Page:Toleration and other essays.djvu/69

Rh not condemn him on the ground of religion from distant Rome, since he left untouched Cornelius, who lived under his eyes.

So many hidden causes are associated at times with the apparent cause, so many unknown springs may be at work in the persecution of a man, that  it is impossible, centuries afterwards, to discover  the hidden source of the misfortunes even of distinguished  men; it is still more difficult to explain  the persecution of an individual who must have been  known only to those of his own party.

Observe that St. Gregory Thaumaturgus and St. Denis, bishop of Alexandria, who were not put to death, lived at the same time as St. Cyprian. How is it that they were left in peace, since they were,  at least, as well known as the bishop of Carthage? And why was Cyprian put to death? Does it not seem as if the latter fell a victim to personal and  powerful enemies, under the pretext of calumny or  reasons of State, which are so often associated with  religion, and that the former were fortunate enough  to escape the malice of men?

It is impossible that the mere charge of being a Christian led to the death of St. Ignatius under the clement and just Trajan, since the Christians  were allowed to accompany and console him during  his voyage to Rome. Seditions were common at Antioch, always a turbulent city, where Ignatius  was secret bishop of the Christians. Possibly these seditions were imputed to the Christians, and  brought the authorities upon them.

St. Simeon, for instance, was charged before Sapor with being a Roman spy. The story of his