quel, that the very quotation on which the author relies for the support of his hypothesis, leads us, if considered attentively, to quite another result. The fact seems to us, that the persecution was too malicious, and too enduring to spring from such a source, as in the passage quoted is attributed to it. The heathen did not care enough in gen eral about their religion, to be so much enraged simply at another man's declaring that his was the only true one. The cause is not equal to the effect; and therefore we must seek for another.

shall more fully explain in the se- || tions, degenerates into the most insufferable tyranny. Such, I am afraid, is the nature of man, that if he has power without control, he will use it without justice. Absolute power has a strong tendency to make good men bad, and never fails to make bad men worse." Now it cannot be denied, that the circumstances under which the rulers of the Roman empire lived, during the period alluded to, were such as to encourage, to its most direful extent, the spirit of impatient, irritable despotism; the spirit which would teach them to treat as an unpardonable offence, a firm and unbending opposition to their will.

In endeavouring to assign the cause for so relentless a persecution of men so absolutely unoffending, we may look at the attitude in which they stood, first, toward the rulers, and secondly, toward the people of the Roman empire.

Now the disciples of Christ presented to the world, the human character in an almost new attitude. It was in the attitude of disobedience, even unto the suffering of bonds and imprisonments and death, of every sort of command

Christianity appeared, at a time of the world when the rights of the subject were exceedingly ill under-which affected their religious worstood. The government was universally despotic. Let the chief magistrate do what he would; let him burn a city, or massacre a legion, he was esteemed, it is true, a bad man, but it was never dreamed that he had exceeded his powers. It was his to command, and the people's to obey. And this same spirit pervaded the whole administration of government, from the Emperor at the capital, down to the petty ruler of the most insignificant province. The provincial governor in his own district, felt himself as absolute as the Emperor at Rome. It was every where a government of will, and no where a government of law.

ship; one of those things on which the rest of the world were so universally complying. To disobey, was bad enough; but to disobey where no one would ever have dreamed of disobedience, was insufferable. The people accused the Christians of heresy. The order was issued that they should worship as other men did; but they remained immoveable as adamant. emperor thought proper that his statue should be adored. Other men bowed down to it; but the universal language of these men was, Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

An

It is not necessary here to men- The magistrates found themtion how rapidly the spirit of des- selves unexpectedly committed. potism luxuriates, if unrestrained, They met in the disciples of in a human heart. "Caprice," Christ, unyielding disobedience to says a correct observer, is a vice their commands. Nothing inflames of the temper, which increases fast-despotism to madness like cool, er than any other by indulgence; unwavering defiance They at it often spoils the best qualities of once threatened severe punishthe heart, and in particular situa- || ments. Threatenings were inef

fectual, and they were speedily || have swayed by far the greatest input in force. Still the spirit re- fluence, among a people of such a mained unsubdued; and if men character as that of Rome during the could not be cured of this obstina- three first centuries of the Christian cy, they were mortal, and the num-church. After these, would natuber whom it infected could be les-rally follow the men of wealth. In sened. Physical force, imprison- bad governments, wealth always ment, and death, the grand argu-confers power almost despotic withments of despotism, were always at in the limits of its influence. It hand; and as the sufferers never of- can oppress or defend, can support fered to raise a party in their own or destroy; and such a power will defence, they might be used with- always find men obedient to its out fear,and they were used without will. After these might be ranked control. It is to such a state of the philosophers, who continued to things, we suppose the passage in maintain some reputation for wisPliny's letter above quoted to re-dom, by dealing largely in what fer. If such were the relation in which the Christians in the first centuries stood to the whole race of rulers in the Roman empire, it is easy to see, how readily artful and interested men, by arousing against Now it is easy to see that the inthem the vanity of a weak, or the terests of all these men were directmalevolence of a despotic adminis-ly opposed to the advancement of tration, might have excited against them a storm of persecution.

Let us now, in the second place, consider the relation in which the early Christians stood to the second class of society; the men who, holding a sort of intermediate rank between the rulers and lower classes of people, had it in their power more directly to influence either, in a question of this nature.

they did not understand; and thus, like some philosophers of the present day, establishing the reputation of profound and consummate erudition.

Christianity. It is evident at first blush, that the whole mass of the heathen priesthood would exert their united strength to crush it. If Christianity succeeded, their occupation was gone. Disqualified for every other business, deriving their means of living, and the whole of their respect and influence entirely from the existing system, we may conceive with what virulence they would attack a religion, which de

rites abominable, and themselves with their followers, in danger of eternal death. The love of gain, the pride of the human heart, and every principle which exasperates to exterminating hostility, would conspire to render them most ran

The class of persons to whom we refer are the priests, the mer-clared their theology a fable, their chants, the philosophers, the more opulent mechanics, and in general, the more elevated portion of what is commonly considered the middle class of society. By far the more influential of all these were the priests, as is always the case among an uninstructed peo-corous enemies to the rapidly adple. Bearing the character of am- vancing doctrines of Jesus of Nazbassadors from heaven, and profess- areth. And this was not in prosing to know how sin may be for-pective; it very soon became to given, a knowledge of which every them an alarming reality. Pliny's man deeply feels the importance; letter to Trajan, was written about associating with men in all the re- the close of the first, or the beginlations of life, and the organs of a ning of the second century. At system which had been believed by this early era, he thus speaks of their ancestors for ages; it may the progress which Christianity had well be supposed that they must made in the province of Bythinia:

"The contagion of this supersti- || announcement was that they should

turn from idols to serve the living God. And besides all this, the system of idolatry was connected with multiplied festivals; it had to do with dress and with food, and with almost all that is bought and sold for the purposes of life. Christi

tion hath spread not only through cities, but villages also, and hath even reached farm-houses. I am of opinion, however, that it may be checked, and the success of my endeavours hitherto forbids despondency; for the temples once almost desolate, begin to be again frequent-anity would of necessity place the ed; the sacred solemnities, which had for some time been intermitted, are now attended afresh; and the sacrificial victims, which once could scarcely find a purchaser, now obtain a brisk sale." The priesthood of idolatry had every thing to fear from such a religion as this.

whole superstructure of society upon a radically new basis. It would absolutely ruin many a profitable occupation, and dry up from its fountain many a source of golden emolument. One example may sufficiently illustrate the whole subject. Who can doubt that in a Catholic country, fishermen, and all who deal in fish, would be strongly tempted to oppose protestantism, a system which taught that no man need eat fish unless he liked it, and that any one might eat flesh seven days in the week without committing the unpardonable sin?

It

And to be convinced how alarming this system must have appeared to a large class of the artisans and merchants of these times, it is only necessary to reflect for a moment, how extensive and minute is the influence of religious belief upon all the arrangements of life. Specially is this the case under all the And lastly, it is evident that modes of false religion. There are Christianity need expect no favours but two ways by which any system from any of the innumerable sects of religion can affect the human of philosophers. A philosopher's mind; the one, by means of show system, like an Englishman's house, and parade, and appeal to his sen- is his castle, and he will always deses; and the other, by moral pow-fend it to the very uttermost. er, by an appeal to the moral prin- would lead us too far from the ciple within him: "By manifesta-course of these remarks, to expose tiod of the truth," says the Apos- the arrogant pretensions of the class tle, "commending ourselves to ev- of men of these times, who pretendery man's conscience." The gos-ed to be the guides to all ethical pel exclusively employs the latter; truth. Each one the author or abetidolatry, almost without exception, tor of a particular scheme of docemploys the former. And it is ev- trines, which he himself hardly unident that the more universal is the derstood, considered his sect the attempt to impress the senses, the sole venders of all that was knowgreater employment must a religion able concerning the bonum and the afford to the manufacturer, and the malum, the licet and the non licet, greater gain must it offer to the the quid decet et quid non. Many merchant. The architect who built of them were men of learning, and the temple, and the contractor who entertained all becoming contempt furnished the material, and the me- for the "ignoble vulgar." Now we chanic who laboured at the marble, may well imagine the indignation the sculptor who chiselled the god, with which they must have beheld and the silversmith who graved the the progress of a system, which by shrine, and the grazier who fur- the simple preaching of Christ and nished the victim, would all con- the resurrection, was thinning their spire against the preacher of a rap- audiences, diminishing their reidly extending doctrine, whose first spect, and broadly declaring that

their theories were nothing more than philosophy, falsely so called. It sprung from a country which was considered peculiarly barbarian, and was taught by men who knew little and cared nothing about Aris-history of a crucified Redeemer? totle, or Plato, or Zeno, or Epicu

with all that was lofty in intellect, or tasteful in art. From men thus imbued from infancy, what had those preachers to expect, who could tell of nothing else than the

rus.

And last, but not least, this system was extending with unexampled rapidity. Well may we conceive that all this class of community would be embattled against the progress of a system, which was so eminently calculated to humble the pretensions of human intellect, and stain the pride of hu man glory. Well did the Apostle say, We preach Christ crucified, to the Greeks foolishness.

Again, the state of morals in the world was far too low to be characterized by the epithet degraded. Our language hardly finds terms to convey any adequate idea of the character of many of their emperors. The English language, thanks be to God, will not allow of a translation of the poets and historians, who delineate the morals of Rome.

Nor have we any reason to suppose the case different in the provinces. We have only to look upon human Such was the relation in which nature as it confessedly is; we the disciples of Christ stood to all have only to reflect upon the pasthis powerful and middling class sions which are the indigenous of society. We see that they had growth of a human heart, and we to encounter every thing, which in- may make some estimate of the deterest and pride and prejudice and pravity to which men would arrive, learning could array against them. whose minds were continually, for We see that nothing need be added successive generations, filled with to increase their hatred to the en- such ideas of the supreme divinity croaching system. All that was as were presented by the ancient wanted was, some means of awak-mythology of Greece and Rome. ening the lower classes of the community against them, and then a persecution to any extent, and with any degree of vindictiveness, could be incessantly waged against every follower of Jesus Christ.

It happened that at this time these means were abundantly afforded. An innovator is usually odious, particularly when he would alter what a venerable antiquity has sanctioned. Such was the case with the innovators of these times. They went forth to annihilate a system, which claimed an origin more ancient than their earliest historical records. It was one which was interwoven indissolubly with all the stories, which they were so fond of repeating, about the commencement of their nation. It was a system which poetry had consecrated, and genius ennobled, and which imagination had associated MARCH, 1824.

Now it was against all this licentiousness, whether glittering in the palace, or wallowing in the hovel, that this new religion declared open and exterminating warfare. The debauchee would be enraged at a religion, which threw around chastity, the shield of high and invincible moral character. The glutton would loathe a system, which taught self denial, and which exhibited him to the world as the pampered slave of beastly appetite. And in general, all the vicious men of a most vicious age would join in condemning a system, which taught that there was an eternity of awful retribution to every one of us, who did not deny himself, and live soberly and righteously and godlily in the present evil world.

Now all this enmity found an opportunity of exerting itself to the uttermost, from the existence of an

11

almost unaccountable propensity, || wherever colonies were established,

which prevailed during the greater part of the three first centuries throughout the Roman empire. It was their almost frenzied admiration of gladiatorial exhibitions. This is a circumstance, which we think has scarcely received the attention which it deserves from writers on this subject. We shall therefore briefly notice it, as we think it will explain at once the cause and the nature of the early persecutions, and also set before us some of the horrors of that gloomy period when the prophecy of our Saviour, Ye shall be hated of all nations for my sake," was so mournfully fulfilled.

it was found requisite to give public shows of this kind, to induce the emigrants to remain in their new country. And in the provinces, where it was thought necessary that a considerable body of troops should remain constantly, structures of this kind were erected at vast labour and expense, and were found the best means of inducing the young officers to submit cheerfully to a long absence from the capital, and of preventing the common soldiers from desertion. The profusion of human blood which was shed in the arena by the cruel prodigality of the emperors, and the refinements which were invented to augment the barbarous pleasure of the spectators, are proofs of the dreadful degree of corruption and depravity to which human nature is capable of attaining, even among a learned and enlightened people, when un

a benevolent religion. We are told that gladiators, bred for the use of particular patricians, as well as those kept for hire by the Lanistae, were, for some weeks before they appeared in the arena, fed upon such succulent diet as would soonest fill their veins, that they might bleed freely at every wound!

The following account of the Roman gladiatorial exhibitions, is extracted from Moore's View of Society and Manners in Italy, vol. ii, Letter 39: "This horrid piece of magnificence, which at first was exhibited only at the death of con-restrained by the mild precepts of suls and men of high distinction, came gradually to be claimed by every citizen who was sufficiently rich to defray the expense; and as the people's fondness for these combats increased every day, they were no longer confined to funeral solemnities, but became customary on days of public rejoicing, and were exhibited at amazing expense by some generals after victories. In the progress of riches, luxury, and vice, it became a profession in Rome to deal in gladiators. Men called Lanistae made it their business to purchase prisoners and slaves, to have them instructed in the use of various weapons, and when any Roman chose to amuse the people with their favourite show, or to entertain a select company of his own friends upon any particular occasion, he applied to the Lanistae, who for a fixed price furnished him with as many pairs of these unhappy combatants as he

wished.

"When a gladiator was thrown by his antagonist to the ground, and directly laid down his arms, it was a sign that he could resist no longer, and declared himself vanquished; but still his life depended on the spectators. If they were pleased with his performance, or in a merciful disposition, they held up their hands with the thumb folded down, and the life of the man was spared; but if they were in the humour to see him die, they held up the hand clenched, with the thumb only erect. As soon as the prostrate victim beheld that fatal signal, he knew all hopes of life were vain, and immediately presented his

"The Romans were so excessive-breast to the sword of his adversaly fond of these exhibitions, that ry, who, whatever his own inclina