committing any wickedness; but, on the contrary, of abstaining from thefts, robberies and adulteries; also, of not violating their promise, or denying a pledge; after which it was their custom to separate, and to meet again at a promiscuous, harmless meal, from which last practice, however, they desisted, af ter the publication of my edict, in which, agreeably to your orders, I forbade any societies of that sort. On which account I judged it the more necessary to inquire, by torture, from two females, who were said to be deaconesses, what is the real truth. But nothing could I collect, except a depraved and excessive superstition. Deferring therefore any farther investigation, I determined to consult you. For the number of culprits is so great, as to call for serious consultation.

Many persons are informed against, of every age and of both sexes; and more still will be in the same situation. The contagion of the superstition hath spread, not only through cities, but even villages in the country. Not that I think it impossible to check and to correct it. The success of my endeavours hitherto, forbids such desponding thoughts; for the temples, once almost desolate, begin to be frequented, and the sacred solemnities, which had long been intermitted, are now attended, afresh, and the sacrificial victims are now sold every where, which once could scarcely find a purchaser. Whence, I conclude that many might be reclaimed, were the hope of impunity on repentance absolutely confirmed."

TRAJAN TO PLINY.

You have done perfectly right, my dear Pliny, in the inquiry which you have made concerning Christians. For truly, no one general rule can be laid down, which will apply itself to all cases. These people must not be sought after. If they are brought before you and convicted, let them be capitally punished; yet with this restriction, that if any one renounce Christianity, and evidence his sincerity by supplicating our gods, however suspected he may be for the past, he shall obtain pardon for the future, on his repentance. But anonymous libels ought, in no case, to be attended to; for the precedent would be of the worst sort, and perfectly incongruous to the maxims of my government.

From this important correspondence, we learn that Christians were then very numerous;-that they every where wor shipped Christ as God; that their morals were not only unimpeachable, but of an high character; and that, because of the

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spirit of Christianity, the heathen temples were almost desolate, and the sacrificial victims could scarce find a purchaser. This is the testimony, not of a Christian, but of a heathen governor. Strange that such men as Trajan and Pliny should not have been allured by a religion which made such good men and peaceable citizens; or, at least, should not have withheld from them entirely the arm of persecution. But there is no coincidence between the religion of a virtuous Pagan, and the gospel of Christ. The one fosters human pride; the other, humbles man in the dust; so that often the bitterest enemies of the cross, are those who have made the greatest attainments, as they themselves think, in the moral virtues.

The order of Trajan, however, was favourable to the Christians, as it forbade all search to be made after them, and prohibited all anonymous libels and accusations, though it still left the door open for persecution and death.

From this correspondence also, and from the other historical records of the age, we learn that the Christians were looked upon with the utmost contempt. Pliny calls their religion "a depraved and excessive superstition," and views their attachment to the Gospel, as a sullen and obstinate inflexibility, demanding the vengeance of the magistrate. No epithets could be too debased to be heaped upon them. They were called atheists, magicians, haters of the light, self-murderers, eaters of human flesh; and were accused of unnatural crimes, which are not to be mentioned. But their accusers could bring nothing against them excepting that they would not invoke the gods and execrate Christ; and when any apostates would do this, they were at once forgiven and admitted into favour, notwithstanding these charges of gross immorality.

Had we correct biographical notices of those who conversed with, and survived the Apostles, we should, no doubt, find many among them who illustriously adorned the doctrine of God their Saviour. The writings only of Clement, who presided nine years over the church of Rome, and whom Paul calls his fellow labourer, whose name is in the book of life," have come down to us. He wrote an Epistle to the Corinthians, at the close of the first century; which presents him as strongly attached to the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel, and animated by a truly apostolic spirit; and the Corinthians, as still possessing the faith, and hope, and charity of the Gospel, though tarnished, as in the days of Paul, with pride and a schismatical spirit.

The successor of James, in the pastoral office at Jerusalem, was Simeon. The church had fled to Pella, when the city was encompassed with the Roman armies; but it returned to Judea, about the beginning of Trajan's reign, after quiet was restored, and the city in some measure rebuilt. There Adrian found them worshipping in a small building upon Mount Zion, when he came to repair Jerusalem. Simeon lived to a great age. Being accused before Atticus, the Roman governor, he was scourged many days and then crucified, A. D. 107.

In the same year, Ignatius, who presided in the church of Antioch, suffered martyrdom for the faith of Jesus. He had in his youth been a disciple of John, and had been intimately acquainted with Peter and Paul. Peter, it is said, laid hands on him when he was ordained to the pastoral office. Having continued in the pastoral charge about forty years, he presented himself before Trajan on his way to the Parthian war, hoping to avert a storm which was then ready to burst on the Christians. "What an impious spirit art thou," said Trajan, "both to transgress our commands, and to inveigle others into the same folly to their ruin!" "Theophorus ought not to be called so," answered Ignatius, "forasmuch as all wicked spirits are departed from the servants of God. But if you call me impious because I am hostile to evil spirits, I own the charge in that respect. For I dissolve all their snares through Christ, the heavenly king." Traj. "Pray who is Theophorus?" Ign. "He who has Christ in his breast." Traj. "And thinkest thou not that Gods reside in us also, who fight for us against our enemies?" Ign. "You mistake in calling the demons of the nations by the name of Gods. For there is only one God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; and one Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, whose kingdom be my portion." Traj. "His kingdom, do you say, who was crucified under Pilate ?" Ign. "His, who crucified my sin with its author, and has put all the fraud and malice of Satan under the feet of those who carry him in their heart.” Traj. "Dost thou then carry him who was crucified, with thee?" Ign. "I do," for it is written "I dwell in them, and walk in them." Then Trajan pronounced this sentence against him. "Since Ignatius confesses that he carries within himself, him that was crucified, we command that he be carried, bound by soldiers, to great Rome, there to be thrown to the wild beasts for the entertainment of the people."

This excellent man "full of faith and of the Holy Ghost,"

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was hurried off to the place of suffering. On his way to Rome, he stopped at Smyrna to visit Polycarp. They had been fellow disciples of John. Their meeting was joyful. Seven epistles were written by him to as many churches before he reached the end of his journey. From these which are still extant, though perhaps corrupted, we learn, that the churches of Asia retained much evangelical purity, though they were often greatly perplexed by heresies, and borne down by persecution; that the deity, manhood and atonement of Christ were ductrines unspeakably precious: and that an entire separation from all who denied the fundamental doctrines of Christianity was the foundation of their long continued prosperity. When he came to Rome he was anxious for a speedy martyrdom, and had his wish granted, for he was immediately led into the amphitheatre and thrown to the wild beasts. His bones were carefully collected by his friends and carried to Antioch. Trajan was succeeded by Adrian, A. D. 117. ror was respectfully addressed by Quadratus and Aristides, two excellent Athenian Christians, in behalf of the churches; and, by them, he seems to have been induced to direct, that the calumniators of Christians should not only not be heard, but should be punished; and that, if any were presented before the magistrates, they should be condemned only as it should appear that they had broken the laws. This was the most favourable decree that had ever been made relating to the followers of Christ.

This empe

During Adrian's reign, appeared a great imposter among the Jews, called Barchobebas, because he pretended to be the Star prophesied of by Balaam. Defeated in every way, and reduced to the greatest extremities, the Jews received him with open arms. He came out in rebellion against the emperor, but was soon defeated and slain. In the conflict, however, the Christians were great sufferers; for the Jews, looking upon them as the authors of their calamities, every where inflicted upon them the greatest cruelties.

The next emperor, Antoninus Pius, was still more favorable to the Christians. In the third year of his reign, A. D. 140, Justin Martyr, a very able defender of the truth, presented him an apology for Christianity which had no small influence on his mind. An edict issued by him, in consequence of complaints made from Asia of the Christians, as the cause of the earthquakes, speaks volumes in his praise; and in praise, too, of the persecuted.

"THE EMPEROR, TO THE COMMON COUNCIL OF ASIA."

"I am quite of opinion that the gods will take care to discover such persons. For it much more concerns them to punish those who refuse to worship them, than you, if they be able. But you harass and vex the Christians and accuse them of atheism and other crimes, which you can by no means prove. To them it appears an advantage to die for their religion; and they will gain their point, while they throw away their lives rather than comply with your injunctions. As to the earthquakes, which have happened in past times, or lately, is it not proper to remind you of your own despondency, when they happen, and to desire you to compare your spirit with theirs and observe how serenely they confide in God! In such seasons you seem to be ignorant of the gods, and to neglect their worship. You live in the practical ignorance of the supreme God himself, and you harass and persecute to death those who do worship him. Concerning these same men, some others of the provincial governors wrote to our divine father Adrian, to whom he returned answer, 'That they should not be molested, unless they appeared to attempt something against the Roman government.' Many also have signified to me concerning these men, to whom I have returned an answer agreeable to the maxims of my father. But if any person will still persist in accusing the Christians merely as such-let the accused be acquitted, though he appear to be a Christian, and let the accuser be punished."

This was certainly no ordinary, and we are assured by Eusebius, it was no empty edict; for it was fully put in execution, and gave the Church about twentythree years of peace and prosperity. But such seasons she was liable to abuse; provok ing against her the anger of heaven. From worldly mindedness and stupidity, however, she was again soon roused by the fires of persecution.

In the year 161, Pius was succeeded by Marcus Antoninus, a man of eminence in the schools of philosophy; whose meditations, humanity, and beneficence, have gained him the plaudits of succeeding generations, but whose pride and self importance made him scorn the doctrines of the cross; made him, for nineteen years, a bitter persecutor of the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. Very able apologies were made for the Christians by Justin, Tatian, Athenagoras, Apollinaris, Theophilus, and Melito; but they were regarded by Marcus as a vain, obstinate, and evil minded race, and left, without relief,