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98 Credibility of the Gospel History.
thein, allowing them their churches and cemeteries, provided
they had never belonged to the catholics. Buf in the
severe edict*^ of 331, or thereabout, the Novatians are joined
with the Valentinians, Marcionites, Paulians, and Cataphrygians,
and other heretics : their places of worship are to be
taken from them; they are forbidden to assemble in public
or private ; and their books are to be sought for and destroyed.
Buf it is the opinion of some learned men, that
this edict had but little efi'ect with regard to the Novatians.
Sozomen's reflections upon this edict are such as these: ' By ^
' means of this law other sects have been in a manner buried
' in oblivion : for in the times of the preceding emperors^ all
' the followers of Christ, though they had dift'erent opinions,
' were considered by the Gentiles as ail one, and sufiered all
' alike. Nor could they disturb each other, because of the
' common calamities ; for which reason, they all had their as-
' semblies without much difficulty: and as they frequently
' met together, though they were few in number, they were
' not c|uite broken, but kept up their several interests. But''
' after the publication of this edict, they could not meet pub-
* licly, it being prohibited; nor privately, the bishops and
' clergy of every city narrowly observing them. From that
* time great numbers of them were induced out of fear to join
' themselves to the catholic church. And they who per-
' sisted in their particular sentiments not leaving successors,
' their sects died away ; forasmuch as they were not allowed
' to assemble together, nor could they Avithout danger teach
' their principles privately to any. And indeed the other sects
' from the beginning had but few followers, either because of
' the absurdity of their opinions, or the unskilfulness of their
' teachers : but the Novatians having good leaders, and being
' of the same mind with the catholic church upon the doctrine
' of the Deity, were numerous from the beginning", and have
' continued to be so, without suffering much by this law :
' and the emperor himself, as may be supposed, softened it
' of his own accord with regard to them, designing rather to
' fright than hurt his subjects. And moreover Acesius, then
* bishop of that sect at Constantinople, being esteemed by
' the emperor for the sanctity of his life, it is likely, spoke a
•= Ap. Euseb. Vit. Const. 1. iii. cap. 64. et seq. ** See Tillem. as
before, p. 95. * Vid. Basnag. ib. Tillem. as before. '' Sozom. 1. ii. c. 32.
K Ext nfv yap rwv irpiv fiaaiXtiov, oaoi rov X^pi'^ov ioi^ov, ei km rag SoS,ag
Ittiptpovro, TTpoQ Tiov 'EX.XjjvtTwi' 01 avroi tvoixiil.ovTO, Kai KaKdiQ ojioutjc ftrafTxoV
rrtjiac St auTsij iroXvTTQayfiovtiv Cia tciq KoivaQ avfKpopaq hk i^CvvaVTO' Kai Sia
THTO paSiojQ Kciff iavTHQ fKWTOi (JvviovTtg (KKXrirTia'Cov. Ibid. p. 493. B.
'' Mtra St TBTOV rov vofiov, nrt Si]fioma tKKKnaia'Ctiv t]dvi'avTO KoAvojitvoi,
art \a6pa, rwv Kara rroKiv firiffKOTraJv Kai KXrfpiKuiv naparripHvrdiv' k. X. ib C.