Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/109

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 91 and eternal judgement of the universe. How shall I ad- c H A P. mire, how laugh, how rejoice, how exult, when 1 behoKl ■'^^• so many proud monarchs, and fancied gods, groan- ing in the lowest abyss of darkness ; so many nuifrj. strates who persecuted the name of the Lord, liquefy- ing in fiercer fires than they ever kindled against the christians ; so many sage philosophers blushing in red hot flames with their deluded scholars ; so many cele- brated poets trembling before the tribunal, not of Mi- nos, but of Christ; so many tragedians, more tuneful in the expression of their own sufferings; so many dancers — ." But the humanity of the reader will per- mit me to draw a veil over the rest of this infernal description, which the zealous African pursues in a long variety of affected and unfeehng witticisms'^. Doubtless there were many among the primitive Weie often christians of a temper more suitable to the meekness f""^'^.'^^ and charity of their profession. There were many '»-'«". who felt a sincere compassion for the danger of their friends and countrymen, and who exerted the most benevolent zeal to save them from the impending de- struction. The careless polytheist, assailed by new and unexpected terrors, against which neither his priests nor his philosophers could afford him any certain pro- tection, was very frequently terrified and subdued by the menace of eternal tortures. His fears might assist the progress of his faith and reason ; and if he could once persuade himself to suspect that the christian religion might possibly be true, it became an easy task to convince him that it was the safest and most pru- dent party that he could possibly embrace. HI. The supernatural gifts, which even in this life Tuf. third were ascribed to the christians above the rest of man- ''.V^'*'-', Miraculous kind, must have conduced to their own comfort, and powers of <= Tertullian De Spectaculis, c. 30. In order to ascertain the degree of authority which tlie zealous African had acquired, it may be sufficient to allege the testimony of Cyprian, the doctor and guide of all the western churches. See Prudent. Hymn.xiii. 100. As often as he applied himself to his daily study of the writings of Tertullian, he was accustomed to say, " Da mihi magisliuni ;" Give me my master. Ilieionym. de Viris Illus- tribus, torn. i. p. 284.
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