1 violent, that he roared out, and often attempted to kill himself. In these agonies he feemed to acknowledge the hand that lay over him, and in order to avert it, he published an edict in favour of the Chriftians. But heaven did not relent: and his diftemper increafing, in a few days put a period to his life. Maxentius was routed in a battle he fought with Conftantine on the banks of the Tyber. As he was croffing that river in his flight, the bridge gave way with the weight of the crowd, and he was drowned. Maximinus Daia being upon the point of engaging in battle with Licinius, made a vow to Jupiter that, if he got the victory, he would extinguish the very name of Chriftian. His army was totally defeated by a much leffer number; upon which he threw away his imperial robe, and fled in the habit. of a flave. He made different efforts to retrieve himfelf, but not fucceeding, he refolved to make away with himself. For that purpose he eat and drank to great excess, but this not effecting it, he took poifon, which burnt him within, and threw him into such a phrenzy, that he eat common earth. His pains became fo intolerable, that he ran his head against the wall with fuch violence that his eyes ftarted out. In the end he acknowledged the juftice of his punishment for his cruelty to the Chriftians, and in the moft exquifite torments he breathed out his last. We learn from Lactantius, that not only the forementioned perfecutors were all crushed by a fuperior. power, but that their whole race was alfo cut off. The fame fate, in like manner, attended many of the governors of the Roman provinces, who had fo willingly concurred in executing the cruel and bloody ftatutes of the emperors for the extirpation of Chriftianity. The provinces of the eaft, where Maximinus commanded, had alfo fhared in the difafters that usually followed perfecution. A dread ing on the ftate for the innocent blood that was fpilt of the Chriftians. The emperor Aurelian, another perfecutor, was . affaffinated by his own fecretary and fome others, who had formed a confpiracy against him. Dioclefian, the tenth perfecutor, was compelled by Galerius, whom he had created Cæfar, to refign to him the empire, and retire himself to a private life. Afterwards he had the mortification to learn, that Conftantine, who was become emperor, had pulled down his ftatues. His wife and daughter were also put to death by Licinius. Thefe difgraces, and the load of guilt that hung upon him, operated so strongly on his mind, that he could neither eat nor fleep. He fighed and groaned continually, often with tears in his eyes, fometimes tumbling himself on his bed, and fometimes on the ground. Thus he who had governed the world for twenty years, as Lactantius obferves, was reduced to fo miferable a condition, that he finished his life by hunger and grief. This happened in the year 312. Maximian, Dioclefian's colleague in the empire and in the perfecution, had been alfo obliged to abdicate. He made feveral attempts to refume the purple, but seeing them all defeated, he hanged himself. The fucceeding emperors, Galerius, Maxentius, Maximinius Daia, and Licinius, endeavouring to carry on the perfecution begun by Dioclefian and Maximian, met alfo with their due punishment. And firft, The hand of God was very vifible upon the abominable Galerius, who had taken fo much pains to inftigate Dioclefian against the Chriftians. He was ftruck with a dreadful disease. An ulcer confumed the lower parts of his belly, and laid open his very bowels. He was devoured by vermin, and the whole mafs of his body putrified. The french that came from him was intolerable. His pains were fo violent, that he roared out, and often attempted to kill himself. In thefe agonies he feemed to acknowledge the hand that lay over him, and in order to avert it, he published an edict in favour of the Chriftians. But heaven did not relent: and his diftemper increafing, in a few days put a period to his life. Maxentius was routed in a battle he fought with Conftantine on the banks of the Tyber. As he was croffing that river in his flight, the bridge gave way with the weight of the crowd, and he was drowned. Maximinus Daia being upon the point of engag ing in battle with Licinius, made a vow to Jupiter that, if he got the victory, he would extinguish the very name of Chriftian. His army was totally defeated by a much leffer number; upon which he threw away his imperial robe, and fled in the habit of a flave. He made different efforts to retrieve himfelf, but not fucceeding, he refolved to make away with himself. For that purpose he eat and drank to great excess, but this not effecting it, he took poison, which burnt him within, and threw him into fuch a phrenzy, that he eat common earth. His pains became fo intolerable, that he ran his head against the wall with fuch violence that his eyes ftarted out. In the end he acknowledged the juftice of his punishment for his cruelty to the Chriftians, and in the moft exquifite torments he breathed out his laft. We learn from Lactantius, that not only the forementioned perfecutors were all crushed by a fuperior. power, but that their whole race was alfo cut off. The fame fate, in like manner, attended many of the governors of the Roman provinces, who had fo willingly concurred in executing the cruel and bloody ftatutes of the emperors for the extirpation of Chriftianity. The provinces of the eaft, where Maximinus commanded, had alfo fhared in the difafters that usually followed perfecution. A dread 1 famine and plague had spread through them an iverfal defolation. At the death of Maximinus Daia in 313, Lucinius mained master in the eaft. Conftantine, who had igned for fome years as emperor in the weft, beg a Chriftian, or difpofing himfelf to be fo, preiled upon Licinius to join with him in publishing aedict, which fuperfeded all perfecution, and anted full liberty and peace to Chriftians. This ppy time lafted till the year 319, when Licinius tering his conduct, commenced a new perfccuon, and in 323 renewed the war he had before aged with Conftantine. Licinius was vanquish1 both by fea and land, and upon his fubmiffion as allowed to retire to Theffalonica; but as he still editated new disturbances, he was put to death by onftantine's orders in the year 324. Thus then at laft a period was put to the troubles the Chriftians. Religion triumphed over every oftruction, which the idolatrous powers had opofed to it. The Chriftian Conftantine reigned fole mperor: and here is dated the remarkable epocha F the peace and triumph of the Church of Chrift. What has been faid feems to fhew fufficiently the ccomplishment of the text under confideration, at is, the fevere judgments that fell upon the Ro an emperors and the people of the empire, for eir fupporting idolatry, and perfecuting the true orfhip of God. However, the hand of God did ot flop here, nor was it fatisfied with the flaughter E the great victims we have feen, nor with the large easure of calamities we have defcribed. We fhall e in the fequel the most astonishing stroke, by which e divine vengeance was at laft completed. This as, the fubverfion of the great Roman empire, and otal destruction of Pagan Rome itself. Notwithstanding the preceding explanation of the ext, we fhall beg leave, in order to elucidate it the more cernit chief the w bring allo t domin learn the ju this w is well kind b the m the an doubte felves, rant. writers throug whethe their o formab even th after ou preachi ceafed gods ha taries di more, to add fomething further, particularly concerning the ceffation of the pagan oracles, which chiefly happened in this firft age. Chrift came into the world not only to fubdue all earthly powers by bringing them under the yoke of his doctrine, but alfo to conquer the devil, and to break down the dominion he had ufurped over mankind. This we learn from our Saviour himself, who faid: "Now is the judgment of the world: now fhall the prince of this world, the devil, be caft out," John, xii. 31. It is well known that the devil had long deluded mankind by the oracles which he pretended to deliver by the mouths of the idols, or their priefts. Many of the answers thus pronounced as oracles, were undoubtedly mere inventions of the pagan priefts themfelves, who by fuch artifices impofed upon the ignorant. But the holy fathers and ancient ecclefiaftical writers agree, that the demons themfelves often spoke through the idols, and uttered predictions, which, whether true or falfe, could always, on account of their obfcurity and ambiguity, be interpreted conformable to the events. All thefe oracular powers, even the most celebrated, were observed to decline after our Saviour's coming into the world and the preaching of the gospel, and by degrees entirely ceafed giving any more anfwers. Thus fpeaks the hiftorian Eufebius, who flourished in the reign of Constantine the Great: "A great proof of the im"becility of the demons is, that their oracles are "extinct, and give no more anfwers as formerly, "and that this happened about the time of the "coming of our Saviour; for as foon as his doctrine was preached throughout the world, the oracles "then ceased." Dem. Evang. lib. 5. The pagan writers themselves univerfally complain, that their gods had forfaken their temples, and that their votaries did in vain folicit their counfels. Julian the apoftate owns, "that the gods now-a-days feldom |