s.[1965] In every case in which
the mores had overcome the terror which made human sacrifices, the
mythology invented explanations. It was forbidden to the Jews to make
their children "pass through the fire" to Molech.[1966] They often did
it. This shows that their mores had not yet outgrown it, but that
religious teachers were trying to forbid it.[1967] They held the same
doctrine as the neighboring nations, that the firstborn belonged to
God.[1968] The firstborn must be sacrificed or redeemed.[1969] They had
doctrines of ransom by beasts, as above, or by money,[1970] or by
circumcision, if the incoherent text is rightly interpreted.[1971]
Nevertheless, they never were sure enough of their position before the
captivity to _hold to it_ against the faith and usage of neighboring
nations.[1972] The doctrine in Micah vi. 6-8, as early as the end of the
eighth century B.C., raised the real issue about the sense and utility
of all sacrifices in its widest form, but that doctrine was much too far
beyond the mores of the time to have any effect.

+608. Mexican doctrine of greater power through death.+ Preuss says: "In
the ancient Mexican cultus I recognized, to my astonishment, that really
spirits were killed in the sacrificed men, in order that they [the
spirits] might thus be rendered capable of being born again, and
rendering greater services to men."[1973] Death was believed to enhance
the power of the spirits who ruled meteorological phenomena. The notion
was that insects caused meteorological phenomena; then they were gods;
the insects and beasts gave to the gods the magic power which they
(insects and beasts) once had over rainfall, etc. The humming bird which
hibernates and wakes again in spring was thought to cause the heat of
summer. Therefore it was taken to be an envelope of the war god. Free
flow of blood lets loose magic power. Hence the great bloodshedding in
the Mexican cultus. "Human sacrifice is in Mexico the same in sense as
beast sacrifice. In both cases, magic powers, magic beasts and spirits,
are killed." By death new birth with greater magic power becomes
possible.[1974]

+609. Motives of child sacrifice.+ The Semites adopted the world
philosophy which lies back of human sacrifice and incorporated it with
their religion, which thereby became gloomy and ferocious. What a man
must sacrifice was what he loved most, and that was his firstborn child.
It was rationalizing to argue that a beast could be substi