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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42036	A most excellent and pathetical oration, or, Declamation of Gregory Nazianzen's stigmatizing, and condemning the Emperor Julian for his apostatising from the truth and containing, by way of history, the persecution of the Christians during his reign, the confutation of pagan abominations and the obscenity, as well as absurdity, both of the substance and ceremonies of their pretended religion, with respect unto its doctrine and the ... ceremonies approved of among the primitive Christians.	Gregory, of Nazianzus, Saint.	1662 (1662)	Wing G1879A; ESTC R293	69,488	210

ever were before thee Th●● who hast purged our Horizon 〈◊〉 barbarisme and subdued Do●●stick Tyrants the one by reas●● 〈◊〉 other by force but with such ●●●terity both that the one did no 〈◊〉 was no let or hinderance 〈◊〉 other and whose Trophees ●●●eived by armes and battles 〈◊〉 fair and great but those 〈◊〉 without effusion of blood 〈◊〉 yet more excellent and ap●●●red more glorious to all the 〈◊〉 Thou to whom from all 〈◊〉 of the Universe● Embassa●●● and Deputies were sent 〈◊〉 to whom all Nations yield●●● obedience or at least were 〈◊〉 the point of obeying so that 〈◊〉 who were not yet 〈◊〉 carried themselves in that 〈◊〉 as if already they had been ●●●rcome Thou that wa'st led by 〈◊〉 hand of God in all thy delibe●●●ons and actions Thou whose ●●●gment seemed to surmount all 〈◊〉 force and thy Force on ●●other side to surmount all ●●●gement but the glory or fame 〈◊〉 Piety bore the bell away 〈◊〉 from the one and the other 〈◊〉 then in this onely act of thine shewedst thou thy self 〈◊〉 and hast been surprised 〈◊〉 what purpose I beseech thee 〈◊〉 that easie propension of this 〈◊〉 inhumane goodness Which of 〈◊〉 infernal Spirits was it that 〈◊〉 the same into thy mind 〈◊〉 was it possible that thou shoul● deliver in an instant to a 〈◊〉 villain to a common murdere● 〈◊〉 fair an inheritance so 〈◊〉 an ornament I mean the C●●●stians under thy dominion in 〈◊〉 life time The Flock 〈◊〉 through the out-spreading 〈◊〉 of that bright Morning-star good Sheepheard Jesus Christ shining upon them is so 〈◊〉 in all the world The royal Pr●●●●hood of God multiplied 〈◊〉 spread abroad with so much 〈◊〉 and travail here on earth It may be my Brethren I 〈◊〉 seem unto you to have shewed 〈◊〉 self partial and malicious in 〈◊〉 discourse in that among the 〈◊〉 sons of my accusation I do 〈◊〉 readily adde what is true But if observe what I have declared ●●u'l find by the same arguments 〈◊〉 my complaint I have suffici●●tly justified what I said and ●●●ewise that the absolution is fix●● to the accusation For when I ●●oke and used this term good●●ss I thereby declared his inno●●nce And now who is he among ●●em who have known him but ●●eanly who knowes not that be●●use of his zeal to Religion and ●●fection to us-ward wishing all ●●od and prosperity to the Chri●●●ans he made so great account 〈◊〉 Julian as also that he made 〈◊〉 so much reckoning of the ho●●ur of his race or of the increase 〈◊〉 the Empire as of us But on 〈◊〉 contrary would have given all ●●ings the Empire life and all ●hereof any thing is dear and ●●ecious for our assurance and ●●eservation there having been ever man living that desired a ●●ing more to heart then he the ●●gmentation of Christianity and to see it attain to the height of glory and power in his days For certainly neither the su●duing of Nations nor the goo● Policy of his Empire nor 〈◊〉 abundance of his Wealth nor 〈◊〉 hieght of his Honour nor the Co●templation that in name and e●fect he was King of Kings 〈◊〉 any other things in which 〈◊〉 ground their felicity in this wor●● ever brought him so much conte●● as that we by his means and he 〈◊〉 prospered both with Go●● and Men and thereby as in a mi●rour saw the authority of 〈◊〉 Church established indissolubly 〈◊〉 ever raising thereon his consid●rations higher and more royal● then many others in clearly di●cerning that the Roman Estate ●●thered its greatness and increas● with that of the Christians An● in consideration it seems th● untill the coming of Christ in 〈◊〉 flesh They attained not unto 〈◊〉 highest point of rising into an ●●solute Empire of Monarchy 〈◊〉 Perfection of Government which 〈◊〉 and not before could ever ●rought to pass or accomplish●● He remembred our cause as 〈◊〉 reason he had to do so with 〈◊〉 much zeal good will and all ●●rty affection So that if it ●●pened at any time that it was 〈◊〉 somewhat harsh to us it 〈◊〉 not that he the less esteemed 〈◊〉 or would do us a dispeasure or ●●●tifie others to our prejudice 〈◊〉 his seeming severity tended 〈◊〉 to reduce us to one and the ●Wor● belief and not otherwise to ●●ide and separate us by Schismes 〈◊〉 for all this he was but little ●●tchful as we have formerly 〈◊〉 on his own guard through his ●●●plicity as also in his clemency 〈◊〉 appeared a kind of weakness 〈◊〉 he that is without malice thinks 〈◊〉 of malice and therefore he 〈◊〉 not of that which was to 〈◊〉 by his not knowing what it 〈◊〉 to dissemble By such means as these impiety 〈◊〉 in by little and little two contrary affections meeting togethe● the one in a good people the ●ther in the wickedest and 〈◊〉 Atheistical man of the who●● world who fretting without ca●● against the Christians had nothi●● to say against our doctrine 〈◊〉 having no considerable precepts 〈◊〉 the Gentiles School that could 〈◊〉 maintained by reason without e●ample sought by his impiety 〈◊〉 render himself renowned and ●●mous beginning in a new ma●ner a war with him who ma●● him Emperour But when 〈◊〉 knew he could not carry it 〈◊〉 vertue and lawful means he 〈◊〉 do it by the contrary namely 〈◊〉 the same affection that he broug●● about his other mischeif and wic●edness Behold then the Apolo●● made to Christians in the 〈◊〉 half of Constance which 〈◊〉 not but seem just and equitable 〈◊〉 men of judgement Howev●● there are some who finding themselves satisfied in this matter 〈◊〉 not yet be satisfied therewith but ●●cuse him of simplicity and small ●●resight in imparting the Empire 〈◊〉 thereby putting the Authori●● and Forces into his hands who ●as his enemy and whose Brother 〈◊〉 had formerly put to death Hereupon it is necessary for us little to discourse upon this though 〈◊〉 be but to shew that this act of 〈◊〉 was not wholly against reason 〈◊〉 humanity both no nor yet un●ecoming altogether the grave ●●ovidence and good judgement 〈◊〉 the Emperour For it would 〈◊〉 a shame to us having received 〈◊〉 much honour from him and ●●owing him to be so accomplish●●d and excellent in piety not to ●●eak further in his just defence 〈◊〉 especially seeing he is dead 〈◊〉 hath now left us In which ●●gard we cannot justly be re●●oached for using flattery having 〈◊〉 liberty to speak freely with●ut any suspition in proposing law●●l onely and true grounded argu●ents on his behalf To which purpose who wou●● not have thought the honours co●ferr'd upon him should have re●dred him more mild and peac●able as also the confiden●● wherewith too assured of hi● more ingenious and just Lik●wise in that the two Brothers ha●… by a royal judgement and sentence the one received punishment the other advancemen● there was no possibility of believing that he who had adorned J●lian's youth with dignities and honours greater then could ever b● hoped for by him would ever

punish the eldest without a just ●nd lawful cause So that for resolution of the thing in question so f●●… it may be answered the one 〈◊〉 Constance his acts ought to be attributed to the temerity of Gal●● who was punished and the oth●● to the good nature of himself wh●… gave those honours unto Julian Or to say truth Constance had no● so much assurance in Julian's fait● and oath as in the power that wa● then remaining in his own hand Some thinke under the same ●elief Alexander the great gave ●orus not his life onely who ●ravely on the other side fought ●or the Crown but also the King●ome of the Indies Neither ●ould he make his magnanimity ●etter appear then by such an act ●f his who being Alexander ●hought there went more of him 〈◊〉 overcoming then by armes ●eeing 't was in his own power as 〈◊〉 conceived if the other viz. ●orus had shewed himself un●rateful and rebellious thereupon ●o have overcome and utterly vanquished him afresh So his great ●ssurance great Constance his confidence I mean in his own strength was the cause of his so liberally ●estowing those great honours that ●ut of a magnanimous mind and heroick spirit he so profusely conferred upon Julian But what need I debate so much of this seeing its easie for me although I let go this reason to gain my cause For if he that truste● another man doth ill how muc● more he that is trusted if he fa●● in such his trust and if it b● blameable not possibly to fore see an evil inclination in wh●● degree of blame and baseness sha●● we put that perverse nature tha● so foully deceived him who so fairly and ingeniously trusted thereunto But certainly it 's a thing whereof we cannot soon beware unles● we be as malicious in our selves Besides let us do what we can it 's a hard matter to make a wicke● man good For reason would that this man should have shewed himself faithful to Constance an● if there had been any sparke of ill-will towards him to have utterly extinguished the same But on the contrary in recompense of so many benefits he conceived against him an evil affection became ● Malefactor towards him his Benefactor making it his design to do evil unto that gracious Emperour who had no other design then to do ●ood unto him Behold good people the do●trine that the Platonists the ●hrysipsians and the famous Peripa●●ticks the Stoicks and other who ●orme their pallats to speak so ●rettily have taught him Take ●otice of the Geometrical Pro●ortion the discourse of Justice ●nd of those Patient Philosophers that maintain It 's better to take ●hen to do wrong See also what ●rave Preceptors what great Coun●ellors of State what grave Law-makers he took to him in the quar●ours and drew out of taverns and of whom he was wont to say that he approoved not their manner of living but rather admired their eloquence nor it neither but possibly rather their impiety These alone were the men whom he thought good to advise with and to ask counsel of in whatever to be done or otherwise left undone by him And are we not well advised think ye to admire this kind 〈◊〉 people who forme Idea's of Co●mon-wealths in their discourse th●● can never be reduced into Act who sooth up cruell Tyrants 〈◊〉 their Oppression with fair speechs and present to the gods a half pen●● with a grave look of the forehead Of this sort some believ● there is no God at all Others n● P●ovidence but that all thing● come to us by hap-hazzard ●● chance Some that we are governed by the Stars and Figures ●● fatal necessity I know not where they have it nor from whom Others that all things tend to Voluptuousness and therein the quintessence of humane life consists but as for Virtue they give it a fine name onely and extend its relation no further then the limits of this life positively putting it down for granted that the faults we commit in this life dyes with us and no further account to be made for them after death The ablest of all their Wise men are endued it seems with no bette●●nowledge but being wrapt up in ●he muddy and obscure darkness of ●rrour and ignorance never lifted ●p the understanding to discern ●ver so little the beams of saving ●ruth but rather troubling them●elves with things here below and that fall under the cognisance of the senses never comprehended ●ny thing about the nature of Devils as most reasonable it is that God the Creator of them should be If there were any one among them that had dived never so little further into the abstruse secrets of nature being destitute at the same time of the grace of God he rested upon that which to him seemed easier to understand and brought the vulgar multitude to conforme themselves thereunto Is it then any great wonder that he who was endued with such Precepts and taught by such Masters should prove a Traytor to him that trusted him a Felon and rebell to him that raised him up If there be yet any other question of defending by accusing him He could not I should think be much troubled in mind for the death of his Brother who was his Brother's enemy by reason of his Religion and so much displeased to see Christianity flourish No but being transported with rage rather against true piety he the sooner troubled the State to establish and give liberty to his false and foolish opinions it being requisite according to their reasons to annexe the Empire to Philosophy and as it fell out after rather to complete then to cause the evils of the Common-wealth to cease Now the first Act of his rebellion and temerity was to make himself be crowned and to procure or rather assume to himself the sublime title of Emperour which in times past was wont to be obtained not as a rape or prey of fortune but by succession or by the will of the Emperour or else as anciently practised by Order from the Senate But he would 〈◊〉 acknowledge as author of his ●●nour him who was the true ●●rd of the Monarchy Then ●●ving forged in his mind a foolish ●●cessity of taking up armes which 〈◊〉 was so rash and un-advisedly ●●ld to undertake See but what 〈◊〉 contrived and to what point he ●●duced his oversight and folly O 〈◊〉 extreme fury of this man 〈◊〉 went armed with great forces ●gainst his Prince and part of the ●est under the colour and covert 〈◊〉 excusing himself for taking up●● him the Crown I say under 〈◊〉 colour c. because as yet he ●●ssembled and endeavoured to ●ver his disloyalty and madness 〈◊〉 a time when indeed his whole ●ope and full intention was to ●●tablish himself in the Empire ●nd by his ingratitude render him●●lf notable to all the world Wherein his hope as it fell out ●fter did not deceive him was ●ot in vain With respect where●nto I would not that they should be

proceeded so sub●ely in it that none perceived it ●nd contrarily we endured punish●ents without having the honour ●f Martyrdome But it was ●reat-simplicity in him for all that 〈◊〉 to do First because he per●waded himself we knew not the ●ause why we were in trouble ●nd that by this Sophistry and Ca●illation he thought to cover the ●ruth not seeing that the more he ●aboured to take away these honors ●o much the more he made us ap●ear greater and fairer Secondly ●or that he perswaded himself that what we did was for the desire of ●ain-glory and not for the zeal of truth As on their part for the ●ame cause they were wont to make use of Empedocleans of Aristeans of Empedotineans of T●●phonians and a troop of such li●● wicked juglers One of whi●● casting himself into the Gulphs 〈◊〉 Sicily to make men beleive 〈◊〉 should become a God and be ●●ken from them to change this 〈◊〉 for a better was discovered 〈◊〉 his chamlet Cloak which the flam● cast out to be dead and cons●quently no God but a lover on●● of vain glory and an ignorant 〈◊〉 silly Asse Others secretly retiring in pl●ces under ground sick of the sam● disease of vain-glory and love 〈◊〉 themselves being discovered after got not so much renown by the●● secret retreats as reproach for suc● their impostures But as for Christians its thei● only joy to suffer for Gods cause for the true Religion of Christ i● comparison whereof we ma●● little account of pleasing men have no other aim but to be accepted of the Almighty Besides which consideration they ●●at are truly wise and lovers of ●eavenly and divine matters 〈◊〉 to be joyned with Christ alone 〈◊〉 Christs sake without any other ●●ward they that do good works ●ith intention of receiving recom●ence for the same being in the ●econd degree of vertuous people ●nd they that abstain from evil do●ng for fear of punishment in the ●hird Thus is it with us that are ●rue beleiving Christians and the proof that we are so minded indeed ●s easie for them to find that will undertake it But Iulian desirous to deprive us that are Christians of the chief honours for many judge by their own affections the affections of others above all set upon our Fame and reputation Wherein he proceeded not openly as former persecutors but Tyrannically invented alwayes something against us that it might be to him a chief crime to force the people of the habitable earth and to tyrannize over the most perfect and accomplish't doctrine that ever was But certainly he made war wit● us and persecuted piety in th● cowardliest and basest manner tha● might be in regard among th● persecutions wherewith he astlicte● us he caused frauds and decei● to interveene in troubling us For whereas power branche●● it self into two considerations th● one consisting in perswasion th● the other in Force and Violence He made use of that part of his power which was the hardest and most inhumane namely force reflecting for the most part unto Tyranny through the unrulinesse of the Common People both in City and Country whose audaciousnesse is otherwise intollerable being carried inconsiderately unto all attempts sometimes without either wit or discretion This force he put in practice against the Christi●ns without any expresse Edict or Ordinance for what he would have them do but onely that he would establish an unwritten law by ●hich he forbad any one of them ●ould be sought after for his good ●ill and affection to Religion The ●●ntlier part of his Power which ●as perswasion he reserved to him●●lf although he kept not the same ●●violately For as nature cannot ●ermit that the Leopard should ●uit his spots or the Moore his ●lacknesse or Fire its heat or ●he Devil the hatred he bears to ●han who from the beginning was 〈◊〉 murderer so it could not suffer ●hat this man should abandon his ●ruelty wherewith he was fully ●ncensed against us But as they 〈◊〉 the Cameleon changeth her self ●iversly and can take all colours ●ut while I leave there this fabu●ous Sophister Proteus the Egyptian Iulian did the same to the Christians bearing towards them all affections of the soul except mildnesse his very mercies to them being cruell and his perswasion mixt with much violence covering under the outside of equal dealing all manner of injustice and oppre●sion Which the more easily 〈◊〉 be guessed at by those subtle me●● usually put in practice by him 〈◊〉 draw us to his lure His perswasio● to this purpose being alwaies bri●● but his violence which follow●● after if not yeilded unto in wh●● he would have lasting long In 〈◊〉 word his accustomed manner 〈◊〉 dealing with us was after the fashion of Hunters seeking to catch thei● game viz. either with snares 〈◊〉 of fair words to take us 〈◊〉 with other weapons of violence 〈◊〉 make after us untill reduced unde● him as his prey Having resolved in his mind and made good this division of hi● power into seeming mildnesse an● force he betook himself to another stratagem which only was resolved upon though otherwise very inconstant and extreamly variable in all his proposals and t' was this to begin the execution of his wickednesse upon those of his own House and Guard a way practiced by all Persecutours there being no hope ●f invading those that are further ●ff if those nearer hand be not ●●rst looked after Even as an Ar●y cannot fight its enemies if at ●he same time it be revolted ●gainst it's chief For this reason ●e changed all the Officers of the ●mperial house putting some away ●thers to death neither for that wanting in their several respects ●articularly to this great Emperour ●ut because they then shewed it most of all and at the highest For which two considerations they ●ecame it should seem unprofita●le and might not be suffered to serve him He gained the Souldiery afterwards partly by himself partly by means of their Commanders and esteeming it easier to perswade he won some by Offices and Dignities others who knew no other Law but the Will of their Prince by their simplicity and to say more he drew to him a great part of the Army viz. as many as he found weak and inclinable and who then and before were servants of the times Having gained some and in hope to gain others he was not nevertheles● Master of all neither could he th●● persecuted us procure to himself such a multitude by his ministry but that yet there remained more then seven thousand who bowed not the knee to the Baal of his power who worship't not the Image of his gold and who though bitten perhaps with his Serpentine words by looking after on the Brazen one or on one that was a type of Christ on the Crosse received no hurt by him Of which number there were not a few that had honours and dignities whom a man would have judged in appearance might have suffered themselves to be wrought upon either by

by any means conceale his malice Fo● from that time he began to persecute those of our Religion openly Where passing over thos● Ordinances he made against ou● Sacred Churches which wer● generally published together wit● robbing us of those Offerings an● Money consecrated to God proceeding no less from avarice the irreligion the forcibly taking a way of our holy Ornaments whic● were pulled from us by filth● and profane hands the Priests and Sextons for keeping them being dragged up and down and tormented defiled also and covered over with blood streaming from their bodies torn with lashes of rods when their hands at the same time were fastned to pillars the Crosse-bow-men running through Provinces and Cities wickeder and crueller then himself who gave the command that we should be utterly routed instead of the Persians and Scythians Forbearing I say the speaking of these things who is it that knoweth not the Sa●agenesse of them of Alexandria who among many other enterprises which furiously they put in practice against us making use of the Licenciousnesse of the times without any either honesty or modesty in ●o doing being a people furious ●nd turbulent by nature so far ●eightned after destruction their ●hirst that as 't is reported they fil●ed our holy Temple with two sorts of blood viz. the blood of beasts sacrificed and of Men. In which barbarousness of theirs an Officer of the Emperours Army was chief who for this onely cruelty got him a name and made himself famous amongst them Who is he moreover that hath not heard of the swarms of the Heliopolitans and rashnesse of the Gazeans who for their mercylessenesse towards us in recompense thereof were honoured and applauded by him and had experience of his liberality Who is he that hath not been made acquainted with the fury of the Arethusians who till then being altogether unknown were since had by him in great reputation it not being vertuous actions alwayes that bring reputation and credit to persons but also superlative wickednesse sometimes and never the like heard of brutish invention pu● in practice to punish innocen● Christians I will onely recite tha● which may seem horrible and crue● to very Atheists themselves Certain chast Virgins knowing little of worldly affairs as excluded from the sight of almost all other save themselves by these barbarous Arethusians having been dragged stark-naked into the Market-place to the intent they might be put to the more open shame were commanded to have the hair of their head cut off after which their flesh cut in peices my God! scarce have I the patience to repeat it was immediately thereupon by them savagely devoured with their Teeth in a Feast sutable to that their execrable fury filling their bellies also then with the raw Livers of those Virgins and after that common meat being brought in some of them took the bowells and guts of the aforesaid Virgins yet reaking hot and mingling them with hog-wash threw them to the Swine before the others faces that they might see their hungry hogs tear the same and together with barly mingled amongst it eat it up all A dish of meat which till then never the like was fed upon and wherewith the Inventer thereof should have endeavoured to glut the Devil onely As the truth is the Devil after made a fine meal of the blood of the wounds which that wicked Emperour Julian received in his bowells and whereof he was slain when shot into his body in the last Wars that he ever fought upon earth with the Persians Again who is such a stranger in our affairs as hath not heard of Marcus Arethusius a famous man among us who ignorant of the story of him except I relate the same at present who in the raign of Constantine's giving full liberty to the Christians to exercise their Religion pull'd down one of the Gentiles Temples or rather a retreat or habitation of theirs for Devils and converted a great number of them that were Pagans unto the Christian faith to the right way thereby unto everlasting life as well by the excellency of his manners as by his eloquence and for the same cause was not well liked of by the Arethusians or at least those among them that were followers of Devils But since the affairs of Christians were troubled and that those of the Greeks and other Gentiles began to rise high he could not avoid the violence of the time For the vulgar being wont for a time to retain their passions as fire that is hid in wood or as a stream of Water that is stopt upon any the least occasion riseth and breaketh through all He then observing the madnesse of the people who were not a little animated against him and threatned him was resolved at first to flye from them not so much for want of courage as to obey the command of Christ which wills us to retire from one City to an other and thereby to give way to our Persecutours For good Christians must not onely regard their own particular though never so vertuous and constant as beware of their enemies and that on their part they give not the least occasion to do them an injury which without scandall to their weak brethren and to the prejudice of true Religion which publikely they make unfained profession of 't is in their choice to put by or make prevention of It so fell out neverthelesse that perceiving many to be apprehended and dragged before Magistrates because of him and that there were some in danger of the losse of their souls by reason of the cruel persecutions wherewith they were afflicted in their bodies for his sake he would not altogether neglect them who for the making sure of his person were in hazzard to lose their own Wherefore being first holily and well-advised he returns back from his retirement and offering himself to the people resolved with patience to undergo whatever calamities of the times With respect whereunto what injuries and oppressions were there unto which he was not exposed What could be more lamentable every one brought I know not what resolution to adhere to that foul sin of diversly afflicting him carrying neither any regard to the constancy of him nor to the quality of his Persecutours who were the more irritated against him through a supposition that his return to them proceeded rather from a contempt or neglect that he made of their persons then of any virtue or constancy in himself to undergoe vvhatever tribulations to be inflicted upon him by their fury Whereupon this holy old man this voluntary Souldier of Jesus Christ vvas led through the City venerable for his age but more for his life to all the vvorld exposed to these tyrants and hang-men and conducted by people of all manner of qualities rich and poor young and old men and women some of one sort and some of another hurried together yea and which was more strange to behold those who had estates and were of the wealthiest strove