第73章
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  ^6whilstthemeanestoftheposterityofAbraham,whoshouldhavepaidthesamehomagetotheJupiteroftheCapitol,wouldhavebeenanobjectofabhorrencetohimselfandtohisbrethren。

  Butthemoderationoftheconquerorswasinsufficienttoappeasethejealousprejudicesoftheirsubjects,whowerealarmedandscandalizedattheensignsofpaganism,whichnecessarilyintroducedthemselvesintoaRomanprovince。^7ThemadattemptofCaligulatoplacehisownstatueinthetempleofJerusalemwasdefeatedbytheunanimousresolutionofapeoplewhodreadeddeathmuchlessthansuchanidolatrousprofanation。^8TheirattachmenttothelawofMoseswasequaltotheirdetestationofforeignreligions。Thecurrentofzealanddevotion,asitwascontractedintoanarrowchannel,ranwiththestrength,andsometimeswiththefury,ofatorrent。

  [Footnote*:Thisfacilityhasnotalwayspreventedintolerance,whichseemsinherentinthereligiousspirit,whenarmedwithauthority。Theseparationoftheecclesiasticalandcivilpower,appearstobetheonlymeansofatoncemaintainingreligionandtolerance:butthisisaverymodernnotion。Thepassions,whichminglethemselveswithopinions,madethePagansveryoftenintolerantandpersecutors;witnessthePersians,theEgyptianseventheGreeksandRomans。

  1st。ThePersians。—Cambyses,conqueroroftheEgyptians,condemnedtodeaththemagistratesofMemphis,becausetheyhadoffereddivinehonorstotheirgod。Apis:hecausedthegodtobebroughtbeforehim,struckhimwithhisdagger,commandedtheprieststobescourged,andorderedageneralmassacreofalltheEgyptianswhoshouldbefoundcelebratingthefestivalofthestatuesofthegodstobeburnt。Notcontentwiththisintolerance,hesentanarmytoreducetheAmmonianstoslavery,andtosetonfirethetempleinwhichJupiterdeliveredhisoracles。SeeHerod。iii。25—29,37。

  Xerxes,duringhisinvasionofGreece,actedonthesameprinciples:lcdestroyedallthetemplesofGreeceandIonia,exceptthatofEphesus。SeePaus。l。vii。p。533,andx。p。887。

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