XX.

God of their protector; and their fubjects, who CHA P.
have invariably preferved the name of Chriftians
foon formed a facred and perpetual connection
with their Roman brethren. The Chriftians of
Perfia were fufpected, in time of war, of prefer-
ring their religion to their country; but as long
as peace fubfifted between the two empires, the
perfecuting spirit of the Magi was effectually re-
ftrained by the interpofition of Conftantine 77.
The rays of the Gospel illuminated the coast of In、
dia. The colonies of Jews, who had penetrated
into Arabia and Ethiopia ", oppofed the progress
of Christianity; but the labours of the miffionaries
was in fome meafure facilitated by a previous
knowledge of the Mofaic revelation; and Abys-
finia still reveres the memory of Frumentius, who
in the time of Conftantine, devoted his life to the
converfion of those fequestered regions. Under
the reign of his fon Conftantius, Theophilus ".
who was himself of Indian extraction, was in-
vested with the double character of ambaffador

77 See in Eufebius (in Vit. Conftant. 1. iv. c. 9.) the preffing and
pathetic epistle of Conftantine in favour of his Chriftian brethren
of Perfia.

78 See Bafnage, Hift. des Juifs, tom. vii. p. 182. tom. viii. P. 333. tom. ix. p. 810. The curious diligence of this writer purfues the Jewish exiles to the extremities of the globe.

79 Theophilus had been given in his infancy as a hostage by his countrymen of the ifle of Diva, and was educated by the Romans in learning and piety. The Maldives, of which Male, or Diva, may be the capital, are a cluster of 1900 or 12000 minute islands in the Indian ocean. The ancients were imperfectly acquainted with the Maldives; but they are defcribed in the two Mahometan travellers of the ninth century, published by Renaudot. Geograph. Nubienfis, p. 30, 31. D'Herbelot Bibliotheque Orientale, p. 704. Hist. Generale des Voyages, tom. viii.

Ꭲ 4

and

CHAP. and bishop. He embarked on the Red Sea with xx. two hundred horfes of the pureft breed of Cappa

Change

docia. which were fent by the emperor to the prince of the Sabæans, or Homerites. Theo philus was entrusted with many other ufeful or curious prefents, which might raise the admiration, and conciliate the friendship, of the Barbarians; and he fuccessfully employed feveral years in a paftoral vifit to the churches of the torrid

The irresistible power of the Roman emperors of the na- was difplayed in the important and dangerous tional reli- change of the national religion. The terrors of a

gion.

military force filenced the faint and unfupported murmurs of the Pagans, and there was reafon to expect, that the cheerful fubmiffion of the Chriftian clergy, as well as people, would be the refult of confcience and gratitude. It was long fince established, as a fundamental maxim of the Roman constitution, that every rank of citizens were alike fubject to the laws, and that the care of religion was the right as well as duty of the civil magistrate. Conftantine and his fucceffors could not easily perfuade themfelves that they had forfeited, by their converfion, any branch of the Imperial prerogatives, or that they were incapable of giving laws to a religion which they had protected and embraced. The emperors ftill continued to exercife a fupreme jurifdiction over the 312438. ecclefiaftical order; and the fixteenth book of the

A. D.

80 Philoftorgius, l. iii. c. 4, 5, 6, with Gadefroy's learned obfervations. The hiftorical narrative is foon loft in an inquiry concern ing the feat of paradife, ftrange monsters, &c.

Theodofian

ed

def

Theodofian code reprefents, under a variety of CHAP. titles, the authority which they affumed in the government of the Catholic church.

XX

powers.

But the distinction of the fpiritual and temporal Diftinction powers, which had never been impofed on the free of the fpifpirit of Greece and Rome, was introduced and con- temporal firmed by the legal establishment of Christianity. The office of fupreme pontiff, which, from the time of Numa to that of Auguftus, had always been exercised by one of the most eminent of the fenators, was at length united to the Imperial dignity. The first magiftrate of the state, as often as he was prompted by fuperftition or policy, performed with his own hands the facerdotal functions 92; nor was there any order of priests, either at Rome or in the provinces, who claimed a more facred character among men, or a more intimate communication with the Gods. But in the Christian church, which entrusts the service of the altar to a perpetual fucceffion of confecrated ministers, the monarch, whofe spiritual rank is lefs honourable than that of the meaneft deacon, was feated below the rails of the fanctuary, and confounded with the rest of the faithful multitude 83.

82

The

See the epiftle of Ofius, ap. Athanafium, vol. i. p. 840. The public remonftrance which Olius was forced to address to the fon, contained the fame principles of ecclefiaftical and civil government which he had fecretly inftilled into the mind of the father.

82 M. de la Baftie (Memoires de l'Academie des Infcriptions tom. xv. p. 38-61.) has evidently proved, that Auguftus and his fucceffors exercised in perfon all the facred functions of pontifex maximus, or high-priest of the Roman empire.

83 Something of a contrary practice had infenfibly prevailed in the church of Conftantinople; but the rigid Ambrofe commanded Theo

dofins

XX.

CHAP. The emperor might be faluted as the father of his people, but he owed a filial duty and reverence to the fathers of the church; and the fame marks of respect, which Conftantine had paid to the perfons of faints and confeffors, were foon exacted by the pride of the epifcopal order 4. A fecret conflict between the civil and ecclefiaftical jurifdictions, embarraffed the operations of the Roman government; and a pious emperor was alarmed by the guilt and danger of touching with a profane hand the ark of the covenant. The feparation of men into the two orders of the clergy and of the laity was, indeed, familiar to many nations of antiquity; and the priests of India, of Perfia, of Affyria, of Judea, of Ethiopia, of Egypt, and of Gaul, derived from a celeftial origin the temporal power and poffeffions which they had acquired. These venerable inftitutions had gradually affimilated themselves to the manners and government of their refpective countries 5; but the oppofition or

85

dofius to retire below the rails, and taught him to know the differ. ence between a king and a prieft. See Theodoret, l. v. c. 18.

84 At the table of the emperor Maximus, Martin, bishop of Tours, received the cup from an attendant, and gave it to the prefbyter his companion, before he allowed the emperor to drink; the emprefs waited on Martin at table. Sulpicius Severus, in Vit. St Martin. c. 23. and Dialogue ii. 7. Yet it may be doubted, whether thefe extraordinary compliments were paid to the bishop or the faint. The honours ufually granted to the former character may be feen in Bingham's Antiquities, 1. ii. c. 9. and Valef. ad Theodoret, 1. iv. c. 6. See the haughty ceremonial which Leontius, bishop of Tripoli, impofed on the emprefs. Tillemont, Hift. des Empereurs, tom. iv. p. 754. Patres Apoftol. tom. ii. p. 179.

85 Plutarch, in his treatife of Ifis and Ofiris, informs us, that the kings of Egypt, who were not already priests, were initiated, after their election, into the facerdotal order.

3

contempt

XX.

contempt of the civil power ferved to cement the CHAP.
discipline of the primitive church. The Chrifti-
ans had been obliged to elect their own magistrates,
to raise and distribute a peculiar revenue, and to
regulate the internal policy of their republic by a
code of laws, which were ratified by the consent
of the people, and the practice of three hundred
years. When Constantine embraced the faith of
the Christians, he feemed to contract a perpetual
alliance with a diftinct and independent fociety;
and the privileges granted or confirmed by that
emperor, or by his fucceffors, were accepted, not
as the precarious favours of the court, but as the
just and inalienable rights of the ecclefiaftical
order.

86

fhops un

Chriftian

The Catholic church was administered by the State of spiritual and legal jurifdiction of eighteen hundred the bibishops ; of whom one thousand were feated in der the the Greek, and eight hundred in the Latin, pro- emperors. vinces of the empire. The extent and boundaries of their respective diocefes, had been variously and accidentally decided by the zeal and fuccefs of the first missionaries, by the wifhes of the people, and by the propagation of the gofpel. Epifcopal churches were closely planted along the banks of the Nile, on the fea-coast of Africa, in the pro

86 The numbers are not afcertained by any ancient writer, or original catalogue; for the partial lifts of the eastern churches are comparatively modern. The patient diligence of Charles a Sta Paolo, of Luke Holftenius, and of Bingham, has laborioufly invefti. gated all the Episcopal sees of the Catholic church, which was almost commenfurate with the Roman empire. The ninth book of the Christian Antiquities is a very accurate map of ecclefiaftical geography.

confular