Page:The rock of wisdom.djvu/51

 as a just object of ridicule and contempt among the Greek, and Romans, more particularly there were many eminent men who were perfectly aware of the defects of their religion. Mosheim, when speaking of them, judiciously remarks that of these sagacious observers some were destitute of the weight and authority that were necessary to remedy these overgrown evil's, and others wanted the will to exert themselves in such a glorious cause, and the truth is none of them had wisdom equal to such a solemn and arduous enterprise. This appears manifest from the laborious and useless efforts of some of the Greek and Roman philosophers against the vulgar, superstitions. Nero was the first emperor who enacted laws against the Christians, in this he was placed by Domitian Maseus Antonius, the philosopher Ceverus and the other Emperors who indulged the prejudices they imbibed against the deciples of Jesus Christ. It would have been surprising if, under such a monster as Nero, the christian enjoyed the sweetness of tranquility and freedom; but this was far from being the case, for this perfidious tyrant accused them of having set fire to the city of Rome, that horrible crime which he himself had committed, with a barbarous pleasure of charging this crime upon the innocent christians; he so ordered matters that the punishment should bear some resemblance to the offence, he therefore caused some of them to be wrapted up in combustible garments and ordered the fire to be set to them while the darkness came on, that thus like torches they might dispel the obscurity of the night, while others were fastened to crosses or torn to pieces by wild beasts; and this horrid persecution was set on foot in the month of November in the 64th year of Christ; and it is according to some of the ancient accounts, Paul and Peter suffered martyrdom, though the latter fact is contested by many as being irreconcilable with Chronology. The death of Nero, who perished in the year 68, put an end to the calamities of the first persecution, under which, during the space of four years, the christians suffered every sort of torment and affliction, which the ingenous cruelty of their enemies could invent. This account is according to history; my object is not to cast any stigma upon any sect or society of people, only to show their disposition towards Christ, for we are informed that charity does cover