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Church-ornaments, till at length he robb'd their Bishop THEOPEMPTUS of all he had. Yet thefe Novatians profeft the fame Doctrine to a tittle that he did, and differ'd onely in fome points of Discipline. But they must be mere novices in Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, who know not that Difcipline has been ever reckon'd of greater confequence than Doctrine; if one may judge by the commotions that have happen'd in Churches, or the du ration of their Schifms. The reafon is obvious. For if a man believes otherwife than his Teacher, and yet prudentially conforms to the public ritual and Difcipline, or perhaps eagerly ftickles for it, as thinking it the moft conducing to order, be his fpeculations what you will, ftill he preferves the Unity of the Church; or, in other words, he obeys his fpiritual Governors, and teaches others by his example to do the like wheras if his belief he ever fo right, or at leaft ever fo agreable to that prefcrib'd in the fociety wherof he's a member; yet if he boggles at any part of the public ritual and Difcipline, he then promotes a Ipiritual rebellion, and rends the Unity of the Church, that is, he weakens the Government of the Clergy. These were the maxims of those times, and hence it fprung, that Schifm is counted fo damnable a fin in their writings, a fin more dreadful than any other, that it may the better serve for a fcare-crow.

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XVII. ONE

Ubi fupra.

Ibid.

XVII.

NE main reafon why CYRIL Cou'd not bear the Governor, as we are told by SOCRATES, was, that ORESTES bated the Principality of the Bishops : as well because they transferr'd to them felves much of the power belonging to thofe appointed Governors by the Emperor, as, in particular, ben taufe CYRIL wou'd needs be prying into his actions. Their Enmity became fufficiently known to the public, by a fedition rais'd against ORESTES, occafion'd by one HIERAX a pitiful schoolmafter, but a profeft admirer of the Bishop, and a moft diligent attendant at his fermons, where he was fure to clap and reclap, according to the rare cuftom of those times. The Jews fpying him in the Theatre, while the Governor was there on fome public bufinefs, cry'd out, that he came pur pofely thither to caufe mifchief: and the uproar, wherof the particulars may be read in the just quoted SOCRATES, terminated in this, that CYRIL expell'd all the Jews out of the City, where they had liv'd in great opulence from the time of ALEXANDER the great, to the no fmall benefit of the place. Were I not accuftom'd to read monftrous lyes of this unfortunate nation, especially that thread-bare fiction of crucifying a Child (objected to them here as well as a thousand times afterwards) I fhou'd think 'em very rightly ferv'd. But even in that cafe, who can justify CYRIL's licenfing the multitude to feize on their goods? And yet why do I ask fuch a question?

when

fbid.

when this has ever been the true motive of the. barbarities to which they have been expos'd, tho zeal for Religion has been as fhameleffly as wickedly pretended. ORESTES, as became a good Governor, being grievously concern'd at what had happen'd (to fpeak in the words of the Hiftorian) and fadly afflicted, that fo great a city fhou'd be fo fuddenly emty'd of fuch a multitude of inhabitants, gave the Emperor an account of the whole matter. We might be certain, were we not exprefly told it, that CYRIL was not behind Ibid. hand on his part. Yet confcious of his guilt, as every reader may collect, he wou'd fain make up with ORESTES, and conjur'd him by the holy Gofpels to be friends; being conftrain'd to this,

as NICEPHORUS obferves, by the people of Hift.lib.14. Alexandria, who lov'd their Governor. But this cap. 15. laft knew him too well to truft him, upon which their difference became irreconcileable. You may therfore expect to hear of vengeance from the Prieft, whom the fame NICEPHORUS repre- Ibid. videafents proud, feditious, a boutefeu, a perfecutor: while the Emperor might thank himfelf for the diforders that defolated one of his principal cities; for where was it ever otherwife, when the Clergy where permitted to fhare in the government of civil affairs?

tur etiam SUIDAS.

XVIII. NOW

1

N

XVIII.

OW the revenge which CYRIL took of ORESTES, being the prelude to poor HYPATIA's tragedy, I chufe to relate it, as I have done other paffages, in the words of honeft SOCRATES. Hift. lib. 7. Certain of the Monks (fays he) living in the Nitrian cap. 14. mountains, leaving their Monafteries to the number

of about five hundred, flocked to the city, and spy'd the Governor going abroad in his chariot: wherupon approaching they call'd him by the names of Sacrificer and Heathen, ufing many other fcandalous words. The Governor therfore fufpecting, that this was a trick plaid him by CYRIL, cry'd out that he was a Chriftian, and that he was baptiz'd at Conftantinople by Bishop ATTICUS. But the Monks giving no heed to what he faid, one of 'em, call'd AMMONIUS, threw a stone at ORESTES, which ftruck him on the head; and being all cover'd with blood from his wound, his guards, a few excepted, fled fome one way fome another, hiding themselves in the croud left they fhou'd be fton'd to death. In the mean while the people of Alexandria ran to defend their Governor against the Monks, and, putting all the reft to flight, they apprehended AMMONIUS, and brought him before ORESTES; who, as the Laws prefcrib'd, publicly put him to the torture, and rack'd him till he expir'd. Not long after he gave an acTHEODO- Count of all that was done to the Princes. Nor did SIUS and CYRIL fail to give them a contrary information. HONORIUS. He receiv'd the body of AMMONIUS, and, laying it

in one of the Churches, he chang'd his name, calling

bim

in vita AE

DESII.

him THAUMASIUs, and order'd him to be confider'd The ADMIas a Martyr; nay, he made his Panegyric in the RABLE. Church, extolling his courage, as one that had contended for the Truth. But the wiser fort of the Chriftians themselves did not approve the zeal, which CYRIL Show'd on this man's behalf; being convinc'd that AMMONIUS had justly fuffer'd for his defperate attemt, but was not forc'd to deny CHRIST in his torments. This account requires no commentary. I fhall onely obferve with a heathen Phi- EUNAPIUS lofopher, that at that time the Monks (the fittest executioners of CYRIL's cruelty) were men indeed as to their form, but fwine in their lives; who openly committed thousands of execrable crimes, not fit to be nam'd. Whoever, fays he, got on a black habit, and wou'd make a grotesque figure in public, obtain'd a tyrannical authority: to fuch a reputation of virtue, did that race of men arrive! This picture, tho drawn by an enemie's hand, is allow'd by all good judges to be done to the life; and we fhall prefently have reafon, more than fufficient, to be of the fame opinion.

B.

XIX.

fa

UT CYRIL's rage was not yet tiated. Tho ORESTES had the good luck to escape being murder'd, HYPATIA muft fall a facrifice to the Prelate's pride and to the ghoft of AMMONIUS. This Lady, as we mention'd above, was profoundly refpected by ORESTES, who much frequented and confulted her: for which reafon, fays SOCRATES, he was not a little traduc'd among

K

Hift. lib.7. the cap. 13.

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