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ESSAY

ΟΝ ΤΗ Ε

NATURE, DESIGN, &c.

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S a right Notion of the Nature and Defign of Sacrifices is of great confequence to the right Understanding of many paffages of Scripture, and the manner of Religious Worship by them appears to have been in ufe from the earliest Antiquity, and the Reasonableness of such a Worship feems not very clear, it may be worth while to enquire into the Origin and Defign of fuch a Practice. It feems indeed very ftrange, that when true Religion confifts in the worship of God in Spirit and in Truth, a manner of Worship should uni

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verfally prevail in the world, which confifted in the Slaughter of Animals, or in confuming the good things which God had given to Mankind, by throwing them into the flames, or otherwife destroying them: And it is as ftrange to conceive that God himfelf (who is a Spirit, and fhould be treated as a Spiritual Being) should enjoin, or inftitute, or require fuch a feemingly unnatural manner of worship. Or if it be faid that Men invented it, or fell into it thro' Folly, or Superftition, or Ignorance of the nature of God, it is as hard to conceive that God by a Positive Inftitution fhould command, or even allow to his own People fuch a strange Invention of Men. Were Sacrifices deemed the Food of God? Was he thought to take pleasure in the Fumes or Smoak of them? Or were they offered to induce him to lay afide Anger, and become Merciful, Good, and Kind? Whence could fuch a Notion arife? Or what Connexion is there between Burning an Animal, and removing Displeasure, that Blood, in fuch a particular manner offered, fhould be conceived a poffible means to fuch an

End?

End? Or is it reafonable to fuppofe that when any Man had finn'd, an innocent Ox, or a Sheep, that never had offended, could be made his Subftitute; or that its Blood would be accepted as an Equivalent, or a Satisfaction for a real Criminal? Arnobius has urged These, and several other Objections against the Heathen Sacrifices, with a great deal of Wit and Spirit, with a Beauty and Strength that is very uncommon: But had his Adversaries applied to the Jewish Sacrifices the fame Difficulties which he had objected to the Heathen, it does not appear fo certain and clear, How He would have removed them, or got rid of what they might have retorted upon Him.

It is certainly true, that the Reason of this way of Worship has not been fo fully confidered as it ought. And even where the Command of this Practice is fo exprefs, and the Practice it felf was fo cuftomary, yet the Ground of it is rarely mentioned. Hence perhaps it may be thought impoffible to discover the Reason, or to determine any thing about the Origin of this Mode of Worship: Or perhaps it

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may be looked upon by fome as a mere matter of Curiofity to concern one's felf in fuch Enquiries. But every one must be left to judge for Himfelf; and as I for my Part think it a matter of Importance, I fhall endeavour to trace it from its Origin: And if one cannot arrive at abfolute Certainty in fo obfcure and difficult a point, we must be content with Probability or if one cannot be fure of the Ground of a Cuftom, by: reafon of its very remote Antiquity, one ought not to reject the Light one may have, because one has not the Brightness of the Midday Sun.

To begin then with defining what I mean by the word Sacrifice. Whatever is given or offered in a Solemn manner immediately to God, so as that Part of it, or the Whole is confumed, is what is meant by the Word Sacrifice. Whether it be upon an Altar, or what is used inftead of an Altar; whether it be by Fire, or in any other manner, is not material: But there must be a Gift, or Oblation of it, whatever the Subject, or Matter may be

and

;

and it must be offered to God; and there must be a Consumption of it. If a heap of Stones, or the common Earth, or a private Hearth was used to burn a piece of Flesh on, That makes no difference: Or if a Libation was made, and the Wine, or whatever it was, was poured upon the Earth, or into the Sea: Or if the Entrails of an Animal were caft into the Sea, as an Oblation to the Gods of the Sea, it was a proper Sacrifice, provided the Oblation was confumed in the proper man

ner.

Thus when Virgil says,

Dii, quibus imperium eft pelagi, quorum

æquora curro,

Vobis latus ego hoc candentem in littore Taurum

Conftituam ante aras, voti reus, Extaque

Salfos

Porriciam in fluctus, et vina liquentia

fundam.

Æn. l. v. 235, &c.

The Sea was the proper place on which the Entrails were given and confumed.

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