Chapter 2. Dispositions of the Magistrates of the Empire with regard to Christianity

If the influence of Julia Mammsea at times induced Alexander to act in opposition to the dictates of his heart, there was at least no reason to fear that, with respect to Christianity, this princess would lead him into the path of persecution. But unfortunately the bitterest and most formidable enemies of the Church had found an asylum in the palace of the Emperor, and were favored with his confidence. Elevated to the throne at an age when the character is still unformed, he needed a council to direct him in the art of governing. The members of this council, sixteen in number, were chosen by Mammaea herself, and were principally skilful juris-consults, who were highly esteemed in Rome. Papinian, Domitius Ulpian, Julius Paulus, Celsus, Pomponius, Modestinus, Yenuleius, Hermogenes, and Callistratus, successively formed part of this council, and many of them retained their seats several years. These legists, adorers of the coercive principle decorated with the pompous name of Law, that law of which they were the oracles, witnessed with profound antipathy, the progress of Christianity, which revealed to men the principles of an eternal jurisprudence, calculated essentially to modify the mutual relations of mankind. A spiritual, and at the same time, cosmopolitan society, which rejected the control of political power, and propagated itself in spite of all the edicts of repression, seemed to them a monster which the empire could not stifle too soon. Jurisprudence and philosophy united their efforts in repelling the common enemy which was advancing so rapidly against them, and would inevitably, sooner or later, crush them in their own domain, by assigning faith as the guide of intellect, and erecting in the conscience of each man a tribunal from which lie would judge the law. Edicts of persecution had been the sole reply to the pretensions of this new society. The ferocious autocracy of Nero, the benevolent genius of Trajan and Antoninus, the philosophical instincts of Marcus Aurelius, had all conspired in the general massacre of the Christians. From the very beginning, the empire felt that it had either to bend under the yoke, or conquer by carnage. The personal disposition of Alexander, as well as his education, seemed almost a guarantee that the Church, during his reign, would not be harassed by any addition to the long series of proscriptive edicts against the Christians; but the tolerance of the emperor for the religion of his Mother, was not so great as to banish from the Arsenal of Eoman laws, those weapons of tyranny, the use of Avhich a clement prince would have prohibited. Pagan superstition and Eoman policy watched together over the maintenance of those sanguinary edicts, and Alexander dared not brave public opinion, nor expose his popularity, by revoking them. Lampridius, in a few words, perfectly expresses the politic measures of the emperor with regard to the Church : " Alexander," he says, "tolerated the existence of Christians."*

Daring this truce, the legists of the imperial palace compiled several times the Roman laws, carefully bringing together in their compilations the ordinances which condemned the faithful to death. The assessors of Papinian, in his office of Prefect of the Praetonum, were Domitius Ulpian and Julius Paulas, two men whose names are as imposing in the history of jurisprudence, as they are odious in the annalsof Christianity. Daring the reign of Alexander, the former published his famous books, De officio Proconsulis, in which he collects the different edicts of the Emperors against every kind of crime. We find there the numerous constitutions which outlawed the disciples of Jesus Christ. Lactantius brands with eloquent indignation, this sanguinary concession to the passions of the Prsetorium,f which rendered the reign of Alexander a cruel and cowardly transition from the pe secution of Septimius Severus, to that set on foot by Maximinus, and which broke out immediately after the assassination of Alexander. Herod ian andLampridius eulogize in the most extravagant manner, the virtues and qualities of Ulpian. Pagans like himself, they considered it no crime to sharpen the sword destined to massacre the Christ-

• Alexand. vita. pag. 121.

f Quin etiam seleratissimi homicidae contra pios jura impia condiderunt. Nam et constitutiones sacrilegae, et disputationes Jurisperitorum legunter injustae. Domitius, de officio Proconsulis libro septimo, rescripta Principum nefaria collegit, ut docerot, quibus poonis affici oporteret cos, qui so oultorea Dei conlitcrentur. Divin, Ins tit. lib. v. rap xi.

2*

ians. Moreover, the degree of morality necessary to satisfy the writers of this epoch, is well known. According to Dio Cassius, Ulpian would never have enjoyed the honors of the Praetorium, had he not murdered his predecessors, Flavian and Chrestus* The blood of the Christians could hardly be more precious to Ulpian than that of the first magistrates of Rome. Such was the man who exercised unbounded influence over Alexander, and enjoyed to an unlimited degree the imperial favor. Mammaea at first watched with great anxiety, the influence of Ulpian. She knew his violent opposition to Christianity; but Ulpian was too politic to solicit new edicts against a religion favored by the Mother of the Emperor, and respected by Alexander himself. She therefore soon calmed her fears, and even contributed towards advancing the fortunes of Ulpian. f

The tranquillity which had been restored to the Church, was destined to be of short duration ; the brief respite from persecution seemed merely granted to increase the number of victims, who never for a moment lost sight of the arena of their brethren^ recent combats. The reigns of the emperors were frequently short, and even during that of Alexander, a favorable opportunity was alone required to give free vent to the hatred of the proconsuls, ever eager to persecute the Christians. Even a limited knowledge of the laws of tbe empire at that time, is sufficient to show how little dependence could be placed by the citizens of Rome upon their liberty, their fortunes, or even their lives. Exile, confiscation, or

• Dion Cass. Hist, pag 917. f Baronius. Annal. ad ann. 225.

judicial murder, were calamities which often fell upon patricians, senators, and even consuls, whilst tyranny was exercised against the plebeians — to which class the majority of the Christians belonged — with the greatest ease and impunity; the law branding them as despicable and vile. The perils which the Church had reason to dread from the Roman legislation, were considerably aggravated by the hostile dispositions of a large portion of the inhabitants of Rome. Tertullian, in his Apology, published thirty years before the epoch of which we treat, remarks that in public calamities, or in seditions, the multitude never failed to cry out : — " The Christians to the lions 1" The mild, but weak reign of Alexander was more than once agitated by tempests, which converted the capital of the world into a theatre of carnage, where free vent was given to the violence of passion. Even Ulpian, with all his skill and power, frequently failed in crushing these disturbances. His office gave him supreme authority over the praetorian guard. This body having displeased the Romans, in some trifling matter, war was declared against them. The civil contest lasted three days, and resulted in many deaths on both sides. Encouraged by their superiority of number, the people fought with such success that they were gaining a decided victory, when the praetorians commenced to fire the city ; fear at once overcame the exasperation of the people, and paved the way to reconciliation.* A short time after, in the fifth year of Alexander's reign, Ulpian was assassinated by the praetorian

• Diou Cass Hist, page 917.

guard, thus expiating by his own violent death, the murder of Flavian and Chrestus. His efforts to restore discipline to this formidable corps, excited to such a degree the animosity of the soldiers, that they boldly demanded his condemnation of the Emperor. Several times Alexander was reduced to the necessity of covering with his imperial purple, the prefect who had become so odious to the praetorians ; but even this protection did not long preserve the life of his favorite ; the praetorians finally murdered him in the very presence of the Emperor. Ulpian was succeeded in the Prefecture of the Praetorium, by his colleague, Julius Paulus, a man well worthy the office, if extreme aversion for the Christians was at that time a necessary qualification for so important a charge.

Thus the law ever armed with the sword kept guard at the doors of the Church, and when occasion offered, the legists eagerly took advantage of it. A city containing nearly three millions of inhabitants accustomed to scenes of bloodshed, was not likely to be agitated because severity was exercised against a sect, who, according to the expression of Tacitus, had drawn upon themselves the hatred of the whole human race.** It was well known that they would not be avenged by their brethren, who envied their fate; nor by the people, who were absurdly prejudiced against them ; nor by the emperor, who considered he favored the*i sufficiently by not proscribing them, and by admitting several to form a portion of his household.

• Odio huuiaiii generis convicti. Tacit. Aunal. lib. xv. cap. xliv.