CENTURY II. CHA P. I. THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANS DURING THE THE HE mafter of the Roman world in the beginning of this Century was the renowned Trajan. His predeceffor Nerva had reftored the Christian exiles, and granted a full toleration to the Church. Hence the laft of the Apostles had recovered his flation at Ephefus, and flept in the Lord, before the fhort interval of tranquillity was closed by the perfecuting fpirit of Trajan. Whatever explication may be given or conjectured of the caufe of his diflike of Chriftians, he had a confirmed prejudice against them, and meditated the extinction of the name: nor does it appear that he ever changed his fentiments, or retracted his edicts against them. There is an account of his perfecution in his correfpondence with Pliny the governor of Bithynia, a man well known in claffical hiftory. The two epiftles between the mafter and the fervant deferve to be transcribed at length*: they seem to have A. D. been written in 106 or 107. 106. Pliny's Epiftles, x. 97, 98. C. Pliny C. Pliny to Trajan Emperor health. "It is my ufual cuftom, Sir, to refer all things, of which I harbour any doubts, to you. For who can better direct my judgment in its hesitation, or inftruct my understanding in its ignorance? I never had the fortune to be prefent at any examination of Chriftians, before I came into this province. I am therefore at a lofs, to determine what is the ufual object either of enquiry or of punishment, and to what length either of them is to be carried. It has alfo been with me a queftion very problematical,-whether any diftinction fhould be made between the young and the old, the tender and the robuft;-whether any room fhould be given for repentance, or the guilt of Chriftianity once incurred is not to be expiated by the most unequivocal retractation ;-whether the name itself, abftracted from any flagitioufnefs of conduct, or the crimes connected with the name, be the object of punishment. In the mean time this has been my method, with refpect to thofe, who were brought before me as Chriftians. I afked them whether they were Chriftians: if they pleaded guilty, I interrogated them twice afresh, with a menace of capital punishment. In cafe of obftinate perfeverance, I ordered them to be executed. For of this I had no doubt, whatever was the nature of their religion, that a fullen and obftinate inflexibility called for the vengeance of the Magiftrate. Some there were infected with the fame madness, whom, on account of their privilege of citizenship, I referved to be fent to Rome, to be referred to your tribunal. In the courfe of this bufinefs, informations pouring in, as is ufual when they are encouraged, more cafes occurred. An anonymous libel was exhibited, L 4 with with a catalogue of names of perfons, who yet declared, that they were not Chriftians then, or ever had been; and they repeated after me an invocation of the gods and of your image, which, for this purpose, I had ordered to be brought with the images of the deities: They performed facred rites with wine and frankincenfe, and execrated Christ,-none of which things I am told a real Christian can ever be compelled to do. On this account I difmiffed them. Others, named by an informer, first affirmed, and then denied the charge of Chriftianity; declaring that they had been Christians, but had defifted fome three years ago, others ftill longer, fome even twenty years ago. All of them worshipped your image, and the ftatues of the gods, and alfo execrated Chrift. And this was the account which they gave of the nature of the religion they once had profeffed, whether it deferves the name of crime or error,namely that they were accustomed on a stated day to meet before day-light, and to repeat among themselves an hymn to Chrift as to a god, and to bind themselves by an oath with an obligation of not committing any wickednefs;-but on the contrary of abstaining from thefts, robberies, and adulteries ;-alfo of not violating their promife, or denying a pledge, after which it was their custom to feparate, and to meet again at a promiscuous harmless meal, from which laft they yet defifted, after the publication of my edict, in which, agreeably to your orders, I forbad any focieties of that fort. On which account I judged it the more neceffary, to enquire, BY TORTURE, from two females, who were faid to be deaconneffes, what is the real truth. But nothing could I collect, except a depraved and exceffive fuperftition. Deferring therefore any farther investigation, I determined to con fult fult you. For the number of culprits is fo great, as to call for ferious confultation. Many perfons are informed against of every age and of both fexes; and more ftill will be in the fame fituation. The contagion of the fuperftition hath spread not only through cities, but even villages and the country. Not that I think it impoffible to check and to correct it. The fuccefs of my endeavours hitherto forbids fuch defponding thoughts: for the temples, once almoft defolate, begin to be frequented, and the facred folemnities, which had long been intermitted, are now attended afresh; and the facrificial victims are now fold every where, which once could fcarce find a purchafer. Whence I conclude, that many might be reclaimed, were the hope of impunity, on repentance, abfolutely confirmed." Trajan to Pliny. "You have done perfectly right, my dear Pliny, in the enquiry which you have made concerning Chriftians. For truly no one general rule can be laid down, which will apply itself to all cafes. These people muft not be fought after:-If they are brought before you and convicted; let them be capitally punished, yet with this reftriction, that if any renounce Christianity, and evidence his fincerity by fupplicating our gods, however fuipected he may be for the paft, he fhall obtain pardon for the future on his repentance. But anonymous libels in no cafe ought to be attended to; for the precedent would be of the worst fort, and perfectly incongruous to the maxims of my government." The moral character of Pliny is one of the most amiable in all Pagan authority; yet does it appear, appear, that he joined with his mafter Trajan in his hatred of Chriftians. In the course of this hiftory many inftances of the fame kind will occur. Trajan's character is doubtlefs much inferior to Pliny's; It is illuftrious indeed by reason of great talents, and great exploits; but, by the teftimony of Dio, Spartian, and Julian, ftained with flagrant vices *; and, as is generally confeffed, tarnished by an extravagant ambition. But how is it to be ac counted for, that men, who feem enamoured with the beauty of virtue, fhould turn from it with perfect difguft, and even perfecute it with rancour, when it appears in the moft genuine colours? Let thofe who imagine fuch men as Pliny to be good and virtuous in the proper fenfe of the words, try to folve this phenomenon on their own principles. On thofe of the real Gofpel the queftion is not hard to be determined. Admitting that Pliny might at first be prejudiced against Chriftians from mifreprefentation, how happens it, that he continues fo after better information, even when he is convinced, that no moral evil is to be found in the Chriftians of Bithynia, that their meetings are peaceable, and the ends aimed at by them, not only innocent, but laudable? The truth is, virtue, in Pliny's writings, and virtue in St. Paul's, mean not the fame thing. For humility, the bafis of a Chriftian's virtue, the pagan has not even a name in his language. The glory of God is the end of virtue in the fyftem of one,-his own glory is the end of virtue in the fyftem of the other. The Christians of Bithynia would be able to give the fevere inquifitor "a reafon of the hope that was in them with meeknefs and fear," and then fuffering according to the will of God, to commit the keeping of their fouls to him in well-doing, as to a faithful Creator. See Lardner's Collection, v. ii. c. 9. |