Who, if a husband, would not reckon his wife to be in that calamitous fituation, if we feel as men and know what fympathy means? But how great is our common forrow and vexation for the danger of virgins who are there held in bondage. Not only their flavery, but the lofs of their chastity is to be deplored, the bonds of barbarians are not fo much to be deplored as the lewdnefs of men, left members, dedicated to Chrift and devoted * for ever to the honour of continency, fhould be defiled and infulted by the lufts of men. Our brethren, having contemplated all these things with grief, have freely and largely contributed to their relief in the power of faith, ever prone to the work of God, but now much more quickened by forrow to fuch falutary works. For whereas the Lord fays in the gofpel, "I was fick, and ye vifited me;" with how much stronger approbation would he fay, "I was a captive, and ye redeemed me!" and when again he fays, "I was in prifon, and ye came to me;" how much more is it for him to fay, "I was in the prifon of captivity and lay shut up and bound as among barbarians, and ye freed me from the prifon of flavery, to receive your reward of the Lord at the day of judgment !" . Truly we thank you very much that ye wished us to be partakers of your folicitude, and of a work fo good and neceffary, that ye might offer us fertile fields in which we might deposit the feeds of our hope with an expectation of an exuberant harvest. We have sent a hundred thousand sesterces, the collection of our clergy and laity of the church of Carthage, Voluntary celibacy, I apprehend, was in growing repute in the church at that time. St. Paul's advice in the 7th of first Cor, had then many followers, but monastic vows had yet no existence. About 781 1. 5 s. fterling.-See Notes to Epif. 62, Oxford Edit, all the other members rejoice with it ;" and elfewhere, "Who is weak, and I am not weak?” Therefore now the captivity of our brethren is to be reckoned our captivity, and the grief of those who are in danger is to be reckoned as our own grief, fince we are all one body, and not only love, but religion, ought to incite us to redeem the members of the brethren. For fince the Apostle fays again, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” Even if love should not induce us to help our brethren, yet in fuch circumstances we ought to confider, that they are the temples of God, which are taken, and we ought not by a long delay and neglect to fuffer the temples of God to remain in captivity, but to labour with all our might, and quickly to fhew our obfequiousness to Chrift our Judge, OUR LORD AND OUR GOD. For whereas Paul the Apostle fays, "As many of you as have been baptized into Chrift, have been baptized into his death;" in our captive brethren Chrift is to be looked at, and redeemed from the danger of captivity, who redeemed us from the danger of death, that fo he, who fnatched us from the jaws of Satan, may now himself, even he who dwells and inhabits in us, be fnatched from the hands of barbarians, and may be redeemed by a fum of money, who redeemed us by his crofs and blood*: who for that reafon fuffers these things to be done, that our faith may be tried, whether we be willing to do for another what every one would wish to be done for himself, were he a prisoner among the barbarians. For who, if he is a father, would not reckon now his fons to be in a state of captivity? Who, Redemption by the blood of Jefus, union and fellowship with him maintained in the foul by faith, and the returns of love anfwerable to his loving kindness, these are the principles of chriftian benevolence. Who, if a husband, would not reckon his wife to be in that calamitous fituation, if we feel as men and know what fympathy means? But how great is our common forrow and vexation for the danger of virgins who are there held in bondage. Not only their flavery, but the lofs of their chastity is to be deplored; the bonds of barbarians are not fo much to be deplored as the lewdnefs of men, left members, dedicated to Chrift and devoted * for ever to the honour of continency, fhould be defiled and infulted by the lufts of men. Our brethren, having contemplated all these things with grief, have freely and largely contributed to their relief in the power of faith, ever prone to the work of God, but now much more quickened by forrow to fuch falutary works. For whereas the Lord fays in the gospel, "I was fick, and ye vifited me;" with how much stronger approbation would he fay, "I was a captive, and ye redeemed me!" and when again he fays, "I was in prifon, and ye came to me;" how much more is it for him to fay, "I was in the prifon of captivity and lay shut up and bound as among barbarians, and ye freed me from the prifon of flavery, to receive your reward of the Lord at the day of judgment !" . Truly we thank you very much that ye wished us to be partakers of your folicitude, and of a work fo good and neceffary, that ye might offer us fertile fields in which we might depofit the feeds of our hope with an expectation of an exuberant harvest. We have sent a hundred thousand fefterces, the collection of our clergy and laity of the church of Carthage, * Voluntary celibacy, I apprehend, was in growing repute in the church at that time. St. Paul's advice in the 7th of first Cor, had then many followers, but monastic vows had yet no existence. About 781 1. 5 s. fterling.-See Notes to Epif. 62, Oxford Edit, Carthage, which you will difpenfe according to your diligence. Heartily do we wish that no fuch thing may happen again, and that the Lord may protect our brethren from fuch calamities. But if, to try our faith and love, fuch afflictions fhould again befall you, hefitate not to certify us, affuring yourselves of the hearty concurrence of our church with you in prayer and in cheerful contributions. But that you may remember our brethren, who have cheerfully contributed, in your prayers, I have fubjoined the names of each; I have added alfo the names of our colleagues in the ministry, who were present and contributed, in their own names, and in that of the people, and, befides my own proper quantity, I have fet down and fent their fums. For us all I truft you will think yourselves bound to pray. We wish you, brethren, always profperity." To one Cæcilius, an African bishop, he wrote about this time, to correct a practice in adminiftering the Lord's Supper, which had crept into fome churches, of ufing water inftead of wine. The neceffity of wine in the ordinance, as a proper emblem of the blood of Chrift, he infifts on with arguments drawn from the fcriptures. But let it fuffice to have barely mentioned fuch a fubject as this. Soon after the appointment of Stephen to the bishopric of Rome Gallus was flain, after a wretched reign of eighteen months, in the year two hundred and fifty-three. CHAP. CHAP. XIII. THE PACIFIC PART OF VALERIAN'S REIGN. U [NDER Valerian, the fucceffor of Gallus, the church was allowed a longer truce. For that under Gallus feems to have been very fhort and precarious. But for upwards of three years the people of God found in Valerian even a friend and protector. His houfe was full of chriftians, and he had a strong predilection in their favour. The Lord exercises his people in various ways; there are virtues adapted to a state of profperity as well as of adverfity. The wisdom and love of God, which directed the late terrible perfecutions, have in part appeared by the excellent fruits. Let us now collect as we can the works of chriftians during this interval of refreshment. It is not pleasant to leave a guide, while we may have him with us. If Cyprian's affairs detain us long, it is because his eloquent pen ftill attends us. Doubtless there were many before his time, whose christian actions would have equally deferved to be commemorated. But the materials of information are wanting; his letters must still be to us a capital fource of hiftorical instruction. A council was held in Africa by fixty-fix bishops, with Cyprian at their head, during this peace, to fettle, no doubt, various matters relating to the church of Chrift. I imagine all these bishops to have had each small diocefes, and to have fuperintended them with the affiftance of their clergy according to what I conceive to have been the primitive mode of church-government, and fuppofe them to have paid a real regard to their flocks, which was doubt lefs |