Stoicism - College of Stoic Philosophers

STOICISM ON THE THRONE. 227impute unworthy motives on such poor evidence asthis, or to ascribe to noble spirits the petty malignityof meaner natures. But the legal aspect of the questionhad been ruled by Trajan long ago when Plinyasked for guidance as a judge ;his answer put theChurch under the ban, and his successors acted onthe precedent so set, though like him they had nowish to encourage informers to hunt down theirvictims. The Imperial government looked withjealous eyes at all the corporate unions which mightprove the centres of conspiracy against the State;unless founded with its sanction they were treated assecret societies beyond the pale of law, and, strangeas it may seem to us, the Christian Church was oftenregarded with suspicion as a dangerous and antisocialmovement. Its dogmas roused no opposition,for they were little known to statesmen or to princes ;itshigh ideal was hidden from the wise and prudent,and revealed only unto babes ;but its little brotherhoodswere springing into life in every land, andspreading their influence men knew not how orwhere. Whatever the secret of its force, the potentleaven was working from below, while the network ofits hierarchy seemed to envelope every class. Theyprofessed, indeed, obedience to the ruling powers, buttheir loyalty was not beyond suspicion. They had nolove for the soldier's life, and shrunk from all officialpledges and all the observances of public life onwhich the stamp of the state idolatry was set ; theywere heard to speak of a higher rule than that ofCaesar, and of the blasphemy of the divine honoursQ 2