THE DECIAN PERSECUTION.

197

As

might effect that which sudden terror of death could not accomplish. The sword, wild beasts, red-hot chairs, wheels for stretching human bodies, and iron talons to tear them, were all employed in turn; but the faith of the operation of God triumphs over all outward things. One who was put to the torture exclaimed, "These are not torments which we suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are wholesome anointings!" Indeed the presence of the Lord with his suffering people brings them to the same conclusion, whether it is in the burning fiery furnace, or amidst all the torments that the powers of darkness can assist human cruelty to invent, or in the many painful circumstances and severe diseases that are the consequences of the entrance of sin into the world. my object is to give a general view of universal history, I cannot dwell on the interesting stories of individual martyrs: but it may be well to notice that Origen suffered severely in this persecution, though his judges were most careful that the tortures should not destroy his life. He died in the seventieth year of his age, about the same time that the emperor Decius perished. Many thousands were put to death in less than two years, and great numbers escaped to mountains and deserts, dreading their fellow-creatures more than the savage beasts that they resembled. Amongst these, Paul, a young Christian in Lower Egypt, took refuge in the solitudes of a desert mountain; and, finding there a retreat suited to his tastes, never returned to the society of his fellow-men, and died in his seclusion at the age of ninety. He was probably the first Christian hermit: but immense numbers succeeded him. Some retired to gain a reputation for holiness and separation from the world; and, in their retirement, cherished that self-righteous spirit which is an abomination to the Lord: but others sought a life of solitude, honestly desiring to enjoy communion with God, and to escape the corruptions that thickened around them. The latter class, however, showed great ignorance of the written word, and did not seem to be aware that their course was contrary to the mind of Him "who went about doing good," and who prayed not that his disciples might be taken out of the world, but that they might be kept from the evil. These words from the Lord's lips might have been a sufficient guide to the wandering feet of these lovers of solitude: "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have

198

CLASSES OF PENITENTS.

I sent them into the world." The great object of the believer's life on earth is that he may shine as a light in the world, holding forth the word of life (Phil. ii. 15).

After the Decian persecution regular forms were introduced, which were to be gone through by all who had sinned before they could be restored into the bosom of the Church. The penitents were obliged to appear in sackcloth, or sackcloth and ashes; and, in some churches, the men were required to shave their heads, and the women to cut off their hair, or to wear it in a dishevelled manner under a veil. They first prostrated themselves in the avenues of the church, asking permission to perform public penance; and, in this situation, they were included in the first class of penitents,-the mourners. They were then permitted to enter the church, and received the title of hearers; being allowed to hear the Scriptures and the sermon. The third order of penitents was that of the kneelers, so called because they were permitted to unite in the prayers offered on their account.

The term of penance was regulated by the bishop, according to the nature of the offence: in some cases years were considered necessary to make sufficient atonement. The last order

of penitents were the Bystanders, who were allowed to be present at the Lord's supper, but excluded from a participation of the bread and wine; and this was sometimes delayed till their dying day, when it was supposed to ensure their salvation.

Private confession of sin to the priests was first introduced about this period, as it was said there were many things it was not fit for the Church to hear; in the Eastern or Greek churches this practice was soon discontinued, but in the Western churches it became very general, and greatly increased the power and influence of the clergy.

FRANKS AND ALLEMANNI. — USURPERS OF THE PROVINCES. GENERAL CALAMITIES.-STORY OF ODENATHUS AND ZE

NOBIA.

IN A. D. 253, the accession of Valerian gave a short respite to the suffering Christians; for, during the first three years of his reign, he not only protected them, but had his palace filled with them, and thus had an opportunity of hearing the truth and seeing the light, if they were faithful to their profession.

Valerian's natural character is so highly esteemed by historians, that it is said if mankind had been at liberty to choose a master, he would no doubt have been the person for every one to fix upon. He began indeed with encouraging every appearance of good, and with efforts to reform the wicked; but it was soon found he was more fitted for a private station than for the head of the empire; and his want of judgment was conspicuous in his choice of his son, Gallienus, as jointemperor. They reigned together seven years, and, during eight more, Gallienus was sole emperor: but it was a period of almost uninterrupted calamity. Cyprian was so alarmed by the state of the Church and the world, that he thought Antichrist was about to be revealed, and that the end was at hand: and, in this expectation, exhorted the brethren to watching, fasting, and prayer, saying, that these were the heavenly arms in such times of danger. The troubles of the African Christians were increased by the bursting forth of the Numidian barbarians, by whom many of them were taken captive. Cyprian was very earnest in exhorting the Carthaginian Christians to ransom their brethren; and gave all that he could to assist them in this act of love. He also made great exertions to restore a pure communion of saints; and called a council of sixty-six African bishops to help him in the restoration of early discipline. Several bishops, who had fallen away, were at this time deprived of all power; and it was

proposed that the bishops should be chosen in the presence of the whole church, that they might be publicly approved or rejected.

In A.D. 254, Cyprian was accused of ruling too absolutely; and a painful contest arose between him and the bishop at Rome, as to whether it was necessary for persons recovered from heresy to be re-baptized. Cyprian thought it was needful: but this opinion was warmly opposed by the Roman bishop; and he would not converse with the brethren who held it, or show them any hospitality. The Church seemed to need farther purification; chastening had not yet yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness; and the scourge was again uplifted, so that Rome and Carthage again flowed with the blood of

the martyrs. The sudden change in Valerian's disposition towards the Christians, which took place in the third year of his reign, is attributed to the arts of Macrianus, a favourite magician; and, to the end of his reign, he continued their bitter enemy.

Cyprian again retired and desired the brethren to keep quiet, and not deliver themselves up rashly to the Pagans, as some had formerly done in the heat of their zeal to obtain the honours of martyrdom. He told them it was for those who were seized to speak. “The Lord who dwells in us will speak in that hour. Confession rather than profession is our duty." Cyprian was soon after called to the trial, and witnessed a good confession. Multitudes who loved him followed him to the place of execution; and, when he was beheaded, some, in the fervency of their respect and affection, pressed forwards to catch his blood in handkerchiefs and napkins. A short time before, the prefect of Rome, having heard a report of the riches of the Church desired that everything should be delivered up. Laurentius, the chief deacon, asked for three days of preparation; and, at the end of that time, invited the prefect to come and see a court full of the golden vessels of God. On his arrival, he was shown the numbers of poor people who were provided for by the bounty of the richer brethren, these being the only vessels for the treasures of the Church. The disappointed prefect gave way to his fury, and commanded that Laurentius should be broiled to death before a slow fire. martyr suffered in silence, and when one side of his body was burned, he desired to have the other side turned towards the

The

CAPTIVITY OF VALERIAN.

201

fire;
and this being done, he prayed earnestly for the conver-
sion of Rome till he died.

In A.D. 260, Valerian went into Mesopotamia to try to re-
cover the provinces seized by Sapor, in the reign of Gallus.
There it is supposed that Macrianus, the magician, betrayed
him into a disadvantageous position, and thus caused his de-
feat. He was then invited to hold a private interview with
the king of Persia, and never escaped from his power. Sapor
not only treacherously seized his person, but carried him in
triumph through his empire, exposing him to the insults of
his subjects. During seven years of captivity, Valerian suf-
fered greatly; and, it is even said, the Persian king used
him as a footstool whenever he mounted his horse, saying,
that the bowed back of a Roman emperor was the proudest
monument of victory that had ever been beheld. Some his-
torians say that Valerian died in the seventy-first year of his
age, overwhelmed by the hardships he endured; and the Per-
sian king, unwilling to lose the memorial of his superiority,
caused his body to be flayed, and had the skin dressed and
dyed red to hang up in one of the temples. Some even
say that Valerian was flayed alive, and consider his suffer-
ings as a judgment for the rejection of the truth that he
had heard, and the persecution of those whom he knew to be
righteous.

After the captivity of Valerian, the Christians were not only
left in peace, but protected by law for the space of forty years,
that is, nearly to the close of the third century.

Gallienus was left sole emperor in A. D. 260; and, even if
he were not glad to get rid of his father's control, as some
imagined, it is certain he made no attempt to recover the cap-
tive emperor.
The weakness of his character may account for
this he was as unfit to carry on a foreign war as to govern
his own people; and, instead of turning his attention to the
duties of an emperor, he employed himself in learning arts and
sciences utterly useless in his situation. It is said, he was
a ready orator, an elegant poet, a skilful gardener, and an ex-
cellent cook! He spent his time in conversation with philo-
sophers, or in trifling pursuits and licentious pleasures. It was
not surprising that the reign of such an emperor was marked
by the inroads of all the warlike nations on the frontiers of the
empire, and by a number of usurpers in the different pro-