way and their courage failed them, being terrified by the governor's threatenings. Here we see more persons overcome by the artifices and menaces of our proprætor, who was an ingenious man, and soon became an expert perse

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cutor.

After them he mentions others, who said they had been ' christians, but had ceased to be so some three years, some longer, and one at least above twenty years.'

What were the occasions of their leaving the christians we cannot say particularly, but probably it was not willingly, and of their own choice, but rather through fear of suffering for the profession of the christian religion. However, the change of some may have been owing to the fickleness and inconstancy of their own temper, or to some worldly considerations, less moving than open persecution. All these are deserters and apostates, some made so by Pliny himself, others by other governors, and some possibly through their own unsteady temper. All these Pliny examines, and reports their testimony; which we are next to observe.

They affirmed, that the whole of their fault, or error, lay ' in this,—that they were wont to meet together on a stated day before it was light, and sing among themselves alternately a hymn to Christ as a god, and to 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, not 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 m common, without any disorder. disorder. But this they had forborne, since the publication of my edict, by which, according to your commands, I prohibited assemblies.'

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Here, perhaps, some may wish, that Pliny had expressed himself more distinctly. For they who had deserted the christians several years ago, could not of their own knowledge inform him about what had been done by them since he came into the province. However, we before observed, that the persons first mentioned professed themselves christians when they were brought before him. They therefore could inform him of their late conduct. And concerning other times all here present could bear witness.

They affirmed,' they solemnly attested, that the whole ' of their fault, or error, lay in this, that they were wont to 'meet together on a stated day:' doubtless, meaning the Lord's day, or Sunday; on which, as Justin relates parti

cularly in his first Apology, all the christians in general, in any city, and in the neighbouring country, came together for divine worship.

Before it was light.'

a

Justin Martyr, in his large and particular account of the christian worship, says nothing of this circumstance. It is likely, therefore, that this was not chosen, but only out of necessity, when they were disturbed by enemies, either the common people or magistrates.

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C

And sang among themselves alternately a hymn to Christ, as a god.' Mr. Melmoth thus: And addressed 'themselves in a form of prayer to Christ, as to some god.' What Pliny means by secum invicem,' which I have rendered among themselves alternately,' I cannot say distinctly. Justin says, they stood up and offered up prayers and thanksgivings together, and when the president • had concluded, all the people said, Amen.' Perhaps this is what Pliny means. The prayers were common, the people joined therein with the president, and signified their assent by a loud Amen at the conclusion.

Tertullian, representing Pliny's account, says: He dis'covered nothing beside their meeting together before it was light, and singing to Christ and God;' or, as some would read, to Christ as a god.' And Eusebius, speaking of the same matter from Tertullian, says, they f sang a hymn to Christ, as to a god.' Such are their expressions,

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2 Και τη τε ήλιε λεγομενῃ ἡμέρᾳ παντων κατα πολεις η αγρες μενόντων επι τα αυτα συνελευσις γινεται. Αp. i. p. 98. D. Par. 83. D. Bened. Την δε τε ήλιο ἡμεραν κοινῃ παντες την συνέλευσιν ποιεμεθα. p. 99. Β. al. 84. Α. a Vid. Ap. i. sub. fin.

b Stato die ergo, hoc est, Dominico, convenire solebant, idque ante lucem, ne persecutioni, quæ in ipsos sæviebat, se obnoxios redderent. Bevereg. Cod. Can. cap. 3. n. vii. Non fugiebant certe lucem, non quærebant tenebras christiani. Sed quid facerent? Interdictum iis erat locis publicis, et ipsâ prope luce solis, ut igni et aquâ. Certe, ubi licuit, in apertâ et publicâ luce convenerunt. Fr. Balduin. in loc. Ap. Edict. Prin. Roman. p. 46. Vid. et Kortholt, ubi supr. p. 105.

C -Ου συντελεσαντος τας ευχας και ευχαρισίαν, πας παρων λαος επευφημεί, λεγων Αμην. Ap. i. p. 97. D. al. 82. E. επειτα ανισαμεθα κοιν παντες, και ευχας πεμπομεν—και ὁ προεσως ευχας ὁμοιως και ευχαρισίας, όση δυναμις αυτῳ, αναπέμπει, και ὁ λαος επευφημεί, λεγων το Αμην. p. 98. D. Ε. al. p. 83. D. E.

d -At confiteor tamen, nihil obsistere arbitremur, Plinium exprimere hoc uno vocabulo voluisse, quod Christiani pluribus ipsi verbis narraverant, presbyterorum unum, seu episcopum, formulam precum dictare, populum vero eam repetere, atque voculâ Amen claudere solere. Moshem. de Reb. ante C. M. p. 148. e -Nihil aliud se de sacramentis eorum comperisse, quam cœtus antelucanos ad canendum Christo et Deo. Ap. cap. 2. p. 3. f -Και τον Χρισον θες δικην ὑμνειν. Η. Ε. 1. 3. c. 33

though 'carmen,' the word used by Pliny, does not always signify a composition in metre, but may denote a prayer in any form.

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h

And sing together a hymn to Christ, as to a god.' This is a heathen way of speaking; and it has been questioned whether Pliny speaks here in his own words, or those of the christians who were brought before him, heathen people being willing to deify eminent men. Jesus Christ was such an one, especially in the esteem of christians. All knew he had died, and that the christians said he was risen again from the dead, and was ascended to heaven. Heathen people therefore might naturally enough say, they worshipped Christ as a god.

k

i

Justin Martyr nevertheless says: In all our oblations we praise the Creator of all through his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.' And, The president gives praise and glory to the Father of all in the name of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' And, says Tertullian, The God, 'whom we worship, is the God who made this whole universe and every thing therein, by his powerful word.' Again, Wem worship God through Christ. Call him a 'man, if you think fit. It is by him, and through him, that we have been brought to the knowledge and the worship of God. And the Jews themselves were taught how to worship God by the man Moses.'

Mr. Melmoth, as before seen, translates those words in this And addressed themselves in a form of prayer to

inanner:

· Alias carmen Romanis vocatur quidquid conceptis verbis dicitur: sic ut quamcumque prescriptis verbis conceptam precationem Pliniana innuere possit narratio. Kortholt. ut supra, p. 109.

Plinius carmen vocat, Romano more, quod conceptis verbis dicitur. Justinus scribit, præeunte ministro conceptas fuisse publicas Christianorum preces, totumque populum assentientem respondisse, Amen. Nullius autem cantûs meminit. Et sane carmen quoque Latine dicitur, precatio, præscriptis verbis concepta. Sed Tertullianus hic intelligit, quod canebatur. Balduin. ib. p. 46. h Vocabula, quasi Deo,' quâ vi prædita hic sint, determinare, haud audeo. Incertum enim est, suis hic verbis Plinius loquatur, an Christianorum. Moshem. ut sup. p. 148.

i Επι πασι τε οις προσφερόμεθα, ευλογεμεν τον ποιητήν των παντων δια τε υίς αυτε Ιησε Χρισε, και δια πνευματος τε ἁγιε. Ap. i. p. 98. C. al. 83. C. k Και αυτος λαβων, αινον και δοξον τῳ πατρι των όλων δια τε ονόματος τε υἱς, και το πνευματος άγιο, αναπεμπει. p. 97. C. al. 82. D.

Quod colimus, Deus unus est, qui totam molem istam, cum omni instrumento elementorum-verbo quo jussit-de nihilo expressit in ornamentum majestatis suæ. Ap. cap. 17. p. 18.

m Dicimus, et palam dicimus-Deum colimus per Christum. Illum hominem putate. Per eum, et in eo se cognosci vult Deus, et coli. Ut Judæis respondeamus. Et ipsi Deum per hominem Moysen colere didicerunt. Id. cap. 21. p. 23.

• Christ, as to some god.' And I must acknowledge that his translation appears to me as proper as my own. For carmen, or iuvos, (as before hinted,) does not always denote a metrical composition. Julian concludes his oration upon The Mother of the Gods, with what he calls A Hymn to her Honour, which is a prayer in prose: and, unquestionably, Julian speaks properly. Therefore Pliny's Carmen Christo quasi Deo, may have been a prayer to God in the name of Christ: a prayer upon christian principles, in which God was praised for all the blessings of the christian revelation. I may here observe likewise, that Marinus, in his life of Proclus, says, some hymns to the gods are in metre, others in prose.

And to bind themselves by an oath not to the com'mission of any wickedness, but to forbear adultery, theft, • and all vice in general.'

About the interpretation of these first words learned men have differed. It is plain that Pliny does not here send Trajan an account of the several parts of the christian worship, reading and explaining the scriptures, and delivering explications and exhortations from them, nor of the eucharist. To me therefore, it seems, that in these words Pliny aimed to represent the general design of their worship in their religious assemblies; which was to engage themselves to the practice of all virtue, and to avoid all vice. This seems to be the meaning of Tertullian's expressions, though perhaps somewhat obscure. Who says, Pliny tells Trajan, that,P excepting an obstinate refusal to sacrifice, he had detected nothing in their mysteries, beside their assembling toge'ther early in the morning, before daylight, to enforce the 'observation of their discipline; forbidding murder, adultery, fraud, cheating, and all manner of wickedness." Eusebius, representing the same thing, speaks exactly to the like purpose. In short, Pliny tells Trajan, that the design of their religious assemblies, so far as he could discover, was to establish themselves, and each other, in the firm belief of the principles of their institution, and to engage themselves, not to the practice of any wickedness, but to avoid

6

6

n

* Αλλα τι περας εσαι μοι των λογων, η δηλον ὡς ὁ της μεγάλης ὑμνος Θες; Orat. v. p. 179. Spanh. • Και δη και τες ύμνες κομψοτερον εργαζονται

τες μεν εν μέτρεις τες δε και ανευ μετρων. Martin. de Vita Procl. cap. i.

P -Allegans, præter obstinationem non sacrificandi, nihil aliud se de sacramentis eorum comperisse, quam cœtus antelucanos ad canendum Christo et (vel ut) Deo, et ad confœderandam disciplinam, homicidium, adulterium, fraudem, perfidiam, et cætera scelera prohibentes. Tert. Ap. c. 2. p. 3.

q -Και προς το την επισήμην αυτων διαφυλάσσειν. κ. λ. Eus. Η. Ε. 1. 3. c. 33, p. 106. A.

all wickedness of every kind. This Pliny calls binding 'themselves by an oath.'

So Justin Martyr, in his account of the christian worship, says: the memoirs of the apostles, and the writings of the 'prophets, are read: when the reader has finished, the pre'sident makes a discourse, recommending and exhorting to 'the imitation of the good examples that have been record'ed.' To the like purposes Tertullian.

Mr. Mosheimt explains Pliny after the same manner that I have now done.

Which things being performed, it was their custom to separate, and after some time to come together again to a 'meal, which they ate in common. But this they had for'borne since the publication of my edict, by which, according to your commands, I had prohibited assemblies.'

There can be no doubt but that Pliny, by this meal or supper, means what was called by the christians ayanŋ, or a love-feast of which mention is made by" Tertullian, and other ancient writers. Of which likewise, as is generally supposed, St. Peter speaks, 2 ep. ii. 13, and St. Jude, ver. 12. It is plain, from what Pliny says, that this meal was not eaten in the morning at the time of their solemn worship, but some while afterwards; and probably in the evening.

Some have thought that this feast generally accompanied the eucharist. But Mr. Hallett in his discourse on the Agapæ, or Love-Feasts, of the ancient christians, having considered the testimonies of ancient writers, says, ' it was a supper, and that the eucharist did not attend it, either 'before or after.' Again: the agapæ, or love-feasts, being 'suppers, were not concomitants, or appendages of the euAp. i. p. 98. D. al. 83. D.

г

s Coimus ad literarum divinarum commemorationem-Certe fidem sanctis vocibus pascimus, spem erigimus, fiduciam figimus, disciplinam præceptorum nihilominus inculcationibus densamus. Ibidem etiam exhortationes, castigationes, et censura divina. Ap. c. 39.

t Ego quidem Christianos dixisse opinor, se, quoties congregarentur, supremo numini sancte vitam puram, et omnis criminis expertem promittere. Id Plinius, religiosum promissum, et jusjurandum parum discernens, formulâ Romanâ, sacramento obstringere,' quo fortius mentem Trajani moveret, exprimebat. Moshem. ubi supra. p. 150. in notis.

" Cœna nostra de nomine rationem sui ostendit. Id vocatur, quod dilectio penes Græcos. Quantiscunque sumptibus constet, lucrum est pietatis nomine facere sumptum: siquidem inopes quosque refrigerio isto juvamus-nihil vilitatis, nihil immodestiæ admittit. Non prius discumbitur, quam oratio ad Deum prægustetur. Editur quantum esurientes cupiunt: bibitur quantum pudicis est utile. Ita saturantur, ut qui meminerint, etiam per noctem adorandum Deum sibi esse. Ap. c. 39.

▾ See his notes and discourses on several texts of scripture. Vol. 3. p. 235, &c.