by chriftians. Here he ferved his Divine Master in good works, and Paternus in the interim died.

While he was here he heard that the perfecutors had feized nine bifhops, with feveral priefts and deacons and a great number of the faithful, even virgins and children, and after beating them with fticks, had fent them to work in the copper-mines in the mountains. Every one of these bishops had been present at the laft council of Carthage, and their names were Nemefius, Felix, Lucius, a fecond Felix, Litteus, Polus, Victor, Jader, and Dativus. I cannot account for the better treatment which Cyprian received from the Roman governors in any other way than by the refpect that was paid to his fuperior quality, labours, and virtues. Be that as it may, Providence favoured him in a peculiar manner. But his fympathizing fpirit could not but be with his brethren; and what he felt, and how he thought, fee expreffed in a letter to Nemefian and the reft.

"Your glory required, bleffed and beloved brethren, that I ought to come and embrace you, were it not that the confeffion of the fame name has confined me alfo to this place: but I exhibit myself to you as well as I can, and if it is forbidden me to come to you in body, yet I come in fpirit and affection, expreffing my foul in letters, how I exult in your honours, reckoning myself a partner with you, though not in fuffering, yet in the fellowship of love. How can I hold my peace, when I know fuch glorious things of my dearest brethren, with which the Divine appointment hath honoured you; part of you having already been confummated in martyrdom, who will receive a crown of righteoufnefs from the Lord, and the rest as yet in prifons, or in mines, and bonds, exhibiting by the tedioufnefs of punishment greater argu

ments

ments to arm and ftrengthen the brethren, by the retardation of torments advancing to a higher proficiency in chriftian glory, and fure to receive in heaven according to their fufferings.

In truth, that the Lord has thus honoured you affords me no furprize when I confider the blamelefs course of your faith in the church, your firm adherence to the Divine ordinance, your integrity, concord, humility, diligence, mercy in cherishing the poor, conftancy in defence of the truth, and ftrictness of chriftian difcipline; and that nothing might be wanting in you as patterns of good works even now in the confeffion of your voice, and in the fufferings of the body, you stir up the minds of the brethren to divine martyrdom, by exhibiting yourselves as leaders of goodness, fo that while the flock follow their pastor and imitate their prefidents, they may be crowned in like manner by the Lord. That you have been griev oufly beaten by clubs, and have been initiated by that punishment in christian confeffion, is a thing not to be lamented. The body of a christian trembles not on account of clubs, all whofe hope is in wood. The fervant of Chrift acknowledges the emblem of his falvation; redeemed by wood to eternal life, by wood he is advanced to the crown. O feet, embarraffed with fetters indeed, but quickly about to run to Chrift in a glorious courfe! Let malice and cruelty fetter you as they pleafe, quickly you will come from earth and its forrows to the kingdom of heaven. In thofe mines the body is not refreshed by a bed, but Chrift is its

I once for ali obferve, that the want of a juit claffical tafte, in Companion of that of the Auguftan age, and the excefs of falfe rhetorical orcaments, every where appear in Cyprian. This was the property not of the man, but of the tinies, and the meanness of the pun in this place will be forgiven by all who relish the precioufnefs of the docrine connected with it.

its confolation and reft; your limbs, fatigued with labours, lie on the ground; but to lie down with Christ is no punishment. Filth and dirt defile your limbs, void of the cleansing bath; but you are inwardly washed from all uncleannefs. Your allowance of bread is but fcanty; but man doth not live by bread alone, but by the word of God. You have no proper clothes to fence you from the cold; but he who has put on Chrift is clothed abundantly."

He afterwards comforts them by fuitable arguments, under the lofs of means of grace and public worship, and fpeaks of the Lord as rewarding what he himself hath performed in us. "For it

is of him that we conquer; it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which fpeaketh in you." He fhews hence the great fin of unbelief in not trusting him who promifes his aid to thofe who confefs him, and in not fearing him who threatens eternal punishment to thofe who deny him. In conclufion he begs their earnest prayers, that he and they may be freed from the fnares and darkness of the world; that those who in the bond of love and peace had food together against the injuries of heretics and the preffures of the heathen, might together rejoice in celeftial manfions *.

Nemefian and the other bishops returned him an anfwer full of affection and gratitude, from three different places in which they were confined, in which they acknowledge the pecuniary affiftance which Cyprian fent them. He wrote alfo to Rogatian the younger, and other confeffors who were in prifon, moft probably at Carthage, animating them in his ufual manner "to fpurn prefent punishment through the hope of future joys."

*Epif. 78, 79, 80..

He

He speaks with much pleasure alfo of fome women and boys who were partners of their fufferings. He recommends to them the example of the elder Rogatian and the ever-quiet and sober Feliciffimus, who had confummated their martyrdom already.

In the year two hundred and fixty Cyprian returning from exile by permiffion, lived in a garden near Carthage, which was now providentially reftored to him, though he had fold it at his first converfion. His liberal fpirit would have inclined him once more to fell it for the relief of the needy, had he not feared to attract the envy of the perfecutors. Here he regulated the affairs of the church and distributed to the poor what he had left. Here he understood that the perfecution, after a little interval, was broken out afresh, and hearing various reports, he fent fome to Rome to gain certain information. From these he learnt, what he immediately communicated to the brethren, that Valerian had given orders that bishops, prefbyters, and deacons fhould be put to death without delay; that fenators, noblemen, and knights should be degraded and deprived of their property, and if they still perfifted to be chriftians, hould lofe their lives; that women of quality fhould be deprived of their property and banished; that all Cæfar's freedmen who fhould have confeffed, should be ftripped of their goods, chained and fent to work on his eftates. These were Valerian's orders to the fenate, and thus he wrote to the governors of provinces: "These letters we daily expect to arrive, ftanding in the firmnets of faith, in patient expectation of fuffering, and hoping from the Lord's help and kindness, the Hh

crown

* I fuppofe he thus diftinguishes him from the factious Felicifamus, Epif. 81.

Epif. 82.

crown of eternal life," He mentions also the news he had heard of the martyrdom of Xistus the bishop of Rome, and the daily ferocity with which the perfecution was carried on at Rome in all its horrors. He begs that the intelligence may be circulated through Africa, "That we may all think of death, not more than immortality, and in the fulness of faith may rather rejoice at than fear the event."

Galerius Maximus had fucceeded Paternus in the proconfulate, and Cyprian was daily expected to be fent for. In this awful crifis a number of fenators and others, confiderable for their offices or their quality, came to him. Ancient friendfhip melted the minds of fome of them toward the man, and they offered to conceal him in country places, but his foul was now a-thirst for martyrdom. The uncertainty of tedious banishment could not be agreeable to one, who had had fo much experience of this kind; and Valerian's law being exprefsly levelled at men of his character, there feemed little probability of his being long concealed. I believe his generous temper would have been hurt to have endangered any of his old pagan friends on his account. He might then helitate to accept their offers, though he would by no means, according to the fteady maxims of his confcientious prudence, do any thing to ac celerate his own death. Pontius his deacon in his life tells us, in oppofition to the intemperate zeal of those who were for giving themfelves up to the martyrdom, that he had his fears on this head, but his fears were confcientious, left he should difpleafe God by throwing away his life. continued ftill at Carthage exhorting the faithful, and wishing that when he should fuffer martyrdom, death might find him thus employed for his God.

He

However