THE HISTORY Ог THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. CHAPTER XVI.* ROMAN GOVERNMENT THE CONDUCT OF THE If we seriously consider the purity of the Christian religion, the sanctity of its moral precepts, and the innocent as well as austere lives of the greater number of those who during the first ages embraced the faith of the gospel, we ing world; that the learned and the polite, however they deride the miracles, would have esteemed the virtues, of new sect; and that the magistrates, instead of persecu would have protected an order of men who yielded the passive obedience to the laws, though they declined the ad cares of war and government. If, on the other hand, recollect the universal toleration of Polytheism, as it invariably maintained by the faith of the people, the in duluy of philosophers, and the policy of the Roman se and emperors, we are at a loss to discover what new offe the Christians had committed, what new provocation co exasperate the mild indifference of antiquity, and what motives could urge the Roman princes, who beheld with concern a thousand forms of religion subsisting in pe under their gentle sway, to inflict a severe punishment on part of their subjects, who had chosen for themselves a s gular but an inoffensive mode of faith and worship. The religious policy of the ancient world seems to ha assumed a more stern and intolerant character, to oppose progress of Christianity. About fourscore years after death of Christ, his innocent disciples were punished w death by the sentence of a proconsul of the most amiable a philosophic character, and according to the laws of an e peror distinguished by the wisdom and justice of his gene adininistration. The apologies which were repeatedly & dressed to the successors of Trajan are filled with the m pathetic complaints,, that the Christians, who obeyed the d tates, and solicited the liberty, of conscience, were alor among all the subjects of the Roman empire, excluded fro the common benefits of their auspicious government. T deaths of a few eminent martyrs have been recorded wi care; and from the time that Christianity was invested wi the supreme power, the governors of the church have been less diligently employed in displaying the cruelty, than in in itating the conduct, of their Pagan adversaries. To separa (if it be possible) a few authentic as well as interesting fac from an undigested mass of fiction and error, and to relate, a clear and rational manner, the causes, the extent, the dura tion, and the most important circumstances of the persecution the sixteenth chapter of Mr. G. did not excite the same or greater disa probation, is a proof of the unphilosophical and indeed fanatical animo Ity against Christianity, which was so prevalent during the latter part o the eighteenth century. Mackintosh: "see Life, i. p. 244, 245. to which the first Christians were exposed, is the design of the present chapter. * The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of mind calmly to investigate, or candidly to appreciate, the motives of their enemies, which often escape the impartial and discerning view even of those who are placed at a secure distance from the flames of persecution. A reason has been assigned for the conduct of the emperors towards the primitive Christians, which may appear the more specious and probable as it is drawn from the ac knowledged genius of Polytheism. It has already been observed, that the religious concord of the world was principally supported by the implicit assent and reverence which the nations of antiquity expressed for their respective traditions and ceremonies. It might therefore be expected, that they would unite with indignation against any sect or people which should separate itself from the communion of mankind, and claiming the exclusive possession of divine knowledge, should disdain every form of worship, except its own, as impious and idolatrous. The rights of toleration were held by mutual indulgence: they were justly forfeited by a refusal of the accustomed tribute. As the payment of this tribute was in flexibly refused by the Jews, and by them alone, the consider circumstance that could exasperate the minds of the co ors, and authorize religious persecution by the most s arguments of political justice and the public safety. the reign of Nero to that of Antoninus Pius, the Jews ered a fierce impatience of the dominion of Rome, repeatedly broke out in the most furious massacres and rections. Humanity is shocked at the recital of the cruelties which they committed in the cities of Egy Cyprus, and of Cyrene, where they dwelt in treac friendship with the unsuspecting natives;1 and we are te to applaud the severe retaliation which was exercised arms of the legions against a race of fanatics, whose di credulous superstition seemed to render them the impl enemies not only of the Roman government, but of kind.2 The enthusiasm of the Jews was supported opinion, that it was unlawful for them to pay taxes to a atrous master; and by the flattering promise which th rived from their ancient oracles, that a conquering M would soon arise, destined to break their fetters, and to the favorites of heaven with the empire of the earth. by announcing himself as their long-expected delivere by calling on all the descendants of Abraham to asse hope of Israel, that the famous Barchochebas collec formidable army, with which he resisted during two yea power of the emperor Hadrian.3 Notwithstanding these repeated provocations, the r ment of the Roman princes expired after the victory In Cyrene, they massacred 226,000 Greeks; in Cyprus, 24 in Egypt, a very great multitude. Many of these unhappy were sawn asunder, according to a precedent to which Davi given the sanction of his example. The victorious Jews de the flesh, licked up the blood, and twisted the entrails like a round their bodies. See Dion Cassius, 1. lxviii. p. 1145.* Without repeating the well-known narratives of Josephu may learn from Dion, (1. lxix. p. 1162,) that in Hadrian's war 5 Jews were cut off by the sword, besides an infinite number perished by famine, by disease, and by fire. For the sect of the Zealots, see Basnage, Histoire des Jui c. 17; for the characters of the Messiah, according to the R Lv. c. 11, 12, 13; for the actions of Barchochebas, 1. vii. c. 12. of Jews, iii. 115, &c.) - M. Some commentators, among them Reimar, in his notes on Dio sius, think that the hatred of the Romans against the Jews has le historian to exaggerate the cruelties committed by the latter. Dion lxviii. p. 1146.-G. |