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VI.

ploring his clemency. Here was a fair opportunity CHAP of proving the spirit of Constantine.

27. Was he possessed of the meek and merciful spirit of Christ, or with the cruel and merciless spirit of a tyrant, when he ordered Licinius to be strangled? For his manifest object was to possess his dominions and reign sole lord of the empire: which he did from that period until his death.

28. Under such circumstances, it might argue some degree of candour in Constantine, to decline being numbered among the faithful till he was past committing such bloody crimes: but who could assure him that his blood-guiltiness could, in the end, be washed away with a little water? Surely this delusion of Antichrist belonged to the priesthood.

29. It will further appear evident, beyond dispute, that it was not the cause of Christ that Constantine espoused, if we consider the fruits of his spirit, which appeared in his successors.

tory, vol.

319.

30. After the death of Constantine, which hap- Eccl. His 'pened in the year 337, his three sons, Constantine i. p. 318, II. Constantius, and Constans, were, in consequence ' of his appointment, put in possession of the em'pire, and were all saluted as emperors and Augustii 'by the Roman senate."

31. "There were yet living two brothers of the 'late emperor, viz. Constantius Dalmatius, and Julius Constantius, and they had several sons. These the sons of Constantine ordered to be put to death, 'lest their ambitious views should excite troubles in 'the empire. And they all fell victims to this barba'rous order, except Gallus and Julian, the sons of Julius Constantius, the latter of whom rose after'wards to the imperial dignity."

32. Here then is the first fruits of that spirit which flowed from this imperial head of the Catholic church to his successors-A cruel massacre of their nearest relations, from a sordid thirst of empire? And what was the language of this horrid and barbarous act to the subordinate members of their motley government? Surely it must be this, Be ye followers of us, even as we are of CONSTANTine.

33. The bloody murderers, however, could not

VI.

CHAP. long agree among themselves. "The dominions al'lotted to Constantine, were Britain, Gaul and Spain; 'but he did not possess them long, for, having made himself master, by force, of several places belonging to Constans, this occasioned a war between the 'two brothers, in the year 340, in which Constantiné 'lost his life."

Ecel-His

tory, vol. i. p. 320.

bid.

P. 323.

34. Constans the conqueror, now became sole master of all the western provinces, of which he remained in possession until the year 350, when he was cruelly assassinated by Magnentius, one of his commanders, who afterwards, in a fit of rage and despair at his ill success in a war against Constantius, laid violent hands upon himself: and lastly, Constantius gave up the ghost in the year 361, at Mopsucrene, as he was marching against Julian.

35. Such were the successors of CONSTANTINE, whom the Christian world, so called, respect as the great pillars of their religious establishment. And though guilty of the most horrid and barbarous crimes, yet are honoured and applauded under the beautiful mask of a Christian profession, following the example of their father, (as Mosheim expresses it) "in continuing to abrogate and efface the ancient super'stitions of the Romans and other idolatrous nations, ' and to accelerate the progress of the Christian reli'gion throughout the empire."

36. But observe what follows: "This flourishing 'progress of the Christian religion was greatly inter'rupted, and the church reduced to the brink of destruction, when JULIAN, the son of Julius Constan'tius was placed at the head of affairs."

37. What is the matter now? This prince, though he had been educated in the principles of Christianity," yet, (says Mosheim,) he apostatized from that 'divine religion." And pray what was the cause of this apostacy? The answer is, "It was partly owing to his aversion to the CONSTANTINE family, who had embrued their hands in the blood of his father, 'brother, and kinsmen." It was therefore, not from the religion of Jesus that he apostatized, but from that of bloody murderers.

38. "JULIAN (adds the doctor,) affected, in general,

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CHAP.

VII.

'to appear moderate in religious matters, unwilling 'to trouble any on account of their faith, or to seem 'averse to any sect or party." And because he allowed equal liberty to all, or as Robinson expresses it, "The just and gentle JULIAN, because he headed Eccl. Re 'neither party, and put off the purple unstained with searche 'the blood of Heretics, both sides agree to execrate him as a diabolical apostate."

39. And strange as it may seem, this mild and equitable government under JULIAN, is by some of the most eminent orthodox divines, included in the flood which the dragon, i. e. the devil, poured out of his mouth to destroy the woman, i. e. the church, and her son, the Roman emperor.

40. But having examined this man-child, which they have exalted, not only to God and to his throne, but above all that is called God, we shall leave him at present, and examine a little further into the spirit and conduct of her that bare him.

p. 139.

W

CHAPTER VII.

General Marks of the Catholic Religion.

THOEVER examines the accounts given by historians, of the nature and genius of that relig gion which was established by the Catholic Fathers, under the name of Christianity, will find that it differs as widely from the work of the Holy Spirit in the Primitive Church of Christ, as did their imperial forms of government.

2. In fact, their religion was all of a kind; and therefore, instead of retaining that divine power, which, in the days of the apostles, manifested itself in every good word and work, they adopted a vain parade of external rites and ceremonies, resembling those of the Jews and Pagans.

3. These they united to their corrupt doctrines; and for the support and propagation of both, they, in process of time, raised the arm of persecution against U 2

VII.

CHAP. all such as were so far enlightened as to differ from them, and so presumptuous, in their esteem, as to think and act for themselves.

4. From the first formation of the Catholic system, before ever Constantine ascended the throne, the principal account that is given of the religion of the self-stiled orthodox, is, their either practising old rites and ceremonies, or inventing new ones, which put them still at a greater distance from every appearance of the humble followers of Jesus.

5. Many there were, however, who could not conform to these absurd innovations, who consequently were looked upon as persons of no religion, and against whom the most bloody persecutions were raised, as soon as the aid of civil power was attained; the cruel and lawless spirit of which has, more or less, continued to the present day.

6. From all that has been written concerning the rise and progress of this catholic religion, even by their own historians, it is plain, that the most distinguishing marks of it, are, Superstition and Persecution of which we shall here insert a brief account from their early beginning.

7. By superstition is meant, any religious offering, act, or performance, for which there is no present order, or command from heaven; but which is either invented or practised to serve the selfish ends of some human priesthood: and hence, the vain superstitions of the catholic church, took their rise, with those bishops and priests, who substituted their own natural wit and learning, in the room of the spirit of inspiration, from which alone the mind of God could be known.

8. It, therefore, made no difference what they set up for religion; whether it was some new invention of their own, or some rite and ceremony, which might formerly have been of divine appointment; in as much as there was no express command of God, to them, in the case of course, whatever they introduced, must be, to them, a matter of their own superstition; which will manifestly appear from what is stated concerning their reasons of first introducing superfluous rites and ceremonies into the catholic church.

VK.

i. p. 196.

9. Mosheim says, " In this [second] century, many CHAP ' unnecessary rites and ceremonies were added to the Christian [i. e. Catholic] worship; the introduction Eccl. Hisof which was extremely offensive to wise and good tory, vol. 'men. These changes, while they destroyed the beautiful simplicity of the gospel, were naturally 'pleasing to the gross multitude, who are more delighted with the pomp and splendour of external 'institutions, than with the native charms of rational and solid piety, and who generally give little attention to any objects but those which strike their outward senses."

10." It is not improper to remark here, that this ' attachment of the vulgar to the pomp of ceremonies, is a circumstance that has always been favour' able to the ambitious views of the Romish [i. e. Catholic] clergy, since the pomp of religion naturally casts a part of its glory and magnificence upon its ministers, and thereby gives them, impercepti'bly, a vast ascendant over the minds of the people."

11. Then as an aspiring and self-interested clergy have had the modelling of this Catholic religion from the beginning, it is evident that its rites and ceremonies, throughout, are merely the fruits of human ambition, and not of any divine appointment. This is evidently implied by Mosheim, when he says, "That the bishops augmented the number of religious rites by way of accommodation to the infirmities and prejudices of both Jews and Heathens, in order to facilitate their conversion."

12. "Both Jews and Heathens were accustomed to ' a vast variety of pompous and magnificent ceremo'nies in their religious service. And as they consid⚫ered these rites as an essential part of religion, it was but natural that they should behold, with indifference, and even with contempt, the simplicity ' of the Christian worship, which was destitute of ‹ those idle ceremonies that rendered their service so specious and striking."

13. "To remove this prejudice against Christianity, the bishops thought it necessary to increase the ' number of rites and ceremonies." And by this means it seems they also designed "to remove the

ibid. Note [u.]

ibid.

p.197,198

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