! CHAP. XXXVI. Flavius Claudius Julianus. JULIAN was educated in the principles. of Christianity. He imbibed, however, some early prejudices against its institutions, and being seduced by the Heathen philosophers and priests, particularly at Athens *, he secretly abjured the faith, but continued for some time externally to profess it. Having been flattered with the hope of succeeding to the imperial throne, and been engaged in ambitious designs against Constantius, who had given him his sister in marriage, and entrusted him with the command of his armies, he became strengthened in his attachment to Theodoret. Hist. 1. iii. c. 3. In the reign of Valentinian, the Athenians petitioned for the restoration of the Eleusinian mysteries. + Fabric. de Julian. Libanius Panegyr. et Tillemont, t. 4. Hist. Imp. 917. Ammian. Marcel, 1. xx. c. 3. 1. xxi. o. 1. the Gentile worship, from its opposition to the sentiments of the Emperor. On obtaining the sole possession of the throne, A. D. $61, he declared openly in favour of Heathenism, and began to manifest great hatred against the Christians, but was prevented partly by policy, and partly by the general mildness of his character, from exercising towards them those measures of extreme and sanguinary persecution, which, as he observed, promoted, when employed by others, the cause of the Gospel, and which excited his admiration and envy of the fortitude of its martyrs *. In a clandestine spirit of intolerance, however, excited upon this occasion, he connived at the inhumanity of the governors of the provinces, and derided the complaints of the Christians whom he spoiled, observing, with insulting mockery, that by rendering them poor, he promoted their reception into heavent. He boasted, that he had excited the cities in the neighbourhood of Antioch, to overturn the temples of the martyrs, which he stiles the sepulchres Epist. xlii. and lii. Baron. A. D. 362. Theodoret. 1. iii. iv. et Augustin, de civit. dei. 18--82. Socrat. 1. iii. c. 12. Trist. xliii. 2070s 7, p. 224. Edit. Spanheim Lips. 1696. of the atheists *, conducting himself towards them in a manner which shews that he had little claim to the character of generosity, which has been ascribed to him by Shaftesbury †, and other writers. By depriving the Christian priesthood of the privileges which they claimed of exemption from the civil power, and by reprehending the dissentions of party zeal, he did real service to the cause of religion, while he maintained the just rights of the temporal authority. He offended, however, as much against all rules of good government, as against all principles of true philosophy, when, upon observing that the Christians, who had made any progress in human learning, employed it with great success in refuting the errors of the Heathens, "piercing "them as it were by their own pens," he forbad rhetorical and grammatical instructors from teaching in the schools, unless they would worship the deities which were publicly reverenced; thus interdicting the cultivation of literature, except under Heathen institutions, and alledging the pretence, that 1696, Misopog. ap. Julian Oper. p. 337. Edit. Spanhem. Lips. it was absurd that those, who explained Homer and other ancient writers should be permitted to dishonour the gods, which those writers revered *. Having relapsed into the almost exploded follies of Heathenism, Julian indeed, became the slave of the most abject and degrading superstition, and directed all his efforts to the restoration of the declining cause of idolatry, renewing, with the blindest zeal, the practice of divination, and himself inspecting the sacrifices. The imperial power however, and the eminent talents which he exerted, during the short time that he was permitted by Providence to reign, served but to illustrate the impotency of Heathen rage, and to call forth the proofs of a Divine interference in support of the Gospel. Having in the desire of military fame, projected a war against the Persians, he made great preparations for the expedition amidst the murmurs of his subjects. In order to propitiate the Heathen Deities, he loaded their altars with hecatombs and rare victims, procured by sea and land. The effect was only to corrupt the discipline of his army, the soldiers being excited to excess by a participation of the sacrifices lavishly distributed Epist. xlii. pr 423. Edit, Spanhem. among them*. Having wearied the oracles and attempted to open again the fatidical sources. of the Castalian spring which had been closed by Adrian, and having at length obtained favourable auspices on Mount Casius †, he carried devastation into Assyria, but having after some vicissitudes of fortune received a mortal wound in an engagement with the Persians, he expired in the 32d. year of his age, having only reigned one year and eight months. Libanius unjustly intimates that he was insidiously killed by the Christians in the action ‡. The character of Julian forms a striking contrast to that of M. Aurelius Antoninus. In the former we see the force of truth vainly struggling with and "being foolishness" to one who was imbued with the prejudices of the Greek philosophy: in the latter we perceive the influence of Divine grae operating on the humble mind, and "made unto it wisdom and righteousness §." The works of Julian display considerable genius, and an intimate acquaintance with 1693. Ammianus Marcellinus, lib. xxii. c. 12. Edit. Gronov. + Ibid. lib. xxii. c. 14. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. v. c. 22. ↑ Vide Orat. Libanii de ulsciscendâ Juliani nece. Gregor. Nazianz. Orat. xi. in Julian; et Zonaras Annals xiii. N. 13. Ammian. Marcell. 1. 25. c. 3. § 1 Cor. i. 18-31. |