He fuffered the publick facrifices, but put a stop to the overflowings of magick and enchantments, with which Julian had filled the empire; in fine, he granted the Pagans more than Conftantius had allowed, and placed them in the fame state in which they had been left by the great Conftantine. In this toleration there was an effective fincerity, to which that of Julian had no juft pretenfions. In the former reign the Chriftian found himself only nominally free; in the latter the Pagan found himfelf really fo. Philofophers themselves were admitted to court; though it could not be expected, that they fhould become the bofom-friends of a Christian emperor. Some of the courtiers infulted them; Jovian himself was too just and generous to do it. Even Libanius and Maximus, the pillars of paganism and philofophy, were fpared; we may thence judge how mildly others were treated. At Conftantinople alfo facrifices were publickly offered for the folemnity of the confulfhip of Jovian. He even permitted Themiftius an illuftrious pagan magiftrate to harangue before him on the propriety of religious freedom, and the rights of confcience, and to thank him for the liberty which he gave to his fubjects. His fpeech on the occafion need not be given; the fentiments are now common and trite; fomething right and fomething wrong, as is ufual at this day, appears on the face of it. The right of private judgment and the iniquity of compulfion are justly stated; and like all men who are void of any true religious principle, he intimates that all religions are equally true and equally pleafing to God. But it feems a pitiable thing, that none of the learned and philofophical Pagans should have found out this doctrine before! if they had, how much Chriftian blood would have been spared! It would have redounded more to their credit, if they they had made or propagated this difcovery during the Chriftian perfecutions. To fpeak of it now, when they were the inferior party, looks more like selfishness than liberality. Philofophers wrote againft Chriftians with much animofity, and fome of them joined actively in perfecuting; I recollect not one before Themiftius who pleaded for toletation. At the fame time Jovian declared Christianity to be the established religion, and replaced in the ftandard the figure of the crofs, which Julian had taken away. He ordered the Chriftians to be reftored to their churches, recalled their exiles, and reinftated them in all their privileges. One Magnus, an officer of note, had burned by his private authority the church of Berytus in Phoenicia. He was himself an unprincipled man, ardent in perfecution. Jovian was very near beheading him; but contented himself with obliging him to rebuild the church at his own expense. Thus did Jovian prove himself the defender of Christianity as the established religion, and of toleration at the fame time. The ingenuity of man can proceed no farther in fuch a fubject. The principles of church-government, which have for an hundred years fubfifted among ourselves, were in their great outlines introduced by Jovian into the empire and on the whole convey a juft idea of the integrity of his heart and the foundness of his understanding*. Athanafius had no fooner heard of the death of Julian, • This praife feems due to Jovian in general for his conduct; at the fame time I am far from pretending to determine precifely the line which he ought to have purfued. Numbers fpeak with great confidence on the subject of religious establishments and toleration, who have never weighed the difficulties with which it is involved. A more proper place to investigate may occur, when we come to the reign of Theodofius. VOL. II. it L Julian, than he suddenly appeared again at Alexandria, to the agreeable furprize of his people. A letter from Jovian confirmed him in his office, and it was conceived in these terms. "To the most religious friend of God, Athanafius. As we admire beyond expreffion the fanctity of your life, in which fhine forth the marks of refemblance to the God of the universe *, and your zeal for Jefus Christ our Saviour, we take you, venerable bishop, under our protection. You deferve it by the courage which you have fhewn in the most painful labours, and your contempt of perfecutors and menacing words. Holding in your hand the helm of faith, which is fo dear to you, you ceafe not to combat for the truth, nor to edify the Chriftian people, who find in you the perfect model of all virtues. For these reasons we recall you immediately, and we order you to return, to teach the doctrine of falvation. Return to the holy churches; feed the people of God. Let the paftor at the head of the flock offer up prayers for our perfon; for we are perfuaded, that God will diffufe on us and on our fellow-Chriftians his fignal favours, if you afford the affiftance of your prayers. " Jovian wrote to him again, to ask instruction with refpect to the Arian controverfy. Athanafius * Mr. Gibbon calls this impious and extravagant flattery. Who but a perfon either exceedingly prejudiced or ignorant would have hazarded fuch an affertion? I fcruple not to charge the learned critic with both. His prejudice will not allow him to bear a short interval of the profperity of Athanafius with patience, and his ignorance of the fcriptures has led him here to exprefs his prejudice with peculiar abfurdity. Every child in divinity knows, that to fay, a man resembles God, or bears his image and likeness, means no more, than that he is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him," that he is what Adam was before the fall, what every Christian is made by grace. What an immenfity of learning do fome men attain, without knowing the very elements of the New Teftament ! nafius entering into his views, convened fome bishops, and answered him in the name of the fynod, recommending to him the Nicene faith, and defending it in his ufual manner. Jovian directed him to come to Antioch, where he was graciously received. Arrian and Candidus, two Arians, relations also of the emperor, came to him at Antioch, having conceived fome hope of his favour. Euzoius alfo the bishop of that city, where Arianism was ftrong, and fome other Arians, laboured to ingratiate themselves with the eunuchs of the palace, as their party had done in the reign of Conftantius. The Macedonians too, the followers of the depofed bishop of Conftantinople, who had taught them to deny the divinity of the Holy Ghoft, folicited the emperor for the predominancy in the church. “I hate difputes, replied Jovian; I love and honour men of peace, and promoters of union." The Arians, confounded with fuch a fentence, communicated with Meletius the orthodox bifhop of Antioch, and fubfcribed the council of Nice. It is difficult to believe their fincerity; under any the moft moderate account that can be given of the controversy, Arian duplicity must strike every reader. At any rate Jovian was not to blame; he plainly declared, that he would constrain no man, and he faid fo fincerely. But power, not mere toleration, was their object. Jovian also strove in vain to heal the divifion between the followers of Meletius and Paulinus, which has been mentioned above. The Arians of Alexandria* attempted to gain the epifcopal See for one Lucius, a man void of all piety, and made application for him to the emperor with Lucius at their head. The friends of Atha Opera Athanafii, V. 1. p. 82. See Bleterie's Life of Jovian. me? Athanafius fent deputies alfo on their part to oppofe them; the interference of Conftantine, and ftill more of Conftantius in the expulfion of bishops in cities of great note in the empire, had established an unhappy precedent, which was followed too frequently. A fhort extract of the conferences may throw fome light on the character of Jovian and on the state of religion at that time. "We beg your power, your majefty, your piety, fay the Arians, to give us audience." Who and whence are you? "Sir, we are Chriftians." Whence, and of what city? "of Alexandria." What do you defire of "to give us a bifhop." I have ordered Athanafius to return to his See. "Sir, this man has been banished many years for crimes, of which he is not cleared." A foldier of the emperor's guard interpofed. "Sir, give yourself the trouble to examine who these people are, the remains of the faction of George, the villain who defolated Alexandria " At thefe words, Jovian, (who was on horfeback, when they met him,) fpurred his horfe, and left them. The Arians were not fo repulfed; they prefented themselves to Jovian a fecond time. "We have feveral heads of accufation againft Athanafius, which we are able to prove. It is thirty years fince he was banished by Conftantine and Conftantius of immortal memory.' The accufations of ten, twenty, thirty years, replied Jovian, are out of date. I know why he was accufed, and how he was banished. A third time Jovian being importuned by the fame petitioners, and the deputies of the Athanafians fpeaking at the fame time, Jovian faid, "when all fpeak together, one cannot understand who is in the right. Choofe two perfons on both fides; I cannot answer both of you." The Arians begged the emperor to fet over them any perfon except Athanafius." I have " made |