"He then represents the church of God in tears, the "godly bound in chains and fetters, the servants of "the Lord condemned to the mines,, and the triumphant exaltation of the impious Jews, as the sure consequences of the emperor's orders. This so 66 66 phistry and these rodomantades are so many tokens "of gratitude which St Ambrose was pleased to give "to his Royal Master for having been his friend, his "patron, and protector; and with this pride and in"solence he repays his favours. Theodosius, how"ever, complied, as they say, and excused the incen"diaries from making restitution." Basnage Hist. des Juifs L. vi. 14. p. 1266. See also some good remarks of Bayle, and of Barbeyrac Morale des Peres, p. 325. et p. 330. where he takes notice of Symeon Stylites. Yet this behaviour is what Tillemont, Ceillier, and many others of the church of Rome, extol and admire; which makes us also admire no less the wisdom and the judgment of some of our brethren, who send us to learn Ecclesiastical History from such writers, without giving us a caution not to trust them too far. They might as well send us to learn morality from Escobar, divinity from Bellarmin, and English history from Father Sanders, or any father of that communion. many A. D. 406. A certain Jew had been confined years to his bed with a palsy at Constantinople. Having tried in vain the aid of all the physicians, and received no benefit from the prayers of the Jews, he resolved to have recourse to the Christians, and to receive baptism. When this was told to Atticns the bishop, he instructed him in the faith, and then or 剿 dered him to be brought in his bed to the baptismal font. The Jew there professing his faith in Christ, was baptized, and as soon as he was taken out of the water, he found himself cured, and his disease returned no more. "Thus did our Saviour think fit to shew forth his power, even in our days, by a miracle which converted many of the Pagans. But the "Jews, though they require signs and wonders, yet “have not been moved by these miracles to embrace "the gospel." Socrates vii. 4. This is one of the most plausible miracles that are related of those days. There is nothing in it absurd and unreasonable, either in the fact, or the circumstances, or the tendency. Add to this, that Atticus, by whose ministry it is said to have been wrought, was a good prelate, an enemy to violence and persecution, and remarkable for charity and moderation, as Sozomen informs us. But when we consider the ge nius of the fifth century, and of the historians and writers of those times, it is impossible not to hesitate. It deserves also some consideration, whether the bathing and the force of imagination joined together, might not by a natural operation remove a paralytic disorder. Symeon Stylites began to perch upon his pillar, A. D. 423. In his days the Christians of Antioch, by an insolent act of violence, took away from the Jews their synagogues. The emperor Theodosius Junior, when he first heard of it, following the dictates of equity, commanded the Christians to restore to the Jews what was their property. Upon this the zealous Symeon, after the example of Ambrose, wrote a reprimanding letter to the emperor, and obliged him to change change his sentiments, and to patronize these illegal and unchristian proceedings. Tum acriter eum objurgavit, ut Imperator, revocata jussione sua, cuncta in gratiam Christianorum fecerit, et Præfecto Pretoriü, qui haec ipsi suggesserat, potestatem abrogaverit. Evagrius i. 13. This gives an ugly blow on the head to Symeon's miracles; since it is hard to suppose that the divine providence should commit preternatural powers to the hands of a monk, who was not only an enthusiast, but a patron of persecutors, rioters, robbers, housebreakers, and seditious subjects. Symeon's pillar was enclosed, afterwards, in a portico, and an annual miracle was wrought there, of which Evagrius himself was an eye-witness. Ad lævum igitur columnce latus, ipse cum reliqua populi multitudine ibi collecta, sultantibus circa columnam rusticis, vidi in fenestra stellam immense magnitudinis, per totam fenestram discurrentem atque radiantem: neque id semel, aut iterum ac tertio, sed sæpius: eundemque crebro evanescentem, atque iterum subito apparentem. Quod quidem non nisi diebus festis, quibus sancti viri memoria quotannis recolitur, fieri solet. Sunt etiam qui dicant (nec fides deroganda est miraculo, tum ob autoritatem eorum qui id affirmant, tum propter alia que nos videmus) se ipsam illius personam vidisse, huc atque illuc volitantem, promissa barba, et capite tiara obvoluto, sicuti consueverat, i. 14. This fire was an Ignis Fatuus, contrived by the monks, to deceive the devout assembly, and such dupes as Evagrius. What tricks would not these monks have played, if they had possessed the secret of electricity? A Jewish boy having eaten some of the consecrated bread with his Christian school-fellows, A. D, 536, P 4 . his his father, who was a glass-maker, discovered it, and flung the poor child into his fiery furnace, and locked him in. After three days, the disconsolate mother found him there safe and sound. A fine lady, as the boy declared, clothed in a purple robe, had been with him in the furnace, and had cooled the flames and given him meat and drink. This lady was the Virgin Mary, who, about the year 408, began to manifest herself and to work continual miracles. Tidings of these wonders came to the years of Justinian, who ordered the mother and the boy to be baptized and admitted amongst the ecclesiastics: but the father, obstinately refusing to receive Christianity, was, by command of the emperor, crucified in the suburbs of Constantinople, as the murderer of his own child, For this story we are indebted to Evagrius iv. 36. The miracle of the confessors, who, in those days, spake plainly, after their tongues were cut out by the persecuting Arians, is also attested by Evagrius iv. 14. Other miracles of this kind are related in latter history, and are equally improbable. In the Chronicon Saxonicum, which is a collection of things, some useful, and some of small moment, we are told that Pope Leo the third was deposed by the Romans, who cut out his tongue and pulled out his eyes A. D. 797. and that he saw and talked after this as well as he did before. Compare this with Fleury H. E. x. p. 22. Agobard, archbishop of Lyons, A. D. 829. had drawn upon himself the hatred of the Jews, who were numerous in that city, by baptizing their slaves. The Jews, saye he, buy Pagan slaves; those slaves learn our language, and often take a liking to our religion, and and address themselves to us and beg to be baptized. Can we refuse them? or did the apostles use to reject such converts? We desire not to rob the masters; we are willing to redeem their slaves, and to return them the full price which they paid for them, &c. The Emperor Louis was persuaded to take part with the Jews in this affair, upon which Agobard wrote him a letter of remonstrances, which, upon the whole, seem not to be unreasonable. In this letter he charges the Jews with the crime of stealing Christian children, and selling them for slaves. Fleury H. E. x. 319. &c. It is observable that the popes* in all times have shewed far more kindness and clemency to the Jews than the Christian princes. One reason was, that the court of Rome hath usually excelled all other courts in policy, craft, and worldly wisdom. It saw the folly of driving away and distressing the Jews; and it knew the use that was to be made of an industrious people, skilful in commerce, and in the management of revenues; and who had no particular dislike to papal authority, no disposition to assist heretics, schismatics, enemies of popery, reformers, and separatists, and no credit to make proselytes to their own religion. "The council of Basil, held A. D. 1494, extend❝ing its pastoral care and its jurisdiction very wide"ly, thought it proper not to overlook the Jews, who were numerous in that city, and in Germany. It "ordered * As Gregory, at the end of the sixth century; Alexander II. A. D. 1068. Innocent III. A. D. 1198. Gregory IX. A. D. 1236. John XXII, A. D. 1320. &c. |