A vindication of the primitive Christians in point of obedience to their Prince against the calumnies of a book intituled, The life of Julian, written by Ecebolius the Sophist as also the doctrine of passive obedience cleared in defence of Dr. Hicks : together with an appendix : being a more full and distinct answer to Mr. Tho. Hunt's preface and postscript : unto all which is added The life of Julian, enlarg'd.

Of his Works.

ALthough we might wish that Julian had never known Letters, because of those virulent Satyrs which he wrote against Christi∣anity; yet the Poison wherewith his Writings do abound, having excellent Remedies pre∣pared against the venome of them, by the Learned Fathers of that Age, such as Greg. Naz. and St. Cyril; there being also some re∣markable passages concerning History and Christianity interspersed, they may be read with some benefit by Learned Men.

He says of himself, in an Epistle to Ec∣dicius Praefect of Egypt, in which he desired him to send the Books of George an Arian Bi∣shop of Alexandria; Some delight in Horses, others in Birds, others in wild Beasts; but I from my Childhood have been a great lover of

Books. His proficiency in variety of Learn∣ing will appear by what is now extant, al∣though it is supposed that he wrote many things before he was Caesar, that are now lost, as several Orations sent to Iamblicus, the loss, whereof he bewayls in an Epistle to him yet extant. My opinion is, that Julians Vices were real and deep rooted, that he had but the umbrage and appearance of Vertue; which he therefore retained, that he might make them serve his Pride, Popularity, and vain-glory.

After he came to be Caesar, he redeemed what time he could for his study, dividing the night into three parts: one for sleep, another for his Books, and the third for his Military Affairs; and usually he would pen one of his Orations in that part of the night.

Suidas gives this account of his Writings. First, his Book call'd the Caesars, containing a short and sharp account of them all, from Augustus to his own time. Secondly, his Sa∣turnalia, and discourse of Three figures. Third∣ly, his Misopogon, written against the Antio∣chians; and another Tract shewing the origi∣nal of Evils: another against Heroclitus, shewing how to live Cynically; and many E∣pistles of several sorts, of which 63 are now extant.

He wrote his Misopogon to revenge himself upon the Antiochians, who had abused him in

words, calling him Monkie, Goats-beard, and Butcher, for killing so many Bulls for Sacri∣fices: and that which most provoked him, was the Impress upon some Coyn, viz. A Bull lying upon his Back upon the Altar; which the Antiochians interpreted to signifie that the World was turned up-side-down by Julian: For these reasons, he upbraids them with their Intemperance, and their fondness of Plays and Theatres; Secondly, for their Reli∣gion, which he calls Impiety, though they wor∣shipped God and Christ instead of Jupiter and Apollo: Thirdly, the iniquity of their Magi∣strates, who countenanced the avarice of the Rich, to the impoverishing of the People. For these things he blames them, speaking as of himself: And when he comes to apologize for himself, he confesses that his life was void of all Pleasure; that he was too religious and severe in Judicature, for which he prays their pardon; imputing these faults to his Master, by whom he was taught from his youth to live temperately, religiously, and justly: and that he had spent his youth amongst the Gauls, a rough and warlike people, ignorant of delicacies. The sum of this accusation we have in this Syllagism.

He that lives contrary to the manners of o∣ther men, is deservedly accused by them.

Julian liveth contrary to the manners of the

Antiochians, in contemning Pleasures, and restraining Impiety and Injustice, which they allow and defend.

Therefore he's justly accused by them.

To which if we add one Syllogism more, you have the sum of that whole Book, viz.

He that bestows benefits upon ungrateful men, is a Fool.

Julian hath bestowed benefits on ungrateful men, in commending, cherishing and in∣creasing the Antiochians,

Therefore he is a Fool.

Concerning his account of the Caesars, So∣crates in his Ecclesiastical History, lib. 3. c. 1. says, That he blamed every one of them, not sparing Marcus the Philosopher: And Zona∣ras in his third Tome, observes his ingrati∣tude to Constantius, blaming him for his pro∣digalitie; feigning that Mercury asking him what was the propertie of a good King, he should answer; To have and to consume much.

The Books now extant are these:

• 1. His Orations in praise of Constantius the Emperour, and of Eusebia his wife.
• 2. In praise of the Sun, and of the Mother of the Gods: Against unlearned Dogs: To Heraclius con∣cerning the Sect of the Cynicks; and a Con∣solatory Oration at the departure of Salust.

His Caesars: his Misopogon, and sixty three

Epistles besides that to Themistius and the A∣thenians. But the most pestilent of all his Works were those which he wrote against the Christian Religion, which are mentioned and answered by St. Cyril Bishop of Alexandria, in Ten Books, consisting of 362 Pages, in the sixth Tome of his Works, set forth in Greek and Latine by Johannes Aubertus; printed at Paris 1638. to which, for his full satisfaction, I refer the Reader