sword, and the greatest part of those that remained to groan under the yoke of a severe bondage. Nothing can be more affecting than the account of this terrible event, and the circumstantial description of the tremendous calamities which attended it, as they are given by Josephus, himself a Jew, and also a spectator of this horrid scene. From this period the Jews experienced, in every place, the hatred and contempt of the Gentile nations, still more than they had formerly done; and in these their calamities, the predictions of Christ were amply fulfilled, and his divine mission farther illustrated.

quire, how it happened that the Romans, who Iwere troublesome to no nation on account of its religion, and who suffered even the Jews to live under their own laws, and follow their own method of worship, treated the Christians alone with such severity. This important question seems still more difficult to be solved, when we consider, that the excellent nature of the Christian religion, and its admirable tendency to promote both the public welfare of the state, and the private felicity of the individual, entitled it, in a singular manner, to the favour and protection of the reigning powers. A principal reason of the severity with which the Romans persecuted the Christians, notwithstanding these considerations, seems to have been the abhorrence and contempt felt by the latter for the religion of the empire, which was so intimately connected with the form, and indeed, with the very essence of its political constitution; for, though the Romans gave an unlimited toleration to all religions which had nothing in their tenets dangerous to the commonwealth, yet they would not permit that of their ancestors, which was established by the laws of the state, to be turned into derision, nor the people to be drawn away from their at

IV. However virulent the Jews were against the Christians, yet, on many occasions, they wanted power to execute their cruel purposes. This was not the case with the heathen nations; and, therefore, from them the Christians suffered the severest calamities. The Romans are said to have pursued the Christians with the utmost violence in ten persecutions; but this number is not verified by the ancient history of the church; for if, by these persecutions, such only are meant as were extremely severe and universal throughout the empire, then it is certain, that these amount not to the number above mentioned; and, if we take the provin-tachment to it. These, however, were the two cial and less remarkable persecutions into the account, they far exceed it. In the fifth century, certain Christians were led by some passages of the Scriptures, and by one especially in the Revelations, to imagine that the church was to suffer ten calamities of a most grievous nature. To this notion, therefore, they endeavoured, though not all in the same way, to accommodate the language of history, even against the testimony of those ancient records, from which alone history can speak with authority.

V. Nero was the first emperor who enacted laws against the Christians. In this he was followed by Domitian, Marcus Antoninus the philosopher, Severus, and the other emperors who indulged the prejudices they had imbibed against the disciples of Jesus. All the edicts of these different princes were not, however, equally unjust, nor framed with the same views, or for the same reasons. Were they now extant as they were collected by the celebrated lawyer Domitius, in his book concerning the duty of a proconsul, they would undoubtedly cast a great light upon the history of the church, under the persecuting emperors.§ At present, we must, in many cases, be satisfied with probable conjectures, for want of certain evidence.

VI. Before we proceed in this part of our history, a very natural curiosity calls us to in

*The learned J. Albert Fabricius has given us a list of the authors who have written concerning these persecutions, in his Lux Evangelii toti Orbi exoriens, cap. vii. + Rev. xvii. 14.

See Sulpitius Severus, book ii. ch. xxxiii. as also Augustin, de Civitate Dei, book xviii. ch. lii.

things which the Christians were charged with, and that justly, though to their honour. They dared to ridicule the absurdities of the pagan superstition, and they were ardent and assiduous in gaining proselytes to the truth. Nor did they only attack the religion of Rome, but also all the different shapes and forms under which superstition appeared in the various countries where they exercised their ministry. Hence the Romans concluded, that the Christian sect was not only insupportably daring and arrogant, but, moreover, an enemy to the public tranquillity, and ever ready to excite civil wars and commotions in the empire. It is probably on this account, that Tacitus reproaches them with the odious character of haiers of mankind,* and styles the religion of Jesus a destructive superstition; and that Suetonius speaks of the Christians, and their doctrine, in terms of the same kind.†

VII. Another circumstance that irritated the Romans against the Christians, was the simplicity of their worship, which resembled in nothing the sacred rites of any other people. They had no sacrifices, temples, images, oracles, or sacerdotal orders; and this was sufficient to bring upon them the reproaches of an ignorant multitude, who imagined that there could be no religion without these. Thus they I were looked upon as a sort of atheists; and, by the Roman laws, those who were chargeable with atheism were declared the pests of human society. But this was not all: the sordid in

Annal. lib. xv. cap. xliv.

In Nerone, cap. xvi. These odious epithets, which Tacitus gives to the Christians and their religion, as likewise the language of Suetonius, who calls Christianity a The collection of the imperial edicts against the poisonous or malignant superstition (malefica superstiChristians, made by Domitius, and now lost, is mentioned tio,) are founded upon the same reasons. A sect, which by Lactantius, in his Divine Institutes, book v. chap. xi. could not endure, and even laboured to abolish, the reliSuch of these edicts as have escaped the ruins of time, are gious practices of the Romans, and also those of all the learnedly illustrated by Franc. Balduinus, in his Com- other nations of the universe, appeared to the short-sightment. ad Edicta veterum Principum Romanorum deed and superficial observers of religious matters, as the Christianis

I determined enemies of mankind.

terests of a multitude of lazy and selfish priests were immediately connected with the ruin and oppression of the Christian cause. The public worship of such an immense number of deities was a source of subsistence, and even of riches, to the whole rabble of priests and augurs, and also to a multitude of merchants and artists. And, as the progress of the gospel threatened the ruin of that religious traffic, this consideration raised up new enemies to the Christians, and armed the rage of mercenary superstition against their lives and their cause.*

they prevent their punishment by apostacy; under another, we see inhuman magistrates endeavouring to compel them, by all sorts of tortures, to renounce their religious profession. X. All who, in the perilous times of the church, fell by the hand of bloody persecution, and expired in the cause of the divine Saviour, were called martyrs; a term borrowed from the sacred writings, signifying witnesses, and thus expressing the glorious testimony which these magnanimous believers bore to the truth. The title of confessor was given to such, as, in the face of death, and at the expense of honours, fortune, and all the other advantages of the world, had confessed with fortitude, before the Roman tribunals, their firm attachment to the religion of Jesus. Great was the veneration that was paid both to martyrs and confessors; and there was, no doubt, as much wisdom as justice in treating with profound respect these Christian heroes, since nothing was more adapted to encourage others to suffer with cheerfulness in the cause of Christ. But, as the best and wisest institutions are generally perverted, by the weakness or corruption of men, from their original purposes, so the authority and privileges granted, in the beginning, to martyrs and confessors, became in process of time, a support to superstition, an incentive to enthusiasm, and a source of innumerable evils and abuses.

VIII. To accomplish more speedily the ruin of the Christians, all those persons whose interests were incompatible with the progress of the gospel, loaded them with the most opprobrious calumnies, which were too easily received as truth, by the credulous and unthinking multitude, among whom they were dispersed with the utmost industry. We find a sufficient account of these perfidious and illgrounded reproaches in the writings of the first defenders of the Christian cause. And these, indeed, were the only arms the assailants had to oppose the truth, since the excellence of the Gospel, and the virtue of its ministers and followers, left to its enemies no resources but calumny and persecution. Nothing can be imagined, in point of virulence and fury, that they did not employ for the ruin of the Christians. They even went so far as to persuade the multitude, that all the calamities, wars, tempests, XI. The first three or four ages of the church and diseases that afflicted mankind, were judg-were stained with the blood of martyrs, who ments sent down by the angry gods, because the Christians, who contemned their authority, were suffered in the empire.

*

suffered for the name of Jesus. The greatness of their number is acknowledged by all who have a competent acquaintance with ancient IX. The various kinds of punishment, both history, and who have examined that matter capital and corrective, which were employed with any degree of impartiality. It is true, against the Christians, are particularly describ- the learned Dodwell has endeavoured to invaed by learned men who have written profess-lidate this unanimous decision of the ancient edly on that subject.§ The forms of proceed- historians, and to diminish considerably the ing, used in their condemnation, may be seen number of those who suffered death for the in the Acts of the Martyrs, in the letters of gospel; and, after him, several writers have Pliny and Trajan, and other ancient monu- maintained his opinion, and asserted, that ments. These judicial forms were very dif- whatever may have been the calamities which ferent at different times, and changed, natu- the Christians, in general, suffered for their rally, according to the mildness or severity of attachment to the Gospel, very few were put the laws enacted by the different emperors to death on that account. This hypothesis against the Christians. Thus, at one time, we has been warmly opposed, as derogating from observe appearances of the most diligent search that divine power which enabled Christians to after the followers of Christ; at another, we be faithful even unto death, and a contrary one find all perquisition suspended, and positive ac- embraced, which augments prodigiously the cusation and information only allowed. Under number of these heroic sufferers. It will be one reign we see them, on their being proved wise to avoid both these extremes, and to hold Christians, or their confessing themselves such, the middle path, which certainly leads nearest immediately dragged away to execution, unless to the truth. The martyrs were less in number than several of the ancient modern writers

*This observation is verified by the story of Demetrius the silversmith, Acts xix. 25, and by the following passage in the 97th letter of the xth book of Pliny's epistles; "The temples, which were almost deserted, begin to be frequented again; and the sacred rites, which have been long neglected, are again performed. The victims, which have had hitherto few purchasers, begin to come again to the market," &c.

See the laborious work of Christ. Kortholt, entitled, Paganus Obtrectator, seu de Calumniis Gentilium in Christianos; to which may be added, Jo. Jac. Huldricus, de Calumniis Gentilium in Christianos, published at Zu

rich in 1744.

See Arnobius contra Gentes.

See for this purpose Ant. Gallonius and Gasp. Sagit

tarius, de Cruciatibus Martyrum.

See Bohmer, Juris Eccles. Protestant. tom. iv. lib. v. Decretal. tit. 1. sec. 32.

have supposed them to be, but much more numerous than Dodwell and his followers are willing to believe; and this medium will be easily admitted by such as have learned from the ancient writers, that, in the darkest and most calamitous times of the church, all Christians were not equally or promiscuously disturbed, or called before the public tribunals. Those who were of the lowest rank of the people, escaped the best; their obscurity, in some measure, screened them from the fury of per

• See Dodwell's Dissertation, de Paucitate Martyrum in his Dissertationes Cyprianicæ.

secution. The learned and eloquent, the doctors and ministers, and chiefly the rich, for the confiscation of whose fortunes the rapacious magistrates were perpetually gaping, were the persons most exposed to the dangers of the times.

*

cilable with chronology. The death of Nero, who perished miserably in the year 68, put an end to the calamities of this first persecution, under which, during the space of four years, the Christians suffered every sort of torment and affliction, which the ingenious cruelty of their enemies could invent.

XII. The actions and sayings of these holy martyrs, from the moment of their imprison- XIV. Learned men are not entirely agreed ment to their last gasp, were carefully recorded, with regard to the extent of this persecution in order to be read on certain days, and thus under Nero. Some confine it to the city of proposed as models to future ages. Few, Rome, while others represent it as having however, of these ancient acts have reached raged through the whole empire. The latter our times; the greatest part of them having opinion, which is also the more ancient,† is been destroyed during that dreadful persecu- undoubtedly to be preferred, as it is certain, tion which Diocletian carried on ten years that the laws enacted against the Christians with such fury against the Christians: for a were enacted against the whole body, and not most diligent search was then made after all against particular churches, and were consetheir books and papers; and all of them that quently in force in the remotest provinces. were found were committed to the flames. The authority of Tertullian confirms this, From the eighth century downwards, several who tells us, that Nero and Domitian had enGreek and Latin writers endeavoured to make acted laws against the Christians, of which up this loss, by compiling, with vast labour, Trajan had, in part, taken away the force, and accounts of the lives and actions of the an- rendered them, in some measure, without efcient martyrs. But most of them have given fect. We shall not have recourse for a conus scarcely any thing more than a series of firmation of this opinion, to that famous Porfables, adorned with a profusion of rhetorical tuguese or Spanish inscription, in which Nero flowers and striking images, as the wiser, even is praised for having purged that province from among the Romish doctors, frankly acknow- the new superstition; since that inscription is ledge. Nor are those records, which pass un- justly suspected to be a mere forgery, and the der the name of martyrology, worthy of supe- best Spanish authors consider it as such.§ We rior credit, since they bear the most evident may, however, make one observation, which marks both of ignorance and falsehood; so will tend to illustrate the point in question, that, upon the whole, this part of ecclesiastical namely, that since the Christians were conhistory, for want of ancient and authentic demned by Nero, not so much on account of monuments, is extremely imperfect, and neces- their religion, as for the falsely-imputed crime sarily attended with much obscurity. of burning the city, it is scarcely to be imXIII. It would have been surprising, if, un-agined, that he would leave unmolested, even der such a monster of cruelty as Nero, the beyond the bounds of Rome, a sect whose Christians had enjoyed the sweets of tranquil-members were accused of such an abominable lity and freedom. This, indeed, was far from being the case; for the perfidious tyrant accused them of having set fire to the city of Rome, that horrid crime which he himself had committed with a barbarous pleasure. In avenging this crime upon the innocent Christians, he ordered matters so, that the punishment should bear some resemblance to the offence. He therefore wrapped up some of them in combustible garments, and ordered fire to be set to them when the darkness came on, that thus, like torches, they might dispel the obscurity of the night: while others were fastened to crosses, or torn to pieces by wild beasts, or put to death in some such dreadful manner. This horrid persecution was set on foot in the month of November,† in the 64th This celebrated inscription is published by the learnyear of Christ: and in it, according to some ed Gruter, in the first volume of his Inscriptions. It ancient accounts, St. Paul and St. Peter suf-ters do not venture to defend the genuineness and aumust, however, be observed, that the best Spanish wrifered martyrdom, though the latter assertion is thority of this inscription, as it was never seen by any contested by many, as being absolutely irrecon- of them, and was first produced by Cyriac of Ancona, a person universally known to be utterly unworthy of the *Such of those acts as are worthy of credit have been least credit. We shall add here the judgment which the collected by the learned Ruinart, into one volume in excellent historian of Spain, Jo. de Ferreras, has given folio, of a moderate size, entitled, Selecta et sincera Mar- of this inscription; "Je ne puis m'empecher (says he) tyrum Acta, Amstelod. 1713. The hypothesis of Dod-d'observer que Cyriac d'Ancone fut le premier qui pubwell is amply refuted in the author's preface.

deed.

XV. Though, immediately after the death of Nero, the rage of this first persecution against the Christians ceased, yet the flame broke out anew in the year 93 or 94, under Domitian, a prince little inferior to Nero in

*See Tillemont, Histoire des Empereurs, tom. i. p. 504.-Baratier, de Successione Romanor. Pontif. cap. v.

This opinion was first defended by Franc. Balduin, in his Comm. ad Edicta Imperatorum in Christianos. Dissert. qua Sulpitii Severi locus de prima Martyrum After him Launoy maintained the same opinion in his Galliæ Epocha vindicatur, sect. i. p. 139, 140; tom. ii. part i. oper. This opinion is still more acutely and learnedly defended by Dodwell, in the xith of his Dissertationes Cyprianicæ.

Apologet. cap. iv.

lia cette inscription, et que c'est de lui que les autres l'ont tiree; mais comme la foi de cet ecrivain est suspecte au Al-jugement de tous les scavans, que d'ailleurs il n'y a ni vestige ni souvenir de cette inscription dans les places ou l'on dit qu'elle s'est trouvee, et qu'on ne scait ou la prendre a present, chacun peut en porter le jugement qu'il voudra."

See for a farther illustration of this point of chronology, two French Dissertations of the very learned phonse de Vignoles, concerning the cause and the commencement of the persecution under Nero, which are printed in Masson's Histoire critique de la Republique des Lettres, tom. viii. p. 74-117; tom. ix. p. 172-186. See also Toinard ad Lactantium de Mortibus Persequut

P. 398

See Theod. Ruinart, Præf. ad Acta Martyrum sincera et selecta, f. 31, &c.

PART II.

THE INTERNAL HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

* The history of the oriental philosophy by Mr. Stanley, though it is not void of all kind of merit, is yet extremely defective. That learned author is so far from having exhausted his subject, that he has left it, on the contrary, in many places, wholly untouched. The history of philosophy, published in Germany by the very Mr. Brucker, is vastly preferable to Mr. Stanley's work; and the German author, indeed, much superior to the Some parts of the Veda have been published; or, English one, both in point of genius and of erudition. may rather be said that pretended portions of it have apf See Hyde's History of the Religion of the Ancient peared; but, whatever may be alleged by oriental enPersians, a work full of erudition, but indigested and in-thusiasts, these Brahminical remains do not evince the terspersed with conjectures of the most improbable kind. See Wolf's Manichæismus ante Manichæos. See Abulpharagius de Moribus Arabum, published by Pocock. VOL. I.-5