o magazines, manufactures, or
places of public assembly: and perhaps, when the walls of the temple had
been sufficiently purified by holy rites, the worship of the true Deity
might be allowed to expiate the ancient guilt of idolatry. But as long
as they subsisted, the Pagans fondly cherished the secret hope, that an
auspicious revolution, a second Julian, might again restore the altars
of the gods: and the earnestness with which they addressed their
unavailing prayers to the throne, increased the zeal of the Christian
reformers to extirpate, without mercy, the root of superstition. The
laws of the emperors exhibit some symptoms of a milder disposition: but
their cold and languid efforts were insufficient to stem the torrent of
enthusiasm and rapine, which was conducted, or rather impelled, by the
spiritual rulers of the church. In Gaul, the holy Martin, bishop of
Tours, marched at the head of his faithful monks to destroy the idols,
the temples, and the consecrated trees of his extensive diocese; and,
in the execution of this arduous task, the prudent reader will judge
whether Martin was supported by the aid of miraculous powers, or of
carnal weapons. In Syria, the divine and excellent Marcellus, as he is
styled by Theodoret, a bishop animated with apostolic fervor, resolved
to level with the ground the stately temples within the diocese of
Apamea. His attack was resisted by the skill and solidity with which the
temple of Jupiter had been constructed. The building was seated on an
eminence: on each of the four sides, the lofty roof was supported by
fifteen massy columns, sixteen feet in circumference; and the large
stone, of which they were composed, were firmly cemented with lead
and iron. The force of the strongest and sharpest tools had been tried
without effect. It was found necessary to undermine the foundations of
the columns, which fell down as soon as the temporary wooden props had
been consumed with fire; and the difficulties of the enterprise are
described under the allegory of a black daemon, who retarded, though he
could not defeat, the operations of the Christian engineers. Elated
with victory, Marcellus took the field in person against the powers of
darkness; a numerous troop of soldiers and gladiators marched under the
episcopal banner, and he successively attacked the villages and country
temples of the diocese of Apamea. Whenever any resistance or danger was
apprehended, the champion of the faith, whose l