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done, only by confidering the oblation of thofe facrifices as proper actions, whereby the offerers did, in a natural way, express the piety of mind with which they prayed for the grant of bleffings, or the fincerity and greatness of the inward gratitude with which they commemorated, and gave thanks for, bleffings already received. Hence it is, that we find little controversy, or diverfity of opinion, about the ufe, defign, and rationale of thofe facrifices, among the bulk of those who have written about

them.

Piacular facrifice was of a more ancient date, and is of more permanent duration, than euchariftical facrifice: for, according to the reports of revelation, it takes place under the prefent difpenfation of religion, and was in practice under all paft difpenfations of it, ever fince the lapfe of our first parents, and the effect of it is to have place in that future, celeAial difpenfation of it, which is to have no end. This is what renders it very interefting, and a matter of great importance, to mankind, to have a right understanding the true ufe, defign, and rationale of this fpecies of facrifice.

The oblation of this fpecies of facrifice was not left to the difcretion or choice of the offerers. In all cafes, it was exacted from them

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by divine authority and peremptory command. And, in many cafes, it was not only a demand made upon them for fins which they had committed, but likewife, the means by which atonement was made for thefe fins, and the pardon of them obtained. Wherefore, however defirable and interefting it is to mankind, to have a clear and right understanding of the use, defign, and rationale of piacular facrifice, yet the effect, which is afcribed to it, creates fome. difficulty in coming at it; it being not easy to comprehend what end, in respect of God, the exacting of facrifice for fin could anfwer, or how the oblation of facrifice should be the mean of obtaining the pardon of fin.

A fense however, of the interefting nature and great importance of the difcovery, has been a motive to many men of good fenfe and great learning, to employ their thoughts and pens in clearing up this difficulty. And, indeed, many volumes have been written with that view. But alas! the fuccefs in this attempt, has, in no degree, been anfwerable to

the great pains which have been taken in making it. The writers on this fubject have not yet arrived at any certainty, or to any agreement among themfelves, about the point in queftion. The difficultys attending the inquiry, and the falfe fcents upon which they have been put by a falje philofophy, preconceived hypothe

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fes, or a too liberal indulgence of fancy and imagination, bave led them into diverfe fyftems, and trains of thoughts, which are as incompatible with each other, as they are all likewife, in my apprehenfion at least, with the doctrine of revelation, and the dictates of common fenfe.

The popular notion of piacular-facrifice, which has long prevailed, is that which proceeds upon the fuppofition of a transfer of guilt from the offerer to the facrifice, and of vicarious punishment. But this notion of the use and defign of piacular facrifice has, by Dr. Taylor, the Author of the effay on the nature, dehign, and origin of facrifices, and others, been demonftrated to be wholly unfupported by fcripture-evidence, abfurd in itself, and attended with ill confequences. For which reafon, they who make the fcriptures the fole rule of religious faith, or will be guided by the dictates of common fenfe, must, if they act a confiftent part, refign this notion of the ufe and defign of piacular facrifice, as unfcriptural, abfurd, and dangerous.

To fupply the place of this exploded notion of the use and defign of piacular facrifice, two others have, of late been offered to us; the one, by the learned Dr. Taylor, who confiders piacular facrifices as being symbols, or emblems of

penitent

penitent difpofition, and penitential addrefs or prayer to God; and accounts for the efficacy and effect of them in the fame manner, as for thofe of penitence and penitent prayer. The other notion of the ufe and defign of this fpecies of facrifice, is, that which is advanced by the Author of the before-mentioned essay on the nature, defign, and origin of facrifices, who confiders eating and drinking with God to have been the main intention of all forts of facrifices; and conceives this eating and drinking together to have been a fymbol of friendship betwixt God and the offerers, and a federal rite whereby he and they did engage in, renew, and keep up friendship with one another.

Thefe two notions of the nature and defign of piacular facrifices agree in this, that they make thefe facrifices to be fymbols or emblems. But then, the things of which they make them fymbols, are of fuch a different nature, that the one or other of them must be falfe. Yea, as each of the mentioned Authors, grounds his notion of the fymbolical nature of thefe facrifices upon fcripture evidence, and yet differ fo widely in their fentiments about the use and design of them, this gives reafon to fufpect, that fcriptureevidence, for the fymbolical nature of piacular facrifices is very obfcure and doubtful, if not quite deficient: for bad it been clear, or, in any perceptible degree, probable, men of their parts

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and learning, and fo free from prejudice, muft have not only difcovered it, but been led, by the difcovery, to an harmony of fentiments. 'Tis, therefore, much to be questioned, whether the fcriptures give any countenance at all to the conceiving of facrifices, as having a fymbolical nature and defign; and whether all notions of this kind may not be groundless, and rather the effects of a lively and luxuriant imagination, than the refult of any real evidence.

What then is now to be done, in this dark and perplexed cafe? Nothing, furely, but to examine each of these two notions of the fymbolical nature and defign of piacular facrifice, and to try whether they have, or have not, any real foundation in fcripture-evidence, or in truth and common fenfe. I know of no one ill confequence that can arise from free, candid, and fober inquiry, among reasonable men; and, I am fure, that it is the only way of coming at truth. We have been fairly fript of the poffeffion of the common and popular notion of the ufe and defign of piacular facrifice by the ingenious, learned, and commendable labours of the two Authors mentioned: and two other notions of them are offered in place of it. But let us beware of receiving them without due fcrutiny and careful examination, left we should be led, a fecond time, into error and mistake,

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