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 preferring their religion to their country; but as long as peace fubfifted between the two empires, the perfecuting fpirit of the Magi was effectually reftrained by the interpofition of Conftantine". The rays of the gofpel illuminated the coaft of India. The colonies of Jews, who had penetrated into Arabia and Ethiopia", opposed the progress of Christianity; but the labour of the miffionaries was in fome meafure facilitated by a previous knowledge of the Mofaic revelation; and Abyffinia ftill reveres the memory of Frumentius, who, in the time of Conftantine, devoted his life to the converfion of thofe fequeftered regions. Under the reign of his fon Conftantius, Theophilus ", who was himfelf of Indian extraction, was invefted with the double character of ambaffador and bishop. He embarked on the Red Sea with two hundred horfes of the pureft breed of Cappadocia, which were fent by the emperor to the prince of the Sabæans, or Homerites. Theophilus was entrusted with many other useful 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 zone The irresistible power of the Roman emperors was difplayed in the important and dangerous change of the national religion. The terrors of a CHAP. XX. Change of the nation al religion XX. CHAP. 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 eftablished, as a fundamental maxim of the Roman conftitution, 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 magiftrate. Conftantine and his fucceffors could not eafily perfuade themselves 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 exercise a fupreme jurifdiction over the ecclefiaftical order; and the fixteenth book of the Theodofian code represents, under a variety of titles, the authority which they affumed in the government of the Catholic church. A. D. 312-438. Diftinction of the fpiritual and temporal powers. 81 But the diftinction of the spiritual and temporal powers which had never been imposed on the free fpirit of Greece and Rome, was introduced and confirmed by the legal eftablishment of Chriftianity. The office of supreme 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 ftate, as often as he was prompted by fuperftition or policy, performed with his own hands the facerdotal func tions "; 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 Chriftian church, which entrufts the fervice of the altar to a perpetual fucceffion of confecrated ministers, the monarch, whose spiritual rank is lefs honourable than that of the meaneft deacon, was feated below the rails of the fanctuary, and confounded with the reft of the faithful multitude ". 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 refpect, which Conftantine had paid to the perfons of faints and confeffors, were foon exacted by the pride of the episcopal order **. A secret conflict between the civil and ecclefiaftical jurifdictions, embarrassed 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 priefts 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 respective countries "; but the oppofition or contempt of the civil power ferved to cement the difcipline of the primitive church. The Chriftians had been obliged to elect their own magiftrates, СНАР. XX. СНАР. XX. bishops under the Christian to raise and diftribute a peculiar revenue, and to 86 The Catholic church was administered by the State of the fpiritual and legal jurifdiction of eighteen hundred bishops "; of whom one thoufand were feated in the Greek, and eight hundred in the Latin, proemperors. vinces of the empire. The extent and boundaries of their refpective diocefes, had been variously and accidentally decided by the zeal and fuccefs of the first miffionaries, by the wishes of the people, and by the propagation of the gofpel. Epifcopal churches were closely planted along the banks of the Nile, on the fea-coaft of Africa, in the proconfular Afia, and through the fouthern provinces of Italy. The bishops of Gaul and Spain, of Thrace and Pontus, reigned over an ample territory, and delegated their rural fuffragans to execute the subordinate duties of the pastoral office ". A Chriftian diocefe might be spread over a province, or reduced to a village; but all the bishops poffeffed an equal and indelible character: they all derived the fame powers and privileges from the apostles, from the people, and from the laws. While While the civil and military profeffions were separated by the policy of Conftantine, a new and perpetual order of ecclefiaftical minifters, always refpectable, fometimes dangerous, was eftablished in the church and ftate. The important review of their station and attributes may be diftributed under the following heads: I. Popular election. II. Ordination of the clergy. III. Property. IV. Civil jurifdiction. V. Spiritual cenfures. VI. Exercife of public oratory. VII. Privilege of legislative assemblies. СНАР. XX. I. The freedom of elections fubfifted long after I. Election the legal establishment of Christianity "; and the of bishops. fubjects of Rome enjoyed in the church the privilege which they had loft in the republic, of chufing the magiftrates whom they were bound to obey. As foon as a bishop had closed his eyes, the metropolitan iffued a commiffion to one of his fuffragans to adminifter the vacant fee, and prepare, within a limited time, the future election. The right of voting was vefted in the inferior clergy, who were beft qualified to judge of the merit of the candidates; in the fenators or nobles of the city, all those who were diftinguished by their rank or property; and finally in the whole body of the people, who, on the appointed day, flocked in multitudes from the most remote parts of the diocese", and fometimes filenced, by their tumultuous acclamations, the voice of reason, and the laws of difcipline. These acclamations might accidentally fix on the head of the most deferving competitor; of fome ancient presbyter, Vol. III. P |