82

Perpetua and Felicitas.

Cent. 3.

child; he wept, he embraced her; he threw himself at her feet; his soul was overwhelmed with floods of the most bitter sorrow: but poor Perpetua, though inwardly rent with every contending feeling, could afford him no relief; her Lord demanded acquiescence, and she could only beg to be resigned to the divine disposal.

To soften the rigours of imprisonment, the church kindly paid a sum of money to the keepers, by which means, the sufferers were allowed for a few hours to hold converse with their friends, and go out of their dungeon into a place less gloomy and comfortless, where Perpetua was permitted to nurse her infant, who was brought to her by her mother. During this season, her mind was agitated with conflicting passions-her parents, her family, her son, often came into her mind ; but the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, supported her through all, and turned her prison-house into a house of mercy.

In a day or two the prisoners were brought before the tribunal, and examined in the presence of a vast erowd. There appeared, also the distracted old gentleman, with his little grandson in his arms. This was an attack on Perpetua's feelings: religion had not reduced her to a state without natural affection. He, taking her aside, conjured her to have compassion on her child; the magistrate joined in the same suit; but the case stood deeided at a higher bar, and Perpetua dared not reverse it. The trial being over, the judge sentenced them to the wild beasts, and ordered them back to prison. Perpetua sent a friend to her father, begging the child might be sent to her, which was refused, and, it seems, she saw it no more. What a reckoning will all this produce, in that great day! It had been good for the emperor, and the savage creatures of his power, if they had never been born.

Chap. 1.

Perpetua and Felicitas.

88

The state of Felicitas also was attended with circumstances peculiar and affecting. She was a married woman, and in the course of a month expected to become a mother. Three days before the commencement of the shows, when the martyrs were to suffer, Felicitas and her companions had been beseeching the Father of mercies on her behalf, nor did they pray in vain ; Providence hastened her hour. Her cries, in the time of extremity, were heard by one of the keepers of the prison. "Do you complain under this? (said he;) what will you do when you are exposed to the beasts" She answered, like one who knew what religion is by experience," It is I that suffer now, but then there will be another, for whose sake I suffer, to bear my pain for me." The faith of Felicitas helped her through, and the child was delivered to a Christian woman, engaged to take care of it.

The day before the execution, the martyrs endeavoured to convert their last meal into a LOVE-FEAST. They partook of their repast in a public place, with their Christian friends, who were allowed to visit them. Such was their fortitude, their meekness, their holy joy, that their keeper was melted into contrition, and was constrained to acknowledge the purity and glory of their faith. Curiosity brought together multitudes to see them; "Observe well our faces, (said one of the worthies,) that ye may know them at the day of judgment.". He warned them to flee from the wrath to come, and exulted in the lot of the suffering righteous.

Great was the rich influence of the divine Comforter, on the day of trial. Some idolatrous rites were prepared, and they were commanded to sacrifice: "We saerifice our lives, (said the sufferers,) to avoid such abominations, and these are the terms we have concluded

84

Perpetua and Felicitas.

Cent. 8.

with you." Perpetua discovered great magnanimity, and expressed her frame of mind in a song of praise. Her companions addressed the people, and endeavoured to persuade them by the terrors of the Lord. Being brought into the presence of the judge, they warned him of the righteous judgment of God. At this their enemies were enraged, and demanded that they should be scourged before their death; on which they triumphed, being, thereby, the more conformed to the sufferings of Christ.

The final conflict at length appeared in full viewthe crowded amphitheatre, the furious beasts, the more than beastly persecutors, consisting of magistrates, soldiers, gladiators, with a nameless band of Satan's underlings. Perpetua and Felicitas, beyond the most common bounds of decency, were stripped of their raiment, and put within the nets, in order to be attacked by the beasts. Some of the spectators were shocked to see the female character thus degraded, and sought to hide their own dishonour, by throwing some loose garments over the martyrs. Perpetua was first attacked by a wild cow, and thrown with violence on her back ; recovering a little, she assumed a sitting posture; but seeing her clothes rent, she retired to cover herself, and to adjust her hair, lest she should appear disordered. Felicitas shared a similar fate, by the same means; but they gave each other the hand, and, during a little respite, advanced towards the bar, where there were some friends waiting to offer their kind services. Perpetua was hardly conscious of her sufferings, but from the derangement of her attire, and the blood trickling from her wounds. Addressing herself to them, she said, "Continue firm in the faith. Love one another. And take no offence at the cross from our sufferings."

Chap. 1.

Caracalla.

85

Some of the wretched people who were come to glut their eyes with the bloody spectacle, were impatient of any longer delay, and insisted on having the sufferers brought forth into the midst of the amphitheatre, that they might be gratified with the sight of their death. The martyrs arose, without constraint, and went forward; and giving each other the kiss of charity, the gladiators fell upon them, and released their aspiring souls from prison and from pain. The sunshine of religious liberty produces an abundance of the professors of Christianity; but a time of affliction and persecution produces martyrs-Reader, do you live a martyr? If not, you could not die one.

The persecutions, under this emperor, extended far and wide. Gaul, the theatre of his former ravages, was again drenched with Christian blood. Irenæus, with a multitude of ministers in the Gallican church, suffered death. After considerable affliction, some of the churches purchased casual and uncertain peace, by paying money to the magistrates and their officers. Indeed, such a measure was not to be condemned; their goods and property were their own, and they had undoubted right to dispose of them, in order to maintain the exercise of a pure conscience. In the year 211, Severus was summoned to appear before the supreme divine judge. Caracalla succeeded. Yet, monster of iniquity as he proved to be, in almost every species of vice, the Christians were suffered to enjoy a season of tranquillity during his reign.

Caracalla, it is said, was nursed by a Christian woman, and had, from childhood, imbibed a spirit favourable to the profession of Christianity. In fixing these impressions on his mind, it is supposed that Proculus aided with his influence. Proculus is the person who had

H

36

Miracles.

Cent. 3. done a favour to Severus, in consequence of which, he, in the beginning of his reign, moderated his conduct towards the Christians. This favour, is said to have been the miraculously healing Severus of a disease with which he had been afflicted; and so, this pastor came into the good graces of the prince. On the subject of miracles in these ages much has been said, both for and against. One thing is certain, and allowed by all, that they were not so frequent, nor so general, as in the apostolic age. And it is more than probable, that whenever God appeared, eminently, to answer prayer, or to step in with a peculiar providence, the Christians were disposed to call it miraculous. We should not be disposed to grant that all reported miracles were frauds and pretensions; the purity of Christians, in these days, forbids the conclusion; but there was a great want of solid judgment, with much credulity, and a growing superstition, by which peculiar, and great events were often ascribed to miracles, while they might have been traced up to natural and ordinary

causes.

Little worthy of notice occurred during the reign of Caracalla, which lasted from A. D. 211, to 217, and Macrinus succeeded in the empire.

CHAPTER II.

A PERIOD OF ABOUT THIRTY-THREE YEARS.

The Reigns of Macrinus, Heliogabalus, Alexander, Maximin, Pupienus, Gordian and Philip.

DURING the reigns of so many sovereign prinees, much might be expected to furnish a detail of events 3