The Arguments of the Emperor Julian Against the Christians — page 53: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

30 THE EMPEROR $ULIAN'S ARGUMENTS the book of Numbers, he will know what I say. For after he who was initiated by Beelphegor, and who had slain with his own hand the woman by whom he had been inveighled, with a shameful - and most deplorable wound im the belly, God is made to say, (Numbers xxv. 11.) “ Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.” Whatcan be more trifling than the cause for which God is falsely made to be angry by the writer of these things ? What can be more absurd ? If ten or fifteen, or a hundred persons, for they will not say a thousand, but we will sup- pose that number, had dared to transgress any one of the laws ordained by God, would it be proper that six hundred thousand should be destroyed on account of one hundred thousand? How much better does it appear to me to save one depraved man, together witha thousand most excellent men, than that a thousand worthy men should be de- stroyed on account of one man? Nor is it fit that the maker of heaven and earth should be so Y Xcomre sooks,.c© mn