historians record, and whose life consisted of the lives of hermits, and subsisted on bread such actions as your laws would punish. No! and water. After spending some time in I shall offer to the true God the sacrifice of this manner, they reflected that their lives prayers and praise." were inefficacious, and determined to leave Õptimus, on hearing this, ordered him to their solitude in order to make converts to be stretched upon a wheel, by which all his Christianity. With this pious and laudable bones were broken in a shocking manner; resolution they became zealous preachers. but his torments only inspired him with fresh The persecution, however, raging at this courage; he smiled on his persecutors, and time, they were seized upon and carried beseemed, by the serenity of his countenance, fore Sabinus, the governor of Bithynia. On not to upbraid, but to applaud his tormentors. being asked by what authority they took At length the pro-consul commanded him to upon themselves to preach, Lucian answered, be beheaded; which was immediately exe-"That the laws of charity and humanity cuted. obliged all men to endeavor to convert their Nichomachus, another Christian, on being neighbors, and to do every thing in their ordered to sacrifice to the Pagan idols, an- power to rescue them from the snares of the swered, "I cannot pay that respect to devils devil." Marcian also said, that "Their conwhich is only due to the Almighty." This versation was by the same grace which was speech so much enraged Optimus, that given to St. Paul, who, from a zealous perseNichomachus was put to the rack. He bore cutor of the church, became a preacher of the torments, for some time, with patience the gospel." When the pro-consul found that and great. resolution; but, at length, when he could not prevail on them to renounce ready to expire with pain, he had the weak- their faith, he condemned them to be burnt ness to abjure his faith, and become an apos- alive, which sentence was executed soon tate. He had no sooner given this proof of after. his frailty, than he fell into the greatest ago- Trypho and Respicius, two eminent men, nies, dropped down, and expired immedi- were seized as Christians, and imprisoned at ately. Nice. They were soon after put to the rack Denisa, a young woman, only sixteen which they bore with admirable patience for years of age, who beheld this terrible judg- three hours, and uttered the praises of the ment, suddenly exclaimed, “O, unhappy Almighty the whole time. They were then wretch, why would you buy a moment's exposed naked in the open air, which beease, at the expense of a miserable eternity?" numbed all their limbs. When remanded to Optimus hearing this, called to her, and asked prison, they remained there for a consideraif she was a Christian? She replied in the ble time; and then the cruelties of their peraffirmative; and refused to sacrifice to the secutors were again evinced. Their feet idols. Optimus, enraged at her resolution, were pierced with nails; they were dragged gave her over to two libertines, who took her through the streets, scourged, torn with iron to their home, and made many attempts upon hooks, scorched with lighted torches, and at her chastity, but without effect. At mid-length beheaded, on the 1st of February, A. night, however, they were deterred from D. 251.

their design by a frightful vision, which so Agatha, a Sicilian lady, was remarkable amazed them, that they fell at the feet of for her beauty and endowments; her beauty Denisa, and implored her prayers that they might not feel the effects of divine vengeance for their brutality. But this event did not diminish the cruelty of Optimus; for the lady was beheaded soon after by his order.

was indeed so great, that Quintain, governor of Sicily, became enamoured of her, and made many attempts upon her virtue. The governor being known as a great libertine, and a bigoted Pagan, the lady thought proper to Andrew and Paul, two companions of withdraw from the town, but was discovered Nichomachus the martyr, on confessing them- in her retreat, apprehended, and brought to selves Christians, were condemned to die, Catana; when, finding herself in the power and delivered to the multitude to be stoned. of an enemy, both to her soul and body, she Accordingly, A. D. 251, they suffered mar- recommended herself to the protection of the tyrdom by stoning, and expired, calling on Almighty, and prayed for death. In order their blessed Redeemer. Alexander and to gratify his passion with the greater conve Epimacus, of Alexandria, were apprehended niency, the governor transferred the virtuous for being Christians; and on confessing the lady to Aphrodica, an infamous and licentious accusation, were beat with staves, torn with woman, who tried every artifice to win her hooks, and at length burnt; and we are in- to the desired prostitution; but all her efforts formed by Eusebius, that four female martyrs were in vain. When Aphrodica acquainted suffered on the same day, and at the same Quintain with the inefficacy of her endeav place, but not in the same manner; for these ors, he changed his desire into resentment; were beheaded. and, on her confessing that she was a ChrisLucian and Marcian, two Pagans, and tian, he determined to gratify his revenge. magicians, becoming converts to Christianity, He, therefore, ordered her to be scourged, to make amends for their former errors, lived burnt with red-hot irons, and torn with sharp

hooks. Having borne these torments with the demise of Zebinus. He governed the admirable fortitude, she was next laid naked upon live coals, intermingled with glass, and being carried back to prison, she there expired on the 5th of February, A. D. 251.

MARTYRDOM OF CYRIL.

church during those tempestuous times with admirable zeal and prudence. The first misfortune that happened to Antioch during his mission, was the siege of it by Sapor, king of Persia; who, having overrun all Syria, took and plundered this city among Cyril, bishop of Gortyna, was seized by others, and used the Christian inhabitants order of Lucius, the governor of that place, with greater severity than the rest. His who first exhorted him to obey the imperial cruelties, however, were not lasting, for mandate, perform the sacrifices, and save his Gordian, the emperor, appearing at the head venerable person from destruction; for he of a powerful army, Antioch was retaken, was then eighty-four years of age. The good the Persians driven entirely out of Syria, prelate replied, that he could not agree to pursued into their own country, and several any such requisitions; but as he had long places in the Persian territories fell into the taught others to save their souls, that now hands of the emperor. On Gordian's death, he should only think of his own salvation. in the reign of Decius, that emperor came to When the governor found all his persuasion Antioch, where, having a desire to visit an in vain, he pronounced sentence against the assembly of Christians, Babylas opposed him, venerable Christian, in these words: "I and refused to let him come in. The emorder that Cyril, who has lost his senses, and peror dissembled his anger at that time; but is a declared enemy of our gods, shall be soon sending for the bishop, he sharply reburnt alive." The good worthy prelate heard proved him for his insolence, and then orthis sentence without emotion, walked cheer-dered him to sacrifice to the Pagan deities fully to the place of execution, and under- as an expiation for his supposed crime.— went martyrdom with great resolution.

PERSECUTIONS IN CRETE.

Having refused this, he was committed to prison, loaded with chains, treated with great severities, and then beheaded, together with At the island of Crete, the persecution three young men who had been his pupils. raged with fury; for the governor being ex- On going to the place of execution, the bishop ceedingly active in executing the imperial exclaimed, "Behold me and the children decrees, that place streamed with the blood that the Lord hath given me." They were of many Christians. The principal Cretan martyred, A. D. 251; and the chains worn martyrs, whose names have been transmitted by the bishop in prison were buried with him. to us, are as follow: Theodulus, Saturnius, Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, about this and Europus, were inhabitants of Gortyna, time was cast into prison on account of his who had been grounded in their faith by religion, where he died through the severity Cyril, bishop of that city; and Eunicianus, of his confinement; or, as some assert, was Zeticus, Cleomenes, Agathopas, Bastides, burned to death with several other Christians and Euaristus, were brought from different in a furnace. parts of the island on accusations of profess- When Serapion was apprehended at Alexing Christianity. andria, he had all his bones broken, and was At the time of their trial, they were com- then thrown from a high loft, when he was manded to sacrifice to Jupiter, which declin-killed by the fall. Julianus, an old man, lame ing, the judge threatened them with the se- with the gout, and Cronion, another Chrisverest tortures. To these menaces they tian, were bound on the backs of camels, seunanimously answered, "That to suffer for verely scourged, and then thrown into a fire the sake of the Supreme Being would, to and consumed. A spectator, who seemed to them, be the sublimest of pleasures." The commiserate them, was ordered to be bejudge then attempted to gain their venera-headed, as a punishment for his sentiments tion for the heathen deities, by descanting of tenderness. Macar, a Libyan Christian, on their merits, and recounting some of their was burnt. Horon-Ater and Isodorus, Egypmythological histories. This gave the prison- tians, with Dioschorus, a boy of fifteen, after ers an opportunity of remarking on the ab- suffering many other torments, met with a surdity of such fictions, and of pointing out similar fate: and Nemesion, another Egypthe folly of paying adoration to ideal deities, tian, was first tried as a thief; but being and real images. Provoked to hear his fa- acquitted, was accused of Christianity, which vorite idols ridiculed, the governor ordered confessing, he was scourged, tortured, and them all to be put to the rack; the tortures of which they sustained with surprising fortitude. They at length suffered martyrdom, A. D. 251; being all beheaded at the same time. MARTYRDOM OF BABYLAS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH, AND OTHERS.

Babylas, a Christian of a liberal education, became bishop of Antioch in A. D. 237, on

finally burnt. Ischyrian, the Christian servant of an Egyptian nobleman, was run through with a pike by his own master, for refusing to sacrifice to idols; Venatius, a youth of fifteen, was martyred in Italy, and forty virgins, at Antioch, after being impris oned and scourged, were destroyed by fire.

The emperor Decius having erected a

NUMEROUS MARTYRS IN THE REIGN OF
DECIUS.

Pagan temple at Ephesus. in the year 251, he commanded all who were in that city to sacrifice to the idols. This order was nobly In the country of Phrygia, and in the town refused by seven of his own soldiers, viz. of Lampsar, one Peter was apprehended, and Maximianus, Martianus, Joannes, Malchus, suffered bitter torments for Christ's name, Dionysius, Constantinus, and Seraion. The under Optimus the pro-consul: and in Troada, emperor, wishing to prevail on the soldiers other martyrs suffered, whose names were to prevent their fate by his entreaties and Andrew, Paul, Nichomachus, and Dyonisia, lenity, gave them a respite till he returned a virgin. In Babylon many Christran confrom a journey. But in the absence of the fessors were found, who were led a way into emperor, they escaped, and hid themselves Spain to be executed. in a cavern; which he being informed of at his return, the mouth of the cavern was closed up, and they were all starved to death.

In the country of Cappadocia, at the city of Cæsarea, Germanus, Theophilus, Cesarius, Vitalis, Polychronius, bishop of Babylon, and Theodora, a beautiful young lady of An- Nestor, suffered martyrdom for Christ. tioch, on refusing to sacrifice to the Roman At Perside, in the town of Cardalia, Olymidols, was condemned to the brothel, that her piades and Maximus; in Tyrus, also, Anavirtue might be sacrificed.-Didymus, a tolia, a virgin, and Audax, gave their lives Christian, then disguised himself in the habit for the testimony of Christ's name; as did of a Roman soldier, went to the house, in- innumerable others in all parts of the empire, formed Theodora who he was, and prevailed the particulars of whose martyrdoms have on her to make her escape in his dress. Thus not been handed down to us. being found in the brothel, instead of the The emperor Gallus having concluded his lady, he was taken before the president, to wars, a plague broke out in the empire; and whom confessing the truth, sentence of death sacrifices to the Pagan deities were ordered was immediately pronounced against him. by the emperor, to appease their wrath. On In the mean time Theodora, hearing that her the Christians refusing to comply with these deliverer was likely to suffer, came to the rites, they were charged with being the aujudge, threw herself at his feet, and begged thors of the calamity: and thus the persecuthat the sentence might fall only on her as tion spread from the interior to the extreme the guilty person; but the inflexible judge parts of the empire, and many fell martyrs condemned both; and they were executed to the impetuosity of the rabble, as well as accordingly, being first beheaded, and their the prejudice of the magistrates. Cornelius, bodies afterwards burnt. the Christian bishop of Rome, was, among

Secundianus having been accused as a others, seized upon this occasion. He was Christian, was conveyed to prison by some first banished to Centum Cellæ, now called soldiers. On the way, Verianus and Mar- Civita Vecchia; and after having been cruelly cellinas said, "Where are you carrying the scourged, was, on the 14th of September, innocent?" This interrogatory caused them to be seized, and all three, after having been tortured, were hanged, and their heads were cut off when they were dead.

ACCOUNT OF ORIGEN.

A. D. 252, beheaded, after having been bishop fifteen months and ten days. Lucius, who succeeded Cornelius as bishop of Rome, was the son of Porphyrius, and a Roman by birth. His vigilance, as a pastor, rendered him obnoxious to the foes of Christianity, which Origen, the celebrated presbyter and cate- occasioned him to be banished; but in a short chist of Alexandria, at the age of sixty-four, time he was permitted to return. Soon after, was seized, thrown into a lothesome prison, however, he was apprehended, and beheaded, loaded with chains, his feet placed in the March the 4th, A. D. 253. This bishop was stocks, and his legs extended to the utmost succeeded by Stephanus, a man of fiery for several days. He was threatened with temper, who held the dignity few years, and fire, and tormented by every means that the might probably have fallen a martyr, had most infernal imaginations could suggest. not the emperor been murdered by his geneBut his Christian fortitude bore him through ral Emilian, when a profound peace sucall indeed such was the rigor of his judge, ceeded throughout the whole empire, and that his tortures were ordered to be linger- the persecution was suffered to subside. ing, that death might not too soon put a pe- Many of the errors which crept into the riod to his miseries. During this cruel tem- church at this time arose from placing huporising, the emperor Decius died, and Gallus,

who succeeded him, engaging in a war with table. The books written by him, according to St. the Goths, the Christians met with a respite. Jerome, amounted to the almost incredible number In this interim Origen obtained his enlarge- sale, added to what he had gained by the instruction of seven thousand volumes; and the produce of their ment, and retiring to Tyre, he there re- of youth, enabled him to support his mother and six mained till his death, which happened when brethren after the martyrdom of his father Leonidas he was in the sixty-ninth year of his age.* (see p. E. 2). His great work, called the Herapla, from its presenting six versions of the sacred text in Origen is said by his biographers, to have been as many columns, gave the first hint for the compi learned, ingenious, laborious, temperate, and chari-lation of our Polyglot Bibles.

man reason in competition with revelation; they had created vanished before the sublimbut the fallacy of such arguments being ity of truth.

proved by the most able divines, the opinions

The Eighth General Persecution under the Roman Emperors.

AFTER the death of Gallus, Emilian, the bishop of Rome. He is supposed to have general, having many enemies in the army, been a Greek by birth or extraction, and was slain, and Valerian elected to the em- had for some time served in the capacity of pire. This emperor, for the space of four a deacon under Stephen. His great fidelity, years, governed with moderation, and treat- singular wisdom, and courage, distinguished ed the Christians with peculiar lenity and him upon many occasions; and the fortunate respect; but in the year 257, an Egyptian conclusion of a controversy with some heremagician, named Macrianus, gained a great tics, is generally ascribed to his prudence. ascendency over him, and persuaded him to Macrianus, who had the management of the persecute them. Edicts were accordingly Roman government in the year 258, having published, and the persecution, which began procured an order from the emperor Valein the month of April, continued for three rian, to put to death all the Christian clergy years and six months.

The martyrs which fell in this persecution were innumerable, and their tortures and deaths as various. The most eminent were the following:

in Rome, and the senate having testified their obedience to this mandate, Sextus was one of the first who felt its severity, Cyprian tells us that he was beheaded, August 6, A. D. 258; and that six of his deacons suf

MARTYRDOM OF ST. LAURENCE.

Rufina and Secunda were two beautiful fered with him. and accomplished ladies, daughters of Asterius, a gentleman of eminence in Rome. Rufina, the elder, was designed in marriage Laurentius, generally called St. Laurence, for Armentarius, a young nobleman: and the principal of the deacons, who taught and Secunda, the younger, for Verinus, a person preached under Sextus, followed him to the of rank, and immense wealth. These suit-place of execution; when Sextus predicted ors, at the time the persecution commenced, that he should meet him in heaven three were both Christians: but when danger ap- days after. Laurentius considering this as peared, to save their fortunes, they renounced a certain indication of his own approaching their faith. They took great pains to per- martyrdom, at his return collected all the suade the ladies to do the same, but failed in Christian poor, and distributed amongst them their purpose; and as a method of safety, the treasures of the church, which had been Rufina and Secunda left the kingdom. The committed to his care, thinking the money lovers, finding themselves disappointed, in- could not be better disposed of, or less liable formed against the ladies, who being appre- to fall into the hands of the heathens. His hended as Christians, were brought before conduct alarmed the persecutors, who seized Junius Donatus, governor of Rome. After on him, and commanded him to give an immany remonstrances, and having undergone mediate account to the emperor of the church several tortures, they sealed their martyr- treasures. dom with their blood, by being beheaded in the year 257.

Laurentius promised to satisfy them, but begged a short respite to put things in propIn the same year, Stephen, bishop of Rome, er order; when three days being granted was beheaded. and about that time Saturnius, him, he was suffered to depart, whereupon, bishop of Thoulouse, was attacked and seiz- with great diligence, he collected together ed by the rabble of that place, for prevent- a great number of aged, helpless, and impoing, as they alleged, their oracles from tent poor, and repairing to the magistrate, speaking. On refusing to sacrifice to the presented them to him, saying, "These are idols, he was treated with many barbarous the true treasures of the church." indignities, and then fastened by the feet to Provoked at the disappointment, and fanthe tail of a bull. On a certain signal the cying, the matter meant in ridicule, the enraged animal was driven down the steps governor ordered him to be immediately of the temple, by which the martyr's brains scourged. He was then beaten with iron were dashed out; and the small number of rods, set upon a wooden horse, and had his Christians in Thoulouse had not for some limbs dislocated. He endured these tortures time courage sufficient to carry off the dead with such fortitude and perseverance, that body; at length two women conveyed it he was ordered to be fastened to a large away, and deposited it in a ditch. This gridiron, with a slow fire under it, that his martyr was an orthodox and learned primi- death might be the more tedious. But his astive Christian, and his doctrines are held in tonishing constancy during these trials, and high estimation. nis serenity of countenance while under such Stephen was succeeded by Sextus as excruciating torments, gave the spectators

so exalted an idea of the dignity and truth bore for his adviser, he was termed Cæcilius of the Christian religion, that many imme- Cyprian. diately became converts.

Before his baptism he studied the scripHaving lain for some time upon the grid-tures with care, and being struck with the iron, the martyr called out to the emperor, beauties of the truths they contained, he dewho was present, in a kind of jocose Latin termined to practise the virtues they recomdistich, made extempore, which may be trans-mended. He sold his estate, distributed the lated thus:

"This side enough is toasted,

Then turn me, tyrant, and eat; "And see, whether raw or roasted,

"I am the better meat."

money among the poor, dressed himself in plain attire, and commenced a life of austerity and solitude. Soon after his baptism he was made a presbyter; and being greatly admired for his virtues and his works, on the On this the executioner turned him, and death of Donatus, in A. D. 248, he was almost after having lain a considerable time longer, unanimously elected bishop of Carthage. he had still strength and spirit enough to The care of Cyprian not only extended over triumph over the tyrant, by telling him, with Carthage, but to Numidia and Mauritania. great serenity, that he was roasted enough, In all his transactions he took great care to and only wanted serving up. He then cheer- ask the advice of his clergy, knowing that fully lifted up his eyes to heaven, and with unanimity alone could be of service to the calmness yielded his spirit to the Almighty. church: this being one of his maxims, “That This happened on August 10, A. D. 258. the bishop was in the church, and the church Romanus, a soldier, who attended the in the bishop; so that unity can only be premartyrdom of Laurentius, became one of the served by a close connexion between the converts to his sufferings and his fortitude; pastor and his flock." and when that martyr was remanded to pris- In the year 250, he was publicly proscribed on, Romanus took the opportunity of fully by the emperor Decius, under the appellation inquiring into the nature of the Christian of Caecilius Cyprian, bishop of the Christians; faith; and being entirely satisfied by Lau- and the universal cry of the Pagans was, rentius, became firmly a Christian, and re- "Cyprian to the lions! Cyprian to the ceived his baptism from the captive. On his beasts!" sudden change becoming known, he was apprehended, scourged severely, and afterwards beheaded. Hypolitus, another Roman, for the same offence, was seized and suffered a similar fate.

PERSECUTION IN AFRICA.-ACCOUNT OF

CYPRIAN.

Fourteen years previous to this period the persecution raged in Africa with peculiar violence; and many thousands received the crown of martyrdom, among whom the following were the most distinguished charac

ters:

The bishop, however, withdrew from the rage of the populace, and his effects were immediately confiscated. During his retirement he wrote thirty pious letters to his flock; but several schisms that then crept into the church gave him great uneasiness. The rigor of the persecution abating, he returned and did every thing in his power to expunge erroneous opinions and false doctrinss. A terrible plague now breaking out at Carthage, it was, as usual, laid to the charge of the Christians; and the magis trates began to persecute accordingly, which occasioned an epistle from them to Cyprian, in answer to which he vindicates the cause of Christianity.*

Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, was an eminent prelate, and a pious ornament of the church. His doctrines were orthodox and Cyprian was brought before the pro-consul pure; his language easy and elegant; and Aspasius Paternus, A. D. 257, when being his manners graceful. He was said to be so commanded to conform to the religion of the perfect a master of rhetoric and logic, and empire, he boldly made a confession of his so complete in the practice of elocution, and faith. This, however, did not occasion his the principles of philosophy, that he was death, but an order was made for his banishmade professor of those sciences in his na- ment, which exiled him to a little city on the tive city of Carthage, where he taught with Libyan sea. On the death of the pro-consul great success. He was educated in the who banished him, he returned to Carthage, principles of Gentilism, and having a consid- but was soon after seized, and carried before erable fortune, he lived in great splendor and pomp. Gorgeous in attire, luxurious in feasting, vain of a numerous retinue, and fond of *Cyprian was of an uncommonly meek and amiaevery kind of fashionable parade, he seemed dence nor circumspection, he was so modest that he ble disposition, and though he neither wanted pruto fancy that man was born to gratify all his never attempted any thing without first consulting appetites, and created for pleasure only. About his partisans. He used to declare that he had the year 246, Cæcilius, a Christian minister of visions and revelations concerning the events that were to affect the Christian church. St. Augustine Carthage, became the instrument of Cyprian's conversion: on which account, and for the works of Tertullian, whom he used to call his says, that he was very diligent in reading, especially the great love that he always afterwards" master."

the new governor, who condemned him to be