part of the
Roman world; and the provinces had been long since accustomed to
endure the same sacrilegious rapine, from the tyranny of princes and
proconsuls, who could not be suspected of any design to subvert the
established religion. [167]

[Footnote 163: Histoire Politique et Philosophique des Etablissemens des
Europeens dans les deux Indes, tom. i. p. 9.]

[Footnote 164: According to Eusebius, (in Vit. Constantin. l. ii. c.
45,) the emperor prohibited, both in cities and in the country, the
abominable acts or parts of idolatry. l Socrates (l. i. c. 17) and
Sozomen (l. ii. c. 4, 5) have represented the conduct of Constantine
with a just regard to truth and history; which has been neglected by
Theodoret (l. v. c. 21) and Orosius, (vii. 28.) Tum deinde (says the
latter) primus Constantinus justo ordine et pio vicem vertit edicto;
siquidem statuit citra ullam hominum caedem, paganorum templa claudi.]

[Footnote 165: See Eusebius in Vit. Constantin. l. ii. c. 56, 60.
In the sermon to the assembly of saints, which the emperor pronounced
when he was mature in years and piety, he declares to the idolaters (c.
xii.) that they are permitted to offer sacrifices, and to exercise every
part of their religious worship.]

[Footnote 166: See Eusebius, in Vit. Constantin. l. iii. c. 54-58,
and l. iv. c. 23, 25. These acts of authority may be compared with the
suppression of the Bacchanals, and the demolition of the temple of Isis,
by the magistrates of Pagan Rome.]

[Footnote 167: Eusebius (in Vit. Constan. l. iii. c. 54-58) and Libanius
(Orat. pro Templis, p. 9, 10, edit. Gothofred) both mention the pious
sacrilege of Constantine, which they viewed in very different lights.
The latter expressly declares, that "he made use of the sacred money,
but made no alteration in the legal worship; the temples indeed were
impoverished, but the sacred rites were performed there." Lardner's
Jewish and Heathen Testimonies, vol. iv. p. 140.]

The sons of Constantine trod in the footsteps of their father, with more
zeal, and with less discretion. The pretences of rapine and oppression
were insensibly multiplied; [168] every indulgence was shown to the
illegal behavior of the Christians; every doubt was explained to
the disadvantage of Paganism; and the demolition of the temples was
celebrated as one of the auspicious events of the reign of Constans and
Constantius. [169] The name of Constantius is prefixed to a concise law,
which might have