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thence entering into the Tufcan fea, and paffing by feveral islands and cities, at length they came in view of Puteoli, which being fhewn to him, he haftened to go forth, defirous to tread in the steps of the Apostle Paul; but a violent wind arifing would not permit him to accomplish this defign. The wind continuing favourable, in one day and night, "we indeed (fay the relaters of the martyrdom his attendants) were unwillingly hur ried on, as forrowing to think of being separated from the martyr. But to him it happened according to his wifh, that he might fooner leave the world, and depart to his Lord whom he loved. Wherefore failing into the Roman port, and those impure fports being at an end, the foldiers began to be offended with his flowness, but the Bishop joyfully complied with their haftinefs." The Port was at Oftia, fome miles from Rome, and here he was met by the Roman Chriftians, who intimated their strong defire for his prefervation. Some of them probably had fome influence, and were willing to try it. Ignatius, however, was inflexible. He was now brought to Rome, and prefented to the Prefect of the city.

*

When he was led to execution he was attended by a number of the brethren, and was allowed to join in prayer with them. And he prayed to the Son of God in behalf of the churches, that he would put a stop to the perfecution, and continue the love of the brethren toward each other. He was then led into the amphitheatre, and speedily thrown to the wild beafts. He had here also his wish. The beafts were his grave. A few bones only were left, which the deacons gathered, carefully preferved, and afterwards buried at Antioch. The

I ufe the expreffion of the Acts: let the reader make the ob vious inference for himself.

The writers thus conclude. "We have made "known to you both the day and the time, that "being affembled together according to the time "of his martyrdom, we may communicate with "the magnanimous martyr of Chrift, who trode "under-foot the devil, and completed the course "which he had devoutly wished in Chrift Jefus "our Lord, by whom and with whom all glory "and power be to the Father with the bleffed "Spirit for ever. Amen."

Usher has preserved, or rather reftored to us alfo an epiftle of Polycarp to the Philippians. It breathes the fame fpirit as thofe of his fellowdifciple, but has lefs pathos and vigour of fentiment. Quotations from it will be needlefs. He begs the Philippians to communicate to him what they knew of Ignatius, whom they had feen at Philippi, after his departure from Smyrna. We fee hence how the churches then formed one large fraternity, abstracted from partial views of fupporting little factions and interefts. He exhorts them to obey the word of righteousness, and to exercife all patience, which they had feen exemplified in Ignatius, and in others among themfelves, and in Paul himself, and the reft of the Apoftles; for they loved not this prefent world, but him who died and was raifed again by God for us. By his account it appears, that the Philippians ftill retained the chriftian spirit. One of the Prefbyters, Valens and his wife, had finned through covetoufnefs. Would to God fuch spots in the pastoral character were as fingular in our times! Polycarp beautifully expreffes his charitable concern for them, and exhorts them, in affectionate fympathy, to endeavour to restore their spiritual health.

Thus

Thus much for Trajan's perfecution, for the spirit of chriftians, so far as it can be collected, at that time, for the martyrdom of Ignatius, and for the fignal glory which God was pleafed to diffuse around it among the churches.

CHAP. II.

THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANS DURING THE REIGNS OF ADRIAN AND ANTONINUS PIUS.

TRA

RAJAN died in the year 117. The latter part of his reign had been employed in his great military expedition into the Eaft, whence he lived not to return. His exploits and triumphs fall not within my province; I have no bufinefs with him except in that line, in which to a chriftian he must appear to the greatest disadvantage, and out of which it were heartily to be wished, that he had ever given any evidence of a defire to remove. His fucceffor, Adrian, appears not to have ever iffued any perfecuting edicts. But the iniquity of his predeceffor furvived, and Adrian's filent acquiefcence for a time, gave it fufficient fcope to exert itself in acts of barbarity.

In the mean time the Gofpel fpread more and more. A number of Apoftolical perfons demonftrated by their conduct, that the Spirit, which had influenced the Apoftles, refted upon them. Filled with divine charity, they diftributed their fubftance to the poor, and travelled into regions, which as yet had not heard the found of the Gofpel; and having planted the faith, they ordained other perfons as paftors, committing to

them

them the culture of the new ground, and paffed themselves to other countries. Hence numbers through grace embraced the doctrine of falvation, at the first hearing, with much alacrity*. It is natural to admire here the power of grace in the production of fo pure and charitable a fpirit, tọ contraft it with the illiberal felfifhnefs too prevalent even among the best in our days, and to regret how little is done for the propagation of the Gospel through the world, by nations whofe aids of commerce and navigation are fo much fuperior to thofe enjoyed by the antients. One advantage thefe Chriftians poffeffed indeed, which we have not. They were all one body, one church, of one name, and cordially loved one another as Brethren. The attention to fundamentals, to real christianity, was not diffipated by fchifmatic peculiarities, nor was the body of Chrift rent in pieces by factions. There were indeed many heretics; but real chriftians admitted them not into their communities; the line of distinction was drawn with sufficient precifion, and a dislike of the perfon or offices of Chrift, and of the real fpirit of holiness, difcriminated the heretics and feparation from them, while it was undoubtedly the beft mark of charity to their fouls, tended to preferve the faith and love of true chriftians in genuine purity.

Among thefe holy men Quadratus, was much diftinguished. He fucceeded Publius in the Bishopric of Athens, who had fuffered martyrdom either in this or the foregoing reign. He found the flock in a difperfed and confused state+, their publick affemblies were deferted, their zeal was grown cold and languid, their lives and manners

N

Eufeb, book 3. chap. 33. t Euseb, book 4. 22.

were

1

were corrupted, and they feemed likely to apoftatize from christianity. Quadratus laboured to recover them with much zeal and with equal fuccefs. Order and difcipliné were restored, and with them the holy flame of godlinefs. One of the strongest teftimonies of these things, is the account which the famous Origen, (who lived fome years after) in the fecond book of his treatise againft Celfus, gives of the Athenian Church. While this great man is demonftrating the admirable efficacy of chriftian faith on the minds of men, he exemplifies his pofitions by this very church of Athens, on account of its good order, conftancy, meeknefs, and quietnefs, infinitely fuperior to the common political affembly at Athens, which was factious and tumultuary, and no way to be compared with the chriftian church in that city; he affirms that it was evident, that the worst parts of the church were better than the best of their popular affemblies. This is a very pleasing teftimony to the growth of chriftianity, fince the time that a handful of feed was fown there by St. Paul; and let the teftimony of fo penetrating and fagacious an observer as Origen be confidered, as one of the many proofs that might be given of the happy effect which real chriftianity has on human fociety. To a mind not intoxicated with vain ideas of fecular glory, the christian part of Athens muft appear infinitely more happy and more refpectable, than that commonwealth ever had been in the meridian of it's glory. But we hope in future pages to give much stronger proofs of the advantages derived to fociety from the Gospel.

In the fixth year of his reign, Adrian came to Athens, and was initiated in the Eleufinian myf

* Cave's life of Quadratus.

tèries.

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