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to be remarked. The gofpel now flourished abundantly, and many of the nobility of Rome, with their whole families, embraced it. Such a circumftance would naturally excite the envy of the great. The Roman Senate felt its dignity defiled by innovations, which to them appeared to the laft degree contemptible, and to this malignant fource, I think, is to be afcribed the only inftance of perfecution in this reign.

Apollonius, a perfon renowned for learning and philofophy at that time in Rome, was a fincere chriftian, and as a christian was accufed by an informer before Perennis the judge, a perfon of confiderable influence in the reign of Commodus. The law of Antoninus Pius had enacted grievous punishments against the accufers of chriftians. One cannot fuppofe his edict had any force during the reign of his fucceffor, but under Commodus it was revived, or rather a new one ftill more fevere was enacted, that the accufers should be put to death.* Perennis fentenced the accufer accordingly, and his legs were broken. Thus far he seems to have obeyed the dictates of the law; in what follows he obeyed the dictates of his own malice, or rather that of the Senate, He begged of the prisoner with much earnestnefs, that he would give an account of his faith before the Senate and the Court. Apollonius complied, and delivered an apology for chriftianity; in confequence of which, by a decree of the Senate, he was beheaded. It is not quite easy to account for this procedure. It is perhaps the only trial we read of in which both accufer and accused fuf

fered judicially. judicially. Eufebius obferves, that the laws were still in force, commanding christians to be put to death who had been prefented before the

Eufeb. ibid.

the tribunal. But Adrian, or certainly Antoninus Pius, had abrogated this iniquitous edict of Trajan. Under Marcus it might be revived, as what cruelty against chriftians might not be expected, under him? Now Commodus, by menacing perfecutors with death, might fuppofe he had fufficiently fecured the chriftians. Yet, if a formal abrogation of the law against christians had been neglected, one may fee how Apollonius came to suffer as well as his adverfary. In truth, had he been filent, he probably had faved his life. Infidious artifices, under the pretence of much respect and defire of information, feem to have drawn him into a measure which coft him his life. However he died in a cause able to bear him out even beyond the limits of time!

There is a remarkable ftory of one Peregrinus, which we meet with in the works of Lucian, which, as it falls in with this century, and throws light on the character of christians who then lived, deferves to be here introduced. "In his youth he fell into fhameful crimes, for which he was near lofing his life in Armenia and Afia. I will not dwell on thofe crimes; but I am perfuaded that what I am about to say is worthy of attention. There is none of you but know that being chagrined that his father was ftill alive after being turned of fixty years of age, he ftrangled him. The rumour of fo black a crime being spread abroad, he betrayed his guilt by his flight. He wandered about in divers countries to conceal the place of his retreat, till, upon coming into Judea, he learnt the admirable doctrine of the chriftians, by converfing with their priests and teachers. In a little time he fhewed them that they were but children compared to him; for he became not only a prophet, but the head of their congregation; in a word, he

was

was every thing to them; he explained their books, and compofed fome himself; infomuch that they spoke of him as a God, and confidered him as their lawgiver and ruler. However these people adore that great perfon who had been crucified in Palestine, as being the first who taught men that religion. While these things were going on, Peregrinus was apprehended and put in prifon on account of his being a chriftian. This difgrace loaded him with honour, the very thing he ardently defired, made him more reputable among those of that perfuafion, and furnished him with a power of performing wonders. The chriftians, grievously afflicted at his confinement, used their utmost efforts to procure him his liberty; and as they faw they could not compass it, they provided abundantly for all his wants, and rendered him all imaginable fervices. There was feen, by break of day, at the prifon-gate, a company of old women, widows, and orphans, fome of whom, after having corrupted the guard with money, paffed the night with him; there they partook together of elegant repafts, and entertained one another with religious difcourfes. They called that excellent man the New Socrates. There came even chriftians, deputed from many cities of Afia, to converse with him, to comfort him, and to bring him fupplies of money; for the care and diligence which the chriftians exert in thefe junctures is incredible; they fpare nothing in these cafes they fent, therefore, large fums to Peregrinus, and his confinement was to him an occafion of amaffing great riches; for these poor crea-tures are firmly perfuaded they fhall one day enjoy immortal life; therefore they defpife death with wonderful courage, and offer themfelves voluntarily to punishment. Their first lawgiver

has

has put it into their heads that they are all brethren. Since they feparated from us, they perfevere in rejecting the gods of the Grecians, and worshipping that deceiver who was crucified; they regulate their manners and conduct by his laws; they defpife, therefore, all earthly poffeffions, and enjoy them in common. Therefore if any magician or juggler, any cunning fellow who knows how to make his advantage of opportunity, happens to get into their fociety, he immediately grows rich; because it is easy for a man of this fort to abuse the fimplicity of thefe filly people, However Pereginus was fet at liberty by the prefident of Syria, who was a lover of philofophy and its profeffors, and who, having perceived that this man courted death out of vanity and a fondness for renown, released him, defpifing him too much to have a defire of inflicting capital punishment on him. Peregrinus returned into his own country, and as fome were inclined to prosecute him on account of his parricide, he gave all his wealth to his fellow-citizens, who, being gained by this liberality, impofed filence on his accufers. He left his country a fecond time in order to travel, reckoning he should find every thing he wanted in the purfes of the chriftians, who were punctual in accompanying him wherever he went, and fupplied him with all things in abundance. He fub. fifted in this manner for fome time; but having done fomething which the chriftians abhor, (they faw him, I think, make use of fome meats forbidden amongst them) he was abandoned by them infomuch that having not any longer the means of fupport, he would fain have revoked the donation he had made to his country."

;

The

The native place of this extraordinary man was Parium in Myfia. After his renunciation of chriftianity he affumed the character of a philofopher. In that light he is mentioned by feveral heathen authors; and this part he acted till the time of his death, when in his old age he threw himself into the flames, probably because fuicide was honourable in the eyes of the Gentiles, and because Empedocles, a brother philofopher, had thrown himself into the vulcano at mount Etna *. A remark or two must be made on the writer, the hero, and the chriftians of those times.

It will not be neceffary to give an anxious anfwer to the railleries, cavils, and infinuations of Lucian in this narrative. Whoever knows any thing of real chriftianity, and the ufual obloquy thrown upon it, will eafily make juft deductions, and separate what is true from what is falfe. Lucian was one of the moft facetious authors of antiquity. He doubtless poffeffed the talents of wit and fatire in a fupreme degree. But truth and candour are not ufually to be expected from writers of this fort, and like all men of his vein, whose eyes are turned malignantly towards all objects but themselves, he was intolerably felf-conceited. He may be ranked with Voltaire, Hume, Rouffeau, and other modern writers of this ftamp. Even Pope and Swift, though without their open and avowed infidelity, have much of the fame turn of mind, farcaftic, unfeeling, and fufpecting evil every where, except in themselves. The common confequence of fuch a temper, indulged without restraint, is a sceptical indifference to all forts of religion, a contempt of every mode of it without diftinction, and a fupercilious felf-applaufe on ac

Count

Lardner's Collect. Vol. 11. C. 19.-Bullet's Establishment of
Christianity.

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