[43] some executions in the second century—­not many that are well attested—­and Christians courted the pain and glory of martyrdom.  There is evidence to show that when they were arrested their escape was often connived at.  In general, the persecution of the Christians was rather provoked by the populace than desired by the authorities.  The populace felt a horror of this mysterious Oriental sect which openly hated all the gods and prayed for the destruction of the world.  When floods, famines, and especially fires occurred they were apt to be attributed to the black magic of the Christians.

When any one was accused of Christianity, he was required, as a means of testing the truth of the charge, to offer incense to the gods or to the statues of deified Emperors.  His compliance at once exonerated him.  The objection of the Christians—­they and the Jews were the only objectors—­to the worship of the Emperors was, in the eyes of the Romans, one of the most sinister signs that their religion was dangerous.  The purpose of this worship was to symbolize the unity and solidarity of an Empire which embraced so many peoples of different beliefs and different gods; its intention was political, to promote union and loyalty; and it is not surprising that those who denounced it should

[44] be suspected of a disloyal spirit.  But it must be noted that there was no necessity for any citizen to take part in this worship.  No conformity was required from any inhabitants of the Empire who were not serving the State as soldiers or civil functionaries.  Thus the effect was to debar Christians from military and official careers.

The Apologies for Christianity which appeared at this period (second century) might have helped, if the Emperors (to whom some of them were addressed) had read them, to confirm the view that it was a political danger.  It would have been easy to read between the lines that, if the Christians ever got the upper hand, they would not spare the cults of the State.  The contemporary work of Tatian (A Discourse to the Greeks) reveals what the Apologists more or less sought to disguise, invincible hatred towards the civilization in which they lived.  Any reader of the Christian literature of the time could not fail to see that in a State where Christians had the power there would be no tolerance of other religious practices. [4] If the Emperors made an exception to their tolerant policy in the case of Christianity, their purpose was to safeguard tolerance.

[45]

In the third century the religion, though still forbidden, was quite openly tolerated; the Church organized itself without concealment; ecclesiastical councils assembled without interference.  There were some brief and local attempts at repression, there was only one grave persecution (begun by Decius, A.D. 250, and continued by Valerian).  In fact, throughout this century, there were not many victims, though afterwards the Christians invented a whole mythology of martyrdoms.  Many cruelties were imputed to Emperors under whom we know that the Church enjoyed perfect peace.