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Death of Arius.

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that he might satisfy himself on the subject of his creed. Constantine demanded his subscription to the Nicene articles, to which he assented, and confirmed it with an oath. But the most credible testimony of the times avows that Arius, in this seeming conformity, was guilty of the greatest duplicity, and the basest reservation. This subscription, however, satisfied the imperial umpire, and Alexander of Constantinople was ordered to receive him into communion. Great was the exultation of the Arian party on the triumph of their champion. On the day fixed for the restoration of Arius, his party attended him, and were going with great parade to the church, when suddenly Arius was seized with a diarrhoea and expired.

It is said that Alexander, on receiving orders to aeknowledge Arius, besought the Almighty by prayer, that something might take place to prevent the return of a man whom he conceived to be both a blasphemer and a hypocrite. But the sudden and extraordinary death of Arius gave rise to suspicions unfriendly to the character of the orthodox. Whether they were accessary to his death cannot now be determined, as no respectable testimony is left behind, to substantiate the suspicion. But all this goes to prove that real religion was at a low ebb, and the true spirit of it lost amidst a general struggle for power and wealth.

Thus we see the church distracted by divisions the most baneful; divisions, arising not from a diversity of opinion on the subject of ceremonies, but from the spreading heresy which appears in denying the Lord that bought us. Nor is the church, as by law established, capable of remedying the evil. Constantine the emperor, and courtly bishops, are to determine what is according to godliness, and what is not. The weapons in

Chap. 6. Baptism and Death of Constantine.

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this warfare are carnal, and so the contest ends, not in showing who has most truth on his side, but who is most in favour at court. Amidst these troubles in the church, Constantine yields his breath, having first received baptism at the hands of his favourite bishop, Eusebius of Nicomedia. In these days it was common for persons to defer their baptism till the near approach of death, under a superstitious persuasion that the rite of baptism secured the forgiveness of all sins that were past.

The character of Constantine has been variously represented. His sincerity in espousing the Christian sause cannot reasonably be doubted; but his religion, after all, possesses none of the leading characteristics peculiar to the gospel. He was a good emperor, and an honest man, but too little acquainted with real Christianity to be of any service in propagating a cause, so different from this world, both in its nature and in its influence.

CHAPTER VI.

STATE OF THE CHURCH DURING THE REIGN OF CONSTANTIUS, A PERIOD OF TWENTY-FOUR YEARS.

Church Dignitaries-Eusebius of Nicomedia-PaulCouncil of Milan.

BEFORE we proceed, it will be found necessary to oberve, that during the reign of the last prince, some very aterial alterations took place in the government, and heers of the church; unless these are noticed, we

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Church Dignitaries.

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shall be puzzled with terms pointing out orders of minisWe have noticed the pomp ters hitherto unknown. and parade introduced under the auspices of Constan tine, and the sad effects arising therefrom. It appear ed important to Constantine, on his accession to the whole empire, to make some alterations in the administration of his government, for the better security of so vast dominions. Christianity being a partner of the state, it was found also politically necessary to make the officers and usages of religion tend to the same point. Accordingly a distinetion of rank and eminence was introduced to the order of the prelacy. Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome, had for some time ranked high, on account of the number of Christians iu their several districts, together with that eminence of character which had marked their bishops. Yet to these was there aseribed no superiority in point of order or authority, till Constantine gave them a kind of supremacy over their episcopal brethren. To these three, he added Constantinople, being the seat of his imperial dignity. These four cities being so many centres of government, it was thought necessary to the completeness of the whole scheme, to convert these several sees into a higher order of bishoprics, denominated metropolitan. In the course of the century it appears that these metropolitan bishops became patriarchs, and then by and by the bishop of Rome became pope, and so we shall hereafter have to do with pontiffs, patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops, &c. &c.; and for a while we shall find these church officers created and appointed by the civil magistrate, without the concurrence of the people, till at length the bishop of Rome becomes lord over all.

The religion of Constantius appears to have been very similar to that of his father; but it is doubtful whether

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Contentions.

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his moral character was so good, for it cannot be denied that he was accessary to the death of his two uncles, whom he feared would contend for empire. Constantius had two partners in government, both his own brothers. Constantius possessed the East, and fixed his residence at the new metropolis erected by his father. Constantine the Second held Britain, Gaul, and Spain; Constans, Illyricum, Africa and Italy. The two latter of these soon quarrelled, and Constans being the victor, annexed the dominions of his brother to those of his own, which he held but for a few years, being slain by a commander in his own army, who aspired to the empire. Nor did this treacherous rebel enjoy his ambitious projects long, for being defeated in his war with Constantius, in a fit of rage and despair he laid violent hands on himself, and so the whole empire devolved upon Constantius. This event took place in the

year 358.

During the reign of this prince, Arianism was in faYour at court, and the orthodox were exposed to persecution. Athanasius returned from his exile under the auspices of Constantine the Second, but it was again to meet with similar treatment. How exceedingly degraded the church, as by law established! bishops treating each other in the same way, as but a few years back they had been treated by their pagan adversaries. Should Christians be trusted with the civil sword, with which to defend and enforce the religion of Jesus? Christ himself refused and forbade the use of it; ought not his followers to decline it likewise ?

The period before us was principally marked with contentions and strifes between the Athanasians and the Arians. The former could lay claim, with greater propriety than the latter, to the denomination of the catho

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lic or general church. Indeed they bore about in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus. When these bishops, presbyters, and brethren came together on any occasion, they exhibited a group of men who had suffered for Christ, which sufferings could be distinguished in their loss of eyes, nose, legs; distorted, burnt, and mangled limbs; together with a thousand other indignities, which they carried to the grave. It were believers in the full and unequivocal Divinity of Christ that could boast of their confessors and martyrs, while the deniers of that grand doctrine were left without such proofs of their being a part of the true church; they in the general contrived to trim between the suffering and the opBut wherein pressing parties, and so evaded the cross. the Arians were deficient in such credentials, they possessed a happy substitute-the favour of the em peror and court. Nor did they forget to use their influence against those who maintained and asserted the primitive doctrines. Frequent were the councils, and many the synods, with the emperor at the head; and in most instances the Arians were triumphant, and their opponents oppressed and degraded.

While these things were going on, Alexander of Constantinople died, at the great age of ninety-eight; he had filled the see twenty-three years. The clergy asked him before his death whom he would recommend as a successor? The good man replied, "If you seek a man of exemplary life, and able to instruct you, you have Paul :—but if you desire a man of secular skill, and one who knows how to maintain an interest among the great, Macedonius is preferable." It appears that he had here given a faithful characteristic of these two men. Upou the death of the old bishop, the far greater and better part decided in favour of Paul; but this elec