CHAP. LVI.

Caius Plinius Cæcilius Secundus.

PLINY, who was nephew of Caius Plinius Secundus, the historian, was born A. U. C. 815, in the ninth year of Nero, and in the 62d of the Christian æra, at Novocomo, on the borders of the Lake of Como, called Larius by Virgil. He gave early proofs of his talents, and so distinguished himself by his noble exertions as an orator and statesman*, that he was marked for destruction in the tablets of Domitian, but happily lived to celebrate the virtues of Trajan in a panegyric, which is still extant, and to display in his own character those amiable and munificent qualities, and those benevolent affections in social and domestic

Pliny, when appointed to preside over the treasury of Saturn, renounced his pleadings "quibus alioqui nunquam eram promiscue functus." Lib. i. Epist. 20.

retirement, which place the Heathen character in the most favourable point of view.

Pliny, in his youth, served as a military tribune in Syria *, and he was pro-consul in Bythinia, when he wrote his most interesting epistle to Trajan, composed not more than forty years after the death of St. Paul, which presents an unsuspected memorial of the virtues of the primitive Christians.

In this celebrated document +, the philosopher professes himself "never to have been 66 present at any trials concerning the Chris"tians, and from his inexperience to have en"tertained doubts how he should proceed "with respect to them; and therefore to refer "himself to the Emperor, as he considered "it to be a solemn duty; that he hesitated "not a little, whether he should make any "distinction as to age, or no difference be"tween the young or those matured in years; "whether he should grant pardon to repent

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ance, or whether the person who had once "professed himself a Christian, might not "derive advantage from a recantation; whe"ther the name itself, although it were not "found united with crimes, or the crimes of

Ep. 10. 1. 1. Epis. 2. 1. 3.

+ Lib. x. Epist. 97.

"those who bore the name, should be pu"nished."

After expressing these doubts, which indicate but little acquaintance with any just principles of government, he proceeds to observe, that he had adopted this mode with regard to those who were charged before him with being Christians. "I interrogated "them," says he, "whether they were Chris"tians, and if they confessed, I renewed my "enquiries a second and a third time, accom"panied with threats. I commanded those "who persisted, to be led out to punishment, "for I entertained no doubt that, whatever "the nature of their confession might be, "their stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy "merited punishment." He farther states, "that there were others infected with a like insanity, whom, because they were citizens of "Rome, he directed to be sent thither; that even as they were dragged away, the offence appeared, as usually happens, to spread itself, "and that it was to be met with under various "forms." He also adds, " that an informa"tion had been preferred, without the subscription of any name, which contained a "charge against many, who denied that they 66 were, or had been Christians, and who re

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"peated after him an invocation to the Gods, " and a supplication to the statue of the Em

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peror, (which with this view he had ordered "to be brought out, with the images of the "Gods,) offering frankincense and wine be"fore it, and moreover reviling Christ, none "of which things, it was said, those who were "really Christians could be compelled to do; "and that therefore he thought that they "should be dismissed."

Pliny proceeds to relate," that others, "who were personally named by the in"former, confessed that they were Chris"tians, but immediately afterwards retract

ed, affirming that they had been indeed, "but had ceased so to be, some above three "years, others more, and a few even above "twenty years since: that these all worshipped the statue of the Emperor and the

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images of the Gods, and likewise uttered "invectives against Christ, but that they de"clared that this was the extent of their fault “or their error; that they were accustomed, “on a stated day, to assemble together before "the dawn, to sing a choral hymn * to Christ

"Carmenque Christo, quasi Deo, dicere secum invicem." Perhaps to address a prayer to Christ as to a God, with responses. See Acts ii. 42. xx. 7. xxi. 22.

as to a God, and to bind themselves by a "solemn oath-not for the perpetration of

any wickedness*, but not to commit any "thefts, or robberies, or adulteries; not to "break their engagements, not to refuse "when called upon to restore a deposit. "This being performed, they departed, and "again assembled in order to eat together "in common and in an harmless manner †, "which they had even ceased to do after "this edict of Pliny, in which, agreeably "to the commands of the Emperor, he had "forbidden that any association should "exist; that in consequence he had judged "it the more necessary to enquire the "truth, even by torture, from two female "slaves, who were said to be assistants §; "but that he had found nothing else but "the proofs of a depraved and immoderate

superstition, and that therefore deferring "the cognizance of the affair, he deter

The Christians seem, in their apology, to have designed to refute the suspicions to which they were subjected, by their early and private meetings, of having any thing in common with the Bacchanalians.

+ See Acts iv. 32.

Elapias. Social communities. Probably, as has been conjectured, they were Deaconesses, who, in the primitive Church, were employed in charitable and religious offices. See Vossius.

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