Asa H. Craig, (Asa Hollister), 1847-1934
Roman idolatry was not destined to die without one last desperate struggle. Hardly twenty-five years had passed after the death of Constantine, when we find the dying embers of paganism revived by the official authority of Julian, the & Apostate. This emperor was a nephew of Constantine, and was reared a Christian, but in his youth, he was secretly taught the classic literature the pagan worship. He secretly read the writings of Celsus, Lucian, Pythagoras, and many other pagan writers. His love for paganism increased, and while he carefully disguised his true sentiments, and even assumed the bearing of a zealous Christian, yet he secretly dreamed of re-establishing the worship of the mythical gods.
Julian, on assuming the office of emperor, threw off his mask of Christian falsehood and openly espoused the pagan cause. The empire was alarmed at this revelation of a new pagan force. It had come to them like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Julian had been Christian in all the demonstrations of life, and now to denounce its teachings, to deny Christ, to deny the divinity of God, caused consternation among the populace. He was about to strike the Christian world with the cherished dream of his youth.
It was no longer necessary to cover his wicked purposes. He would exclude the Christians, which he now called Galileans, from office of public trust. He would compel them to rebuild the pagan temples that had been destroyed, and again honor pagan priests. The idols of worship were restored and Christians compelled to salute them in the pagan form of worship, and to how down to them. He also sought to sow the seeds of discord among the followers of Christ, by bringing up ancient controversies and seeking to expose the clergy to the mistrust of the people.
He deprived the clergy of revenues granted by previous emperors. He composed a book on what he called the scientific exposition of Christian faith, ridiculing Christ after the manner of Lucian and Celsus, and finally he commanded the Jews to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem in order to nullify the prophecy of Christ. In this last order he signally failed. Twice the work on the temple was suspended by divine inter position and the work had to be abandoned. Julian was exceedingly moved by an unknown fear in his second attempt to rebuild the temple, and without further demonstration abandoned the project.
If we follow this apostate, we find him seeking every means to elevate the cause of paganism. He described the Christian religion as a combination of human inventions, the authors being the worst elements of Judaism and Heathenism. He denied the divinity of Christ and ridiculed baptism and penance. He assailed the power of the Holy Spirit and the union of the most Holy Trinity. He attacked the Old Testament as invented history, without divine authority, and in his desperation to advance paganism he> declared that the whole glory of the Roman empire was the result of the worship of the gods, $md whatever misfortune had befallen them was the result of neglect by the introduction of Christianity.
He appealed to the pagans to become more zealous, more earnest in their supplications, more devout in their lives, and to rally to the rescue of Rome. The people were exhorted against the dangers of Christianity, and its followers were represented as ignorant, incapable of study, intolerant, heretical, fanatical, when compared with pagan philosophers, authors, historians and the extensive knowledge of the many. If Christ had been more than a good, just, upright man, would not our learned men have known it? If he had come to instruct men would he not have commenced at the highest? If he had been the real Christ, would his own people, the Jews, have crucified him? Away with such chaff. The people have been misled, imposed upon, and deceived through the power of mind over mind, jugglery over appearances, and witchcraft over the power for good.
In order to cement his statements of ignorance and vile denunciations against Christ, he extended greater privileges to pagan priests; gave them greater solemnity in the ceremonial of worship; prepared more magnificent raiment; instituted song service; a similarity of Christian preaching; organized a system of rules of order for the conduct of priests in the homes of the people; adopted a discipline of penance and excommunication. He also conceived the idea of working upon the feelings of the people by building benevolent institutions; asylums for the old and young; institutions of learning, and institutions for the afflicted. In his institutions of learning he placed pagan philosophy and pagan literature, and by every means sought to make proselytes to paganism. But he it said to the great credit of Christianity, that while it did not materially injure the Church, yet it did not materially advance paganism.
Julian, seeing his ill-success against the Christian, was excited with great wrath, which carried him to the stage of madness. He planned new modes of persecution, and a most disastrous result would have occurred over his bitterness and disappointment, but for his death, which took place in 363, less than two years after ascending the throne. Thus died one of the most dangerous men to the cause of Christianity. To obtain his position he covered his shameless head with the cloak of devout Christianity, and practiced the faith, only to become an apostate of deadly hate and most cruel persecution. When dying he exclaimed: “O Galilean, thou hast conquered!” This persecution is recorded as: “It was but a little cloud that passed away.” After the death of Julian paganism rapidly declined. Sophists sought to stay the tide of degeneration, but to no avail. The power of paganism was broken, the glory of God was made manifest, and the Church firmly established, as was decreed by Christ and his apostles.