OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

385

quished in the field the legions of Magnentins,received from an invisible hand a wound, whichhe could neither heal nor revenge; and the sonof Constantine was the first of the Christian princes who experienced the strength of thoseprinciples, which, in the cause of religion, couldresist the most violent exertions of the civilpower.'

The persecution of Athanasius , and of somany respectable bishops, who suffered for thetruth of their opinions, or at least for the inte-grity of their conscience, was a just subject ofindignation and discontent to all Christians , ex-cept those who were blindly devoted to thearian faction. The people regretted the loss oftheir faithful pastors, whose banishment wasusually followed by the intrusion of a stranger*into the episcopal chair; and loudly complain-ed that the right of election was violated, andthat they were condemned to obey a mercenaryusurper, whose person was unkuown, andwhose principles were suspected. The catho-lics might prove to the world, that they were

f The epistle of Athana>ius to the monk* is filled with reproaches,whirl] the public must feel to be true (voh i, p. 834 65G) ; and, incompliment to his readers, he has introduced the comparisons ofPharaoh , Ahab, Helshazzar, See. The boldness of Hilary was at-tended with less danger, if lie published his invective in Gaul afterthe revolt of Julian ; but Lucifer sent his libels to Constautius, andalmost challenged the rew ard of martyrdom. See TiJlemont, tom, vii,p. 905.

8 Athanasius (tom. i, p. 811) complains in general of this practice,which lie afterwards exemplifies (p. 801) in the pretended election ofFaelix. Three eunuchs represented the Roman people, and three pre-lates, who followed the court, assumed the functions of the bishops ofthe Suburbicarian provinces.

VOL. III.

CHAP.

XXL

A rianbishops*

C C