66

this head than many are difpofed to pay. The brotherly fellowship of churches much depends on this point, their endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Cyprian concludes in this nervous manner: "I have written these things with a pure confcience, and in the confidence of my God. You have my letters, I have yours, both will be recited in the day of judgment before the tribunal of Chrift*."

A controverfy now arofe in the church, while the pacific fpirit of Valerian continued to protect it, which reflects no honour on any of the parties concerned in it. The queftion was, whether perfons returning from herefies into the church ought to be re-baptized. The active fpirit of Cyprian was employed, partly by a council in Africa, and partly by his letters, in maintaining that the baptifm of heretics was null and void, that even Novatian baptifm ought to be looked upon in the fame light. Stephen of Rome maintained that if they were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, it was fufficient to receive them into the church by impofition of hands; and though nothing was at prefent decided, becaufe no party had power to compel others, yet most chriftians have agreed long fince with Stephen. That the efficacy of a facrament, rightly adminiftered, depends not on the character of him that adminifters it, is the voice of good fenfe as well as of the church of England. But the cha.. racter which Cyprian had not undeservedly acquired by his labours and fufferings, procured him a much greater degree of ftrength than either the importance of his caufe or the weight of his arguments merited. Even Firmilian of Cappadocia in a long letter fupported his fide of the question.

* Epif. 69.

queftion. He occafionally mentions in it a story of a woman, about twenty-two years before the date of this letter, who profeffed herself a prophetefs, and for a long time deceived the brethren with her extatic raptures, till one of the exorcifts confuted her pretenfions. It is worth while juft to have mentioned this to fhew that delufions have ever been raised by Satan to disgrace the work of God. It appears by his letter that Stephen behaved with much violence and afperity in the contest, not even admitting to a conference the brethren who came to him from diftant parts, who were of Cyprian's opinion, and denying to them the common rights of hofpitality. Another circumftance which turns out in the courfe of this controversy is, that Cyprian juftly enough decides that those whose weak state of health did not permit them to be washed in water, were yet fufficiently baptized by being sprinkled, and obferves that the virtue of baptifm ought not to be estimated, in a carnal manner, by the quantity of external apparatus.

How weak alas is man! A peace of three years has fet the church in a flame among themselves for a trifle! and one of the best and wifeft of men, in his day, by his zeal for unity and his care against innovations, is betrayed into the fupport of an indefenfible point of mere ceremony, which tends to the encouragement of fuperftition and the weakening of brotherly love. How foon do we forget that "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft!" with what difficulty is any thing of the real love of Jefus and the fruits of it preserved in the church. All this proves in the frongest manner how mighty and gracious the Lord is in ftill preferving a church in the earth,

how

* Epif. 75.

Epif. 76.

how dark and corrupt man is, how active and fubtil Satan is, how precious is that blood which cleanfes from all fin, and how true is that book which contains fuch falutary doctrine and fo faithfully describes the mifery of man! How fafely may its account of the way of falvation be rested on! How pleafing the profpect it exhibits of the church above!

The reader would juftly think my time and his own ill spent in unravelling the niceties of this trifling controverfy. God has a fcourge for his froward children; perfecution lowers again with recollected strength, and christians are called on to forget their idle internal fquabbles, to humble themselves before him, and prepare for fcenes of horror and defolation.

CHAP. XIV.

THE LAST ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF CYPRIAN.

HE change in the difpofition of Valerian to

TH

wards the chriftians, which now took place, is one of the most memorable inftances of the inftability of human characters. More than all his predeceffors he was difpofed to kindness towards the chriftians. Not even Philip was fo courteous and friendly towards them. His palace was full of the friends of Jefus, and was looked on as a fanctuary. But now, after he had reigned three years, he was induced by his favourite Macrianus to commence a deadly perfecution. This man dealt largely in magical enchantments and abominable facrifices, he flaughtered children, and

fcattered

fcattered the entrails of new-born babes. The perfecution of chriftians was an exploit worthy of a mind fo fafcinated with diabolical wickedness and folly. He found in Valerian but too ready a difciple. The perfecution began in the year two hundred and fifty-feven, and continued the remainder of his reign, three years and a half. Stephen of Rome appears to have died a natural death about the beginning of it. For there is no evidence of his martyrdom, and we want the proofs which might there be afforded, whether his turbulent and afpiring fpirit was combined with any thing of genuine chriftianity. He was fucceeded by Sixtus.

Cyprian, who had efcaped two perfecutions, was now made the victim of the third, though by flow degrees, and attended with circumstances of comparative lenity. Every thing relating to him is fo interesting, that it may not be amifs to profecute his story in a connected manner to his death, and to referve the narrative of other objects of this perfecution till afterwards.

He was feized by the fervants of Paternus the proconful of Carthage, and brought into his council-chamber. "The facred emperors, Valerian and Gallienus," fays Paternus, "have done me. the honour to direct letters to me, in which they have decreed, that all men ought to adore the gods whom the Romans adore, and on pain of being flain with the fword. I have heard that you defpife the worship of the gods, whence I advise you to confult for yourfelf and honour them." "I am a chriftian," replied the prelate," and know no god but the one true God, who created heaven and earth, the fea, and all things in them. This God we chriftians ferve; to him we pray

Dyonyfius of Alex.-Eufeb. B. 7. C. 9.

night and day for all men, and even for the eperors." "You fhall die the death of a malefactor, if you perfevere in this inclination. *" "That is

a good inclination which fears God," anfwered Cyprian," and therefore must not be changed." "You must then, by the will of the princes, be banished." "He is no exile," it was replied, "who has God in his heart, for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." Paternus faid, "Before you go, tell me where are your prefbyters, who are faid to be in this city ?" With much prefence of mind Cyprian reminded him of the edicts made by the best Roman princes against the practice of informers: "They ought not therefore to be difcovered by me, but you may find them, and you yourfelves do not approve of men offering themselves voluntarily to you." " I will make you discover them by torments." "By me," the intrepid bishop rejoined, they fhall not be discovered." "Our princes have ordered that chriftians hold no conventicles, and whoever breaks this rule fhall be put to death." "Do what you are ordered," Cyprian calmly replied.

t

Paternus however was not difpofed to hurt Cyprian. Moft probably he refpected the character of the man, which by this time must have been highly esteemed, through a fhining feries of good works in Africa. Having made fome ineffectual attempts to work on his fears, he fent him into banishment to Curubis, a little town fifty miles from Carthage, fituate by the fea, over against Sicily. The place was healthy, the air good, and by his own defire he had private lodgings. The citizens of Curubis, during the eleven months which he lived among them, treated him with great kindness, and he was repeatedly visited

*The paffion of Cyprian in Pam. Edit.-Fleury's Hift. B. 7.

by