Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 3 | Page 8

of his reign. Before he again took the field against the Goths, he
received the sacrament of baptism ^20 from Acholius, the orthodox
bishop of Thessalonica: ^21 and, as the emperor ascended from the
holy font, still glowing with the warm feelings of regeneration, he
dictated a solemn edict, which proclaimed his own faith, and prescribed
the religion of his subjects. "It is our pleasure (such is the Imperial style)
that all the nations, which are governed by our clemency and
moderation, should steadfastly adhere to the religion which was taught
by St. Peter to the Romans; which faithful tradition has preserved; and
which is now professed by the pontiff Damasus, and by Peter, bishop of
Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. According to the discipline of
the apostles, and the doctrine of the gospel, let us believe the sole deity

of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; under an equal majesty, and
a pious Trinity. We authorize the followers of this doctrine to assume
the title of Catholic Christians; and as we judge, that all others are
extravagant madmen, we brand them with the infamous name of
Heretics; and declare that their conventicles shall no longer usurp the
respectable appellation of churches. Besides the condemnation of
divine justice, they must expect to suffer the severe penalties, which
our authority, guided by heavenly wisdom, shall think proper to inflict
upon them." ^22 The faith of a soldier is commonly the fruit of
instruction, rather than of inquiry; but as the emperor always fixed his
eyes on the visible landmarks of orthodoxy, which he had so prudently
constituted, his religious opinions were never affected by the specious
texts, the subtle arguments, and the ambiguous creeds of the Arian
doctors. Once indeed he expressed a faint inclination to converse with
the eloquent and learned Eunomius, who lived in retirement at a small
distance from Constantinople. But the dangerous interview was
prevented by the prayers of the empress Flaccilla, who trembled for the
salvation of her husband; and the mind of Theodosius was confirmed
by a theological argument, adapted to the rudest capacity. He had lately
bestowed on his eldest son, Arcadius, the name and honors of Augustus,
and the two princes were seated on a stately throne to receive the
homage of their subjects. A bishop, Amphilochius of Iconium,
approached the throne, and after saluting, with due reverence, the
person of his sovereign, he accosted the royal youth with the same
familiar tenderness which he might have used towards a plebeian child.
Provoked by this insolent behavior, the monarch gave orders, that the
rustic priest should be instantly driven from his presence. But while the
guards were forcing him to the door, the dexterous polemic had time to
execute his design, by exclaiming, with a loud voice, "Such is the
treatment, O emperor! which the King of heaven has prepared for those
impious men, who affect to worship the Father, but refuse to
acknowledge the equal majesty of his divine Son." Theodosius
immediately embraced the bishop of Iconium, and never forgot the
important lesson, which he had received from this dramatic parable.
^23
[Footnote 19: Their oracle, the archbishop of Milan, assigns to his pupil

Gratian, a high and respectable place in heaven, (tom. ii. de Obit. Val.
Consol p. 1193.)]
[Footnote 20: For the baptism of Theodosius, see Sozomen, (l. vii. c. 4,)
Socrates, (l. v. c. 6,) and Tillemont, (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. p.
728.)]
[Footnote 21: Ascolius, or Acholius, was honored by the friendship,
and the praises, of Ambrose; who styles him murus fidei atque
sanctitatis, (tom. ii. epist. xv. p. 820;) and afterwards celebrates his
speed and diligence in running to Constantinople, Italy, &c., (epist. xvi.
p. 822.) a virtue which does not appertain either to a wall, or a bishop.]
[Footnote 22: Codex Theodos. l. xvi. tit. i. leg. 2, with Godefroy's
Commentary, tom. vi. p. 5 - 9. Such an edict deserved the warmest
praises of Baronius, auream sanctionem, edictum pium et salutare. - Sic
itua ad astra.] [Footnote 23: Sozomen, l. vii. c. 6. Theodoret, l. v. c. 16.
Tillemont is displeased (Mem. Eccles. tom. vi. p. 627, 628) with the
terms of "rustic bishop," "obscure city." Yet I must take leave to think,
that both Amphilochius and Iconium were objects of inconsiderable
magnitude in the Roman empire.]



Chapter XXVII
: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.



Part II.
Constantinople was the principal seat and fortress of Arianism; and, in

a long interval of forty years, ^24 the faith of the princes and prelates,
who reigned in the capital of the East, was rejected in the purer schools
of Rome and Alexandria. The archiepiscopal throne of Macedonius,
which had been polluted with so much Christian blood, was
successively filled by