Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-04-29

by abundant fuel. 1t became perfect furnace
and upon its glowing arms the Jewish fathe
has often placed his tende rand innocent offspring
and while the little one has been suffering th'
fearful pains of roasting, its cries have beer
drowned by the harsh notes of drums and trum
pets, stationed in immediate proximity with the
inundated child, for the purpose of drowning
its last appeal by shrieks to the parental heart
The prevalent opinion seems to have been thai
thessacriice Of one child would secure blessing
to the remaining portion of the household
How horrible the infatuation which could sub
stitute so demoniacal worship for the pure and
elevated ethics which were matured in the mind
of infinite goodness and emanated amid the blaze
of Siani's mount for their perpetual guidance
and instruction. And what beastiality must
have taken possession of the nation as such,
when even two of its kings, Ahaz and Manasseh
followed the multitude to do evil, and sacrificed
their children to so barbarous deity. Solomon
too, the predecessor of both these sovereigns, so
far prostrated his mental endowments, as to e.
rect upon the mount of olives temple for the
worship of one who was obviously personih-
Yes, he whose golden reed had measured the
true tabernacle of Jehovah, and whose eloquent
prayer of conservation had hallowed its natal
morning, even he, alas for the obliquity of fral
humanity, became the patron and devotee of a
code which like the laws of Draco was written
in blood. Reviewing so monstrous derelction
from Justice and purity, the Almighty mind
thus unburdeus itself, by the mouth of the weep
ing prophet jeremiah, (ch xix, v. 8, and g.
They have built also the high places of Baal, to
burn their sons with fire, for burnt offerings
unto Baal, which commanded not, nor spake
it, neither came it into my mind. Therefore,
behold the days come saith the Lord, that this
place shall no more be called Tophet, nor the
valley of the sea of Hinnon, but the Valley of
slaughter" The innocent blood, or as it is
sometimes designated in pathetic and striking
syllables, the blood of the poor innocents, had q
voice for the ear of the Godhead. AS the sacri
fetal reservoir became deeper and still deeper
till like the wine-press it overfowed, the notes
became deeper and deeper too, until the full di-
apason uttered its master key, and then ven
geance unstopped her vial, and poured her gall
and wormwood forth as recompense Of reward
for atrocity so signal and so persistent. That j.
dol has been reduced to powder. The Jew no
longer bends before its shrine. The little ones
have nought to fear from physical immolation.
Nor does the enlightened Gentle tolerate so de-
praved and reckless a ceremonial. The mind Of
Jew and Gentle alike revolts from code SO
barbarous And the parent, as he reads
the record of those human sacrifices, with the
horrd and hellish orgies which accompanied
them, caps his child to his heart with joy as he
thinks how time and the hallowing influences Of
Christs gospel, interpenetrating social usages
and transforming popular sentiments, have in
troduced worship which yearns not for bodily
torture, which sanctions not even self-inficted
pain, and which desires and designs the physi
cal comfort, allied to the mental and moral en-
lghtment of the whole human race. To propi-
tiate the clemency of offended heaven, no par
ent now will sacrifice his child; Jesus now
stands to embrace them in his arms of love, and
clasps them to His soul of sympathy, but Mo-
he hung. If cruelty has been invoked in the
ratify a creed of love- Jesus never sanctioned
in the name of the peacemaker, it was while
gospel truth protested against the sanguinary en-
actment, and the sweet angel of mercy shed the
tear of griet. Passion may have kinded the fire
and misguided zeal may have called it hal
lowed flame, but the altar repudiates the sacri-
flee, and its very stones combine in yoiceless
but emphatic announcement Of such perver-
sion of its use. But Moloch yet survives, intan-
gible indeed, aid in distracted outlines, but Mo-
loch still, and parents still sacrifice their chill
dren to tine shadowy deity. To this thought it
| is we desire to direct the heedful attention OF
our readers.
In the settlement of son in business, may
not father have more immediate reference to
the profitable character of the ayocation than to
the strict legality considered in gospel view of
the calling? There are pursuits sanctioned it
may be even by conventional usage, which SUBJ
iected to the clear lens of truth, would not stand
the scathing power of its concentrated light
Such pursuits may be called honorable, and they
may be lucrative; but in training my child to
follow them, and in shaping his views to the
popular notion instead of bringing them to
more discriminating touchstone, am L not vlr-
| tually making O sacrifice of moral sense, and If
in the lapse of years his nice perception of JUS
tice becomes more and more blunted until he
sanctions what even the business world regarus
wrong, may he not be regarded as one who by
his parents hand has been placed on the burn
| ing, brazen arms of the modern Moloch, sac
rfice and an oblation of intellect, and OF heart
Again, let ls take the case of q daughter Her
entire training goes upon the principle that fash
ion is the divinity to which she must yield su-
preme devotion. Regarding labor as blot up
on the escutcheon, and a knowledge OF house
hold economy as indicative of rusticity, and an
index of an humber order of mind, nay, as COM
promising the dignity OF her social position, she
assumes the responsibilities, than which none
are more weighty, and binding of a wife and
mother. Can she shake off the trammels OF ear
|! " culture; Alas that we should call it cul-
ture where only tares have been profusely sown
and scdnlously watered, to descend to the prac-
tical details of recurring duties. With fancy
trained to move in the rosy atmosphere OF ro-
nance, with q Judgment incompetent to take an
enlarged view Of social and family obligations,
with sympatbes misdirected, and perverted
tastes. with an overweening regard for CASTE
and the appendages of wealth, and an entire ma
ture. body, heart and intellect, shrivelled to
dwarfish Standard is such female any otner
than modern sacrifice to modern Moloch =
Yea. has not the furnace been heated seven Times
for her unhappy. immolation9 Blame not that
daughter if she carry out in all Its practlcal pear
ing, her preliminary training. one does not
sacrifice herself. She has been sacrlhced py
others, and she is rather an object to be COM
misserated than blamed. There is another. aspect
| in which we may contemplate the modern sac
rifce of Moloch. 1t is this. Are net the anec-
tions and the sensibilites of the child often set
aside when it reaches thet period SO pregnant
with consequences, in which 1t forms ieeai ai
lance with one who is benceforth to merge her
being in his own. How frequently is that child
exnected to transfer to wealthier suitor those
yearning impulses which have gone out to an.
other. and pledged to him. But we come down
from this broad view of the subject to more
delicate shading of the picture. A child may
be sacrificed to Moloch when its evangelical IN
stincts of soul, if they may be so termed, its
practical appreciation of gospel truth and the