was tri- CH A P. AND the Son, AND the Holy Ghoft 147, umphantly chanted by a full chorus of voices; and the Catholics infulted, by the purity of their doctrine, the Arian prelate, who had ufurped the throne of the venerable Euftathius. The fame zeal which infpired their fongs prompted the more scrupulous members of the orthodox party to form separate affemblies, which were governed by the prefbyters till the death of their exiled bishop allowed the election and confecration of a new epifcopal paftor 148. The revolutions of the court multiplied the number of pretenders; and the fame city was often difputed, under the reign of Conftantius, by two, or three, or even four bishops, who exercised their spiritual jurisdiction over their respective followers, and alternately loft and regained the temporal poffeffions of the church. The abuse of Christianity introduced into the Roman government new caufes of tyranny and fedition; the bands of civil fociety were torn afunder by the fury of religious factions; and the obfcure citizen, who might calmly have furveyed the elevation and fall of fucceffive em 147 Philoftorgius, 1. iii. c. 13. Godefroy has examined this fubject with. fingular accuracy (p. 147, &c.). There were three heterodox forms: "To the Father by the Son, and in the Holy Ghoft." "To the Father, and the Son, in the Holy Ghost:" and "To the Father in the Son and the Holy Ghoft." 148 After the exile of Euftathius under the reign of Constantine, the rigid party of the orthodox formed a separation which afterwards degenerated into a schism, and lafted above fourscore years. See Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom. vii. p. 35-54. 1137-1158. tom. viii. p. 537—632. 13·4— 1332. In many churches the Arians and Homooufians, who had renounced each other's communion, continued for fome time to join in prayer. Philoftorgius, 1. iii. c. 14. XXI. XXI. CHA P. perors, imagined and experienced, that his own life and fortune were connected with the interests of a popular ecclefiaftic. The example of the two capitals, Rome and Conftantinople, may serve to represent the ftate of the empire, and the temper of mankind, under the reign of the fons of Conftantine. Rome. I. The Roman pontiff, as long as he maintained his ftation and his principles, was guarded by the warm attachment of a great people; and could reject with fcorn, the prayers, the menaces, and the oblations of an heretical prince. When the eunuchs had fecretly pronounced the exile of Liberius, the well-grounded apprehenfion of a tumult engaged them to use the utmost precautions in the execution of the fentence. The capital was invested on every fide, and the præfect was commanded to feize the perfon of the bishop, either by ftratagem, or by open force. The order was obeyed, and Liberius, with the greatest difficulty, at the hour of midnight, was swiftly conveyed beyond the reach of the Roman people, before their confternation was turned into rage. As foon as they were informed of his banishment into Thrace, a general affembly was convened, and the clergy of Rome bound themfelves, by a public and folemn oath, never to defert their bishop, never to acknowledge the ufurper Fælix; who, by the influence of the eunuchs, had been irregularly chofen and confecrated within the walls of a profane palace. At the end of two years, their pious obftinacy fubfifted entire and unfhaken; and when Conftan 2 tius vifited Rome, he was affailed by the impor- c H A P. XXI. CHA P. of Conftantius, determined that prince to accept the submission of the exiled prelate, and to restore him to the undivided dominion of the capital. After fome ineffectual refiftance, his rival was expelled from the city by the permiffion of the emperor, and the power of the oppofite faction; the adherents of Fælix were inhumanly murdered in the streets, in the public places, in the baths, and even in the churches; and the face of Rome, upon the return of a Chriftian bishop, renewed the horrid image of the maffacres of Marius, and the profcriptions of Sylla 149. Conftantinople. II. Notwithstanding the rapid increase of Christians under the reign of the Flavian family, Rome, Alexandria, and the other great cities of the empire, ftill contained a ftrong and powerful faction of infidels, who envied the profperity, and who ridiculed, even on their theatres, the theological disputes of the church. Conftantinople alone enjoyed the advantage of being born and educated in the bofom of the faith. The capital of the East had never been polluted by the worship of idols; and the whole body of the people had deeply imbibed the opinions, the virtues, and the paffions, which diftinguished the Chriftians of that age from the rest of mankind. After the death of Alexander, the epifcopal throne was dif puted by Paul and Macedonius. By their zeal 149 See, on this ecclefiaftical revolution of Rome, Ammianus, xv. 7. Athanaf. tom. i. p. 834. 861. Sozomen, 1. iv. c. 15. Theodoret. 1. ii. c. 17. Sulp. Sever. Hift. Sacra, l. ii. p. 413. Hieronym. Chron. Marcellin, et Fauftin, Libell. p. 3, 4. Tillemont. Mem. Ecclef, tom. vi. P. 336. and XXI. and abilities they both deserved the eminent fta- CHAP. 151 150 Cucufus was the last stage of his life and fufferings. The fituation of that lonely town, on the confines of Cappadocia, Cilicia, and the Leffer Armenia, has occafioned fome geographical perplexity; but we are directed to the true fpot by the course of the Roman road from Cæfarea to to Anazarbus. See Cellarii. Geograph. tom. ii. p. 213. Weffeling ad Itenerar, p. 179. 703. 151 Athanafius (tom. i. p. 703. 813, 874.) affirms, in the most pofitive terms that Paul was murdered; and appeals not only to common fame, but even to the unfufpicious teftimony of Philagrius, one of the Arian perfecutors. Yet he acknowledges, that the heretics attributed to disease the death of the bishop of Conftantinople. Athanafius is fervilely copied by Socrates (1. ii. c. 26.); but Sozomen, who discovers a more liberal temper, prefumes (1. iv. c. 2.) to infinuate a prudent doubt. both : |