totally to neglect the true interest of the public, that they might gratify the ceaseless importunity of the persecutors. I thought it proper to set forth truths of this importance once for all, that I may not resume the subject.

As the emperors had published diverse edicts, against the temples and the idols of the Pagans, some turbulent Christians pulled down the statues which were placed only for ornament in baths and public edifices.

Honorius therefore ordered that such statues should not be touched either in Spain or Gaul. In Afric he forbad sacrificing, and ordered the temples to be shut: but he permitted those public rejoicings which they had been accustomed to repeat annually, and would not suffer the temples to be destroyed, Yet some of ficers of the emperor began to do it in Afric, as Au gustin informs us*. In the East, Arcadius ordered that the idol-temples in the country places should be demolished through all Phoenicia,

Thus the Christians returned to the Pagans some of the same ill usage which they had received from them during the three first centuries, instead of alluring them by the patience and mildness which they had so much preached up whilst they were the weaker party: This behaviour tended to make the Pagans still more obstinate, by shewing them that the Christians had affected to talk of moderation and humanity only through self-interest, and not from any religious printed ciple. This at least is certain that the Christians lost all right to complain of the cruelty of the Pagan persecutors, and to cry up the lenity of their religion, ve which they thus dishonoured.

De Civit. Dei.

The

pon

hat

selves

perse

upon

up

The laws against the Pagans may be found in the Theodosian Code; and from them we learn that the pains and penalties which the Christians inflicted them were not so slight and inconsiderable as some may imagine. If a sacrifice was offered in a private place, with the knowledge of the owner, the place was to be confiscated. If not, twenty-five pound weight of gold was to be paid; and the penalty was the same for a sacrifice offered in a temple. If any one consulted the entrails of a victim, to discover future events, it was high-treason, Augustin, who lived at this time, speaks thus to the Donatists : Quis nostrum, quis vestrum non laudat leges ab Imperatoribus datas adversus sacrificia Paganorum? Et certe longe ibi poena severior constituta est; illus quippe impietatis capitale supplicium est,

This manner of acting was the more dangerous, as the country was still full of Pagan peasants, who defended their gods and their temples with great obstinacy and fury, and were not to be subdued without fighting. Thus though Arcadius, instigated by Chrysostom, had ordered that the temples of Phoenicia should be demolished without tumult, yet many of the monks were wounded and slain; for they were the dragoons usually employed on these occasions. We have an oration of Libanius in behalf of the tem ples, in which the Pagan orator acts the same part before Theodosius, as the Christian apologists had acted before Pagan emperors, One cannot reflect upon these things without concern, without wishing that the defenders of the truth had reserved to themselves the honour of being the only persons who were persecuted for religion.

The

The bishops of the fourth council at Carthage sent a deputation to Honorius, requesting of him that he would destroy all the remains of Pagan idolatry and superstition. And this conduct of the Christians occasioned seditions in Afric *."

It is somewhat strange that the fathers of those times, whose zeal was so active against heretics, and who defended the plundering of temples, and the burning of synagogues and conventicles, should have been silent upon another occasion, which seemed full as important at least, namely, the favour shewed by Christian emperors to some Pagans, whom they suf fered to be governors of provinces, commanders of armies, magistrates and consuls.

In the Theodosian Code † it is said that they are comprised under the denomination of heretics, and subject to the punishments imposed on such, who are found to deviate even an hair's breadth from the Catholic church.

Hæreticorum vocabulo continentur, et latis adversus eos sanctionibus debent succumbere, qui vel levi argumento a judicio Catholica religionis et tramite detecti fuerint

deviare.

What a vile oppressive law! what an everlasting r source of calumny, and of vexatious and scandalous informations!

A. D. 396. There was an earthquake at Constantinople, in many circumstances strangely resembling that which happened at London, in the year 1750.

Le Clerc, Bibl. Chois. viii. 264, &c.

+ L. xvi. Tit. v. p. 144.

See Barbeyrac, Mor. des P. p. 184.

For

For several days the earth shook at Constantinople, and the sky seemed to be on fire. A pious soldier had a revelation that the city should be destroyed by fire from heaven. He went and declared it to Nectarius the bishop, who neglected not the admonition, but took occasion from it to exhort the people to repentance. In the beginning of the night, a fiery cloud was seen in the east, which at first was small, but as it drew nearer, grew larger, so as to hang over the whole city in a terrible manner, accompanied with a smell of sulphur. All the inhabitants fled to the church; but the church could not contain the multitudes, Every one, who was unbaptized, received baptism, as he could, from any one who would administer it. But the cloud began to diminish, and by degrees vanished. Scarcely had the people recovered their spirits, when it was reported that they must depart, for that the city would be destroyed on the next Sunday. Upon this alarm, they all went forth some miles from the city, and the emperor Honorius along with them, and prayed together in the fields. On a sudden they saw a great smoke, which went off, and was followed by a clear and serene sky; and then they returned home with great joy; and though they had left their houses open, nothing was stolen or lost *.

A. D. 397. A third council was held at Carthage, One of its canons was,

Cum altari assistatur, semper ad Patrem dirigatur

pratio.

Another

* Prosper, Chron. Augustin. De Excid. Urb. Paulus Diaconus, Basnage iii. 155. Tillemont, H. des Emp. v. 441.

Another was,

Presbyter inconsulto Episcopo Virgines non consecret! Chrisma vero nunquam conficiat.

How alert and careful were these prelates to advance their own authority, and to depress the pres byters! It would have puzzled their African heads to assign a tolerable cause why a bishop should have a better hand at making chrism, than a presbyter. If they had affirmed that he had a better hand at telling over money, some reason might possibly have been given for it,

.

Another canon was,

Corporibus defunctorum Eucharistia non detur..

Some persons had introduced the custom of giving the eucharist to the deceased, or of burying it along with them; and it continued to be sometimes prac tised for some centuries *.

This year some Christians were massacred by Pagans. The malefactors were taken, and were releas ed at the earnest request of certain religious people, It was a custom, of which we have many instances, to forgive such Pagans, lest the glory of martyrdom should be impaired, if they who killed the martyrs were punished for it, But this was an absurd piety, since the welfare of civil society, and the laws of God and man, require that murderers be put to death. Basnage†ought to have made this remark on the

occasion.

.A. D. 398. Martinianus, an hermit, cast himself into the sea, to avoid the company of a female; and was carried safe to land, by two good-natured dolphins,

*See Dallæus, De Cult. Lat. p. 957.

+ iii, 158.