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were ejected by chriftians in the name of Chrift, in the face of apoftates, who would have been glad of the fhadow of an argument to justify their perfidy.

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The captain of the horse coming to the prifon, ordered Pionius to come to the idol-temple. "Your bishop Eudemon hath already facrificed,' fays he. The martyr, knowing that nothing of this fort could be done legally till the arrival of the proconful, refused. The captain put a cord about his neck, and dragged him along with Sabina and others. They cried, "We are chriftians," and fell to the ground, left they fhould enter the idol-temple. Pionius, after much refiftance, was forced in and laid on the ground before the altar; there ftood the unhappy Eudemon, after having facrificed.

· Lepidus, a judge, asks, "What God do you adore?" Him," fays Pionius, " that made heaven and earth." "You mean him that was crucified?" "I mean him whom God the Father fent for the falvation of men." "We must," said the judges one to another, "compel them to fay what we defire." "Blush," answered Pionius, "ye adorers of falfe gods; have fome refpect to justice, and obey the laws; they enjoin you not to do violence to us, but to put us to death."

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One Ruffinus faid, Forbear, Pionius, your thirst after vain-glory." "Is this your eloquence?". anfwered the martyr: "Is this what you have read in your books? Was not Socrates thus treated by the Athenians? According to your advice he fought after vain-glory, because he applied himself to wisdom and virtue." A cafe thus appofite, and which doubtless bore fome resemblance, as the philofopher's zeal for moral virtue expofed him to perfecution, ftruck Ruffinus dumb.. A certain

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A certain perfon placed a crown on Pionias's head, which he tore, and the pieces lay before the altar. The pagans, finding their persuasions vain, remanded them to prifon.

A few days after the proconful Quintilian returned to Smyrna and examined Pionius. He tried both tortures and perfuafions in vain, and at length, enraged at his obftinacy, fentenced him to be burnt alive. He went cheerfully to the place of execution, and thanked God who had preferved his body pure from idolatry. Then he stretched himfelf out upon the wood, and delivered himself to a foldier to be nailed to the pile. After he was fastened, the executioner faid to him, "Change your mind, and the nails fhall be taken away." "I have felt them," answered he. After remaining thoughtful for a-time, he said, “I haften, O Lord, that I may the fooner be raised up again." They then lifted him up, faftened to the wood, and afterwards one Metrodorus, a Marcionite. They were turned toward the eaft, Pionius on the right hand and Metrodorus on the left. They heaped round them a great quantity of wood. Pionius remained fome time motionlefs, with his eyes fhut, absorbed in prayer while the fire was confuming him. Then at length he opened his eyes, and looking cheerfully on the fire, faid, "Amen," and expired faying, "Lord, receive my foul." Of the particular manner in which his tompanions fuffered death we have no account:

I have extracted a confiderable part of this narrative, in which we fee the spirit of Divine charity triumphing over all worldly and selfish confiderations. The zeal of Pionius deferves to be commemorated while the world endures. It seems to have led him to a forgetfulness of himself, and to have abforbed him in the vindication of Divine Truth

Truth to the last. One may judge what a faithful preacher of the gospel he had been, who seems intent on the bleffed work amidst his bitterest sufferings. What true religion is in its fimplicity, seems in him exemplified abundantly.

If there is any thing particular in the treatment he underwent, it confifts in the repeated pains taken to preserve him. Is it that the man was much refpected, though the chriftian was abhorred? Integrity and uprightnefs, when eminent and supported by wisdom and good fenfe, fail not to overawe, to captivate, and to foften mankind. The voice of nature will speak for them, but they cannot conquer the natural enmity of the heart against God.

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There are many good reasons which may be af figned why found learning ought to be cultivated among chriftians, especially by all who mean to be pastors of Chrift's flock. This the cafe of Pionius obviously intimates. A character for knowledge never fails to enfure refpect. It is not money, nor rank, nor power, nor quality, that will command efteem: Knowledge fecures it a thoufand times more with mankind. It is evident that Pionius was a man of learning, and that his perfecutors refpected him on that account, and took pains to preserve him. We may conceive how use. ful this accomplishment had been in his miniftry.

One remark more on this ftory. A Montanift and a Marcionite are his fellow-fufferers. The latter is confumed with him in the flames. Doubt. lefs, from all the lights of antiquity, both these herefies appear in an odious light. But there might be exceptions, and who fo likely as those who fuffered? We must not confine the truth of godliness to any particular denomination. Providence, by mixing perfons of very oppofite

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parties in the fame scene of perfecution, demonftrates that the pure faith and love of Jefus may operate in those who cannot own each other as brethren: I know not whether Pionius and Metrodorus did fo on earth; I hope they do fo in heaven.

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In Afia one Maximus a merchant was brought before Optimus the proconful, who inquired after. his condition?" I was born free," fays he, "but I am the fervant of Jefus Christ." "Of what profeffion are you?" "A man of the world, who live by my dealings." "Are you a christian?" "Though a finner, yet I am a christian." ufual process was carried on of perfuafions and tortures." These are not torments which we fuffer for the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift; they are wholesome unctions." Such the effect of the Holy Ghoft fhedding the love of God in Chrift abroad in the human heart! He was ordered to be ftoned to death *.

All this time the perfecution raged in Egypt with unremitting fury. In the lower Thebais there was a young man named Paul, to whom, at fifteen years of age, his parents left a great estate. He was a person of much learning, of a mild temper, and full of the love of God. He had a married fifter, with whom he lived. Her husband was bafe enough to defign an information against him, in order to obtain his eftate. Paul, having notice of this, retired to the defert mountains, where he waited till the perfecution ceafed. Habit, at length, made folitude agreeable to him. He found a pleasant retreat, and lived there fourfcore and ten years. He was at the time of his retirement twenty-three, and lived to be an hundred

* Fleury, B. 6-40.

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and thirteen years old. This is the firft diftinct account of an hermit in the chriftian church. No doubt ought to be made of the genuine piety of Paul. Those who in our days condemn all Monks with indiscriminate contempt, feem to forget what times they live in themselves, and what times the first Monks lived in. Was not folitude better than fuch fociety as that which chriftians were expofed to in the days of Decius? Was there a day, an hour in which they had the least enjoyment of fociety, or fecurity of any of its benefits? What could a chriftian eye or ear obferye but what muft be exceedingly diftafteful to him? Paul loving folitude in fuch circumstances is no more to be wondered at than Elijah the prophet. But he carried it too far. With the return of peace the return of focial duties should have taken place. Yet a heart breathing the pureft love to God may naturally enough be led to think the perfection of godlinefs attainable only in folitude. The increafing fpirit of fuperftition foon produced a number of Pauls. The worst effect of it was, that those who had only external religion placed their righteoufnefs in monaftic aufterities; and thus, from the depraved imitations of well-meant beginnings, one of the strongest fupports of falfe religion gradually ftrengthened itself in the chriftian world.

And here we clofe the account of the Decian perfecution. Its author is admired by Pagan writers. What has been faid of Trajan and Antoninus, moralifts, but perfecutors, is applicable to him.

It cannot be denied, that for thirty months the Prince of Darknefs had full opportunity to glut his rage. But the Lord meant to chaften and to purify his church, not to deftroy. The whole scene is memorable on feveral accounts.

* Fleury, B. 6-48.

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