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WHEN Julian acted and wrote in the manner aforesaid, he expected
that he would by these means easily induce his subjects to change their
religious opinions. Although he earnestly desired to abolish the
Christian religion, yet he plainly was ashamed to employ violent
measures, lest he should be accounted tyrannical. He used every
means, however, that could possibly be devised to lead his subjects
back to paganism; and he was more especially urgent with the soldiery,
whom he sometimes addressed individually and sometimes through the
medium of their officers. To habituate them in all things to the
worship of the gods, he restored the ancient form of the standard of
the Roman armies, which, as we have already stated, Constantine
had, at the command of God, converted into the sign of the cross.
Julian also caused to be painted, in juxtaposition with his own
figure, on the public pictures, a representation either of Jupiter
coming out of heaven and presenting to him the symbols of imperial
power, a crown or a purple robe, or else of Mars, or of Mercury,
with their eyes intently fixed upon him, as if to express their
admiration of his eloquence and military skill. He placed the pictures
of the gods in juxtaposition with his own, in order that the people
might secretly be led to worship them under the pretext of rendering due
honor to him; he abused ancient usages, and endeavored to conceal his
purpose from his subjects. He considered that if they would yield
obedience on this point, they would be the more ready to obey him on
every other occasion; but that if they ventured to refuse obedience,
he would have reason to punish them, as infringers of the Roman
customs and offenders against the emperor and the state. There were
but very few (and the law had its course against them) who, seeing
through his designs, refused to render the customary homage to his
pictures; but the multitude, through ignorance or simplicity,
conformed as usual to the ancient regulation, and thoughtlessly paid
homage to his image. The emperor derived but little advantage from
this artifice; yet he did not cease from his efforts to effect a change
in religion.
The next machination to which he had recourse was less subtle and more
violent than the former one; and the fortitude of many soldiers
attached to the court was thereby tested. When the stated day came
round for giving money to the troops, which day generally fell upon the
anniversary of some festival among the Romans, such as that of the
birth of the emperor, or the foundation of some royal city, Julian
reflected that soldiers are naturally thoughtless and simple, and
disposed to be covetous of money, and therefore concluded that it would
be a favorable opportunity to seduce them to the worship of the gods.
Accordingly, as each soldier approached to receive the money, he was
commanded to offer sacrifice, fire and incense having been previously
placed for this purpose near the emperor, according to an ancient
Roman custom. Some of the soldiers had the courage to refuse to offer
sacrifice and receive the gold; others were so habituated to the
observance of the law and custom that they conformed to it, without
imagining that they were committing sin. Others, again, deluded by
the luster of the gold, or compelled by fear and consideration on
account of the test which was immediately in sight, complied with the
pagan rite, and suffered themselves to fall into the temptation from
which they ought to have fled.
It is related that, as some of them who had ignorantly fallen into
this sin were seated at table, and drinking to each other, one among
them happened to mention the name of Christ over the cups. Another of
the guests immediately exclaimed: "It is extraordinary that you
should call upon Christ, when, but a short time ago, you denied him
for the sake of the emperor's gift, by throwing incense into the
fire." On hearing this observation, they all became suddenly
conscious of the sin they had committed; they rose from table and
rushed into the public streets, where they screamed and wept and called
upon all men to witness that they were and would remain Christians,
and that they had offered incense unawares, and with the hand alone,
and not with the assent of the judgment. They then presented
themselves before the emperor, threw back his gold, and courageously
asked him to take back his own gift, and besought him to put them to
death, protesting that they would never renounce their sentiments,
whatever torments might, in consequence of the sin committed by their
hand, be inflicted on the other parts of their body for the sake of
Christ.
Whatever displeasure the emperor might have felt against them, he
refrained from slaying them, lest they should enjoy the honor of
martyrdom; he therefore merely deprived them of their military
commission and dismissed them from the palace.
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