which he seems to have been bewildered, and at times led astray. He was, however, sincerely attached to the religion of the Gospel; he loved the truth, and though, after he became converted, he persevered in the profession of philosophy and letters, in which perhaps he gloried too much, he nevertheless advocated the principles of Christianity when assailed; by these he lived, and by these he serenely died.

Towards the close of the reign of this emperor, A. D. 177, the flame of persecution reached a country, which had, hitherto, furnished no materials for ecclesiastical history, viz. the kingdom of France, at that time called Gallia. The principal seat of the persecution appears to have been Vienne and Lyons, two cities lying contiguous to each other in that province. Vienne was an ancient Roman colony; Lyons was more modern. Each had its presbyter. Pothinius stood related to the former; Irenæus to the latter.

By whom, or by what means the light of the Gospel was first conveyed to this country, is uncertain; for the first intelligence that we have of the existence of a Church in this province, is connected with the dreadful persecution, which came upon these two cities. The conjecture of Milner, however, appears reasonable. "Whoever," says this historian, "casts his eye upon the map, and sees the situation of Lyons, at present the largest and most populous city in the kingdom, except Paris, may observe. how favorable the confluence of the Rhine and the Soane, where it stands, is for the purpose of commerce. The navigation of the Mediterranean, in all probability, was conducted by the merchants of Lyons and Smyrna, and hence the easy introduction of the Gospel from the latter place, and from other Asiatic Churches, is apparent."

Of the above persecution, an account was sent by Irenæus, who seems to have out. lived the violent storm, in an epistle to the brethren in Asia and Phrygia, from which our information is derived.

The persecution commenced by the furious attack of the populace. Christians did not dare to appear in any public places, such as the markets, the baths, nor scarcely in the streets, much less could they assemble for worship, without the greatest danger. They were not safe in their own houses. They were plundered, dragged on the ground, stoned, beaten, and accused to the magistrates of the most abominable crimes. All the tender ties of relationship were dissolved; the father delivered up the son to death, and the son the father.

In order to make them recant, and abandon their profession, the most cruel tortures were inflicted. The inhuman ruler commanded them to be scourged with whips, to be scorched by applying heated brazen plates to the most tender parts of the body. To prepare them for a renewal of such barbarous treatment, they were remanded to prison, and again brought forth, some to a repetition of similar cruelties; others to die under the hands of their persecutors. Various were the ways in which the martyrs were put to death; some were thrown to the beasts, others roasted in an iron chair, and many were beheaded.

On the last day of exposing the Christians to wild beasts, Blandina, a female, who had before been exposed, but whom the wild beasts would not touch, was again

produced. With her was associated a magnanimous youth, by the name of Ponticus, only fifteen years of age. This youth, being required to acknowledge the heathen deities, and refusing to do so, the multitude had no compassion for either of them, but subjected them to the whole round of tortures, till Ponticus expired, and Blandina, having been scourged, and placed in the hot iron chair, was put into a net, and exposed to a bull; and after being tossed for some time by the furious animal, she was at length dispatched with a sword. The spectators acknowledged, that they had never known any female bear the torture with such fortitude.

10. Marcus Aurelius was succeeded by his son Commodus, A. D. 180; during whose reign of nearly thirteen years, the Church throughout the world enjoyed a large portion of external peace, and greatly increased in numbers.

Commodus himself was one of the most unworthy of mortals, and attained, as Gibbon observes, "the summit of vice and infamy." Historians attribute the toleration which he granted to Christians, to the influence which Marcia, a woman of low rank, but his favorite concubine, had obtained over him. On some account, not now understood, she had a predilection for the Christian religion, and successfully employed her interest with Commodus in its favor. Incompatible as her character appears to have been with any experimental acquaintance with piety, God made use of her as a means of stemming the torrent of persecution. The Gospel flourished abundantly, and many of the nobility of Rome, with their families, embraced it.

11. In the year 192, Commodus being put to death by his domestics, Pertinax, formerly a senator, and of consular rank, was elected to fill his place. Although an amiable prince, he reigned but eighty-six days; being slain, during a rebellion of the army, by the prætorian guards.

12. On the death of Pertinax, the sovereign power devolved on Septimus Severus, A. D. 193; who, during the first years of his reign, permitted the Christians to enjoy the peace which had been granted by Commodus and Pertinax; but in the tenth year of his reign, A. D. 202, he commenced the fifth persecution, which, for eight years, spread a deep gloom over the Church.

Severus, before his elevation to the throne, had been governor of the province of France, and had largely participated in the persecutions of the Church of Lyons and Vienne. A little previously to exhibiting his hostility to the Christians in the fifth persecution, he had returned victorious from a war in the east, and the pride of prosperity induced him to forbid the propagation of the Gospel.

In the African provinces, the persecution was carried on with great fury. This whole region abounded with Christians, though of the manner in which the Gospel was introduced, and of the proceedings of the first teachers, we have no account.

The persecutions in Africa generally, and in Carthage particularly, led Tertullian, the distinguished pastor of the latter place, to write his grand apology for Christianity; in which he gives a pleasing view of the spirit and behavior of Christians in his day, and of their adherence to the faith, order, and discipline, of still more primitive times. The persecution under Severus was not confined to Africa, but extended into Asia, and the province of Gaul. Lyons again became the seat of the most dreadful ravages. Irenæus, the pastor of the Church in that city, had survived the former sanguinary conflict; but in this he obtained the crown of martrydom.

At this trying season, some of the Churches purchased a casual and uncertain peace, by paying money to the magistrates and their informers. The morality of such a measure may perhaps be questioned by the nice casuist; but their property was their own, and of little importance, in comparison with only a partial enjoyment of the privileges of the Gospel.

13. After a reign of eighteen years, Severus died, and was succeeded by Caracalla, A. D. 211; who, though in other respects a monster of

wickedness, neither oppressed the Christians himself, nor permitted others to treat them with cruelty or injustice.

14. Caracalla enjoyed the imperial dignity but six years, being assassinated by Macrinus, who was elected by the army to succeed him, A. D. 217. The latter, however, enjoyed his elevation but fourteen months, being supplanted by Heliogabulus, A. D. 218, who caused him to be put to death.

15. Heliogabulus, although distinguished for his profligacy, had the merit of exhibiting no hostility to the disciples of Christ; having, probably, been too much occupied with his pleasures to notice them. After a reign of only three years and nine months, he was slain, and was succeeded, A. D. 222, by his cousin, Alexander Severus, a prince of a mild and beneficent character; during whose reign of about thirteen years, the Church enjoyed a tolerable share of tranquillity.

The mother of Alexander appears to have been favorably disposed towards the Christians; and to her influence is attributed, in a measure, the toleration which they enjoyed under her son. An instance of this emperor's conduct towards the Christians, is highly worthy of notice. A piece of common land had been occupied by the Christians, and on it they erected a Church. This ground was claimed by a certain tavern-keeper, and the disputed point was brought before the emperor. "It is better," said Alexander, "that God should be served there, in any manner whatever, rather than that a tavern should be made of it." He selected from the sacred writings some of the most sententious sayings, and caused them to be transcribed, for the admonition of his magistrates, and for the use of his people. "Do as you would be done by," was often upon his lips, and he obliged the crier to repeat it, when any person was punished. He caused it to be written on the walls of his palace, and on the public buildings.

16. In the year 235, the virtuous Alexander and his amiable mother were put to death, during a conspiracy raised by Maximin, the son of a herdsman of Thrace; who, by means of the army, was made emperor. The sixth persecution occurred during his reign; which, however, fortunately for the Church, was limited to three years.

Cruelty towards his subjects, especially towards those distinguished by birth or rank, seems to have been the ruling passion of this tyrant, engendered, as is supposed, by a consciousness of his mean and barbarous origin, his savage appearance, and his total ignorance of the arts and institutions of civil life.

The malice of Maximin against the house of the late emperor, by whom the Christians had been so peculiarly favored, stimulated him to persecute them bitterly; and he gave orders to put to death the pastors of the Churches, whom he knew Alexander had treated as his intimate friends. The persecution, however, was not confined to them; the flame extended even to Cappadocia and Pontus.

17. From the death of Maximin, A. D. 238, to the reign of Decius, A. D. 249, the Church enjoyed considerable repose; and the Gospel made extensive progress. During this interval, reigned Pupienus, Balbinus, Gordian, and Philip, the last of whom was the first Roman emperor who professed Christianity. Next to Philip came Decius, A. D. 249, whose reign is distinguished for the seventh persecution, which raged with great violence throughout the empire, for the space of thirty months, when he was succeeded by Gallus.

18. In consequence of the rest which the Church had now experienced, for the space of nearly forty years, excepting the short reign of Maxiin-i. e. from the death of Septimus Severus, 211, to the commence

ment of the reign of Decius, 249, the discipline of the Church had become exceedingly low; and the primitive zeal of Christians was much abated.

Milner, speaking of the state of the Church at this time, says, "it deserves to be remarked, that the first grand and general declension, after the primary effusion of the Divine Spirit, should be fixed about the middle of this century." The beauty of the Church had, indeed, become sadly marred. Ambition, pride, and luxury, the usual concomitants of a season of worldly ease and prosperity, had greatly sullied the simplicity and purity of former days. The pastors neglected their charges for worldly preferment, and even embarked in schemes of mercantile speculation.

19. Such being the state of the Church, it cannot be surprising that her Great Head should apply a remedy adapted to her lapsed condition, and by a sanguinary persecution, (such as was that of Decius,) bring professors back to their former zeal and piety.

20. From the above account, it might be inferred, as was the melancholy fact, that the persecution under Decius was distinguished, beyond all that preceded it, for the number of apostasies from the faith of the Gospel.

Until this time, few instances are on record of the defection of any from their integrity, even in the severest persecutions, by which the Church had been afflicted; but now vast numbers, in many parts of the empire, lapsed into idolatry. At Rome, even before any were accused as Christians, many ran to the forum, and sacrificed to the gods, as they were ordered; and the crowds of apostates were so great, that the magistrates wished to delay numbers of them till the next day; but they were importuned by the wretched suppliants to be allowed to prove themselves heathen that very night; thereby exhibiting the weakness of their faith, and the insincerity of their profession.

21. Notwithstanding the numberless melancholy apostasies which are recorded of these times, and which were deeply wounding to the cause of Christianity; there were those, who rendered themselves illustrious, by their steady adherence to the faith, even amid the pains of martyrdom.

Such an example is presented in Pionius, a presbyter of the Church in Smyrna, whose bishop, Eudemon, had apostatized, with numbers of his flock. Pionius being apprehended, was brought, with other sufferers, into the market-place, before the multitude, in order to undergo the torture. The zealous presbyter, with a loud voice, courageously defended his principles, and upbraided the apostatizing with a breach of theirs. Such was the force of his eloquence, that the magistrates began to fear its effect upon the multitude, and the excellent Pionius was hurried to prison.

A few days after, the captain of the horse came to the prison, and ordered him to the idol temple, there to deny his faith; which Pionius refusing to do, the captain put a cord about his neck, and dragged him along the streets to the scene of idolatry. Before the altar stood the unhappy Eudemon, bearing the emblems of his apostasy and disgrace. To have seen his bishop bleeding on the rack, or burning in the fire, though a sight painful to a feeling mind, yet all would have been in character; but to see him thus offering insult to his divine Master, and wounding his cause to save himself from a temporal affliction, was a sight more affecting to such a man as Pionius, than if he had seen all the beasts of the theatre ready to fall upon himself. In a few days, Pionius was brought before Quintilian, the proconsul. Tortures and entreaties were again tried, but tried in vain. Enraged at such obstinacy, the proconsul ordered that Pionius should be burnt alive. Exulting in the sentence, he cheerfully prepared for the concluding scene, thankful that his Savior had preserved him from turning aside, and had counted him worthy to suffer for his name. His executioner having prepared the materials for the martyrdom, Pionius stretched

Change your mind, "I have felt them,"

"O Lord, I hasten."

himself upon the stake, to which he was nailed by the soldier. (said the executioner) and the nails shall be taken out again." said the martyr; and then, after a few moments' thought, added, The stake was then raised up, with the martyr fixed to it, and placed in the socket prepared for it, and the fire was lighted. For some time Pionius remained motionless, his eyes shut, and his spirit evidently in holy converse with God. At length, opening his eyes, with a cheerful countenance, he said, "Amen-Lord, receive my soul."

22. During this persecution was laid the foundation of monkery, by one Paul, in Egypt; who, to avoid the persecution, retired to the deserts of Thebais; where, acquiring a love for solitude, he continued from the age of twenty-three the remainder of his life, which was protracted to the unusual length of one hundred and thirteen years. From this example of seclusion sprang, in the course of a few years, swarms of monks and hermits, a tribe of men not only useless but burdensome, offensive, and disgraceful to Christianity.

At the age of fifteen, Paul was left an orphan, but entitled to a great estate. His education was respectable, his temper mild, and in profession decidedly a Christian. He had a sister, with whom he lived, whose husband had formed a design to apprehend him, in order to obtain his estate. Apprised of this, Paul retired, as above stated, and when the fury of the times had abated, having no disposition to return to the world, passed the remainder of his days in solitude. No one can blame him for fleeing the storm of persecution, but when that had spent itself, he should have returned to the discharge of the duties of life among mankind.

23. Among those who were at this time pre-eminent in the Church, and of distinguished service in preserving it from ruin, was Cyprian, bishop of Carthage. During the persecution he was obliged to flee, for which some have censured him; but, during his retreat, he was laboriously engaged in writing consolatory and encouraging epistles to the afflicted Churches; by which many professors were greatly comforted, and many doubtless preserved from apostatizing.

Cyprian was by birth a man of family. His fortune was considerable, and his prospects in the world promising. He was bred to the bar, received a liberal education, and was distinguished as an orator. His conversion took place in the year 246, upon which, in the most decided manner, he devoted himself and his substance to the cause of Christ.

In the year 248, just before the commencement of the bloody reign of Decius, he was elected bishop of Carthage. His first efforts in his new office were to restore the too long neglected discipline of the Church.

Scarcely, however, had Cyprian entered upon these important services, before the flames of persecution burst forth, spreading terror and dismay on every side. Carthage soon became the scene of great distress, and prudence required the virtuous Cyprian to retire. Accordingly, at the urgent solicitation of his friends, he repaired to a retreat which, through their kindness, had been provided, and here he continued for the space of two years.

The Church at Carthage suffered the most grievous calamities, during his absence. Many were murdered, and many apostatized. From his retreat, however, Cyprian continued to send abroad epistles replete with prudent counsels and holy admonitions -warning the timid against apostasy, and encouraging the apprehended to meet the sufferings of imprisonment, torture, and death, with Christian equanimity and fortitude.

24. During the absence of Cyprian, an unhappy schism took place, both in the Churches of Carthage and Rome, called "the Novatian schism," caused by different views entertained about the propriety of readmitting to communion such as had relapsed during the persecution.