304

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.

XXI.

CHAP. XXI.

Persecution of heresy—The schism of the Dona -tists—The Arian controversy — Athanasius —Distracted state of the church and empire un-der Constantine and his sons—Toleration ofpaganism.

THE grateful applause of the clergy has con-secrated the memory of a prince who indulgedtheir passions and promoted their interest. Con-stantine gave them security, wealth, honours,and revenge ; and the support of the orthodoxfaith was considered as the most sacred andimportant duty of the civil magistrate. Theedict of Milan, the great charter of toleration,had confirmed to each individual of the Romanworld, the privilege of choosing and professinghis own religion. But this inestimable privi-lege was soon violated ; with the knowledge oftruth the emperor imbibed the maxims of per-secution ; and the sects which dissented fromthe catholic church, were afflicted and oppres-sed by the triumph of Christianity. Constan-tine easily believed that the heretics, who pre-sumed to dispute his opinions, or to oppose hiscommands, were guilty of the most absurd andcriminal obstinacy; and that a seasonable ap-plication of moderate severities might save thoseunhappy men from the danger of an everlastingcondemnation. Not a moment was lost in ex-cluding the ministers and teachers of the sepa-rated congregations from any share of the re-