OF THE HOMAN' EMPIRE.
empire to imitate the example of their master;but he declares, that those who still refuse toopen their eyes to the celestial light, may freelyenjoy their temples, and their fancied gods.A report, that the ceremonies or’paganism weresuppressed, is formally contradicted by the em-peror himself, who wisely assigns, as the prin-ciple of his moderation, the invincible force ofhabit, of prejudice, and of superstition . 4 With-out violating the sanctity of his promise, with-out alarming the fears of the pagans, the artfulmonarch advanced, by slow and cautious steps,to undermine the irregular and decayed fabricof polytheism. The partial acts of severitywhich he occasionally exercised, though theywere secretly prompted by a Christian zeal, werecoloured by the fairest pretences of justice andthe public good ; and while Constantine de-signed to ruin the foundations, he seemed toreform the abuses, of the ancient religion. Af-ter the example of the wisest of his predeces-sors, he condemned, under the most rigorouspenalties, the occult and impious arts of divi-nation ; which excited the vain hopes, andsometimes the criminal attempts, of those whowere discontented with their present condition.An ignominious silence was imposed on the ora-cles, which had been publicly convicted offraud and falsehood ; the effeminate priests ofthe Nile were abolished; and Constantine dis-
d See Eusebios in Vit. Constantin. 1 . ii, c. 56, 60. In the sermon tothe assembly of saints, which the emperor pronounced when he wasmature in years and piety, he declares to the idolaters (c. xi) that theyare permitted to offer sacrifice*, and to exercise every part of theirreligious worship.
403
CHAP.
XXI.