However being informed that the proconful, then at Utica, had fent fome foldiers to bring him thither, he was induced to comply for a feafon with the advice of his friends, to retire to fome place of concealment, that he might not suffer at Utica, but if he was called to martyrdom might finish his life among his own people at Carthage; fo he states the matter in the lait of his letters to the clergy and people. "Here," fays he, "in this concealment I wait for the return of the proconful to Carthage, ready to appear before him, and to say what shall be given me at the hour. Do you, dear brethren, do you agreeably to the difcipline you have always received, and to the instructions you have learnt from me, continue ftill and quiet; let none of you excite any tumult on account of the brethren, or offer himself voluntarily to the Gentiles. He who is feized and delivered up ought to fpeak; the Lord in us will Speak at that hour; and confeffion rather than profeffion is our duty."

The proconful being returned to Carthage, Cyprian returned to his garden; while he was there, two officers with foldiers came to feize him. They carried him in a chariot between them to a place called Sextus, fix miles from Carthage, by the fea fide, where the proconful lodged indifpofed. The proconful deferred the affair till the next day, and he was carried back to the lodgings of the chief of the officers about the distance of a stadium from the prætorium. The news fpread through Carthage, his celebrity on account of his good works drew prodigious crowds to the fcene, not only of chriftians, but of infidels, who revered the virtue of the man.

The chief of the officers guarded him, but in a courteous manner; fo that he ate with his friends, Hh 2

and

and had them about him as ufual. The chriftians paffed the night in the ftreet before his lodgings, and the charity of Cyprian moved him to direct a particular attention to be paid to the young women who were among the crowd. The next day the proconful fent for Cyprian, who went to the prætorium attended by crowds of people. The proconful not yet appearing, he was ordered to wait for him in a private place, where he fat down. Being in a great perfpirátion, a foldier, who had been a christian, offered him fresh clothes. "Shall we," fays Cyprian, "feek for a remedy for that which may laft no longer than to day?"

66

He was at length Brought into the judgmenthall, where the proconful fat. "Are you Thafcius Cyprian?" "I am.” "Are you he whom the christians call their bifhop?" "I am." " Our. princes have ordered you to worship the gods." That I fhall not do." "You will do better to confult your fafety, and not defpife the gods.' "My fafety and virtue is Chrift the Lord, whom I defire to serve for ever." "I pity your cafe," fays the proconful, and could wish to confult for you." "I do not wifh," fays the prelate, "that things fhould be otherwife with me, than that adoring my God, I may haften to him with all the ardour of my foul; for the afflictions of this prefent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which fhall be revealed in us." The proconful now reddening with anger, fays, "You have lived facrilegiously a long time, and have formed into a fociety men of an impious confpiracy, and have fhewn yourself an enemy to the gods and their religion, and have not hearkened to the equitable counfels of our princes, but have ever been a father of the impious fect, and their ringleader you fhall therefore be an example to

the

the reft, and they fhall learn their duty by your blood. Let Thafcius Cyprian, who refufes to facrifice to the gods, be put to death by the fword.” "God be praised," faid the martyr, and while they were leading him away, a multitude of the people followed and cried, "Let us die with our holy bishop."

A troop of foldiers attended him, and the officers marched on each fide of him. They led him into a plain furrounded with trees, and many climbed up to the top of them to see him at a distance. Cyprian took off his mantle, and fell on his knees and worshipped his God; then he put off his inner garment and remained in his fhirt. The executioner being come, Cyprian ordered twenty-five golden denarii to be given him; he himself bound the napkin over his eyes, and a prefbyter and deacon tied his hands for him, and the chriftians laid before him napkins and handkerchiefs to receive his blood. Then his head was cut off by the sword *.

His biographer Pontius reprefents himself as wishing to have died with him, and as divided between the joy of his victorious martyrdom, and forrow that himself was left behind.

Thus after an eventful and inftructive period of about twelve years fince his converfion, after a variety of toils and exercises among friends, and open foes and nominal chriftians, by a death more gentle than commonly fell to the lot of martyrs, refted at length in Jefus the magnanimous and charitable spirit of Cyprian of Carthage. Anextraordinary perfonage furely! But the character will yet deferve a more diftinct illuftration. Let writers, whofe views are fecular, celebrate their heroes, Hh3 their

Acts of his Martyrdom, Paffion of Cyprian in Pam. Pontius's Life of Cyprian, and Fleury's Hiftory.

their statesmen, and their philofophers; and while a christian tafte is derided, let us at least enjoy the rare felicity of these times of civil liberty, in employing the prefs to do fome justice, however deficient our powers may be, to men whom the modern tafte feems willing to affion to contemptuous oblivion. And let their memorial be bleffed for ever.

CHAP. XV.

T

CYPRIAN COMPARED WITH ORIGEN.

HE eaft and the weft beheld at the fame

time these two men, in talents, activity, and endowments much fuperior to the rest of the chriftian world. The Roman feems beyond comparifon to have excelled the Græcian in those things in which true christian virtue confifts; yet, as the latter by the fruits of his life claims a juft place among faints, though miferably tarnished and clouded, chiefly by his philofophy, it may answer fome valuable purpose, not impertinent to the defign of this hiftory, to enter into a comparison between them in fome particulars.

I. There may have been as pious and holy men as Cyprian, in the interval of time between the Apofties and him, but we have no opportunity of knowing any other fo well. The diftinct particularity of the accounts concerning him makes his character remarkably deferving of our attention. The dealings of God with a finner, at his first converfion, often give a ftrong tincture to his whole future life. Cyprian was meant for very

great

great and important fervices of an active nature in the church, attended' with an almost uninterrupted feries of fuffering; fuch as no man could perform to the glory of God, but one who knew affuredly the ground on which he ftood, by a strong work of the Divine Spirit on his foul. His experience in converfion he describes himself in his letter to Donatus. His reception of chriftianity was not the effect of mere reafoning or fpeculation. It was not carried on in a fcholaftic or philofophical manner, but may truly be faid to have been “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." He felt the grace of God, forgiveness of fins by Jefus Chrift, the influence of the Holy Ghoft powerful, exuberant, and victorious. His foul was brought into the love of God, and that of the purest kind, tempered ever with humility and godly fear; and it is very evident that he always faw the work to be of God, and had nothing to behold in himself as wife, holy, and glorious; that a fpirit of thankfulness for redeeming love, of fimple dependance on the Divine promifes, and of steady charity to God and man was the refult. His race was of no long duration; about twelve years; by far the greater part of the time he was bishop of Carthage. He lived a chriftian life, and no part of that was exempt from much labour or much affliction. He feems never to have known what it was to fettle into a luke-warm state. The fire firft kindled in him burnt ferene and fteady to the end of his days. I know that Mofheim charges him with an ambitious domineering spirit that invaded the rights of the lower clergy and people *. But I know him too well, though an excellent and very judicious fecular hiftorian, to truft his account of men of real holiness. From the most attentive review I

* Ecclef. History, Century 3, Chap. 2.

have