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SECOND MEMOIR.

I HAVE already observed, that it is my intention to inquire in this Second Memoir, into the authenticity of the Christian traditions relative to Jerusalem. The history of that city being involved in no obscurity, has no occasion for preliminary explanations.

The traditions respecting the Holy Land, derive their certainty from three sources: from history, from religion, and from places of local circumstances. Let us first consider them in an historical point of view.

Christ, accompanied by his Apostles, accomplished at Jerusalem, the mysteries of his passion. The writings of the four Evangelists are the earliest documents that record the actions of the Son of Man. The acts of Pilate preserved at Rome, in the time of Tertullian,* attested the principal event of that history, the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Redeemer expired. Joseph of Arimathea obtained the sacred body, and deposited it in a tomb at the foot of Calvary. The Messiah rose again on the third day; appeared to his apostles and disciples, gave them his instructions, and then returned to the right hand of his Father. At this time the church commences at Jerusalem.

It is natural to suppose that the first apostles and relatives of our Saviour, according to the flesh, who composed this first church in the world, were perfectly acquainted with all the circumstances attending the life and death of Jesus Christ. It is essential to remark, that Golgotha was out of the city as well as the Mount of Olives: whence it follows, that the apostles might the more freely perform their devotions in the places sanctified by their divine master.

Apolg. advers. Gent.

A. D. 33.

A. D. 51.

The knowledge of these places was not long confined within a narrow circle of disciples; Peter, in two harangues, converted eight thousand persons at Jerusalem;* James, the brother of our Saviour, was elected the first bishop of this church in the year 35 of our era; and was succeeded by Simeon, the cousin of Jesus Christ. We then find a series of thirteen bishops of Jewish race, who occupy a space of one hundred and twenty-three years, from Tiberius to the reign of Adrian. The names of these bishops are Justus, Zacheus, Tobias, Benjamin, John, Mathias, Philip, Seneca, Justus II, Levi, Ephraim, Joseph, and Jude.§

If the first Christians of Judea consecrated monuments to their religious worship, is it not probable that they erected them in preference on those spots which had been distinguished by the miracles of their faith? Can it be doubted, that in those times there existed sanctuaries in Palestine, when the believers possessed such at Rome, and in all the provinces of the empire? When St. Paul and the other apostles gave exhortations and laws to the churches of Europe and Asia, to whom did they address themselves, unless to a congregation of believers meeting in one common place, under the direction of a pastor? is not this even implied by the word Ecclesia, which in Greek signifies either an assembly, or a place of assembly? St. Cyril takes it in the latter sense.¶

The election of the seven deacons in the year 33 of the Christian era ;a and the first council held in 51,b show that the apostles had particular places of meeting in the Holy City. We find no difficulty in believing also, that the Holy Sepulchre was honoured from the first institution of christianity under the name of Martyrion, or the Testimony. At least, St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, preaching in 347, in the church.

Acts of the Apostl. c. 2. and 4. Eus. Hist. Eccl. lib. I. c.2.
Eus. Hist. Eccl. lib. III. c. 11-33.

$ Eus. Hist. Eccl. lib. III. c. 35, and lib. IV. c. 5.

Catech. XVIII,

a Acts. c. 6.

b Acts. c. 15.

of Calvary says, "This temple does not bear the name of church like the others, but is called Marturion Testimony, as the prophet predicted.*

At the commencement of the troubles in Judea, A. D. 70. during the reign of Vespasian, the Christians of Jerusalem withdrew to Pella,† and as soon as the city was demolished they returned to dwell among its ruins. In the space of a few months, they could not have forgotten the position of their sanctuaries, which being, moreover, without the walls, must not have suffered much from the siege. Simeon the successor of James, governed the church of Judea, when Jerusalem was taken, since we find the same Simeon, at the age of one hundred and twenty years, receiving the crown of martyrdom during the reign of Trajan.§ The succeeding bishops, whose names I have men- A.D. 117. tioned, fixed their residence on the ruins of the Holy City, and preserved the christian traditions respecting it.

That the holy places were generally known in the A. D. 137. țime of Adrian, is demonstrated by an undeniable fact, That emperor when he re-built Jerusalem, erected a statue of Venus on Mount Calvary, and another of Jupiter on the holy sepulchre. The grotto of Bethlehem was given up to the rites of Adonis. The folly of idolatry, thus published, by its imprudent profanations, the silly doctrine of the Cross, which it was so much to its own interest to conceal. The faith made such rapid progress in Palestine, before the last insurrection of the Jews, that Barcochehas, the ringleader on this occasion, persecuted the Christians to oblige them to renounce their religion.a

* S. Cyr. Cat. XVI. Illum. † Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. III. c. 5. Titus appeared before Jerusalem about Easter, in the year 70, and the city was taken in the month of September, the same year.

§ Eus. Hist. Eccl. lib. III. c. 33.

Hieron. Epist. ad Paul-Ruff. Sozom, Hist. Eccl. lib. II. c. 1. Socrat. Hist. Eccl. lib. 1. c. 17.-Sev. lib. II.-Niceph. lib. XVIII. a Eus, lib. IV. c. 8.

A. D. 162.
Under Com-
mod.
A. D. 211.
Under Seve-

rus.

A. D. 217.
Und. Car.
A. D. 251.
Under Gal.

A. D. 284.
Macrin.

A. D. 126.

A. D. 162. Under Commod.

No sooner was the Jewish church of Jerusalem dis persed by Adrian in the year of Christ 137, than we find the church of the Gentiles established in that city. Mark was its first bishop, and Eusebius gives us a list of his successors till the time of Dioclesian. These were: Cassian, Publius, Maximus, Julian, Caius, Symmachus, Caius II, Julian II, Capiton, Valens, Dolichian, Narcissus, the thirtieth after the apostles,† Dius, Germanion, Gordius, Alexander, Mazabanes,¶ Hymenæus,a Zabdas, Hermon, the last bishop before the persecution of Dioclesian.

Adrian, though so zealous in behalf of his deities, did not persecute the Christians, except those of Jerusalem, whom he doubtless looked upon as Jews, and who were in fact of the Israelitish nation. The apologies of Quadratus and Aristides are supposed to have made an impression upon him. He even wrote a letter to Minucius Fundanus, governor of Asia, forbidding him to punish the believers without just cause.d

It is probable that the Gentiles converted to the faith, lived peaceably at Ælia, or New Jerusalem, till the reign of Dioclesian: this is indeed evident, from the list of bishops of that church given above. When Narcissus filled the episcopal chair, the deacons were in want of oil at the feast of Easter: Narcissus, we are told, performed a miracle on that occasion.e The Christians at this period therefore, celebrated the mysteries of their religion in public at Jerusalem, and had consequently altars consecrated to their worship.

Alexander, another bishop of Elia during the reign of the emperor Severus, founded a library in his diocese:f now this circumstance must presuppose peace,

Idem lib. V. c. 12.
Eus. lib. VI. c. 10.

Id. lib. VII. c. 5.

b Id. lib. VII. c. 31.

§ Id. lib. VI. c. 10 11. a Id. lib. VI. c. 28.

c Tillem. Persec. Sous Adr-Eus. lib. IV. c. 3.

d Eus. lib. IV .c. 3.

Eus. lib. VI. c. 2.

f Eus. lib. VI. c. 20

teisure, and prosperity; postscripts never open a pubfic school of philosophy.

If the faithful were not at this time allowed the possession of Calvary, the Holy Sepulchre, and Bethlehem, to celebrate their festivals, the memory of those sanctuaries could not at least be effaced. The very idols served to mark their places; nay, more, the Pagans themselves hoped that the temple of Venus, erected on the summit of Calvary, would not prevent the Christians from visiting that sacred Mount; for they rejoiced in the idea, that the Nazaranes, when they repaired to Golgotha to pray, would appear to be paying adoration to the daughter of Jupiter.* This is a striking proof of the perfect knowledge of the sacred places retained by the church of Jerusalem.

Under Con

There are writers who go still farther, and assert, that prior to the persecution of Dioclesian, the Christians of Judea had regained possession of the Holy Sepulchre. It is certain that St. Cyril, speaking of A. D. 326. the church of the Holy Sepulchre, positively says: stant "It is not long since Bethlehem was a country place, and Mount Calvary a garden, the traces of which are yet visible." What then had become of the profane edifices? There is every reason to believe that the pagans at Jerusalem, finding their number too small to maintain their ground against the increasing multitude of the faithful, by degrees forsook the temples of Adrian. If the Church, yet exposed to persecution, durst not rebuild its altars at the sacred tomb, it enjoyed at least the consolation of worshiping there unmolested, and of beholding the monuments of idolatry moulder into ruins.

We have now arrived at an epoch when the Holy A. D. 327. places begin to shine with a lustre no more to be effaced. Constantine having placed the Christian religion upon the throne, wrote to Macarius, bishop

*. Sozom. lib. II. c. 1. Cateches. XII. and XIV.

Epitom, Bell, Sacror. tom. VI

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