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strange and new religion, and despise the most excruciating tortures, and die with joy. "Now let "us fee if they will rife again, and if their God "can help them and deliver them out of our "hands."*

Eufebius obferves here, that the reader may judge by analogy of the fierceness of this perfecution in other parts of the empire, from this detail of the affairs at Lyons; and then adds fomething from the epiftle concerning the humility, meeknefs, and charity of the martyrs, which he contrafts with the unrelenting spirit of the Novatians, which afterwards appeared in the church. "They were fuch fincere followers of Chrift, who, though he was in the form of a man, thought it not robbery to be equal with God," that though elevated to fuch height of glory, and though they had born witnefs for Christ not once or twice only, but often, in a variety of fufferings, yet they affumed not the venerable name of martyrs, nor permitted us to address them as fuch. But if any of us by letter or word gave them the title, they reproved us vehemently. For it was with much pleasure that they gave the appellation in a peculiar fense to Him who is the faithful and true witness, the firft-begotten from the dead, and the Prince of divine life. And they remembered with refpect the deceased martyrs, and faid, they indeed were martyrs whom Chrift hath deigned to receive to himself in their confeffion, fealing their teftimony by their exit, but we are low and mean confeffors. With tears they intreated the brethren to pray fervently for them, that they might be perfected.

The

*The natural enmity of the human mind against the things of God was never more ftrongly exemplified than in this perfecution. The folly of thinking to defeat the counfels of God appears molt confpicuous; and fo does the faith and hope of a bleffed refurrec tion, the peculiarly animating theme of true chriftians

The energy, however, of the character of martyrs they exhibited in real facts, anfwering with much boldness to the Gentiles; and their magnanimity, undaunted, calm, and intrepid, was vifible to all the world, though the fear of God induced them to refuse the title of martyrs. They humbled themfelves under the mighty hand by which they are now exalted. They were ready to give a modest reafon of the hope that was in them before all, they accufed none; they took pleasure in commending, none in cenfuring, and they prayed for their murderers, as Stephen the accomplished martyr did, "Lord lay not this fin to their charge.' And if he prayed thus for those who stoned him, how much more for the brethren? This was indeed their ambition, that, by the genuine folidity of their charity, the malignant dragon being fuffocated, might be obliged to difgorge himself of thofe alive and unhurt, whom he thought he had devoured. Nor did they glory over the lapsed; they supplied their weakneffes with maternal tendernefs, and fhed many tears over them to the Father; they afked life for them, and he gave them it, which they were glad to communicate to their neighbours, in all things coming off victorious before God, ever cultivating peace, ever commending peace, in peace they went to God, not leaving trouble to their mother, the church, nor faction and fedition to the brethren, but joy, peace, unanimity, and charity."

Eufebius has given us another paffage alfo which deferves attention. Alcibiades, one of the martyrs, had led the life of an Afcetic before the perfecution, and used to fubfift only on bread and water; as he continued the fame regimen while in confinement, it was revealed in a vision to Attalus, R 3

* I Pet. v.

after

after his firft conteft in the amphitheatre, that AIcibiades did ill not to use the creatures of God, and gave an occafion of fcandal to others. Alcibiades was hence induced to change his diet, and partake of the bounty of God with thanksgiving. In truth, these martyrs appear to have been not left deftitute of the grace of God, but to have indeed been favoured with the influences of the Holy Ghoft.-Eufebius tells us also of an epistle directed by these martyrs to Eleutherus the Bishop of Rome, in which they give a very honourable encomium of Irenæus the prefbyter. Of him we fhall have occafion to speak more hereafter. He was appointed fucceffor to Pothinus, outlived the ftorm, and governed the church afterwards with much ability and fuccefs. The letter to the churches of Afia and Phrygia, of which Eufebius has given us fuch large and valuable extracts, seems to give a ftrong idea of his piety and judgment.

The fuperftitions which afterwards broke out with fo much strength, and like a strong mift fo long obfcured the light of the church, appear not to have tarnished the glory of thofe Gallic martyrs. The case of Alcibiades, and the wholesome check which the Divine goodnefs put to his wellmeant aufterities, demonftrate that exceffes of this nature had not yet gained any remarkable afcendancy in the church. And the defcription of the humility and charity of the martyrs fhews a fpirit much fuperior to that which we fhall have occafion, with regret, to notice in some fucceeding annals of martyrdom. In a word, the power of Divine Grace appears little lefs than apoftolical in the church at Lyons. The only difagreeable circumftance in the whole narrative is the too florid and tumid ftile, peculiar to the Afiatic

Greeks,

Greeks, and which Cicero, in his Rhetorical works, fo finely contrafts to the Attic neatness and purity. In a tranflation it seems scarce poffible to do juftice to thoughts extremely evangelical and spiritual, clothed originally in fo tawdry a garb. Yet under this great difadvantage a dif cerning eye will fee much of the unction of real godliness. At first fight we are struck with the difference between primitive fcriptural chriftianity, and that affectation of rational divinity, which has fo remarkably gained the afcendant in Christendom in our times. In the account we have read, the good influence of the Holy Spirit on the one hand, and the evil influence of Satan on the other, are brought forward every where to our view. In our times both are concealed, or almost annihilated, and nothing appears but what is merely human. Whether of the two methods is moft agreeable to the fcripture, must be obvious to every serious and honeft enquirer. Chrift's kingdom, in the narrative before us, appears indeed fpiritual and divine; christian faith, hope, and charity, do their work under the direction of his Spirit; chriftians are humble, meek, heavenlyminded, patient, fuftained continually with aid invifible, and you fee Satan actively, but unfuccefffully, engaged against them. In modern chriftian religion, what a different taste and spirit! every thing is of this world! policy, ambition, the dif play and parade of learning and argument, the belief of Satanic influence ridiculed always as weak fuperftition, and natural reafon and felf-fufficiency triumphing without measure, leave no room for the exhibition of the work of God and the power of the Holy Ghost !

CHAP.

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CHAP. VII.

THE STATE OF CHRISTIANS UNDER THE REIGNS OF COMMODUS, PERTINAX, AND JULIAN, AND THE STORY OF PEREGRINUS.

THE

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HE reigns of the two laft-mentioned Emperors which close the century are short, and contain no chriftian memoirs. That of Commodus is remarkable for the peace granted to the church of Chrift through the world. The means which Divine Providence used for this purpose is ftill more fo. Marcia, a woman of low rank, was the favourite concubine of this Emperor. She had on fome account, not now understood, a predilection for the chriftians, and employed her intereft with Commodus in their favour. I He was himself the most vicious and profligate of all mortals, though the fon of the grave Marcus Antoninus. Those who looked at fecular ob

jects and moral decorum alone, might regret the change of Emperors. In one particular point only Commodus was more juft and equitable than his father. The church of Chrift is as abhorrent in its plan and spirit from moral Philofophers as from Debauchees, and though friendly to every thing virtuous and laudable in fociety, has a taste peculiarly its own. And the power and goodness of God in making even fuch wretched characters as Commodus and Marcia to ftem the torrent of perfecution, and to afford a breathing time of 12 years under the fon, after 18 years of the most cruel fufferings under the Father, deserve

Eufeb. B. 5. C. 19.

Dion Caffius.

to

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