Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE FIRST AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.223more just that you should take cognisance of thematter, . if _JL JL, anv *_^ Ju_J- J one \^ JLJk V-/ be r^ ^-* willing ¥ "*i**"*-"*-^^to *^-r accuse. *-*»* ^"^ "*^ vfcf^ ^-r 9 If, j*_ .*". m then v "" x^ j*. "any one denounce them, and prove that thedoing anything illegal, sentence them accordingo the gravity of the crime. But, by Hercules, ift be a mere false accusation, punish the informeraccording to its importance."Here would seem to be a considerable modificationof Trajan's rescript. The profession ofChristianity is not taken by itself as a capital offence.Proof must be sriven that something illegalhas been committed. So far it approaches to anact of toleration. It plainly discourages anonymousand malicious attacks. But on the other handit was not difficult to show that Christians didcommit something illegal. Any real accuser bringingthem before the tribunal could prove by theirown testimony that they declared the gods worshippedby the Romans to be demons, while theyrefused to swear by the emperor's genius. Thus,favourable as this decree was to them, it fell farshort of declaring O their reliion to be allowable.And the same emperor who could thus write,whose curiosity made him acquainted with all thereligious sects of his empire, whose temper, as anexceedingly accomplished man, having the widestexperience of men and things, and ruling an empireof the most diverse races with the most variousreligions, led him to an eclectic indifference,and so far toleration of all, yet showed by his per-