[Footnote174:Eusebiusl。viii。c。17hasgivenusaGreekversion，andLactantiusdeM。P。c。34theLatinoriginal，ofthismemorableedict。NeitherofthesewritersseemstorecollecthowdirectlyitcontradictswhatevertheyhavejustaffirmedoftheremorseandrepentanceofGalerius。

　　Note:ButGibbonhasansweredthisbyhisjustobservation，thatitisnotinthelanguageofedictsandmanifestosthatweshouldsearch**forthesecremotivesofprinces。—M。]

　　WhenGaleriussubscribedthisedictoftoleration，hewaswellassuredthatLiciniuswouldreadilycomplywiththeinclinationsofhisfriendandbenefactor，andthatanymeasuresinfavoroftheChristianswouldobtaintheapprobationofConstantine。ButtheemperorwouldnotventuretoinsertinthepreamblethenameofMaximin，whoseconsentwasofthegreatestimportance，andwhosucceededafewdaysafterwardstotheprovincesofAsia。Inthefirstsixmonths，however，ofhisnewreign，Maximinaffectedtoadopttheprudentcounselsofhispredecessor；andthoughhenevercondescendedtosecurethetranquillityofthechurchbyapublicedict，Sabinus，hisPraetorianpraefect，addressedacircularlettertoallthegovernorsandmagistratesoftheprovinces，expatiatingontheImperialclemency，acknowledgingtheinvincibleobstinacyoftheChristians，anddirectingtheofficersofjusticetoceasetheirineffectualprosecutions，andtoconniveatthesecretassembliesofthoseenthusiasts。Inconsequenceoftheseorders，greatnumbersofChristianswerereleasedfromprison，ordeliveredfromthemines。Theconfessors，singinghymnsoftriumph，returnedintotheirowncountries；andthosewhohadyieldedtotheviolenceofthetempest，solicitedwithtearsofrepentancetheirreadmissionintothebosomofthechurch。^175

　　[Footnote175:Eusebius，l。ix。c。1。Heinsertstheepistleofthepraefect。]

　　Butthistreacherouscalmwasofshortduration；norcouldtheChristiansoftheEastplaceanyconfidenceinthecharacteroftheirsovereign。CrueltyandsuperstitionweretherulingpassionsofthesoulofMaximin。Theformersuggestedthemeans，thelatterpointedouttheobjectsofpersecution。Theemperorwasdevotedtotheworshipofthegods，tothestudyofmagic，andtothebeliefoforacles。Theprophetsorphilosophers，whomhereveredasthefavoritesofHeaven，werefrequentlyraisedtothegovernmentofprovinces，andadmittedintohismostsecretcouncils。TheyeasilyconvincedhimthattheChristianshadbeenindebtedfortheirvictoriestotheirregulardiscipline，andthattheweaknessofpolytheismhadprincipallyflowedfromawantofunionandsubordinationamongtheministersofreligion。

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