faick Law. Such a one was Elijah, who command- Chap. 16. ed an Altar to be built upon Mount Carmel, when Sacrifices upon High Places were forbidden. But

there was a Neceffity for it (fays R. Solomon) that Kimc. Pref. ad he might restore the true Worship of God in If min. Proph rael. There is one Obfervation of the Rabbins not to be forgotten upon this Subject: That every Prophet, whofe Name and his Father's Name is fet down in his Prophecy, was a Prophet, and the Son of a Prophet: He whofe Name, and not his Father's Name, is exprefs'd, it is certain was a Prophet, but not the Son of a Prophet: He whofe Name, and the Name of his City, is mentioned, was certainly of that City: He whose Name is fet down, and not the Name of his City, was a Prophet of Jerufalem: And he whose Father's, and Father's Father's Name is exprefs'd in his Prophecy, was a Perfon of higher Rank and Descent, than he whose Father's Name only is fet down.

Impoftors among the Hebrews; Offerers of Children to Moloch.

HE Tryal of Prophets prefcrib'd by the

T Mofaick Law, was defign'd to prevent all Oc

cafions of confulting Impoftors, who might pretend to a prophetick Spirit, and feduce the People into Idolatry. There were many forts of thefe unlawful Practitioners in the Times of Mofes, who used Diabolick Arts among the Heathens, and are distinguish'd in Scripture by these Names; one that makes his Son or his Daughter to pass through the Deut. 18. II. Fire to Moloch, a Diviner, an Obferver of Times, an Inchanter, a Witch, a Charmer, a Confulter with Familiar Spirits, a Wizard, and a Necromancer,

The

The Oblation of Children to Moloch being frequently mentioned, together with other diabolical and divinatory Arts, there is great reason to believe that there was fomething magical in this fuperftitious Right; and thereby they confulted with Dæmons about things future or secret. Moloch, it is certain, was the principal Idol of the Ammonites; but yet not fo appropriated to them, but that other neighbouring Nations took the fame for their God; for it appears from the Pagan Records, that they were very friendly in that Point, and frequently lent their Gods to one another. This Deity feems to have been the fame with Baal, both of them fignifying Dominion; but more especially it fignifies the Sun, the Prince of the heavenly Bodies. It is plain from feveral Paffages in Scripture, that the old Heathens (whom the Ifraelites were prone to imitate) not only made their Children pass through the Fire, but also offer'd them in Sacrifice unto this Idol. Both these impious Rights were forbidden by the Mofaick Law; the firft without any Penalty annex'd, the laft was to be punish'd with Death. The Ceremony of paffing through the Fire was used by way of Luftration and Purification, as they called it; and by this Ceremony the Children were dedicated to the Service of this Pagan God. And therefore, it being a Right of Initiation, we never find it mentioned in Scripture, but only with relation to Children, whom the Hebrews were forbidden to devote in this manner, which was in effect to alienate them from the Service of the true God. The Hebrews, from whom we might expect fome Certainty about this favage Right of paffing through the Fire, do not agree in their Opinions concerning it. Some imagine that the Parents carried their Children through the Fires upon their Shoulders; others that they were led between them by their Priefts, The Father (as a Jewish Doctor obferves) deliver'd the Child to the Priest in the Name of the Idol, just as it is faid concerning legal Sacrifices,

he

he fhall give them to the Priest. Others think Chap. 17. that the Priest, or fome body elfe, wav'd the U Child about in the very Flame, while Men and Women danc'd round the Fire, or leaped through the Flame. And others again fuppofe, that the Children dedicated to the Idol did not walk, but dance through the Fire; which being an Emblem and Reprefentation of the Sun, plainly fignified that fuch Children were confecrated to that Deity. And this comes nearer the Hebrew Phrase as we tranflate it, that they did not pafs between Fires, but through the Fire. But which way foever this Ceremony was perform'd, whether they wav'd the Child through the very Fire, and prefented it to Moloch, before whom the Fire was kindled, or led it between two Fires, or made it pafs through by itself, when they had fo done, the Prieft reftor'd the Child to the Father again. And in fome fuch way Abaz (who perhaps introduced this Idolatry among the Hebrews) made his Son to pass through the Fire, which cannot be meant of his burning him; for Hezekiah his Son outlived him, and fucceeded in his Throne.

But befides the Idolatry of making their Chil dren pass through the Fire, it was a cruel Superftition in the Days of Mofes to offer humane Victims, efpecially Children, as Sacrifices to the Idol Moloch, and probably to divine by infpecting the Intrails. Certain it is that Children were really burnt upon the Gentile Altars, efpecially in times of publick Calamity and Diftrefs, when they hoped to appeafe the Anger of their enraged Deities, by offering to them the dearest Things they had. The Phenicians offer'd their Children to Saturn, who is faid by the Poets to have devour'd his own Children, and by many is thought to be the fame with Moloch. And this horrid Ufage of facrificing may be derived by wicked Imitation from Abraham's offering up his Son. To this purpose there is a Paffage out of Philo Eufeb. Præpar. concerning the Hiftory of the Phænicians: Saturn, Evang. lib. 4. whom the Phenicians call Ifrael, having govern'dcap. 16.

that

Kimchi in

Book II. that Country after his Death, was made the Star called Saturn: Of his Wife Anobret he had one only begotten Son, whom therefore they called Jeoud, that being the Term for an only begotten Son amongst the Phenicians to this Day. Upon the breaking in of a very deftructive War upon the Country, he takes his Son, and having decently adorn'd him, and prepar'd an Altar for him, facrificed him upon it. The Image of Saturn bore a near Resemblance to that of Moloch. Saturn, the Idol of Carthage, is thus defcribed: It was made of Brafs, wonderful for its Greatness, whofe Hands, extending towards the Earth, were fo hollow (ready to grasp) that the Child that was put into them fell, as it were, into a mighty Gulph of Fire. The fame Defcription, in a manner, agrees with the Idol Moloch, and the Idolatry of his Votaries. Our Rabbins (says a Jewish 2 Kings 23. 10. Commentator) of happy Memory, fay, although all Houfes of Idolatry were in Jerufalem, Moloch was without, and the Image was made hollow, placed within feven Chappels (according to the Number, I fuppofe, of the feven Planets.) Now. whofoever offer'd Flower, they open'd to him the firft of them; whofo offer'd Turtles or Pidgeons, they opened to him the fecond; whofo offer'd a Lamb, they open'd to him the third; whofo offer'd a Ram, they open'd to him the fourth, whofo offer'd a Calf, they open'd to him the fifth; whofo offer'd an Ox, they open'd to him the fixth; but whofo offer'd his Son, they open'd to him the feventh. Now his Face was like a Calf, and his Hands were ftretched out as a Man's that reacheth out to receive fomething from his Neighbour; and they fet him over the Fire, and the Prieft. took the Child and put him between the Arms of the Idol, and there the Child gave up the Ghoft. He was made of Brafs (fays another Writer) and was heated with Fire under, till he'. was glowing hot; and then the Priests put the Child into his Arms, and there he was burnt: And the Priests made a Noise in the mean time

R. Sol. in Jes. 7. 31.

with Drums, that the Father might not hear the Chap. 17. Child's Cry; and therefore the Place was called Tophet, from Toph, a Drum, or Taber, from the Cry of the Children. The Place was likewife called Gehenna, which fignifies the Valley of Crying. Oecumenius is of opinion, that the Star of Remphan, A&s 7. 43. mentioned in the Acts of the Apoftles, was a certain Star painted in the Forehead of the Idol Moloch.

There is no Punishment threatned by the Law of Mofes to those who made their Children pafs through the Fire; but it was capital to facrifice any of humane Seed to Moloch, and to be punifh'd with Death by ftoning. If there was not fufficient Proof against the Votary to convict him, God refolv'd that he would himself take care to punish him by an utter Excifion both of Soul and Body: And as the Idolater was liable to be punifh'd in this manner, fo they who favour'd him, and would not teftify against him when they knew him guilty, fell under God's high Displeasure, who threatned to cut them off and their Pofterity.

Another fort of Worship was exhibited to this Idol, called the Taking up of the Tabernacle of Moloch; which was done by carrying the Image up and down in Tabernacles and Pageants, after a folemn manner of Proceffion. This kind of Idolatry, perhaps, had its Original from an unwarrantable Imitation of Mofes's Tabernacle, which was nothing but a portable Tent, to be carry'd from Place to Place as Occafion requir'd. There were Chariots and Horfes likewife confecrated to this Idol; but it is uncertain whether these Creatures were kept to be facrificed, or to be led in Pomp (as fome of the Jews fpeak) every Morning to meet the rifing Sun. Or, as others take it, the Worshipers of the Sun got upon these Horses early in the Morning, and rode out to falute the Sun at its first appearing. Some Authors ima- Hyde de Relig. gine that these Chariots and Horfes were only vet. Perf. p. 117. Statues.