very declining state of spiritual religion.' Thus, as the church began to decline from its primitive simplicity, faith, and holiness, corruptions and superstitions began to appear; we may trace some of the superstitious follies of the Roman Catholic church back to this century; and as we proceed we shall discover them plainer and plainer, until we see them gain their full growth and height, at the time when the light of true and simple religion was almost hid in the darkness which men who departed from the truth of the Gospel had cast around it.

Another effect of this state of the church was evident in the different light in which Christianity now began to be viewed by the Pagan world. Dressed as it was in the garb of exterior virtue and philosophy, it no longer appeared so revolting to the judgment and taste of men. Its doctrines and its belief seemed to wise men more rational than the follies, the superstitions, and the ceremonies of Paganism; they convinced the judgment without affecting the heart; and now that the reproach of the Gospel was greatly removed, multitudes became converts to Christianity, and the rites of Paganism were daily more and more deserted. This caused opponents to arise-the witty, the learned, or the eloquent among the Pagan Romans of the day combated the doctrines and reviled the belief of Christians; while others on the Christian side stood up; and as the cause of truth never loses by investigation, and generally

profits by it, the doctrines and practices of Christianity found many able supporters; and the more the subject was examined and opposed, the more victories it gained; until the wiser heathens and the most learned among the pagans joined the body of professing Christians. The most of these knew not the grace of God in Christ Jesus, they took His name, but then it happened as it now does, that many called themselves Christians in whose heart the Spirit of Christ did not dwell.

At this time many different heresies arose, but which all the good and excellent upon earth joined in condemning. One of these I will mention to you, because it is one of which you might have sometimes heard me speak to older people. Do you know the term Socinianism? have you not heard me say with grief, nay horror, for I felt it, that I had been in company with a Socinian ; that I had heard Him whom I adored as 66 My God and my Lord," called "a good man, the most perfect of human beings?" You are shocked, perhaps, that any one could be guilty of robbing Christ of his glory,-of calling Him who is 66 one with the Father," a mere man! Yet this is the doctrine of Socinianism; and because our Lord in infinite compassion to our souls took upon him our human nature, there are those who will deny that he ever possessed his own divine nature. The person from whom this heresy is named is Socinus; he was not born at the period of which I write, but the heresy itself had its origin

from Paul of Samosata. I do not intend to say much of his doctrines or his conduct, neither one nor the other would be found instructive or interesting; and I trust we all shrink from the thought of robbing the Redeemer of his glory as "the Saviour of the world, the Son of God, the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person."

Paul was banished from the Christian church, for they who loved and adored Christ as their God, could have no fellowship with one who looked on him as a fellow-creature. This was in the reign of Aurelian, and I think about the year 274.

Tacitus succeeded Aurelian, then came Probus, Carus, Carinus, and Numerian. All these emperors suffered Christianity to grow and spread without molestation.

Dioclesian ascended the throne A. D. 284, and observed the same conduct for eighteen years. Towards the close of this century, indeed, he departed from it in the case of Marcellus, a Christian I soldier, whom he beheaded, and ordered his officers to force such soldiers to sacrifice to the gods. A truly Christian soldier always has been, and always will be a truly noble character. Many, even in those days, when Christian profession was more common than it had been, chose rather to resign their employments than disobey their consciences. One or two suffered death for this, and it is usually said that religion caused them to desert the service

of the state, when it was in fact the tyranny of those, who would force a Christian to commit an act of idolatry which his heart and his judgment condemned.

I shall here end the history of the third century, and hope you will remember the state in which its expiration left the church.

CENTURY IV.

DIOCLESIAN AND MAXIMIAN-GALERIUS AND

CONSTANTIUS.

IN my last story I told you that the Christian church had enjoyed a long and almost uninterrupted peace, during a period of nearly forty years. Except in the instance of some Christian soldiers, who were treated with rigour and intolerance; little that even threatened it with persecution appeared. Dioclesian for some time continued its peaceful days, but the distractions of the Roman empire obliged him to choose associates in government whose tempers were not so friendly to it. Maximian, the colleague he selected, was at once his instigator to deeds of cruelty and his instrument in effecting them; his own character and that of his colleague, are, I think, well drawn in the few and strong words of an historian, "insensible to pity, and fearless of consequences, he was the ready instrument of every act of cruelty, which the policy of the artful Dioclesian might at once suggest and disclaim."