CHAPTER FIVE.
THE YOUNG CAPTIVE.
Jovinian was treated with much consideration by his uncle Gaius. Heenjoyed the privilege of a room to himself, in which he could readwithout interruption, and to which his meals were generally carried.When, however, he went to the door, he found the Numidian, or anotherslave who acted as his assistant, stretched on a mat at the entrance, orseated on a stool close at hand. He had thus evidence that he wastreated as a captive, and suspected of being desirous of making hisescape. He was abundantly supplied with books,--Horace, Virgil, andOvid for lighter reading, and translations of the works of Plato and hisdisciples for his more serious studies. But beautiful as was thelanguage, he turned from them with disgust, so full of sophistries didthey appear. There was one book which he took up with greatersatisfaction than all the others. He had obtained it when out walkingone day with Eros, and the Numidian's watchful eye was for a shortperiod averted from him. While gazing at a spectacle exhibited in oneof the temples, Jovinian had recognised his friend the presbyterAmulius, who was coming quickly towards him. Before Eros had lookedround, Amulius had slipped into his hand a roll of parchment; heimmediately concealed it in his bosom. He was on the point ofwhispering, "Oh, take me with you!" and stretching out his hand to hisrelative, when Eros turned round. The Numidian seemed to have suspectedhis design, for he immediately grasped him by the arm, and took care forthe remainder of the walk not to withdraw his eye from him.
On reaching home, Jovinian eagerly examined the roll. He discovered, tohis delight, that it was the Gospel written by the apostle John. Theroll contained another small piece of vellum, on which were written somelines from Amulius, urging him to practise the gift of patience, and toremain firm to the principles delivered to him by his beloved mother.Henceforth the book was his constant study, and from its page he drewconsolation and instruction. One morning Eros, entering his chamber,inquired whether he was disposed to go out and enjoy the air. Hethankfully agreed to the proposal, and having concealed his preciousvolume beneath his dress, he accompanied the Numidian. It was a day onwhich one of the numerous festivals held in honour of the gods was beingcelebrated in the city. The streets were thronged by persons of allranks and ages, the shrines as usual lighted up and decorated withflowers, the lower order of priests were going about collectingcontributions for their temples, and holding up the small images oftheir gods. They were passing the temple of Bellona, the Isis of theEgyptians, when Eros, grasping Jovinian's arm, pulled him in.
"Here is a scene worth witnessing," he observed; "see how devoted arethe worshippers of the great goddess."
Unlike most of the other temples, it was enclosed by walls to excludethe light of day. Following the windings of a narrow passage, theNumidian and the reluctant youth found themselves in a gallery withinthe temple, which appeared shrouded in gloom, except at the further end,where, above the altar, was seen, surrounded by pale lights, the statueof the goddess standing on a crescent moon, holding a globe in her hand;while before her were several closely-shorn, bare-footed priests,habited in linen garments, now bending low before her, now lifting uptheir hands in the attitude of prayer, while the whole area was filledwith a multitude of persons in rapid motion, from whom issued cries andgroans, above which could be distinguished the sound of the whipsechoing through the edifice.
For some minutes, Jovinian's eye, unaccustomed to the darkness, couldnot see what was taking place; but at length he perceived that all thepersons below him were armed with whips, with which they wereunmercifully flagellating, not each other, but their own bodies strippednaked to the waist. Some, from their dark skins, were apparentlyEgyptians, but many among them were evidently Romans. Now some of thepriests, throwing off their robes, and seizing whips, which lay besidethe altar, joined the mad throng, shouting and encouraging them toperseverance in the extraordinary performance. While this scene wasenacting, several other persons appeared, issuing from doors on eitherside of the altar. Among them, Jovinian, to his surprise, distinguishedhis uncle Gaius, with Coecus and other pontiffs, who stood by, while aflamen, with his back to the people, lifted up his hands above his head,as if offering sacrifice to the goddess.
"What can induce those people thus to torment themselves?" askedJovinian. "It appears to me as if they had all gone mad together!"
"Know you not that we stand in the temple of the Queen of Heaven, themost ancient goddess known to mortals?" exclaimed the Numidian. "These,her votaries, are thus inflicting pain on their bodies to purifythemselves from sin, and be able to approach her shrine and merit herapproval and affection."
"Can it be possible that people are so ignorant as to suppose that anybeing of a divine nature can take pleasure in mortal suffering?" askedJovinian. "How different must she be to the true God, so full of mercyand loving-kindness, who delights in showering blessings on Hisworshippers! Let us go hence; I can no longer stay to witness suchegregious folly and wickedness."
Still the Numidian seemed inclined to linger; but Jovinian, breakingfrom him, made his way towards the passage by which they had entered,and Eros was compelled to follow for fear of losing sight of his charge.Jovinian breathed more freely when he got into the open air. He wastoo much lost in thought to make any further remark to his companion.As they proceeded on their walk they passed numerous shrines, beforeeach of which Eros stopped, and lifting up his hands, invoked the idol,seeming to care very little which of the gods or goddesses itrepresented.
"Can those marble figures render you any service, think you?" askedJovinian, as they walked on.
"I know not; but my betters say so, and it is as well to be on the safeside," answered the Numidian, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"But suppose they represent demons instead of divine beings, if youinvoke them they are more likely to do you harm than good; and knowing,as I do, that there is but one true, all-powerful God, I am sure that Hedoes not allow any inferior creatures to interfere between Him and man,"replied Jovinian. "We, who are His children through faith in His Son,can go direct to Him in prayer, requiring no other intercessor but ourLord and Master, nor any symbol to aid us in worshipping Him."
"Yours seems a very simple faith; and if I thought that the one greatand all-powerful God of whom you speak would hear my prayers and grantthem, I would cease to worship all the gods and goddesses, whose verynames I have a difficulty in remembering, and would trust only to Him,"answered Eros.
"You would act most wisely and happily for yourself," said Jovinian."Come with me into yonder building; I see several persons entering who,by their dress and demeanour, I know to be Christians."
Eros made no objection. The edifice was enclosed by a wall, which shutout those within from public gaze. Passing through a door, they entereda spacious hall capable of containing several hundred persons. Nostatues nor pictures were to be seen; at the further end was a raiseddesk, at which stood a lector or reader, while a higher desk at the samepart of the building, formed like a rostrum, served for the preacher whowas to address the congregation. In the centre stood a long table, withseats round it, while the remainder of the area was filled with benchesin rows, so arranged that their occupants could look towards the lectorand preacher. The building was filling fast; in a few minutes all theseats were occupied. Shortly afterwards an aged man, habited in a toga,entering, took his seat on a chair close to the rostrum; then, standingup, after a minute of silent prayer, he gave out a hymn, in which thewhole of the congregation joined. Portions of the Gospel and Epistleswere read; a prayer was then offered up, in which all the congregationjoined. After another hymn, the presbyter ascended the rostrum, anddelivered an address. It explained simply the principles of theChristian faith, and the plan of salvation offered by God to sinful man.Eros listened attentively, and drank in every word. He sighed when itterminated. Another hymn having been sung, the congregation began toseparate.
"Would that I could hear more of it!" the slave observed to Jovinian;"after this I can never again pra
y to the stocks and stones which I havehitherto called my gods."
"You can come as often as you like; and there are several other placesin Rome where assemblies of the faithful are wont to be held, thanks tothe liberality of the emperor, who allows the Christians to meeteverywhere as they desire," said Jovinian. "But I would urge you tospeak forthwith to the presbyter who delivered the discourse, or to thevenerable overseer who presided; or, if you would prefer it, I wouldtake you to the house of my relative Amulius. He is always ready togive instruction; and there are some, I fear, holding false doctrines,who would mislead you as to the principles of our holy faith."
"What, do you Christians differ from each other in your belief?" askedthe Numidian, in a tone of surprise.
"Alas! I am told that there are many who call themselves Christians,holding opinions contrary to those taught by the Holy Scriptures," saidJovinian; "but they differ greatly one from the other. Such was thecase even in the time of the apostles, and we cannot expect it to beotherwise at present, when men in their pride of reason refuse to submitthemselves to the plain teaching of Christ."
"You appear to have thought much on these subjects, for one so young,"observed the Numidian.
"I have been well instructed by those who know the truth, and have eversought guidance from God's Holy Spirit," answered Jovinian.
Eros was silent; he was pondering deeply on what he had heard.
Jovinian, on his return to the college, retired to his room. Gaius wasstill absent; he was too much engaged when he returned, fortunately forJovinian, to question him as to where he had been during his walk. Thepontiff was acute enough to discover that he was not likely to win hisnephew over to a belief in idolatry; but he hoped, by giving him thewritings of the Greek philosophers, and of their numerous disciples andimitators of the present time, so to draw his mind away from the truththat he might be willing to enter into his schemes, and to become inreality a sceptic in all religious matters, as he was himself, with oneexception: if, indeed, he had any belief, it was in the great goddess ofBabylon--Astarte or Ashtaroth, the Queen of Heaven--whose worship,having spread through Asia into Egypt, had, with that of her son Horos,long been established in Italy under different names. In Egypt she wasknown as Isis, in Rome as Bellona. He, as was the case with the otherpontiffs, had long been initiated into her mysteries, and he trustedthat in time his nephew would be qualified to become one of hervotaries. Her worship had, indeed, ever been the most popular, andprovided that could be maintained, he felt sure that it wouldsuccessfully oppose the two principles of the Christian faith, which heunderstood to consist in the belief of one God and one mediator betweenGod and man. He was not aware of the power of simple faith when he thusentertained hopes of winning over his nephew, or that Jovinian wentdaily to the fountain-head to seek for that strength he so much neededin order to resist the temptations presented to him. Jovinian soondiscovered the tendency of the works his uncle gave him, and as he readhe sought for grace to refute their sophistries; nor did he seek invain. He found, however, that it was wise not to enter into discussionswith Gaius, who fully believed that ere long his nephew's faith would becompletely overcome. The pontiff now began to open his views toJovinian, and to excite his ambition with the prospect, should he followhis advice, of becoming great and powerful, and ruling hisfellow-creatures through their superstition, he frequently invited himout, taking the precaution to have a slave following close at hand tostop him should he attempt to escape, though he believed that there wasnow little probability of his doing so. At length, so complete was theconfidence he placed in him, that he allowed him to be present at thecouncils of the pontiffs, where, seated, his book in hand, at thefurther end of the hall, his presence was not observed. Jovinian, verynaturally, did not object to this, nor could he fail to be interested inthe discussions he frequently overheard.