sac rif i cation

[Latin sacrificatio.] A sacrificing, a sacrifice. †săc-ri-fi-ca-tor, s . [Lat., from sacrificatus , pa. par. of sacrifico to sacrifice (q. v.); Fr. sacrifica teur.] One who offers a sacrifice; a sacrificer. (3) the abnegation-theory, in which the worshiper deprives himself of something prized. With regard to their nature, sacrifices are divided into (1) Bloody [( a ) human; (6) of the lower animals), and (2) Unbloody. The terrible custom of offering human sacrifices was very widely spread [See extracts]. It was known among the Greeks ( Il . iv. 35, xviii. 336, xxi. 28; Eurip ., Iphig .) and the Romans (Dio Cas., Hist . Rom ., xliii. 24); and is frequently mentioned in Scripture (cf. Gen. xxii. 1-4, Judges xi. 29-40, 2 Kings iii. 27, xvii. 31, xxi. 6, xxiii. 10, 2 Chron. xxviii. 3, xxxiii. 6, Jer. vii. 31,32, xix. 5, 6, Ezek. xvi. 21, xx. 31, Mic. vi. 7. See also Kalisch : Levit ., pt. i., pp. 381 sqq). Stanley ( Jewish Church , i. 40) says: "On the altars of Moab, and of Phoenicia, and of the distant Can a a nite settlements in Carthage and in Spain, nay even, at times, within the confines of the Chosen People itself, in the wild vow of Jephthah, in the sacrifice of Saul's sons at Gibeah, in the dark sacrifices of Hinnom, under the very walls of Jerusalem-this almost irrepre - ible tendency of the burning zeal of a primitive race found its terrible expre ion." As civilization advanced, human victims were re- placed by symbols ( Ovid : Fasti , v. 665-660), or oxen or sheep were offered in their stead. Unbloody sacrifices consisted of libations, incense, fruit, and cakes (often in the form of, and as substitutes for, real animals). It is noteworthy that though the chin, bench; go, gem; thin, this; sacrileger first sacrifice mentioned in the Old Testament (Gen. iv. 3) belonged to this category, the first sacrifice accepted (Gen. iv. 4) was a bloody one. "The custom of sacrificing human life to the gods arose undoubtedly from the belief, which under different forms has manifested itself at all times and in all nations, that the nobler the sacrifice and the dearer to its po e or, the more pleasing it would be to the gods."- Smith : Dict. Antiq . , p. 999. 2. Old Test.: Sacrifices were of two kinds, bloody and unbloody. Those designed to atone for sin were of the former kind (Lev. i.-vii.; cf. Heb. ix. 22). The idea of sacrifice first appears in Gen. iv. 3-5, and viii. 20, but the English word sacrifice does not occur in the A. V. till xxx i. 54. The paschal lamb is called a sacrifice (Exod. xxxiv. 25; Deut. xvi. 2). Even from patriarchal times sacrifices were limited to clean beasts and birds, and were offered on an altar (Gen. viii. 20). Many of these sacrifices were made by fire. [BURNT-OFFERING.] A certain portion of the slain animal was reserved for the priest (Deut. xviii. 3). Under the law there were morning and evening sacrifices (1 Kings xviii. 29; Ezra ix. 4,5, Dan. viii. 11, 12, 13; xii. 11), besides weekly sacrifices on the Sabbath, sacrifices at new moons, annual ones, . Not merely were there stated sacrifices for the people at large, arrange- ments were at times made that private families also should po e the boon (1 Sam. xx. 6, 20). Under the Monarchy sacrifices were confined to the temple at Jerusalem (2 Chron. vii. 12). Thanksgiving was called a sacrifice (Lev. vii. 12, 13; Psalm cvii. 22; cxvi. 17; Jonah ii. 9), so was praise (Jer. xxxiii. 11). Ultimately sacrifice, having hardened into a cere- mony with little influence on moral conduct, is it self disparaged (Psalm xl. 6; Hosea vi. 6), and pref- erence is accorded to obedience (1 Sam. xv. 22), jus tice or righteousne (Prov. xxi. 3) and mercy (Hosea vi. 6). 3. New Test.: Abel's offering is now called a sacri- fice, and its excellence is made to arise from the faith with which it was offered (Heb. xi. 4). The frequent repetition of the sacrifices under the law is adduced as evidence of their failure to remove sin (Heb. vii. 27; x. 1-9). Jesus is at once the sacri ficing high priest (Heb. vii. 12) and the victim sacri- ficed (ix. 26). To love the Lord is declared by Jesus to be more than all sacrifice (Mark xii. 33), and thanksgiving and praise (Heb. xiii. 15) are again ranked as sacrifices. 4. Theol .: The evangelical doctrine is that the sacrifices of the older economy were types and shadows of the atoning sacrifice made by Christ. For instance the lamb offered by Abel typified the Lamb of God (John i. 29), the devotion of the lamb to death implied a confe ion on the part of Abel that he was sinful, and deserved to die, coupled with a hope that the substitution of the innocent lamb for the guilty offerer would be permitted. It is held that when Jesus died his sacrifice once for all satisfied Divine justice, and no other was re- quisite, or would, if offered, be accepted (Heb. iz 12, 25-28, x. 10, 12, 14).