of them not long ago told a worthy gentleman, who, upon Christian principles, hath a reverence for the clergy, he would shew him what priests and priesthood were, and then turning to 'Sabini' in Festus Pompeiust, shewed him these words, Sabini a cultura deorum dicti, àñò тоû σéßeσlai. Sabini quod volunt somniant, vetus proverbium esse, et inde manasse ait Sinnius Capito, quod quotiescunque sacrificium propter viam fieret, hominem Sabinum ad illud adhibere solebant: nam his promittebat se pro eis somniaturum, idemque postquam evigilasset sacra facientibus narrabat omne quidquid in quiete vidisset, quod quidem esset ex sacrificii religione. Unde venisse videtur in proverbium, Sabinos solitos quod vellent somniare; sed quia propter aviditatem bibendi quædam anus mulieres id somnium captabant, vulgatum est illud quoque, anus quod volt somniat; fere enim quod vigilantes animo volvimus, id dormientibus patere solet. In English this means no more nor less than their common blasphemy, "that all religions and priests of all religions are the same." And two of them, whom I could name, after much blasphemous discourse in a lady's house, left a paper of reasons with her, to persuade her ladyship why she should not believe in Christ, calling God the Son by such a name of contempt as I abhor to mention, much exceeding the malice of Julian, who after his apostacy never called Him by any name more opprobrious than the Galilean; and the Galilean, I hope, in His appointed time, will make them, to their own confusion and His honour, say, "vicisti Galilæe"." Thus these giants make war with heaven, and as they endeavour with the power of hell to pull the priesthood from the Church, so, Lucifer-like, if they could, they would pull the Church from Christ, Christ from the right-hand of God, and God out of His throne. Indeed Julian, if compared with these men, was a person of moderation, principles, and piety; for he was "serious in the religion of their ancestors," as he told the heathens, "and in the worship of the gods ;" and though [Sex. Fompeii Festi et Mar. Verii Flacci de Verborum Significatione, lib. xx. pp. 466, 7. Amstelodami, 1699.] " [ἐκεῖνον δέ γε φασὶ δεξάμενον τὴν πληγὴν, εὐθὺς πλῆσαι τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ αἵματος, καὶ τοῦτο ῥίψαι εἰς τὸν ἀέρα, καὶ φάναι, νενίκηκας Γαλιλαῖε, καὶ κατὰ HICKES. G ταὐτὸ τήν τε νίκην ὁμολογῆσαι, καὶ τὴν [See Orat. vii. Juliani Opera, p. REAL VIEWS OF AUTHOR, &c. DISCOURSE, SECT. II. 82 Julian did not bring such charges against the Christians. PREFAT. he was by temper a satirist, and had more wit and human learning than Gebal and Ammon and Amalek; than A[sgill], and C[ollins], and St [ephens], and T[indal], T[oland], T[utchin], and all the execrable clubs of atheists and deists in the town, yet he never reviled the Christian Church, and priesthood, as these new apostates do. He never questioned the authority of the Scriptures, of which he had been reader, nor charged the Christians with "keeping them private, till the council of Laodicea fell a telling noses;" he knew the doctrines of the Christian sect, and their confessions of faith, but he never charged the Christians with inventing their creeds, or imposing articles of faith upon the people, because he knew the Nicene fathers, as witnesses only of the Christian faith, gave in their evidences upon diligent and impartial search of what they found to be the doctrine of the Church, in the writings of their predecessors, from the time of the Apostles to their own time. Of all the Christians, or Christian priests and bishops, Julian ex [See note g, p. 51. The blanks "Toland and Tindal, prompt at priests Which in the first edition was "Collins [Antony Collins, one of the most and Reasons of the Christian Religion." It may be observed that he was, early in life, a most intimate friend of Locke, who in a letter dated Oct. 29, 1703, says, "If I were now setting out in the world I should think it a great happiness to have such a companion as you, who had a true relish for truth, and from whom I might receive it undisguised, and to whom I might communicate what I thought true freely." And Sept. 11, 1704, within two months of his death, "What a treasure have I found in such a friend, with whom I can converse and be enlightened about the highest speculations."] He spoke of the Priesthood with reverence. 83 pressed most hatred against St. Athanasius. He called him 66 REAL VIEWS OF &c. " contemptible fellow," "abominable," "enemy of the gods," AUTHOR, "wicked man," "crafty fellow," "impudent," and such like names, but he never called him "Sathanasius," or "creedmaking rascal,” as our Philistines do, who are sworn together against the priesthood of Christ and His ministers, and fight, I trust in vain, against Him and the Christian faith. But more particularly as to the common office of a priest in all religions, and the common notion of priesthood among all mankind, he was so far from calling or thinking it priestcraft, that he spoke of it and of priests with the greatest honour and veneration, as the ministers of the gods, and mediators and intercessors with them for men. And therefore 'he magnified his office' as chief pontiff, and seems to value himself as much upon the account of it as of the imperial crown. "In relation to the gods," saith he, "I am sovereign pontiff, though not at all worthy of that great honour. But I endeavour to make myself worthy of it by daily prayers unto the gods." "And it is agreeable to reason," saith he, "to honour priests as the liturgs and servants of gods, who minister to us in things pertaining to the gods, (diaκονοῦντας ἡμῖν τὰ πρὸς τοὺς Θεοὺς,) and have great power in bringing down their blessings upon us. For they sacrifice and pray for all, and therefore it is right to give as much, or rather more honour to them, than the civil magistrates, (ἢ τοῖς πολιτικοῖς ἄρχουσι.) C • [ὁ Θεοῖς ἐχθρὸς Αθανάσιος.-Epist. vi. Juliani Opera, p. 376, Α. τὸν μιαρόν. —Ibid., C. πανούργον.—Epist. li. p.435, Β. πολυπράγμων ἀνήρ.-Ibid., C. ἀνθρωπίσκος εὐτελής.—Ibid. ὤφελε γὰρ ̓Αθανασίῳ μόνῳ ἡ τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς αὐτοῦ διδασκαλείου κατακεκλεῖσθαι μοχθηρία. -Ibid., A.] d Fragment. Orat. p. 546. [(Paris, 1630.) δοκοῦντά τε εἶναι διὰ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀρχιερέα μέγιστον, ἄξιον μὲν οὐδαμῶς πράγματος τοσούτου, βουλόμενον δὲ εἶναι, καὶ προσευχόμενον ἀεὶ τοῖς θεοῖς. -Id., Fragm. Epist., p. 298, C. ed. Lips. 1696. Est epistola pars quam ad Pontificem aliquem scripsit, ut in ea, qualem se domi forisque præstare ejus ordinis homines deberent exemplum statueret.-Dion. Petav. Annott. ad loc.] · [εὔλογον δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας τιμᾷν, But if any one think that ὡς λειτουργοὺς θεῶν, καὶ ὑπηρέτας, καὶ f See the Second Letter. [On the § 1.] DISCOURSE, 84 Julian distinguished between the sacerdotal and civil powers; PREFAT. both are to be equally honoured, because the civil magisSECT. II. trates, as guardians of the laws, are in some sort priests, yet we ought to shew greater respect to those, after the example of the Grecians, who persuaded their angry king to reverence a priest as such, though he was their enemy; and therefore shall we not honour priests who are our friends, and pray and sacrifice for us?" "For as long as any man is a priest, he is to be honoured and venerated; but if he is wicked, he is to be deprived of the priesthood, and rejected as unworthy; but as long as he is employed in divine offices and ministry to the gods, he is to be regarded with veneration and religious honour, as the most excellent thing that belongs to the gods." "Therefore as the magistrate, so is the priest honourable, according to the Didymæan oracle of Jove, which threatens destruction to all wicked men, who affront the gods in dishonouring their priests." In these places and others, where he compares the priest with the civil magistrate, he plainly speaks of the sacerdotal, power ; and as distinct from, and independent of, the secular therefore, as chief pontiff, he wrote a letter to Arsacius, the chief priest of Galatia, to direct him how he should behave himself suitably to his character, particularly in admonishing and reproving the inferior priests, who neglected their duty or transgressed it, as by going to theatres or taverns, &c., and to * See [chap. ii. sect.] xi. of the First Letter.—[The Christian Priesthood Asserted.] h [ἀλλὰ ἕως ἂν ἱερεύς τις ὀνομάζηται, τιμᾶν αὐτὸν χρὴ, καὶ θεραπεύειν· εἰ δὲ εἴη πονηρὸς, ἀφαιρεθέντα τὴν ἱερωσύνην, ὡς ἀνάξιον ἀποφανέντα, περιορᾷν· ἕως δὲ προθύει, καὶ κατάρχεται, καὶ παρίσταται τοῖς θεοῖς, ὡς τὸ τιμιώτατον τῶν θεῶν κτῆμα, προςβλεπτέος ἐστὶν ἡμῖν μετὰ αἰδοῦς, καὶ εὐλαβείας.—Ibid., D. ] i [ἔστω τοίνυν ὥσπερ ἄρχων, οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἱερεὺς πᾶς αἰδέσιμος· ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἀπόφασίς ἐστι θεοῦ τοῦ Διδυμαίου τοιαύτη. ̔́Οσσοι ἐς ἀρητῆρας, ἀτασθαλίῃσι νό οιο, ̓Αθανάτων ῥέζουσ ̓ ἀποφώλια, καὶ γε- Αντία βουλεύουσιν· ἀδεισιθέοισι λο- Οὐκέθ ̓ ὅλην βιότοιο διεκπερόωσιν ἀ- Οσσοι περ μακάρεσσιν ἐλωβήσαντο Ὧν κεῖνοι θέυσεπτον ἕλον θεραπηΐδα τιμήν. καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλοις ὁ θεός φησι, Πάντας μὲν θεράποντας ἐμοὺς ὀλοῆς κακότητος. καὶ φησὶν ὑπὲρ τούτων δίκην ἐπιθήσειν αὐτοῖς.—Ibid., p. 297, C. * Αρσακίῳ ̓Αρχιερεῖ [Epist. xlix. τοὺς ἡγέμονας ὀλιγάκις ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ὅρα· τὰ πλεῖστα δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐπίστελλε· εἰσιοῦσι δὲ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὑπαντάτω μηδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἱερέων· ἀλλ ̓ ὅταν εἰς τὰ ἱερὰ φοιτῶσι τῶν θεῶν, εἴσω τῶν προθύρων· ἡγείσθω δὲ μηδεὶς αὐτῶν εἴσω στρατιώτης· ἑπέσθω δὲ ὁ βουλόμενος· ἅμα γὰρ εἰς τὸν οὐδὲν ἦλθε τοῦ τεμένους, καὶ γέγονεν ἰδιώτης· ἄρχεις γὰρ αὐτὸς, ὡς οἶσθα, τῶν ἔνδον ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ θεῖος ταῦτα ἀπαιτεῖ θεσμὸς· καὶ οἱ μὲν πειθόμενοι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν εἰσὶ θεοσεβεῖς· οἱ δὲ ἀντεχόμενοι τοῦ τύφου, δοξοκόποι εἰσὶ καὶ κενόδοξοι.—p. 431, C. See also Sozom., Hist. Eccl., lib. v. cap. 16. p. 203.] directions and reproofs given by him to Priests. 85 REAL VIEWS OF &c. deprive them when they were incorrigible. He warned them [him?] "to invite the great secular officers and magistrates AUTHOR, seldom to his house, but to write often to them; and when any of them made their entrance into the city, to let no priest meet them at the gate, but when they came to the temples to meet them at the porch, and to let no officers go in before them, because they came to the temple as other people (s iduτns,) to worship in their private capacity, and because the priest was superior in the temple to all that came, according to the law of the gods; to which whosoever are obedient are truly religious, but those who are disobedient through arrogance are proud and vain-glorious persons." As chief pontiff also he suspended a priest for beating another priest. "Wherefore'," saith he, "seeing I am, according to the rites of the religion of our fathers, sovereign pontiff and chief priest of Apollo Didymæus, I forbid you for three whole months not to do any thing that belongs to the office of a priest. But if in the meantime you behave yourself well, and seem worthy, and the chief priests of the city shall write to me to certify me thereof, I shall then consult the gods whether I shall restore you. This punishment I inflict upon you for your folly and presumption. . . . . But I will beg of the gods that upon your prayers to them you may obtain pardon for your fault." Julian was a serious pagan in his religion, and led a philosophical, austere life, in temperance, continence, and selfdenial, and I have cited these things out of his works concerning the common notion of priests and priesthood, to confirm what I have written of them in the first letter, and for a testimony against our utter despisers and shameless revilers of them, especially in the Rights of the Christian Church. But Julian shall rise up in judgment against them, and it shall be more tolerable for him, in the day of judgment, than for them, who crucify Christ afresh in the Christian priesthood, and put Him to open shame, in calling it priest 1 [ἐγὼ τοίνυν ἐπειδήπερ εἰμι κατὰ μὲν τὰ πάτρια μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς ἔλαχον δὲ νῦν καὶ τοῦ Διδυμαίου προφητεύειν, ἀπαγορεύω σοι τρεῖς περιόδους σελήνης μήτοι τῶν εἰς ἱερέα μηδὲν ἐνοχλεῖν· εἰ δὲ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ φανείης ἄξιος, ἐπιστείλαντος μοι τοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἀρ χιερέως, εἰ παραδεκτὸς εἴης ἡμῖν, ἐσαῦ- |