Domitian, the younger brother of Titus, ascended the throne in A.D. 81. But he was of a totally different temper to his father and brother. They tolerated the Christians, he persecuted them. His character was cowardly, suspicious, and cruel. He raised a persecution against the Christians, because of some vague and superstitious fear that he entertained, of the appearance of a person born in Judea of the family of David, who was to obtain the empire of the world. But neither did he spare Romans of the most illustrious birth and station who had embraced Christianity. Some were martyred on the spot, others were banished to be martyred in their exile. His own niece, Domitilla, who had been given in marriage to Flavius Clemens, his cousin, were the victims of his cruelty for having embraced the gospel of Christ. Thus we see, that Christianity, by the power of God, in spite of armies and emperors—fire and sword, was spreading, not only amongst the middle and lower, but also amongst the higher classes.
“Domitian,” says Eusebius, the father of ecclesiastical history, “having exercised his cruelty against many, and unjustly slain no small number of noble and illustrious men at Rome, and having, without cause, punished vast numbers of honorable men with exile and the confiscation of their property, at length established himself as the successor of Nero, in his hatred and hostility to God.” He also followed Nero in deifying himself. He commanded his own statue to be worshipped as a god, revived the law of treason, and put in fearful force its terrible provisions; under these circumstances, surrounded as he was with spies and informers, what must this second persecution of the Christians have been!
But the end of this weak, vain, and despicable tyrant drew near. He was in the habit of writing on a roll the names of those persons whom he designed to put to death, and kept it carefully in his own possession. And in order to throw such off their guard, he treated them with the most flattering attention. But this fatal roll was one day taken from under a cushion on which he was reclining asleep, by a child who was playing in the apartment, and who carried it to the Empress. She was struck with astonishment and alarm at finding her own name on the dark list, together with the names of others apparently high in his favor. To such the Empress communicated the knowledge of their danger, and notwithstanding all the precaution that cowardice and cunning could suggest, he was dispatched by two officers of his own household the short but peaceful reign of Nerva.
On the very day of Domitian’s death, Nerva was chosen by the senate to be Emperor, September 18th, A.D. 96. He was a man of blameless reputation. The character of his reign was most favorable to the peace and prosperity of the Church of God. The Christians who had been banished by Domitian were recalled, and recovered their confiscated property. The apostle John returned from his banishment in the isle of Patmos, and resumed his place of service among the churches in Asia. He survived till the reign of Trajan, when at the advanced age of about 100 years, he fell asleep in Jesus.
Nerva commenced his reign by redressing grievances, repealing iniquitous statutes, enacting good laws, and dispensing favors with great liberality. But feeling unequal to the duties of his position, he adopted Trajan as his colleague and successor to the empire. He died in 98.
THE CONDITION OF CHRISTIANS DURING THE REIGN OF TRAJAN. FROM A.D. 98-117.
As the outward history of the Church was then affected by the will of one man, it will therefore be necessary to notice, however briefly, the disposition, or ruling passion of the reigning prince. Thus it was that the condition of the Christians everywhere depended entirely on him who was master of the Roman world, and in a certain sense of the whole world.
Trajan was an emperor of great renown. Perhaps none more so ever sat on the throne of the Caesars. The Roman earth or world, it is said, reached its widest limits by his victories. He caused the terror of the Roman arms and the Roman discipline to be felt on the frontiers as none before him had done. He was thus a great general and a military sovereign; and being possessed of a large and vigorous mind, he was an able ruler, and Rome flourished under his sway. But in the history of the Church his character appears in a less favorable light. He had a confirmed prejudice against Christianity, and sanctioned the persecution of Christians. Some say he meditated the extinction of the name. This is the deepest stain which rests on the memory of Trajan.
But Christianity, in spite of Roman emperors, Roman prisons, and Roman executions, pursued its silent, steady course. In little more than seventy years after the death of Christ, it had made such rapid progress in some places as to threaten the downfall of paganism. The heathen temples were deserted, the worship of the gods was neglected, and victims for sacrifices were rarely purchased. This naturally raised a popular cry against Christianity, such as we had at Ephesus. “This our craft is in danger to be set at naught, and the temple of the great goddess Diana to be despised.” Those whose livelihood depended on the worship of the heathen deities, laid many and grievous complaints against the Christians before the governors. This was especially so in the Asiatic provinces where Christianity was most prevalent.
About the year 110, many Christians were thus brought before the tribunal of Pliny the younger, the governor of Bithynia and Pontus. But Pliny being naturally a wise, candid, and humane man, he took pains to inform himself of the principles and practices of the Christians. And when he found that many of them were put to death who could not be convicted of any public crime, be was greatly embarrassed. He had not taken any part in such matters before, and there was then no settled law on the subject. The edicts of Nero had been repealed by the Senate, and those of Domitian by his successor, Nerva. Under these circumstances, Pliny applied for advice to his master, the Emperor Trajan. The letters which then passed between them, being justly considered as the most valuable record of the history of the Church during that period, they deserve a place in our “Short Papers.” But we can only transcribe a portion of Pliny’s celebrated epistle, and chiefly those parts which refer to the character of Christians, and the extension of Christianity.
C. PLINY TO TRAJAN EMPEROR.
Health. —It is my usual custom, Sir, to refer all things, of which I harbor any doubt, to you. For who can better direct my judgment in its hesitation, or instruct my understanding in its ignorance? I never had the fortune to be present at any examination of Christians before I came into this province. I am therefore at a loss to determine what is the usual object either of inquiry or of punishment, and to what length either of them is to be carried..........In the meantime this has been my method with respect to those who were brought before me as Christians. I asked them whether they were Christians: if they pleaded guilty, I interrogated them—a second and a third time—with a menace of capital punishment. In case of obstinate perseverance, I ordered them to be executed..........An anonymous ‘Libel’ was published, containing the names of many who denied that they were, or had been, Christians, and invoked the gods, as I prescribed, and prayed to your image, with incense and wine, and moreover reviled Christ—none of which things I am told a real Christian can ever be compelled to do. So I thought proper to dismiss them..........The whole of the crime or error of the Christians lay in this—they were accustomed on a certain day to meet before daylight, and to sing among themselves a hymn to Christ, as a god; and to hind themselves by an oath, not to commit any wickedness; 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 harmless meal, of which they partook in common without any disorder; but this last practice they have ceased to attend to, since the publication of my edict, by which, according to your commands, I prohibited assemblies.
“After this account, I judged it the more necessary to examine, and that by torture, two females, who were said to be deaconesses, but I have discovered nothing except a bad and excessive superstition. Suspending, therefore, all judicial proceedings, I have recourse to you for advice. The number of the accused is so great as to call for serious consultation. Many persons are informed against, of every age and rank, and of both sexes; and many more 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 a time there were few purchasers. Whence it is easy to imagine what numbers of them might be reclaimed if pardon were granted to those who repent.”
TEAJAN TO PLINY.
“You have done perfectly right, my dear Pliny, in the inquiry which you have made concerning Christians. For truly no one general rule can be laid down which will apply itself to all cases. These people must not be sought after: if they are brought before you and convicted, let them be capitally punished; yet with this restriction, that if any one renounce Christianity, and evidence his sincerity by supplicating our gods, however suspected he may be for the past, let him on his repentance obtain pardon. But anonymous libels in no case ought to be attended to: for it is a very dangerous precedent, and perfectly incongruous to the maxims of our age.”
The clear and unsuspected testimony of these two letters awakens thoughts and feelings of the deepest interest in the Christian’s mind of to-day. The First Epistle of St. Peter was addressed to the fathers of these holy sufferers, and possibly to some of themselves then alive; and it is not unlikely that Peter labored amongst them personally. Thus were they taught and encouraged beforehand, to give to the Roman governor “a reason for the hope that was in them with meekness and fear.” Indeed, the whole of the first epistle seems divinely fitted to strengthen these unoffending Christians against the unjust and unreasonable course of Pliny. “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind.” Peter contemplates in his epistle the family of faith as on a journey through the wilderness, and God as the supreme Governor ruling over all—believers and unbelievers. “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” With such a scene before us, and such witnesses, making allowance for the position of Trajan and Pliny as heathen statesmen, it may be well to inquire at this early stage of our history, What was and is
THE REAL CAUSE OF PERSECUTION?
Although different reasons may be given by different persons and governments for persecuting Christians, yet we believe that the real cause is the heart’s enmity against Christ and His truth, as seen in the godly lives of His people. Besides, their light makes manifest the darkness around, and exposes and reproves the inconsistencies of false professors, and the godless lives of the wicked. The enemy, taking occasion by these things, stirs up the cruel passions of those in power to quench the light by persecuting the light-bearer. “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light.” Such has been the experience of all Christians, in all ages, both in times of peace and in times of trouble. There is no exemption from persecution, secretly or openly, if we live according to the Spirit and truth of Christ. Amongst the last words that the great apostle wrote, were these; “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Tim. 3:1212Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12).
These divine truths, given for the instruction and guidance of the Church in all ages, were strikingly illustrated in the cases of Pliny and the Christians of Bithynia. He is spoken of by all historians as one of the most enlightened, virtuous, and accomplished men of antiquity. He was also possessed of great wealth, and he had the reputation of being most liberal and benevolent in private life. Why then, it may be asked, as a Roman statesman and governor, did he become such a persecutor of the Christians? This question he answers in his own letter. It was simply for their faith in Christ; nothing else. It had been proved to him both by friends and foes, that the Christians were guilty of no crime either morally, socially, or politically. Having thrice asked the question, “Are you Christians? if they steadfastly affirmed that they were, he condemned them to death. The only pretext which he gave to cover the injustice of his conduct as a governor, was the fact that the Christians were obstinate professors of a religion not established by the laws of the empire.
Many, from private malice and other reasons, were at this time anonymously accused of being Christians, who were not really so. These were tested by being called upon to deny the faith, offer incense to the gods, worship the image of the emperor, and revile Christ. All who complied with these terms were dismissed. But none of which things, Pliny is made to witness, those who are true Christians can ever be compelled to do. He next had recourse to the brutal custom of examining innocent persons by torture. Two females, noted servants of the Church, were thus examined. But, instead of the expected disclosures as to the rumored seditious and licentious character of their meetings, nothing unfavorable to the christian community could be tortured out of them. The governor could detect nothing by every means he tried, except what he sails “a perverse and extravagant superstition.”
It must also be borne in mind, both to the credit and also to the deeper guilt of Pliny, that he did not proceed against the Christians from mere popular prejudice. Unlike his friend Tacitus, who allowed himself to be carried away by prevailing rumors, and without further inquiry, to write against Christianity in the most unreasonable and disgraceful manner. But Pliny considered it his duty to enter into a careful investigation of the whole matter before giving his judgment. How then can we account for such a man, apparently desirous of acting impartially, persecuting to death a blameless people? To answer this question, we must inquire into the outward, or ostensible causes of persecution.