63 62 XXIII. diftant countries of the East ; and their piety CHAP. was authorifed by the example of the emprefs Helena; who appears to have united the credulity of age with the warm feelings of a recent converfion. Sages and heroes, who have vifited the memorable fcenes of ancient wifdom or glory, have confeffed the infpiration of the genius of the place 3; and the Chriftian, who knelt before the holy fepulchre, afcribed his lively faith, and his fervent devotion, to the more immediate influence of the Divine fpirit. The zeal, perhaps the avarice, of the clergy at Jerufalem, cherished and multiplied thefe beneficial vifits. They fixed, by unquestionable tradition, the fcene of each memorable event. They exhibited the inftruments which had been used in the paffion of Chrift; the nails and the lance that had pierced his hands, his feet, and his fide; the crown of thorns that was planted on his head; the pillar at which he was fcourged; and, above all, they fhewed the crofs on which he fuffered, and which was dug out of the earth in the reign of those princes, who inferted the fymbol of Christianity in the banners of the Roman legiSuch miracles, as feemed neceffary to ons 54. account 62 The Itinerary from Bourdeaux to Jerufalem, was compofed in the year 333, for the ufe of pilgrims; among whom Jerom (tom. i. p. 126.) mentions the Britons and the Indians. The caufes of this fuperftitious fafhion are difcuffed in the learned and judicious preface of Weffeling (Itinerar. p. 537-545-). 63 Cicero (de Finibus, v. 1.) has beautifully expreffed the common fenfe of mankind. 64 Baronius (Annal. Ecclef, A. D. 326. N° 42-50.) and Tillemont (Mem. Ecclef. tom. vii. p. 8-16.) are the hiftorians and cham CHAP. account for its extraordinary prefervation, and XXIII. seasonable discovery, were 'gradually propagated without oppofition. The custody of the true cross, which on Eafter Sunday was folemnly expofed to the people, was entrusted to the bishop of Jerufalem; and he alone might gratify the curious devotion of the pilgrims, by the gift of fmall pieces, which they enchafed in gold or gems, and carried away in triumph to their respective countries. But as this gainful branch of commerce must soon have been annihilated, it was found convenient to fuppofe, that the marvellous wood poffeffed a fecret power of vegetation; and that its fubftance, though continually diminished, still remained entire and unimpaired ". It might perhaps have been expected, that the influence of the place, and the belief of a perpetual miracle, fhould have produced fome falutary effects on the morals, as well as on the faith, of the people. Yet the most refpectable of the ecclefiaftical writers have been obliged to confefs, not only that the streets of Jerufalem champions of the miraculous invention of the crofs, under the reign of Conftantine. Their oldest witnesses are Paulinus, Sulpicius Severus, Rufinus, Ambrose, and perhaps Cyril of Jerufalem. The filence of Eufebius, and the Bourdeaux pilgrim, which satisfies those who think, perplexes those who believe, See Jortin's fenfible remarks, vol. ii. p. 238–248. 65 This multiplication is afferted by Paulinus (epift. xxxvi. See Dupin. Bibliot. Ecclef. tom. iii. p. 149.), who feems to have improved a rhetorical flourish of Cyril into a real fact. The fame fupernatural privilege must have been communicated to the Virgin's milk (Erafmi Opera, tom. i. p. 778. Lugd. Batav. 1703. in Colloq. de Peregrinat. Religionis ergo), faints heads, &c. and other relics, which were repeated in so many different churches. were 67 were filled with the inceffant tumult of business and pleasure", but that every fpecies of vice; adultery, theft, idolatry, poisoning, murder, was familiar to the inhabitants of the holy city "7. The wealth and pre-eminence of the church of Jerufalem excited the ambition of Arian, as well as orthodox candidates; and the virtues of Cyril, who, fince his death, has been honoured with the title of Saint, were displayed in the exercise, rather than in the acquifition, of his epifcopal dignity 68. The vain and ambitious mind of Julian might aspire to restore the ancient glory of the temple of Jerufalem ". As the Christians were firmly perfuaded that a fentence of everlafting deftruction had been pronounced against the whole fabric of the Mofaic law, the Imperial fophift would 66 Jerom (tom. i. p. 103.), who refided in the neighbouring village of Bethlem, describes the vices of Jerufalem from his perfonal experience. 67 Gregor. Nyffen, apud Weffeling, p. 539. The whole epiftle, which condemns either the use or the abuse of religious pilgrimage, is painful to the Catholic divines; while it is dear and familiar to our Proteftant polemics. 68 He renounced his orthodox ordination, officiated as a deacon, and was re-ordained by the hands of the Arians. But Cyril after. wards changed with the times, and prudently conformed to the Nicene faith. Tillemont (Mem. Ecclef. tom. viii.), who treats his memory with tenderness and respect, has thrown his virtues into the text, and his faults into the notes, in decent obfcurity, at the end of the volume. 69 Imperii fui memoriam magnitudine operum geftiens propagare. Ammian. xxiii. 1. The temple of Jerufalem had been famous even among the Gentiles. They had many temples in each city (at Sichem five, at Gaza eight, at Rome four hundred and twenty-four); but the wealth and religion of the Jewish nation was centered in one spot. H 4 have CHA P. Julian atrebuild the temple. tempts to CHAP. have converted the fuccefs of his undertaking XXIII. into a specious argument against the faith of 72 prophecy, and the truth of revelation". He was displeased with the fpiritual worship of the fynagogue; but he approved the inftitutions of Mofes, who had not difdained to adopt many of the rites and ceremonies of Egypt ". The local and national deity of the Jews was fincerely adored by a polytheift, who defired only to multiply the number of the gods "; and fuch was the appetite of Julian for bloody facrifice, that his emulation might be excited by the piety of Solomon, who had offered, at the feast of the dedication, twenty-two thousand oxen, and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep Thefe confiderations might influence his defigns; but the profpect of an immediate and important ad 73 70 The fecret intentions of Julian are revealed by the late bishop of Gloucester, the learned and doginatic Warburton, who, with the authority of a theologian, prescribes the motives and conduc of the Supreme Being. The difcourfe entitled Julian (2d edition, London, 1751), is strongly marked with all the peculiarities which are imputed to the Warburtonian fchool, 71 I shelter myself behind Maimonides, Marfham, Spencer, Le Clerc, Warburton, &c. who have fairly derided the fears, the folly, and the falfehood of fome fuperftitious divines. See Divine Lega, tion, vol. iv. p. 25, &c. 72 Julian (Fragment, p. 295.) refpectfully ftyles him μsyas beas, and mentions him elsewhere (epift. Ixiii.) with ftill higher reverence. He doubly condemns the Chriftians: for believing, and for renouncing the religion of the Jews. Their Deity was a true, but not the only God. Apud Cyril. 1. ix. p 305, 306. 731 Kings viii. 63. 2 Chronicles vii. 5. Jofeph. Antiquitat. Judaic. 1. viii. c. 4. p. 431. edit. Havercamp. As the blood and fmoke of fo many hecatombs might be inconvenient, Lightfoot, the Chriftian rabbi, removes them by a miracle. Le Clerc (ad loca) is bold enough to fufpect the fidelity of the numbers. vantage, XXIII. vantage, would not fuffer the impatient monarch CHAP. to expect the remote and uncertain event of the Perfian war. He refolved to erect, without delay, on the commanding eminence of Moriah, a stately temple, which might eclipfe the fplendor of the church of the Refurrection on the adjacent hill of Calvary; to establish an order of priests, whose interested zeal would detect the arts, and refift the ambition, of their Christian rivals; and to invite a numerous colony of Jews, whose ftern fanaticifm would be always prepared to fecond, and even to anticipate, the hoftile measures of the pagan government. Among the friends of the emperor (if the names of emperor and of friend are not incompatible) the first place was affigned, by Julian himfelf, to the virtuous and learned Alypius +. The humanity of Alypius was tempered by fevere justice, and manly fortitude; and while he exercifed his abilities in the civil administration of Britain, he' imitated, in his poetical compofitions, the harmony and foftnefs of the odes of Sappho. This minifter, to whom Julian communicated, without referve, his most careless levities, and his moft ferious counfels, received an extraordinary commiffion to restore, in its priftine beauty, the temple of Jerufalem; and the diligence of Alypius required and obtained the strenuous support of the governor of Palestine. At the call of their great deliverer, the Jews, from all the provinces of the empire, affembled on the holy mountain 74 Julian, epist. xxix, xxx. La Bleterie has neglected to translatethe fecond of thefe epiftles. of |