PART I. CENT. lived entirely unmolested; and what is still more, V III. the profession of Christianity was no obstacle to public preferment under most of the emperors that reigned in this century. It is also certain, that the Christians had, in many places, houses where they assembled for the purposes of divine worship, and that with the knowledge and connivance of the emperors and magistrates. And though it be more than probable, that this liberty was, upon many occasions, and even, for the most párt, purchased at a high rate, yet it is manifest, that some of the emperors were very favourably inclined towards the Christians, and were far from having an aversion to their religion. Under va- II. Caracalla, the son of Severus, was prorious empe- claimed emperor in the year 211, and, during rors. lexander the six years of his government, he neither oppressed the Christians himself, nor permitted any others to treat them with cruelty or injustice. Heliogabalus also, though in other respects the most infamous of all princes [a], and, perhaps, the most odious of all mortals, shewed no marks of bitterness or aversion to the disciples of Jesus. His successor, Alexander Severus, who was a The benig- prince distinguished by a noble assemblage of the nity of A- most excellent and illustrious virtues, did not, towards the indeed, abrogate the laws that had been enacted against the Christians; and this is the reason why we have some examples of martyrdom under his administration. It is nevertheless certain, that he shewed them, in many ways, and upon every occasion that was offered him, the most undoubted marks of benignity and favour; nay, he is said to have gone so far as to pay a certain sort of worship to the divine author of our religion [b]. This his favourable inclinations towards Christians. [a] Lampridius. Vita Elagabali, c. iii. p. 706. Carol. III. PART I wards the Christians was probably owing, at first, CENT. to the instructions and counsels of his mother, Julia Mammæa, for whom he had a high degree of love and veneration. Julia had very favourable sentiments of the Christian religion; and, being once at Antioch, sent for the famous Origen from Alexandria, in order to enjoy the pleasure and advantage of his conversation and instructions. Those who assert, that Julia, and her son Alexander, embraced the Christian religion, are by no means furnished with unexceptionable testimonies to confirm this fact; though we may affirm, with confidence, that this virtuous prince looked upon Christianity as meriting, beyond all other religions, toleration and favour from the state, and considered its author as worthy of a place among those who have been distinguished by their sublime virtues, and honoured with a commission from above [c]. vourable to III. Under Gordian, the Christians lived in Other emtranquillity. His successors the Philips, father perors faand son, proved so favourable, and even friendly the Christito them, that these two emperors passed, in the ans. opinion of many, for Christians; and, indeed, the arguments alleged to prove that they embraced, though in a secret and clandestine manner, the religion of Jesus, seem to have a high degree of weight, and render this fact extremely probable. But as these arguments are opposed Question by others equally specious, that famous question, the religion relating to the religion of Philip the Arabian, of the em R 2 concerning and peror Phi Carol. Henr. Zeibichii, Diss. de Christo ab Alexandro in larario cultu, quæ extat in Miscellan. Lips. nov. tom. iii. p. 42. [c] Vide Frid. Spanhemii, Diss. de Lucii Britonum Regis, Julia Mammaa, et Philipporum conversionibus, tom. ii. opp. p. 400. Item. Paul. Jablonski, Diss. de Alexandro Severo sacris Christianis per Gnosticos initiato, in Miscellan. Lips. novis, tom. iv. p. 56. lip. PART I. CENT. and his son must be left undecided [d]. NeiIII. ther side offers reasons so victorious and unanswerable, as to produce a full and complete conviction; and this is therefore one of those many cases, where a suspension of judgment is both allowable and wise. With respect to Gallienus, and some other emperors of this century, if they did not professedly favour the progress of Christianity, yet neither did they oppress its followers, nor retard its advancement. The number of Christians IV. This clemency and benevolence, which the followers of Jesus experienced from great increased. men, and especially from those of imperial dignity, must be placed, without doubt, among partly divine. those human means that contributed to multiply the number of Christians, and to enlarge the The causes bounds of the church. Other causes, however, thereof both divine and human, must be added here, to render a complete and satisfactory account of this matter. Among the causes which belong to the first of these classes, we do not only reckon the intrinsic force of celestial truth, and the piety and fortitude of those who declared it to the world, but also that especial and interposing providence, which, by dreams and visions, presented to the minds of many, who were either inattentive [d] The authors of the Universal History have determined the question which Dr. Mosheim leaves here undecided; and they think it may be affirmed, that Philip and his son embraced the gospel, since that opinion is built upon such respectable authority as that of Jerom, Chrysostom, Dionysius of Alexandria, Zonaras, Nicephorus, Cedrenus, Ruffinus, Syncellus, Orosius, Jornandes, Ammianus Marcellinus, the learned cardinal Bona, Vincentius Lirinensis, Huetius, and others. Dr. Mosheim refers his readers, for an account of this matter to the following writers: Spanheim, De Christianismo Philipp. tom. ii. opp. p. 400. Entretiens Historiques sur le Christianisme de l'Empereur Philippe, par. P. De L. F. Mammachii Origines et. Antiqu. Christianæ, tom. ii. p. 252. Confer. Fabric. De Luce Evang. &c. p. 252. III. PART I. tive to the Christian doctrine, or its professed CENT. enemies, touched their hearts with a conviction of the truth, and a sense of its importance, and engaged them, without delay, to profess themselves the disciples of Christ [e]. To this may also be added, the healing of diseases, and other miracles, which many Christians were yet enabled to perform by invoking the name of the divine Saviour [f]. The number of miracles, was, however, much less in this than the preceding century; nor must this alteration be attributed only to the divine wisdom, which rendered miraculous interpositions less frequent in proportion as they became less necessary, but also to his justice, which was provoked to diminish the frequency of gifts, which some did not scruple to pervert to mercenary purposes [g]. V. If we turn our view to the human means Partly ha that contributed, at this time, to multiply the man. numbers of Christians, and to extend the limits of the church, we shall find a great variety of causes uniting their influence, and contributing jointly to this happy purpose. Among these must be reckoned the translations of the sacred writings into various languages, the zeal and labours of Origen, in spreading abroad copies of them every where, and the different works that were published, by learned and pious men, in defence of the gospel. We may add also to this, that the acts of beneficence and liberality, performed by the Christians, even towards those whose R 3 [e] See, for an account of this matter, the following authors, Origen, lib. i. adv. Celsum, p. 35. Homil. in Lucæ vii. p. 216. tom. ii. opp. edit. Basil; as also Tertullian, De anima, cap. xiv. p. 348. edit. Rigaltii, and Eusebius, Histor. Eccles. lib. vi. cap. v. p. 208. [f] Origen, contr. Celsum, lib. i. p. 5. 7. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. v. cap. vii. Cyprianus, Ep. i. ad Donat. p, 3. and the notes of Balusius upon that passage, p. 376. [g] Spencer, not. in Origin, contra Celsum, p. 6, 7. CENT. Scotland inform us, that the light of Christianity III. arose upon that country during this century; PART 1. but, though there be nothing improbable in this assertion, yet it is not built upon incontestable authority [m]. The CHAP. II. Concerning the calamitous events which happened to the church in this century. cut; perse-I. IN the beginning of this century, the Chris cution under Seve rus. tian church suffered calamities of various kinds throughout the provinces of the Roman empire. These sufferings increased in a terrible manner, in consequence of a law made, in the year 203, by the emperor Severus (who, in other respects, was certainly no enemy to the Christians,) by which every subject of the empire was prohibited to change the religion of his ancestors for that of the Christian or Jewish [n]. This law was, in its effects, most prejudicial to the Christians; for, though it did not formally condemn them, and seemed only adapted to put a stop to the further progress of the gospel, yet it induced rapacious and unjust magistrates to persecute even unto death the poorer sort among the Christians, that thus the richer might be led, through fear of like treatment, to purchase their tranquillity and safety at an expensive rate. Hence many of the disciples of Christ, both in Egypt, and also in several parts of Asia and Africa, were [m] See Usher et Stillingfleet, Antiquit. et Origen. Ecclesiar. Brit. See also George Mackenzie, De Regali Scotorum prosapia, cap. viii. p. 119. [n] Eusebius, Eccles. Histor. lib. vi. cap. i. Sparitanus în Severo, cap. xvi. xvii. p. 617. |