rest, when, delivered from the storms of this world, we arrive at the haven of eternal rest and safety; when, after this death is no more, we attain to immortality. That indeed is true peace; that is real tranquillity; that is lasting and perpetual joy. But what is there in the world save daily contest against the devil, warfare and continual conflict against his arms and weapons? We have to contend with avarice, with immodesty, with anger, with ambition. We have continual and grievous wrestling with the vices of the flesh and the allurements of the world. The mind of man, besieged and encompassed by the assaults of Satan, can scarcely meet, scarcely resist them all. If avarice be overthrown, evil desire arises: if that be subdued, ambition succeeds. If ambition be contemned, wrath exasperates us, pride inflates, excess invites, envy breaketh concord, and jealousy destroyeth friendship. Such are the persecutions which thy mind each day endures-such the dangers by which thy heart is assailed: and is it then thy pleasure to remain long here, exposed as thou art to all the weapons of the devil, when thou oughtest rather to wish and desire, by the speedy assistance of death, to hasten away unto Christ; who himself teaches us, saying, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy?' Who would not wish to lose sorrow? Who would not hasten to attain joy? Now the Lord himself declares when our sorrow shall be turned into joy, saying, 'I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.'

"Since, then, it is joy to see Christ, nor can our joy exist except when we see him; what blindness or madness is it, to love the burdens, the punishments, the terrors of the world; and not rather to

hasten unto that joy which can never be taken away ?" "The reason of this is, my beloved brethren, a want of faith, because no one believes in the truth of the promises of that God who is TRUE, whose word is firm and eternal to them that believe. If a grave and worthy man should promise thee any thing, thou wouldst rely on his promise, nor believe that one whom thou knewest to be constant in his words and actions, would fail or deceive thee. Now GOD speaks with thee, and dost thou waver in unbelief? God promises to thee, departing from this world, immortality and eternity, and dost thou doubt? This is, not to know God; this is, to offend Christ with the sin of unbelief, who is the master of believers only; this is, to have in the Church, in the house of faith, no settled faith.

“Let us consider, most beloved brethren, and continually reflect, that we have renounced the world, and that we only abide here as strangers and pilgrims. Let us embrace that time which gives to each one his home, which, delivering us from this world, and loosing us from worldly snares, restores us to paradise and the kingdom. Who that is placed in a foreign land would not hasten to return to his own country? Who that saileth towards his own, would not eagerly desire a prosperous wind, to bring him swiftly to the embrace of those he loves? Our country we believe to be paradise: the patriarchs we esteem our parents. Why then do we not speed and run, that we may behold our country, and salute our parents? There a great multitude of those who are dear to us await us; a numerous and abundant crowd of parents, brethren, children, already secure of their own salvation, yet still anxious for ours, desire us. How great a joy for them and us in common, to behold and embrace them! What pleasure of celestial kingdoms is there, without fear

of death, and with eternal life what great and perpetual happiness! There is the glorious choir of the apostles; there the number of the rejoicing prophets; there an innumerable people of martyrs, crowned for the victory of their contest and sufferings; triumphant virgins, who have subdued the desires of the flesh and body by the strength of continence; the merciful rewarded, who have performed works of righteousness in nourishing and bestowing alms on the poor, who, observing the commandments of the Lord, have transferred their earthly possessions to the treasury of heaven. To these, beloved brethren, let us with eager desire hasten; and let us wish that we may quickly be with them, quickly come to Christ. May God behold this thought in us. May the Lord Christ observe this purpose of mind and faith in us, Who shall give his greatest rewards of glory to those whose desires are greatest towards himself."

Such were the exhortations of the holy Cyprian. He was a few years afterwards called to bear witness to the faith of Jesus Christ in the face of torment and death, and he did not shrink from the path which he had so often pointed out to his brethren, but laid down his life for the Gospel, A.d. 258.

CHAPTER VI.

ON THE COMMUNION, RITES, AND DISCIPLINE
OF THE CHURCH.

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A.D. 30-320.

O precept is more frequently inculcated in sacred Scripture than that of mutual love and charity between all Christians. By this," said our Lord, "shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye

have love one to another." By their relation to God as their heavenly Father, they are made brethren to one another; and therefore the apostolical command is, "Love as brethren." Such is the duty of Christians; they are bound to regard all their brethren as members of the same spiritual body as themselves; and hence results the obligation of holding communion in all possible respects with all mem-. bers of the Church of Christ. Our Lord prayed that his disciples might be "one;" the apostles exhorted them to permit no schisms, no contentions among them, and to avoid those who caused divisions,3 whom they characterised as "sensual, not having the Spirit."4

2

This communion of all particular Churches with each other, as parts and members of the one great spiritual body or society of believers, existed for some ages in much more perfection than it subsequently did, when earthly ambition and unchristian feelings were engendered by prosperity, and the tares began to grow thickly among the good wheat. In the time of the apostles it was manifested by the reception and admission to religious communion of Christians who came from other countries; by contributions for the relief of distressed believers in all parts; and by the exchange of letters and advice. The same practices continued for many ages to be general. Each bishop then could give to any member of his Church who might visit foreign countries, commendatory letters, which, on being presented to the most remote Churches, secured his immediate admission to all the privileges of Christian fellowship, and, in case of necessity, to the kind offices of Christian benevolence. We have in the epistle of

1 John xiii. 15.

3 Rom. xvi. 17, 18.

2 1 Cor. i. 10-12.

4 Jude 19.

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St. Clement, bishop of Rome, and the Roman Church, addressed to the Church of Corinth, before the end of the first century, on occasion of a schism in the latter Church, an instance of the same fraternal intercourse and solicitude; and in the following centuries, the epistles of Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, to many Churches in Pontus, Crete, &c., and that of the council of Antioch (A.D.270) to all the Churches, are further examples of the same practice. We learn from Dionysius, that even in the second century, the Church of Rome was remarkable for the extent of its charities to the distressed and persecuted Christians at Corinth and in the East; and Dionysius of Alexandria, in the following century, attests that the same truly Christian conduct was still in full exercise, and that its benefits were felt even in the remote regions of Arabia.

But, notwithstanding the obligations of Christians to cultivate brotherly love, the harmony of the Church has but too often been interrupted. Even in the time of St. Paul, the Church of Corinth was full of parties and division, as it afterwards was in the time of St. Clement. Paul and Barnabas themselves separated and departed asunder from each other. In the second century a serious division arose between the Roman and the Asiatic Churches; for when the latter persisted in retaining their ancient custom of celebrating Easter rather on the same day with the Jews, than with the rest of the Catholic Church, Victor, bishop of Rome, proceeded to the extent of separating them from his communion; an act which was disapproved by St. Irenæus and the greater part of the Church.

In the following century (A.D. 250) a difference arose between Stephen, bishop of Rome, and the African Churches. The latter, as we have seen in Cyprian's life, maintained that baptisms per