THE DECLINE AND FALL

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chap, version was applauded By the same bishopsXXI - w ho had felt the hand of oppression, and hadpleaded for the rights of humanity, lwo im-material circumstances may serve, however, toprove that the mind of Constantine was not en-tirely corrupted by the spirit of zeal and bigo-try. Before he condemned the manichaeans,and their kindred sects, he resolved to make anaccurate inquiry into the nature of their religi-ous principles. As if he distrusted the impar-tiality of his ecclesiastical counsellors, this de-licate commission was entrusted to a civil ma-gistrate, whose learning and moderation hejustly esteemed, and of whose venal characterlie was probably ignorant.' The emperor wassoon convinced, that he had too hastily pro-scribed the orthodox faith and the exemplarymorals of the novatians, who had dissentedfrom the church in some articles of disciplinewhich were not perhaps essential to salvation.By a particular edict, he exempted them fromthe general penalties of the law •* allowed themto build a church at Constantinople , respectedthe miracles of their saints, invited their bishopAcesius to the council of Nice ; and gently ri-diculed the narrow tenets of his sect by a fami-

* Constantinus , enim cum limatius superstitionum quaereret sectas,manichaeorum etsimilium, &c. Amniian. xv, 15. Strategius, who fromthis commission obtained the surname of Slusoniamts, was a Christianof the Arian sect. He acted as one of the counts at the council ofSardica. Libanius praises his mildness and prudence. Vales, ad lo-cum Ammian.

4 Cod. Theod. 1. xvi, tit. v, leg. 2. As the general law is not insert-ed in the Theodosian code, it is probable, that in the year 438, the sectswhich it had condemned were already extinct.