stles. Indeed both he and his father Constantine were CHAP.III. guilty of such wickedness, even after their declaring Year after for the Christian religion, (Constantine in murdering the apo so many of his kindred; and he in doing the like, 154 and also in persecuting the catholic Christians,) that it is no wonder if a guilty conscience kept them from baptism, till they could find in their heart to repent of such barbarities. And when the papists object to us our reformation begun under such a king as Henry VIII. they may reflect, that Constantine, by whose means the allowed profession of Christianity itself was brought into the world, has not a much better character. And that it does not please God always to choose good men, but sometimes to make wicked kings instruments of bringing purposes to pass. But yet there is, I think, no Christian writer that presses so hard upon the credit of Constantine in this matter, as Baronius, and they of the church of Rome that follow him. They strike in with that scandalous story which the heathen writers of that time did dress up on a purpose of spite and slander to the Christian religion, and to Constantine for embracing of it: which was, that he, after the murder of his son Crispus, and his wife Fausta, and Eis sister's son Licinius, &c., was terrified in conscience, and sought among the heathen priests for somebody that would expiate him, and give him Lopes of pardon. But that these told him, that they bad rites of expiation for very great sins, and for ordinary murders; but none for such parricide as is was: and so left him in despair. And that then it was that he was informed, what large offers of pardon the Christian religion made to all comers CHAP.III. that would be baptized; and embraced that, not o Year after of any liking to its doctrines, but because no oth would receive him. the apo stles. It is questionless no discredit to any religion (bu the excellency of it) to have such sacraments, t which is annexed the promise of forgiveness of the greatest sins; provided it does lay severe injunc tions against practising the same for the future Yet since this story is set on foot by Zosimus and other heathens, out of spite to Constantine and the Christian religion; and is false; and is shewed to be so by Sozomen', and other Christian historians, (for Constantine favoured Christianity, and made laws in favour of it, before this time,) it discovers an ill bias in Baronius, who (to make the fable of his baptism at Rome more probable) embraces it. But the men of that court make no scruple to advance the repute and pride of it, by treading not only on the necks of present emperors, but also on the credit of the most ancient ones. For, according to this character, what difference is there between Constantine and Julian; save that the one did actually go over to heathenism, and was willingly received by the pagan priests; the other would have done the same, but was not admitted by them. Sect. 3. Of Gratian and Valentinian the Second. There is no proof that their father, Valentinian the First, was a baptized Christian when they were born. I. The import of some sayings of the authors which I shall have occasion to produce in the case k Zosimi Histor. lib. ii. [cap. 29. p. 150. edit. Reitemier, 80. 1784. where consult Heyne's note upon the passage, at p. 549.] 1 Hist. Eccl. lib. i. cap. 5. of these two emperors, will not be so well under- CHAP.III. stood by the ordinary reader, unless I first give & Year after short history of their father and them, as far as concerns this matter. the apo Valentinian the First came from a mean original to the imperial dignity". He gained his preferment by degrees in the army. He is not taken notice of by the historians, till such time as being an officer in the guards, when Julian came to the crown, he 261. lost his place for his religion. For Julian being resolved to set up the old religion again, gave order that none should serve, (especially in those places nigh his person.) but such as would go to the heathen sacrifices, and partake of them. There were a great many in the army, by this time, well instructed in the Christian religion, who rather than go to this sort of mass, would leave their places. Among the rest, this Valentinian and Valens his brother threw away their sword-belts ", 26+ Three years after, both these brothers came to be emperors. For Valentinian being chosen by the army, chose his brother his partner; and leaving him to govern the East, went himself to govern Rome and the western parts. A reader that is not well acquainted with the easton, that persons converted in those times had, of delaying their baptism, would think by the zeal for Christianity that they shewed under Julian, that they both had been at that time baptized. But it is certain they were not both; for we find Valens baptized afterward. His baptism is mentioned by the historians, because of an unusual and wicked * Socrat. Hist. Eccl. lib. iv. cap. 1. ■ Ibid. lib. iii. cap. 13 269. the apo stles CHAP.III. circumstance of it. He was by his wife, who was an Year after Arian, persuaded to be baptized by Eudoxius the Arian bishop of Constantinople: and they together prevailed on him to swear at his baptism, that be would always continue to be on the Arians side, and expel the catholics out of the churches. An impious practice! Instead of baptizing into the Christian religion, as Christian, to baptize into a sect. But Valentinian's baptism is not mentioned at all by the historians: neither should we be sure whether he was ever baptized, were it not for a passage in a letter of St. Ambrose, which I shall have occasion to cite by and by. He was born in 217- Pannonia, a country where Christianity had at that time but little footing; and probably of heathen parents. Who, or what they were, we hear no more than that his father's name had been Gratian, that he was nicknamed Funarius, and that he had been an officer in Britain, in the time of Constantine. II. Now as to his sons: Gratian was born to 2675. him before he was emperor, and on the fourth year of his reign was taken by him into partnership. But Valentinian, his younger son, was born 256 to him the third year of his reign; so that he was 27 nine years old when his father died. Ammianus Marcellinus says he was but four. But it must be • Theodoret. Hiet lib. iv. cap. 12. 13. * Lib. iv. cap. 9 ing to the custom of those times,) which was CHAP.111. before the year on which Ammianus makes him to year after be born. the apo stles. 278. When Valentinian the elder died, the army pro-275 claimed this young Valentinian emperor, together with his brother. So they ruled the West, and their uncle Valens the East. And when Valens died, Gratian quickly after chose Theodosius to 179govern the East. Four years after, the usurper Maximus set up in 182. Britain for emperor. And when Gratian marched against him, his army deserting, he was overcome by Maximus, and slain. Valentinian kept Italy and 283. some other countries for a few years; during which time, being ruled by his mother Justina, a bitter Arian, he favoured the Arians, and persecuted the catholics, particularly St. Ambrose bishop of Milan. Among other indignities, he summoned St. Ambrose to come and dispute before him, concerning the faith, with Auxentius the Arian; and he with Lis courtiers would judge between them. To which summons St. Ambrose answers in a letter to him; which has this passage in it to our purpose: When did you hear, most gracious emperor, ⚫ that laymen have passed judgment on a bishop in a * matter of faith? Do we then by a sort of fawning * so debase ourselves, as to forget what is the privilege of the sacerdotal office? And that I should · commit that into the hands of another, which God •has intrusted with me myself? If a bishop must be taught by a layman, what will follow? Then * let a layman preach, and the bishop give attention; - let a bishop learn of a layman. * Ambrosii Epist. 32. [ep. 21. edit. Benedict, tom. ii. p. 860.] |