350

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.

XXI.

Arian

council!.

The sentiments of a judicious stranger, whohas impartially considered the progress of civilor ecclesiastical discord, are always entitled toour notice; and a short passage of Ammianus ,who served in the armies, and studied the cha-racter, of Constantins, is perhaps of more valuethan many pages of theological invectives.“ The Christian religion, which, in itself,” saysthat moderate historian, “ is plain and simple,“ he confounded by the dotage of superstition.“ Instead of reconciling the parties by the weight“ of his authority, he cherished and propagated,“ by verbal disputes, the differences which his“ vain curiosity had excited. The highways“ were covered with troops of bishops, gallop-“ ing from every side to the assemblies, which“ they call synods; and while they laboured“ to reduce the whole sect to their own parti-“ cular opinions, the public establishment of“ the posts was almost ruined by their hasty“ and repeated journeys.” y Our more intimateknowledge of the ecclesiastical transactions ofthe reign of Constantius , w’ould furnish an am-ple commentary on this remarkable passage;which justifies the rational apprehensions ofAthanasius , that the restless activity of theclergy, who wandered round the empire in

Alexandrian Chronicle, by Cedrenus, and by Nicephorus (see Gotho-fred. Dissertat. p. 188. They could not refuse a miracle, even fromthe hand of an enemy.

’ So curious a passage well deserves to be transcribed. Christianamreligionem absolutam et simplicem, anili superstitione confundens ;in qui scrutandd perplexius, quam componendi gravius excitaret dis-cidia plurima; quae progressa fusius altiit concertatione verborum, utcatervis antistitum jumentis publicis ultro citroque discurrentibus, persynodos (qtias appellant) dum ritum omnem ad suum trahere conautiir(Valesius reads conatur) rei vehicularia; concideret nervos. Ammianus xxi, lfi.