XX. dinary providence, which was no longer confined CHAP. to the Jewish people, might elect Conftantine and his family as the protectors of the Chriftian world; and the devout Lactantius announces, in a prophetic tone, the future glories of his long and univerfal reign". Galerius and Maximin, Maxentius and Licinius, were the rivals who shared with the favourite of heaven the provinces of the empire. The tragic deaths of Galerius and Maximin foon gratified the resentment, and fulfilled the fanguine expectations, of the Chriftians. The fuccefs of Conftantine against Maxentius and Licinius, removed the two formidable competitors who ftill oppofed the triumph of the fecond David, and his caufe might feem to claim the peculiar interpofition of Providence. The character of the Roman tyrant difgraced the purple and human nature; and though the Christians might enjoy his precarious favour, they were expofed, with the rest of his fubjects, to the effects of his wanton and capricious cruelty. The conduct of Licinius foon betrayed the reluctance with which he had confented to the wife and humane regulations of the edict of Milan. The convocation of provincial fynods was prohibited in his dominions; his Chriftian officers were ignominiously difmiffed; and if he avoided the guilt, or rather danger, of a general perfecution, his partial oppreffions were rendered ftill more odious, by the violation of a folemn and voluntary engagement While the Eaft, according to the lively expreffion of Eufebius, was involved 23 XX. CHAP. in the shades of infernal darkness, the auspicious rays of celeftial light warmed and illuminated the provinces of the Weft. The piety of Conftantine was admitted as an unexceptionable proof of the justice of his arms; and his ufe of victory confirmed the opinion of the Christians, that their hero was inspired, and conducted, by the Lord of Hofts. The conqueft of Italy produced a general edict of toleration: and as foon as the defeat of Licinius had invested Conftantine with the fole dominion of the Roman world, he immediately, by circular letters, exhorted all his fubjects to imitate, without delay, the example of their fovereign, and to embrace the divine truth of Christianity". A. D. 324. Loyalty the Chrif The affurance that the elevation of Conftanand zeal of tine was intimately connected with the defigns of tian party. Providence, inftilled into the minds of the Chriftians two opinions, which, by very different means, affifted the accomplishment of the prophecy. Their warm and active loyalty exhausted in his favour every refource of human induftry; and they confidently expected that their ftrenuous efforts would be feconded by some divine and miraculous aid. The enemies of Conftantine have imputed to interefted motives the alliance which he infenfibly contracted with the Catholic church, and which apparently contributed to the fuccefs of his ambition. In the beginning of the fourth century, the Christians still bore a very inadequate proportion to the inhabitants of the empire; but among a degenerate people, who viewed the change of masters with the indifference of slaves, the fpirit and union of a religious party might af fift the popular leader, to whofe fervice, from a principle of confcience, they had devoted their lives and fortunes ". The example of his father had inftructed Conftantine to efteem and to reward the merit of the Chriftians; and in the dif tribution of public offices, he had the advantage of ftrengthening his government, by the choice of ministers or generals, in whose fidelity he could repose a just and unreferved confidence. By the influence of thefe dignified miffionaries, the profelytes of the new faith must have multiplied in the court and army; the Barbarians of Germany, who filled the ranks of the legions, were of a carelefs temper, which acquiefced without refiftance in the religion of their commander; and when they paffed the Alps, it may fairly be prefumed, that a great number of the foldiers had already confecrated their fwords to the fervice of Chrift and of Conftantine". The habits of mankind, and the interest of religion, gradually abated the horror of war and bloodshed, which had fo long prevailed among the Chriftians; and in the councils which were affembled under the gracious protection of Constantine, the authority of the bishops was feasonably employed to ratify the obligation of the military oath, and to inflict the penalty of excommunication on thofe foldiers who threw away their arms during the peace of the church ". While Conftantine, in his own dominions, encreased the number and zeal of his faithful ad 27 СНАР. СНАР. XX. Expecta belief of a miracle. herents, he could depend on the fupport of a powerful faction in those provinces, which were ftill poffeffed or ufurped by his rivals. A fecret difaffection was diffused among the Chriftian fubjects of Maxentius and Licinius; and the refentment which the latter did not attempt to conceal, served only to engage them still more deeply in the intereft of his competitor. The regular correfpondence which connected the bishops of the most diftant provinces, enabled them freely to communicate their wishes and their defigns, and to transmit without danger any ufeful intelligence, or any pious contributions, which might promote the service of Conftantine, who publicly declared that he had taken up arms for the deliverance of the church ". The enthusiasm which infpired the troops, and tion and perhaps the emperor himself, had sharpened their fwords while it fatisfied their confcience. They marched to battle with the full affurance, that the fame God, who had formerly opened a paffage to the Ifraelites through the waters of Jordan, and had thrown down the walls of Jericho at the found of the trumpets of Joshua, would display his vifible majesty and power in the victory of Conftantine. The evidence of ecclefiaftical hiftory is prepared to affirm, that their expectations were juftified by the confpicuous miracle to which the converfion of the first Chriftian emperor has been almost unanimously afcribed. The real or ima ginary cause of fo important an event, deferves and demands the attention of pofterity; and I shall endeavour to form a juft eftimate of the famous vifion of Conftantine, by a distinct confideration of the standard, the dream, and the celestial fign; by feparating the hiftorical, the natural, and the marvellous parts of this extraordinary ftory, which, in the compofition of a specious argument, have been artfully confounded in one fplendid and brittle mafs. 30 29 CHAP. XX. rum, or I. An inftrument of the tortures which were in- The Labaflicted only on slaves and ftrangers, became an tandard of object of horror in the eyes of a Roman citizen; the crofs. and the ideas of guilt, of pain, and of ignominy, were closely united with the idea of the cross The piety, rather than the humanity, of Conftantine, foon abolished in his dominions the punishment which the Saviour of mankind had condefcended to fuffer "; but the emperor had already learned to despise the prejudices of his education, and of his people, before he could erect in the midst of Rome his own ftatue, bearing a cross in its right hand; with an inscription, which referred the victory of his arms, and the deliverance of Rome, to the virtue of that salutary fign, the true fymbol of force and courage". The fame fymbol fanctified the arms of the foldiers of Conftantine; the cross glittered on their helmet, was engraved on their shields, was interwoven into their banners; and the confecrated emblems which adorned the perfon of the emperor himself, were diftinguished only by richer materials and more exquifite workmanship ". But the But the principal ftandard which difplayed the triumph of the cross |