Aquatin; the fecond to the lower Rhine; the third to Boulogne in Picardy; and the fourth to Marfeilles. The laft Chapter of this firft Book concerns the fabulous and the true Hiftory of the Highways in England. See the remaining Part of this Extract in the ARTICLE XXV. HISTOIRE DES EMPEREURS, & des autres Princes qui ont regné durant les fix premiers ficcles de l'Eglife, de leurs guerres contre les Juifs, des Ecrivains profanes, & des perfonnes les plus illuftres de leur temps. Juftifiée par les citations des Auteurs originaux. Avec des Notes pour éclaircir les principales difficultez de l'Hiftoire. Tome Cinquième, Premiere Partie, qui comprend VALENTINIAN I. VALENS & GRATIEN. Seconde Partie, qui comprend THEODOSE I. & ARCAD F. Trofieme Partie, qui comprend HONORE. Par Mr. LENAIN DE TILLEMONT. A Bruxelles, chez Eugene Henry Fricx, Imprimeur du Roy, rue de la Madelaine. M DCC X. That That is, THE HISTORY OF THE EMPERORS, and other Princes, who reigned in the Six Firft Ages of the Church, of their Wars with the Jews, of Profane Writers, and the moft Illuftrious Perfons of their Time. Taken from the Original Authors. With Notes to clear the principal Difficulties relating to Hiftory. The Fifth Tome. Part I. Containing the Hiftory of VALENTINIAN I, VALENS and GRATIAN. Part II, Containing the Hiftory of THEODOSIUS Í. and ARCADIUS. Part III. Containing the History of HONORIUS, By Mr. LENAIN DE TILLEMONT. Bruffels, 1710. Three Volumes in 12 Pagg. 1573. Sold by Paul Vaillant in the Strand. TH HIS History is fo well known, and fo gene rally approved, that it were needlefs to make any Obfervation upon the Merit of the Author, and the Usefulness of his Work, We have now Thirteen Volumes in 12mo. (not to mention the Edition in 4to.) of Mr. de Tillemont's Hiftory of the Emperors. The three laft Volumes, which make the Subject of this Article, discover the fame Labour, the fame Exactness, and the fame Care of Quoting the Original Authors. Perhaps it might be faid, that this Hiftory is interspersed with too many pious and devour Reflexions, not fo proper to be inferted in a Work of this Nature. The Author was a very Learned and Religious Man; and it appears from this Performance, and from his Memoirs relating to Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, that he had entirely confecrated his Pen to the Publick Good. The Readers will not expect from me, that I fhould enlarge upon thefe Three Volumes; and therefore I fhall only take Notiee of fome few Paffages contained in the First. Mr. de Tillemont obferves, That the Emperor Valentinian I. loved and protected the Catholicks, without molesting the Arians, or any other Sect of Hereticks. In the very Beginning of his Reign, he made fome Laws, whereby the Heathens and Hereticks were at full Liberty to enjoy the Exercise of their Religion. No Body was perfecuted upon that Account. That Emperor never undertook to force his Subjects to follow the Religion which he had embraced: He ftood, as it were, neuter among fo many different Religions; for which he is very much commended by Ammianus Marcellinus. He fuffered the Altar of Victory to remain at Rome. That Altar had been removed by Conftantius's Order, and restored by Julian the Apoftate. Zofimus affirms, That the Law whereby Valentinian forbad Nocturnal Sacrifices, was not put in Execution, because Pretextatus, Proconful of Greece, reprefented to him, that fuch a Law was intolerable to the Heathens, and deftroyed their most auguft Myfteries. There is a Law of that Emperor's extant, whereby he declares, That he does not forbid the Discipline of the Arufpices, nor any other Exercise of Religion used among the Ancients, provided it be free from Magick. Nay, he granted fome Privileges to the Pontiffs of the Provinces, by a Law dated June 28. 371. But it appears from the Teftimony of Libanius, that he forbad at laft the Sacrifices of Beafts, and only permitted to offer up Incense. * Our Author makes fome Reflexions upon the Conduct of Valentinian, in Relation to the Heathens and Hereticks of his Time. He declares, that he will not give his Judgment about it, nor enquire, Whether or no it be expedient that a Prince fhould concern himself with Ecclefiaftical Affairs. It is certain on the one Side, (fays he) that Princes ought to use their utmoft * Made in the Year 371. utmost Endeavours to bring all their Subjects into the Right Way of Serving God. But, on the other fide, if we compare the Advantages which Conftantine and Theodofius procured to the Church, with the dreadful Mischiefs occafioned by Conftantius, Valens, and even by Theodofius the Younger, and many other Emperors, we may very well doubt whether it were not better for the Church, that Princes fhould never concern themselves with Religion, and only take Care that the Laws of Juftice and Equity be punctually obferved. Mr. de Tillemont seems to approve the Conduct of Lewis IX. King of France, who left it to the Bishops to determine all Doubtful and Controverted Matters. The Author adds, That perhaps a Prince may ufe all his Authority for the Promoting of Truth, by all just and lawful Means, and without forgetting the Laws of Humanity, which ought to be obferved even towards the most Wicked Men. 'Tis obfervable that our Learned Author, tho' a Roman Catholick, and very zealous for his Religion, expreffes himself with great Moderation upon this Head. It plainly appears that he was an Enemy to Perfecution. No Body will deny, that a Prince may use all juft and lawful Means for the Propagation of Truth, and endeavour to reclaim his Subjects from their Errors, provided he does not offend against the Laws of Humanity. Mr. de Tillemont, confidering the great Severity, or rather Cruelty of Valentinian, is afraid, "That "the Glory with which he governed the Empire, "is the only Reward of his confeffing the Name of "Chrift". He is afraid that Emperor enjoyed "the good Things of this World, to be expofed after "this Life to the Divine Juftice, which fhews no Mercy 66 to thofe, that are not merciful to their Brethren. The Author does not tell us, (according to his ufual Cuftom), what he thinks of the Salvation of Aufonius, who was a very Licentious Poet: He only fays, It were to be wifhed, for the Honour of Chriftianity, that Aufonius had been a Heathen. ARTICLE ARTICLE XXVI. AN ACCOUNT of St. GREGORY NAZIANZEN'S APOLOGETICK ORATION, mentioned above, Art, V. T. Gregory Nazianzen ran away as St. Chryfoftome did, for fear of being forced to accept a Bifhoprick; and that Father made an Apology for it in this Difcourfe, as St. Chryfoftome undertook to justify himself upon the fame Account, in his Treatife concerning the Chriftian Priesthood. The Refemblance * of the Subject, moved Mr. Thirlby to infert this Oration at the End of that Treatife. He acknowledges that thofe Two Fathers are equally admirable for their Eloquence; but he adds, That their Characters are very different. I fhall not give a particular Ac count of this Oration, being contented to obferve in general, That St. Gregory alledges many Reafons to fhew how difficult it is to discharge the Duties of Epifcopacy; that he makes several Judicious and Solid Reflections upon that Subject; and that it appears from many Paffages of the Holy Scripture quoted by him, and rightly applied, that he was very well verfed in the Sacred Writings. There is a Paffage in this Oration, on which it will not be improper to make fome Obfervations. St. Gregory fhews that it is no eafy Thing to teach the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity; and that whoever undertakes to do it, muft be very careful not to ad vance That Father begins his Oration thus : I confess that I am overcome: I have fubmitted to the Lord, and intreated him. He meant, that he was at laft willing to be made a Bishop. |