beyond others; and regarded its author as worthy to be ranked among the extraordinary men who were divinely moved.

§ 3. Under Gordian' the Christians lived in tranquillity. His successors, the Philips, father and son, showed themselves so friendly to the Christians, that by many they were supposed to be Christians. And there are arguments which may render it probable that these emperors did, though secretly and covertly, embrace Christianity. But as these arguments are balanced by others equally strong and imposing, the question respecting the religion of Philip the Arabian, and his son, which has exercised the sagacity of so many learned men, must be left undecided. At least, neither party has adduced any evidence, either from testimony or from facts, which is too strong to be invalidated. Among the subsequent emperors of this century, Gallienus and some others likewise, if they did not directly favour the Christian cause, at least did not retard it.

§ 4. This friendship of great men, and especially of emperors, was undoubtedly not last among the human causes which every where enlarged the church's boundaries. But other causes, and some of them divine, must be added. Among the divine causes, besides the inherent energy of heavenly truth, and the piety and constancy of the Christian teachers, especially noticeable, is that extraordinary providence of God, which, we are informed, excited many persons, by means of dreams and visions, who before were either wholly thoughtless, or alienated from Christianity, to come unexpectedly forward, and enrol their names among the followers of Christ. To this must be added the curing of diseases, and other miracles, which very many Christians still performed, by invoking the name of the

p. 252, &c. See J. A. Fabricius, Lux Evangelii toti orbi exoriens, p. 252, &c. [and Mosheim, de Rebus Christ. &c. p. 471.-The most important ancient testimonies are Euseb. H. E. vi. 34, and Chronicon, ann. 246. Jerome, de Script. Illust. c. 54. Tr.]

1

[A. D. 260-268.

Tr.]

2 See Origen, adv. Celsum, lib. i. p. 35. Homil. in Luca vii. Opp. tom. ii. p. 216, ed. Basil. Tertullian, de Anima, cap. 14, p. 348, ed. Rigaltii. Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. vi. c. 5, and others. [See also note on cent. ii. pt. i. ch. i. p. 138, &c. of this work. Tr.]

Saviour.3 Yet the number of miracles was less in this age than in the preceding; which may be ascribed not only to the wisdom of God, but also to his justice, which would not suffer men to make gain by the powers divinely given them.1

§ 5. Among the human causes which aided the progress of Christianity, may doubtless be reckoned the translation of the Scriptures into various languages, the labours of Origen in disseminating copies of them, and various books composed by wise men. No less efficacy is to be ascribed to the beneficence of Christians towards those whose religion they abhorred. The idolaters must have had hearts of stone, not to have been softened and brought to have more friendly feelings towards the people, whose great sympathy for the poor, kindness to enemies, care of the sick, readiness to redeem captives, and numerous other kind offices, proved them to be deserving of the love and gratitude of mankind. If, what I would not pertinaciously deny, pious frauds and impositions deserve a place among the causes of the extension of Christianity, they doubtless hold the lowest place, and were employed only by a few.

§ 6. That the boundaries of the church were extended in this century, no one calls in question; but in what manner, by whom, and in what countries, is not equally manifest. Origen taught the religion which he professed himself to a tribe of Arabs: I suppose them to have been some of the wandering Arabs who live in tents. The Goths, a fierce and warlike people, that inhabited Mosia and Thrace, and made perpetual incursions into the neighbouring provinces, received a knowledge of Christ from certain Christian priests whom they carried away from Asia. As those priests, by the sanctity of their lives, and their miracles, acquired respectability and authority among these marauders, who were entirely illiterate, such a change was produced among them, that a great part of the nation professed Christianity, and in some measure laid aside their savage manners.6

3 Origen, adv. Celsum, 1. i. p. 5. 7. Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. l. v. c. 7. Cyprian, Ep. i. ad Donatum, p. 3, and the Note of S. Baluze there, p. 376.

W. Spencer, Notes on Origen adv. Celsum, p. 6, 7.

5 Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. vi. cap. 19. [But Semler, Hist. Eccl. Selecta,

cap. i. p. 59, supposes they were not wandering Arabs. Tr.]

6 Sozomen, Hist. Eccles. lib. ii. c. 6. Paul Diaconus, Hist. Miscellan. 1. ii. c. 14. Philostorgius, Hist. Eccles. lib. ii. c. 5. [Philostorgius says, that Ulphilas, who, in the fourth century, translated the Christian Scriptures into the Gothic

§ 7. To the few and small Christian churches in France, founded in the second century, by certain Asiatic teachers, more and larger ones were added in this century, after the times of Decius." In the reign of this emperor, those seven devout men, Dionysius, Gratian, Trophimus, Paul, Saturninus Martial, and Stremonius migrated to this country, and amidst various perils founded the churches of Paris, Tours, Arles, and other places. And their disciples gradually spread the Christian doctrine throughout Gaul. To this age, likewise, must be referred the origin of the German churches of Cologne, Treves, Metz', and others; the fathers of which were Eucharius, Valerius, Maternus, Clement, and others.2 The Scots also say that their country was enlightened with the light of Christianity in this century; which does not appear improbable in itself, but cannot be put beyond controversy by any certain. testimony.3

language, was a descendant of the captives carried off by the Goths from Cappadocia, in the reign of Gallienus; which is not improbable. By the influence of their Christian captives, the Goths were induced to invite Christian teachers among them; and numerous churches were collected. A Gothic bishop, named Theophilus, subscribed the acts of the council of Nice. (Socrates, Hist. Eccl. ii. c. 41.) Yet there is indubitable evidence, that a large part of the nation remained pagans long after this period. See Mosheim, de Rebus Christ. &c. p. 449. Tr.-Much of the Gospels, with fragments from other portions of the scriptural versions made by Ulphilas, are extant, and form a most valuable monument of the ancient speech of northern Europe. The letters used are all capitals and adopted from the Greek alphabet. Ed.]

7

[A. D. 250. Tr.]

8 [Narbonne, Toulouse, Limoges, Clermont. Tr.]

Gregory Turonens. Historia Francor. lib. i. c. 28, p. 23. Theod. Ruinart, Acta Martyrum sincera, p. 109, &c. [See Note on cent. ii. pt. i. ch. i. p. 135. 136, &c. of this work; where the origin of the Gallic or French churches is considered at some length. Tr.]

[Tongres, Liege. Tr.]

2 Aug. Calmet, Histoire de Lorraine, tome i. Diss. i. p. vii. &c. Jo. Nicol. de Hontheim, Historia Trevirensis. [See also, Notes and on cent. i. pt. i. ch. i. p. 134 of this work. Tr.]

3 See Ussher and Stillingfleet, on the Origin and Antiquities of the British Churches; and Geo. Mackenzie, de Regali Scotorum Prosapia, cap. viii. p. 119, &c.

CHAPTER II.

THE ADVERSE EVENTS OF THE CHURCH.

§ 1. The persecution of Severus,-§ 2. Of Maximinus, the Thracian.—§ 3. The cruelty of Decius led many Christians to deny Christ.-§ 4. Controversies in the church on this subject, Libelli pacis.—§ 5. Persecutions of Gallus and Volusian, -§ 6. of Valerian.-§ 7. State of the church under Gallienus, Claudius, and Aurelian. § 8. Attempts of the philosophers against the Christians.-§ 9. Comparisons of some philosophers with Christ.-§ 10.. Injury thence arising. -§ 11. Attempts of the Jews against the Christians.

§ 1. IN the commencement of this century, the Christians were variously afflicted in many of the Roman provinces; but their calamity was increased in the year 203, when the emperor Severus, who was otherwise not hostile to them, enacted a law, that no person should abandon the religion of his fathers for that of the Christians, or even for that of the Jews. Although this law did not condemn [the existing] Christians, but merely restrained the propagation of their religion, yet it afforded to rapacious and unjust governors and judges great opportunity for troubling the Christians, and for putting many of the poor to death, in order to induce the rich to avert their danger by money. Hence, after the passing of this law, very many Christians in Egypt, and in other parts of both Asia and Africa, were cruelly slain; and among them were Leonidas, the father of Origen; the two celebrated African ladies, Perpetua and Felicitas, whose Acts2 have come down to us3: also Potamiena, a virgin; Marcella, and others of both sexes, whose names were held in high honour in the subsequent ages.

§ 2. From the death of Severus, till the reign of Maximin,

Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. vi. c. i. Spartianus, Vita Severi, cap. 16, 17.

[Martyrdom. Tr.]

Theod. Ruinart, Acta Martyrum sincera, p. 90, &c. [See an affecting

account of the sufferings of these and other martyrs, in the reign of Severus, in Milner's Hist. of the Church, cent. iii. ch. v. p. 231, &c. ed. Boston, 1822. Tr.] [Septimius. Tr.]

4

called Thrax from the country which gave him birth, the condition of Christians was every where tolerable, and in some places prosperous. But Maximin, who had slain Alexander Severus, an emperor peculiarly friendly to the Christians, fearing lest the Christians should avenge the death of their patron, ordered their bishops, and particularly those that he knew to have been the friends and intimates of Alexander, to be seized and put to death. During his reign, therefore, many and atrocious injuries were brought upon the Christians. For although the edict of the tyrant related only to the bishops and the ministers of religion, yet its influence reached further, and incited the pagan priests, the populace, and the magistrates, to assail Christians of all orders.7

8

§ 3. This storm was followed by many years of peace and tranquillity. But when Decius Trajan came to the imperial throne, A. D. 249, war, in all its horrors, again burst upon the Christians. For this emperor, excited either by fear of them, or by attachment to the ancient superstition, published terrible edicts, by which the governors were commanded, on pain of forfeiting their own lives, either to exterminate all Christians utterly, or bring them back by pains and tortures to the religion of their fathers. During the two succeeding years, a great multitude of Christians, in all the Roman provinces, were cut off by various species of punishment and suffering." This persecution was more cruel and terrific than any that preceded it; and immense numbers, dismayed, not so much by the fear of death, as by that of the long continued tortures, by which the magistrates endeavoured to overcome the constancy of Christians, professed to renounce Christ; and procured for themselves safety, either by sacrificing, or by offering incense to idols, or by certificates purchased with money. And hence

[Or from A.D. 211, to A. D. 235. Tr.]

Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. vi. c. 28. Orosius, Histor. lib. vii. c. 19, p. 509.

Origen, tom. xxviii. in Matth. Opp. tom. i. p. 137. Firmilian, in Opp. Cypriani, Ep. 75, p. 140, &c.

8 [From A. D. 237-249. Tr.] 9 Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. vi. c. 39, 41. Gregory Nyssen, Vita Thaumaturgi, Opp. tom. iii. p. 568, &c. Cyprian, de

Lapsis, in Opp. p. 182, &c. [Eusebius attributes the persecution by Decius, to his hatred of Philip, his predecessor, whom he had murdered, and was friendly to the Christians. Gregory attributes it to the emperor's zeal for idolatry. Both causes might have prompted him.-The persecuting edict is not now extant; that which was published by Medon, Toulouse, 1664, 4to, is probably unauthentic. See Mosheim, de Rebus Christ. &c. p. 476, &c. Tr.]