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nature, which inclines us to torment and punish those who contradict us in matters of religion. Even the councils, which ought to have been more equitable, gave into this spirit, and became the incendiaries which inflamed the princes against the poor remains of this unhappy nation. We often make our boasts of the prevailing influence of humanity, and imagine that the dictates of nature suffice to teach us compassion for our fellow-creatures. But pride is another principle in us, which is more prevalent than compassion; and pride excites our indignation when we see a body of persons who think differently from us, and who assume the liberty to dispute against those truths of which we judge ourselves to be in possession. manity speaks first, and pleads for gentleness and forbearance; but pride bids her be silent, and hardens the heart against these softer impressions. Thus persecutions arise in every religion; whilst the teachers are inclined to look upon all opposition made to the doctrines of which they are the expounders and the defenders, as so many personal attacks upon themselves. Hence councils often authorise and begin those oppressions, which princes afterwards carry to the utmost rage and excess.' Basnage, Hist. des Juifs, vi. 14.

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The council of Toledo, A. D. 633. made a cruel decree, that all the children of Jews should be taken away from their parents and put into monasteries, or into the hands of religious persons, to be instructed in Christianity. Fleury, H. E. viii. 367.

"The first event to be found in the Life of Constantine, relating to the Jews, is reported by Zonaras. This historian informs us that they had a conference at Rome with Helena (the mother of Constantine), who was not yet converted. They represented to this princess, that, if her son had done well in abolishing Paganism and its idols, he was not much nearer to salvation, since, instead of worshipping the heroes of Pagan antiquity, he adored a man who had been crucified in later times. Helena, who was religious, and disquieted on account of her son, obliged the Jewish doctors to hold a conference with pope Silvester, who soon triumphed over these enemies of Christianity. But whilst they were disputing, a magician called Zambres,

whom the rabbins had brought with them, caused an ox to fall down dead at the foot of Silvester. The miracle disconcerted not the prelate, for he raised the ox to life; and then all the persons present, acknowledging in the pope a power superior to that of the magician, received baptism, and Helena also desired to be instructed in the faith. This is the story of a monk: but as there are in the world persons of all sorts, and understandings of all sizes, if any should be found credulous enough to digest this conference, this miracle, and the sudden conversion that followed it, he may have recourse to the authority of an Arabian historian, who assures that twelve thousand Jews and Pagans, without counting women and children, received baptism at Rome under the reign of Constantine. Abulpharagius

indeed speaks not of the miracle; but by tacking together the account of the Arab, and that of the Greek monk, the latter event may be looked upon as the consequence of the former, and the conversion of so great a number as a proof and an effect of the resurrection of the ox.' Basnage, Hist. des Juifs, vi. 14. § 2.

It is to be supposed that the magician whispered in the ear of the ox the ineffable name, which struck him dead; and it is a wonder that Zonaras did not think of it. Perhaps the name of this magician should be not Zambres, but Jambres, who must have been an old man indeed, if he were the same that contended with Moses. See the Remarks of S. Basnage on this fable. Ann. ii. 660.

The zeal which Constantine had for Christianity set him against the Jews, as they were enemies to the Gospel. He subjected to punishment those who should become proselytes to Judaism, and he ruled the Jews with a strict and heavy hand.

He ordered churches to be built, where they were necessary, and where they were not, as in those towns and villages which were inhabited almost only by Jews; which must have been a great mortification to that people.

He made a law, as an antient author tells us, which condemned those who should speak evil of Christ to lose half their estate.

In his time, as some relate, the Jews endeavoured, not by arms and violence, but in a silent and quiet way, to

steal a settlement at Jerusalem, and to build themselves a temple, or some little edifice, which they would have called a temple of which Constantine being apprised, he is said to have cut off the ears of those who had been the forwardest in this attempt, and to have ordered them to be sent to their several abodes with this mark of his displeasure.

'It is affirmed that Constantine persecuted the Jews; and Chrysostom assures us that they assembled to rebuild Jerusalem, and that this prince, offended at their rashness and impudence, cut off their ears, and dispersed them as fugitive slaves through all the provinces of the empire. Eutychius adds, that Constantine obliged them all to be baptized, and to eat pork at Easter. Persecution can hardly be carried further than this: but I doubt whether the facts be true. St. Chrysostom hath great authority in the church, yet it is not always safe to trust him as an historian; and indeed the Jews themselves say, and Abulpharagius confirms it, that it was the emperor Adrian who cut off their ears, and sold them as slaves in the markets. Besides, Jerusalem was rebuilt in the reign of Constantine, its bishop had assisted at the Nicene Council; and the emperor adorned it with such magnificent structures, that Eusebius told him, in a profane manner a, that he had built the New Jerusalem foretold by the prophets. How then could the Jews mutiny and assemble there to do what was already done? Lastly, in the Theodosian Code, although there be many laws, under the name of Constantine, against the Jews, there is not one which orders them to have their ears cut off, to be baptized, and to eat swine's flesh.

But this prince published several edicts, which show the condition and the unquiet temper of the Jews in his time. The first is one of the most important. It was made, if I mistake not, on account of Joseph, who had abandoned the synagogue, to embrace Christianity. The Jews, vexed at his conversion, persecuted him even in his own house; and having found him reading the Gospel, they took the book from him, loaded him with insults and

A man must be in a quarrelsome humour to treat Eusebius sq roughly for such a trifle.

blows, and dragged him to the synagogue, where they scourged him cruelly. Not content with these outrages, they flung him into the river Cydnus, whose current carrying him out of their sight, they had the joy to think that he was drowned: but God preserved his life. He received baptism, and made himself known at court, and obtained leave from the emperor to build churches in divers places where there never had been any before. The Jews were then settled at Diocæsarea, Tiberias, Nazareth, and Capernaum, and had so engrossed those cities that they would suffer no strangers there, not even the Samaritans. Joseph undertook to introduce Christianity into these cities, and began to build churches in them. At Tiberias he met with an opposition which procured him the favour of a miraculous assistance. There was in that town a large edifice, which had been intended for a temple to Adrian: as it had not been finished, there was a design to use it for a bagnio. Joseph was resolved to make it a church; and wanting lime, he built some furnaces without the city for that purpose. The Jews, irritated at his attempt, had recourse, as Epiphanius relates it, to magic arts; and they were so successful, that the fire could not be kindled, nor any lime be made. Joseph, vexed at such an unforeseen incident, went out from the city, followed by a great number of people, whose curiosity led them to see what he would do. When he came to the place, he made the sign of the cross, and, invoking the name of Jesus over some water which he had brought in a large vessel, endued it with a power to dissipate the inchantment, and to kindle the fire and flinging some of it into each of the furnaces, the wood instantly took fire, and the flames appeared. This miracle converted a great number of the Jews; but the rest remained hardened, and ceased not to oppose the building of the temple, so that only a part of it was finished, in which a small church was erected.

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Epiphanius seems to have been thoroughly persuaded of the truth of this miracle. As for us, we shall only

See the whole history of Joseph in Tillemont, H. E. vii. 290. It is a curious legend, and it rests upon the authority of Epiphanius.

observe that the Jews were still powerful under Constantine, since they possessed four towns, one of which was Nazareth, where Christ had been brought up. Their numbers made them insolent; for they assaulted those who went over to Christianity, and publicly opposed the execution of the imperial orders for the building of churches.

This was what obliged Constantine to publish the edict of which we have been speaking. He upbraids them," that when any person had a mind to quit their religion, they stoned him or cast him in the fire:" and he condemns them and their accomplices to the same punishment. We see here the traces of those transports of zeal, by which they thought themselves authorized to kill those whom they surprised in any flagrant crime. These were pretended to be precepts of the oral law, and it was alleged that Phineas had executed the verbal orders of Moses. Another example also was produced from the Maccabees, when Mattathias slew the Jew who was performing Pagan rites. Their doctors authorized such practices, and Philo affirms that God had established them. The Essenes, devout and austere, ordered that if any one should blaspheme against Moses, he should be slain. This sect had not the power of life and death, and therefore must have punished such offenders by an act of zeal. In spite of the horrible disorders and massacres perpetrated by the zealots at Jerusalem, the nation still preserved the dangerous maxim, and the Misnah teaches, that if any one renounce fundamentals, he must be slain: by which rule they stoned, burned, and flung into rivers those who apostatized, under the reign of Constantine. So that he was obliged to repress this violence; and as they obeyed not his first law, he was forced to publish a second.

"He also forbad Christians to go over to Judaism, under penalties to be inflicted at the pleasure of the magistrate. What was most to be feared was, that slaves might be seduced by their masters; he therefore suffered not the Jews to circumcise their servants, and ordered all those to be set at liberty who had been so used, or who were willing to embrace Christianity. Eusebius says that it was not permitted to the Jews to purchase or to keep

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