Arguments Of Celsus, Porphyry, And The Emperor Julian, Against The Christians Part 10

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Datia.n.u.s the praetor in Prudentius*, where speaking to the Christians he gives them the name of Nazarens. Some** think the Christians at first were very free to own this name, and esteemed it no reproach, till such time as the heresy of the Nazarens broke out, and then in detestation of that heresy they forsook that name, and called themselves Christians.

Acts xi. 26. But whether this be said according to the exact rules of chronology, I leave those that are better skilled to determine.

Another name of reproach was that of Galilaeans, which was Julian's ordinary style, whenever he spake of Christ or Christians. Thus in his Dialogue with old Maris a blind Christian bishop, mentioned by Sozomen***, he told him by way of scoff, "Thy Galilaean G.o.d will not cure thee." And again, in his epistle**** to Arsacius high-priest of Galatia, "The Galilaeans maintain their own poor and ours also." The like may be observed in Socrates(v), Theodoret (vi),

* Prudent. ---------]. Carm. 5. de S. Vincent.

Vos Nazareni a.s.sist.i.te, Rudemque ritum spernite.

Id. Hymno 9. de Rom. Mart.

** Junius, Parallel, lib. 1. c. 8. G.o.dwyn, Jew.

Rites, lib. 1. c. 8.

*** Sozom. lib. 5. c. 4.

**** A p. Sozom. lib. 5. c. 16.

(v) Socrat. lib. 3. c. 12.

(vi) Theodor. lib. 3. c 7. & 31.

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Chrysostom*, and Gregory n.a.z.ianzen**, who adds, that he not only called them Galilaeans himself, but made a law that no one should call them by any other name; thinking thereby to abolish the name of Christians.

They also called them Atheists, and their religion the Atheism or Impiety, because they derided the worship of the heathen G.o.ds. Dio***

says, Acilius

Glabrio was put to death for atheism, meaning the Christian religion.

And the Christian apologists, Athenagoras**** Justin Martyr(v), Arn.o.bius(vi), and others, reckon this among the crimes which the heathens usually lay to their charge. Eusebius says(vii) the name was become so common, that when the persecuting magistrates would oblige a Christian to renounce his religion, they bade him abjure it in this form, by saying among other things, [--------] 'Confusion to the atheists, Away with the impious,' meaning the Christians.

To this they added the name of Greeks and Impostors. Which is noted by St. Jerome(viii) who says

* Chrys. Horn. 63. torn. 5.

** Naz. i. Invectiv.

*** Dio in Domitian.

**** Athen. Legat. pro Christ.

(v) Just. Apol. i. p. 47.

(vi) Arn.o.b. lib. i.

(vii) Euseb. lib. iv. c. 15.

(viii) Hieron. Ep. 10. ad Furiara. Ubicunque viderint

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wheresoever they saw a Christian, they would presently cry out, '[--------], 'Behold a Grecian impostor.' This was the character which the Jews gave our Saviour, [--------]' that deceiver*, Matt, xxvii. 63.

And Justin Martyr** says, they endeavoured to propagate it to posterity, sending their apostles or emissaries from Jerusalem to all the synagogues in the world, to bid them beware of a certain impious, lawless sect, lately risen up under one Jesus, a Galilaean impostor.

Hence Lucian*** took occasion in his blasphemous raillery to style him The crucified sophister. And Celsus**** commonly gives him and his followers the name of [--------] 'deceivers.' So Asclepiades the judge in Prudentius**** compliments them with the appellation of sophisters; and Ulpian(v) proscribes them in a law by the name of impostors.

The reason why they added the name of Greeks

* Christianum, statim illud de Trivio, [--------] vocant Impostorem.

** Justin. Dial. c. Tryph. p. 335.

*** Lucian. Peregrin.

**** Cels. ap. Orig. lib. i. et lib. 6.

(v) Prudent. [--------]. Carm. 9. de Romano Marty. Quis hos Sophistas error invexit novus, &c.

(vi) Digest, lib. 50. t.i.t. 13. c 1. Si incantavit, si in- precatus est, si (ut vulgari verbo Impostoruxn utar) si exorcisavit

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to that of impostors, was (as learned men* conjecture) because many of the Christian philosophers took upon them the Grecian or philosophic habit, which was the [--------] or pallium: whence the Greeks were called Pallitati, as the Romans were called Togati, or Gens togata, from their proper habit, which was the toga. Now it being some offence to the Romans to see the Christians quit the Roman gown, to wear the Grecian cloak; they thence took occasion, to mock and deride them with the scurrilous names of Greeks, and Grecian impostors. Tertullian s book _de Pallio_ was written to show the spiteful malice of this foolish objection.

But the heathens went one step further in their malice; and because our Saviour and his followers did many miracles, which they imputed to evil arts and the power of magic, they therefore generally declaimed against them as magicians, and under that character exposed them to the fury of the vulgar. Celsus** and others pretended that our Saviour studied magic in Egypt: and St. Austin*** says, it was generally believed among the heathens, that he

* Kortholt de Morib. Christian, c. 3. p. 23. Baron an.

56. n. 11.

** Origen. cont. Cels. lib. 2. Arrobius, lib. 1. p. 36.

*** Aug. de Consensu Evang. lib. 1. c. 9.

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wrote some books about magic too, which he delivered to Peter and Paul for the use of his disciples. Hence it was that Suetonius* speaking in the language of his party, calls the Christians _Genus hominum superstionis maleficae_, 'the men of the magical superst.i.tion.' As Asclepiades the judge in Prudentius** styles St. Roma.n.u.s the martyr, Arch-magician.

And St. Ambrose observes in the Pa.s.sion of St. Agnes*** how the people cried out against her, 'Away with the sorceress! Away with the enchanter! 'Nothing being more common than to term all Christians, especially such as wrought miracles, by the odious name of sorcerers and magicians.'

The New Superst.i.tion was another name of reproach for the Christian religion. Suetonius gives it that t.i.tle****, and Pliny and Tacitus add to it(v) the opprobrious terms of wicked and unreasonable

* Sueton. Neron. c. 16.

** Prudent. Hymn. 9. de S. Romano. Quousque tandem su m m us hic n.o.bis Magus illudit.

*** Ambr. Serm. 90. in S. Agnen. Tolle Magam! Tolle Maleticam!

**** See Kortholt de Morib. Christ, c. 4.