The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-06-10

millar answer. which undoubtsdly snboAlss
the fundamental explanation. 20 far - ne
Roman administrators and lawyers werO con
cerned, Mr.. Allen makes the suggestive
remark that the earlier prosecutions wero
not often due to wise and far-sighted
men who detected the incompatibility
Of Christianity with the imperial pclity. but
seem to have been concessions TO popular
clamor and the temper Of the mob. CAUTIOUSLY.
too. this luminosity on the part OF the common
people b observed to run q great way back.
long before the least public danger could have
been thought OF from an obscure and petty
sect. Now. why was this, Why was tho mob
30 ready aiwnys with the most abominable
charges against the early Christisusi One rs-
My 10 obvious enough. namely. that the Chris.
tian language about . God Of love. and greet
ings with holy kiss. and tho symbolic feast
Ing at the Lords Supper on the flesh and
blood OF the Son OF Man lent themselves
to gross. but honest and almost In
svitable misconceptions. But MIR. Alien
goes further. and Is Inclined to think with
Daumer that possibly tho worst charges against
the primitive Christians were sometimes true
that. In some instances At least. the sacred
mysteries did include sensual exeesses and the
tasting OF human blood. In connection With
this topic he reminds US that cases OF horror.
frightful and disgusting. have not boen I'M
known In religious orgies in modern times. and
Christians even then were not slow to level
charges equally heinous against heretical as
somblies. Mr.. Allen bids us keep in view the
raw material that entered into the composition
OF tho Christian communicable Syria and
North Africn for example-and that they called.
avowedly not righteous. but sinners to repent
ance." For our own part We find nothing In
credible evon in the accusation OF cannibal ban
Quets when pointed at the wretches who tore
Hypatia limb from limb
Another hypothesis propounded by Mr.. Al.
lon Is extremely probable. that long after the
frst Hebrew followers Of the Sazarene had
boon swamped in tho multitude Of Gentle con-
verts the popular mind recalling only tho orr
gin of tho sect. made no distinction between
Christian and Jew. Naturally. therefore. the
fresh memory OF the atrocities which unGues-
tionably wore PERFORATED by Jewish rebels In
Cyprus and Palestine under Hadrian would
have its share in keeping up the frenzy oil
popular hate and fear which, moro than any
Imperial policy was the real ground Of the pcr-
secution that continually menaced tho Chris.
tian body In the second and third centuries
Ono Of the most noteworthy features OF these
lectures is the emphasis with which Mr.. Allen
brings out what Gibbon did not indicate with
sufficient clenrness and force. viz. the extent
to which through the dedication OF the Cesars.
the minds OF men we're prepared for a creed
whose corner stone was the incarnation OF
deity Tho notion OF a mani od-thnt Ia. ol a
divine person In human form-was already IN
miliar to tbs pagan mind. in Rome itself. no
doubt the dedication Of q Caesar was looked
upon as mere extravaganza of court hnttery
and it Is n curious fact that tho worship oil the
|. Emperor. which was universal in the provinces
and tolerated in Italy was forbidden in the
capital. Very significantly. too. there is scarce
hint of this worship in the more familiar
literary sources of Roman history. Its record
is in scattered monuments and Inscriptions
only brought to light and deciphered within the
last few years. From such memorials we learn
that. throughout the Roman world. outside oil
the Italian peninsula. there was not only the
Vague popular alteration, Of which Tacitus
speaks when he ascribes the working OF mira
cles to Vespasia but also an organized worship
OF the Emperor with temple and ritual and d
consecrated order OF priests. The Emperor
was spoken of in language that reflects or pre-
figures with exaotness the phraseology applied
In the later creeds to the human life Of Christ
Every year embassies went up to Rome to carr,
to the man god thanksgivings or VOWS. or ex'
pressions Of religious homage. In short how
ever crude or impossible It may look to us
way. devoutly held than this dedication Of thu
Homan Emperor among the psoplo Of the
provincial
In this volume the evolution Of Christianity
regarded principally Us moral force. Is car.
ried by MIR. Allen us far rs the CarlovingiaI
epoch. But 1t will BIO moro convenient to look
at his treatment OF the slow transition from
Roman to modern times in a review Of his sec.
ond volume wherein he follows the history O,
the Christian world from Scotus Erigena. who
may DO called the first OF the school men. &c
Luther. who brought about the first permanent,
schism in western Chrstendom.