Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome, when Aquila and Priscilla, two Jewish Christians, were compelled to leave that city. In the Life of Nero, whose reign began in 54, and ended in 68, Suetonius says, "The Christians were punished; a sort of men of a new and malignant superstition." In this persecution Paul is said to have been beheaded.

On the foregoing passage of Tacitus, and in reference to the persecution of the Christians under Nero, Gibbon remarks, "The most sceptical criticism is obliged to respect the truth of this extraordinary fact, and the integrity of this celebrated passage of Tacitus. The former is confirmed by the diligent and accurate Suetonius, who mentions the punishment which Nero inflicted on the Christians." Such is the ample admission which this inveterate opposer of the truth of Christianity is here compelled to make.

The reign of the Emperor DOMITIAN, under whom the second persecution of the Christians took place, began in the year 81, and terminated in the year 96. Domitian made enquiry after the posterity of David, and two men were brought before him of that family. "At that time," says Hegesippus, "there were yet remaining of the kindred of Christ the grandsons of Jude, who was called his brother according to the flesh. These some accused as being of the race of David, and Evocatus brought them before Domitianus Cæsar; for he too was afraid of the coming of the Christ, as well as Herod." Of these men, Mr Gibbon says, "They frankly confessed their royal origin, and their near relation to the Messiah; but they disclaimed any temporal views, and professed that his kingdom, which they devoutly expected, was purely of a spiritual and angelic nature. When they were examined concern

ing their origin and occupation, they showed their hands, hardened with daily labour, and declared that they derived their whole subsistence from the cultivation of a farm near Cocaba, of the extent of about 24 English acres, and of the value of three hundred pounds sterling. The grandsons of St Jude were dismissed with compassion and contempt."

During the third persecution, which began in the year 100, in the third year of the Emperor TRAJAN, the younger Pliny was appointed proconsul of Bithynia, a province of the Roman empire, on the Euxine Sea. In that distant country there were now vast numbers of Christians, against whom the proconsul, according to the Emperor's edict, used great severity. Being desirous of more full information how to proceed against them, and "being moved," as Eusebius says, " at the multitude of those who were slain for the faith," he wrote the following letter to Trajan, in the year 107, which was formerly noticed, and in the same year received the Emperor's rescript.

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Pliny, to the Emperor Trajan, health and happiness. It is my constant custom, sir, to refer myself to you, in all matters concerning which I have any doubt. For who can better direct me where I hesitate, or instruct me where I am ignorant? I have never been present at any trials of Christians; so that I know not well what is the subject-matter of punishment or of enquiry, 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 fullgrown 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 punish

ed, though they are 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. In the meantime 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 opinion, 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. 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 had 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. 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 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 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 account 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 everywhere 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." To the above letter, the Emperor Trajan sent the following answer:

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Trajan to Pliny, health and happiness. 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 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."

In the above letters, we have a public and authentic attestation to the amazing growth of the Christian religion, which had made such progress in the remote country of Bithynia, that the pagan temples were, according to Pliny, "almost forsaken;" he also mentions that there had been Christians in that country twenty years before. Their blameless lives, the purity of their religious worship, their meeting together on a certain day, their adoration of Jesus Christ as God, their obedience to their civil rulers, in giving up what they did not consider to be enjoined by divine authority, and their fortitude in suffering, and steady perseverance in the faith of Christ, are all unequivocally attested by their persecutors.

The Emperor ADRIAN was born in the year 76. He reigned twenty years from the death of Trajan, in 117. Trajan's edict being still in force against the Christians,