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clusion, so directly subversive of his notion of sacrifices as mere gifts, that in order to escape from it, he is obliged to deny, in opposition to every commentator, that the burnt-sacrifice here spoken of was a voluntary offering. Now, that the word,

, should not be translated, as it is in our common version, of his own voluntary will, I admit with Dr. Priestley. It should be rendered, as appears from the use of the word immediately after, and in other parts of Scripture, as well as from the Greek, the Chaldee, the Syriac and the Arabic versions, for his acceptance.* See Houbig. Ainsw. and Purver. But the present version of this word is far from being the strength of the cause. The manner in which the subject is introduced, and the entire of the context, place it beyond doubt, that the sacrifice spoken of, was the voluntary burnt-offering of an individual. And thus Dr. Priestley's argument holds good against himself, and he admits that in every sacrifice there was a reference to sin. On the expiatory nature of the burnt-offering, we shall see more hereafter, in Number LXVII.

*The words,

17, Rosenm. renders, ut acceptus Levit. i. 3.

sit Deo, Dei favorem sibi conciliet.

NO. XL. ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE PROOF OF THE PROPITIATORY NATURE OF THE MOSAIC SACRIFICES, INDEPENDENT OF THE ARGUMENT WHICH ESTABLISHES THEIR VICARIOUS IMPORT.

PAGE 34. (9)—That the Jewish sacrifices were propitiatory, or in other words, that in consequence of the sacrifice of the animal, and in virtue of it either immediately or remotely, the pardon of the offender was procured, is all that my argument requires, in the place referred to by the present Number. The vicarious import of the sacrifice seems indeed sufficiently established by shewing, as has been done, that the sins of the offender were transferred in symbol to the victim, and immediately after, expiated by the death of the animal, to which they had been so transferred. But this has been an argument ex abundanti; and has been introduced, rather for the purpose of evincing the futility of the objections so confidently relied on, than as essential to the present enquiry. The effect of propitiation is all that the argument absolutely demands. For further discussion of this important subject, I refer the reader to Number XLII.

NO. XLI.-ON THE DIVINE INSTITUTION OF SACRI

FICE: AND THE TRACES THEREOF DISCOVER-
ABLE IN THE HEATHEN CORRUPTIONS OF THE
RITE.

PAGE 35. ($) That the rite of sacrifice was not an invention of man, but an ordinance of God; that, however in passing among the nations of the earth, it might have become deformed by idolatrous practices, it yet had not sprung from an idolatrous source, it is the principal object, of the second of the Discourses contained in this volume, and of many of the Dissertations which are to follow in the next, to establish.* I shall not there

-

* Dr. Randolph in his interesting and valuable volume of Advent Sermons, has expressed himself with felicity upon this subject." From those who presumptuously deride the doctrine of Atonement, we would ask some reasonable solution of the origin of sacrifice. Will they make it consistent with any natural idea, will they discover in the blood of an innocent victim, any thing recommendatory in itself of the offerer's suit and devotions? Though they should clear away, what they term, a load of superstition from the Christian worship, they will find it encumbering every altar of their favourite natural religion; they will find these absurdities forming the significant and generally indispensable part of all religious ceremonies: and however disgraced, as we are ready to allow, with every abominable pollution, though retaining nothing to perfect the service, or to purify 1

fore here enter upon a discussion of this question, but confine myself merely to a few extracts from Eusebius, with some accompanying observations, upon this subject.

That learned writer having deduced from the scripture account of the sacrifices of Abel, Noah, and Abraham, and from the sacrificial institutions by Moses, the fact of a divine appointment, proceeds to explain the nature and true intent of the rite in the following manner." Whilst men had no victim that was more excellent, more precious, and more worthy of God, animals were made the price and ransom* of their souls. And their substituting these animals in their own room bore indeed some affinity to their suffering themselves; in which sense all the antient worshippers and friends of God, made use of them. The holy spirit had taught them, that there should one day come a VICTIM, more venerable, more holy, and more worthy of God. He had likewise instructed them how to point him out to the world by types and shadows. And thus they became prophets, and were not ignorant of their having been cho

the offering, still in its expiatory form, in its propitiatory hopes, the sacrifice of heathen nations preserves the features of that sacred and solemn office, which was ordained to keep up the remembrance of guilt, till the full and perfect sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction was made by an eternal Mediator, for the sins of the whole world." Sermons during Advent. pp. 46, 47.

* 66

Λυτρα της εαυτων ζωής, και αντιψυχα.”

sen out to represent to mankind, the things which God resolved to accomplish."*-In other words he pronounces, that the ancient sacrifices, those prescribed to the patriarchs, and those enjoined by the law, were types and figures, and known to be such, of that one great sacrifice, which was, at a future day, to be offered upon the cross for the sins of the whole human race.

Of the practices which grew out of this original institution, and of the abuses to which it led amongst the heathen world, perhaps the most remarkable may be discovered in the account of the mystical offering of the Phenicians recorded by the same writer from Sanchoniatho; which, as well from the extraordinary circumstances of the transaction itself, as from the interesting and important bearing given to it by a late ingenious. writer, I here submit to the reader in the words of the historian.

"It was an established custom amongst the antients" (speaking of the Phenicians,)" on any

* Euseb. Demonst. Evang. lib. I. cap. x. p. 36. The whole of the tenth chapter is well worth attention.

+ Εθος ην τοις παλαιοις εν ταις μεγαλαις συμφοραίς των κινδύνων, αντι της παντων φθορας, το ηγαπημενον των τεκνων της κρατωντας η πολεως, η εθνες, εις σφαγην επιδίδοναι, λυτρον τοις τιμωροις δαίμοσιο Κατεσφάττοντο δε οι διδόμενοι ΜΥΣΤΙΚΩΣ. -Κρονος τοίνυν, ον οἱ Φοινικες Ισραηλ προσαγορεύεσι, βασιλεύων της χώρας, και υςερον μετα την τε βια τελευτην εις τον τε Kpov ασέρα καθιερωθεις, εξ επιχωρίας νυμφης, Ανωβρει λεγομένης, υιον έχων μονογενή, ον δια τετο Ιωά

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