Offender upon the Head of the Sacrifice. But This cannot be the meaning of this Ceremony, because the fame thing was done when Confeffion of Sins was not made: For it was not only in Piacular Cafes that this Rite was used, but in Euchariftical Sacrifices where Praise and Thanksgiving were used, and where Tranf lation of Guilt was not thought of. It is true what Maimonides tells us, « * That "Sinners and Trefpaffers, when they bring "their Offerings for either Sins or Tref paffes, are not expiated by their Sacri"fices, unless They firft repent, and repeat the Form of Confeffion.' And Repentance, and Confeffion of Sins, always accompanied this Rite in Piacular inftances. But as Other Acts of Religion, e. g. Praife, accompanied it in other Cafes, it is as juft to say that this Rite fignified Praife, as Confeffion; or any thing else as well as Tranflation of Guilt.

Philo, I think has much mistaken the meaning of this Rite, and has interpreted

* Peccatores et Rei, cum Oblationes fuas pro Peccatis vel per Errorem vel per Contumaciam commiffis adducunt, per Sacrificia non expiantur, nifi prius poenitentiam agant, et Confeffionis formam repetant. Maimon de Pænitentia. Cap. 1.

it in fuch a manner, as it by no means can Gignify. He fays, « * That Hands "laid upon the Head of the Animal were " 2 manifeft Token of Innocence and of a Life that could not have any thing « laid to its charge: that Life had been spent agreeably to the Laws of nature " and the Divine Commandments." He might have faid, (and it would have appeared much more probable,) that it was an indication of Sin, not of Innocence; of paft Actions justly cenfurable, not of Actions unblameable; and that it implied that the Offender was determined for the future, to behave better. But even That would not have been exact. He goes on t, "God defires in the first place, that the

†,

* τὰς δ ̓ ἐπιτεθειμένας τῇ τῇ ζώς κεφαλῇ χεῖρας, δειγμα σαφέςατον είναι συμβέβηκε πράξεων ἀνπαιτίων, καὶ βίο μηδέν ἐπιφερομένες τῶν εις κατηγορίαν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τῆς φύσεως νόμοις το θέσμοις συνάδολος. Philo de Viftim ή 838.

† Βέλεται γὰρ τὸ θύονλος πρῶτον μὲν τὸν τῶν ὡσιῶσθαι, γνώμαις ἀγαπαῖς καὶ συμφερούσαις ἐνασκόμενον· ἔπεῖα δὲ τὸν βίον ἐξ ἀρίσων συνεςάναι πράξεων, ὡς ἅμα τῇ τῶν χειρῶν ἐπιθέσει δύνασθαί τινα παῤῥησιασάμενον, ἐκ καθαρἔ τε συνειδότος τοιῶνα ἐιπεῖν, Αἱ χεῖρες ἆνται ἔτε δῶρον ἐπ ̓ ἀδίκοις ἔλαβον, εθ' αἵματος ἀθώου προσήψανο, ε πήρωσιν, ουχ ̓ ὕβριν, ἐ τραυμα * βίαν ειργάσανο ἀλλ ̓ ὑποδιάκονοι πάντων ἐγένοντο καλῶν και συμφερόντων, ἅπερ τῇ σοφίᾳ, καὶ νόμοις καὶ καλῶς καὶ νομίμοις ἀνδράσι τετίμηται. Ibid. p. 839.

ap

"Mind of him that offers a Sacrifice "should be pure, exercised in good and " useful Notions; then, that it should "be well verfed in good Actions; So "that at the fame time when a man lays "bis bands on his Sacrifice he may be "able to fay with a good Confcience, "Thefe hands have neither taken any "reward for Injustice, nor have been polluted with innocent Blood, nor have "wounded, injured, or done violence "to any one, but have been ready to "do whatever is good and juft, or is "proved by Wisdom, and by the Laws, «and by virtuous and honest Men." It is true, that God wills and defires a pure and holy Mind ; and for any one to be able juftly to make such a declaration, cannot but be agreeable to the divine Mind. But the Intention in Laying Hands on the head of the Sacrifice did not imply Purity, or that the Person who brought the Victim to the Tabernacle had been guilty of no Offence, but if it fignified either Innocence or Offence, it was rather that He had been guilty of some Trefpafs or other: For it was a Rite at

tended

tended in some cases with Confeffion of Sin, and a declaration that the Sinner was now become a true Penitent, and was returned to a right State of Mind.

4. But befides the laying on of hands on the head of the Beaft, There were certain Forms of Prayer used, as the cafe required, either implying Confeffion of Sin, or Thanksgiving for Mercies received, or Petitions for future Favours.

5. There was among the Jews in fome cafes, a Waving of fome parts of the Victim Upwards and Downwards, to the Right hand and to the Left, in acknowledgment of the Omniprefence of God, who fills all places, and is present not only in Heaven above, but in Earth beneath, and in all places under the Earth.

These Rites, and indeed all others that were enjoin'd, imply fufficiently the Moral Difpofition of Him that brought his Sacrifice. The Solemnity with which it was offered, and the whole Process, were to put the Offerer in mind of a Right Difpofition of Heart, and to keep up fuch a Temper as would make him acceptable unto the great Governor of all.

But

But as I have mentioned the Ceremony of laying hands upon the head of the Victim, it will not be improper here to explain more at large that folemn Act.

This Ceremony was not the Act by which the Victim was first prefented or devoted unto God: for the bringing the Animal, and placing it before the Altar was the proper Defignation or Destination of the Sacrifice; and this was done before any Hands were laid upon its head. Now That could not be defigned as a Mark of devoting a thing to God, which had already been actually prefented to him. What then was the meaning of this Ceremony? It was certainly used on many and different Occafions in Recommending Perfons to God; in begging a Bleffing on Perfons, or (which is the fame) in Praying Good to them; in setting apart a Perfon to any Office; in conveying Spiritual Powers, Gifts, Graces; and in Bearing Teftimony. When it was ufed in cafes of Sacrifices, it was always accompanied with either Confeflion of Sins, or Praife, or Thanksgiving to God, as the Nature of the Sacrifice was. There muft