hows what ingenuity these religious men had at their
command, and what trouble they would take to avoid having to face a fact
and reform a bad system.

There follows a long and rather difficult argument to show that the
world is, in itself, eternal. The former discussion on this point had
only shown that the gods would not destroy it. This shows that its own
nature is indestructible. The arguments are very inconclusive, though
clever, and one wonders why the author is at so much pains. Indeed, he
is so earnest that at the end of the chapter he finds it necessary to
apologize to the Kosmos in case his language should have been
indiscreet. The reason, I think, is that the Christians were still, as
in apostolic times, pinning their faith to the approaching end of the
world by fire.[190:1] They announced the end of the world as near, and
they rejoiced in the prospect of its destruction. History has shown more
than once what terrible results can be produced by such beliefs as these
in the minds of excitable and suffering populations, especially those of
eastern blood. It was widely believed that Christian fanatics had from
time to time actually tried to light fires which should consume the
accursed world and thus hasten the coming of the kingdom which should
bring such incalculable rewards to their own organization and plunge the
rest of mankind in everlasting torment. To any respectable Pagan such
action was an insane crime made worse by a diabolical motive. The
destruction of the world, therefore, seems to have become a subject of
profound irritation, if not actually of terror. At any rate the doctrine
lay at the very heart of the _perniciosa superstitio_, and Sallustius
uses his best dialectic against it.

The title of Chapter XVIII has a somewhat pathetic ring: 'Why are
_Atheiai_'--Atheisms or rejections of God--'permitted, and that God is
not injured thereby?' +Theos ou blaptetai.+ 'If over certain parts of
the world there have occurred (and will occur more hereafter) rejections
of the gods, a wise man need not be disturbed at that.' We have always
known that the human soul was prone to error. God's providence is there;
but we cannot expect all men at all times and places to enjoy it
equally. In the human body it is only the eye that sees the light, the
rest of the body is ignorant of the light. So are many parts of the
earth ignorant of God.

Very likely, also, this rejection of God is a punishment. Persons who in
a