Averystrikingfeatureinrecordedhistoryhasbeentherecurrenceofgreatpestilences。Variousindicationsinancienttimesshowtheirfrequency，whilethefamousdescriptionoftheplagueofAthensgivenbyThucydides，andthediscussionofitbyLucretius，exemplifytheirseverity。IntheMiddleAgestheyragedfromtimetotimethroughoutEurope：suchplaguesastheBlackDeathandthesweatingsicknesssweptoffvastmultitudes，thebestauthoritiesestimatingthatoftheformer，atthemiddleofthefourteenthcentury，morethanhalfthepopulationofEnglanddied，andthattwenty-fivemillionsofpeopleperishedinvariouspartsofEurope。In1552sixty-seventhousandpatientsdiedoftheplagueatParisalone，andin1580morethantwentythousand。ThegreatplagueinEnglandandotherpartsofEuropeintheseventeenthcenturywasalsofearful，andthatwhichsweptthesouthofEuropeintheearlypartoftheeighteenthcentury，aswellastheinvasionsbythecholeraatvarioustimesduringthenineteenth，whilelessterriblethanthoseofformeryears，haveleftadeepimpressupontheimaginationsofmen。
Fromtheearliestrecordswefindsuchpestilencesattributedtothewrathormaliceofunseenpowers。ThishadbeentheprevailingvieweveninthemostculturedagesbeforetheestablishmentofChristianity：inGreeceandRomeespecially，plaguesofvarioussortswereattributedtothewrathofthegods；inJudea，thescripturalrecordsofvariousplaguessentupontheearthbytheDivinefiatasapunishmentforsinshowthecontinuanceofthismodeofthought。Amongmanyexamplesandintimationsofthisinoursacredliterature，wehavetheepidemicwhichcarriedofffourteenthousandsevenhundredofthechildrenofIsrael，andwhichwasonlystayedbytheprayersandofferingsofAaron，thehighpriest；thedestructionofseventythousandmeninthepestilencebywhichKingDavidwaspunishedforthenumberingofIsrael，andwhichwasonlystoppedwhenthewrathofJahvehwasavertedbyburnt-offerings；theplaguethreatenedbytheprophetZechariah，andthatdelineatedintheApocalypse。FromthesesourcesthiscurrentofideaswaspouredintotheearlyChristianChurch，andhenceithasbeenthatduringnearlytwentycenturiessincetheriseofChristianity，anddowntoaperiodwithinlivingmemory，attheappearanceofanypestilencetheChurchauthorities，insteadofdevisingsanitarymeasures，haveverygenerallypreachedthenecessityofimmediateatonementforoffencesagainsttheAlmighty。
ThisviewoftheearlyChurchwasenrichedgreatlybyanewdevelopmentoftheologicalthoughtregardingthepowersofSatanandevilangels，thedeclarationofSt。Paulthatthegodsofantiquityweredevilsbeingcitedasitssufficientwarrant。[329]
[329]ForplagueduringthePeloponnesianwar，seeThucydides，vol。ii，pp。47-55，andvol。iii，p。87。Forageneralstatementregardingthisandotherplaguesinancienttimes，seeLucretius，vol。vi，pp。1090etseq。；andforatranslation，seevol。i，p。
179，inMunro’seditionof1886。ForearlyviewsofsanitaryscienceinGreeceandRome，seeForster’sInquiry，inThePamphleteer，vol。xxiv，p。404。FortheGreekviewoftheinterferenceofthegodsindisease，especiallyinpestilence，seeGrote’sHistoryofGreece，vol。i，pp。251，485，andvol。vi，p。213；seealsoHerodotus，lib。iii，c。xxxviii，andelsewhere。