144

Longinus, Dion Caffius, &c.

[CENT. 3.

copied by Clemens, who acted as amanuenfis upon the occafion, have been fuppofed by some ingenious critics to have been fabricated in the third. or fourth century. They affect to establish feveral points relative to difcipline, which were not mentioned in the New Teftament. The Conftitutions appear to be a compilation of old treatifes, which convert Chriftianity into a mere ceremonial law. The eighth book has been afcribed to Hippolitus, an Arabian bishop, who compofed a work called The Apoftolical Tradition concerning Ecclefiaftical Offices, and who has been fuppofed the compiler of the Conftitutions which he published at Rome*. The honour of this impofture has not, however, remained with the good prelate, but has been beftowed upon many.

Amongst the profane authors of the third century, Longinus the rhetorician, and the hiftorian Dion Caffius, are justly entitled to the most distin guished rank.

*

Bingham, Ecc. Antiq, xiii. 5.

THE

[ 145 ]

THE FOURTH CENTURY.

CHAP. I.

GENERAL STATE OF THE CHURCH IN THIS
CENTURY.

Diocletian Gallerius Cæfar, his Hatred to the ChriftiansPerfecution-Fire in the Imperial Palace—Chriflians protected in Gaul, under Conftantius-Death of GalleriusConftantine the Great-Luminous Cross-ConftantinopleDevotion of Conftantine-Sons of Conftantine divided in their religious Sentiments-Julian-His Bigotry-Jovian -Valentinian-Gratian-Theodofius-Divifions in the Church-Converfion of Armenia-Ethiopia-GeorgiaGoths-Laws of Conftantine.

TH

HE events of the fourth century hold a distinguished rank in the annals of the Chriftian faith. During this period the truths of the Gospel were publicly received, and professed by a fucceffion of the great mafters of the Roman world. Chriftianity became the established religion of the empire; and, in confequence of the. contests between the Orthodox and Arian parties, the primitive faith of the Church was nicely afcertained, and delivered to pofterity in precise and VOL. I. determinate

L

146 determinate terms.

No longer abandoned to the fuggeftions of fancy, the Chriftian profeffor was expected to conform to that rule of faith prescribed by the great leaders of the Church, or compelled to relinquish his title of an orthodox believer in Christ.

The tranquillity which, after the Decian perfecution, had with little interruption foothed and re*cruited the Church, continued during eighteen years of the reign of Diocletian, who affumed the imperial purple in the year 284. In this profperous season, the Chriftians publicly profeffed their religious fentiments, and were joined by numbers .fo confiderable, as to require an addition of feveral more edifices for the performance of public worfhip*. The profeffors of the Gospel were openly received at court, and their opinions were embraced by the favourite domestics of the monarch, through whom they were exonerated from making their appearance at the heathen facrifices; a test which had been before confidered as incumbent upon all perfons who were poffeffed of places of power and trust jr.

But

Be

* The increase of Christianity may be calculated from that of the Church of Rome, which poffeffed, in the preceding century, one bishop, forty-fix prefbyters, seven deacons, as many fub-dea cons, and ninety-four of the inferior orders of ecclefiaftics. fore the Diocletian perfecution, the churches in that city were augmented to forty and upwards. Optat. de Schifm. Donat. lib. ii. p. 40.

† Eufcb. lib. viii, c. 1. It is difficult to reconcile the account Eufebius

CENT. 4.]

Perfecution of Gallerius.

147

But this halcyon calm was rudely interrupted. Gallerius Cæfar, whofe hatred to the Chriftians had already been manifefted by his requifition that they fhould renounce either their religion or his fervice, had the addrefs, by fictitious oracles, to terrify and• irritate the timid and credulous mind of the Emperor against his Chriftian fubjects. Returning victorious from the Perfian war, he urged his importunities with accumulated force; and after fpending a winter at Nicomedia with Diocletian, in which the extermination of the Chriftians was the object of their confultation, he obtained an edict, enjoining that the churches and writings of the Christians should be destroyed; all their civil rights and privileges annulled; and that no pretence nor rank, however exalted, fhould be fufficient to excufe them from punishment. The day previous to the appearance of this edict, the perfecution commenced by the demolition of the principal church, which in a few hours was razed to the ground. Alarmed and irritated at these proceedings, the edict, which was placed in the most confpicuous part of the city, was instantly destroyed by a Chriftian, who paid for his temerity

Eufebius gives of this general tranquillity in the Church, with the martyrdoms which are believed at this time to have taken place in Gaul. It is however probable, both, that the narration of these sufferings may be exaggerated, and that the historian confined his defcription to the eastern parts of the empire.

*Lactant. de Mort. Perf.

148

Protected in Gaul by Conftantius. [CENT. 4.

by being roasted alive. Gallerias, whofe rancour to the Chriftians could be gratified by nothing short of their total extirpation, and whofe fhort-fighted policy did not enable him to perceive that flower and more infidious meafures were more calculated to undermine the conftancy of the Chriftians, and destroy their caufe, than those violent methods which animated them to action and resistance, had recourfe to new projects. A dreadful fire, which raged in the imperial palace, was attributed to the Chriftians, who (in order to produce a confeffion of their guilt) were destroyed in confiderable numbers, with every refinement of torture which cruelty could fuggeft. Some were broiled to death on gridirons, after being cruelly fcourged, and their wounds washed with brine; others were thrown to wild beasts, and others ftarved to death *. The effort was, however, ineffectual; and amongst the various caufes affigned for this conflagration, perhaps the most probable is, that it was the act of the crafty and fanguinary Gallerius.

This catastrophe was fucceeded by numerous edicts against the Chriftians; and a furious perfecution raged throughout the empire †, except in the provinces of Gaul, under the government of Conftantius, the father of Conftantine, who protected their perfons, though he per

* See Eufeb. I. viii. He was an eye witness of the cruelties exercised at Tyre.

Lactant. de Mort. Perf.