It was not a local or intermitting perfecution, but univerfal, and must have tranfmitted great numbers to the regions where fin and pain fhall be no more. The peace of thirty years had corrupted the whole christian atmosphere. The lightening of the Decian rage refined and cleared it. No doubt the effects were falutary to the church. Without fuch a fcourge external chriftianity might have still spread, and internal have been no more. The furvivors had an opportunity to learn what the gospel is, in the faithfulness of the martyrs; and men were taught again, that he alone who ftrengthens chriftians to fuffer, can make true chriftians. Yet the ftorm proved fatal to a number of individuals who apoftatized, and chriftianity was cleared of many falfe friends. Two other evils we have alfo feen. The formation of fchifms and of fuperftitious folitudes had their date from the Decian perfecution.

CHA P. XII.

THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH DURING THE REIGN

TH

OF GALLUS.

HE fucceffor of Decius gave the church a little pause. In that space the two little treatises of Cyprian concerning the lapfed and concerning unity, were doubtlefs of fome fervice in difpofing the minds of men to preferve the unity of the church, and in recovering the lapfed to a state of penitence. In the latter of these treatises indeed it must be confeffed he carries his cenfure of the Novatians too far. The fin and

the

the danger of rending the body of Chrift might have been stated in the ftrongest terms. To pronounce the evil absolutely damnable was carrying the matter beyond the bounds of moderation. But the fame candour which fhould incline one to apprehend Novatian meant well in his too rigid fcheme, pleads alfo for Cyprian's zeal in the maintenance of unity. He feems to have felt the evil as most deftructive, and knows not terms ftrong enough to exprefs his deteftation of it.

But Gallus foon began to difturb the peace of the church, though not with the inceffant fury of his predeceffor. One Hyppolitus, a Roman prefbyter, had been feduced into Novatianifm; but his mind had not been perverted from the faith and love of Jefus. He was now called on to fuffer martyrdom, which he did with courage and fidelity. Either curiofity or a defire of inftructive information induced fome to afk him in the laft fcepe of his fufferings, whether he still perfifted in the communion of Novatian? He declared in the most explicit terms, that he now faw the affair in a new light, repented of his having encouraged the fchifm, and died in the communion of the general church. One may conceive fuch a teftimony muft have weakened the influence of the fchifm*.

In this perfecution of Gallus it was that Cornelius confeffed the faith of Chrift, and was banifhed to Civita Vecchia by the emperor, which gave occafion to the congratulatory letter of Cyprian; in one part of it he reflects on the Novatians with his ufual vehemence. The reft breathes a fervent spirit of piety and charity, and throws a strong light on two facts, both that the perfecution of

Fleury, B. 7. x,

Gallus

Gallus was fevere, and that the Roman christians bore it with becoming and exemplary fortitude.

"We have known, dearest brother, the glorious teftimonies of your faith and virtue, and we have received the honour of your confeffion with fuch exultation, that, in the praises of your excellent conduct, we reckon ourfelves partners and companions. For, as we have but one church, united hearts and indivifible concord, what paftor rejoices not in the honours of his fellow-paftors as his own? Or what brotherhood does not every where exult in the joy of brothers? We cannot exprefs how great was our exultation and joy when we heard of your profperous fortitude; that you were at Rome the leader of the confeffion, but that the confeffion of the leader grew with the confeffion of the brethren, that while you led the way to glory, you incited many companions of your glory, and perfuaded the people to confefs, while you were prepared to confefs for them all; fo that we are at a lofs which most to celebrate, your active and fteady faith, or the infeparable charity of the brethren. The virtue of the bishop leading the way was publicly approved, the union of the brethren following him was exhibited. While one mind and one voice was among you all, the whole Roman church confeffed, Your faith which the Apostle fo much celebrated fhone illuftrioufly. He forefaw in fpirit this firmnefs of yours, and while he commends the fathers he ftirs up the fons to imitation. While you are thus unanimous and firm, your example is moft inftructive. Ye have taught largely the great lef fons of fearing God, of firmly adhering to Chrift, of uniting paftors and people in one common danger, of uniting brethren with brethren in perfecution, that a concord thus united is invincible;

that

that the God of Peace gives to the peace-makers that which is jointly asked by all. With terrible violence the adverfary rushed to attack the foldiers of Chrift, but was bravely repulfed.

He hoped again to fupplant the fervants of God, as rude novices and improvident. He hoped to circumvent one of the faithful. But he found the united refiftance of all the faithful. He underftood that the foldiers of Chrift ftand fober and armed to the battle, that they cannot be conquered; that they may die, and are invincible on this very account, because they fear not to die; that they refift not aggreffors, fince it is not lawful for them, though innocent, to kill the guilty, but that they readily give up life and blood; that while wickednefs and cruelty rage fo fiercely in the world, they may the more quickly depart from the evil. What a glorious fpectacle under the eyes of God! What a joy in the fight of Christ and his church, that not a fingle foldier, but the whole army together, endured the warfare! For if they could have heard, all would have come, fince every one came who heard. How many lapfed are restored by a glorious confeffion! They flood firm; and by the very grief of their penitence were made more magnanimous; their former fall may now appear to have been the effect of fudden tremor: they now return to themfelves, collecting real faith and strength from the fear of God, and pant for martyrdom.

As much as poffible we exhort our people not to cease to be prepared for the approaching conteft, by watching, fafting, and prayers. Let our groans and fupplications be frequent. Thefe are our celeftial arms; these our fortreffes and weapons.

* A plain proof of the paffivenefs of chriftians, ftill continued from the Apoftolic age, under the molt unjust treatment.

pons. Let us remember one another, unanimous and united, praying for one another, and relieving our preffures and diftreffes with mutual charity. And whichfoever of us fhall first be called hence, let our love perfevere before the Lord, let not our prayers cease before the mercy of our Father, for the brethren and fifters."

So ardent was the fpirit of Cyprian in the expectation of martyrdom! So little account did he make of temporal things! and in fo natural and eafy a manner did he count thefe terrible scenes as matter of joy; but he was referved beyond the life of Gallus as well as Decius for the ufe of the church. Of Cornelius's death we have no particular account; only we know he died in exile. The faithfulness of his sufferings for Chrift evinces all along whose fervant he was. In other refpects I know little or no evidence of his character, nor can I conceive highly of his parts and capacity from the little fpecimen which we have of his writings.

It is no wonder that Cyprian, who had feen and known fuch dreadful devaftations under Decius, finding, after a very short interval, the perfecution renewed by Gallus, fhould be tempted to imagine the approach of Antichrift, the end of the world, and the day of judgment to be at hand. Sagacious and holy men are never more apt to be deceived than when they attempt to look into futurity. God hath made the present so much the exclufive object of our duty, that he will scarce fuffer any of his beft and wifeft fervants to gain any credit, in conjecturing concerning the times and the feafons, which he hath put in his own power. The perfecution of Gallus proved however a light one compared with that of Decius. Under very formidable apprehenfions of it Cyprian wrote an ani