Histories of Visions Apparitions Prophecies Spirits Divinations, Part 1 · Section 6
6. Of the Magicall Oracles, and or aculous Magicians, the cauſes of all Idolatry; eſpecially that inhumane abhomination of humane Sacrifices, or immolations.
THe Rhodians did ſacrifice a man to Saturne; which they afterwards willing to mitigate, did reſerve unto thoſe Saturnials, one condemned to death; whom, being loaden with Wine, they immolated at that feaſt. In the Ile Salamis, which of old time they called Coronea, untill the time of Diomedes, a man was ſlaughtered to Agravala the daughter of Cecrops: afterwards in the Temple of Pallas, Agravala and Diomedes (one of the three) a man was immolated; whom led by youths about the altar, at length was ſmitten by the Prieſt with a ſpeare, and ſo laid upon the fire and burnt; which thing Dyphilus the King of Cyprus (in the time of Seleucus) abhominating, appointed that not a man, but an Ox ſhould be ſacrificed to Diomedes. Amongſt the Aegyptians in Heliopolis they ſacrificed men. To Juno they ſacrificed three in a day. To Dionyſius called Omadius, by thoſe of Chios, a man was ſacrificed, being cruelly torn in pieces. The Lacedaemonians were wont to ſacrifice a man to Mars. The Phaenicians, in the calamities of warre, and peſtilence, were wont to immolate their deareſt friends to Saturne. The Curetes ſacrificed of old their children to Saturne. In Laodicea of Syria a Virgin was offered to Pallas. The Arabians every yeere ſacrificed a child, and buryed it under the Altar. All the Graecians commonly immolated a man before they went out to warre. In the great City of Latinus, a man was ſacrificed upon the ſolemnity of Jupiter. Not onelyonly in Arcadia, to Pan Lyceus; nor in Carthage, to Saturne; but all men in common, upon the appointed day of ſacrificing a man did ſprinkle the Altar with mans blood. It was the manner of the Ancients in great calamities, & dangers, that the Prince of the Nation, or City ſhould give up the beſt beloved of his children to a vengefull divell, as a reward of redemption, and myſtically to ſlaughter him ſo delivered up. Saturnus the King of that Region which the Phaenicians call Iſrael, who after he had put off man, being brought to the ſtarre of Saturne, having a deare and onelyonly ſonne of Anobret his new married Spouſe, called Jeud (for ſo the Phaenicians call an onelyonly ſonne) becauſe the City was preſſed with a moſt great and dangerous warre; Him, clad in regall ornaments, he offered upon the Altar built and prepared to that purpoſe. Ariſtomenes Meſsenius ſacrificed three hundred at once to Jupiter, whom they call Ichometes; among whom Theopompus the King of the Lacedaemonians was a Noble and Regall Hoſte. The Tauroſcythians whatſoever ſtranger they took (and they took many, driven thither by tempeſt) they were wont forthwith to ſacrifice them to Diana. In Pella a City of Theſſalia a man of Achaia was ſacrificed every yeere to Peleus, and Chiron. The Cretians did immolate a man to Iupiter. The Lesbians to Dionyſius. The Phocenſians to Diana. Herechteus the Atticke, and Macharius the Roman, one ſacrificed his daughter to Proſerpina, the other to a Daemon his defenſor. Jupiter and Apollo is ſaid to have brought great calamity upon Italy, becauſe the tenth part of men was not ſacrificed to them. The Pelaſgi, and the Aborigenes, the earth being fruitleſſe, vowed to ſacrifice to Iupiter, and Apollo, the tenth part of all that ſhould be born. The Celti, and almoſt all the more Eaſterly people did ſacrifice by homicide. Saturne was angry with the Carthaginians, becauſe whereas formerly they had ſacrificed to him, the more excellent of their ſonnes; afterwards they immolated to him infants privily bought, and obſcurely educated, inſtead of their children: whereupon to appeaſe him, they publiquely ſacrificed to him two hundred of their moſt Noble young men.
The Athenians being afflicted with famine, becauſe of the ſlaughter of Androgeus, and flying to the Gods for helpe, Apollo did not anſwer, that the Gods were to be pacified with righteouſneſſe, humanity, repentance, or contrition: but he adding death to death, and plague to plague, and cruelty to cruelty, commanded that ſeven males, and as many females, (not infants, but men grown) ſhould every yeere be ſent into Creet, and there ſacrificed.
Cepheus King of the Aethiopians, and Caſsiope his wife, had one onelyonly daughter, named Andromeda; in his time a huge ſea monſter infeſted the Countrey; whereupon they conſulting the Oracle for remedy; anſwer was returned, that could not be, till Andromeda was expoſed to that monſter to be devoured. Thus cruel were the Stars to thoſe, that afterwards were made Stars themſelves.
Tireſias promiſed victory to the Thebanes; but upon this condition, that the ſonne of Creon ſhould be ſacrificed as a victime for his Countrey. Chalcas did vaticinate or prognoſticate the deſtruction of Troy; but upon the ſucceſſe, enjoyned that Iphigenia the daughter of Agamemnon ſhould be immolated.
The Delphian Oracle being conſulted about a great plague graſſating among the Ionians, it was anſwered, that it could not be remedied, unleſſe Menelippus and Cometho; and not onelyonly ſo, but unleſſe a young man, and a mayd, were yeerely offered up at Diana's altar. The Meſſenians conſulting about ſome iſſue of their long warre with the Lacedaemonians, it was predicted that theirs ſhould be the victory, but upon this condition, that they ſhould ſacrifice an incorrupted virgin of the Aepytidaean family unto their God: whereupon Ariſtodemus, to gratifie his Countrey, deſtinated his onelyonly daughter to the immolation.
After the death of Julian the apoſtate, there was found in Antioch ſundry heads, and carcaſes of men, women, and children, hidden in cheſts, wells, pits, and other ſecret holes; all which he had idolatrouſly, and barbarouſly cauſed to be ſlaine for Necromancy and divinations ſake. Eſpecially in Carras, in the Temple, where he had performed his execrable abomination, immediately before his going into Perſia, and had ſtraitly commanded, that the doores ſhould be kept lockt, and none to enter in till his return. There was found a woman hanged up by the haire of the head, her hands cut off, and her belly ript up; and all to vaticinate and ariolate his Perſian Victory.
Such like anthropomanticke Sacrifices were uſed by Mithridates, Heliogabalus, &c. by the Druides among the French; by the Gothes to their God Odhen; and by the Sclavonians to their great God Swantmith, and more efficacious in anſwers; to whom they were accuſtomed to ſacrifice a Chriſtian every yeere.
In the Taurican Region, where Thoas was King, it was a law of their ſacrifices, that whatſoever ſtranger came thither, eſpecially they that were caſt upon their ſhore, ſhould be ſlain as a victime to Diana Taurica.
Idomeneus King of the Cretians, returning to his own Countrey, from the Trojane warre, Neptune ſent ſuch a tempeſt, that he was conſtrained to vow a Sacrifice unto him, the firſt creature that met him, as he came out of his ſhip: now his owne ſonne firſt meeting him, to welcome his ſafe arrivall, was ſo ſerved.
In Albania, a Region not farre diſtant from the Caſpian ſea, they uſed to immolate a man to the Moon: where many of the ſervants did divine; and he that was moſt tranſported therein, wandring alone in the wood, was taken and bound by the Prieſt with a ſacred chaine, and nouriſhed delicately for the ſpace of a yeere, and then led to be Sacrificed with the reſt of the hoſts.
That there were ſuch heatheniſh and inhumane immolations, and they pertaining to all kinds of divination (either as preparations thereto, or as conſequents thereof) is moſt evident and undeniable. Deut. 18. v. 11, 12.