MAXENTIUS, whose army was totally defeated, and his person drowned in the Tiber, by endeavouring to escape.

5. Learned men are much divided in their judgment concerning this miraculous cross. It is in vain for us to attempt to ascertain a doubtful matter, at a period so very remote from the event: certain it is, that such a device was upon the standards and shields of CoNSTANTINE'S army; and also upon several coins, extant at this very day.

STATE OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.

SECOND PART.

CONSTANTINE, CONSTANTIUS, AND CONSTANS,

SUCCEEDED their father, CONSTANTINE, in the em pire, 337, and, like him, proceeded in the demolition of Pagan superstition and idolatry.

JULIAN, THE APOSTATE,

Nephew of CoNSTATINE THE FIRST, commonly called the Great, upon the death of the three brothers was declared emperor. He had been educated in the Christian religion; but, like too many, apostatized from it, and exercised all his power to restore the faded glory of expiring polytheism.

2. Under the profession of moderation, he attempted to sap the foundation of Christianity; encouraging those who had brought dishonour upon the gospel; and, by every machination that insidious malice could invent, he attempted to foment the divisions which obtained among the Christians. But a design, the most formidable that ever was devised, emphatically marked the character of this man as an enemy of Christ.

3. After having revoked the honours and revenues which had in the preceding reigns of his uncle and cousin been granted to the ministers of the church; as well as fining and banishing others, he exerted himself

for the purpose of destroying all their religious books; and caused the Christian name to be changed to that of Galilean. Still there remained one triumphant monument of the truth of the gospel, to confound every bold opposer. The destruction of the temple at Jerusalem had been foretold by JESUS and the Prophets; and JuLIAN resolved to give the lie to their predictions by effecting its restoration.

4. By this experiment the great struggle between superstition and Christianity must be determined. He committed the conduct of this design to one ALYPIUS, who had formerly been a lieutenant in Britain; who vigorously set himself to the execution of this mighty project. Every assistance had been rendered, necessary to give success; but what a fruitless thing is it for man to strive with his Maker!

5. "Horrible balls of fire breaking out near the foundations, with frequent and reiterated attacks, rendered the place from time to time inaccessible to the scorched. and blasted workmen; and the victorious element continuing in this manner, obstinately and resolutely bent, as it were, to drive them to a distance; ALYPIUS thought best to give over the enterprise." Thus He, whose counsel SHALL stand, made the wrath of man to praise him; and eternized the gospel of his Son, in the indelible disgrace of the daring opposer.

6. Though defeated, yet not fully discouraged, he determined to persevere in his design of exterminating the Christian cause, but in an expedition against the Persians, his folly was repressed, and all his impious designs frustrated by his death. He was shot in battle to the heart with an arrow; when, catching the blood which issued from the wound in his hand, the enraged victim threw it up towards heaven, exclaiming, “Vicisti, O Galilea." Oh Galilean, thou hast overcome me! 7. It is mentioned that about this time, one Libanius meeting a Christian schoolmaster at Antioch, asked him in derision, What the carpenter's son was now doing? "The carpenter's son," replied the schoolmaster, "is making a coffin for your hero." The event proved the truth of this prediction.

* Ammianus Marcellinus.

JOVIAN, VALENTINIAN, &c. &c.

Succeeded JULIAN, who all professed Christianity, and employed themselves in the design of eradicating Pa ganism, and giving stability in the earth to the gospel of truth; so that towards the close of this century the splendour of superstition, by its lengthened shadows, indicated its irrecoverable decline.

THE DESTRUCTION OF ROME.

THE time had now commenced, which had been marked out by Him. who disposes of kings and kingdoms according to his own will, when proud Rome, who had sat as a queen, impatient of a rival, and enforced her authority throughout the world, must be brought down, and sit in the dust.

2. Those people, who by the terror of their name had insured victory wherever they appeared, were now ener vated by oppression. From the days of that mighty tyrant, JULIUS CESAR, they saw the consequence of a Roman Citizen, which hitherto had been the glory of the empire, declining to a mere shadow. There was nothing to contend for. Unconscious of that patriotic energy, which had urged them on to prodigies of valour, they fell at last an easy prey to the power of a numerous and determined foe.

3. The reduction of this mighty people was destined for ALARIC, king of the Goths. For some time he had opposed the Roman power with various success. He learned wisdom from his enemies; and was taught to conquer by his defeats! and always, after a discomfiAure, returned more formidable to the charge. Having presented himself to the astonished inhabitants, at the gates of Rome, he was bought off at an immense price.

4. However the recess was but of short duration; returning he besieged and took the city. His soldiers were indulged in the dreadful privilege of pillage, which continued in an unbounded manuer for three days. How mysterious are the ways of Providence! So sacred was the Christian name esteemed by these fierce invaders, that with rigid scrupulosity they shunned every appearanee of the most remote hostility towards those who

bore it. How strangely was the state of things reversed! The Pagans, who formerly, with savage joy had rioted in Christian blood, now applied to them for pro

tection.

5. Those illustrious monuments of art and learning, which perished amidst the indiscriminating fury of a barbarous and triumphant enemy, will ever he the subjeels of regret. Rome itself still existed, though but for a little time. It was to be destroyed. The execution of which was effected by GENSERIC, king of the Vandals. For fourteen days did his ferocious soldiers proeeed, with implacable fury, in the desolation of that place, which had long been the terror and astonishment of the whole world: Scenes of slaughter were there exhibited, too horrible to relate. Babylon fell, never to rise again.

6. In the case of this great people, we see how uncertain are all sublunary things. If wisdom, if prowess could have given stability, Rome would never have been insulted in her ruins. The glory of this world passeth away. How infinitely more enviable is the character of the meanest subject of the Prince of Glory, than an emperor of Greece or Rome. His citizenship is in heaven, Phil. iii. 20.

7. Despised and rejected like his Divine Master, he may be, he will be, amongst men; yet he was born to shine. With pious heroism he is willing to endure hardships; but in a little, a very little time, he shall break forth resplendent as the sun travelling in his strength. His enemies confounded shall stand amazed at the greatness of his salvation, whilst he, emancipated from the hand of every enemy, shal! for ever dwell "high in salvation and the climes of bliss."

THE HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH FROM THE FOURTH CENTURY.

HITHERTO the history of the Christian church has been considered in connexion with that of the Roman

empire, which, by its general and prevailing authority, must have effected it in a considerable measure. But the period had now arrived, when the legs and feet of the great image, represented in Daniel, were to be broken in pieces; when that stupendous edifice, reared by the boundless ambition of aspiring mortals, and cemented with the blood of millions of the human race, should receive a final overthrow. We shall, therefore, in the further prosecution of this subject, direct our inquiries to its respective and most important periods.

2. The cause of Christ in Britain suffered the greatest violence from their continental Pagan neighbours, the Saxons, who had been invited over to assist our forefathers against their enemies, the Picts and Scots. The number of these auxiliaries had been, from time to time, considerably increased; and the Romans having totally abandoned this country, the inhabitants found that they had received into their bosom a formidable and insidious enemy.

3. Allured by a superior soil and climate, they formed the design of securing to themselves this country for a possession; and the native Britons, vanquished in the field, experienced the most deplorable calamities from their ferocious conquerors. The Saxons, being Pagans, were extremely zealous for the support of their idolatrous religion; with indiscriminating fury they marked with desolation whatever, bore the name of Christian. The Churches were burnt, their priests wantonly massacreed, and whenever they had an opportunity, they rioted in sacred blood.

4. The Saxons had a great number of idols, the names of which are perpetuated in the names of our days.* In consequence of the ascendency which these rude invaders obtained, Paganism was restored, and the temples of dumb idols reared their heads, where once stood the Churches of the living God.

Besides the sun and moon, from whence Sunday and Monday are denominated, they had others of the following names:

Tuys, from whence Tuesday;

Woden,

Thor,

Frea,

Sextor,