viz. ignorance of Holy things? Whereas if you make a New Law to begin at ver. 17, relating to the ignorant commiffion of any thing forbidden in the Law, it would be confounding different things, and making it very difficult, if not impoffible to know, when a Trespass Offering, and when a Sin Offering was to be made for faults committed in ignorance.

Hitherto I have been fhewing the true nature and defign of Sacrifices: it will be neceffary in the next place to confider some mistaken Representations of them.

It has been thought, that Sacrifices were *" External Signs by which the defires of "people were expreffed, and had a view

enun

Eodem fpectaffe Sacrificia, quo preces ore tiatæ gratiarumque actiones pertinent. Illud tamen interfuiffe, quod ejufdem utique voluntatis alia in precibus enuntiatis, atque etiam in gratiarum Actionibus, alia autem in Sacrificiis figna Externa adhiberentur. In illis fcilicet explicata Verba, in his facri quidam ritus; quibus tamen eadem defideria, quæ verbis explicatis fubjecta erant. Outram. de Sacrif. p. 108. Vide etiam, p. 237240.

" to

"to the fame End as Prayers openly pronounced, or Thanksgivings had: They

were Sacred Rites by which people ex"preffed their defires, and had the fame "End in view as when they pronounced openly their Prayers or their Thanks", i.e. it was the fame thing as Prayer or Thanksgiving, only expreffed by external Signs instead of Words.

Abarbinel had this Notion, when he obferved," That the meaning of the "daily Sacrifices was Prayer to God, "that he would remember his Mercies

ઃઃ

to Ifrael in the Morning and in the Evening, and that he would bless their "Corn and Wine, and Oil. That it was "on this account, that the Meat and "Drink Offerings were added to them." Dr. Outram has cited this and other paffages from him, to fhew that the Jews thought their Sacrifices to be a sort of Symbolical Prayers to God for Pardon, or for Bleffings.

Nor was this Notion unknown among the Heathens.

In that beautiful Fable

*Outram de Sacrificiis, p. 238, 239.1

of

of Ariftaus, as Virgil has dreffed it up, Cyrene bids her Son to offer Sacrifices to the Nymphs, and affures him that they would remit their Anger.

Tu munera Supplex

Tende petens pacem, et faciles venerare Napaas;

Namque dabunt veniam votis irafque re

mittent.

Geor. I. iv.

Then She tells him the manner in which he was to pray,

Sed modus Orandi qui fit prius ordine dicam;

Quatuor Eximios præftanti corpore tau

ros, &c:

[Ibid.

And this was to facrifice fuch and fuch Animals; as if Sacrifice were properly a Mode of Prayer.

But This is neither a juft, nor a full representation of the fact. Sacrifices were always accompanied with Prayers or Thanksgivings; and therefore were not

External