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is exprefsly faid, 2 Chron. xxix. 23, They brought forth the He Goats for the Sin Offering, before the King and the Congregation, and they laid their Hands upon them.

But whatever the Practice might be in this particular cafe, it is generally imagined that fomething more was intended by this Rite, than the Defignation of the Victim to God. The Egyptians had certainly a farther Intention in their Sacrifices. * They were wont to deprecate Evil

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from themselves that facrificed, and " from all Egypt; and to defire that it might fall upon the Head of their Sa"crifice." And This Custom had fuch an Influence upon them, that no Egyptian would fo much as† taste the Head of any Animal; but either they fold them to any Greeks that would buy them, or they threw them away into the River.

This indeed was the Notion and the Practice of the Egyptians; but there was

* Καταρέονται δε τάδε λέγοντες τῇσι κεφαλῇσι, είτε μέλλοι, ἢ σφίσι τῶσι θύεσι, ἡ Αἰγύπτῳ τὴ συναπάσῃ κακὸν γενέσθαι, ἐς κεφαλὴν ταύτην τραπέσθαι. Herodot l. ii. c. 39.

† Οὐδὲ ἄλλες ἐδενὸς ἐμψύχες κεφαλῆς γέυσεται Αἰγυπίίων ¿s Ibid.

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nothing like it among the Jews; For the Head was burnt upon the Altar, with the Fat, by the Jewish Priests. But what is remarkable here is, that in the cafe where the Sins of the Children of Ifrael were put upon the Head of an Animal, that Animal was deemed fo polluted, as to pollute the perfon that carried it away. He that let go the Goat for the Scape Goat, fhall wash his cloaths, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp, Lev. xvi. 26. Would they offer unto God what they knew to be polluted? It was not then to transfer Sins upon the Sacrifice, that in even piacular Sacrifices they laid their Hands upon the Head of the Victim; (and much less was it fo in other cafes;) but it was by that Rite to give up the Animal to the Uses intended. Juft as when among the Old Romans a Slave was to be made free, the Master was to hold him in his hand, and declare the intent of that Act, by faying, I will that this man be free: As Bochart has obferved. Or, what is

* Quomodo prifci Romani fervum in libertatem afferendum manu tenebant, dicentes, Hunc hominem liberum esse volo. Bochart. de Animal. Vol. I. p. 657

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more to the 'prefent point †, The Master was wont to hold him by the Head, and then pronouncing the Solemn words, Verba Solemnia, as they are called, he let him go out of his hand. See Briffonius de Formulis.

But if Impofition of Hands was required in other Cafes, why not in the Cafe of the Firft-Born, Tithes, and the Paffover? the reason of which may now without much difficulty be affigned.

The cafe of the First-born was, No man was to fanctify that, whether it be Ox or Sheep, it is the Lord's already, Levit. xxvii. 26. And if it were the First-born of an unclean Beaft, then it was to be redeemed according to its Eftimation. All the Firft-born, whatfoever openeth the womb among the children of Ifrael, both of man and beast, were taken unto God as his own, Exod. xiii. 2, 12, 13. Numb. iii. 13, -xviii. 17. and therefore were either to be brought to the Altar, or redeemed,

Manumitti fervus dicebatur cum Dominus ejus, aut Caput aut aliud Membrum tenens dicebat, Hunc hominem liberum effe volo; et emittebat eum e manu. Briffonius de Formul. 1. viii, e Fefto

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according as it was appointed. In this Oblation therefore there was no Room for Impofition of Hands, because the Perfon who brought this Victim only brought to the Lord what was the Lord's already. Here was no Act whereby Property was to be alienated, nothing that was voluntary, or that implied Defign or Intention, Fault or no Fault, but the mere act of bringing what belonged to Another to its proper place; and confequently Impofition of hands could not be required in this cafe.

Juft fo it was in relation to Tithes. They were to be brought to the Levites; and they paid Tithe to the Prieft, and thus each had their refpective Portions, of which they were to eat: And when they offered an Heave-Offering of them unto the Lord, that was reckoned to them as if it had been the Corn of their own Growth, Numb. xviii. Here likewife was no Impofition of hands, because the Tithes were to be delivered only to the perfons to whom they were given by God, and the Prayer prefcribed, Deut. xxvi. 13. was to be used.

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But then as to the Paffover it may feem more ftrange, that no Impofition of bands fhould be used. But perhaps the reason of its Inftitution may help us to the Solution of this difficulty. It is certain that it was defigned only for a Memorial of the Children of Ifrael's Escape, when the Lord flew all the First born in the Land of Egypt, both the First-born of man, and the First-born of Beast; and they were to keep it as a Festival, whereon the whole nation were conftantly to commemorate, in one Evening, their deliverance. A Company was to join, if any one Family were too fmall; and as a whole House, or more, were concern'd in the fame Lamb, He that brought it to the Temple, and killed it, had nothing farther to do than to take care that the Prieft received the Blood, and conveyed it to the Altar, fo as to have it poured out there. No Prayer, no Confeffion, was to be made; but the whole was performed whilft the Priefts Sung the Hillel; and he that brought the Lamb carried it back with him to rejoice with his Family, or Neighbours, or Both.

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