various other journeys, the apostle constituted him bishop of Ephesus, though he was only thirty years of age; and in two admirable epistles gave him proper instructions for his conduct in so important a charge. Timothy was so very temperate in his living, that St. Paul blames him for being too abstemious, and recommends to him) the moderate use of wine to recruit his strength and spirits. tyrdom, he returned to Ephesus, where he zealously governed the church till A. D. 97. At this period the pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, the principal ceremonies of which were, that the people should carry battoons in their hands, go masked, and bear about the streets the images of their gods. Timothy, meeting the procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people St. Paul sent to Timothy while he was that they fell upon him with their clubs, in his last confinement at Rome, to come and beat him in so dreadful a manner, that to him; and after that great apostle's mar-he expired of the bruises two days after. THE THIRD PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS. ERVA succeeding Do- of which, all that could be found of that race were put to death. N mitian, gave a respite to the Christians; but reigning only thirteen months, his successor Trajan, in the 10th year of his reign, and in A. D. 108, began the third persecution against the Christians. While the persecution raged, Plinius Secundus, a heathen philosopher, wrote to the emperor in favor of the Christians, to whose epistle Trajan returned this indecisive answer, "The Christians ought not to be sought after, but when brought before{ the magistracy, they should be punished." SYMPHOROSA, a widow, and her seven sons, were commanded by the emperor to sacrifice to the heathen deities. Unanimously refusing to comply with such an impious request, the emperor, in a rage, told her, that for her obstinacy, herself and her sons should be slain, to appease the wrath of his offended deities; to which she answered, that if he murdered her and her children, the idols he adored would only be held in the greater detestation. The emperor, being greatly exasperated at this, ordered her to be carried to the This absurd reply made Tertullian ex- temple of Hercules, where she was scourgclaim, in the following words, "O, con- ed, and hung up, for some time, by the hair fused sentence; he would not have them of her head; then being taken down, a sought for as innocent, and yet would have large stone was fastened to her neck, and them punished as guilty." The emperor's she was thrown into the river, where she incoherent answer, however, occasioned { expired. With respect to the sons, they the persecution in some measure to abate, were fastened to seven posts, and being as his officers were uncertain, if they car-drawn up by pulleys, their limbs were disried it on with severity, how he might located. These tortures, not affecting their choose to wrest his own meaning. Trajan, resolution, they were thus martyred: CREShowever, soon after wrote to Jerusalem, CENTIUS, the eldest, was stabbed in the and gave orders to his officers to extermi-throat; JULIAN, the second, in the breast; nate the stock of David; in consequences NEMESIUS, the third, in the heart; PRIMI Trajan likewise commanded the martyrdom of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. This holy man was the person whom, when an infant, Christ took into his arms, and showed to his disciples, as one that would be a pattern of humility and innocence. He received the gospel afterward from St. John the Evangelist, and was exceedingly zealous in his mission. He boldly vindicated the faith of Christ before the emperor, for which, being cast into prison, he was tormented in a most cruel manner; for after being dreadfully scourged, he was compelled to hold fire in his hands, and at the same time, papers dipped in oil were put to his sides, and set on light. His flesh was then torn with red hot pincers, and at last he was despatched, by being torn to pieces by wild beasts. Trajan being succeeded by Adrian, the latter continued this third persecution with as much severity as his predecessor. About this time Alexander, bishop of Rome, with his two deacons, were martyred; as were Quirinus and Hermes, with their families, Zenon, a Roman nobleman, and about ten thousand other Christians. In Mount Ararat many were crucified, crowned with thorns, and spears ran into their sides, in imitation of Christ's passion. Eustachius, a brave and successful Roman commander, was by the emperor ordered to join in an idolatrous sacrifice to celebrate some of his own victories; but his faith (being a Christian in his heart) was so much greater than his vanity, that he nobly refused it. Enraged at the denial, the ungrateful emperor forgot the services of this skilful commander, and ordered him and his whole family to be martyred. pa At the martyrdom of Faustinus and Jovita, brothers and citizens of Bressia, their torments were so many, and their tience so great, that Calocerius, a pagan, beholding them, was struck with admiration, and exclaimed in a kind of ecstasy, "Great is the God of the Christians;" for } Adrian dying in the year A. D. 138, was which he was apprehended, and suffered succeeded by Antoninus Pius, one of the a similar fate. most amiable monarchs that ever reigned; Many other similar cruelties and rigors for his people gave him a title which he were exercised against the Christians, till justly deserved, viz: "The Father of VirQuadratus, bishop of Athens, made a learned tues." Immediately upon his accession to apology in their favor before the emperor, the imperial throne, he published an edict, who happened to be there; and Aristides, { forbidding any further persecutions against a philosopher of the same city, wrote an the Christians, and concluded it in these elegant epistle, which caused Adrian to words: "If any hereafter shall vex or relax in his severities, and relent in their trouble the Christians, having no other favor. He indeed went so far as to com-cause but that they are such, let the acmand that no Christian should be punished cused be released, and the accusers be on the score of religion or opinion only; punished." This stopped the persecution, but this gave other handles against them to and the Christians enjoyed a respite from the Jews and pagans, for then they began their sufferings during this emperor's reign, to employ and suborn false witnesses, to though their enemies took every occasion accuse them of crimes against the state or to do them what injuries they could in an civil authority. underhand manner. THE FOURTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS. NTONINUS PIUS, was on account of his faith, behaved with such succeeded by MARCUS astonishing courage, that several pagans beAURELIUS ANTONINUS came converts to a faith which inspired such VERUS, A. D. 162, who, fortitude. This enraged others so much, being a strong pagan, be- that they cried out, he merited death; and gan the fourth persecu-many of the multitude, wondering at this tion, in which many Christians were mar-beloved martyr for his constancy and virtyred, particularly in several parts of Asia, tue, began suddenly to cry out with a loud and in France. voice, saying, "Destroy the wicked men ; The cruelties used in this persecution { let Polycarpus be sought for." And while were such, that many of the spectators shuddered with horror at the sight, and were astonished at the intrepidity of the sufferers. Some of the martyrs were obliged to pass, with their already wounded feet, over thorns, nails, sharp shells, &c., with their points; others were scourged till their sinews and veins lay bare; and after suffering the most excruciating tortures that could be devised, they were destroyed by the most terrible deaths. GERMANICUS, a young man, but true Christian, being delivered to the wild beasts great uproar and tumult began to be raised upon those cries, a certain Phrygian, named Quintus, lately arrived from his country, was so afflicted at the sight of the wild beasts, that he rushed to the judgment-seat and upbraided the judges, for which he was put to death. POLYCARPUS, hearing that he was sought after, escaped, but was discovered by a child. From this circumstance, and having dreamed that his bed suddenly became on fire, and was consumed in a moment, he concluded that it was God's will that he lest the people should leave Christ, and begin to worship him. Twelve other Christians, who had been intimate with Polycarpus, were soon after martyred. METRODORUS, a minister, who preached boldly, and Pionius, who made some excellent apologies for the Christian faith, were likewise burned. his guards repented they had been instru- was admonished not to deliver his body, mental in taking him. He was, however, carried before the pro-consul, condemned, and conducted to the market-place. Wood being provided, the holy man earnestly prayed to Heaven, after being bound to the stake; and as the flames grew vehement, the executioners gave way on both sides, the heat now becoming intolerable. In the meantime the bishop sung praises to God FELICITATAS, an illustrious Roman lady in the midst of the flames, but remained of a considerable family, and great virtues, unconsumed therein, and the burning of the was a devout Christian. She had seven wood spreading a fragrance around, the sons, whom she had educated with the guards were much surprised. Determined, most exemplary piety. The empire having however, to put an end to his life, they been about this time grievously troubled struck spears into his body, when the with earthquakes, famine, inundations, &c., quantity of blood that issued from the the Christians were accused as the cause, wounds extinguished the flames. After and Felicitatas was included in the accuconsiderable attempts, however, they put sation. The lady and her family being him to death, and burned his body when seized, the emperor gave orders to Publius, dead, not being able to consume it while the Roman governor, to proceed against alive. This extraordinary event had such her. Upon this, Publius began with the an effect upon the people, that they began mother, thinking that if he could prevail to adore the martyr; and the pro-consul? with her to change her religion, the exam convert to Christianity, and then, for the first time, perceived the real nature of truth. He wrote an elegant epistle to the Gentiles, to convert them to the faith he had newly acquired, and lived in so pure and innocent a manner, that he well deserved the title of a Christian philosopher. He likewise employed his talents in convincing the Jews of the truth of the Christian rites, and spent much time in travelling, till he took up his abode in Rome, and fixed his habitation upon the Viminal mount. JUSTIN MARTYR, the celebrated philoso-{ great delight. About the year 133, when pher, fell a martyr in this persecution. He he was thirty years of age, he became a was a native of Neapolis, in Samaria, and was born A. D. 103. He had the best education those times would afford, and travelled into Egypt, the country where the polite tour of that age was made for improvement. At Alexandria he was informed of everything relative to the seventy interpreters of the sacred writings, and shown the rooms, or rather cells, in which their work was performed. Justin was a great lover of truth, and a universal scholar; he investigated the stoic and peripatetic philosophy, and attempted the Pythagorean system; but the behavior of one of its professors disgusting him, he applied himself to the Platonic, in which he took kinds. As the pagans began about this He kept a public school, taught many who afterward became great men, and wrote a treatise to confute heresies of all |