CONTENTS. VII CH AFTER XVI. THE CONDVOT OF THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THE CHRISTIANS, FROM THE REIGN OF NERO TO THAT OF CONSTANTINE. Christianity persecuted by the Roman emperors . 144 Enquiry into tlieir motives . 145 Rebellious spirit of the jews . 146 Toleration of the Jewish religion 147 The jews were a people which followed, the christians a sect which deserted, the religion of their fathers . . 148 Christianity accused of atheism, and mistaken by the people and pliilosophers . 150 The union and assemblies of the christians considered as a dan- gerous conspiracy . . 152 Their manners calumniated . 154 Their imprudent defence . 155 Idea of the conduct of the empe- rors towards the christians . 156 They neglected the christians as a sect of jews . • 158 The fire of Rome under the reign of Nero . . . 160 Cruel punishment of the chris- tians, as the incendiaries of the city . . .161 Remarks on the passage of Ta- citus relative to tlie persecu- tion of the christians by Nero 163 Oppression of the jews and chris- tians by Domitian . . 166 Execution of Clemens the consul 168 Ignorance of Pliny concerning the christians . . 169 Trajan and his successors esta- blish a legal mode of proceed- ing against them . 171 Popular clamours . . 172 Trials of the christians . 173 Humanity of the Roman magi- strates . . . 175 Inconsiderable number of martyrs 176 Example of Cyprian, bishop of Carthage . . . 178 His danger and flight . ib. A. D. 257. His banishment . 179 His condemnation . 180 His martyrdom . .181 Various incitements to martyr- dom . . 182 Ardour of the first christians . 184 Gradual relaxation . 186 Three methods of escaping martyr- dom . . . ib. Alternatives of severity and to- leration . . . 188 The ten persecutions . ib. Supposed edicts of Tiberius and Marcus Antoninus • 189 A. D. 180. State of the christians in the reigns of Commodus and Severus . . 190 A. D. 211-249. Of the successors of Severus . . 192 A.D.244. Of Maximin, Philip, and Decius . . 194 A. D. 253-260. Of Valerian, Gal- lienus, and his successors . 195 A. D. 260. Paul of Samosata, his manners . . . 196 A. D. 270. He is degraded from the see of Antioch . . 197 A. D. 274. The sentence is exe- cuted by Aurelian . 198 A. D. 284-303. Peace and pros- perity of the church under Diocletian . . 199 Progress of zeal and superstition among the pagans . 200 Maximian and Galerius punish a few christian soldiers . 202 Galerius prevails on Diocletian to begin a general persecution 204 A. U. 303. Demolition of the church of Nicomedia . 205 The first edict against the chris- tians . . .206 Zeal and punishment of a chris- tian . . .207 Fire of the palace of Nicomedia imputed to the christians . 208 Execution of the first edict . 209 DemoUtion of the churches . 211 Subsequent edicts . 212 A. D. 303-311. General idea of the persecution . . 213 In the western provinces, under Constantius and Constan- tine . . ib. In Italy and Africa, under JMaxi- mian and Severus ; and un- der Maxehtius . . 215 In Illyricum and the east, under Galerius and Maximin . 217 A. D. 311. Galerius publishas an edict of toleration . 218 Peace of the church . . 219 Alaximin prepares to renew the persecution . . ib. End of the persecutions . 221 Probable account of the sufferings of the martyrs and confessors ib. Number of martyrs . 223 Conclusion . . . 225
