CHAPTER XII

CONFISCATION OF THE HOLY TREASURES AND VESSELS

ALTHOUGH these impious men were thus put in possession of the facts just as they occurred, they still exerted their whole strength to oppose God. The tyrant commanded that the holy ornaments should be taken to the royal treasury, and ordered the spacious church built by Constantine to be closed; thus preventing the Arians, into whose hands it had then fallen, from assembling in it. Felix, the treasurer of the emperor, and Elpidius, who was entrusted with the superintendence of the emperor’s private possessions, being, what was termed by the Romans, the count or treasurer of the private estate, went with Julian, the governor of the East, into the holy temple. Felix and Elpidius, it is said, were once Christians, but apostatised from the true religion in order to please the impious emperor. It is related, that Julian committed an act of indecency by the holy altar, and struck Euzoius because he tried to restrain him from the deed. He said, that the concerns of Christians were not under the care of Divine Providence. Felix, after examining the holy vessels, which were of great magnificence, having been constructed by order of Constantine and Constantius, exclaimed, “Behold, in what kind of vessels the Son of Mary is ministered unto.”