life as a power bestowed, in consequence of a Command received. And this will lead us to consider

2. The second requisite of a voluntary death efficacious of redemption; which is, that it must be OFFERED UP, in consequence of preordained acceptance, called, in the text, a COMMAND. And what is a religious offering up to God, but a SACRIFICE?

In this sense (the proper sense of the word,) the holy Scriptures expressly call the death of Christ a SACRIFICE. St. Paul speaking (as is his wont) in the Language of the LAW,* says,-Christ our Passover is SACRIFICED for us. The Writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, who rarely speaks any other Language, says—Christ needeth not daily, as those high Priests, to offer up SACRIFICE, first for his own sins, and then for the People's; for this he did once when he OFFERED UP HIMSELF. Again-Christ hath appeared to put away sin, by the SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF.§ And again-He was once OFFERED to bear the sins of many.

But the virtue of expiatory Sacrifices consisted in procuring ATONEMENT, by some sort of SATISFACTION. And thus the expiatory Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross operated for our REDEMPTION.

One could hardly have thought it possible, that any Man, who had read the Gospels, with their best interpreters, the Authors of the Epistles, should ever have entertained a doubt, WHETHER THE DEATH OF CHRIST WAS A REAL SACRIFICE?

But mistaken notions, concerning the origin and nature of this sacred Rite, have so obscured the Rationale of it, that the SOCINIANS, who boast to have Interpreted Scripture on the severest and justest Laws of Logic and Criticism, have, in this instance, as well as in many others, deviated more from these Laws than the most licentious of the Allegorists, or the wildest of the Spiritualizers. Here, in their care to avoid an imaginary absurdity, they have fallen into a real one, and of the grossest kind, while they consider the death of Christ as nothing more than THE SEAL OF HIS MISSION. For, were this all, so bloody an Impression might have been well spared; since the proper Seal of his Mission, or the evidence of his being SENT, were MIRACLES performed and PROPHECIES fulfilled. His DYING, if it were only in support of what he taught, could be nothing more than the seal of his Integrity.

But Ignorance of the ORIGIN AND NATURE OF SACRIFICE hath

To this an objector may reply,-if St. Paul speaks in the Language of the Law, why is not the word Sacrifice part of that language, as well as Passover? And if so, says such a one, your argument from this text, in proof of a real Sacrifice, is enervated. To this I answer, the language of the law may extend to names without extending to things. It plainly does so, here. The word Passover is language peculiar to the Law: the word SACRIFICE, though the language of the Law, is not peculiar to it, but in use throughout the whole religious World to denote a Rite, common, at that time, to all Men. Heb. vii. 27. Heb. ix. 26.

† 1 Cor. v. 7.

|| Verse 28.

misled these our Rationalists into the gross and semipagan errors concerning the Rite itself. And therefore it will be expedient to give (though it may prove a work of some length and labour) an enlarged History of this whole matter.

As SACRIFICE is almost coeval with the human Race, its nature and supposed effects depend on the knowledge of its Original; which is only to be found in the notions, habits, and customs 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 (so prolific is that Principle, in laying open the most secret treasures of Antiquity) to the true rationale of this widely extended, and as widely mistaken, Rite of Sacrifice. This will shew, how the common sentiments of our Nature would draw the first Men into this mode of worship, whether the SACRIFICE WAS EUCHARISTICAL, PROPITIATORY, or EXPIATORY. Under one or other of these Classes, I suppose, all sorts of Sacrifice may be reasonably comprized. Though the Egyptians, we are told, extended the number to six hundred sixty and six. 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 designing Priest. For, the Sentiments which nature and reason excite in every pious breast towards the Author and Support of our Being, are simply these, Gratitude for good bestowed; Application to him for good sought or wanted; and Repentance for, and deprecation of, Crimes committed.

1. Gratitude gave birth to Eucharistical Sacrifice. And this duty was, in the most early times, discharged in EXPRESSIVE ACTION; the least equivocal of which was, the Offerer's bringing the first fruits of Pasturage or Agriculture, to that sequestered place, where the Deity used to be more solemnly invoked, at the stated times of religious Worship; and there, presenting them in homage, with a demeanour which spoke to this purpose-"I do hereby acknowledge thee, O my God! to be the Author and giver of all good: and do now, with humble gratitude, return my warmest thanks for these thy blessings, particularly bestowed upon me."

Things, thus devoted, became, from thenceforth, sacred. And to prevent their desecration, the readiest way was to send them to the Table of the Priest, or to consume them in the fire of the Altar.

2. The PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE was precatory, to implore success to their labours, in order to procure and improve to their use these common blessings of Providence; and deprecatory, to avert the evils due to the past abuse of such blessings. And in this species of Sacrifice, likewise, the oblation was so contrived as to be an Action equally

expressive of an invocation for the continuance of God's favour; and for the remission of the Offerer's transgressions.

3. But it is the third Sort, the EXPIATORY SACRIFICE, which, by reason of the horrid abuses it early underwent, hath obscured the whole face of things: yet the luciferous Principle, here applied, to illustrate this whole matter, shews EXPIATORY SACRIFICE to be, in its nature, as intelligible, and in practice as rational, as either of the other two. Here, instead of presenting the first fruits of agriculture and pasturage, in corn, wine, oil and wool, as in the eucharistical, or a portion of what was to be sown or otherwise propagated, as in the propitiatory; some chosen Animal, precious to the repenting Criminal, who deprecates, or supposed to be obnoxious to the Deity, who is to be appeased, was offered up and slain at the Altar, in an Action, which, in all languages, when translated into words, speaks to this purpose, "I confess my transgressions at thy footstool, O my God! and, with the deepest contrition, implore thy Pardon; confessing that I deserve death for these my offences."-The latter part of the Confession was more forcibly expressed 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 deserve 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 slaughter, or at least, the consecration 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 expressed a reasonable language.

But this system of Sacrifice, so well supported by what we know of plain and simple Nature, in its most early movements, is further realized by what Historians 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 adverse States had entered into an alliance for mutual defence, or ended a war on mutual conditions, the League was solemnized by the two parties with the additional Sanction of a SACRIFICE, in its nature chiefly partaking of that species we call Propitiatory; to implore a blessing on the transaction.

The Historian, Livy, hath recorded the Ceremonies in use, in these Sorts of Sacrifice; where, speaking of a treaty concluded between the Roman and Alban People, on certain conditions mutually agreed upon, he tells us, that the Public person, on the part of Rome, whom we may call the King at arms, and who was the sacrificing Priest, when about

to strike the Victim, thus invocates their common God, in an address to the Alban People, and their chief Heralds-" Legibus deinde recitatis, Audi, inquit, Jupiter; audi Pater patrate Populi Albani; audi tu Populus Albanus; ut illa palam prima postrema ex illis Tabulis Cerave recitata sunt, sine dolo malo, utique ea hic hodie rectissime intellecta sunt, illis Legibus Populus Romanus prior non deficiet. Si prior defexit publico Consilio dolo malo, TU ILLO DIE, Jupiter, POPULUM ROMANUM SIC FERITO, UT EGO HUNC PORCUM HIC HODIE FERIAM, TANTOQUE MAGIS FERITO quanto magis potes pollesque: Id ubi dixit, porcum saxo silice percussit."*

Another Treaty concluded between Hannibal and his Army of multifarious Adventurers was, the same historian tells us, sanctified in the like manner. Just before the battle of Trebia, the General, encouraging his Followers, by all the usual excitements, to do their duty, concludes with a promise of the most magnificent spoils, as the reward of their valour. And then offering one of those propitiatory Sacrifices for himself and his army; the better to induce the various nations, of which it was composed, to confide in his word, and rest assured of his good faith, he held out a Lamb ready for the Altar, and then proceeded in the following manner-"Eaque ut rata scirent fore, Agnum læva manu, dextra silicem retinens, SI FALLERET, JOVEM CÆTEROSQUE PRECATUS DEOS ITA SE MACTARENT QUEMADMODUM IPSE

AGNUM MACTASSET. Secundum precationem, Caput pecudis saxo elisit."+

We see the reason, why in these religious Acts, when made the Sanction of good faith, in public and civil conventions, the expressive action should be further ascertained by Words. It was necessary, in an affair of public and general importance, to give the utmost precision to the Act, by removing from it all doubtful or equivocal meaning.

Again, it is further worth our notice, that, although THE SPEAKING BY ACTION had (as we have shewn) its original in the defects and imperfection of early language; yet, even when those impediments to fuller information were in a good measure removed, still, partly from habit and custom, but principally from some advantages which this mode of converse had above the other, of speech, it was (as has been observed elsewhere) long kept up amongst People of simpler manners, especially in the more solemn transactions of life; of which those relating to religion were the chief: by reason, that significative actions make a stronger and more durable impression than words; as the Eye is a more certain and steady conveyance of intelligence than the Ear. On the whole, the Reader now sees, that nothing could be more natural, intelligible, or rational, than this mode of religious Worship, as here explained.

• LIVIUS, lib. i. cap. 24.

† Ibid. lib. xxi, cap. 45.

Ignorance of all this, and inattention to the state and condition of ancient times, have divided Believers into two parties on this subject.

One of them holds, that the origin of Sacrifices was by command from Heaven; the other, that it sprung from Superstition, together with many the like absurd practices. The first call this religious Rite Mysterious: and so give to Heaven what, in their opinion, Reason disclaims. As to the origin of Sacrifices, (says a learned Divine,) it is extremely hard to conceive them to be a human Institution; BECAUSE we cannot give any tolerable account of the REASONS of them.* A more than tolerable, even a plain and clear reason, the Reader sees is now given. But men are always disposed to find in themselves a standard for the measure of all things. However, admit Sacrifice to be devoid of Reason; must things, thus circumstanced, needs come from Heaven? As if nothing had ever entered into Religion that was of the growth of Superstition! What will be the consequence of thus accounting for what we do not understand, but the disposing men to think, that every religious Rite, though palpably absurd, yet, if fancifully mysterious, had that original?

Another argument which this more orthodox Party urge for their Opinion, that Sacrifice must needs be heavenly-derived, is, perhaps, something more plausible, but equally inconclusive: It is the very early use of Sacrifice, which rises as high as the two Sons of Adam. And, indeed, our account of this significative action shews, that we can conceive no time, after the Fall, too early for its introduction amongst men, under the guidance and government of natural Religion, as these two Brothers certainly were: Besides, the defects of language, while in its early rudiments, necessarily occasioned this mode of intercourse between Man and his Maker. Yet, notwithstanding, Primæval use can never prove Sacrifice to have arisen from any other source than the light of natural reason. And if that be sufficient (as we have shewn it is), we must needs conclude that it arose from thence, when Scripture is silent concerning any other source. Especially since we find that this Scripture hath carefully recorded what God immediately, and not nature, taught to Adam and his Family. Now, concerning Sacrifice, there is not a single word which implies any such instruction. On the contrary, the manner in which the story is told leads us to conclude, that the Rite was first dictated by natural reason.— -Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a Tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, an offering unto the Lord. And Abel he brought of the firstling of his flock.And IN PROCESS OF TIME (says the Historian) IT CAME TO PASS, &c. words, which (in the sequel) not only acquaint us with the first Sacrificers, but in these, here quoted, strongly intimate, that