246

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.

XX.

may assume in his own conduct, whatever in-'diligence he may claim for his own passions, itis undoubtedly his interest that all his subjectsshould respect the natural and civil obligationsof society. But the operation of the wisest lawsis imperfect and precarious. They seldom in-spire virtue, they cannot always restrain vice.Their power is insufficient to prohibit all thatthey condemn, nor can they always punish theactions which they prohibit. The legislatorsof antiquity had summoned to their aid thepowers of education and of opinion. But everyprinciple which had once maintained the vigourand purity of Rome and Sparta, was long sinceextinguished in a declining and despotic empire.Philosophy still exercised her temperate swayover the human mind, but the cause of virtuederived very feeble support from the influenceof the pagan superstition. Under these dis-couraging circumstances, a prudent magistratemight observe with pleasure the progress of areligion, which diffused among the people apure, benevolent, and universal system of ethics,adapted to every duty and every condition oflife; recommended as the will and reason ofthe Supreme Deity, and enforced by the sanc-tion of eternal rewards or punishments. Theexperience of Greek and Roman history couldnot inform the world how far the system of na-tional manners might be reformed and improv-ed by the precepts of a divine revelation; andConstantine might listen with some confidenceto the flattering, and indeed reasonable, assu-rances of Lactautius. The eloquent apologist