XXV. State of the church, A. D. 363. J CHAP. XXV. The Government and Death of Jovian.- Election of CHAP. HE death of Julian had left the public THE affairs of affairs of the empire in a very doubtful and dangerous fituation. The Roman army was faved by an inglorious, perhaps a necellary, treaty'; and the firft moments of peace were confecrated by the pious Jovian to reftore the domeftic tranquillity of the church and fate. The indifcretion of his predeceffor, inftead of reconciling, had artfully fomented, the religious war and the balance which he affected to preferve between the hoftile factions, feryed only to perpetuate the conteft, by the viciffitudes of hope and fear, by the rival claims of ancient poffeffion and actual favour. The Chriftians had forgotten the fpirit of the Gofpel; and the Pagans had imbibed the spirit of the church. In private families, the fentiments of nature were The medals of Jovian adorn him with victories, laurel crowns, and proftrate captives. Ducange, Famil. Byzantin. p. 52. Flattery is a foolish suicide: the deftroys herself with her own hands. extinguished by the blind fury of zeal and revenge the majesty of the laws was violated or abufed; the cities of the Eaft were ftained with blood; and the most implacable enemies of the Romans were in the bofom of their country. Jovian was educated in the profeffion of Chriftianity; and as he marched from Nifibis to Antioch, the banner of the Crofs, the LABARUM of Conftantine, which was again displayed at the head of the legions, announced to the people the faith of their new emperor. As foon as he af cended the throne, he tranfmitted a circular epiftle to all the governors of provinces: in which he confeffed the divine truth, and fecured the legal establishment, of the Chriftian religion. The infidious edicts of Julian were abolished; the ecclefiaftical immunities were reftored and enlarged; and Jovian condefcended to lament, that the distress of the times obliged him to diminish the measure of charitable diftributions 2. The Chriftians were unanimous in the loud and fincere applause which they bestowed on the pious fucceffor of Julian. But they were ftill ignorant what creed, or what fynod, he would chufe for the standard of orthodoxy; and the peace of the church immediately revived thofe 2 Jovian restored to the church To αx-io nosμov; a forcible and comprehenfive expreffion (Philoftorgius, 1. viii. c. 5. with Godefroy's Differtations, p. 329. Sozomen, 1. vi. c. 3.). The new law which condemned the rape or marriage of nuns (Cod. Theod. 1. ix. tit. xxv. leg. 2.), is exaggerated by Sozomen; who fuppofes, that an amorous glance, the adultery of the heart, was puniflied with death by the evangelic legiflator. CHAP. XXV. CHAP. eager difputes which had been fufpended during the season of perfecution. The epifcopal leaders of the contending fects, convinced, from experience, how much their fate would depend on the earliest impreffions that were made on the mind of an untutored foldier, haftened to the court of Edeffa, or Antioch. The highways of the Eaft were crowded with Homooufian, and Arian, and Semi-Arian, and Eunomian bishops, who struggled to outftrip each other in the holy race; the apartments of the palace refounded with their clamours; and the ears of the prince were affaulted, and perhaps aftonished, by the fingular mixture of metaphyfical argument and paffionate invective. The moderation of Jovian, who recommended concord and charity, and referred the difputants to the sentence of a future council, was interpreted as a fymptom of indifference; but his attachment to the Nicene creed was at length discovered and declared, by the reverence which he expreffed for the cæleftial virtues of the great Athanafius. The intrepid veteran of the faith, at the age of feventy, had iffued from his retreat on the firft intelligence of the tyrant's death. The acclamations of the people feated him once more on the archiepif 4 3 Compare Socrates, 1. iii. c. 25. and Philoftergius, 1. viii. c. 6. with Godefroy's Differtations, p. 330. 4 The word cæleftial faintly expreffes the impious and extravagant fattery of the emperor to the archbiâhop, της προς τον Θεον των ολων ομοίω (See the original epiftle in Athanafius, tom. ii. p. 33-) Gregory Nazianzen (Orat. xxi. p. 392.) celebrates the friendship of Jovian and Athanafius. The primate's journey was advised by the Egyptian monks (Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom. viii. p. 221.). copal 1 XXV. copal throne; and he wifely accepted, or anti- CHIAP cipated, the invitation of Jovian. The venerable figure of Athanafius, his calm courage, and infinuating eloquence, fuftained the reputation. which he had already acquired in the courts of four fucceffive princess. As foon as he had gained the confidence, and fecured the faith, of the Christian emperor, he returned in triumph to his diocese, and continued, with mature counfels, and undiminished vigour, to direct, ten years longer, the ecclefiaftical government of Alexandria, Egypt, and the Catholic church. Before his departure from Antioch, he affured Jovian that his orthodox devotion would be rewarded with a long and peaceful reign. Athanafius had reason to hope, that he should be allowed either the merit of a fuccefsful prediction, or the excufe of a grateful, though ineffectual, prayer 7. 5 Athanafius, at the court of Antioch, is agreeably reprefented by La Bleterie (Hift. de Jovien, tom. i. p. 121-148.): he tranflates the fingular and original conferences of the emperor, the primate of Egypt and the Arian deputies. The Abbé is not satisfied with the coarfe pleasantry of Jovian; but his partiality for Athanafius affumes, in his eyes, the character of justice. 6 The true æra of his death is perplexed with some difficulties (Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom. viii. p. 719–723.). But the date' (A. D. 373, May 2.), which seems the moft confiftent with hiftory and reason, is ratified by his authentic life (Maffei Offervazioni Letteraire, tom. iii. p. 81.) 7 See the obfervations of Valefius and Jortin (Remarks on Ecclefiaftical History, vol. iv. p. 38.) on the original letter of Athanafius; which is preserved by Theodoret (1. iv. c. 3.). In fome MSS. this indifcreet promife is omitted; perhaps by the Catholics, jealous of the prophetic fame of their leader. СНАР. Jovian proclaims univerfal toleration. The flighteft force, when it is applied to affift and guide the natural defcent of its object, operates with irresistible weight; and Jovian had the good fortune to embrace the religious opinions which were fupported by the fpirit of the times, and the zeal and numbers of the moft powerful fects. Under his reign, Chriftianity obtained an cafy and lafting victory; and as foon as the fmile of royal patronage was withdrawn, the gcnius of paganism, which had been fondly raised and cherished by the arts of Julian, funk irrecoverably in the duft. In many cities, the temples were fhut or deferted; the philofophers, who had abufed their tranfient favour, thought it prudent to fhave their beards, and difguife their profeffion; and the Chriftians rejoiced, that they were now in a condition to forgive, or to revenge, the injuries which they had fuffered under the preceding reign. The confternation of the Pagan world was difpelled by a wife and gracious edict of toleration; in which Jovian explicitly declared, that although he fhould feverely punish the facrilegious rites of magic, his fubjects might exercise, with freedom and fafety, the ceremonies of the ancient worship. The memory of this law has been preferved by the orator Themiftius, who was deputed by the fenate of Conftantinople 8 Athanafius (apud Theodoret, 1. iv. c. 3.) magnifies the number of the orthodox, who compofed the whole world, wg oXIYWY TWY Ta Ague pocevtay. This affertion was verified in the space of thirty or forty years. 9 Socrates, 1. iii. c. 24. Gregory Nazianzen (Orat. iv. p. 131.), and Libanius (Orat. Parentalis, c. 148. p. 369.), exprefs the living fentiments of their refpective factions. to |