In Egypt alone, 150,000 suffered martyrdom by the hands of their persecutors, besides 700,000 who came to their end in banishment or the public works.

"From torturing pains to endless joys,

On fiery wheels they rode."

The pagans at length thought they had accomplished their object. A medal was struck for Dioclesian, with this inscription, "Nomine Christianorum deleto." "The name of Christians being extinguished." The Pagan worship was every where set up in great splendor. It was the darkest period which the Christian Church had seen. But He who had established her, had promised, that the gates of hell should never prevail against her. A remnant remained who wrestled with the angel of the covenant and prevailed.— The time of their deliverance was at hand. The arm of Jehovah was uplifted, and Satan fell as lightning from heaven.

In the year 312, the Emperor Dioclesian died. His successor, Maximin Galerius, who had been the author of the heaviest persecution, also soon came to his end. He was horrid in death. In frantic agony he cried out, "It was not I, but others who did it." In the West, Constantius Clorus died in Britain, A. D. 306. He had renounced idolatry, was a man of strict morals and had favored the Christians. The army forced Constantine, his son, to accept the purple. At the same time, Maxentius, son-in-law to Galerius, assumed the imperial dignity at Rome. A civil war ensued. In marching to battle, Constantine felt the need of some divine assistance. He had seen his father reject Polytheism, and treat with kindness the Christians. He felt anxious to know their God. Historians report that he prayed for light, and that, while marching with his forces, a miraculous cross appeared to him in the air, with the inscription “Conquer by this;"—that the same night Christ appeared to him in his sleep, with the same sign of the cross and directed him to make it his military ensign. Such a report must have had a great effect upon his enemies. True it might have been. Greater miracles have been wrought. But the age of miracles had passed away. The chief design of miracles, which was to support revelation, had, long before, been accomplished. Nor was Constantine a favorite of heaven. A dream he probably had; and, from that time, the Emperor became the open advocate of Christianity, and

Over

the banner of the cross was displayed in his armies. all his enemies he was conqueror, and, for many years, was sole master of Rome. In the year 324 he published edicts and laws, by which the ancient religion of the Romans was abolished, and Christianity was established as the religion. of the empire.

This great and astonishing revolution in the religious world, great as it was unexpected, to those who, a few years before, saw Christianity almost extinct amid the flames of persecution, appears to have been clearly predicted by John, in the opening of the sixth seal. Then, indeed, the idolatrous heaven, filled with Jupiter, and a thousand deities, "departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places."

That gigantic power which had hitherto been employed to crush Christianity, and which would, ages before, have driven every vestige of it from among men, had not God been its helper, was now engaged to demolish the kingdom of darkness, and to exalt Christ in the earth. The Heathen temples were pulled down; images of gold and silver were melted and coined into money; great idols, curiously wrought, were brought to Constantinople and drawn with ropes through the principal streets, for the scorn of the people. The heathen priests were cast out, dispersed and banished. Every place of power and trust in the state and army, which had before been filled by heathen, was now occupied by professed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Immense and splendid Christian temples were every where erected and richly endowed; and the greatest honor was put upon all preachers of the Gospel. Constantine put an end to pagan rites; to sorcery and divination, those great supports of false religion; publicly exposed the mysteries which had been kept secret; stopped the savage fights of gladiators; ordered the strict observance of the Lord's day; furnished the Churches with copies of the sacred scriptures; stood up with respectful silence, to hear the Gospel from Eusebius, of Cesarea; dedicated Christian temples himself with great solemnity; yea, made Christian orations, one of which, of considerable length, is preserved to us; and taught all the soldiers in his army to pray to the God of the Christians.

The sincerity of the man, who, in a short period, effected such amazing changes in the religious world, is best known to Him who searches the heart. Certain it is, that his sub

sequent life furnished no evidence of conversion to God. He waded without remorse through seas of blood, and was a most tyrannical prince. If it be asked, Why he so patronized Christians? The answer may be found in the state of the world. Paganism had nearly expired. Christianity had gained deep root in the earth, and how could he with the least worldly policy do otherwise than he did, especially as all his opposers were the supporters of Paganism.

But with him, we have but little concern. The work was the Lord's. He was indeed the distinguished instrument of effecting it. Happy for him, if he had a saving interest in that Redeemer, whose cause he so illustriously upheld. But every circumstance shows the mighty power of God. That little sect which three centuries before sprang up in Judea, and seemed in the eyes of the world, too contemptible for notice, now filled the earth with its glories. That little seed which was then planted, had sprang up and became a great tree, under whose branches the nations reposed for comfort. The success was in strict accordance with prophecy, and proved to the nations that it was the Lord God that had set up his kingdom on the ruins of the kingdom of Satan, and would ultimately triumph from the river to the ends of the earth.

The joy felt by Christians throughout the Roman empire, at this unexpected revolution, was beyond the power of language to express. They had hitherto been only suffered to live. Few privileges were theirs. Few enjoyments but those which sprang from communion with God; while they were often obliged to hide in the rocks and caves of the earth, from whence they were dragged forth to suffer the most cruel deaths. Could the truly pious among them have looked forward to the issue, and seen all this worldly magnificence operating as poison to the very vitals of the Church, they would have lamented the change, and preferred the endurance of further trials; but all were impressed with the belief that now Christ was coming to take to himself the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven. The worldly minded among them, saw every thing in the change to gratify their pride and ambition; rushed with avidity into all places of power and dominion, and hailed Constantine as the greatest of human benefactors.

At the change, Satan gnawed his tongue for pain. The heathen priests and vast crowds of subordinate officers, who

had gained their subsistence in the idol worship, saw their darling gods trampled in the dust; their own consequence at an end, and their means of support entirely cut off. Great multitudes, indeed were mere warriors and courtiers who were attached to the heathen superstition because it was the religion of the state, and were zealous in it because zeal gained them promotion. Such readily renounc ed it and became Christians when they saw their emperor fighting successfully under the banner of the cross. Others, more intelligent and reflecting, had long in their hearts despised the whole system of idol worship, while they had prostrated themselves with apparently the profoundest reverence. Such rejoiced to see the establishment of ages overturned, though they knew not what would arise in its stead. But others, some from interest, and some from sincere attachment, struggled vehemently for the expiring cause. They beheld with indignation and grief the destruction of their temples and gods. They aspersed the emperor in the foulest language, and predicted the greatest calamities to his family and kingdom. They were never again able to persecute the Christians as they had done, but they occasionally rallied, and grew terrible for a season, until at length, through the excellency of Christianity and the power of the state, and the contempt into which their own gods and rites had sunk, they dwindled away and were found no more.

CHAPTER VI.

Results of the Revolution under Constantine. Rise of Arianism. Council of Nice.-Death of Constantine. Succeeding emperors. Julian's attempt to restore Paganism. His defeat in re-building the Temple at Jerusalem. Persecutions in Persia. Eusebius Basil. Chrysostom. Jerome. Augustine. Pelagianism. Civil revolution in Europe. Daniel's vision of the ten horns. Conversion of the barbarous nations. Franks. Irish. Britons. Progress of error and superstition in the 5th and 6th centuries.

THE revolution under Constantine, was one from which almost every thing which the Christian values, might be hoped; but alas! such is the depravity of human nature, it was one in which almost every thing of evangelical worth was lost. Constantine brought the world into the Church, and the Church was paralyzed. The number of nominal Christians was indeed increased a thousand fold. A new spring was given to missionary effort; and in this century &

number of barbarous tribes among the Armenians, the Ethiopians, the Georgians, the Goths, and the Gauls, were partially enlightened by the Gospel of Christ. The work of translating and circulating the Holy Scriptures, also received great encouragement; though, for the former, few had learning and industry sufficient. The Latin version of Jerome, though far from being correct, stands pre-eminent over all others that were made. Schools were established, and libraries were formed for Christian youth; and the study of philosophy and the liberal arts was encouraged, that Christianity might not suffer by a comparison of her advocates with the erudition and skill of the sages of Paganism. Immense and splendid temples were erected and richly endowed; and a great priesthood was regularly organized and Hiberally supported. The body existed, but the spirit had fled. Constantine set up an immense national Church; but the humility, faith, and the spirituality of the age of Polycarp had passed away. Church which he thus

Constantine did not find it in the raised to worldly glory; and how could he create it there by those means which always destroy vital piety?

Among the more retired, in the humble walks of life, there was, no doubt, much true religion. There must have been much to support the sufferers through the Dioclesian persecution. Many of these sufferers with their children, were humble followers of Christ for many years. Some of the ministers were worthy of a better age. But the most of those who were exalted to places of power and trust, were engaged in pompous rites and ceremonies, and knew but little of the humiliating and sanctifying doctrines of Christianity. Indeed, their elevation to wealth and power was followed by an amazing increase of luxury and vice. Bishops contended with bishops about the extent of their jurisdictions; vied with princes in their style of living, and and showed that they placed their heaven upon earth. Having such spiritual guides, the mass of the people soon became exceedingly corrupt. Shoals of profligate men, allured by gain, or driven by fear, pressed into the Church; discipline ceased, and superstition reigned without control. The Gentile converts to nominal Christianity, brought into the Church a taste for the public processions and prayers, by which they had been accustomed to appease their gods; hastily transferred the virtues which had been supposed to belong to their temples and their ablutions to Christian tem