CONTENTS. PAGE SECTION I.—The State of Paganism under the Reign of Constantine the Great SECTION II.-The Condition of the Gentiles under the Reign of Constantine, jun. SECTION III.-The State of Paganism under the Reign of Julian The Life of Eusebius, Bishop of Cæsarea in Palestine 95 SECTION II.-His Acts from Arius's first Condemnation till the Council of Nice - 156 SECTION III.—The Acts and Proceedings of the Council of Nice SECTION XIV.-His Acts from the Death of Julian till that of Jovian SECTION XV.-His Acts from the Death of Jovian, with his own Death and PAGE SECTION I.-His Acts from his Birth till his first entrance into holy Orders SECTION II.-His Acts from his entrance into Orders till his return from his SECTION III.-His Acts from his return till his being made Bishop of Cæsarea- 411 SECTION IV. His Acts from his being made Bishop till the end of his Contest SECTION V.-His Acts from the end of the foregoing Contests till the Contests between him and Eustathius, Bishop of Sebastea - SECTION VI.-The Contest that happened between him and Eustathius, with his ΑΝ HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE STATE OF PAGANISM UNDER THE FIRST CHRISTIAN EMPERORS. SECTION 1. THE STATE OF PAGANISM UNDER THE REIGN OF CONSTANTINE THE GREAT. The design of this account. Constantine succeeds in the empire. His eminent preservation and escape. He assumes the title of Augustus. His march against Maxentius, and secret care and thoughtfulness about religion. The vision of the cross appearing to him, with the form of it. Hereupon instructed in, and converted to Christianity. His victory over Maxentius, and the honours done him at Rome. His first edicts in favour of Cbristians. The Gentiles vexed at his kindness to Christians, and his neglecting the ludi sæculares. The favourable edict, and miserable end of Maximinus. Licinius raises a grievous persecution in the East: is encountered by Constantine, overthrown and put to death. The imperial monarchy resting in Constantine. His laws against soothsayers and the practisers of magic charms. His care about the Lord's day, and form of prayer prescribed to his heathen soldiers to be used upon that day. The Gentiles forbidden to compel Christians to be present at their solemn rites. Laws made in behalf of Christians. The emperor's letters to the provincial governors, persuading the Gentiles to come over to Christianity. The seat of the empire removed from Rome to Constantinople, and why. The great privileges conferred upon that city. Constantine's care to rout and expose all monuments of Pagan impiety there. The successful propagation of Christianity in several countries without the bounds of the Roman empire. Severer proceedings against Pagan superstitions. Commissions despatched into several countries for the routing all monuments of idolatry. Temples shut up, and many of them demolished. Greater connivance herein at Rome and Alexandria than in other places. Constantine's death; his piety; and the happy state of his reign above that of preceding emperors. By what means and methods the Christian religion made its own way into the world, and, unassisted by any secular power or VOL. II. B interest, triumphed over all the opposition that was made against it, has been considered in another place. The subject of this discourse will be to observe by what degrees Paganism, that part of it especially that was the public and standing religion of the Roman empire, a religion that for so many ages had influenced the minds of men, and seemed firmly rooted by custom, laws, and an inveterate prescription, was driven into corners, and in effect banished out of the world. The main of the story lies within the compass of the age we write of; and being a subject both pleasant in itself, and that which will reflect no mean light upon several passages in the following Lives, it will not, I conceive, be unuseful here to lay it all together: the account whereof we shall briefly deduce from the time that the empire became Christian. b a II. Constantine the Great was born in Britain, as all impartial writers, not biassed either by envy at ours, or by a concernment for the honour of their own country, are willing to allow a thing owned by some, not contradicted by any writer of that age, asserted by the very orator in the congratulatory oration that he made to him. His father Constantius, a wise, merciful, and virtuous prince, died at York, on the 25th of July, Ann. Chr. 306. His son Constantine had for some years resided in the court of Diocletian, and after in that of Galerius Maximian in the East, where he was kept as an honorable pledge, and as a check and restraint upon his father. Galerius hated the father, and was jealous of the son, whom he would have taken off by a violent death, had he not feared the army, to whom he knew Constantine was very dear. He sought therefore, under pretence of sports and martial exercises, to have despatched him out of the way; but the divine providence still brought him off. His father had often sent for him, and had as oft been delayed. And now again, in his sickness, had renewed his importunity, till Galerius, ashamed any longer to deny so reasonable a request, gave him a warrant under seal to be gone, intending nothing less, but that by some device he would stop his journey, and therefore willed him to come to him again the next morning to receive his final instructions and commands. But no sooner was the emperor gone to bed, but Constantine immediately took horse, and at every stage where he came, besides those few he a Paneg. Maxim. et Constant. dict. p. 3. inter Panegyricos. b Lactant. de mortib. persecut. c. 24. Vid. Zosim. l. ii. c. 8. Aur. Victor. de Cæsar. c. 40 |
