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maintained a distinct church for many years; even at Carthage, they made head so far as to ordain a bishop; and it cannot be denied but that, as a body, they proved themselves to be as much a part of the true church, as if they had not separated or been cut off. Novatian, like a true disciple of Christ, glorified his divine Master, in yielding to martyrdom, rather than sacrifice a good conscience; and Cyprian did the same, and both under the same emperor. What a pity that good men, so zealously serving in the same grand cause, and at last entering into the same glory, should have so grossly mistaken each other, and abstained from that communion on earth which they now so freely enjoy in heaven.

The return of Cyprian to his people was attended with innumerable benefits, and the death of Decius soon followed, which gave a short respite to the afflicted church. Gallus, on his accession, was too much occupied in the affairs of his empire, to attend to the cousequences resulting from the propagation of Christianity. But the period of rest lasted only a few months. Gallus was the avowed enemy of the Christians. He banished Cornelius, who died under his sufferings. Lucius sucseeded in the see of Rome, and was immediately sent into exile, from whence he was shortly suffered to return; but his martyrdom speedily followed. "The episcopal seat at Rome was then, it seems, the next door to martyrdom."

About this time, a dreadful pestilence broke out in Africa, the ravages of which were incalculable: the towns were thinned, and whole families were entirely swept away. The effect this event produced on the minds of pagans, added greatly to the calamity: the streets of the city were filled with dead bodies, through the fear of the surviving inhabitants. All was conster

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Christian Benevolence.

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nation and dismay, except with the Christians. In patience they possessed their souls. Indeed the afflic tion, awful as it was, afforded them an opportunity of showing the vast superiority of their religion, to the philosophy and superstition of the heathen. Cyprian employed both his eloquence and his piety on the occasion. He pointed out to his people the precepts of the Lord Jesus: "Overcome evil with good; love your enemies; do good to them that hate you. If you love them that love you, do not even the publicans the same? Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect!" The Christians, every man as he had ability, rushed forward to help in a time so peculiar. The rich contributed of their substance; the poor gave their labour at the hazard of their lives; and thus many of the sick were recovered, and the dead were buried. These things the poor pagaus saw with admiration, while themselves were not able to help each other. But the fortitude of the Christians, together with the signal services they performed, scarcely restrained the pagan priesthood from charging the calamity upon the spread of Christianity, and from calling upon the emperor to extirpate the faith, in order to appease the fury of the gods. During the persecution under Gallus, Cyprian was threatened, but God preserved him from the wrath of his enemies, and the emperor was slain in the year 253. Thus, in the short space of about four years, we have seen two princes successively wasting the church of God, and both of them brought to an untimely death. We have seen a persecution in which never such opposites met; by it the church was both purged of hypoerites, and torn by schism. To become a bishop was to become a martyr, and yet what struggling for that office! Upon the whole, it is evident that much vital

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Valerian.

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godliness was displayed, and the character of the true church greatly established.

CHAPTER IV.

THE EMPEROR VALERIAN.

Peace of the Church-Great Persecution-Sufferings and Martyrdom of Cyprian-Rest.

"PUT not your trust in princes," is the advice of a sacred penman: the value of such advice, the church had learned by experience. The first four years of Valerian's reign afforded a season of peace and refreshment ; but many a fair morning has produced a threatening noon, and before the day has finished, the traveller has been overtaken with a sweeping tempest.

The season of rest appears for a while to have been well employed. The ebu ch met by an association of officers and deputies from the various societies, in order to take into consideration those things which bad been the occasion of so much discord and division. Many of these things were amicably settled. Cyprian was particularly active in purifying the church from scandalons and disorderly members. He exchanged with his brethren a great number of scriptural, salutary, and pertinent epistles Nor were the ministers wholly taken up in directing matters at home; they went out every where as opportunity offered, and published the word of life. About this time, probably, many churches were planted in Germany, Spain, Gaul; and those already planted were watered, and abundantly increased by

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Persecution.

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fresh acquisitions of help. While these regulations and exertions were going on, a capital controversy arose, which sadly broke in upon the internal peace of the church.

The question was, " Whether persons returning from the schismatical party to the general church ought to. be re-baptized." Cyprian maintained that they ought. Stephen, bishop of Rome, took the contrary side. Each had his colleagues in opinion, and the dispute ran high; and another rent had well nigh been the consequence, but God stepped in, and gave the churches something else to do. The emperor Valerian decided that controversy without answering the question.

This prince for a while favoured the Christians to so great a degree, that they were allowed to be about his person, and to occupy departments of office in his palace and court: but suddenly the conduct of the emperor took a turn, and he breathed nothing but threatening and slaughter. This change of behaviour is ascribed to the influence of Macrianus, a favourite of the emperor, but a eruel bigotted pagan, and a bitter enemy of the Christian faith.*

It is difficult to say in what part of the empire the persecution began first to rage. Maerianus took care to render it as general as malice and power could effect, At Rome, Sixtus, the bishop, was the first person of

✦ Valerian, upon his own principles, if he had any, was a friend to the Christians; but by the instigation of his favourite counsellor, he is induced to violate his own conscience, and cross his own feelings. How few men have convictions firm and decisive enough to produce a steady conduct. A great proportion of mankind are without principles and without opinions; they are but the mere tools of others; they do as they are bid, but never venture to think for themselves.

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shalt follow me."

official distinction that fell a victim to the blind prejudice of Valerian. The circumstances attending his martyrdom are worthy of note. In his way to execution, he was followed by Laurentius, one of his deacons, who, weeping, said, "Whither art thou going, father, without thy son ?" Sixtus replied, "In three days thou The spirit of prophecy was not necessary in such a time, to foresee the speedy death of the deacon. An idea of the wealth of the Roman church prevailing in the mind of the prefect, he ordered Laurentius to be brought before him, of whom he demanded the treasures of the church. "Give me time," replied the deacon, " to set things in order, and I will render an account of every particular." Three days were granted, during which time Laurentius gathered together all the poor who were pensioners on the church's bounty; then, going to the magistrate, said, "Come with me, and I will shew you a large court full of golden vessels." The prefect followed; but diseovering the sage device, he turned away with an angry look, "What are you so displeased about ?" said the deacon; "the treasure you so eagerly desire is but a contemptible mineral dug from the earth; these poor people are the true gold, these are the treasures I promised you, make these riches subserve the best interest of Rome, of the emperor, and of yourself.”—“ Do you thus mock me ?" cries the prefect ? "I am aware you pride yourselves upon your contempt of death, I will therefore make your death lingering and painful." The ingenious deacon was then stripped, fastened to a gridiron, and placed over a slow fire. This only produced the discovery of the magnanimity of the martyr. After having remained some time in this state, he said, "Let me be turned, I am quite done on one side!" Being