converted. For here we had an opportunity to preach the word of God to a people who had never heard before. And as God had brought us among them, after our miniftry was there completed, he removed us to another place. I hearing that Emilian had ordered that we fhould depart from Cephro, and not knowing the place whither we were to go, yet took my journey cheerfully. Understanding that Colluthio was the place, I felt much diftrefs. It was reported to be deftitute of all the comforts of fociety, infefted by thieves, and expofed to the tumults of travellers. My companions know well the effect this had on my mind. I proclaim my own fhame; at first I grieved immoderately. It was a confolation however that it was nigh to a city. I was in hopes from the nearnefs of the city, that we might enjoy the company of dear brethren, and that particular affemblies for divine worship might be eftablished in the fuburbs, which indeed came to pass.'

Amidft this fcantinefs of information, and conveyed in no great perfpicuity or beauty of ftyle, as far as appears from the flight fpecimens we have of Dionyfius, it appears that the Lord was with him, and made his fufferings to tend to the furtherance of the gofpel. His confeffion of his own heaviness of mind does honour to his ingenuousness, and the ftrength of Chrift was made perfect in his weakness.

In another epiftle he gives a brief account of the fufferings of others; it deferves to be tranffcribed as a monument of the greatnefs and violence of Valerian's perfecution.

"It may feem fuperfluous to recite the names of our people; for they were many, and to me unknown. Take this however for certain: There were men and women, young men and old men, virgins and old women, foldiers and vulgar per

fons,

fons, of all forts and ages. Some after stripes and fire were crowned victors, fome after the fword, fome others fufficiently tried in a fmall time, were acceptable facrifices to the Lord. You all heard how I and Caius, and Fauftus, and Peter, and Paul, when we were led bound by the centurion and his foldiers, were feized by certain men of Mareota, and drawn away by violence, against our wills. And I, and Caius, and Peter, alone deprived of the other brethren, were shut up in a defart and dreary part of Lybia, diftant three days journey from Parætonium, in the defart and dreary country." I fuppofe the rest of the company were rescued by the mob. Afterwards he fays, "In the city there hid themfelves some who visited the brethren fecretly: of the minifters, Maximus, Diofcorus, Demetrius, Lucius. For two others of greater note, Fauftinus and Aquila, now wander, I know not where, in Egypt. And of the deacons, the reft dying of difeafes, there remained alive Fauftus, Eufebius, and Chæremon. God ftrengthened and inftructed Eufebius from the beginning to minifter diligently to the confeffors in prifon, and to bury the bodies of the holy martyrs, not without great danger. The prefident to this day ceafes not cruelly to flay fome that are brought forth, to tear in pieces others by torments, to confume others more flowly by bonds and imprisonments, commanding that none come nigh them, and inquiring daily if any fuch perions appear. Yet God ftill refreshes the afflicted with confolation and the attendance of the brethren."

This Eufebius, here honourably mentioned, was fome time after bishop of Laodicea in Syria, and Maximus the prefbyter was fucceffor to Dionyfius in Alexandria. And Fauftus was referved to the

days

days of Dioclefian again to fuffer, even to blood.

At Cæfarea in Palestine three perfons were devoured by wild beafts, Prifcus, Malcus, and Alexander. Thefe perfons led an obfcure life in the country; but hearing of the multitude of executions, they blamed themfelves for their floth, came to Cæfarea, went to the judge, and obtained the object of their ambition. A woman, inclined to the herefy of Marcion, of the fame city, fuffered likewife. Cyprian of Carthage, and above all our Divine Mater, condemned the too forward zeal of the former, which yet was, it is hoped, not without the real love of his name; and Marcion's herefy might more nominally than really cleave to the latter.

After three years employed in perfecution, Valerian was taken prifoner by Sapor king of Perfia, who detained him the rest of his life, and made ufe of his neck when he mounted his horfe, and at length had him flead and falted. This event belongs to fecular rather than church-history. But as it is perfectly well attested, and no one that I know of, but Mr. Gibbon, ever affected to difbelieve it, it cannot but ftrike the mind of any one who fears God. Valerian had known and refpected the chriftians: his perfecution must have been a fin against the light, and it is common with Divine Providence to punish fuch in a very exemplary manner.

The church was restored to reft after Valerian's captivity. About the year two hundred and fixty-two Gallienus his fon and fucceffor, in other refpects no reputable emperor, proved a fincere friend to the chriftians, itopped the perfecution by edicts, and had the condefcenfion to give the bishops his letters of licence to return to their paftoral charges. Here follows one of them pre

ferved by Eufebius. "The emperor CæfarGallienus to Dionyfius, (I fuppofe the bishop of Alexandria then in exile) Pinna, Demetrius, with the rest of the bishops. The benefit of our favour we command to be published through the world, and I have therefore ordered every one to withdraw from fuch places as are devoted to religious ufes; fo that you may make use of the authority of my edict against any moleftation; and I have fome time fince granted what you may now freely enjoy; wherefore Cyrenius the governor of the province will obferve the refcript which I have fent." He directed also another edit to other bishops, by which he restored to them the places in which they buried their dead.

Were it needful at this day to refute the rash calumnies of Tacitus and others against the chriftians, one might appeal to these two edicts of Gallienus. It is impoffible that either of them could have taken place, had it not been undeniable that the chriftians, even to the time beyond the middle of the third century, were men of probity and worthy the protection of government. As it is impoffible to avoid this conclufion, the deepest stain refts on the characters of Trajan, Decius, and Valerian, men highly refpected in fecular hiftory, for treating with favage ferocity fubjects of the best characters. But God, who has the hearts of all men in his hand, provided a protector for them in Gallienus, after an unexampled courfe of heavy perfecution for the three laft reigns. Gallienus himself feems to have been more like a modern than an ancient fovereign, a man of tafte, indolence, and philofophy; difpofed to cherish every thing that looked like knowledge and liberty of thinking; by no means fo kind and generous in his conftant practice as his profeffion

might feem to promife; the flave of his paffions, and led away by every sudden feeling that feized his imagination, yet too philofophical to perfecute. And chriftians, as a fet of new philofophers, found a complete toleration under a prince whofe confcience feems to have fet him free from the influence of any religion.

CHA P. XVII.

FROM THE REIGN OF GALLIENUS TO THE END OF THE CENTURY.

HE general hiftory of the church of Christ

THE

for the remaining forty years affords no great quantity of materials. After having collected them into this chapter in order, it may be proper to referve, to a diftinct confideration, the lives of fome particular perfons, and other matters which belong not to the thread of history.

We behold now a new fcene; chriftians legally tolerated under a pagan government for forty years. The example of Gailienus was followed by the fucceffive emperors to the end of the century, violated only in one inftance, the effect of which was prefently diffipated by the hand of Providence. This is not a scene for the growth of grace and holiness; in no time fince the Apoftles was there ever fo great a decay; nor can we fhew much of any very lively chriftianity in all this period.

Thofe are however ill informed in the nature of things, who fuppofe that there was literally no perfecution all this time. Chriftians are never, in

the