with constancy: and she thanked God with a, loud voice, embracing his body. Many suffered with her, strengthened by her exhortations.*

The sufferings of many others were very dreadful; it is even painful to write or read the narratives. A woman called Victoria, with amazing constancy supported her cruel tortures, unmoved also by the entreaties of her husband, who besought her to pity their common children.

Victorian, of Adrumetum, was at that time governor of Carthage, under the king. He was the wealthiest man in Africa: to gain him over to arianism was to gain a prize; and Huneric assured him of his particular favour, if he would submit to be re-baptized, and renounce the Trinitarian creed. "Tell the king," said he, "if there were no other life after this, I would not for a little temporal honour be ungrateful to my God, who hath granted me the grace to believe in him." The king, incensed at an answer truly christian, tormented him grievously; and thus he slept in Jesus. At Tambaia two brothers continued a whole day, sus. pended with large stones fastened to their feet. One of them, overcome with the torture, at length desired to recant, and to be taken down. "No, no, said the other, this, brother, is not what we swore to Jesus Christ. I will testify against you, when we come before his awful throne, that we swore by his body and blood, that we would suffer for his sake." He said much more to rouse and encourage him; at length his fellow-sufferer cried out, "Torment as you please, I will follow my brother's example." The executioners were quite fatigued with torturing them by hot irons and hooks, and at length dismissed them, remarking that every one appeared ready to follow the example of the two brothers, and that none was brought over to arianism. I see still the marks of the true church, patiently suffering for the truth's sake, and victorious in suffering.

At Typasa, the secretary of Cirila was ordained bishop by the Arians: the inhabitants seeing this, trans

* Victor, b. v.

ported themselves into Spain, as the distance was but small. Some, who could meet with no vessels, remained in Africa. The new bishop laboured by courtesy to win their favour; but they, in contempt of his ministry, assembled themselves in a private house for public worship. Huneric hearing of this, by a message from the bishop, ordered their tongues to be cut out, and their right hands to be cut off in the public market-place. He seems to have permitted them to retire to Constantinople, but to have been determined to prevent their open confession of the Trinity. Shall I, in compliance with modern prejudices, throw a veil over the rest, or shall I proceed according to historical veracity?-IMPERIOSA TRAHIT VERITAS. A miracle followed, worthy of God, whose majesty had been so daringly insulted, and which must at that time have much strengthened the hearts of the faithful, who needed indeed some peculiar consolations amidst such scenes of horrible persecution. The miracle itself is so well attested, that I see not how it can be more so. The reader shall have both the fact and its proofs. Though their tongues were cut out to the root, they spake as well as before, "and if any doubt," says Victor of Vita, "let him go to Constantinople, where he will find a sub-deacon called REPARATUS, one who was thus treated, who speaks plainly, and who has a particular respect shewn him in the palace of the emperor Zeno, especially by the empress."

Eneas, of Gaza, a platonic philosopher, a cautious and prudent person, was at that time at Constantinople, and writes thus in the conclusion of his dialogue on the resurrection. "I myself saw them, heard them speak, and wondered, that their utterance could be so articulate. I searched for the organ of speech, and not trusting my ears, was resolved to have the proof of the eyes. Causing them to open their mouths, I saw

Gibbon, (vol. iii. c. xxxviii. Decline of Rom. Emp.) is struck with this evidence, in conjunction with that of the rest. Yet he intimates that the infidel's suspicion is incurable. Does he allude to himself? To what purpose does he say so, if he does not? if he does, what is this but to deny all reasonable evidence, and confess himself to be unreasonable ›

that their tongues were plucked out even by the roots, and was then more surprised, that they could live, than that they could speak. Is this sufficient evidence? Hear more: Procopius, the historian, in his history of the Vandalic war, says, Huneric ordered the tongues of many to be cut out, who were afterwards seen in the streets of Constantinople when I was there, talking without any impediment, or feeling any inconvenience from what they had suffered. Count Marcellinus, in his Chronicons, says, "I have seen some of this company of faithful confessors at Constantinople, who had their tongues cut out, but spake without any imperfection in their utterance." To name only one more witness: the great emperor Justinian, in a constitution published by him for Africa, after it had fallen into his dominion, testifies, that he had beheld the same.†

Numbers were maimed in various ways. Some lost their hands, some their feet, others their eyes, their noses, or their ears. Dagila, wife of one of the King's cup-bearers, though nobly born and brought up tenderly, was severely scourged and banished into a desert, joyfully forsaking her house, husband, and children.

Seven monks of Capsa having been persuaded to come to Carthage, flattered with fair promises, and the royal favour, shewed, however, THAT THEY HAD ANOTHER SPIRIT in them. Inflexibly firm in the profession of the Trinity, and disappointing the hopes of Huneric, they were martyred by his orders.

The whole clergy of Carthage, after having been almost starved with hunger, were exiled. Elpidiphorus, who had been baptized into the faith of the Trinity, and who had had for his sponsor the deacon Muritta, was more active than others in tormenting the faithful. As they were preparing to stretch Muritta on the rack, the venerable aged person suddenly drew out, from under his robe, the linen with which he had covered Elpidiphorus at his coming out of the font, and spreading it in the view of the whole company, he said to the

apostate, who sat as his judge, "Behold the linen which shall accuse you at the coming of the great Judge, and shall cast you headlong into the lake of brimstone, because you have clothed yourself with cursing, by recouncing the true baptism and the faith." Elpidiphorus was confounded and unable to answer. Two

Vandals, who loved the faith, accompanied by their mother, forsook their wealth, and followed the clergy into banishment. Theucarius, an apostate, advised the Arian governors, to recall some of the young children, whom he, according to his office, had taught to sing the service of the church, and whom he knew to have the best voices. Messengers were sent to recall twelve, who, weeping and holding the banished clergy by their knees, refused to leave them. They were separated from them by force, and were brought back to Carthage. But neither flatteries nor the bastinado could cure them of their attachment. These, after the persecution was over, were held in high estimation in the church. The Arian bishops went every where armed with swords, accompanied by their clergy. One, named Anthony, distinguished himself by his cruel treatment of Eugenius of Carthage, who was his prisoner, and whose life he in vain attempted to destroy by repeated severities. Another bishop, called Habet Deum, was bound by him hand and foot. Anthony stopping his mouth, poured water on his body. "My brother, said the Arian, unbinding him, you are now a christian, as well as we: what should hinder you in future, from obeying the will of the king?" "While you were stopping my mouth, I made, said the holy confessor, a protestation against your violence, which the angels have written down, and will present to God."

The barbarity was general: persons were stopped on the highways, and brought to Arian bishops, who re-baptized them, and gave them certificates, to prevent their suffering the same violence again. None were permitted to pass from place to place without these certificates. The Arian clergy went, even in the night time, with armed men into houses, carrying water with them, with which they sprinkled persons in their beds, crying out that

they had made them christians. They put the physician Liberatus and his wife into separate prisons, when somebody informed the latter, that her husband had obeyed the king. "Let me see him, says she, and I will do what is well-pleasing to God." They took her out of the prison to her husband, to whom she said, taking him by the throat, "Unhappy man, unworthy of the grace of God, said she, why will you perish eternally for a transitory glory? Will your gold and silver deliver you from hell-fire?" "What is the matter, wife, he replied; what have they been telling you? I am what I was by the grace of Jesus Christ, and will never renounce the faith."

Cresconius, a presbyter of the city of Myzenta, was found dead in a cavern of mount Zica. Various persons of both sexes fleeing from the persecution, suffered thus through cold and hunger.

At length, after an horrible reign of seven years and ten months, in which time the church was purged by as severe a persecution as any ever known, in the year 485 died the tyrant Huneric of a disease, in which hewas corroded by worms,-a signal monument of divine justice! Gontamond, his nephew and successor, stopped the persecution, and recalled Eugenius to Carthage. In the year 487, a council was held at Rome, with Felix, the bishop, at its head,* in which were forty bishops of Italy, four of Africa, and seventy-six priests. The rules of penance, prescribed by this synod, on occasion of the late persecution, partook partly of the prevailing superstitions, and partly of the primitive strictness of discipline. Clergymen, who had suffered themselves to be re-baptized, were deprived not only of the ministry, but even of lay-communion, till their death. Other articles breathe the same severe spirit: yet I rejoice, amidst the excess of discipline, to find, that real religion was honoured. One rule of the council deserves to be mentioned for its good sense. 'No clergyman shall receive into his city the penitent of another bishop, without his certificate in writing.'

* Ep. 7. Felix.