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549 



BOW ilay and offer the criminals to the Gods, without eating them ;, Religion 

 whereas they formerly added that inhumanity and barbarifm.- 

 Though the reilriaion of killing only bad men,., for the reconci- 



liation of the favour of their God 



feems very much to mitig 



this cruel cuflom, and by all appearance fandifies the impious ritet 



into a legal neceffary adionj it is. 



however, again debafed in 



the 



inoft deteftable manner, by leaving the choice of the perfon, who-- 

 is to be devoted to the gods to the caprice of the High Prieil; y. 

 who, on this occafion, has an opportunity, not only of indulging., 

 his private revenge againfl any man, by whom he may think him- 

 felfinjuredi but alfo of pradtifing at the fame time one of the 

 moil abominable fcenes of prieil -craft that ever took place -, Sox it 



faid, that on certain occaiions, when the nation 



folemnly 



the 



affeinbled,. the High Prieil alone enters the houfe of God^ or- 

 marai, and after flaying there for fome time, he returns and informs 

 the congregation, that having converfed with their great God, he 



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was ordered, to alk for a human ilcrifiee,, and then mentions the 

 perfon whom the: deity deiired to have offered ; this man is imme- 



Th 



e cir 



diately feized and. killed, being beaten till he be dead. 

 Qumflance, that fuch criminals only as had nothing wherewithal to 

 redeem themfelves, are devoted to death, proves beiides, that the. 



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prieil has an opportunity of fatisfying his avarice. What has beea^ 



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hitherto faid on this peculiar part of the religious worilaip pradifed 



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