Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/67

 the Persians, which I suppose I have described elswhere well enough.

About the same time when he had kindled this War, and given occasion to such Seditions as would be the ruine of the Empire, and all to inrich himself, and fill his own Coffers, by filling his Dominions with slaughter and Blood, to compleat their destruction, he made use of this following invention.

In the Roman Empire there are several Sects of Christians (differing from the truth) which are called Hereticks, particularly the Montanists, Sabbatians, and others, all of them Hetrodox. Justinian commanded, That all of them should change their Belief; and to that, he compelled them, partly by threats, and partly by making their Children incapable of inheriting from their Fathers. In the Temple of these Here­ticks (and especially in the Temples of the Arians) the riches was incredibly great, for there is no comparison betwixt the wealth of the Senate, or any other famous Body in the whole Empire, and that which belongs to them. There was scarce one of the consecrated Vessels, but were either of Gold or of Silver, adorned with great numbers of Precious Stones: The Priests, and inferior Ministers, had their Houses and Lands, and Revenues in all parts. In short, they wanted nothing that might be had, being people to whom the former Emperors had been always indulgent; they maintained several of the true Religion as their Servants, imployed them as they were Artists.

  Justinian