So much then the most sceptical reader must be forced to grant. To doubt of this, would be subverting

the

taken from those very words which Chifflet has given as the strongest evidence of his Christianity, where, speaking of Constantius, he says, "Christianam religionem absolutam & sim

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plicem anili superstitione confundens; in qua scrutanda per"plexius quam componenda gravius, excitavit discidia plurima; quæ progressa fusiùs aluit concertatione verborum.” Lib: xxi. cap. 16. By these words (as the critics observe) are doubtless meant those two famous party badges, the ὁμοσιο and ὁμοιόσιω Now it seems odd, the historian should characterize a temper of mind, arising from a dispute of this kind (which has rather the appearance of a philosophic than a popular bigotry) by the name of anilis superstitio. On a supposition, that the censurer was a Christian, it appears very odd: but consider him as a Pagan, and nothing is more natural: He must then see this question, concerning the Son of God, in the same light he did what their mythology taught concerning the paternity and filiation of their gods; which the learned amongst them ranked in the first class of their aniles superstitiones. It is true, Ammianus thought more reverently of the Christian martyrs than the famous philosophic emperor had formerly done (who called their virtue a mere brutish obstinacy, an párağı, Lib. xi. § 3.) for he says of them,Qui deviare a religione compulsi, pertulere cruciabiles pœnas, adusque gloriosam mortem intemerata fide progressi nunc Martyres appellantur." Lib. xxii. cap. 11. But Antoninus was entirely ignorant of the Christian religion: We have shewn above what kept him from the knowledge of it. The historian knew it well, as appears from the character he gives it, of absoluta & simpler; and the dying in defence of such a religion could not but be, in his opinion, mors gloriosa: he being, as appears throughout his history, a religious Theist, and untainted with the Naturalism of Tacitus; for Christianity had produced this good effect in the quarter of its enemies, that it had entirely discredited the schools of Strato and Epicurus, as Julian himself informs us. Ammianus, then, was Pagan, if his religion may be gathered from the reflections he makes upon his facts. It is true, this way of reasoning cannot be safely applied to any but to an original Writer of History. Compilers and Abbreviators of other men's works are not supposed to have any sense of their own; they take their colours, like the Camelion, from the various matter on which VOL. VIII.

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they

the

very foundations of human credit; and it might as well be questioned whether Cæsar was assaulted in the senate, as whether Julian attempted to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem.

What now was the condition of the church at this juncture! and how were the fears of the good people alarmed! It had long combated, and at length triumphed over, the prejudices of the people, the arts of the philosophers, and the violence of civil power. It had bent the obstinacy of superstition by the superior force of miracles; it had confounded the meretricious confidence of Grecian Sophistry, by the simple majesty of Truth; and had wearied out the rage of tyranny, by constancy and contempt of suffering. But it was now summoned to a severer trial, and pushed upon the very crisis of its fate. Its enemies, supported by the whole power of the empire, had brought a decisive scheme to its projection; a scheme that was to reflect eternal dishonour upon the Oracles of Truth. The credit of God's servants, the authority of his word, and the very pretensions of revelation, were all vitally interested in the event. The long struggle between SUPERSTITION and RELIGION was now to be finally decided.

they feed; and, with the facts, often epitomize the sentiments. of their originals. George Elmacine, an Eastern Christian, whose chronicle of the Saracens is translated from the Arabic by Erpenius into Latin, and by Vattier into French, is so regularly changeable in this respect, that Vattier very justly says of him, "Quand il parle de quelque chose concernant la religion de "Mahomet, on diroit qu'il est Mahometan: Quand il parle des “Catholiques, qu'il est Catholique : Quand il parle des Jacobites, "de mesme." The translator's reflection upon it is extraordinary, "Grand perfection, à mon advis, pour un historien: pour un "historien Chrestien, je n'en parle point," Every one sees the ridicule. However the maxim he had in view is a good one, That the historian should not appear to be of any sect or party. But this is very different from being of all in their turns.

decided. The God of the Christians was publicly challenged his power was defied to protect his Dispensation against this impending stroke. Destitute of all human aid, their only reliance was on heaven. And no believer, but must conclude, that God would indeed interpose to vindicate the character of his Son: no man, but must confess, that to support a Religion like this, was an occasion worthy the interposition of the Lord of all things.

Well, the impious attack was made; and the ex-. pected protection afforded *. The same great and impartial historian, who acquaints us with the attempt, informs us likewise of the defeat of it. His account is in these words: "Julian (having been already thrice "consul) taking Sallust, prefect of the several Gauls, "for his colleague, entered a fourth time on this high

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magistracy. It appeared strange to see a private man associated with Augustus: a thing, which, "since the consulate of Dioclesian and Aristobulus, history afforded no example of. And although his sensibility of the many and great events, which this year was likely to produce, made him very anxious "for the future, yet he both pushed on the various "and complicated preparatives for this expedition

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with the utmost application, and, having an eye in every quarter, and being desirous to eternize his reign by the greatness of his atchievements, he projected to rebuild, at an immense expense, the proud "and magnificent temple of Jerusalem; which (after many combats, attended with much bloodshed on

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* τότε δὴ Κύριλλῶ ὁ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων Ἐπίσκοπο, τὸ τῦ Προφήτε Δανιὴλ καλὰ νῦν ἐλάμβανεν, ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Χρισὸς ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις Εὐαγελίοις ἐπεσφραγίσατο, πολλοῖς τε προέλεγεν, ὡς ἄρα νῦν ἥκει ὁ καιρὸς, ὅτε λίθω ἐπὶ λίθον ἐκ ἂν μένοι εἰς τὸν ναὸν, ἄλλα τὸ τὰ Σωτῆρ · λόγιον πληρωθήσεται. Socrat. Hist. Eccl. lib. iii. cap. 20.

F 2

"both

"both sides, during the siege by Vespasian) was, "with great difficulty, taken and destroyed by Titus. "He committed the conduct of this affair to ALYPIUS "of Antioch, who formerly had been lieutenant in "Britain. When, therefore, this Alypius had set "himself to the vigorous execution of his charge, in "which he had all the assistance that the governor "of the province could afford him, horrible balls of fire, breaking out near the foundations, with fre

quent and reiterated attacks, rendered the place, "from time to time, inaccessible to the scorched and, "blasted workmen; and the victorious element con

tinuing, in this manner, obstinately and resolutely "bent, as it were, to drive them to a distance, Alypius "thought best to give over the enterprize *.

Thus did the vigilance of Providence not only vindicate the honour of our holy faith in the open view of all men, but, in its goodness, secured the memory of this impious attempt by the testimony of the most unexceptionable witness. For were infidelity itself, when

* Julianus jam ter consul adscito in collegium trabeæ Sallustio, præfecto per Gallias, quater ipse amplissimum inierat magistratum: & videbatur novum, adjunctum esse Augusto privatum, quod post Dioclesianum & Aristobulum nullus meminerat gestum. Et licet accidentium varietatem sollícita mente præcipiens, multiplicatos expeditionis apparatis flagranti studio perurgeret: diligentiam tamen ubique dividens, imperiique sui memoriam magnitudine operum gestiens propagare, ambitiosum quondam apud Hierosolymam templum, quod post multa & interneciva certamina, obsidente Vespasiano posteaque Tito, ægre est expugnatum, instaurare sumptibus cogitabat immodicis: negotiumque maturandum Alypio dederat Antiochensi, qui olim Britannias curaverat pro præfectis. Cum itaque rei idem fortiter instaret Alypius, juvaretque provinciæ Rector, metuendi globi flammarum prope fundamenta crebris assultibus erumpentes, fecere locum exustis aliquoties operantibus inaccessum: hocque modo elemento destinatius repellente, cessavit inceptum. Amm. Marc. lib. xxiii. cap. 1.

it would evade the force of evidence, to prescribe what qualities it expected in a faultless testimony, it could invent none but what might be found in the historian here produced. He was a Pagan, and so not prejudiced in favour of Christianity: He was a dependent, a follower, and a profound admirer of Julian, and so not inclined to report any thing to his dishonour: He was a lover of truth, and so would not relate what he knew, or but suspected, to be false: He had great sense, improved by the study of philosophy and knowledge of the world, and so would not easily suffer himself to be deceived: he was not only contemporary to the fact; but, at the time it happened, resident near the place: He recorded the event not on its first report, when, in the relation of journalary occurrences, much falsehood blends itself with truth; but after time and inquiry, which separates this impure mixture, had confirmed what really happened: He related it not as an uncertain report or hearsay, with diffidence; but as a notorious fact, at that time, no more questioned in Asia, than the project and success of the Persian expedition: He inserted it not for any partial purpose in support or confutation of any system; in defence or discredit of any character: he delivered it in no cursory or transient manner, nor in a loose or private memoir; but gravely and deliberately, as the natural and necessary part of a composition the most useful and important, a general history of the empire; on the complete performance of which the author was so intent, that he exchanged a court life, for one of study and contemplation; and chose Rome, the great repository of the proper materials, for the place of his retirement.