christians: so that I know not well what is the subject ' matter of punishment, or of inquiry, or what strictness ought to be used in either. Nor have I been a little perplexed to determine whether any difference ought to be 'made upon account of age, or whether the young and tender, and the full-grown and robust, ought to be treated 'all alike: whether repentance should entitle to pardon, or 'whether all who have once been christians ought to be 'punished, though they are now no longer so: whether the ' name itself, although no crimes be detected, or crimes only 'belonging to the name ought to be punished. Concerning all these things I am in doubt.

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In the mean time I have taken this course with all who have been brought before me and have been accused as 'christians. I have put the question to them, whether they were christians. Upon their confessing to me that they were, I repeated the question a second and a third time, 'threatening also to punish them with death. Such as still persisted, I ordered away to be punished; for it was no 'doubt with me, whatever might be the nature of their opi'nion, that contumacy, and inflexible obstinacy, ought to be punished. There were others of the same infatuation, 'whom, because they are Roman citizens, I have noted down 'to be sent to the city.

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In a short time, the crime spreading itself, even whilst ' under persecution, as is usual in such cases, divers sorts of people came in my way. An information was presented to 'me without mentioning the author, containing the names ' of many persons, who upon examination denied that they were christians, or had ever been so: who repeated after me an invocation of the gods, and with wine and frankincense made supplication to your image, which for that purpose I have caused to be brought and set before them, together with the statues of the deities. Moreover, they ' reviled the name of Christ. None of which things, as is said, they who are really christians, can by any means be compelled to do. These therefore I thought proper to 'discharge.

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'Others were named by an informer, who at first confessed themselves christians, and afterwards denied it. The rest 'said they had been christians, but had left them; some 'three years ago, some longer, and one, or more, above twenty years. They all worshipped your image, and the 'statues of the gods; these also reviled Christ. They af'firmed that the whole of their fault, or error, lay in this, 'that they were wont to meet together on a stated day be

'fore it was light, and sing among themselves alternately a 'hymn to Christ, as a god, and bind themselves by an oath, not to the commission of any wickedness, but not to be guilty of theft, or robbery, or adultery, never to falsify their 'word, nor to deny a pledge committed to them, when called upon to return it. When these things were performed, 'it was their custom to separate, and then to come together again to a meal, which they ate in common, without any 'disorder: but this they had forborne, since the publication ' of my edict, by which, according to your commands, I 'prohibited assemblies.

• After receiving this account I judged it the more necessary to examine, and that by torture, two maid-servants, which were called ministers. But I have discovered nothing, beside a bad and excessive superstition.

Suspending therefore all judicial proceedings, I have recourse to you for advice: for it has appeared unto me a matter highly deserving consideration, especially upon ac'count of the great number of persons who are in danger of suffering. For many of all ages, and every rank, of both sexes likewise, are accused, and will be accused. Nor has the contagion of this superstition seized cities only, but 'the lesser towns also, and the open country. Nevertheless 'it seems to me that it may be restrained and corrected. It is certain that the temples, which were almost forsaken, 'begin to be more frequented. And the sacred solemnities, after a long intermission, are revived. Victims likewise are every where bought up, whereas for some time there were few purchasers. Whence it is easy to imagine what ' numbers of men might be reclaimed, if pardon were granted to those who shall repent.'

So writes Pliny. We are now to observe the emperor's rescript.

h

Trajan to Pliny wisheth health and happiness.'

i

• You have taken the right method, my Pliny, in your proceedings with those who have been brought before you as christians; for it is impossible to establish any one rule • that shall hold universally. They are not to be sought

"Trajanus Plinio S.

i Lib. x. ep. 98. Actum quem debuisti, mi Secunde, in executiendis causis eorum qui christiani ad te delati fuerant, secutus es. Neque enim in universum aliquid, quod quasi certam formam habeat, constitui potest. Conquirendi non sunt. Si deferantur, et arguantur, puniendi sunt: ita tamen, ut qui negaverit se christianum esse, idque re ipsâ manifestum fecerit, id est, supplicando Diis nostris, quamvis suspectus in præteritum fuerit, veniam ex pœnitentiâ impetret. Sine auctore vero propositi libelli, nullo in crimine, locum habere debent. Nam et pessimi exempli, nec nostri seculi est.

for. If any are brought before you, and are convicted, they ought to be punished. However, he that denies his being a christian, and makes it evident in fact, that is, by supplicating to our gods, though he be suspected to have been so formerly, let him be pardoned upon repentance. But in no case of any crime whatever, may a bill of information be received without being signed by him who presents it for that would be a dangerous precedent, and unworthy of my government.'

:

I have put together these two letters, that we may make our remarks upon them jointly, and without interruption. It may be observed here, that the genuineness of these letters is unquestioned. They are found with the other letters of Pliny to Trajan, and Trajan's letters to him. And they are both particularly mentioned byk Tertullian, in his Apology for the christians, and by Eusebius from him, not now to mention any later writers.

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III. But before we enter upon any particular remarks upon these epistles, it may be of use to take Eusebius's account of the persecution of the christians in the reign of Trajan.

In the thirty-second chapter of the third book of his Ecclesiastical History, he expresseth himself to this purpose: After Nero and Domitian, in the time of him of 'whom we are now speaking, we have understood that in 'several places, and in divers cities, there was a persecution 'occasioned by the tumults of the people.' After which he there relates the martyrdom of Simeon, son of Cleophas, bishop of Jerusalem: who at the age of an hundred and twenty years was crucified by order of Atticus, governor of Judea under Trajan.

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In the next chapter he writes thus: And indeed so 'heavy a persecution was there against us in many places, that Pliny, a governor of great eminence and distinction, 'being moved at the multitude of the martyrs, could not forbear writing to the emperor concerning the multitude of those who were slain for the faith. At the same time informing him that he had not discovered any wickedness they were guilty of, or any thing done by them contrary to the laws only that rising early in the morning they sang together a hymn to Christ, as a god: that they condemned adultery, murder, and all such crimes: and that they acted in all things according to the laws. In answer to which Trajan sent an edict to this effect: "That the christians should not be sought for, but if any were * Apol. cap. 2. 1 H. E. 1. 3. cap. 33.

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k

brought before him they should be punished." By which means the violence of the persecution against us was in 'some measure abated. Nevertheless, they who had a mind 'to disturb us did not want pretences for so doing: in some places the people, in other places the governors of provinces, laying snares for us. So that, though there was no open [or general] persecution, there were persecutions in several places and provinces, and there were many faithful men who underwent divers kinds of martyrdom.'

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So writes Eusebius, I believe very truly, and I think judiciously, and with good temper, though not with elegance or accuracy of expression. He then proceeds to transcribe a part of Tertullian's Apology, where he speaks of Pliny and Trajan, of which I may take farther notice hereafter. At present I transcribe below what we find upon this subject in Eusebius's Chronicle.

IV. I now intend to go over the two epistles above transcribed.

It is my constant custom, Sir, to refer myself to you in all matters concerning which I have any doubt.'

That this was Pliny's constant custom, sufficiently appears from his many letters sent to Trajan, whilst he was in the province. He seems to have had some particular encouragement from the emperor" so to do. But the introduction to this letter is rather more formal than ordinary, 'because of the importance of the present subject of enquiry. And indeed it was a frequent practice of the governors of provinces, upon special occasions, to consult the Roman emperor, the supreme magistrate.

'I have never been present at any trials of the christians.'

This manner of speaking shows that the christians were then well known in the world. Pliny does not say to the emperor that he had now unexpectedly met with a certain sort of men in his province, called christians. No. There were people well known to himself, and the emperor, who

m Plinius Secundus, quum quamdam provinciam regeret, et in magistratu suo plurimos christianorum interfecisset, multitudine eorum perterritus, quasivit de Trajano, quid facto opus esset, nuntians ei, præter obstinationem non sacrificandi, et antelucanos coetus ad canendum cuidam Christo, ut Deo, nihil apud eos reperiri: præterea ad confœderandam disciplinam vetari ab his homicidia, adulteria, latrocinia, et his similia. Ad quæ commotus Trajanus rescripsit, hoc genus quidem inquirendos non esse, oblatos vero puniri oportere. Euseb. Chron. p. 165. n Summas, Domine, gratias ago, quod, inter maximas occupationes, iis, de quibus consului, me quoque regere dignatus es: quod nunc quoque facias, rogo. L. x. ep. 64. 。 Vid. C Kortholt. Comment. in Ep. Plinii et Trajani de Christian. p. 11.

bore the denomination of christians. When he says, he had never been present at any trials of the christians;' it seems to be implied that he knew of some such trials, though he had not been concerned in them. And there may have been such trials in this province before he came

into it.

So that I know not well what is the subject matter of 'punishment, or of inquiry, or what strictness ought to be used in either.'

Hence it may be argued, that when Pliny came into his province there were no edicts in force against the christians. If there had, Pliny, who was a learned man, and well acquainted with the Roman laws, must have known them. The reason why there were then no edicts in force against the christians, I suppose to be, that the edicts of Nero and Domitian had been abrogated.

Nor have I been a little perplexed to determine whether any difference ought to be made on account of age, or whether the young and tender, and the full grown and 'robust, ought to be treated all alike.'

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Mr. Melmoth's translation is this: Whether therefore any difference is usually made with respect to the ages of 'the guilty, or no distinction is to be observed between the young and the adult. I have allowed myself to be more diffused, and somewhat paraphrastical, because I have imagined that Pliny's question relates not only to those who were tender upon account of their age, but also upon account of their sex.

P Certe jam ante se cognitiones in provinciâ fuisse de Christianis habitas, initio literarum suarum noster significat. Ac eum quidem, qui proxime ante Plinium Bithyniæ præfuerat, fuisse persecutorem, inde manifestum puto, quod Plinius refert nonnullos ad se productorum dixisse, se jam ante triennium de⚫ siisse esse christianos.' Suâ autem sponte eos, non metu supplicii, id fecisse, verisimile non est. C. A. Heumanni Disput. de Persecutione Christian. Plinian. sect. iv. p. 124. Ap. Diss. Syllog. Tom. i. P. i.

4 Fuisse aliquod Trajani de interficiendis christianis certum edictum ante Plinii relationem, non existimo. Si quod enim fuisset, Plinius non dubitâsset; aut Trajanum certe consulendo, ejus edicti mentionem fecisset. Fr. Balduin. Comm. ad Edict. Princ. Roman. de Christianis. p. 28. Quid Trajanus A. C. 103, seq. contra eos tentaverit, ex Plinio constat, cujus Epistola indicat, vexatos quidem esse christianos variis in locis, absque ullâ tamen hactenus Cæsarum rescripto. Unde Plinius eâ de re Trajanum consulere necessum habuit. Lampe Synops. Hist. Ec. 1. 2. c. 3. num. xxxiii. p. 112. Quum Trajanus, primus imperatorum hujus seculi, reipublicæ gubernationi admoveretur, nullæ aderant in christianos leges et edicta. Quod cum aliæ res, tum Plinii notissima epistola, extra omnem dubitationem ponit, quâ imperatori significat, nescire se, quomodo cum christianis agendum esset; quod vir juris et consuetudinum Romanarum consultissimus non ignorâsset, si leges in christianos extitissent. Neronis nimirum leges Senatus, Dominitani Nerva imperator, abrogaverat. Mosheim. De Reb. Christian. ante C. M. Sec. 2. sect. viii. p. 231.