Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-11-03
Ntatorp of Gtrtstfanitp.
THE SUCCESSORS OF JULIAN

The immediate expression Of pagan regret
was a bitter and reproachful complaint
against the ingratitude Of the gods, who made
so bad a return for the Jealous services of Ju-
liam. WAS this the reward for sorQany
victims, so many prayers, so much pc,
so much blood, shed on the altra BY as
we'll as by day. Julian in his proidO0 and
indiscriminate piety, had neglected no DEF
~; he had worshipped all who lived in the
tradition Of tho poets-faihers and chill
dren, gods and goddesses, superior and
subordinate deities and they, instead of
hurting their thunderbolts and lightnings,
and all the armory Of heaven, against the hos
tile Persians, had thus basely abandoned
their sacred CHARGE
The short reign Of Jovian sufficed to re.
establish Christianity; and, as yet, it exact
ed no revenge for It's sufftrings and degrade
ton under Julian. The character of the
two brothers who succeeded to the empire,
VaIcntinian and Valens. and their religious
policy. we're widely at variance. Valen,in.
ian assembled the throne with the fame of
having rejected the favor Of Julian and the
prospects Of military distinction for the sake
Of his religion.
The Emperor OF the West maintained a
calm and uninterrupted liberation, which in
CURED the reproch Of Indifference from the
Christian party, bu, has received the respect
full homage Of the pagan historian, Valens
in the East, as Valen.inian in the West, al.
lowed perfect freedom to the public ritual Of
paganisn,. But both in the East and in the
West, the persecution against magic and un.
lawful divination told with tremendous force
against the pagan cause. Ii was the more
fatal because it was not openly directed
against the religion, but against practices de.
nounced as criminal and believed 10 be rea
by the general sentiment of mankind, and
prosecuted by that fierce animosIty which is
engendered by fear.
Arianism, under the influence Of Valens
maintained its ascendsncy in the East
Throughout the whole of that division of the
empire the two forms of Christianity still sub
sisted in irreconcIlable hostility. Almos,
every city had two prelates, each at the head
Of his separate communion the one, accor.
ding to the powers or the numbers of his par.
ty, assuming the rank and title of the egili.
mate bishop, and looking down, though with
jealous luminosity, on his fractions rival
During the life Of Athanasius the see of Al.
exandrea remained faithful to the Trini,ari.
an doctrines. For short period, indeed
the prela,e was obliged 10 retire, during what
is called his fifth exile, to the tomb of his
father bu, he was speedily welcomed back
by the reclamation of his followers and the
bsf1ed imperial authority acquiesced in his
peaceful rule till his decease. But at his
death, five years afierward, were renewed
the old scenes of discard and bloodshed
PaIladius, the prefect Of Egypt, receive the
imperial commission to install the Arian pre-
late, Lucius, on the throne OF Alexandra.
Palladius was pagan, and the Catholic
writers bitterly reproach their rivals with
this monstrous alliance. II was rumored that
the pagan population welcomed the Arian
prelate with hymns generalization as the friend
Of the. god Scraps. as the res'orer of his wor-
ship.
In Constantinople Valens had received
baptism from Eudoxus, the aged Arian pre-
late Of that see. Sacerdotal influence once
obtained over the feeble mind of valens,
was likely to carry him TO any extreme !;
yet, on the other hand. he might be restrain
ed and overawed by calm and dignifed re-
sistance. In general, therefore, he might
yield himself up as an instrument to the pas
sions. jealousies, and prosecuting violence of
his ovn party; while he nigh. have recourse
10 violence to place Demophilus on the epis-
copal throne of Cons.antinople, he might be
a,0ed into more toleran, and equitable tone
by the eloquence and commanding charac-
ter of Basil. 1t is unjust to load the memo.
~ of Valens with the most atrocious crime
which has been charged upon him by the
vindclive exaggers,ion of his triumphant re-
ligious adversaries. As a deputation of
eighty Catholic eccIesiastics of Constantine
pie we're returning from Nicomedia. the ves-
sci was burned, the crew took 10 the boat,
the ecclesias,ics persisted to man. As no
one escaped to tell the tale, and the crew, if|
accomplices. were not likely 10 accuse them
selves, we may fairly doubt the assertion ,l'a,