and pretended virtues, he for a time did bele, the fictitious mother of the fabulous more mischief to Christianity, than the most deities. Julian, on receiving the letter, sent profligate of his predecessors. Pagosus and Elpidius, two apostates, to AnAccordingly, this persecution was more cyra, the city where Basil was confined, to dangerous than any of the former, as Julian, employ both promises and threats to engage under the mask of clemency, practised the him to renounce his faith, and in case of their greatest cruelty, in seeking to delude the failure, they had orders to give him up to the true believers; and the Christian faith was power of the governor. The emperor's agents now in more danger of being subverted than tampered in vain with Basil by means of it ever had been, by means of a monarch at promises, threats, and tortures; he was firm once witty and wicked, learned and hypocrit- in the faith, and remained in prison till the cal: who, at first, made his attempts by emperor by accident came to Ancyra. As flattering gifts and favors; bestowing offices soon as the people knew of Julian's approach, and dignities; and then, by prohibiting they met him in grand procession, and preChristian schools, he compelled the children sented to him their idol, the goddess Hecate. either to become idolaters, or to remain illit- The two agents then gave the emperor an erate. account of what Basil had suffered, and of Julian ordered that Christians might be his firm resistance. Julian, on this, detertreated coldly upon all occasions, and in all mined to examine Basil himself, when that parts of the empire, and employed witty per- holy man being brought before him, the emsons to turn them and their principles into peror did every thing in his power to disridicule. Many were likewise martyred in suade him from persevering in the faith; but his reign; for though he did not publicly Basil not only continued firm, but with a persecute them himself, he connived at their prophetic spirit foretold the death of the embeing murdered by his governors and offi- peror, and that he should be tormented in the cers; and though he affected never to re- other world. Julian, on this, lost his usual ward them for those cruelties, neither did affectation of clemency, and told Basil, in he ever punish them. We shall recount the great anger, that though he had an inclinanames, sufferings, and martyrdoms of such tion to pardon him at first, yet he had now, as have been transmitted to posterity.

MARTYRDOM OF BASIL.

by the insolence of his behavior, put it out of his power to save his life. He then commanded, that the body of Basil should be torn every day in seven different parts, till his skin and flesh were entirely mangled.— The inhuman sentence was executed with rigor, and the martyr expired under its severities on the 28th of June, A. D. 362.

NUMEROUS MARTYRDOMS.

By his opposition to Arianism, Basil made himself famous, which brought upon him the vengeance of the Arian bishop of Constantinople, who issued an order to prevent him from preaching. He continued, however, to perform his duty at Ancyra, the capital of Galatia, till his enemies accused him of being an incendiary, and a disturber of the public About the same time, Donatus, bishop of peace; Julian, however, was too intent on Arezzo, and Hilarinus, a hermit, suffered for an expedition to Persia, to take notice of the the faith; the first being beheaded, and the accusation, and the malice of his enemies at latter scourged to death. Gordian, a Roman that time being wholly frustrated, he con- magistrate, having a Christian before him tinued to preach against the idolatry of Pa- for examination, was so charmed with the ganism on the one hand, and the errors of confession of his faith, that he not only disArianism on the other; earnestly exhorting charged the prisoner, but became himself a the people to serve Christ in the purity of Christian. This so enraged the Roman prefaith, and fervency of truth. fect, that he ordered him to be scourged and beheaded.

One day meeting with a number of Pagans going in procession to a sacrifice, he Two brothers, named John and Paul, of a boldly expressed his abhorrence of such idol- good family, and in high offices under the atrous proceedings, and inveighed against emperor, on being accused of professing such absurd worship. This liberty caused Christianity, were deprived of their posts, the people to seize him, and carry him be- and allowed ten days to consider whether fore Saturninus, the governor, where they they would renounce their faith and be proaccused him of reviling the gods, abusing moted, or retain it and be martyred. Making the emperor, and disturbing the peace of the choice of the latter alternative, they were city. Having heard these accusations, Sa- both beheaded.

turninus desired to know his sentiments from Artemius, commander-in-chief of the Rohis own mouth; when finding him a strenu- man forces in Egypt, being a Christian, was ous Christian, he ordered him to be put to accused of having formerly demolished sevthe rack, and then committed to prison. The eral idols, and of having assisted the bishop governor wrote an account of his proceed- of Alexandria in plundering the temples. ings to the emperor, who was at this time Julian, who was then at Antioch, on hearing very busy in establishing the worship of Cy- of these charges, ordered the general to re

Plate XVIII.

Book II.-Sect. 3.

Entrails of Martyrs, while living, devoured by Swine, at Arethusa, in the fourth

Century.

Plate XIX.

Book II.-Sect. 3.

Marcus, Bishop of Arethusa, hung up in a Basket, after having been smeared

over with honey, and stung to death by Wasps.

pair thither, to answer to them. On his arrival he owned the charges, when he was first deprived of his commission, then of his estate, and, lastly, beheaded.

Theodorus, for singing the praises of God, was apprehended and put to the torture, though not to death. After being taken from the rack, he was asked how he could so paCassian, a schoolmaster of Imola, in the tiently endure such exquisite pains; to which province of Romagno, for refusing to sacri- he returned this remarkable reply: "At first fice to the idols, was taken before the judge; I felt some pain, but afterwards there ap who, being apprized of his profession, and peared to stand by me a young man, who informed that many of the boys had an aver- wiped the sweat from my face, and frequently sion to him, on account of the strictness with refreshed me with cold water, which so dewhich he kept them to their studies, determined that they should have permission to murder him. He was accordingly bound and delivered to the boys, who fell upon him with rods, whips, sticks, and stiles, and murdered him. This singular martyrdom happened on the 13th of August, A. Ď. 362.

lighted me, that I regretted being let down."

Marcus, bishop of Arethusa, having destroyed a Pagan temple in that city, erected a Christian church in its room, on which account he was accused to Julian. His persecutors, stripping him naked, cruelly beat him. He was then thrust into a filthy sewer, Maximilian and Bonosus, two officers of or sink, till he was almost suffocated; afterthe Herculean guards, upon Julian taking wards he was goaded with sharp-pointed away Constantine the Great's standard of the sticks; and lastly, he was hung up in a bascross of Christ, threw up their commissions. ket in the heat of the sun, after having been Being apprehended, the governor had them smeared over with honey, in order to be torseparately examined, and finding them in- mented to death by wasps. As soon as he flexible, he ordered Bonosus to be beaten was hung up, they asked him if he would with whips that had leaden bullets at the rebuild their temple. To which he answered, ends of the thongs, and Maximilian to be that he would neither rebuild it nor conscourged. When remanded to prison, they tribute in the smallest degree towards its were allowed nothing but bread and water, being rebuilt; upon which they left him, and the bread was marked with the seal of and he fell a martyr to the stings of the the emperor, the impression of which was insects. an idol; on which account they refused to eat it. They were soon afterwards again examined, and then beheaded.

Maxentius and Juventius, two Christian officers, were put to death about the same time, for reproving the emperor, on account of his idolatries. Eusebius and Nestabus, two brethren, with Nestor also, being Christians, were dragged through the streets, and murdered, by the people of Gaza.

CHRISTIANS FINED FOR REFUSING TO SACRI

FICE TO IDOLS.

Bibiana was the daughter of Flavian and Dafrosa, two Christians. Flavian, her father, held a considerable post under the government, but being banished for his faith, died in exile. Dafrosa, her mother, was, for the same reason, ordered to be starved; but Apronianus, governor of Rome, impatient for her death, ordered her to be beheaded. Bibi- When Julian intended an expedition ana, and her sister Demetria, were then against the Persians, he imposed a large stripped of all their effects, and being brought fine upon every one who refused to sacrifice before the governor, were ordered to re- to the idols, and by that means got a great nounce their religion. Demetria suddenly sum from the Christians towards defraying dropped down dead in the governor's presence, his expenses. Many of the officers, in coland Bibiana resolutely refused to renounce lecting these fines, exacted more than their her faith, on which account she was scourged due, and some of them tortured the Christo death on the 2d of December, A. D. 363. tians to make them pay what they demanded, About the end of the year 363, the perse- at the same time telling them in derision, cution raged with more than usual violence." that when they were injured, they ought In Palestine many were burnt alive, others to take it patiently, for so their God had were dragged by their feet through the commanded them." The inhabitants of Castreets naked till they expired; some were sarea were fined in an immense sum, and scalded to death, many stoned, and great several of the clergy obliged to serve in the numbers had their brains beaten out with wars, as a punishment for having overthrown clubs. In Alexandria, innumerable martyrs the temples of Jupiter, Fortune and Apollo. suffered by the sword, burning, crucifixion, The governor at Meris, in Phrygia, having and stoning. In Arethusa, several were cleansed and opened a Pagan temple, the ripped open, and corn being put into their Christians in the night broke in, and demolbellies, swine were brought to feed therein, ished the idols. Next day the governor orwho, in devouring the grain, likewise de- dered all Christians that accidentally came voured the entrails of the victim; and, in in the way to be seized, that he might make Thrace, Emilianus was burnt at a stake; examples of them, and by this means would and Domitius murdered in a cave, whither have executed several innocent persons; but he had fled for concealment. those who really perpetrated the act, being

too just to suffer such retaliation, voluntarily the officer ordered her to be brought before delivered themselves up; when they were him, and asked her where she was going. scourged severely, and then put upon grid- She replied, "To church." "Have you not irons and broiled to death. heard," says the officer, "of the emperor's Julian died of a wound which he received order, to put to death all who are found in his Persian expedition, A. D. 363, and there?" " I have," said she," and for that even while expiring, uttered the most hor- cause I make the more haste." "And whithrible blasphemies. He was succeeded by er," said the officer, "do you lead that child?” Jovian, who restored peace to the church. "I take him," replied she, "with me, that After the decease of Jovian, Valentinian suc- he also may be reckoned in the number of ceeded to the empire, and associated to him- the martyrs." Upon this the humane officer self Valens, who had the command in the returned to the emperor, and telling him East. The latter was a great favorer of that all the Christians were prepared to die Arianism, and so incensed against the Chris-in defence of their faith, represented to him tians, that he ordered, on a certain day, all the rashness of murdering so great a multiwho were found in Edessa to be slain, while tude, and entreated the emperor to drop the they were at their devotions in the churches. design, at least for the present, with which The officers, however, being more compas- he at length complied. sionate than the emperor, privately gave Urbanus, Menedemus, and Theodorus, notice to the Christians not to assemble on with several other orthodox clergymen, to the day appointed, so that they might escape the number of four-score, at Constantinople, death. petitioned the emperor to relieve them from The Christians thanked the officers for the oppressions, persecutions, and cruelties their advice, but resolved to persevere in of the Arians. But the tyrant, instead of the performance of their duty. They accord- redressing their grievances, ordered them ingly repaired to the church, and the troops all to be embarked in a ship, and the vessel were put in motion to destroy them. As to be set on fire; when this infernal order they marched along, a woman, with a child being executed, they all perished in the in her arms, broke through the ranks, when flames.

SECTION IV.

Persecutions of the Christians by the Goths, &c.

DURING the reign of Constantine the Great St. Paul's principles to imagine, that the sin several Scythian Goths embraced Christi- lay in eating; he knew that giving the eneunity, the light of the gospel having spread mies of the faith an advantage over the considerably in Scythia, though the two kings weak was all that made that action criminal of that country, and the majority of the peo- in Christians. He, therefore, not only refused ple, continued Pagans. Fritegern, king of to comply with what was proposed to him, the Western Goths, was an ally of the Ro- but publicly declared, that those who shelmans; but Athanaric, king of the Eastern tered themselves under that artifice, were Goths, was at war with them. The Chris- not true Christians.

tians, in the dominions of the former, lived Jabas was soon after apprehended and unmolested; but the latter, having been de- carried before a magistrate, who inquired feated by the Romans, wreaked his ven- into his fortune and circumstances, when geance on his Christian subjects. finding that he was a person of obscure station, he was dismissed as unworthy of notice.

trines.

Sabas, a Christian, was the first who felt the enraged king's resentment. Sabas was humble and modest, yet fervent and zealous Sabas went to spend the ensuing Easter for the advancement of the church. Indeed with Sansala, a Christian priest of great the sanctity of his life, and the purity of his piety: but on the third night after his arrival manners, gave the greatest force to his doc- they were both seized by a party of soldiers. The priest was allowed to dress himself In the year 370, Athanaric gave orders, and to ride, but Sabas was obliged to leave that all persons in his dominions should sac- his clothes behind him, and to walk; and, rifice to the Pagan deities, and eat the meat during the journey, they drove him through which had been offered to the idols, or be thorns and briers, beating him severely. put to death for disobedience. Some humane This cruelty he bore without a murmur, and Pagans, who had Christian relations, en- in the evening they extended him between deavored to save them by offering them meat two beams, fastening his legs to the one and which had not received the idolatrous conse- his arms to the other; and in that posture cration, while the magistrates were made to left him for the night. The woman of the believe that all had been done according to house, however, went and released him; but their direction. But Sabas too well knew though he was now at liberty, he did not