He writes against

ity.

The inclination of Julian might prefer the gods CHAP. of Homer, and of the Scipios, to the new faith, which his uncle had established in the Roman empire; and in which he himself had been sanctified Christianby the sacrament of baptism. But, as a philo sopher, it was incumbent on him to justify his dissent from Christianity, which was supported by the number of its converts, by the chain of prophecy, the splendour of miracles, and the weight of evi dence. The elaborate work, which he composed amidst the preparations of the Persian war; contained the substance of those arguments which he had long revolved in his mind. Some fragments have been transcribed and preserved by his adversary, the vehement Cyril of Alexandria † ; and they exhibit a very singular mixture of wit and learning, of sophistry and fanaticism. The elegance of the style, and the rank of the author; recommended his writings to the public attention ; and in the impious list of the enemies of VOL. IV. Christianity;

Ꮐ

Fabricius (Biblioth. Græc. 1. v. c. viii. p. 88-90.) and Lardner (Heathen Testimonies, vol. iv. p. 41-47.) have ac curately compiled all that can now be discovered of Julian's work against the Christians.

+ About seventy years after the death of Julian, he execr. ted a task which had been feebly attempted by Philip of Side, a prolix and contemptible writer. Even the work of Cyril has not entirely satisfied the most favourable judges: and the Abbé de la Bleterie (Preface à l'Hist: de Jovien, p. 30. 32.) wishes that some theologien philosophe (a strange centaur) would undertake the refutation of Julian.

Libanius (Orat. Parental. c. lxxxvii. p. 313.), who has been suspected of assisting his friend, prefers this divine vinde cation (Orat. ix, in necem Julian. p. 255. edit. Morel.) to the writings of Porphyry. His judgment may be arraigned (Socrates, 1. iii. c. 23.), but Libanius camct be accused of flattery to a dead prince.

XXIII.

CHAP. Christianity, the celebrated name of Porphyry was effaced by the superior merit or reputation of Julian. The minds of the faithful were either seduced, or scandalized, or alarmed; and the pagans, who sometimes presumed to engage in the unequal dispute, derived, from the popular work of their imperial missionary, an inexhaustible supply of fallacious objections. But in the assiduous prosecution of these theological studies, the emperor of the Romans imbibed the illiberal prejudices and passions of a polemic divine. He contracted an irrevocable obligation to maintain and propagate his religious opinions; and whilst he secretly applauded the strength and dexterity with which he wielded the weapons of controversy, he was tempted to distrust the sincerity, or to despise the understandings, of his antagonists, who could obstinately resist the force of reason and eloquence.

Universal

The Christians, who beheld with horror and toleration. indignation the apostacy of Julian, had much more to fear from his power than from his arguments. The pagans, who were conscious of his fervent zeal, expected, perhaps with impatience, that the flaines of persecution should be immediately kindled against the enemies of the gods; and that the ingenious malice of Julian would invent some cruel refmements of death and torture, which had been unknown to the rude and inexperienced fury of his predecessors. But the hopes, as well as the fears, of the religious factions were apparently disappointed, by

the

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the prudent humanity of a prince*, who was CHAP. careful of his own fame, of the public peace, and of the rights of mankind. Instructed by history and reflection, Julian was persuaded, that if the

火

diseases of the body may sometimes be cured by X

salutary violence, neither steel nor fire can eradicate the erroneous opinions of the mind. The reluctant victim may be dragged to the foot of the altar; but the heart still abhors and disclaims the sacrilegious act of the hand. Religious obstinacy is hardened and exasperated by oppression; and, as soon as the persecution subsides, those who have yielded, are restored as penitents, and those who have resisted, are honoured as saints and mar tyrs. If Julian adopted the unsuccessful cruelty of Diocletian and his colleagues, he was sensible that he should stain his memory with the name of tyrant, and add new glories to the Catholic church; which had derived strength and increase from the severity of the pagan magistrates. Actuated by these motives, and apprehensive of disturb ing the repose of an unsettled reign, Julian sur prised the world by an edict, which was not un worthy of a statesman or a philosopher. He extended to all the inhabitants of the Roman world the benefits of a free and equal toleration; and the only hardship which he inflicted on the G2 Christians,

*Libanius (Orat. Parent. c. lviii. p. 283, 284.) has clo quently explained the tolerating principles and conduct of his imperial friend. In a very remarkable epistle to the people of Bostra, Julian himself (epist. lii.) professes his moderation, and betrays his zeal; which is acknowledged by Ammianus, and exposed by Gregory. Orat. iii. p. 72.

CHAP. Christians, was to deprive them of the

XXIII.

of

power tormenting their fellow-subjects, whom they stigmatised with the odious titles of idolaters and heretics. The pagans received a gracious permission, or rather an express order, to open ALL their temples; and they were at once delivered from the oppressive laws, and arbitrary vexations, which they had sustained under the reign. of Constantine and of his sons. At the same time, the bishops and clergy, who had been banished by the Arian monarch, were recalled from exile, and restored to their respective churches; the Donatists, the Novatians, the Macedonians, the Eunomians, and those who, with a more prosperous fortune, adhered to the doctrine of the council of Nice. Julian, who understood and derided their theological disputes, invited to the palace the leaders of the hostile sects, that he might enjoy the agreeable spectacle of their furious encounters. The clamour of controversy sometimes provoked the emperor to exclaim, "Hear me! "the Franks have heard me, and the Alemanni ;' but he soon discovered that he was now engaged with more obstinate and implacable enemies; and though he exerted the powers of oratory to persuade them to live in concord, or at least in peace, he was perfectly satisfied, before he dismissed

In Greece the temples of Minerva were opened by lis express command, before the death of Constantius (Liban. Orat. Parent. c. 55. p. 280.) ; and Julian declares himself a pagan in his public manifesto to the Athenians. This unquestionable evidence may correct the hasty assertion of Ammianus, who seems to suppose Constantinople to be the place where he discovered his attachment to the gods.

missed them from his presence, that he had nothing to dread from the union of the Christians. The impartial Ammianus has ascribed this affected clemency to the desire of fomenting the intestine divisions of the church; and the insidious design of undermining the foundations of Christianity, was inseparably connected with the zeal, which Julian professed, to restore the ancient religion of the empire *.

As soon as he ascended the throne, he assumed, according to the custom of his predecessors, the character of supreme pontiff; not only as the most honourable title of imperial greatness, but as a sacred and important office, the duties of which he was resolved to execute with pious diligence. As the business of the state prevented the emperor from joining every day in the public devotion of his subjects, he dedicated a domestic chapel to his tutelar deity the Sun; his gardens were filled with statues and altars of the gods; and each apartment of the palace displayed the appearance of a magnificent temple. Every morning he saluted the parent of light with a sacrifice; the blood of another victim was shed at the moment when the Sun sunk below the horizon; and the Moon, the Stars, and the Genii of the night, received their respective and seasonable G 3 honours

* Ammian, xxii. 5. Sozomen, l. v. c. 5. Bestia moritur, tranquillitas redit. . . . omnes episcopi, qui de propriis sedibus fuerant exterminati, per indulgentiam novi principes ad ecclesias redeunt. Jerom. adversus Luciferianos, tom. ii. p. 143. Optatus accuses the Donatists for owing their safety to an a postate. L. ii. c. 16. p. 36, 37, edit. Dupin