SACRIFICE
320
SACRIFICE
(c) So far as we may gather from revelation, the
most natural and probable ^•iew seems to be that
sacrifice originated in the positive comniand of God,
since, by the original revelation in Panuiise, the whole
rehgion of mankind appears to have been established
in advance on a supernatural basis. The Greek
legend of the invention of sacrifice by Prometheus and
the giant Chiron, together with similar legends of
Asiatic religions, might be interpreted as reminiscences
of the Divine origin of sacrifice. The i)ositive com-
mand to sacrifice might even after the Fall have been
preserved by tradition among the descendants of
Adam, and thus spread among the pagan nations of all
lands. The idolatrous deviations from the paradisaic
idea of sacrifice would thus appear as regrettable
errors. •which, however, would not be more difficult to
explain than the general fall of the human race. But,
however plausible and probable this hj-pothesis may
be. it is unprovable, and indeed unnecessary for the
explanation of sacrifice. Regarding sacrifice in Para-
dise the Bible gives us no information; for the explana-
tion of "eating of the Tree of Life" as a sacramental
food offering is a later theologumenon which the
acuteness of theologians, following Augustine's lead,
has devised. But without recurring to a Divine or-
dinance, the origin of sacrifice may easily be explained
by purely psychological motives. In consideration
of the relation of son ship between man and God,
which was felt more deeply in primitive times than
subsequently, the only eA-idence of sincere inner
adoration that the creature could give was by sacri-
ficing some of his own possessions, thus visibly ex-
pressing his absolute submission to the Divine
Majesty. Nor was it less in keeping with the inner
promptings of man to declare his gratitude to God
by gifts offered in return for benefits received, and
to give through the medium of sacrificial presents
expression to his petitions for new favours. Finally,
the sinner might hope to free himself of the oppressive
consciousness of guilt, when in the spirit of contrition
he had to the best of his abihty repaired the wrong
done to the Divinity. The more childhke and in-
genuous the conception of God formed by primitive
man, the more natural and easy was for him the in-
troduction of sacrifice. A. trulj^ good child offers little
gifts to his parents, though he does not know what
they will do with them. The psychological theory
thus seems to offer the best explanation of the origin
of sacrifice.
(.5) Object of Sacrifice. — As its "metaphysical form", the object first gives sacrifice its full spiritual content, and quickens the external rites with a living soul. The developed pagan religions agree with revealed religion in the idea that sacrifice is intended to give symbolical expression to man's complete surrender of himself into the hands of the Supreme God in order to obtain communion with Him. In the recognition of the absfjlute supremacy of God lies the juridical, and in the correlative absolute subjection to God the ethical side of sacrifice. In both moments the latreu- tic character of the sacrifice stands out clearly, since to God alone, as the First Cause (Causa prima) and the Last End (Finis uUimus) of all things, may sacrifice be offered. Even the idolatrous sacrifices of pagans did not entirely lo.se sight of this fundamental idea, since they esteemed their idols as gods. Even sacri- fices of thanksgiving and petition never exclude this es.s(intial latreutir; feature, since they concern thanks- givings and p(;titions io the ever-adorable Divinity. From our sinful condition arises the fourth object of sacrifice, i. e. the appeasing of the Divine an|5er. The fourfold object of sacrifice supplies an immediate explanation of the four kinds of sacrifice (cf. St. Thomas, I-II, Q. cii, a. 'i). With the sentiments of sacrifice incorporated in thcs(; objects is closely con- nected the high imp<jrtanc^ of prayer, which accom- panies the rite of sacrifice in all the higher religions;
Grimm thus simply declares: "Sacrifice is only a
prayer offered with gifts." Where we are to seek
the culminating point of the sacrificial act (actio
sacn'fica), in which the object of sacrifice is especially
expressed, is the most freely debated question, and
concerning it the theorists are not in agreement.
While some see the culmination of the sacrifice in
the real alteration (pnmutatio), and especially in the
destruction of the gift, others refer the essence of the
sacrificial act to the external oblation of the gift,
after it has been subjected to any change whatsoever;
a third, but not very numerous party make the sacri-
ficial meal the chief element. This last view has al-
ready been set aside as untenable. That the meal is
not essential is likewise showni by numerous sacrifices,
with which no meal is associated (e. g. the primitive
burnt-sacrifice, and the sacrifice of the Cross). Again,
the importance of the blood, which as a means of
nourishment was avoided, spurned by, and even for-
bidden to the Jews, finds no ex-pression in the banquet-
theory. That the destruction of the gift (especially
the slaying) cannot constitute the essence of the
sacrifice is clear from the fact that the sprinkling of
the blood (aspersio sanguinis) was regarded as the
culmination, and the killing as onlj^ the preparation
for the real sacrificial act. In fact the "destruction
theory", settled in Cathohc theology since the time
of Vasquez and Bellarmine, harmonizes neither with
the historical pagan conception of sacrifice nor with
the essence of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, nor
finally with the fundamental ideas of the Mosaic cult.
The destruction is at most the material, and the
oblation the formal element of the sacrifice. Con-
sequently, the idea of sacrifice lies in the self -surrender
of man to God, not with the object of (symbolical)
self-destruction, but of final transformation, glorifica-
tion, and deification. Wherever a meal is associated
with the sacrifice, this signifies merely the confirma-
tion and certification of the communion with God, al-
ready existing or reacquired by expiation. We may
thus define sacrifice as the external oblation to God
by an authorized minister of a sense-perceptible
object, either through its destruction or at least its
real transformation, in acknowledgement of God's
supreme dominion and for the appeasing of His
wrath. In so far as this definition refers to the sacri-
fice of the Mass, see Mass, Sacrifice of the.
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