exalt Rome to be the seat of power, from whence they were to rule men's consciences, and compel their submissive homage.

In the sixty-fifth year of his age, and the thirtieth of his reign, Constantine died. His character is so well known, that I do not think it needful to give you a long account of it: he has been surnamed the Great, but I fear a Christian dare not give him the lovelier name of Good; it has been said that he made use of Christianity as a footstool to ascend the throne; but if so, it was God who caused him to lay hold on it to effect his own purposes. He embraced Christianity and established it in his own dominions, but it was only on the bed of death that he received baptism by the hands of Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia. do not know why he so long delayed that sign of his conformity to Christ's religion, but I am sorry to say some persons began to entertain a belief that the water of baptism could wash away their sin; and perhaps Constantine thought it convenient to put off that ceremony until he could wash away all his sins at once; and after continuing in the indulgence of things contrary to the spirit of Christ's religion, he foolishly hoped that the ceremony of admission into His church would be enough to do them all away.

I

He died at Nicomedia, where he had gone for the use of warm baths, and his body was brought to Constantinople, which he had built, and to which he had removed the seat of empire.

It was this last circumstance gave to the bishopric of Constantinople its power, and occasioned it constantly to struggle for pre-eminence with that of Rome. Being now the seat of empire, and the residence of the first Christian Emperor, it might have some claims for ascendency; but the antiquity of Rome was still venerable, and men were more inclined to honour it, even in its decline, than the new and magnificent city of Constantinople. This dispute for authority at last ended in the division of the Greek and Latin churches.

CENTURY IV.

CONTINUED.

CONSTANTIUS-ATHANASIUS-ARIANISM.

ON the death of Constantine, A. D. 337, his three sons, Constantine, Constans, and Constantius divided the empire; but fraternal discord and civil war soon left it again to Constantius. Constantine and Constans quarrelling, the elder was slain, and his dominions seized by his brother, who soon after fell himself by the sword of Magnentius, who had revolted against him, and after his death contended with Constantius for empire. The usurper was however vanquished, and, driven to despair, killed himself, and thus Constantius ruled alone as his father had done. The first deeds of Constantius upon his father's death had been cruel and bloody; in order to remove pretenders to the throne, his cruel policy murdered all his nearest relations with the exception of two children, named Gallus and Julian, who were saved from the murderers and concealed till their fury was abated.

Constantius, like his father, professed Christ

ianity, if that can be called Christianity which would make the great author of our religion less than God; Constantius was an Arian, and supported the Arian heresy with all his power. Attention to religious affairs was not thought beneath the dignity of the Emperor; and the contentions between the followers of Arius and those who were called the orthodox, because they held the true doctrines of the Bible, engaged the attention of the Emperor and his court, as well as of the clergy. Various councils were held, in which Constantius supported the Arians and depressed or deposed their opponents.

Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, is the most conspicuous character of these times. To the sincere Christian it is no light thing to hear men deny the deity of the Saviour. Athanasius believed our Lord to be, as the creed bearing his name expresses it, “Perfect God, and perfect Man,” he thought, as every true believer in Jesus must think, that the salvation of men depended on their having right views of God our Saviour, and he boldly opposed the heresy that would lead men from the pure faith of the gospel. An hundred Bishops assembled under him and protested against the Emperor's conduct in deposing an orthodox Bishop, and putting an Arian in his place; this drew down the anger of Constantius upon Athanasius, and he was obliged to fly for safety to Rome.

Heresy now seemed almost as formidable to

Christians as Paganism had been; many for opposing it were banished, some were tortured, and others put to death. Athanasius, who had returned to Alexandria, narrowly escaped meeting the last; he was seized in the church while celebrating divine service, and saved by his clergy who carried him to a place of safety. Liberius, Bishop of Rome, was banished, but did not act with the firmness or faithfulness of Athanasius, for, weary of exile, he joined in condemning the Athanasian doctrine, and subscribing to that of Arius. The Christians of that day did not believe that it was impossible for the Bishop of Rome to err; the claim of infallibility was reserved for later times.

Athanasius, concealed in the deserts from the fury of his Arian enemies, spent his time in visiting the monks who dwelt there. You have all heard of monks, but perhaps knew not that they existed so long ago, or what kind of persons they were. I have told you that the church was making rapid strides towards the superstitions it afterwards followed, and that a monastic life was deemed highly honourable. I believe the persons called monks quitted society, in general, with pure and simple motives. Some account of one who was the leader of those who adopted a life of pious solitude, and who might be termed the Father of Monasticism, will show you the motives that actuated them.

Anthony was an ignorant, but a pious man. He