6

was in a great strait, and likely to be overpowered by the enemy, and that the greatest danger was owing to a drought which oppressed the Romans; that by the prayers of a few and illiterate soldiers, who openly, and with a lively faith, invoked the name of Christ, a plentiful shower was obtained from heaven, by which Antoninus's army was refreshed; at the same time lightning and hail fell ' upon the Germans, by which they were greatly annoyed, and many of them were killed: whereupon the Romans fell upon them, and cut them almost all off, and gained a very glorious victory. And it is said that there still is in the hands of many persons a letter of the emperor Antoninus, in which he acknowledgeth that the drought was ' removed, and the victory obtained, by means of an invoca'tion made of the name of Christ by christian soldiers.'

Whence it is evident that Orosius had never seen such a letter of Marcus Antoninus. And it may be argued that there was not then extant any such a letter: for, if there had, Orosius, a learned and inquisitive man, and a writer of history, would not have failed to procure it. It is also very observable that Orosius mentions not any legion by name, neither the Melitenian legion, nor the thunderbolt legion. Nor do any such expressions proceed from him as should lead us to think there was then a legion of christians in Marcus's army. Nay, he plainly supposeth that they were few in number. Finally, we may from all these particulars be disposed to think that Orosius took the account entirely from Tertullian; for he omits divers things which are in Eusebius. And there is a great resemblance in their expressions; both say the droughty was removed by the 'prayers of christian soldiers.' Tertullian calls Antoninus' a Vandali, Sarmatæ, Suevi, atque omnis tunc Germania, et in Quadorum usque fines progressus exercitus, circumventusque ab hostibus, propter aquarum penuriam, præsentius sitis quam hostis periculum sustineret; ad invocationem nominis Christi, quam subito magnâ fidei constantiâ quidam milites effusi in preces palam fecerunt, et tanta vis pluviæ effusa est, ut Romanos quidem largissime, ac sine injuriâ refecerit, barbaros autem crebris fulminum ictibus perterritos, præsertim cum plurimi eorum occiderentur, in fugam coegerit. Quorum terga Romani usque ad internecionem cædentes gloriosissimam victoriam et omnibus pene antiquorum titulis præferendam, rudi parvoque militum numero, sed potentissimo Christi auxilio, reportârunt. Exstare etiam nunc apud plerosque dicuntur literæ Imperatoris Antonini, ubi invocatione nominis Christi per milites christianos, et sitim depulsam, et collatam fatetur fuisse victoriam. Oros. 1. 7. cap. 15.

quibus illam Germanicam sitim christianorum forte militum precationibus — discussam-Tertull. Ubi invocatione nominis Christi, per milites christianos, et sitim depulsam, &c. Oros.

z Si literæ Marci Aurelii gravissimi Imperatoris requirantur. Tertull. tum præcipue epistolâ gravissimi ac modestissimi Imperatoris. Oros

'worthy emperor;' so does Orosius in the same or like words. And they both speak at the same time with a like assurance, and a like diffidence and uncertainty, about the emperor's letter, which neither of them had seen.

Obs. 8. Undoubtedly Marcus Antoninus sent a letter to the senate of Rome, giving an account of his deliverance, and of the victory which he had obtained over the Quadians, and others in Germany: which letter, as is reasonably supposed, was written in the Latin tongue; but we do not meet with any ancient authors who appear to have seen it.

b

a

However, there is extant a letter, both in Greek and Latin, which I shall now produce in an English version, without being very solicitous about exactness in my translation: it is to this purpose.

:

The emperor Cæsar, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, Germanicus, Parthicus, Sarmaticus, high-priestto the people of Rome, and to the sacred senate greeting. I gave you an account of the greatness of the enterprize which I had undertaken, and what great difficulties came upon me in Germany; how I was surrounded and besieged in the midst of it, and afflicted with heat and weariness: at which time I was overtaken at Carnutum by seventy-four regiments, who were not more than nine miles off from us. Now when the enemy was come near us, our spies gave us notice of it and Pompeianus, my general, informed me also of what I knew before. In our army we had only the first, the tenth, the double, and the Fretensian legions, to contend with an innumerable company of barbarians. When I had computed my own numbers with those of the enemy, I addressed our gods in prayer; but not being regarded by them, and considering the distress we were in, I called for those whom we call christians; and upon examination I found that they were a great multitude, at which I was much displeased, though I should not have been so; for afterwards I understood how powerful they are. For which reason they began, not by preparing their darts, or other weapons, or their trumpets, inasmuch as such things are disagreeable to them on account of God, whom they bear in their consciences: for it is reasonable to believe that they, whom we call atheists, have God within them for a bulwark. As soon therefore as they had cast themselves down upon

a

Latinæ scilicet, quarum meminit Tertullianus, cap. quinto Apolog. Non enim aliâ linguâ, quam Latinâ, ad Senatum scribebat. Scalig. in Euseb. p. 222. fin.

› Ad calcem Justini Mart. Ap. i. [al. ii.] Vid. et Fabr. Lex Evang. p. 228. et Fr. Balduin. Edict. Prin. Roman. de Christianis. p. 87.

the ground, they prayed, not for me only, but also for the whole army, for relief under our great thirst and hunger. For it was the fifth day that we had no water, because there was none in that place. For we were in the midst of Germany surrounded by their mountains. But as soon as they had cast themselves upon the ground, and prayed to a God, who was unknown to me, water came down from heaven immediately. Upon us it was very cool, but upon our enemies it was fierce hail. And immediately after their prayers we found God to be present with us, as one that is impregnable and invincible. Beginning here, therefore, let us permit these men to be christians, lest they should pray for the like weapons against us and obtain them. And I declare that no man who is a christian is to be called in question as such. And if any man accuse a christian, because he is a christian, I declare that the christian who is accused may appear openly; and that if he confesseth himself to be so, but showeth that he is accused of no other crime but that he is a christian, let his accuser be burnt alive. And as to him that confesseth himself to be a christian, and gives full evidence of the same, let not the governor of the province oblige him to renounce his religion, nor deprive him of his liberty. I will that this be confirmed by the decree of the senate. And I command that this my edict be set up in Trajan's forum, that it may be read by all. Vitrusius Pollio, præfect of the city, will take care that it be sent into the provinces; nor is any one, who desires to have it and make use of it, to be hindered from taking a copy of this our edict which is publicly set up by me. Farewell.'

Upon this letter Joseph Scaliger made such critical remarks as have quite disparaged it in the opinion of most learned men. Even they who are willing to assert the miraculous deliverance of the emperor's army, and that it was obtained by the prayers of christians, give up this letter as spurious. The Greek letter, as Scaliger says, was not composed before the sixth century. And it is generally thought

d

• Nam illa epistola, quæ nomine Marci Aurelii Antonini super hac re ad calcem Apologetici posterioris apud Justinum legitur, tantum abest ut ab ipso Imperatore Græce dictata, aut ex Latino ipsius in Græcum sermonem translata sit, ut infra seculum Justiniani Imp. ab imperitissimo Græculo confictam fuisse manifeste appareat, &c. Jos. Scaliger. in Euseb. p. 222, 223. Conf. Salmas. in notis ad Capitolin. Marc. Antonin. cap. 24.

d Habetur harum Marci literarum ad Senatum exemplar apud Justinum, ad calcem Apologiæ secundæ : sed ejus falsitatem et suppositionem, tum etiam novitatem, quod Justiniano recentius sit, tot argumentis approbaverunt viri eruditi, criticæ artis principes, Josephus Scaliger, et Salmasius, ut nihil contra opponi possit. Heut. Dem. Evang. Prop. 3. p. 40.

that the Latin edition of the same letter is taken from the Greek, and is not more authentic.

Without alleging here any abstruse critical observations, it must be obvious to all that an edict so favourable to the christians could not come from Marcus Antoninus, in whose reign, from the beginning to the end of it, the christians were persecuted in some of the provinces by the tumults of the people, and put to death by governors, without any control from this emperor. And there were some edicts, or orders of his particularly in Gaul and Asia, for putting them to death.

And if this letter had been set up in Trajan's forum at Rome in the time of Marcus Antoninus, and had been sent to all governors of provinces, with leave also for men to read it, and to take copies from those which were published by authority, copies of this letter would have been very common among christians; whereas we cannot now find that it was seen by any of them in the second, or third, or fourth, or even fifth century.

Obs. 9. Eusebius, in the passage above transcribed, says that the heathen historians of those times had mentioned this extraordinary event, but did not acknowledge it to be owing to the prayers of christians. We cannot say who are the heathen writers intended by him: but I shall now take notice of such as we have.

f

(1.) Dion Cassius flourished at the end of the second and the beginning of the third century, not finishing his history long before the year 230. Of Marcus Antoninus's wars in Germany he writes to this purpose: Marcus therefore, 'having met with many difficulties, subdued the Marcomans ' and Jazugæ ; afters which he had war with the Quadians, ' and obtained a wonderful victory over them, or rather had 'it given him by God; for, when the Romans were in great danger, the Divine Being delivered them in a wonderful • manner. The Quadians having surrounded them in a place • that was much to their advantage, the Romans fought very valiantly; at the same time the barbarians relaxed the combat, expecting to see them wasted by heat and drought. They therefore carefully secured every place around them,

e Non dissimulabimus tamen, a viris doctis esse productum exemplar Latinum hujus epistolæ, quasi e Bibliothecâ Vaticanâ, quod paullo melius conceptum videtur. Sed tamen, si propius inspiciatur, satis liquebit, e Græcâ epistolâ suppositâ translatum fuisse.. Cleric. H. E. ann. 174. num. xvii. f Dio. Cass. 1. 71. p. 805, 806. al. p. 1182, 1183.

g

και πολεμος αυτῷ συνεση μεγας και νικη παραδοξος εντυχηθη, μαλλον δε παρα Θες εδωρηθη. Κινδυνεύσαντας γαρ εν τη μαχῃ τες Ρωμαίες παραδοξότατα το Θείον εξέσωσε. p. 1182.

that they might come at no water: which was easily done by them, as they were much superior in number. The Romans were then in a great strait, wounded, and fatigued ' with labour, oppressed with the heat of the sun and with thirst and for that reason neither able to fight nor to escape. They only stood still in their ranks consumed with • heat. On a sudden there appeared a gathering of clouds, which was soon followed, not without divine appointment, 'with a plentiful shower of rain, for it is said that Aruu'phis, an Egyptian magician, who was present with Marcus, invoked the aerial Mercury, and other dæmons with magi'cal rites.'

Upon which Xiphilinus, a christian author of the eleventh century, who abridged Dion, says: So this affair is related by Dion. But he lies, as seems to me, either knowingly and wilfully, or through ignorance. But I rather think wilfully. And how should it be otherwise? For he was not unacquainted with the legion of soldiers, called the 'thunderbolt legion, which himself has mentioned in his 'catalogue of the other legions. Nor has it been ever said • that it obtained that denomination for any other reason than upon account of what happened in that war; when it was 'the cause of deliverance to the Romans, and of destruction to the barbarians, and not Arnuphis the magician. Nor is it any where related that Marcus was fond of magicians, or their tricks. The truth is, that Marcus had a legion, the 'soldiers of which were brought from Melitene, and were all christians. At that time the præfect of the prætorium, being in great perplexity, and apprehensive of the loss of the whole army, is said to have come to the emperor, telling him that there is nothing which christians are not able to perform by prayers, and that there was in the army a whole legion of that sort of men. When Marcus heard 'that, he desired them to pray to their God: when they 'prayed, God immediately heard them, and beat down their 'enemies with lightning, and refreshed the Romans with

rain. At which Marcus, being greatly astonished, favour'ed the christians with an edict, and ordered that the legion 'should be called the thundering legion. It is also said 'that there is an epistle of Marcus concerning these things. 'The Gentiles know very well, and bear witness, that there ' is a legion with that naine, but they do not mention the reason of it.'

h νεφη πολλα εξαιφνης συνέδραμε, και υετος πολύς ουκ αθεει κατεῤῥαγε. p. 1183. Λεγεται δε και επιτολήν τινα περί τε των ειναι τα Maρks. p. 1184

i