Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/123

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. lOo perhaps be allowed to those persons who, before their Cll A P. conversion, were already engaged in such violent and ' ' sanguinary occupations'; but it was impossible that the christians, without renouncing a more sacred duty, could assume the character of soldiers, of magistrates, or of princes''. This indolent, or even criminal dis- regard to the public welfare, exposed them to the con- tempt and reproaches of the pagans, who very fre- quently asked what must be the fate of the empire, attacked on every side by the barbarians, if all mankind should adopt the pusillanimous sentiments of the new sect'? To this insulting question the christian apolo- gists returned obscure and ambiguous answers, as they were unwilling to reveal the secret cause of their secu- rity ; the expectation that, before the conversion of mankind was accomplished, war, government, the Ro- man empire, and the world itself, would be no more. It may be observed, that in this instance likewise the situation of the first christians coincided very happily with their religious scruples, and that their aversion to an active life contributed rather to excuse them from the service, than to exclude them from the honours of the state and army, V. But the human character, however it may be Thk. iimi exalted or depressed by a temporary enthusiasm, will Tiie^cliris- return by degrees to its proper and natural level, and f'^"" active will resume those passions that seem the most adapted vemment of to its present condition. The primitive christians were ''"^ church. dead to the business and pleasures of the world ; but their love of action, which could never be entirely ex- tinguished, soon revived, and found a new occupation in the government of the church. A separate society, which attacked the established religion of the empire, ' Teilullian, Apolog. c. 21 ; De IdolohUria, c. 17, 18; Oiigen contra Celsurn, 1. v. p. -253. 1. vii. p. 348. 1. viii. p. 423—428. ^ TertuUian (de Corona iMllitis, c. 11.) suggests to them the expedient of deserting ; a counsel which, if it had been generally known, was not very proper to conciliate the favour of the emperors towards the christian sect. ' As well as we can judge from the mulihited representation of Origen, (1. viii. p. 423.) his adversary Celsus had urged his objection with great force and candour.