^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。