Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/441

 sincere. OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. A23 the catholic church, both of the east and of the west, CHAP. has adopted a prodigy which favours, or seems to fa- [ — vour, the popular worship of the cross. The vision of Constantine maintained an honourable place in the legend of superstition, till the bold and sagacious spirit of criticism presumed to depreciate the triumph, and to arraign the truth, of the first christian emperor^'. The protestant and philosophic readers of the pre- The conver- .,,.,. 11- J • .1 i. psionofCon- sent age wdl mchne to believe, that, in the account ot stantine his own conversion, Constantine attested a wilful false- ^^S^^ l>e hood by a solemn and deliberate perjury. They may hot hesitate to pronounce, that, in the choice of a religion, his mind was determined only by a sense of interest; and that (according to the expression of a profane poet*") he used the altars of the church as a convenient footstool to the throne of the empire. A conclusion so harsh and so absolute is not, however, warranted by our knowledge of human nature, of Con- stantine, or of Christianity. In an age of religious fer- vour, the most artful statesmen are observed to feel some part of the enthusiasm which they inspire ; and the most orthodox saints assume the dangerous yn'ivi- all unacquainted with the Life of Constantine by Eusebius. This tract was recovered by the diligence of those who translated or continued his Ecclesiastical History, and who have represented in various colours the vision of the cross. e Godefroy was the first who, in the year 1643, (Not. ad Philostorgium, 1. i. c. 6. p. 16.) expressed any doubt of a miracle which had been sup- ported with equal zeal by cardinal Baronius, and the centuriators of Mag- deburgh. Since that time, many of the protestant critics have inclined towards doubt and disbelief. The objections are urged, with great force, by INI. Chauft'epi6, (Dictionnaire Critique, torn. iv. p. 6 — 11;) and, in the year 1774, a doctor of Sorbonne, the abbe du Voisin, published an Apology, which deserves the praise of learning and moderation. '' Lors Constantin dit ces propres paroles: J'ai renverse le culte des idoles ; Sur les debris de leurs temples fumans Au Uieu du ciel j'ai prodigue I'encens. Mais tous mes soins pour sa grandeur supreme N'eurent jamais d'autre objet que moi-meme ; Les saints autels n'etoient a mes regards ' Qu'un marchepie du trone des Cesars. L'ambition, la fureur, les delices Etoient mes dieux, avoient mes sacrifices. Lor des Chretiens, leurs intrigues, leur sang Ont cimente ma fortune et mon rang. The poem which contains these lines may be read with pleasure, but cannot be named with decency.