[Footnote96:Fulgent。Vit。c。16—29。Thrasimundaffectedthepraiseofmoderationandlearning；andFulgentiusaddressedthreebooksofcontroversytotheAriantyrant，whomhestylespiissimeRex。Biblioth。Maxim。Patrum，tom。ix。p。41。OnlysixtybishopsarementionedasexilesinthelifeofFulgentius；theyareincreasedtoonehundredandtwentybyVictorTunnunensisandIsidore；butthenumberoftwohundredandtwentyisspecifiedintheHistoriaMiscella，andashortauthenticchronicleofthetimes。SeeRuinart，p。570，571。]
[Footnote97:SeethebaseandinsipidepigramsoftheStoic，whocouldnotsupportexilewithmorefortitudethanOvid。Corsicamightnotproducecorn，wine，oroil；butitcouldnotbedestituteofgrass，water，andevenfire。]
[Footnote98:Siobgravitatemcoeliinterissentviledamnum。
Tacit。Annal。ii。85。Inthisapplication，Thrasimundwouldhaveadoptedthereadingofsomecritics，utiledamnum。]
[Footnote99:Seethesepreludesofageneralpersecution，inVictor，ii。3，4，7andthetwoedictsofHunneric，l。ii。p。35，l。iv。p。64。]
[Footnote100:SeeProcopiusdeBell。Vandal。l。i。c。7，p。197，198。AMoorishprinceendeavoredtopropitiatetheGodoftheChristians，byhisdiligencetoerasethemarksoftheVandalsacrilege。]
[Footnote101:SeethisstoryinVictor。ii。8—12，p。30—34。
Victordescribesthedistressoftheseconfessorsasaneye—witness。]
[Footnote102:SeethefifthbookofVictor。HispassionatecomplaintsareconfirmedbythesobertestimonyofProcopius，andthepublicdeclarationoftheemperorJustinian。Cod。l。i。tit。
xxvii。]
[Footnote103:Victor，ii。18，p。41。]
[Footnote104:Victor，v。4，p。74，75。HisnamewasVictorianus，andhewasawealthycitizenofAdrumetum，whoenjoyedtheconfidenceoftheking；bywhosefavorhehadobtainedtheoffice，oratleastthetitle，ofproconsulofAfrica。]
[Footnote105:Victor，i。6，p。8，9。AfterrelatingthefirmresistanceanddexterousreplyofCountSebastian，headds，quarealiogenerisargumentoposteabellicosumvirumeccidit。]
[Footnote106:Victor，v。12，13。Tillemont，Mem。Eccles。tom。
vi。p。609。]
[Footnote107:PrimatewasmoreproperlythetitleofthebishopofCarthage；butthenameofpatriarchwasgivenbythesectsandnationstotheirprincipalecclesiastic。SeeThomassin，Disciplinedel\'Eglise，tom。i。p。155，158。]
[Footnote108:ThepatriarchCyrilahimselfpubliclydeclared，thathedidnotunderstandLatinVictor，ii。18，p。42:NescioLatine；andhemightconversewithtolerableease，withoutbeingcapableofdisputingorpreachinginthatlanguage。HisVandalclergywerestillmoreignorant；andsmallconfidencecouldbeplacedintheAfricanswhohadconformed。]
[Footnote109:Victor，ii。1，2，p。22。]
[Footnote110:Victor，v。7，p。77。Heappealstotheambassadorhimself，whosenamewasUranius。]
[Footnote111:Astutiores，Victor，iv。4，p。70。Heplainlyintimatesthattheirquotationofthegospel\"Nonjurabitisintoto，\"wasonlymeanttoeludetheobligationofaninconvenientoath。Theforty—sixbishopswhorefusedwerebanishedtoCorsica；thethreehundredandtwowhosworeweredistributedthroughtheprovincesofAfrica。]
ChapterXXXVII:ConversionOfTheBarbariansToChristianity。
PartV。
TheCatholics，oppressedbyroyalandmilitaryforce，werefarsuperiortotheiradversariesinnumbersandlearning。WiththesameweaponswhichtheGreek^112andLatinfathershadalreadyprovidedfortheAriancontroversy，theyrepeatedlysilenced，orvanquished，thefierceandilliteratesuccessorsofUlphilas。Theconsciousnessoftheirownsuperioritymighthaveraisedthemabovetheartsandpassionsofreligiouswarfare。
Yet，insteadofassumingsuchhonorablepride，theorthodoxtheologiansweretempted，bytheassuranceofimpunity，tocomposefictions，whichmustbestigmatizedwiththeepithetsoffraudandforgery。TheyascribedtheirownpolemicalworkstothemostvenerablenamesofChristianantiquity；thecharactersofAthanasiusandAugustinwereawkwardlypersonatedbyVigiliusandhisdisciples；^113andthefamouscreed，whichsoclearlyexpoundsthemysteriesoftheTrinityandtheIncarnation，isdeduced，withstrongprobability，fromthisAfricanschool。^114
EventheScripturesthemselveswereprofanedbytheirrashandsacrilegioushands。Thememorabletext，whichassertstheunityofthethreewhobearwitnessinheaven，^115iscondemnedbytheuniversalsilenceoftheorthodoxfathers，ancientversions，andauthenticmanuscripts。^116ItwasfirstallegedbytheCatholicbishopswhomHunnericsummonedtotheconferenceofCarthage。
^117Anallegoricalinterpretation，intheform，perhaps，ofamarginalnote，invadedthetextoftheLatinBibles，whichwererenewedandcorrectedinadarkperiodoftencenturies。^118
Aftertheinventionofprinting，^119theeditorsoftheGreekTestamentyieldedtotheirownprejudices，orthoseofthetimes；
^120andthepiousfraud，whichwasembracedwithequalzealatRomeandatGeneva，hasbeeninfinitelymultipliedineverycountryandeverylanguageofmodernEurope。
[Footnote112:Fulgentius，bishopofRuspae，intheByzaceneprovince，wasofasenatorialfamily，andhadreceivedaliberaleducation。HecouldrepeatallHomerandMenanderbeforehewasallowedtostudyLatinhisnativetongue，Vit。Fulgent。c。l。
ManyAfricanbishopsmightunderstandGreek，andmanyGreektheologiansweretranslatedintoLatin。]
[Footnote113:ComparethetwoprefacestotheDialogueofVigiliusofThapsus，p。118，119，edit。Chiflet。Hemightamusehislearnedreaderwithaninnocentfiction；butthesubjectwastoograve，andtheAfricansweretooignorant。]
[Footnote114:TheP。Quesnelstartedthisopinion，whichhasbeenfavorablyreceived。Butthethreefollowingtruths，howeversurprisingtheymayseem，arenowuniversallyacknowledged，GerardVossius，tom。vi。p。516—522。Tillemont，Mem。Eccles。
tom。viii。p。667—671。1。St。Athanasiusisnottheauthorofthecreedwhichissofrequentlyreadinourchurches。2。Itdoesnotappeartohaveexistedwithinacenturyafterhisdeath。
3。ItwasoriginallycomposedintheLatintongue，and，consequentlyintheWesternprovinces。GennadiuspatriarchofConstantinople，wassomuchamazedbythisextraordinarycomposition，thathefranklypronouncedittobetheworkofadrunkenman。Petav。Dogmat。Theologica，tom。ii。l。vii。c。8，p。687。]
[Footnote115:1John，v。7。SeeSimon，Hist。CritiqueduNouveauTestament，parti。c。xviii。p。203—218；andpartii。
c。ix。p。99—121；andtheelaborateProlegomenaandAnnotationsofDr。MillandWetsteintotheireditionsoftheGreekTestament。In1689，thepapistSimonstrovetobefree；in1707，theProtestantMillwishedtobeaslave；in1751，theArmenianWetsteinusedthelibertyofhistimes，andofhissect。
Note:Thiscontroversyhascontinuedtobeagitated，butwithdeclininginteresteveninthemorereligiouspartofthecommunity；andmaynowbeconsideredtohaveterminatedinanalmostgeneralacquiescenceofthelearnedtotheconclusionsofPorsoninhisLetterstoTravis。SeethepamphletsofthelateBishopofSalisburyandofCritoCantabrigiensis，Dr。TurtonofCambridge。—M。]
[Footnote116:OfalltheMss。nowextant，abovefourscoreinnumber，someofwhicharemorethan1200yearsold，Wetsteinadloc。TheorthodoxcopiesoftheVatican，oftheComplutensianeditors，ofRobertStephens，arebecomeinvisible；andthetwoMss。ofDublinandBerlinareunworthytoformanexception。SeeEmlyn\'sWorks，vol。ii。p227—255，269—299；andM。deMissy\'sfouringeniousletters，intom。viii。andix。oftheJournalBritannique。]
[Footnote117:Or，moreproperly，bythefourbishopswhocomposedandpublishedtheprofessionoffaithinthenameoftheirbrethren。Theystyledthistext，luceclarius，VictorVitensisdePersecut。Vandal。l。iii。c。11，p。54。ItisquotedsoonafterwardsbytheAfricanpolemics，VigiliusandFulgentius。]
[Footnote118:Intheeleventhandtwelfthcenturies，theBibleswerecorrectedbyLanfranc，archbishopofCanterbury，andbyNicholas，cardinalandlibrarianoftheRomanchurch，secundumorthodoxamfidem，Wetstein，Prolegom。p。84，85。
Notwithstandingthesecorrections，thepassageisstillwantingintwenty—fiveLatinMss。，Wetsteinadloc。，theoldestandthefairest；twoqualitiesseldomunited，exceptinmanuscripts。]
[Footnote119:TheartwhichtheGermanshadinventedwasappliedinItalytotheprofanewritersofRomeandGreece。TheoriginalGreekoftheNewTestamentwaspublishedaboutthesametimeA。D。1514，1516，1520，bytheindustryofErasmus，andthemunificenceofCardinalXimenes。TheComplutensianPolyglotcostthecardinal50，000ducats。SeeMattaire，Annal。Typograph。tom。
ii。p。2—8，125—133；andWetstein，Prolegomena，p。116—
127。]
[Footnote120:ThethreewitnesseshavebeenestablishedinourGreekTestamentsbytheprudenceofErasmus；thehonestbigotryoftheComplutensianeditors；thetypographicalfraud，orerror，ofRobertStephens，intheplacingacrotchet；andthedeliberatefalsehood，orstrangemisapprehension，ofTheodoreBeza。]
Theexampleoffraudmustexcitesuspicion:andthespeciousmiraclesbywhichtheAfricanCatholicshavedefendedthetruthandjusticeoftheircause，maybeascribed，withmorereason，totheirownindustry，thantothevisibleprotectionofHeaven。
Yetthehistorian，whoviewsthisreligiousconflictwithanimpartialeye，maycondescendtomentiononepreternaturalevent，whichwilledifythedevout，andsurprisetheincredulous。
Tipasa，^121amaritimecolonyofMauritania，sixteenmilestotheeastofCaesarea，hadbeendistinguished，ineveryage，bytheorthodoxzealofitsinhabitants。TheyhadbravedthefuryoftheDonatists；^122theyresisted，oreluded，thetyrannyoftheArians。Thetownwasdesertedontheapproachofanhereticalbishop:mostoftheinhabitantswhocouldprocureshipspassedovertothecoastofSpain；andtheunhappyremnant，refusingallcommunionwiththeusurper，stillpresumedtoholdtheirpious，butillegal，assemblies。TheirdisobedienceexasperatedthecrueltyofHunneric。AmilitarycountwasdespatchedfromCarthagetoTipasa:hecollectedtheCatholicsintheForum，and，inthepresenceofthewholeprovince，deprivedtheguiltyoftheirrighthandsandtheirtongues。Buttheholyconfessorscontinuedtospeakwithouttongues；andthismiracleisattestedbyVictor，anAfricanbishop，whopublishedahistoryofthepersecutionwithintwoyearsaftertheevent。^123\"Ifanyone，\"
saysVictor，\"shoulddoubtofthetruth，lethimrepairtoConstantinople，andlistentotheclearandperfectlanguageofRestitutus，thesub—deacon，oneoftheseglorioussufferers，whoisnowlodgedinthepalaceoftheemperorZeno，andisrespectedbythedevoutempress。\"AtConstantinopleweareastonishedtofindacool，alearned，andunexceptionablewitness，withoutinterest，andwithoutpassion。AeneasofGaza，aPlatonicphilosopher，hasaccuratelydescribedhisownobservationsontheseAfricansufferers。\"Isawthemmyself:Iheardthemspeak:
Idiligentlyinquiredbywhatmeanssuchanarticulatevoicecouldbeformedwithoutanyorganofspeech:Iusedmyeyestoexaminethereportofmyears；Iopenedtheirmouth，andsawthatthewholetonguehadbeencompletelytornawaybytheroots；anoperationwhichthephysiciansgenerallysupposetobemortal。\"
^124ThetestimonyofAeneasofGazamightbeconfirmedbythesuperfluousevidenceoftheemperorJustinian，inaperpetualedict；ofCountMarcellinus，inhisChronicleofthetimes；andofPopeGregorytheFirst，whohadresidedatConstantinople，astheministeroftheRomanpontiff。^125Theyalllivedwithinthecompassofacentury；andtheyallappealtotheirpersonalknowledge，orthepublicnotoriety，forthetruthofamiracle，whichwasrepeatedinseveralinstances，displayedonthegreatesttheatreoftheworld，andsubmitted，duringaseriesofyears，tothecalmexaminationofthesenses。ThissupernaturalgiftoftheAfricanconfessors，whospokewithouttongues，willcommandtheassentofthose，andofthoseonly，whoalreadybelieve，thattheirlanguagewaspureandorthodox。Butthestubbornmindofaninfidel，isguardedbysecret，incurablesuspicion；andtheArian，orSocinian，whohasseriouslyrejectedthedoctrineofaTrinity，willnotbeshakenbythemostplausibleevidenceofanAthanasianmiracle。
[Footnote121:Plin。Hist。Natural。v。1。Itinerar。Wesseling，p。15。Cellanius，Geograph。Antiq。tom。ii。partii。p。127。
ThisTipasawhichmustnotbeconfoundedwithanotherinNumidiawasatownofsomenotesinceVespasianendoweditwiththerightofLatium。]
[Footnote122:OptatusMilevitanusdeSchism。Donatist。l。ii。p。
38。]
[Footnote123:VictorVitensis，v。6，p。76。Ruinart，p。483—
487。]
[Footnote124:AeneasGazaeusinTheophrasto，inBiblioth。
Patrum，tom。viii。p。664，665。HewasaChristian，andcomposedthisDialoguetheTheophrastusontheimmortalityofthesoul，andtheresurrectionofthebody；besidestwenty—fiveEpistles，stillextant。SeeCave，Hist。Litteraria，p。297，andFabricius，Biblioth。Graec。tom。i。p。422。]
[Footnote125:Justinian。Codex。l。i。tit。xxvii。Marcellin。inChron。p。45，inThesaur。TemporumScaliger。Procopius，deBell。
Vandal。l。i。c。7。p。196。Gregor。Magnus，Dialog。iii。32。
Noneofthesewitnesseshavespecifiedthenumberoftheconfessors，whichisfixedatsixtyinanoldmenology，apudRuinart。p。486。Twoofthemlosttheirspeechbyfornication；
butthemiracleisenhancedbythesingularinstanceofaboywhohadneverspokenbeforehistonguewascutout。]
TheVandalsandtheOstrogothsperseveredintheprofessionofArianismtillthefinalruinofthekingdomswhichtheyhadfoundedinAfricaandItaly。TheBarbariansofGaulsubmittedtotheorthodoxdominionoftheFranks；andSpainwasrestoredtotheCatholicchurchbythevoluntaryconversionoftheVisigoths。
Thissalutaryrevolution^126washastenedbytheexampleofaroyalmartyr，whomourcalmerreasonmaystyleanungratefulrebel。Leovigild，theGothicmonarchofSpain，deservedtherespectofhisenemies，andtheloveofhissubjects；theCatholicsenjoyedafreetoleration，andhisAriansynodsattempted，withoutmuchsuccess，toreconciletheirscruplesbyabolishingtheunpopularriteofasecondbaptism。HiseldestsonHermenegild，whowasinvestedbyhisfatherwiththeroyaldiadem，andthefairprincipalityofBoetica，contractedanhonorableandorthodoxalliancewithaMerovingianprincess，thedaughterofSigebert，kingofAustrasia，andofthefamousBrunechild。ThebeauteousIngundis，whowasnomorethanthirteenyearsofage，wasreceived，beloved，andpersecuted，intheAriancourtofToledo；andherreligiousconstancywasalternatelyassaultedwithblandishmentsandviolencebyGoisvintha，theGothicqueen，whoabusedthedoubleclaimofmaternalauthority。^127Incensedbyherresistance，GoisvinthaseizedtheCatholicprincessbyherlonghair，inhumanlydashedheragainsttheground，kickedhertillshewascoveredwithblood，andatlastgaveordersthatsheshouldbestripped，andthrownintoabasin，orfish—pond。^128LoveandhonormightexciteHermenegildtoresentthisinjurioustreatmentofhisbride；andhewasgraduallypersuadedthatIngundissufferedforthecauseofdivinetruth。Hertendercomplaints，andtheweightyargumentsofLeander，archbishopofSeville，accomplishedhisconversionandtheheiroftheGothicmonarchywasinitiatedintheNicenefaithbythesolemnritesofconfirmation。^129Therashyouth，inflamedbyzeal，andperhapsbyambition，wastemptedtoviolatethedutiesofasonandasubject；andtheCatholicsofSpain，althoughtheycouldnotcomplainofpersecution，applaudedhispiousrebellionagainstanhereticalfather。ThecivilwarwasprotractedbythelongandobstinatesiegesofMerida，Cordova，andSeville，whichhadstrenuouslyespousedthepartyofHermenegildHeinvitedtheorthodoxBarbarians，theSeuvi，andtheFranks，tothedestructionofhisnativeland；hesolicitedthedangerousaidoftheRomans，whopossessedAfrica，andapartoftheSpanishcoast；andhisholyambassador，thearchbishopLeander，effectuallynegotiatedinpersonwiththeByzantinecourt。ButthehopesoftheCatholicswerecrushedbytheactivediligenceofthemonarchwhocommandedthetroopsandtreasuresofSpain；
andtheguiltyHermenegild，afterhisvainattemptstoresistortoescape，wascompelledtosurrenderhimselfintothehandsofanincensedfather。Leovigildwasstillmindfulofthatsacredcharacter；andtherebel，despoiledoftheregalornaments，wasstillpermitted，inadecentexile，toprofesstheCatholicreligion。HisrepeatedandunsuccessfultreasonsatlengthprovokedtheindignationoftheGothicking；andthesentenceofdeath，whichhepronouncedwithapparentreluctance，wasprivatelyexecutedinthetowerofSeville。TheinflexibleconstancywithwhichherefusedtoaccepttheAriancommunion，asthepriceofhissafety，mayexcusethehonorsthathavebeenpaidtothememoryofSt。Hermenegild。HiswifeandinfantsonweredetainedbytheRomansinignominiouscaptivity；andthisdomesticmisfortunetarnishedthegloriesofLeovigild，andimbitteredthelastmomentsofhislife。