everybody, that pleased, was able to molest and destroy them, as he saw good?" [Footnote A: Ibid, ch. 54.] [Footnote B: Life of Constantine (Eusebius), iv, ch., 23, 25.] [Footnote C: Lardner, vol. viii, p. 169.] [Footnote D: Neander Ch. Hist., vol. ii, pp. 26, 27.] [Footnote E: Lardner Works, vol. iv. p. 49.] _The Policy of Constantine Indefensible:_ The zeal of Christian writers has done all in its power to excuse or palliate the conduct of Constantine in his acts for the suppression of the pagan religion and worship; but after all is said by his apologists that can be said, after every allowance is conceded for the times in which he lived, and the previous conduct of the pagans through two centuries of violence towards the Christians, the fact remains that the first Christian emperor did by his edicts put the ancient religion of the empire under the ban of the law, and by acts of violence destroyed some of its temples and closed the rest by imperial decree, that the pagan gods might not be worshiped; and this, doubtless, with the approval--and it would not be difficult to believe, under all the circumstances, at the suggestion--of Christian bishops who thronged his court. On the foundation of intolerance thus laid by him, others hastened to build. In the succeeding reign, among the first laws enacted, was this one against pagan sacrifices: "Let superstition cease; let the madness of sacrificing be abolished. For whoever shall presume contrary to the constitution of our father, a prince of blessed memory, and contrary to this command of our clemency, to offer sacrifices, let a proper and convenient punishment be inflicted, and execution presently done upon him."[A] [Footnote A: Lardner, Works, vol. viii, p. 169.] This edict was supplemented a few years later[A] by the following edict: [Footnote A: In 353 A. D., according to Gothford.]