thefe accounts are confirmed, or followed up, by other evidence.

Tacitus, in delivering a relation, which has already been laid before the reader, of the fire which happened at Rome in the tenth year of Nero, which coincides with the thirtieth year after Chrift's afcenfion, afferts, that the emperor, in order to fupprefs the rumours of having been himself the author of the mischief, procured the Chriftians to be accufed. Of which Chriftians, thus brought into his narrative, the following is fo much of the hiftorian's account as belongs to our present purpose: "They had their denomination from Chriftus, who, in the reign of Tiberius, was put to death as a criminal by the procurator Pontius Pilate. This pernicious fuperftition, though checked for a while, broke out again, and spread not only over Judea, but reached the city also. At first they only were apprehended who confeffed themselves of that fect; afterwards a vast multitude were discovered by them." This teftimony to the early propagation of Christianity

Christianity is extremely material. It is from an hiftorian of great reputation, living near the time; from a ftranger and an enemy to the religion: and it joins immediately with the period through which the fcripture accounts extend. It establishes these points, that the religion began at Jerufalem, that it spread throughout Judea, that it had reached Rome, and not only fo, but that it had there obtained a great number of con verts. This was about fix years after the time that St. Paul wrote his epiftle to the Romans, and fomething more than two years after he arrived there himself. converts to the religion were then so numerous at Rome, that of those who were betrayed by the information of the perfons firft perfecuted, a great multitude (multitudo ingens) were discovered and feized.

The

It seems probable, that the temporary check which Tacitus reprefents Christianity to have received (repreffa in præfens) referred to the persecution at Jerufalem, which followed the death of Stephen (Acts viii.);

and which, by difperfing the converts, caufed the inftitution, in fome measure, to. difappear. Its fecond eruption at the fame place, and within a fhort time, has much in it of the character of truth. It was the firmnefs and perfeverance of men who knew what they relied upon.

Next in order of time, and perhaps fuperior in importance, is the teftimony of Pliny the younger. Pliny was the Roman governor of Pontus and Bithynia, two confiderable diftricts in the northern part of Afia Minor. The fituation in which he found his province led him to apply to the emperor (Trajan) for his direction as to the conduct he was to hold towards the Chriftians. The letter in which this application is contained was written not quite eighty years after Christ's afcenfion. The president, in this letter, states the measures he had already pursued, and then adds, as his reason for reforting to the emperor's counsel and authority, the following words: "Suspending all judicial proceedings, I have recourse to

you

you for advice; for it has appeared to me a matter highly deserving confideration, especially upon account of the great number of perfons who are in danger of suffering: for many of all ages, and of every rank, of both fexes likewise, are accufed, and will be ac-. cufed. Nor has the contagion of this fuperftition seized cities only, but the leffer towns alfo, and the open country. Nevertheless it seemed to me that it may be reftrained and corrected. It is certain, that the temples, which were almost forfaken, begin to be more frequented; and the facred folemnities, after a long intermiffion, are revived. Victims, likewife, are everywhere (paffim) bought up; whereas, for fome time, there were few to purchase them. Whence it is easy to imagine, what numbers of men might be reclaimed, if pardon were granted to those that shall repent

It is obvious to obferve, that the paffage of l'liny's letter, here quoted, proves, not

C. Plin. Trajano Imp. lib. x. ep. xcvii.

only that the Chriftians in Pontus and Bithynia were now numerous, but that they had fubfifted there for fome confiderable time. "It is certain (he fays) thai the temples, which were almost forsaken (plainly afcribing this desertion of the popular worship to the prevalency of Christianity), begin to be more frequented; and the facred folemnities, after a long intermiffion, are revived." There are alfo two claufes in the former,part of the letter which indicate the fame thing; one, in which he declares that he had "never been prefent at any trials of Chriftians, and therefore knew not what was the usual subject of enquiry and punishment, or how far either was wont to be urged: the fecond claufe is the following: "Others were named by an informer, who, at first, confeffed themfelves Chriftians, and afterwards denied it; the rest said, they had been Chriftians, fome three years ago, fome longer, and fome above twenty years." It is alfo apparent that Pliny fpeaks of the Chriftians as a defcription of men well known to the perfon to whom he writes.