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or fins, had been committed, that could be a ground or reafon for penitent difpofition, or for penitent addrefs to God for pardon, either literal or fymbolical. And, in all cafes of this kind, the Dr's notion of piacular facrifice doth not fupply us with any account of the meaning, defign, or use of thefe facrifices which were appointed to be offered: confequently, thefe facrifices must, upon his scheme, appear to have been quite ufelefs.

Secondly. In the oblation of those very facrifices, which were offered for fins, there was not only the oblation of a flain animal, but an express, verbal confeffion of the fins committed, and a literal prayer to God for pardon not only fo, but the penitential confeffion and prayer always preceded the oblation of the facrifical animal. Now, upon the fuppofition, that the oblation of the animal was a symbol of penitential confeffion and prayer, these facts, which I have mentioned, will fupply an inference that is very unfavourable to this notion of facrifice; which is this, viz. that the oblation of the animal was neither needful nor useful. The thing, of which the facrifical animal is supposed to have been a fymbol, was itself prefent. Of what ufe then was the fymbol ́ of it, or what imaginable end could it anfwer? As a fymbol of penitent difpofition,

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there was neither room nor occafion for it, because that difpofition was better, and more naturally, expreffed by the penitential confeffion and prayer which went before it. And to the production of penitent difpofition in the mind of the offerer, the oblation of the facrifice could contribute, nothing, because that difpofition is fuppofed to have been both produced, and properly expreffed, before it came in play, or could have any influence upon the mind. What end then could thefe fymbols of penitent disposition anfwer, fince there was no manner of occafion for them as reprefentations or expreffions of fuch a difpofition; and fince they neither were, nor could be, productive of it? No end, as far as I can see, unless it was to put the offerers of them to needless trouble and expense.

S. 41. Now, if the Dr's notion of piacular facrifices, which fupplies us with this inference, that thefe facrifices were uselefs inftitutions, fhould prove to be the true fcripture-notion of them; I need not fay, what grounds of juft triumph would be hereby afforded to deifts and men of sceptical minds; and how ready they would be to rally chriftians for their weakness and credulity. Would not perfons of this turn of mind, be apt to argue in the following manner? From the very notion, which

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your divine oracles give of piacular facrifices, (which were a heavy and grievous burden to the Jews,) it appears, that they were uselefs and unprofitable inftitutions; and that they neither did, nor could, anfwer any one good end, or wife defign, in any cafe whatfoever. How then can you, chriftians, fhew, that the inftitution of these facrifices was confiftent with the wisdom of God, who never acts without reafon and design; yea, without propofing to himself a good end and wife defign in whatsoever he doth? Or how can you reconcile the institution of fuch burthenfome and oppreffive rites with the goodness of the Deity, who is incapable of taking any pleasure in the fufferings and diftreffes of his creatures, and is always concerned and active to promote their happinefs? And if you cannot bring the inftitution of them to any confiftency with the wisdom and goodness of God, how can you believe that book to be a divine revelation, which afcribes to him the inftitution of them?-If an handle were given to fceptical minds, from any doctrine of revealed religion, to reason after this manner, how would it be poffible to answer their arguments, or to check their triumph! but, I hope, that as the Dr's notion of piacular facrifices has, upon the strictest examination, been found to have no fupH 4

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port from the holy fcriptures; fo the true fcripture-notion of thefe facrifices, when once it comes to be fet-in a proper light, may be found, to be perfectly conformable to the wisdom and goodness of the Deity, and fuch as will, at once, ftop the mouth of the infidel, and give folid, rational fatisfaction to the believer.

The END of the FIRST PART.

APPEN

APPENDIX I.

Containing remarks on fome paffages, in Dr. Taylor's fcripture-doctrine of atonement examined, relating to Jewish facrifices and atonements, which have not been confidered in the foregoing sheets.

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PASSAGE Ift.

"THE fins and trefpaffes for which they (i. e. piacular facrifices) were "offered, were generally fins of ignorance, or ceremonial pollutions." (For this he refers to many texts of fcripture; and, among others, to Numb. xv. 22. And then fays,)" It is added, ver. 30. But the

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foul that doth ought prefumptuously, the fame reproacheth the Lord, and that foul shall "be cut off from his people. No facrifices "were to be offered for him that did ought prefumptuously, i. e. knowingly and wilfully. And yet there are three cafes, " which feem to be exceptions from this "general rule. (1.) When a person, upon "his oath before a magiftrate, did not

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utter what he had seen or known, Levit. " v. 1. (2.) When a man dealt fraudulently " with his neighbour, Levit. vi. 1. (3.) The

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