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there is nothing in human nature, surely, to suggest to a man 
to go into the presence of an earthly prince, when he would 
ask a favour, or avert disaster, whether that prince be dreaded 
or loved, with the bleeding corpse of his first-born ; or even 
with the corpse of an animal, unless, indeed, the animal were 
intended as a present useful to the prince; and, then, why the 
offering of blood? Of course, it may be said that by death 
only could the offering be supposed to reach, and therefore 
benefit, and so bribe, the god. But is this the primary idea 
of sacrifice? Itis to be remembered that the animal is sup- 
posed, on the theory of Mr. Conway, at least, to be only a 
substitute for the first-born—not to feed the god, though even 
that idea belongs to a later superstition—and the first-born 
but a substitute for the man himself. Thus Mr. Conway 
says, ‘‘ Since finite man is naturally assumed to be incapable 
of directly satisfying an infinite law ’”’—whence the idea to a 
primitive man of infinite law ?—‘‘all religions, based on the 
idea of a Divine Lawgiver ”—whence, also, this idea of a 
“Divine Lawgiver? ’”’—“ are employed in devising schemes 
by which commutations may be secured and vicarious satis- 
factions of Divine law obtained. No Deity inferred from the 
always relentless forces of nature has ever been supposed able 
to forgive the smallest sin until it was exactly atoned for. 
For this reason, the Divine mercifulness has generally become 
a separate personification. The story of the ‘‘ pound of flesh” 
is one of the earliess fables concerning these conflicting 
principles (7.e. retaliation and forgiveness). 
We must search for another origin for this most remarkable, 
and, we need not hesitate to say, mysterious, observance of 
sacrifice found everywhere in the ancient nations of the world, 
and existing in nearly all unchristianised nations still, mys- 
terious enough to cause Max Miiller to write with regard to 
sacrifices offered to the Manes, “ What was the thought from 
whence all this outward ceremonial sprang? and what was the 
natural craving of the human heart which it seemed to satisfy ? 
We hardly get an intelligible answer anywhere.” 
The historical authority of the Bible is equal at least to 
that of any other historical record whatever. It is there that 
we have a full explanation of the meaning of the sacrifices, 
which were, according to that Book, appointed to be offered 
by the Israelites. The New Testament tells us they were a 
figure, for the time then being, of Christ. We can under- 
stand it. A great event was to take place in the history of 
‘the world of man —the Christian believes the greatest of 
great events—and the world must be educated for it from the 
earliest days of the human family. That education was based 
