CHAP. XXI. Perfecution of Herefy.-The Schifm of the Donatifts. Diftracted State of the Church and Empire under Conftantine and his Sons. Toleration of Paganism. THE grateful applause of the clergy has confecrated the memory of a prince who СНАР. XXI. XXI. CHAP. feparated separated congregations from any share of the rewards and immunities which the emperor had fo liberally bestowed on the orthodox clergy. But as the fectaries might ftill exift under the cloud of royal disgrace, the conqueft of the East was immediately followed by an edict which announced their total destruction. After a preamble filled with paffion and reproach, Conftantine abfolutely prohibits the affemblies of the Heretics, and confifcates their public property to the ufe either of the revenue or of the Catholic church. The fects against whom the Imperial feverity was directed, appear to have been the adherents of Paul of Samofata; the Montanifts of Phrygia, who maintained an enthufiaftic fucceffion of prophecy; the Novatians, who fternly rejected the temporal efficacy of repentance; the Marcionites and Valentinians, under whofe leading banners the various Gnoftics of Afia and Egypt had infenfibly rallied; and perhaps the Manichæans, who had recently imported from Perfia a more artful compofition of Oriental and Chriftian theology. The defign of extirpating the name, or at leaft of reftraining the progress of these odious Heretics, was profecuted with vigour and effect. Some of the penal regulations were copied from the edicts of Diocletian; and this method of converfion was applauded by the fame bishops who had felt the hand of oppreffion, and had pleaded for the rights of humanity. Two immaterial circumftances may ferve, however, to prove that the mind of Conftantine was not entirely corrupted by the fpirit of zeal XXI. and bigotry. Before he condemned the Mani. CHAP. cheans and their kindred fects, he refolved to make an accurate enquiry into the nature of their religious principles. As if he diftrufted the impartiality of his ecclefiaftical counsellors, this delicate commiffion was entrusted to a civil magistrate; whofe learning and moderation he justly esteemed; and of whofe venal character he was probably ignorant. The emperor was foon convinced, that he had too haftily profcribed the orthodox faith and the exemplary morals of the Novatians; who had diffented from the church in fome articles of difcipline which were not per haps effential to falvation. By a particular edict, he exempted them from the general penalties of the law; allowed them to build a church at Conftantinople, refpected the miracles of their faints, invited their bishop Acefius to the council of Nice; and gently ridiculed the narrow tenets of his fect by a familiar jeft; which, from the mouth of a fovereign, muft have been received with applause and gratitude '. contro verly, A. D. 312. The complaints and mutual accufations which African affailed the throne of Conftantine, as foon as the death of Maxentius had fubmitted Africa to his victorious arms, were ill adapted to edify an im perfect profelyte. He learned, with surprise, that the provinces of that great country, from the confines of Cyrene to the columns of Hercules, were distracted with religious difcord. The fource of the divifion was derived from a double election in the church of Carthage; the fecond, in CHAP. XXI. rank and opulence, of the ecclefiaftical thrones of the Weft. Cæcilian and Majorinus were the two rival primates of Africa; and the death of the latter foon made room for Donatus, who, by his fuperior abilities and apparent virtues, was the firmest support of his party. The advantage which Cæcilian might claim from the priority of his ordination, was deftroyed by the illegal, or at leaft indecent, hafte, with which it had been performed, without expecting the arrival of the bishops of Numidia. The authority of these bishops, who, to the number of feventy, condemned Cæcilian, and confecrated Majorinus, is again weakened by the infamy of some of their perfonal characters; and by the female intrigues, facrilegious bargains, and tumultuous proceedings which are imputed to this Numidian council. The bishops of the contending factions maintained, with equal ardour and obftinacy, that their adver faries were degraded, or at least dishonoured, by the odious crime of delivering the Holy Scriptures to the officers of Diocletian. From their mutual reproaches, as well as from the ftory of this dark tranfaction, it may juftly be inferred, that the late perfecution had embittered the zeal, without reforming the manners, of the African Chriftians. That divided church was incapable of affording an impartial judicature; the controverfy was folemnly tried in five fucceffive tribunals, which were appointed by the emperor; and the whole proceeding, from the first appeal to the final fentence, lafted above three years. A fevere inquifi tion, which was taken by the Prætorian vicar, and the proconful of Africa, the report of two epifcopal vifitors who had been fent to Carthage, the decrees of the councils of Rome and of Arles, and the fupreme judgment of Conftantine himself in his facred confiftory, were all favourable to the caufe of Cæcilian; and he was unanimously acknowledged by the civil and ecclefiaftical powers, as the true and lawful primate of Africa The honours and eftates of the church were attributed to his fuffragan bishops, and it was not without difficulty, that Conftantine was fatisfied with inflicting the punishment of exile on the principal leaders of the Donatift faction. As their cause was examined with attention, perhaps it was determined with juftice. Perhaps their complaint was not without foundation, that the credulity of the emperor had been abused by the infidious arts of his favourite Ofius. The influence of falfehood and corruption might procure the condemnation of the innocent, or aggravate the fentence of the guilty. Such an act, however, of injuftice; if it concluded an importunate difpute, might be numbered among the tranfient evils of a defpotic administration, which are neither felt nor remembered by pofterity. But this incident, fo inconfiderable that it fcar cely deferves a place in hiftory, was productive of a memorable fchifm; which afflicted the provinces of Africa above three hundred years, and was extinguished only with Chriftianity itself. The inflexible zeal of freedom and fanaticism animated |