bona publicata, nullius mulctata libertas, nullius præterita dignitas imminuta, &c. But there is no trusting to panegyrics, and it appears that the effects and estates of some persons at least were forfeited and seized *. "God began at this time to blast the undertakings of Maximus and this tyrant had, besides his other crimes, drawn upon himself the curse of God by an action which doubtless will seem lawful enough to those who have more of the political spirit, than of zeal for the honour of religion. For having heard that a Synagogue of the Jews had been burnt at Rome by the Christians, he sent thither a severe edict, under the pretence of maintaining peace and good order; which made the people say that this prince was become a Jew, and certainly would not prosper, and get the better of Theodosius. The soldiers also, who were sent to execute the edict, said amongst themselves, How can we expect that Jesus Christ will assist us, since we are fighting against him in behalf of the Jews? The emperor however proceeded no farther than to words and menaces; and yet St Ambrose observes that God had abandoned him, and that he had perished for this fault †." See how bigotry can extinguish all sentiments of humanity, and of common honesty. At the same time some turbulent monks had burnt a church of the Valentinians, and a bishop had done the same to a Jewish synagogue. Complaint being made of these outrages to Theodosius by a civil magistrate, he threatened to punish the offenders, and • Cod. Theod. L. iv. Tit. xxii. p. 414. and Gothofred. to to make them rebuild what they had destroyed. But Ambrose interposed, took the exploits upon himself, justified these proceedings as devout and meritorious, bullied the emperor into a mean submission, and made him cancel the decree that he had drawn up, and humour the seditious zeal of this fanatical father. See Basnage, whose judgment upon this occasion is rational and honest. A. D. 389. There were at Alexandria two pagan grammarians, of whom one was priest of Jupiter, the other was priest of the monkey. This serves to illustrate Juvenal xv. 4. Effigies sacri nitet aurea Cercopitheci. The image of the monkey-god† was preserved by the Christians, when they destroyed all the other Idols in Alexandria, that it might be a monument of Egyptian folly and superstition. The Pagans and the Christians both made themselves merry with this Egyptian god but it is observable that he hath survived Jupiter and Juno, and all the classical gods majorum and minorum gentium. The Portuguese robbed a temple at Ceylon, and took away the celebrated tooth of the monkey, which was most devoutly adored by the inhabitants, who offered an immense sum to the Viceroy of Goa, to redeem it. But he, in his zeal against pagan idolatry, chose rather to burn it publicly in the market-place. Huber, though he was a Dutchman, compares this action of the Viceroy with the conduct of his own countrymen in Japan, where they had agreed to perform no public act of religion; and concludes that if they iii. 114. Socrates, v. 16. they had been possessors of the monkey's tooth, they would have made a different use of it*. Theophilus, having obtained leave to destroy the pagan temples in Alexandria, set about it, and sent for the monks, says Fleury †, to assist him with their prayers. Fleury should have said,-with their fists. Non precibus, sed pugnis. A. D. 390. Theodosius made a law to curb the monks, requiring them to retire back to their desarts and caves, and to dwell there. This edict seems principally to have concerned the monks of Egypt and Syria, who, under pretence of zeal, used to frequent the cities, and importune the magistrates and judges, solliciting them to forgive and discharge criminals, and even exciting tumults and seditions; and who also waged open war with the pagans, destroying their idols, and demolishing their temples. Yet the emperor, whose second thoughts were not the wisest, repealed this law, about twenty months afterwards, as having been extorted from him by the importunity of magistrates, who were prejudiced against those godly men; and gave the monks a permission to ramble about and enter into cities, when they in their wisdom thought proper ‡. The second Carthaginian synod was held this year, and it seems to have been held for little else than to favour episcopal pride, and episcopal encroach ments. A. D. 391. The head of John the Baptist is said to have been found. It was also found long afterwards wards in another place; whence it appears that this John was a Junus, and had two heads. "As at Amiens they were shewing to the princess Mary the head of John the Baptist, she kissed it, and told me to draw near, and do the same. I attentively viewed the shrine, and its contents, and I did like the company, only saying in the softest manner, that this was the fifth or sixth which I had the honour to salute. This surprized her highness a little, and drew from her a sort of smile, which however was not perceived. The keeper of the relique, taking notice of my speech, replied, that indeed mention was made of several (for perhaps he had heard that there were such at St John of Lyon, at St John of Morienne, at St John of Angely in Saintonge, at Rome, in Spain, in Germany, and in many other places), but that this was the genuine head; and to prove his assertion, he bad us observe the hole which was in the scull, over the right eye, and was the very hole which Herodias made with a knife, when the head was brought to her in a charger. Methinks, said I, the gospel hath taken no notice of this particular circumstance. But finding him grow warm in defence of the contrary, I submitted to him with great deference and respect Marcellus, bishop of Apamea, burnt a temple of Jupiter in a miraculous manner, and put a devil to flight who protected it. "He put fire under some wood; but a devil of a black colour shewed himself, and stopped the effect of the fire. Marcellus immediately going to a church, ordered a vessel of water to be brought, and placed it under VOL. II. Y ↑ Colomies, Rome Protestanie, p. 753. the the altar, and offered up his prayers to God. Then signing the water with the sign of the cross, he sent his deacon to sprinkle the wood with it, and then to put fire to the wood. Whereupon the devil fled, being chased away by the virtue of the water, which proved like oil to the flame, and immediately consumed the temple *." A. D. 392. Theodosius published the following law against paganism and idolatry: Nullus omnino ex quolibet genere, ordine hominum, dignitatum, vel in potestate positus, sice potens sorte nascendi, seu humilis genere, conditione, fortuna, in nullo penitus loco, in nulla urbe, sensu carentibus simulacris vel insontem victimam cædat, vel secretiore piaculo, Larem igne, mero Genium, Penates nidore veneratus, accendat lumina, imponat thura, serta suspendat. Quod si quispiam immolare hostiam sacrificaturus audebit, aut spirantia exta consulere, ad exemplum Majestatis reus, licita cunctis accusatione delatus, excipiat sententiam competentem, etiamsi nihil contra salutem Principum, aut de salute quæsierit †, &c. Ambrose highly extols this law, and the pious zeal of Theodosius in thus exterminating pagan superstition; and Basnage is no less liberal of his encomiums. See here how all taste was lost, and laws drawn up in a puerile, verbose, and pedantic style, in tawdry prose, consisting of ends and scrapes of verses! Whatsoever Ambrose and Basnage might think of it, this was mere violence and persecution; and the decree, in all respects, both for matter and manner, was beneath the imperial majesty. One would think that the Theodcret, v. 21. Cod. Theod. L. xvi. Tit. x. p. 273. ii. 137 |