76 THIKD PERIOD. A.D. 311-690.
Galilean" an Impious human invention and a cong-ome^'ation of the worst elements of Judaism and heathenism without the good of either; that is, M'ithout the wholesome though somewhat harsh discipline of the former, or the pious belief in the gods, which belongs to the latter. Hence he compares the Christians to leeches, which draw all impure blood and leave the pure. In his view, Jesus, " the dead Jew," did nothing remarkable during his lifetime, compared witli heathen heroes, but to heal lame and blind people and exorcise dsemoniacs, which is no very great matter.' He was able to persuade only a few of the ignorant peasantry, not even to gain his own kinsmen.* Neither Matthew, nor Mark, nor Luke, nor Paul called him God. John was the first to venture so far, and procured acceptance for his view by a cunning artifice." The later Christians perverted his doctrine still more impiously, and have abandoned the Jewish sacrificial worship and ceremonial law, which was given for all time, and was declared irrevocable by Jesus himself.* A universal religion, with all the peculiarities of diff'erent national characters, appeared to him unreasonable and impossible. He endeavored to expose all manner of contradictions and absurdities in the Bible. The Mosaic history
' Cyril has omitted the worst passages of Julian respecting Clirist, but quotes the following (Contra Jul. 1. vi. p. 191, eil. Spanh.), wliich is very characteristic: "Jesus, who over-persuaded (ayanfiaas) the lowest among you, some few, has now been talked of {ovo/j-d^fTai) for three hundred years, though during his life he performed nothing worth mentioning {ovSfv olkotis &^iov), unless it be thought a mighty matter to heal the cripples and blind persons and to exorcise those possessed of demons in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany (tl fi-i) rtv oUrai tovs KoWovi Ka\ ruvs Tv<f>\uvs i&aaa^ai, Kal daifioi/civTw; ((popKt^ftu ev BribtraiSa Kal if Bribavla rajs Kcinan tG>v fxtyicTTccv ipyt»v el;/ai)." Dr. Lardner has ingeniously inferred from this passage that Julian, l:)y conceding to Christ the power of working miracles, and admitting the general truths of the gospel traditions, furnishes an argument for Christianity rather than igainst it.
^ Jno. vij. 6.
' "Neither Taul," he says (Cyr. I. x. p. 327), "nor Matthew, nor Luke, not Mark has dared to call Jesus God. But honest John (i xptjittoj 'Iwaj'j^ijj), understanding that a great multitude of men in the cities of Greece and Italy were seized with this distemper; and hearing likewise, as I suppose, that the tombs of Peter and Paul were respected, and frecjuented, though as yet privately only, however, tav'i^ heard of it, he then first presumed to advance that doctrine."
♦ Ma'.t. V. 17-19.
§ 9. JULIAN'S ATTACK LTON CHRISTIANrrY. 77
of fclie creation was defective, and not to be compared w:'th the Platonic. Eve was given to Adam for a help, yet she led him astray. Human speech is put into tlie mouth of the serpent^ and the curse is denounced on him, though he leads man on to the knowledge of good and evil, and thus proves himself of great service. Moses represents God as jealous, teaches monotheism, yet polytheism also in calling the angels gods. The moral precepts of the decalogue are found also among the heathen, except the commands, " Thou shalt Iiave no other goda before me," and, " Remember the Sabbath day." He prefers Lycurgus and Solon to Moses. As to Samson and David, they were not very remarkable for valor, and exceeded by many Greeks and Egyptians, and all their power was confined within the narrow limits of Judea. The Jews never had any general equal to Alexander or Caesar. Solomon is not to be compared with Theognis, Socrates, and other Greek sages ; moreover he is said to have been overcome by women, and therefore does not deserve to be ranked among wise men. Paul was an arch-traitor; calling God now the God of the Jews, now the God of the Gentiles, now both at once ; not seldom contradicting the Old Testament, Christ, and himself, and generally accommodating his doctrine to circumstances. The heathen emperor thinks it absurd that Christian baptism should be able to cleanse from gross sins, while it cannot remove a wart, oi- gout, or any bodily evil. He puts the Bible far below the Hellenic literature, and asserts, that it made men slaves, while the study of the classics educated great heroes and philosophers. The first Christians he styles most contemptible men, and the Christians of his day he charges with ignorance, intolerance, and worshipping dead persons, bones, and the wood of the cross.
With all his sarcastic bitterness against Christianity, Julian nndesignedly furnishes some valuable arguments for the historical character of the relio-ion he hated and assailed. The learned and critical Lardner, after a careful analysis of his %vork against Christianity, thus ably and truthfully sums up Julian's testimony in favor of it :
"Julian argues against the Jews as well as against the