served to purify it, and to make it shine with greater lustre. The most illustrious victims immolated on this occasion were, St. Victor, Bishop of Rome; Leonidas, Origen's father, beheaded at Alexandria, and several of Origen's scholars; St. Potamiæna, an illustrious virgin, and her mother Marcella, after various torments, were burned alive; S. S. Felicitas and Perpetua, the one a noble lady in Mauritania, and brought to bed but the day before; the other at that time a nurse; St. Speratus and his companions beheaded at Carthage; St. Irenæus, Bishop of Lyons, and many thousands of his people martyred with him. The sixth Persecution under Maximinus. During the space of twenty-four years, times were peaceable for the Christians, till Maximinus stept into the Imperial Throne in 235, a man of base origin, and barbarous nature. He raised the sixth persecution, chiefly against the bishops and ministers, and the teachers and principal promoters of Christianity. The historian Capitolinus says of him, that "never did a more "cruel beast tread on the earth." St. Pontian Pope suffered in this persecution, and several others. Happily it did not last above two years, Maximinus being cut off after a short reign. The seventh Persecution under Decius. For ten years from the death of Maximinus till the reign of Decius, the Church enjoyed a tolerable tranquillity and as Maximinus's persecution was chiefly levelled against the pastors, the bulk of Christians had tasted the sweets of peace for thirty-eight years. This period of tranquillity occasioned, conformably to the bent of human nature, a remissness in the Christians, and a relaxation in their morals; of which St. Cyprian, who lived at that time, grievously complained. Almighty God, therefore, to punish their neglect, to revive their fervour, and to try them in a fiery crucible, permitted a most severe general persecution under Decius, in the 49. This savage emperor, seeing that Christian ined prodigious growth over the whole Ro man empire, and that Paganism on that account visibly declined, was resolved to support the latter by effectually ruining the former. He therefore issued out a cruel edict against the Christians, and sent it to all the governors of provinces. The Christians were immediately driven from their houses, and stript of their estates: whips and prisons, fires and wild beasts, scalded pitch and melted wax, sharp stakes and burning pincers, were the ordinary instruments used for their torments. Slow tortures were particularly employed, in order to tire out the patience of the sufferers. This persecution crowned at Rome Fabian Pope, Abdon, and Sennen, and many others. A great harvest of martyrs was made at Carthage: Apollonia, with many others, suffered at Alexandria, as related by St. Dionysius, bishop of that see. In the East it swept away Babylas, bishop of Antioch, Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, with thousands more. Such was the rage of the pagan magistrates, that the historian Nicephorus. declares, it would be easier to count the sands of the sea, than to reckon up all the martyrs of this persecution. Many Christians fled from this scene of slaughter into the deserts. One of this number was St. Paul, of the province of Thebais in Egypt, who became an eminent anchoret, and is styled the first hermit. The eighth Persecution under Valerian. Valerian being invested with the imperial purple, was at first very favourable to the Christians; but he suffered his mind to be poisoned by the suggestions of magicians, who persuaded him, that to procure success in his wars, and prosperity to the empire, he must render the gods propitious by suppressing Christianity. In this view he issued out edicts, and commenced a bloody persecution in the year 257, which lasted three years and a half. Some of the chief martyrs were: at Rome, St. Stephen Pope, his successor, St. Xystus, with St. Lawrence, his deacon; St. Fructuosus, bishop of Tarragon in Spain; St. Saturninus, bishop of Toulouse, and St. Felix, of Nola. Many were the holy victims in Egypt, as St. Dionysius, bishop of Alexan served to purify it, and to make it shine with greater lustre. The most illustrious victims immolated on this occasion were, St. Victor, Bishop of Rome; Leonidas, Origen's father, beheaded at Alexandria, and several of Origen's scholars; St. Potamiana, an illustrious virgin, and her mother Marcella, after various torments, were burned alive; S. S. Felicitas and Perpetua, the one a noble lady in Mauritania, and brought to bed but the day before; the other at that time a nurse; St. Speratus and his companions beheaded at Carthage; St. Irenæus, Bishop of Lyons, and many thousands of his people martyred with him. The sixth Persecution under Maximinus. During the space of twenty-four years, times were peaceable for the Christians, till Maximinus stept into the Imperial Throne in 235, a man of base origin, and barbarous nature. He raised the sixth persecution, chiefly against the bishops and ministers, and the teachers and principal promoters of Christianity. The historian Capitolinus says of him, that "never did a more "cruel beast tread on the earth." St. Pontian Pope suffered in this persecution, and several others. Happily it did not last above two years, Maximinus being cut off after a short reign. The seventh Persecution under Decius. For ten years from the death of Maximinus till the reign of Decius, the Church enjoyed a tolerable tranquillity and as Maximinus's persecution was chiefly levelled against the pastors, the bulk of Christians had tasted the sweets of peace for thirty-eight years. This period of tranquillity occasioned, conformably to the bent of human nature, a remissness in the Christians, and a relaxation in their morals; of which St. Cyprian, who lived at that time, grievously complained. Almighty God, therefore, to punish their neglect, to revive their fervour, and to try them in a fiery crucible, permitted a most severe general persecution under Decius, in the year 249. This savage emperor, seeing that Christianty had gained prodigious growth over the whole Ro man empire, and that Paganism on that account visibly declined, was resolved to support the latter by effectually ruining the former. He therefore issued out a cruel edict against the Christians, and sent it to all the governors of provinces. The Christians were immediately driven from their houses, and stript of their estates: whips and prisons, fires and wild beasts, scalded pitch and melted wax, sharp stakes and burning pincers, were the ordinary instruments used for their torments. Slow tortures were particularly employed, in order to tire out the patience of the sufferers. This persecution crowned at Rome Fabian Pope, Abdon, and Sennen, and many others. A great harvest of martyrs was made at Carthage: Apollonia, with many others, suffered at Alexandria, as related by St. Dionysius, bishop of that see. In the East it swept away Babylas, bishop of Antioch, Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, with thousands more. Such was the rage of the pagan magistrates, that the historian Nicephorus declares, it would be easier to count the sands of the sea, than to reckon up all the martyrs of this persecution. Many Christians fled from this scene of slaughter into the deserts. One of this number was St. Paul, of the province of Thebais in Egypt, who became an eminent anchoret, and is styled the first hermit. The eighth Persecution under Valerian. Valerian being invested with the imperial purple, was at first very favourable to the Christians; but he suffered his mind to be poisoned by the suggestions of magicians, who persuaded him, that to procure success in his wars, and prosperity to the empire, he must render the gods propitious by suppressing Christianity. In this view he issued out edicts, and commenced a bloody persecution in the year 257, which lasted three years and a half. Some of the chief martyrs were: at Rome, St. Stephen Pope, his successor, St. Xystus, with St. Lawrence, his deacon; St. Fructuosus, bishop of Tarragon in Spain; St. Saturninus, bishop of Toulouse, and St. Felix, of Nola. Many were the holy victims in Egypt, as St. Dionysius, bishop of Alexan stition; and by its native lustre it discovered the imperfection of all the systems of doctrine proposed before by the so much boasted philosophers of antiquity. Such became the case with a Socrates, a Plato, an Epictetus, a Cicero, &c. Those sages, as they were styled, not aware of the weakness of human reason unassisted by revelation, gave precepts of morality and maxims for the conduct of life, which were in admiration for many ages: But when that light appeared, which came down from heaven with the son of God, it then became manifest how defective those dictates were. In the same manner as the stars in the firmament strike us with their lustre, and shine with advantage, in the night; but when the great luminary of the day, the sun, comes forth, the brightness of the stars immediately fades, and soon vanishes: So likewise, when the Son of God thought fit to grace this world with his presence, it became necessary that all former legislators and philosophers, however eminent, should be eclipsed by his superior excellence, and that every human institution of doctrine should give place to the new precepts of his all-comprehending wisdom. The great structure of religion, which the Apostles had begun, was carried on by their faithful and zealous successors through the subsequent ages. Thus He went forth conquering that He might conquer; and, thus He doth to this day, and will continue so to do. Prelude to the Sounding of the seven Trumpets. APOC Chap. VIII. v. 2. And I saw, says St. John, seven angels * standing in the presence of God: there were given to them seven trumpets. St. John now is directed to turn his eyes to the seven angels, who were seen standing before the throne of God in heaven, Apoc. 1. 4. & iv. 5. see p. 4, and seven trumpets are given to them; one of these trumpets is sounded in each of the seven ages of the Church, probably by that angel who is appointed to superintend that age-Then, *In the Greek text, the seven angels. |