Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/237

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. i>19 the christians to offer up their prayers to the Deity cil Ai'. whom they adore, for our safety and prosperity, for ^^^- their own, and for that of the repubUc"." It is not usually in the language of edicts and manifestoes that we should search for the real character or the secret motives of princes ; but as these were the words of a dying em})eror, his situation, perhaps, may be admitted as a pledge of his sincerity. When Galerius subscribed this edict of toleration, Peace of he was well assured that Licinius would readily comply ^^'^ ^ ""^ '* with the inclinations of his friend and benefactor, and that any measures in favour of the christians would obtain the approbation of Constantine. But the em- peror would not venture to insert in the preamble the name of Maximin, whose consent was of the greatest importance, and who succeeded a few days afterwards to the provinces of Asia. In the first six months, how- ever, of his new reign, Maximin affected to adopt the prudent counsels of his predecessor ; and though he never condescended to secure the tranquillity of the church by a public edict, Sabinus, his pretorian pre- fect, addressed a circular letter to all the governors and magistrates of the provinces, expatiating on the imperial clemency, acknowledging the invincible obsti- nacy of the christians, and directing the officers of jus- tice to cease their ineffectual prosecutions, and to con- nive at the secret assemblies of those enthusiasts. In consequence of these orders, great numbers of chris- tians were released from prison, or delivered from the mines. The confessors, singing hymns of triumph, re- turned into their own countries ; and those who had yielded to the violence of the tempest, solicited with tears of repentance their readmission into the bosom of the church". But this treacherous calm was of short duration ; nor Maximin prepares to " Eusebius (1. viii. c. 17.) has given us a Greek version, and Lactantius (de M. P. c. 34.) the Latin original, of this memorable edict. Neither of these writers seems to recollect how directly it contradicts wliatever they have just affirmed of the remorse and repentance of Galerius. " Eusebius, 1. ix. c. 1. He inserts the epistle of the prefect.