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this part of our inquiries, I shall not stop to make observations on these letters at present; but give you the last testimonies which I purpose to adduce, viz. those of Suetonius and Tacitus. The first of these says, that in the reign of Nero,

"The Christians were punished; a sort of men of a new and magical superstition."

And, speaking of Claudius,

"He banished the Jews from Rome, who were continually making disturbances, Chrestus being their leader."—LARDNER, C. viii.

EDWARD.

The inaccuracy as to name and fact here shows that the Christians had not yet excited great attention from their religion.

MR. B.

We now come to the more important testimony of Tacitus :

"But neither all human help, nor the liberality of the emperor, nor all the atonements he offered to the Gods, availed to abate the infamy he lay under of having ordered the city to be set on fire. To suppress, therefore, this common rumour, Nero procured others to be accused, and inflicted exquisite torments on those people who were in abhorrence for their crimes, and were commonly known by the name of Christians. They had their denomination from Christus, who in the reign of Tiberius was put to death as a criminal, by the procurator Pontius Pilate. This pernicious superstition, though checked for a time, broke out again, and spread not only over Judea, the source of this evil, but reached the city also, whither flow

from all quarters all things vile and shameful, and where they find shelter and encouragement. At first, they only were apprehended who confessed themselves of that sect; afterwards, a vast multitude discovered by them: all 'which were condemned, not so much for the crime of burning the city, as for their enmity to mankind. Their executions were so contrived as to expose them to derision and contempt. Some were covered over with the skins of wild beasts, and torn to pieces by dogs; some were crucified; others, having been daubed over with combustible materials, were set up as lights in the night time, and thus burned to death. Nero made use of his own gardens as a theatre upon this occasion, and also exhibited the diversions of the circus; sometimes standing in the crowd as a spectator, in the habit of a charioteer; sometimes driving a chariot himself: till at length these men, though really criminal, and deserving exemplary punishment, began to be commiserated, as people who were destroyed, not out of a regard to the public welfare, but only to gratify the cruelty of one man."-LARDNER, c. v.

To these sufferings of the Christians the two poets, Juvenal and Martial, are generally sup posed to allude. The former says—

"Now dare

To glance at Tigellinus, and you glare

In that pitch'd sheet in which such crowds expire,
Chain'd to the bloody stake, and wrapp'd in fire."

LARDNER, C. vii.

The latter, in an epigram, compares the fortitude of the Christians with that of Mucius.

You will now, I think, not refuse to acknowledge the truth of the following conclusions: but

if you have still any doubts upon them, I would refer you for full proof to Lardner.

First. It appears a notorious and undeniable fact, that there really did exist, at the time he is said to have existed, an extraordinary character, known by the name of Jesus Christ; that it was commonly reported that he had performed many miracles, and that in consequence of his attaching numerous followers to him, he was put to death; that these followers, instead of being intimidated by that event, asserted that he had arisen from the dead, and, in defiance of all opposition, propagated this new faith throughout the Roman empire with singular success.

Secondly. That the Romans in general hated and despised this new sect, and oppressed it to a great degree; but that they were also in a great degree ignorant of its origin, its Founder, and its doctrines; and that, consequently, though their testimony, as far as it goes, is of great importance in confirming the statements of the Christian. writers, yet the want of their testimony in other particulars cannot militate against nor materially weaken those statements.

Thirdly. The opinion entertained by men thus prejudiced against the Christians does not in any measure lead us to believe that the latter had any secular views of advantage, directly or indirectly; they represent them as numerous, but not learned, polite, or prudent. A readiness to

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meet death, an obstinate perseverance in their opinions, and a devoted zeal in the propagation of their faith, appear to have characterised their public conduct. Their private character appears to have been blameless, and even high, but their doctrines and general spirit utterly contrary to the opinions then prevalent; and that consequently, however desirous they might be to increase their numbers, they did not do it by an appearance of agreement with any of the numerous sects and parties then existing, or by a willingness to blend their own sentiments or compromise their own principles with those of others.

CONVERSATION VI.

BEATRICE.

I HAD no idea, previously to our last conversation, that so many important facts relative to the history of the Christian religion could have been established solely by the testimony of adversaries. Has it ever been attempted before?

MR. B.

There is a very good French work by a learned man of the name of Bullet, which was translated into English by a Mr. Salisbury; but unfortunately both the original and the translation are very scarce, and their authors little known, except to those who make a point of inquiring into works of this kind.

EDWARD.

Your references were commonly made to Lard

ner.

MR. B.

They were so, as being better adapted for immediate reference than any other, and on account of the reputation that author has justly acquired for correctness.

EDWARD.

It seems, however, that the same facts made a different impression upon the mind of Gibbon.

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