one of the seventy. He was, in some de- { Jews, at length obtained martyrdom, being gree, related to the Redeemer; and he be- murdered by the pagans in Judea. came a candidate, together with Matthias, to fill the office of Judas Iscariot. The ecclesiastical writings make very little other mention of him; but Papias informs us, that he was once compelled to drink poison, which did not do him the least injury, agreeably to the promise of the Lord, to those who believe in him. He was, during his life, a zealous preacher of the gospel; and having received many insults from the

ANANIAS, bishop of Damascus, is celebrated in the sacred writings for being the person who cured Paul of the blindness with which he was struck by the amazing brightness which happened at his conversion. He was one of the seventy, and was martyred in the city of Damascus. After his death, a Christian church was built over the place of his burial, which is now converted into a Turkish mosque.

THE SECOND PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER DOMITIAN.

T

HE emperor Domitian was naturally of a cruel disposition he first slew his brother, and then raised the second persecution against the Christians. His rage was such, that he even put to death some of the Roman senators; some through malice, and others to confiscate their estates; and he then commanded all the lineage of David to be extirpated. Two Christians were brought before him, accused of being of the tribe of Judah, and line of David; but from their answers, he despised them as idiots, and dismissed them accordingly. He, however, was determined to be more secure upon other occasions; for he took away the property of many Christians, put several to death, and banished others.

During this reign, there were a variety of tales composed, in order to injure the Christians. Among other falsehoods, they were accused of indecent nightly meetings; of a rebellious, turbulent spirit; of being inimical to the Roman empire; of murdering their children, and even of being } cannibals; and at this time, such was the infatuation of the pagans, that if famine, pestilence, or earthquakes, afflicted any of the Roman provinces, these calamities were said to be manifestations of the Divine wrath occasioned by their impieties. These persecutions increased the number of informers; and many, for the sake of gain, swore away the lives of the innocent. When any Christians were brought before the magistrates, a test oath was proposed, when, if they refused it, death was pronounced against them; and if they conAmong the numerous martyrs that suf- fessed themselves Christians, the sentence fered during this persecution, was Simeon, was the same. The various kinds of punbishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified; ishments and inflicted cruelties, were, imand John, who was boiled in oil, and after-prisonment, racking, searing, broiling, burnward banished to Patmos. Flavia, the ing, scourging, stoning, hanging, and wordaughter of a Roman senator, was likewiserying. Many were torn piecemeal with banished to Pontus; and a law was made, that "no Christian, once brought before their tribunal, should be exempted from punishment without renouncing his religion."

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red-hot pincers, and others were thrown upon the horns of wild bulls. After having suffered these cruelties, the friends of the deceased were refused the privilege of burying their remains.

The following were the most remarka- tyred at Milan; but the particular circumble among the numerous martyrs who suf- stances of their deaths are not recorded. fered during this persecution :TIMOTHY, the celebrated disciple of St.

DIONYSIUS, the Areopagite, was an Athe-Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, was born at nian by birth, and educated in all the use-Lystra, in the province of Lycaonia, his ful and ornamental literature of Greece. father being a Gentile, and his mother a He then travelled to Egypt to study as- Jewess. But both his parents and his tronomy, and made very particular obser- grandmother embraced Christianity, by vations on the great and supernatural which means young Timothy was taught eclipse which happened at the time of our the precepts of the gospel from his infancy. Savior's crucifixion. St. Paul coming to Lycaonia, ordained

On his return to Athens he was highly Timothy, and then made him the companhonored by the people, and at length pro-ion of his pious labors. It appears, that moted to the dignity of senator of that cel-while he attended the apostle, his zeal ebrated city. Becoming a convert to the gospel, he changed from the worthy pagan magistrate to the pious Christian pastor; for even while involved in the darkness of

idolatry, he was as just as the gross errors
of paganism would pernit.

His words were bonds, his oaths were oracles;
His love sincere; his thoughts benevolent;
His tears pure messengers sent from his heart;
His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth.

It is easy to be imagined, that a soul which could appear with some lustre while loaded with original sin, and tainted with superstition, must, when illuminated with the light of the gospel, shine with the most splendid brilliancy.

could be only equalled by his fidelity; for St. Paul mentions him with peculiar respect, and declares that he could find none so truly united to him, both in heart and mind, as Timothy. Indeed the apostle, upon various occasions, speaks of him in the most affectionate terms, which is a sufficient proof of his great merit, and evinces that he was a disinterested and diligent servant of Christ.

Timothy attended St. Paul to Macedonia, and there, with the apostle and Silas, he labored with assiduity in the propagation of the gospel. When St. Paul went to Achaia, Timothy was left behind to strengthen the faith of those already converted, or to induce others to quit the darkness of ignorance for the light of gospel knowledge.

The sanctity of his conversation, and purity of his manners, recommended him so strongly to the Christians in general, that he was appointed bishop of Athens. He At length St. Paul sent for Timothy to ischarged his duty with the utmost dili-Athens, and then despatched him to Thes nce till the second year of this persecu-salonica, to strengthen the suffering Chris on, viz. A. D. 96, when he was appre- tians there against the terrors of the perse ended, and received the crown of mar- cution which then raged. tyrdom, by being beheaded.

When Timothy arrived at the place of NICOMEDES, a Christian of some dis- his destination, he did all that a zealous tinction at Rome, during the rage of Domni-Christian could for the service of his tian's persecution, did all he could to serve the afflicted, comforting the poor, visiting those confined, exhorting the wavering, and confirming the faithful. For those and other pious actions he was seized as a Christian, and being sentenced, was scourged to death.

Redeemer. Having performed his mission, he returned to Athens, and there assisted St. Paul and Silas in composing the two epistles to the Thessalonians. He then accompanied St. Paul to Corinth, Jerusalem, and Ephesus.

After performing several other conimis PROTASIUS and GERVASIUS were mar-sions for St. Paul, and attending him upor

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various other journeys, the apostle consti- tyrdom, he returned to Ephesus, where he tuted him bishop of Ephesus, though he zealously governed the church till 4. was only thirty years of age; and in two 97. At this period the pagans were about admirable epistles gave him proper instruc- to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, the tions for his conduct in so important a principal ceremonies of which were, that charge. the people should carry battoons in their hands, go masked, and bear about the streets the images of their gods.

Timothy was so very temperate in his living, that St. Paul blames him for being too abstemious, and recommends to him the moderate use of wine to recruit his strength and spirits.

St. Paul sent to Timothy while he was in his last confinement at Rome, to come to him; and after that great apostle's mar

Timothy, meeting the procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him in so dreadful a manner, that he expired of the bruises two days after.

THE THIRD PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS.

ERVA succeeding Do- of which, all that could be found of that mitian, gave a respite race were put to death.

to the Christians; but SYMPHOROSA, a widow, and her seven reigning only thirteen {sons, were commanded by the emperor to months, his successor sacrifice to the heathen deities. UnaniTrajan, in the 10th mously refusing to comply with such an year of his reign, and in A. D. 108, began impious request, the emperor, in a rage, the third persecution against the Christians. told her, that for her obstinacy, herself While the persecution raged, Plinius Se- and her sons should be slain, to appease cundus, a heathen philosopher, wrote to the wrath of his offended deities; to which the emperor in favor of the Christians, to she answered, that if he murdered her and whose epistle Trajan returned this indeci- her children, the idols he adored would sive answer, "The Christians ought not only be held in the greater detestation. to be sought after, but when brought before the magistracy, they should be punished."

The emperor, being greatly exasperated at this, ordered her to be carried to the This absurd reply made Tertullian ex- temple of Hercules, where she was scourgclaim, in the following words," O, con- ed, and hung up, for some time, by the hair fused sentence; he would not have them of her head; then being taken down, a sought for as innocent, and yet would have large stone was fastened to her neck, and them punished as guilty." The emperor's she was thrown into the river, where she incoherent answer, however, occasioned expired. With respect to the sons, they the persecution in some measure to abate, were fastened to seven posts, and being as his officers were uncertain, if they car- drawn up by pulleys, their limbs were disried it on with severity, how he might located. These tortures, not affecting their choose to wrest his own meaning. Trajan, resolution, they were thus martyred: CREShowever, soon after wrote to Jerusalem, CENTIUS, the eldest, was stabbed in the and gave orders to his officers to extermi-throat; JULIAN, the second, in the breast; nate the stock of David; in consequences NEMESIUS, the third, in the heart; PRIMI

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"Great is the God of the Christians;" for } Adrian dying in the year A. D. 138, was which he was apprehended, and suffered succeeded by Antoninus Pius, one of the a similar fate. most amiable monarchs that ever reigned;

Many other similar cruelties and rigors for his people gave him a title which he were exercised against the Christians, till justly deserved, viz: "The Father of VirQuadratus, bishop of Athens, made a learned tues." Immediately upon his accession to apology in their favor before the emperor, the imperial throne, he published an edict, who happened to be there; and Aristides, forbidding any further persecutions against a philosopher of the same city, wrote an the Christians, and concluded it in these elegant epistle, which caused Adrian to words: "If any hereafter shall vex or relax in his severities, and relent in their trouble the Christians, having no other favor. He indeed went so far as to com-cause but that they are such, let the acmand that no Christian should be punished cused be released, and the accusers be on the score of religion or opinion only; but this gave other handles against them to the Jews and pagans, for then they began to employ and suborn false witnesses, to accuse them of crimes against the state or civil authority.

punished." This stopped the persecution, and the Christians enjoyed a respite from their sufferings during this emperor's reign, though their enemies took every occasion to do them what injuries they could in an underhand manner.

THE FOURTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS.

NTONINUS PIUS, was on account of his faith, behaved with such succeeded by MARCUS astonishing courage, that several pagans beAURELIUS ANTONINUS came converts to a faith which inspired such VERUS, A. D. 162, who, fortitude. This enraged others so much, being a strong pagan, be- that they cried out, he merited death; and gan the fourth persecu- many of the multitude, wondering at this tion, in which many Christians were mar-{ beloved martyr for his constancy and virtyred, particularly in several parts of Asia, { tue, began suddenly to cry out with a loud and in France. voice, saying, "Destroy the wicked men ; The cruelties used in this persecution { let Polycarpus be sought for." And while were such, that many of the spectators a great uproar and tumult began to be shuddered with horror at the sight, and raised upon those cries, a certain Phrygian, were astonished at the intrepidity of the named Quintus, lately arrived from his sufferers. Some of the martyrs were country, was so afflicted at the sight of obliged to pass, with their already wounded the wild beasts, that he rushed to the judgfeet, over thorns, nails, sharp shells, &c., ment-seat and upbraided the judges, for with their points; others were scourged which he was put to death. till their sinews and veins lay bare; and after suffering the most excruciating tortures that could be devised, they were destroyed by the most terrible deaths.

GERMANICUS, a young man, but true Christian, being delivered to the wild beasts

POLYCARPUS, hearing that he was sought after, escaped, but was discovered by a child. From this circumstance, and having dreamed that his bed suddenly became on fire, and was consumed in a moment, he concluded that it was God's will that he