Page:History of the Devil, ancient and modern (2).pdf/19

 child of the Devil. eſpouſing the diabolical tenets

of arms, a violent perſecution aroſe betwixt the

Arians and the orthodox. So virulently did

they carry on this perſecution, that the Devil

by means of the emperor Julian made one puſh

for eſtabliſhing Paganiſm again; but like King

James II, he drove too hard; and Julian had ſo

provoked the whole Romiſh empire which was

generally become Chriſtian, that had the apoſtate

lived he would not have been able to have held

the throne; but as he was cut off in his begin-

ning, Paganiſm expired with him; and even Satan

with propriety might have joined him when mor-

tally wounded (throwing a handful of his own

blood, as it were at heaven), crying, Thou haſt

conquered me, O Galilean.

Juvian, the next emperor, being a glorious

Chriſtian, and a very good and great man, the

Devil abdicated for a while, and left the Chriſtian

armies to re eſtabliſh the orthodox faith; nor

could be bring the Chriſtians to a breach again

among themſelves a great while after. But the

Devil, a more cunning fiſhermen than ever St Pe-

ter was, ſoon ſet the Biſhops effectually by the

ears with the new notion of Primacy; which bait

the prieſts eagerly ſwallowed, and ſoon fell to

baniſhing and party-making for the ſuperiority as

heartily as ever temporal tyrants did for domi-

mion; and took as black and deviliſh methods to

carry it on, as the worſt of thoſe tyrants ever

had done before them.

At laſt Satan declared for the Roman pontiff,

and that upon excellent conditions, in the reign

of the emperor Mauritus; for Boniface, who had

long contended for the title of ſupreme, fell into

a treaty with Phocas captain of the emperor's

guard; whether the bargain was from hell or

not, let any one judge, the conditions abſolutely