the flames; and in some other places there were governors, who inflicted capital punishments upon christians; though they did not strive to aggravate their death by exquisite

torments.

IV. However, I do not intend to write at length the history of this persecution; but I have been obliged to take some notice of it, not only upon account of the edict of Severus, but also out of regard to the testimony of Spartian, a heathen author, one of the writers of the Augustan History, who flourished in the time of Dioclesian, or soon after. He has mentioned not only the time of this persecution, but also the substance and design of the emperor's edict, more particularly than any of our christian authors.

In the Life of the Emperor Severus, he says: Having g passed through Antioch, he gave to his eldest sou the manly gown, and appointed him cousul with himself; and presently, while they were yet in Syria, they entered upon their consulship. After that, having enlarged the stipends of the soldiers, he went forward to Alexandria. In his journey through Palestine he enacted several laws. He forbade, under a severe penalty, that any should become Jews. He also published a like edict against the chris

tians.'

This determines the beginning of the persecution to the tenth year of the reign of Severus, the year of Christ 202, when he and his son Caracalla were consuls together; and the design of the edict is represented to be to restrain the increase of christianity.

Upon this edict Mr. Mosheim observes to this purpose: 'These words,' says he, show, that Severus enacted no

Tillemont, Persécution sous Sévère, art. vii. translates: Le Lieutenant, qui 'commandoit la legion, qui residoit en Afrique, et le Gouverneur de la • Mauritanie se contentoient de faire décapiter les martyrs.' I rather think, that by Legio is here intended a place, or province, in Africa, so called. Cellarius may be consulted, Geogr. 1. iii. cap. 13. p. 505, though he is not there speaking of a place in Africa. Posterior oppidum fuisse, non castra sola alicujus legionis, licet origo et nomen his debeantur.

8 Deinde, cum Antiochiam transîsset, datâ civili togâ filio majori, secum eum Consulem designavit, et statim in Syriâ consulatum inierunt. Post hoc, dato stipendio cumulatiore militibus, Alexandriam petiit. In itinere Palæstinis plurima jura fundavit. Judæos fieri sub gravi poenâ vetuit. Idem etiam de christianis sanxit. Spartian. Sever. cap. 16, 17. p. 617, 618.

ʼn Hæc verba docent, Severum non novas in christianos leges tulisse, non religionem ipsam cum professoribus ejus exstirpari jussisse, sed modum tantum statuere voluisse incrementis ecclesiæ, eosque puniri jussisse, qui a majorum sacris ad christiana deficerent. Natis igitur christianis, illis item, qui ante hoc edictum Christo nomen dederunt, antiquæ quidem leges molestiæ et periculi aliquid parere poterant, maxime celebre illud, quod abrogatum per sequentes leges haud erat, Trajani rescriptum. At ex hac novâ Severi lege nihil ipsis

6

new laws against the christians; nor did he enjoin that 'the religion itself, with the professors of it, should be extirpated. He only intended to hinder the increase of the church, and ordered such to be punished, who should 'abandon the old religion of their ancestors for the sake of the christian. They, therefore, who were christians by birth, and were such before the time of this edict, had nothing to fear from it. The old laws indeed, particularly the edict of Trajan, which was not repealed, might occa'sion them some trouble; but this new law of Severus af'fected not any who were christians before. Learned men,' he says, are difficultly brought to allow of this interpre'tation, because they see, that many christians suffered in 'the time of this emperor. Nevertheless it is very certain; for Spartian puts together the two edicts against the Jews and against the christians; and they were both of the same tenour. Severus never did forbid the Jewish religiou, nor 'compel men born of Jewish parents to embrace the Roman rites; he only forbad the increase of Jews by the addition of other people to them. Therefore neither did he enact any thing more severe against the christians; for the two edicts were both alike. Nor can there be any good reason 'to believe, that Severus published any other edict against the christians beside that mentioned by Spartian.'

So says that learned author, upon which I must make some free observations.

First of all Mr. Mosheim seems to say, that' Severus enacted not any new laws against the christians.' Which is not the truth; for he did enact a new law against them. It is mentioned by Spartian; and Mr. Mosheim himself grants, and allows, and supposes it; and after his manner he explains the meaning and design of it.

Secondly, Mr. Mosheim has no right to diminish the sufferings of the christians in the reign of this emperor. He earnestly contends, that Tertullian's Apology was composed in the year of Christ 198, before there was any law of Severus against the christians; and he has published a long

timendum erat. Verum ægre hoc sibi persuadent viri eruditi Componit Spartianus edictum adversus Judæos cum edicto in christianos, hocque ejusdem, cujus illud, formæ fuisse observat. Atqui Severus neque Judæoruin religionem unquam vetuit, neque judaïcis parentibus natos Romana suscipere sacra coëgit, sed augeri tantum Judæorum populum ex aliis populis noluit. Igitur nec christianis, quum idem tantum in illos, quod in Judæos, sanxerit, iniquiorem sese præbuit. Alias Severi leges in christianos, præter illam, cujus Spartianus meminit, tulisse, ab omni alienum est versimilitudine. Mosh. de Reb. Christian. ante C. M. p. 456.

i

dissertation to prove it. Nor was Mr. Tillemont very averse to that date of the Apology; though he generally speaks of it as written in the year 200. And according to that later date, it was written before Severus had made any edict against the christians.

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1

Well, what was the state of the christians at that time, even before the edict of Severus, which is allowed to be rightly dated at the year of Christ 202? They underwent,' our learned author says, a multiplicity of the greatest sufferings.' Fromm that Apology of Tertullian it appears, 'that they were crucified, hung upon stakes, burnt alive, 'thrown to wild beasts, condemned to the mines, banished ' into desert islands.' I have put down no more than a part of the list of their sufferings, extracted by Mosheim himself from that Apology of Tertullian. And moreover, as that learned man likewise observes, the magistrates then transgressed the law of Trajan. They were not con• tented to punish those who were brought before them; they 'sought for them to be punished.'

n

Such were the sufferings of the christians then; And were they abated and restrained afterwards, when a new edict was published among them? No, certainly, they were increased: If these things were done, whilst the emperor was as yet no enemy to them, and the ancient laws against 'them were in a manner silent, and those which were fa•vourable to them, were yet in being; what may we suppose to have been done when Severus was provoked, and not only confirmed the old laws against them, but added ' also severe laws of his own.' They are the words of i De Etate Apologetici Tertulliani, &c. k Tertullien. art. v. at the beginning. 1 Hoc loco nihil mihi propositum est aliud, quam ut ante ann. cii. quo Severi in christianos edicta publice rogata esse concedo, infinitam jam malorum magnitudinem illis exhibitam esse, planum faciam. Diss. de Etate Apol. num. vii.

m Perversissimi ergo judices non legibus obtemperabant, sed in manifestas leges vexandis christian s peccabant. Suppliciorum atrocitas par erat odio, quo ferebantur christianorum hostes. Apol. cap. xii. Crucibus et stipitibus impo⚫nitis christianos-ungulis eraditis latera christianorum-Cervices ponimus• ad bestias impellimur-ignibus urimur-in metalla damnamur-in insulis relegamur.'-Eadem fere repetit, cap. 30. Mosh. de Reb. Christ. &c. p. 255. 1 Tanta vero erat persecutionis hujus immanitas et gravitas, ut ipsa etiam Trajani lex, quæ inquiri christianos vetabat, negligeretur. Explorabantur enim conventus eorum; et ad Deum colendum congregati sine accusatore abducebantur. Cap. vii. • Quotidie obsidemur, quotidie prodimur, in ipsis plurimum ⚫ cœtibus et congregationibus nostris opprimimur.' Id. ib. p. 254.

Hæc omnia fiebant, Imperatore christianis nondum inimico, et antiquis in eos legibus quiescentibus quodammodo, et per alias clementiores quasi obliteratis. Quid factum fuisse putabimus, Severo exardescente, atque veteres non modo leges firmante, verum novas etiam severiores rogante? Ibid. p. 255.

Mosheim himself. For certain, the persecution then became more violent, and more general, than it had been before; as this? learned writer himself acknowledgeth.

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Nevertheless, he will say something to mitigate the guilt of their enemies. For he says, that the christians fomented the persecution against themselves by a custom, which now for some while had obtained among them, of redeeming their lives and safety by presents of money made to the presidents, or other magistrates.'

Undoubtedly such things were done by some, but not by so many, nor so often, as is insinuated by Tertullian; who, when a Montanist, equally condemned flight in persecution, and pecuniary redemptions. Nor can there be any good reason, why this writer, in accounting for the sufferings of the christians in this persecution, should forget, as it were, the common hatred and enmity of men toward them, and almost entirely ascribe all their afflictions to the avarice of governors, stimulated and allured by the forwardness of christians themselves, to redeem their own, or their friends', safety by pecuniary presents.

t

I do by no means think, that there was any other edict of Severus against the christians, beside that mentioned by Spartian; but possibly he has not fully expressed the whole design of it. There was at the same time an edict published against the Jews; nevertheless, the edict against the christians might be somewhat different. Whether it

P Hæc calamitas valde augebatur, quum tertio hujus seculi anno Imperator ipse animum erga christianos incertum quibus de causis, quodammodo mutaret atque, proposito edicto, cives Romanos sub gravi pœnâ ad christianam religionem a majorum sacris transire vetaret. Ib. p. 455.

Malis his, variis ex causis natis, ipsi sine dubio christiani alimenta suppeditabant per consuetudinem, quæ ab aliquo tempore, approbantibus episcopis, inter eos invaluerat, salutem et vitam argento magistratibus oblato redimendi. Præsides enim et magistratus pecuniæ avidi christianos sæpe invadebant, et pauperiorum quosdam necari jubebant, quo ditiores fortunis suis emungerent, et ecclesiarum thesauris rem suam locupletarent. Ibid. p. 453.

Ultro igitur de hoc tibi suggeram, definiens persecutionem, quam constat non esse fugiendam, proinde nec redimendam. Pretium interest. Cæterum, sicut fuga redemptio gratuita est, ita redemptio nummaria fuga est. De Fugâ in Pers. cap. 12. p. 697. Vid. cap. 10, et 11.

s Oriente seculo multis in provinciis Romanis varie affligebatur res christiana. Hæc vero calamitas crescebat, quum A. D. ciii. Imperator Severus, christianis alioquin haud inimicus, lege latâ prohiberet, ne quis majorum religionem cum christianâ aut etiam cum judaïcâ commutaret. Ut enim hæc lex christianos non damnaret, sed progressus tantum christianæ religionis cohiberet, peropportunam tamen avaris et injustis præsidibus et magistratibus occasionem suppeditabat christianos vexandi, et plurimos inopum necandi, quo ditiores ad periculum argento amovendum invitarent. Moshem. Institut. Hist. Ecc. p. 101. Vid. supra, note ¶.

* See Tillemont, Persécution sous Sévère, art. iv. p. 158, 159. Bruxelles.

was, or not, it is manifest from Tertullian and Eusebius and other ecclesiastical writers, that after the tenth of Severus, there was a general persecution against the christians, wherein many suffered. And though the edict was exactly as Spartian says, the publication of it would give occasion for heathens of all sorts, both common people and magistrates, to show their enmity to the christians; especially, as the rescript of Trajan was still in force. Nor need it be supposed, that they who were unfriendly to the christians, would be scrupulously exact to the terms of the edict, and forbear to prosecute or condemn any, beside new converts. It is certain they did not forbear others; for many who were born of christian parents, or had been christians by profession a good while before this edict of Severus, suffered martyrdom in this persecution. Trajan's rescript forbids searching for christians; nevertheless, that part of his rescript was oftentimes transgressed or neglected by presidents, who published orders that they should be sought for.

Mr. Mosheim says, that" the words of the edict of Severus, as represented by Spartian, show, that Severus only intended to hinder the increase of the church, and ordered 'such to be punished, who forsook the old religion of their ancestors for the sake of the christian. They, therefore, 'who were christians by birth, or were such before the time ' of this edict, had nothing to fear from it.'

V

But I very much suspect this observation to be of no moment; for all persecuting edicts may have been of this form. They may have been made so, to give them a more specious appearance, and to cover the real cruelty and malignity of them. The severest edicts of the worst persecutors may have been expressed in the same terms, and in the same form, with this of Severus. So says the emperor Maximin, one of that sort, at the beginning of his letter to Sabinus: It is well known to yourself, and to all the world, that our lords and fathers, Dioclesian and Maximi'an, when they observed, that almost all men were for'saking the worship of the gods, and joining themselves to 'the sect of the christians, did rightly ordain, that all who 'had forsaken the worship of their immortal gods, should " See before, p. 314. V Και παρα τη ση σιβαροτητι και παρα πασιν ανθρωποις φανερον ειναι πεποιθα, τες δεσποτας ἡμων Διοκλητιανον και Μαξιμιανον τας ἡμέτερος πατέρας, ἡνικα συνειδον σχεδον απαντας ανθρωπος, παραλειφθεισης της των θεων θρησκειας, τῳ εθνει των χρισιανων ἑαυτες συμμεμιχοτας, ορθώς διατεταχέναι παντας ανθρωπες τες απο της των αυτων θεών των αθανατων θρησκειας αναχωρήσαντας, προδηλῳ κολασει και τιμωρια εις την θρησκειαν των θεων ανακληθήναι. Εuseb. Η. Ε. 1. ix. cap. 9. p. 350. C.