ARGUMENTS OF CELSUS, PORPHYRY, and THE EMPEROR JULIAN, AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS;

ALSO EXTRACTS FROM DIODORUS SICULUS, JOSEPHUS, AND TACITUS, RELATING TO THE JEWS, TOGETHER WITH AN APPENDIX;

CONTAINING: THE ORATION OF LIBANIUS IN DEFENCE OF THE TEMPLES OF THE HEATHENS, TRANSLATED BY DR. LARDNER; AND EXTRACTS FROM BINGHAM'S ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

By [Thomas Taylor]

MDCCCXXX.

"For if indeed Julian had caused all those that were under his dominion to be richer than Midas, and each of the cities greater than Babylon once was, and had also surrounded each of them with a golden wall, but had corrected none of the existing errors respecting divinity, he would have acted in a manner similar to a physician, who receiving a body full of evils in each of its parts, should cure all of them except the eyes."—Liban. Parental, in Julian, p. 285.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION.
THE ARGUMENTS OF CELSUS AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS
EXTRACTS FROM, AND INFORMATION RELATIVE TO, THE TREATISE OF PORPHYRY
A FRAGMENT OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH BOOK OF DIODORUS SICULUS.
FROM MANETHO RESPECTING THE ISRAELITES.
EXTRACTS FROM THE FIFTH BOOK OF TACITUS RESPECTING THE JEWS, AS
EXTRACTS FROM THE WORKS OF THE EMPEROR JULIAN RELATIVE TO THE
APPENDIX
EXTRACTS FROM BINGHAM'S ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH*,

ILLUSTRATIONS

Celsus
Porphyry
Julian

[v]

INTRODUCTION.

"I HAVE often wished," says Warburton in a letter to Dr. Forster, October 15, 1749, "for a hand capable of collecting all the fragments remaining of Porphyry, Celsus, Hierocles, and Julian, and giving them to us with a just, critical and theological comment, as a defy to infidelity. It is certain we want something more than what their ancient answerers have given us. This would be a very noble work*."

The author of the following Collectanea has partially effected what Dr. Warburton wished

     * See Barker's Parriana, vol. ii. p. 48.

to see accomplished; for as he is not a divine, he has not attempted in his Notes to confute Cels

...