of his suffering The place and manner of his burial His body first discovered when and how The story of its translation to Constantinople The miracles said to be done by his Reliques and at his Memoriae Several reported by S. Augustin What credit to be given to them Miracles how long and why continued in the Church The vain pretences of the Church of Rome Pag. 1. The Life of S. PHILIP the Deacon and Evangelist His Birth-place The confounding him with S. Philip the Apostle His election to the Office of a Deacon The dispersion of the Church at Jerusalem Philip's preaching at Samaria Inveterate prejudices between the Samaritans and the Jews The great success of S. Philip's Ministry The Impostures of Simon Magus and his embracing Christianity The Christians at Samaria confirmed by Peter and John Philip sent to Gaza His meeting with the Aethiopian Eunuch What Aethiopia here meant Candace who The Custom of retaining Eunuchs in the Courts of the Eastern Princes This Eunuch who His Office His Religion and great Piety His Conversion and Baptism by S. Philip. The place where he was baptized The Eunuchs return and propagating Christianity in his own Countrey Philip's journey to Caesarea and fixing his abode there His four daughters Virgin-Prophetesses His death Pag. 23. The Life of S. BARNABAS the Apostle His Sirname Joses The title of Barnabas whence added to him His Countrey and Parents His Education and Conversion to Christianity His generous Charity S. Pauls address to him after his Conversion His Commission to confirm the Church of Antioch His taking S. Paul into his assistance Their being sent with contributions to the Church at Jerusalem Their peculiar separation for the Ministry of the Gentiles Imposition of hands the usual Rite of Ordination Their travels through several Countries Their success in Cyprus Barnabas at Lystra taken for Jupiter and why Their return to Antioch Their Embassy to Jerusalem about the controversie concerning the legal Rites Barnabas seduced by Peters dissimulation at Antioch The dissension between him and S. Paul Barnabas his journey to Cyprus His voyage to Rome and preaching the Christian Faith there His Martyrdom by the Jews in Cyprus His Burial His body when first discovered S. Matthews Hebrew Gospel found with it The great priviledges hereupon conferred upon the See of Salamis A description of his person and temper The Epistle anciently published under his name The design of it The practical part of it excellently managed under the two ways of Light and Darkness Pag. 33. The Life of S. TIMOTHY the Apostle and Evangelist S. Timothies Countrey and Kindred His religious education The great advantages of an early Piety Converted to Christianity by S. Paul and made choice of to be his companion Circumcised by S. Paul and why This no contradicting S. Pauls doctrine concerning Circumcision His Travels with S. Paul for the propagation of the Faith His return from Thessalonica and S. Pauls two Epistles to that Church S. Timothy consecrated Bishop of Ephesus The consent of Antiquity herein Ordination in those times usually done by Prophetic Designation and the reason of it Timothies age enquired into The importance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let no man despise thy youth the words shewed to be used by the best Writers for a considerable age S. Pauls first and second Epistle to him and the importance of them The manners of the Ephesians noted Their Festival called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Timothies martyrdom The time of his death place of his burial and translation of his body His weak and infirm constitution His great abstinence and admirable zeal S. Pauls singular affection for him Different from Timotheus in S. Denys the Areopagite Another Timothy S. Pauls Disciple martyred under Antoninus Pag. 45. The Life of S. TITUS Bishop of Crete His Country enquired into The report of his noble extract His education and conversion to Christianity His acquaintance with and accompanying S. Paul to the Synod at Jerusalem S. Pauls refusing to circumcise him and why His attending S. Paul in his travels Their arrival in Crete Titus constituted by him Bishop of that Island The testimonies of the Ancients to that purpose The intimations of it in S. Pauls Epistle to him S. Pauls censure of the People of Crete justified by the account which Gentile Writers give of their evil manners A short view of the Epistle it self The directions concerning Ecclesiastic persons His charge to exhort and convince Gain-sayers Crete abounding with Heretical Teachers Jewish Fables and Genealogies what and whence derived The Aeones and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the ancient Gnostics borrowed from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Heathen Poets This shewn by particular instances Titus commanded to attend S. Paul at Nicopolis His coming to him into Macedonia His following S. Paul to Rome and departure into Dalmatia The Story of Pliny the Younger's being converted by him in Crete censured His age and death The Church erected to his memory Pag. 55. The Life of S. DIONYSIUS the Areopagite Dionysius born at Athens The quality of his Parents His domestic Studies His foreign Travels Egypt frequented as the staple place of all recondite Learning His residence at Heliopolis The strange and miraculous Eclipse at our Saviours Passion Dionysius his remarques upon it His return to Athens and being made one of the Judges of the Areopagus The nature of this Court the number and quality of its Judges S. Paul arraigned before it his Discourse and its success Dionysius his conversion His further instruction by Hierotheus Hierotheus who Dionysius constituted Bishop of Athens A brief account of his Story according to those that confound him with Dionysius Bishop of Paris These shewn to be distinct The original and procedure of the Mistake enquired into A probable account given of it Dionysius his Martyrdom at Athens and the time of it A fabulous miracle reported of his Scull The description of his person and the hyperbolical commendations which the Greeks give of him The Books ascribed to him These none of his Apollinaris probably shewed to be the Author of them Several passages of the Ancients noted to that purpose Books why oft published under other mens names These Books the Fountain of Enthusiasm and mystical Theology A passage in them instanced in to that purpose Pag. 65. The Life of S. CLEMENS Bishop of Rome His Birth-place His Parents Kindred Education and Conversion to Christianity noted out of the Books extant under his name His relation to the Imperial Family shewed to be a mistake His being made Bishop of Rome The great confusion about the first Bishops of that See A probable account endeavoured concerning the order of S. Clemens his succession and the reconciling it with the times of the other Bishops What account given of him in the ancient Epistle to S. James Clemens his appointing Notaries to write the Acts of the Martyrs and dispatching Messengers to propagate the
learning His Writings His Hypotyposes Photius his account of them corrupted by the Arrians His Books yet extant and the orderly gradation of them His Stromata what the design of it His stile what in this what in his other Books A short Apology for some unwary assertions in his Writings His Writings enumerated Pag. 193. The Life of TERTULLIAN Presbyter of Carthage His names whence His Father who His education in all kinds of Learning His skill in the Roman Laws Different from Tertylian the Lawyer His way of life before his conversion enquired into His married condition His conversion to Christianity when The great cruelty used towards the Christians Severus his kindness to them Tertullians excellent Apology in their behalf His address to Scapula and the tendency of that discourse Severus his violent persecuting the Christians His prohibition of the Heteriae Tertullians Book to the Martyrs and concerning Patience His zeal against Heresies and Writings that way His Book De Pallio when written and upon what occasion His becoming Presbyter when His Book De Corona and what the occasion of it His declining from the Catholic Party Montanus who and whence His principles and practices Tertullians owning them and upon what occasion His morose and stubborn temper How far he complied with the Montanists and acknowledged the Paraclete How he was imposed upon His Writings against the Catholics The severity of the ancient Discipline Episcopus Episcoporum in what sense meant by Tertullian concerning the Bishop of Rome His separate meetings at Carthage His death His Character His singular parts and learning His Books His phrase and stile What contributed to its perplexedness and obscurity His un-orthodox opinions A brief plea for him Pag. 201. The Life of ORIGEN Presbyter Catechist of Alexandria Origen where and when born Several conjectures about the original of his name His Father who His juvenile education and great towardliness in the knowledge of the Scriptures His Philosophical Studies under Clemens Alexandrinus His Institution under Ammonius Ammonius who His fame and excellency confessed by the Gentile Philosophers Another Origen his Contemporary These two heedlesly confounded His Fathers Martyrdom and the confiscation of his Estate Origen's resolute encouragement of his Father His own passionate desire of Martyrdom His maintenance by an honourable Matron of Alexandria His zeal against Heretics His setting up a private School He succeeds Clemens in the Catechetic School at eighteen years of Age. The frequency of his Auditors Many of them Martyrs for the Faith Origen's resolution in attending upon the Martyrs His danger His couragious act at the Temple of Serapis His emasculating himself and the reasons of it The eminent chastity of those Primitive Times Origen's journey to Rome and return to Alexandria His taking in a Colleague into the Catechetic Office He learns the Hebrew Tongue The prudent method of his Teaching Ambrosius converted Who he was His great intimacy with Origen Origen sent for by the Governour of Arabia His journey into Palestin and teaching at Caesarea Remanded by the Bishop of Alexandria Alexander Severus his excellent Vertues and kindness for the Christian Religion Origen sent for by the Empress Mammaea to Antioch He begins to write his Commentaries How many Notaries and Transcribers imployed and by whom maintained Notaries their Original and Office Their use and institution in the Primitive Church His journey into Greece His passage through Palestin and being ordained Presbyter at Caesarea Demetrius of Alexandria his envy and rage against him Origen condemned in two Synods at Alexandria and one at Rome The resignation of his Catechetic School to Heraclas Heraclas who The story of his offering Sacrifice The credit of this story questioned and why His departure from Alexandria and fixing at Caesarea The eminency of his School there Gregorius Thaumaturgus his Scholar His friendship with Firmilian Firmilian who The Persecution under Maximinus Origen's Book written to the Martyrs His retirement whither He compares the Versions of the Bible His Tetrapla Hexapla and Octapla what and how managed A Specimen given of them His second journey to Athens His going to Nicomedia and Letter to Africanus about the History of Susanna His confutation of Beryllus in Arabia His answer to Celsus Celsus who Origens Letters to Philip the Emperour The vanity of making him a Christian Origens journey into Arabia to refute Heresies The Helcesaitae who What their Principles Alexanders miraculous election to the See of Jerusalem His Coadjntorship Government Sufferings and Martyrdom Origens grievous sufferings at Tyre under the Decian Persecution His deliverance out of Prison Age and Death His Character His strict life His mighty zeal abstinence contempt of the World indefatigable diligence and patience noted His natural parts incomparable learning His Books and their several Classes His stile what His unsound opinions The great Out-cry against him in all Ages The Apologies written in his behalf Several things noted out of the Ancients to extenuate the charge His assertions not Dogmatical Not intended for public view Generally such as were not determined by the Church His Books corrupted and by whom His own complaints to that purpose The testimonies of Athanasius and Theotimus and Haymo in his vindication Great errours and mistakes acknowledged What things contributed to them His great kindness for the Platonic Principles S. Hierom's moderate censure of him His repenting of his rash Propositions His Writings enumerated and what now extant Pag. 213. The Life of S. BABYLAS Bishop of Antioch His Originals obscure His education and accomplishments enquired into Made Bishop of Antioch when Antioch taken by the King of Persia Recovered by the Roman Emperour Babylas his fidelity in his charge The Decian Persecution and the grounds of it severely urged by the Emperours Edicts Decius his coming to Antioch His attempt to break into the Christian Congregation Babylas his bold resistance This applied to Numerianus and the ground of the mistake The like reported of Philip the Emperour Decius his bloudy act related by S. Chrysostom His rage against Babylas and his examination of him The Martyrs resolute answer His imprisonment and hard usage The different accounts concerning his death Three Youths his fellow-sufferers in vain attempted by the Emperour Their Martyrdom first and why Babylas beheaded His command that his chains should be buried with him The translation of his body under Constantius The great sweetness and pleasantness of the Daphne Apollo's Temple there S. Babylas his bones translated thither by Gallus Caesar The Oracle immediately rendered dumb In vain consulted by Julian The confession of the Daemon Julian's command for removing Babylas his bones The Martyrs Remains triumphantly carried into the City The credit of this Story sufficiently attested The thing owned by Libanius and Julian Why such honour suffered to be done to the Martyr Julian afraid of an immediate vengeance His Persecution against the Christians at Antioch The sufferings of Theodorus The Temple of Apollo fired from Heaven Pag. 241. The Life of
haughty and its face full of ancient wrinkles of which a Lib. 5. cap. 1. p. 459. Lactantius long since gave this censure that though he himself was skilled in all points of Learning yet his stile was rugged and uneasie and very obscure as indeed it requires a very attentive and diligent a sharp and sagacious understanding yet is it lofty and masculine and carries a kind of majestic eloquence along with it that gives a pleasant relish to the judicious and inquisitive Reader It is deeply tinctured with the African dialect and owes not a little of its perplexedness and obscurity to his conversing so much in the Writings of the Greeks whose forms and idioms he had so made his own that they naturally flowed into his pen and how great a Master he was of that Tongue is plain in that himself b De Baptism c. 15. p. 230. de Coron c. 6. p. 104 tells us he wrote a Book concerning Baptism and some others in Greek which could not but exceedingly vitiate and infect his native stile and render it less smooth elegant and delightful as we see in Ammianus Marcellinus who being a Greek born wrote his Roman History in Latin in a stile rough and unpleasant and next door to barbarous Besides what was in it self obscure and uneven became infinitely worse by the ignorance of succeeeding Ages who changed what they did not understand and crowded in spurious words in the room of those which were proper and natural till they had made it look like quite another thing then what it was when it first came from under the hand of its Author XIV HIS errours and unsound opinions are frequently noted by S. Augustin and the Ancients not to mention later Censors and Pamelius has reduced his Paradoxes to thirty one which together with their Explications and Antidotes he has prefixed before the Editions of his Works That of Montanus his being the Paraclete we noted before and for other things relating to that Sect they are rather matters concerning Order and Discipline then Articles and Points of Faith It cannot be denied but that he has some unwarrantable notions common with other Writers of those Times and some more peculiar to himself But he lived in an Age when the Faith was yet green and tender when the Church had not publicly and solemnly defined things by explicit Articles and nice Propositions when the Philosophy of the Schools was mainly predominant and men ran immediately from the Stoa and the Academy to the Church when a greater latitude of opining was indulged and good men were infinitely more solicitous about piety and a good life then about modes of Speech and how to express every thing so critically and exactly that it should not be liable to a severe scrutiny and examination His Writings Genuine Apologeticus Ad Nationes Libri II. De Testimonio Animae Ad Scapulam De Spectaculis De Idololatria De Corona De Pallio De Poenitentia De Oratione Ad Martyras De Patientia De cultu foeminarum Lib. II. Ad Vxorem Lib. II. De Virginibus Velandis Adversus Judaeos De Praescriptione Haereticorum De Baptismo Adversus Hermogenem Adversus Valentinianos De Anima De Carne Christi De Resurrectione Carnis Adversus Marcionem Lib. V. Scorpiace Adversus Praxeam Libri post Lapsum in Montanismum scripti De Exhortatione Castitatis De Monogamia De fuga in Persecutione De Jejuniis De Pudicitia Supposititious Poemata Adversus Marcionem Lib. V. De judicio Domini Genesis Sodoma Not extant De Paradiso De Spe Fidelium De Ecstasi Adversus Apollonium Adversus Apellecianos De Vestibus Aaron De Censu Animae Graece De Corona De Virginibus Velandis De Baptismo The End of TERTULLIAN 's Life THE LIFE OF ORIGEN Presbyter Catechist of ALEXANDRIA Michael Burghers sculpsit ORIGEN Origen where and when born Several conjectures about the original of his name His Father who His juvenile education and great towardliness in the knowledge of the Scriptures His Philosophical Studies under Clemens Alexandrinus His Institution under Ammonius Ammonius who His fame and excellency confessed by the Gentile Philosophers Another Origen his contemporary These two heedlesly confounded His Fathers martyrdom and the confiscation of his Estate Origen 's resolute encouragement of his Father His own passionate desire of Martyrdom His maintenance by an honourable Matron of Alexandria His zeal against Heretics His setting up a private School His succeding Clemens in the Catechetic Shool at eighteen years of Age. The frequency of his Auditors Many of them Martyrs for the Faith Origen 's resolution in attending upon the Martyrs His danger His couragious act at the Temple of Serapis His emasculating himself and the reasons of it The eminent chastity of those Primitive times Origen 's journey to Rome and return to Alexandria His taking in a Colleague into the Catechetic Office His learning the Hebrew Tongue The prudent method of his Teaching Ambrosius converted Who he was His great intâ—maâ—y with Origen Origen sent for by the Governour of Arabia His journey into Palestin and teaching at Caesarea Remanded by the Bishop of Alexandria Alexander Severus his excellent Vertues and kindness for the Christian Religion Origen sent for by the Empress Mammaea to Antioch He begins to write his Commentaries How many Notaries and Transcribers imployed and by whom maintained Notaries their Original and Office Their use and institution in the Primitive Church His journey into Greece His passage through Palestin and being ordained Presbyter at Caesarea Demetrius of Alexandria his envy and rage against him Origen condemned in two Synods at Alexandria and one at Rome The resignation of his Catechetic School to Heraclas Heraclas who The story of his offering sacrifice The credit of this story questioned and why His departure from Alexandria and fixing at Caesarea The eminency of his School there Gregorius Thaumaturgus his Scholar His friendship with Firmilian Firmilian who The Persecution under Maximinus Origen 's Book written to the Martyrs His retirement whither His comparing the Versions of the Bible His Tetrapla Hexapla and Octapla what and how managed A Speâ—imen given of them His second journey to Athens His going to Nicomedia and letter to Africanus about the History of Susanna His confutation of Beryllus in Arabia His answer to Celsus Celsus who Origens Letters to Philip the Emperour The vanity of making him a Christian Origen 's journey into Arabia to refute Heresies The Helcesaitae who What their Principles Alexander 's miraculous election to the See of Jerusalem his Coadjutor-ship Government Sufferings and Martyrdom Origen 's grievous sufferings at Tyre under the Decian Persecution His deliverance out of Prison Age and Death His Character His strict life His mighty zeal abstinence contempt of the World indefatigable diligence and patience noted His natural parts incomparable learning His Books and their several Classes His stile what His unsound opinions The great Out-cry against him in all Ages
eyes I mean confused and uncertain in point of Chronology The greatest part of what we have is from Eusebius in whose account of Times some things are false more uncertain and the whole the worse for passing through other hands after his Indeed next to the recovering the lost portions of Antiquity I know nothing would be more acceptable then the setting right the disjointed Frame of those Times a Cure which which we hope for shortly from a very able hand In the mean time for my own part and so far as may be useful to the purposes of the following Papers I have by the best measures I could take in some hast drawn up a Chronology of these three Ages which though it pretends not to the utmost exactness and accuracy that is due to a matter of this nature yet it will serve however to give a quick and present prospect of things and to shew the connexure and concurrence of Ecclesiastical Affairs with the Times of the Roman Empire So far as I follow Eusebius I principally rely upon the accounts given in his History which being written after his Chronicon may be supposed the issue of his more exact researches and to have passed the judgment of his riper and more considering thoughts And perhaps the Reader will say and I confess I am somewhat of his mind had I observed the same rule towards these Papers he had never been troubled with them But that is too late now to be recalled and 't is folly to bewail what is impossible to be remedied ERRATA INTROD p. 5. l. 41. read Claudius p. 14. l. 45. r. ornaverint p. 17. l. 40. r. refers p. 29. l. 41. after assures add us BOOK p. 5. l. 41. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 101. l. 51. r. Emperour p. 149. l. 12. for to r. of p. 156. l. 6. after that r. is p. 164. l. 34. r. condemnation p. 228. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 240. l. 23. r. librum p. 262. l. 37. for spread r. spilt p. 273. l. 20. for them r. him THE CONTENTS The Introduction THE several periods of the three first Ages Our Lords coming and the seasonableness of it for the propagation of the Gospel His entrance upon his Prophetic Office and the sum of his Ministry The success of his doctrine and the several places where he preached The Story of Agbarus not altogether improbable Our Lords Death What attestation given to the passages concerning Christ by Heathen Writers The testimony of Tacitus Pilats relation sent to Tiberius The Acts of Pilat what Pilats Letter now extant Spurious The Apostles entering upon their Commission and first Acts after our Lords Ascension How long they continued in Judaea Their dispersion to preach in the Gentile Provinces and the success of it The state of the Church after the Apostolic Age. The mighty progress of Christianity The numbers and quality of its Converts It s speedy and incredible success in all Countries noted out of the Writers of those Times The early conversion of Britain to Christianity The general declension of Paganism The silence and ceasing of their Oracles This acknowledged by Porphyry to be the effect of the Christian Religion appearing in the World A great argument of its truth and divinity The means contributing to the success of Christianity The miraculous Powers then resident in the Church This proved at large out of the Primitive Writers The great learning and abilities of many of the Churches Champions The most eminent of the Christian Apologists The principal of them that engaged against the Heresies of those Times Others renowned for other parts of Learning The indefatigable zeal and industry used in the propagation of Christianity Instructing and Catechizing new Converts Schools erected Travelling to preach in all parts of the World The admirable lives of the ancient Christians The singular efficacy of the Christian doctrin upon the minds of men A holy life the most acceptable sacrifice Their incomparable patience and constancy under sufferings A brief Survey of the Ten Persecutions The first begun by Nero. His brutish extravagances and inhumane cruelties His burning Rome and the dreadfulness of that conflagration This charged upon the Christians and their several kinds of punishment noted out of Tacitus The chief of them that suffered The Persecution under Domitian The Vices of that Prince The cruel usage of S. John The third begun by Trajan His character His proceeding against the Christians as illegal Societies Plinies Letter to Trajan concerning the Christians with the Emperours answer Adrian Trajan's successor a mixture in him of Vice and Vertue His persecuting the Christians This the fourth Persecution The mitigation of it and its breaking out again under Antoninus Pius The excellent temper and learning of M. Aurelius The fifth Persecution raised by him It s fierceness in the East at Rome especially in France the most eminent that suffered there The Emperours Victory in his German Wars gained by the Christians Prayers Severus his temper his cruelty towards the Christians The chief of the Martyrs under the sixth Persecution Maximinus his immoderate ambition and barbarous cruelty The Author of the seventh Persecution This not universal The common evils and calamities charged upon the Christians Decius the eighth Persecutor otherwise an excellent Prince The violence of this Persecution and the most noted sufferers The foundations of Monachism when laid The ninth Persecution and its rage under Valerian The most eminent Martyrs The severe punishment of Valerian his miserable usage by the Persian King The tenth Persecution begun under Dioclesian and when The fierceness and cruelty of that time The admirable carriage and resolution of the Christians under all these sufferings The proper influence of this argument to convince the World The whole concluded with Lactantius his excellent reasonings to this purpose Page i. The Life of S. STEPHEN the Protomartyr The violent opposition that Christianity at its first appearance met with both from Jews and Gentiles S. Stephens Kindred unknown One of the Seventy The great Charity of the Primitive Believers Dissension between the Hebrews and Grecians Hellenists who The Original of Deacons in the Christian Church The nature of their Office the number and qualification of the Persons Stephen's eminent accomplishments for the place The envy and opposition of the Jews against him The Synagogue of the Libertines what Of the Cyrenians Alexandrians c. Their disputation with S. Stephen and the success of it False Witnesses suborned to depose against him The several parts of their charge considered The mighty veneration of the Jews for their Temple and the Mosaic Institutions It s destruction by Titus and their attempts to rebuild it under Julian frustrated by a miracle Stephen's Apology before the Sanhedrin The Jews rage against him He is encouraged by a vision Stoning to death what kind of punishment the manner of it among the Jews S. Stephen's Martyrdom His Character and excellent Vertues The time and place
Gospel The Schism in the Church of Corinth and Clemens his Epistle to that Church An enquiry into the time when that Epistle was written The Persecution under Trajan His proceeding against the Heteriae A short relation of S. Clemens his troubles out of Simeon Metaphrastes His banishment to Cherson Damnatio ad Metalla what The great success of his Ministry in the place of his exile S. Clemens his Martyrdom and the kind of it The anniversary miracle reported on the day of his solemnity The time of his Martyrdom His genuine Writings His Epistle to the Corinthians the commendations given of it by the Ancients It s Stile and Character The great modesty and humility that appears in it The fragment of his second Epistle Supposititious Writings The Recognitions their several titles and different editions Their Antiquity what A conjecture concerning the Author of them The censures of the Ancients concerning the corrupting of them considered The Epistle to S. James Pag. 77. The Life of S. SIMEON Bishop of Jerusalem The heedless confounding him with others of the like name His Parents and near Relation to our Saviour The time of his Birth His strict Education and way of Life The Order and Institution of the Rechabites what His conversion to Christianity The great care about a Successor to S. James Bishop of Jerusalem Simeon chosen to that place when and why The causes of the destruction of the Jewish state The original and progress of those Wars briefly related The miserable state of Jerusalem by Siege Pestilence and Famine Jerusalem stormed The burning of the Temple and the rage of the Fire The number of the Slain and Captives The just accomplishment of our Lords predictions The many Prodigies portending this destruction The Christians forewarned to depart before Jerusalem was shut up Their withdrawment to Pella The admirable care of the Divine Providence over them Their return back to Jerusalem when The flourishing condition of the Christian Church there The occasion of S. Simeons Martyrdom The infinite jealousie of the Roman Emperours concerning the line of David Simeons apprehension and crucifixion His singular torments and patience His great age and the time of his death Pag. 89. The Life of S. IGNATIUS Bishop of Antioch His Originals unknown Called Theophorus and why The Story of his being taken up into our Saviours arms refuted His Apostolic education S. Johns Disciple His being made Bishop of Antioch The eminency of that See The order of his succession stated His prudent Government of that Church The tradition of his appointing Antiphonal hymns by revelation Trajans persecuting the Church at Antioch His discourse with Ignatius Ignatius his cruel usage His sentence passed His being transmitted to Rome and why sent so far to his execution His arrival at Smyrna and meeting with S. Polycarp His Epistles to several Churches His coming to Troas and Epistles thence His arrival at Porto Romano Met on the way by the Christians at Rome His earnest desire of Martyrdom His praying for the prosperity of the Church The time of his Passion His being thrown to wild Beasts What kind of punishment that among the Romans The collection of his Remains and their transportation to Antioch and the great honours done to them The great plenty of them in the Church of Rome Trajans surceasing the Persecution against the Christians The dreadful Earthquakes happening at Antioch Ignatius his admirable Piety His general solicitude for the preservation and propagation of the Christian Doctrine as an Apostle His care diligence and fidelity as a Bishop His patience and fortitude as a Martyr His Epistles Polycarps commendation of them Pag. 99. The Life of S. POLYCARP Bishop of Smyrna The place of his Nativity The honour and eminency of Smyrna His education under S. John By him constituted Bishop of Smyrna Whether the same with the Bishop to whom S. John committed the young man S. Polycarp the Angel of the Church of Smyrna mentioned in the Apocalyps Ignatius his arrival at Smyrna His Letters to that Church and to S. Polycarp His Journey to Rome about the Quartodeciman Controversie The time of it enquired into Anicetus his succession to the See of Rome His reception there by Anicetus Their mutual kindness notwithstanding the difference His stout opposing Heretics at Rome His sharp treatment of Marcion and mighty zeal against those early corrupters of the Christian Doctrine Irenaeus his particular remarques of S. Polycarps actions The Persecution under M. Antoninus The time of Polycarps Martyrdom noted The acts of it written by the Church of Smyrna their great esteem and value S. Polycarp sought for His Martyrdom foretold by a dream His apprehension and being conducted to Smyrna Irenarchae who Polycarps rude treatment by Herodes His being brought before the Proconsul Christians refused to swear by the Emperours genius and why His pious and resolute answers His slighting the Proconsuls threatnings His sentence proclaimed Asiarchae who Preparation for his burning His Prayer before his death Miraculously preserved in the fire Dispatched with a Sword The care of the Christians about his Remains this far from a superstitious veneration Their annual meeting at the place of his Martyrdom His great Age at his death The day of his Passion His Tomb how honoured at this day The judgments happening to Smyrna after his death The Faith and Patience of the Primitive Christians noted out of the Preface to the Acts of his Martyrdom His Epistle to the Philippians It s usefulness Highly valued and publicly read in the ancient Church The Epistle it self Pag. 111. The Life of S. QUADRATUS Bishop of Athens His Birth-place enquired into His Learning His Education under the Apostles Publius Bishop of Athens Quadratus his succession in that See The degenerate state of that Church at his coming to it His indefatigable zeal and industry in its reformation It s purity and flourishing condition noted by Origen Quadratus his being endowed with a spirit of Prophecy and a power of Miracles This person proved to be the same with our Athenian Bishop The troubles raised against the Christians under the reign of Aadrian Aadrians Character His disposition towards Religion and base thoughts of the Christians His fondness for the Learning and Religion of Greece His coming to Athens and kindness to that City His being initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries These mysteries what and the degrees of initiation Several addresses made to the Emperour in behalf of the Christians Quadratus his Apologetic Ser. Granianus his Letter to Aadrian concerning the Christians The Emperours Rescript His good opinion afterwards of Christ and his Religion Quadratus driven from his charge His Martyrdom and place of Burial Pag. 131. The Life of S. JUSTIN the Martyr His vicinity to the Apostolic times His Birth-place and Kindred His Studies His Travels into Egypt To what Sect of Philosophy he applied himself The occasion and manner of his strange conversion to Christianity related by himself Christianity the onely safe and
S. CYPRIAN Bishop of Carthage His Birth-place The Nobility of his Family exploded The confounding him with another Cyprian Bishop of Antioch These two vastly distinct S. Cyprian's education His professing Rhetoric His conversion to Christianity by the persuasions of Caecilius Their mutual endearment His great charity to the Poor His Baptism Made Presbyter and Bishop of Carthage His modest declining the honour His Proscription recess and care of his Church during that retirement The case of the Lapsed A brief account of the rise of the Novatian Sect. The fierceness of the Persecution at Carthage under Decius The courage and patience of the Christians Cyprian's return A Synod at Carthage about the case of the Lapsed and the cause of Novatian Their determination of these matters Ratified by a Synod at Rome and another at Antioch A second Synod about the same affair Moderation in the Ecclesiastic Discipline used in the time of Persecution The great Pestilence at Carthage The miserable state of that City The mighty charity of S. Cyprian and the Christians at that time These evils charged upon the Christians S. Cyprians vindication of them The time of baptizing Infants determined in a Synod Another Synod to decide the case of the Spanish Bishops that had lapsed in the time of Persecution The Controversie concerning the Rebaptizing those who had been baptized by Heretics This resolved upon in a Synod of LXXXVII African Bishops The immoderate heats between Cyprian Firmilian and Stephen Bishop of Rome about this matter Cyprian arraigned before the Proconsul His resolute carriage His banishment to Curubis His Martyrdom foretold him by a Vision His Letters during his exile The severe usage of the Christians His withdrawment and why His apprehension and examination before the Proconsul The sentence passed upon him His Martyrdom and place of burial His piety fidelity chastity humility modesty charity c. His natural parts His learning wherein it mainly consisted The politeness and elegancy of his stile His quick proficiency in Christian studies His frequent converse with Tertullian's Writings His Books The excellency of those ascribed to him The great honours done to his memory Pag. 251. The Life of S. GREGORY Bishop of Neocaesarea S. Gregory where born His Kindred and Relations The rank and quality of his Parents His youthful studies His study of the Laws His travels to Alexandria The calumny there fixed upon him and his miraculous vindication His return through Greece His studying the Law at Berytus and upon what occasion His fixing at Caesarea and putting himself under the tutorage of Origen The course of his studies His Panegyric to Origen at his departure Origen's Letter to him and the importance of it His refusal to stay at Neocaesarea and retirement into the Wilderness His stunning to be made Bishop of Neocaesarea Consecrated Bishop of that City during his absence His acceptance of the charge and the state of that place at his entrance upon it His miraculous instruction in the great mysteries of Christianity His Creed The miracles wrought by him in his return His expelling Daemons out of a Gentile Temple and the success of it His welcom entrance into the City and kind entertainment His diligent preaching to the People His erecting a Church for Divine Worship and its signal preservation An horrible Plague stopped by his prayers The great influence of it upon the minds of the People His judging in Civil Causes His drying up a Lake by his prayers which had been the cause of an implacable quarrel between two Brothers and his restraining the overflowings of the River Lycus The signal vengeance inflicted upon two Jews counterfeit Beggars The fame and multitude of his miracles and the authorities to justifie the credibility of them The rage and cruelty of the Decian Persecution in the Regions of Pontus and Cappadocia His persuading the Christians to withdraw His own retirement The narrow search made for him and his miraculous escape His betrayer converted His return to Neocaesarea and instituting solemnities to the memories of the Martyrs and the reasons of it The inundations of the Northern Nations upon the Roman Empire His Canonical Epistle to rectifie the disorders committed by occasion of those inroads His meeting with others in the Synod at Antioch about the cause of Paulus Samosatenus His return home age and death His solemn thanks to God for the flourishing state of his Church and command concerning his Burial The excellent Character given of him by S. Basil His Writings The charge of Sabellianism S. Basils Apology for him in that behalf Modesty to be used in censuring the ancient Fathers and why Pag. 267. The Life of S. DIONYSIUS Bishop of Alexandria The place of his nativity His Family and Relations His conversion how His studies under Origen Whether a professed Rhetorician His succeeding Heraclas in the Catechetic School His being constituted Bishop of Alexandria and the time of it Apreparatory Persecution at Alexandria how begun The severity of it The Martyrdom of Apollonia and the fond honours done her in the Church of Rome The Persecution continued and promoted by Decius his Edicts The miserable condition of the Christians The sudden Conversion and Martyrdom of a Guard of Souldiers Dionysius apprehended and carried into banishment there to be beheaded A pleasant account of his unexpected deliverance by means of a drunken rout His retirement into the Desarts His return to Alexandria The great number and quality of the Lapsed in the late Persecution The contests about this matter Dionysius his judgment and practice herein The case of Serapion His dealing with Novatian about his Schism and the copy of his Letter to him His being engaged in the Controversie about Rebaptization and great moderation in it His Letter to Pope Sixtus about a person baptized by Heretics Valerianus the Emperours kindness to Christians How turned to cruelty Dionysius brought before Aemilian His discourse with him and resolute constancy He is condemned to be banished His transportation into the Desarts of Lybia The success of his Ministry there Innumerable Barbarians converted to the Faith Gallienus his relaxing the Persecution His Letter to Dionysius granting liberty to the Christians Alexandria shut up by the usurpation of Aemilian The Divisions within and Siege without The horrible Pestilence at Alexandria and the singular kindness and compassion of the Christians there above the Heathens Dionysius his confutation of Sabellius His unwary expressions and the charge against him His vindication both by himself and by S. Athanasius His writing against Nepos Nepos who and what his Principles and Followers Dionysius his encounter with the heads of the Party his convincing and reducing them back to the Orthodox Church His engaging in the Controversie against Paulus Samosatenus The loose extravagant and insolent temper and manners of that man Dionysius his Letter to the Synod at Antioch concerning him The success of that affair Dionysius his death His Writings and Epistles The loss of them bewailed THE
INTRODUCTION The several periods of the three first Ages Our Lords coming and the seasonableness of it for the propagation of the Gospel His entrance upon his Prophetic Office and the sum of his Ministry The success of his doctrine and the several places where he preached The Story of Agbarus not altogether improbable Our Lords Death What attestation given to the passages concerning Christ by Heathen Writers The testimony of Tacitus Pilats relation sent to Tiberius The Acts of Pilat what Pilats Letter now extant Spurious The Apostles entering upon their Commission and first Acts after our Lords Ascension How long they continued in Judaea Their dispersion to preach in the Gentile Provinces and the success of it The state of the Church after the Apostolic Age. The mighty progress of Christianity The numbers and quality of its Converts It s speedy and incredible success in all Countries noted out of the Writers of those Times The early conversion of Britain to Christianity The general declension of Paganism The silence and ceasing of their Oracles This acknowledged by Porphyry to be the effect of the Christian Religion appearing in the World A great argument of its truth and divinity The means contributing to the success of Christianity The miraculous Powers then resident in the Church This proved at large out of the Primitive Writers The great learning and abilities of many of the Churches Champions The most eminent of the Christian Apologists The principal of them that engaged against the Heresies of those Times Others renowned for other parts of Learning The indefatigable zeal and industry used in the propagation of Christianity Instructing and Catechizing new Converts Schools erected Travelling to preach in all parts of the World The admirable lives of the ancient Christians The singular efficacy of the Christian doctrin upon the minds of men A holy life the most acceptable sacrifice Their incomparable patience and constancy under sufferings A brief Survey of the Ten Persecutions The first begun by Nero. His brutish extravagances and inhumane cruelties His burning Rome and the dreadfulness of that conflagration This charged upon the Christians and their several kinds of punishment noted out of Tacitus The chief of them that suffered The Persecution under Domitian The Vices of that Prince The cruel usage of S. John The third begun by Trajan His character His proceeding against the Christians as illegal Societies Plinies Letter to Trajan concerning the Christians with the Emperours answer Adrian Trajan 's successor a mixture in him of Vice and Vertue His persecuting the Christians This the fourth Persecution The mitigation of it and its breaking out again under Antoninus Pius The excellent temper and learning of M. Aurelius The fifth Persecution raised by him It s fierceness in the East at Rome especially in France the most eminent that suffered there The Emperours Victory in his German Wars gained by the Christians Prayers Severus his temper his cruelty towards the Christians The chief of the Martyrs under the sixth Persecution Maximinus his immoderate ambition and barbarous cruelty The Author of the seventh Persecution This not universal The common evils and calamities charged upon the Christians Decius the eighth Persecutor otherwise an excellent Prince The violence of this Persecution and the most noted sufferers The foundations of Monachism when laid The ninth Persecution and its rage under Valerian The most eminent Martyrs The severe punishment of Valerian his miserable usage by the Persian King The tenth Persecution begun under Dioclesian and when The fierceness and cruelty of that time The admirable carriage and resolution of the Christians under all these sufferings The proper influence of this argument to convince the World The whole concluded with Lactantius his excellent reasonings to this purpose I. THE state of the Christian Church in the three first Ages of it may be considered under a threefold period as it was first planted and established by our Lord himself during his residence in the World as it was enlarged and propagated by the Apostles and first Missionaries of the Christian Faith and as it grew up and prospered from the Apostolic Age till the times of Constantine when the Empire submitted it self to Christianity God who in former times was pleased by various methods of Revelation to convey his will to mankind hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son For the great blessing of the promised Seed after a long succession of several Ages being come to its just maturity and perfection God was resolved to perform the mercy promised to the Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant the Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham Accordingly In the fulness of time God sent his Son It was in the declining part of Augustus his reign when this great Ambassador arrived from Heaven to publish to the World the glad tidings of salvation A period of time as a Contr. Cels lib. 2. p. 79. Origen observes wisely ordered by the divine Providence For the Roman Empire being now in the highest pitch of its grandeur all its parts united under a Monarchical Government and an universal Peace spread over all the Provinces of the Empire that had opened a way to a free and uninterrupted commerce with all Nations a smoother and speedier passage was hereby prepared for the publishing the doctrin of the Gospel which the Apostles and first Preachers of Religion might with the greater ease and security carry up and down to all quarters of the World As for the Jews their minds were awakened about this time with busie expectations of their Messiah's coming and no sooner was the birth of the holy Jesus proclaimed by the arrival of the Eastern Magi who came to pay homage to him but Jerusalem was filled with noise and tumult the Sanhedrin was convened and consulted by Herod who jealous of his late gotten Soveraignty was resolved to dispatch this new Competitor out of the way Deluded in his hopes of discovery by the Magi he betakes himself to acts of open force and cruelty commanding all Infants under two years old to be put to death and among them it seems his own Son which made b Macrob. Saturnal l. 2. c. 4. p. 279. Augustus pleasantly say alluding to the Jewish custom of abstaining from Swines-flesh It is better to be Herods Hog then his Son But the Providence of God secured the holy Infant by timely admonishing his Parents to retire into Aegypt where they remained till the death of Herod which happening not long after they returned II. NEAR thirty years our Lord remained obscure under the retirements of a private life applying himself as the Ancients tell us and the Evangelical History plainly intimates to Joseph's imployment the trade of a Carpenter So little Patronage did he give to an idle unaccountable course of Life But now he was called out of his Shades and Solitudes and publicly owned to be that person whom God had sent to be the great Prophet of his
which he assures they endured with the most admirable and undaunted patience they throng'd to the Tribunals of their Judges and freely told them what they were despis'd the threatnings and barbarity of their enemies and received the fatal and decretory Sentence with a smile when persuaded to be tender of their lives and to compassionate the case of their Wives and Children they bore up against the temptation with a manly and Philosophic mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he adds yea rather with a soul truly pious and devoted unto God so that neither fears nor charms could take hold upon them at once giving undeniable evidences both of their own courage and fortitude and of that Divine and unconceivable power of our Lord that went along with them The acutest torments did not shake the firmness and stability of their minds but they could with as much unconcernedness lay down their lives as Origen a Contr. Cels l. 7. p. 357. tells Celsus as the best Philosopher could put off his coat They valued their innocency above their case or life it self and sufficiently shewed they believed another state by an argument beyond what any institution of Philosophy could afford The great Philosophers of the Gentiles as Eusebius b Praepar Evan. l. 1. c. 4. p. 13. reasons in this matter as much as they talk of immortality and the happiness of the future state did yet shew that they look'd upon it only as a childish and a trifling report whereas amongst us even boys and girls and as to outward appearance the meanest and rudest persons being assisted by the power and aid of our Blessed Saviour do by their actions rather than their words demonstrate the truth of this great Principle the immortality of the Soul Ten years this Persecution lasted in its strength and vigor under Dioclesian in the East and Maximian in the West and they thought it seems they had done their work and accordingly tell the world in some ancient Inscriptions c Ap. Gruter pag. CCLXXX num 3. 4. that they had utterly defaced the name and superstition of the Christians and had restored and propagated the worship of the gods But were miserably mistaken in the case and as if weary of the work laid down their purple and retir'd to the solitudes of a private life And though Galerius Maximianus Jovius Maximinus Maxentius and Licinius did what they could to set the Persecution on foot again yet all in vain both they and it in a very few years expiring and dwindling into nothing XXIX THUS we have seen the hardships and miseries the torments and sufferings which the Christians were exposed to for several ages and with how invincible a patience they went through with them Let us now a little review the argument and see what force and influence it had to convince the world of the truth of their Religion and bring in Converts to the Faith Tertullian d Apolog. c. ult p. 40. tells the Gentiles That all their cruelty was to no purpose that it was but a stronger invitation to bring over others to the party that the oftner they mowed them down the faster they sprang up again and that the blood of Christians was a seed that grew up into a more plentiful harvest that several among the Gentiles had exhorted their auditors to patience under suffering but could never make so many Proselytes with all their fine discourses as the Christians did by their actions that that very obstinacy which was so much charged upon them was a tutor to instruct others For who when they beheld such things could not but be powerfully mov'd to enquire what really was within who when he had once found it would not embrace it and having once embraced it not be desirous to suffer for it that so he may obtain the full Grace of God and the pardon of his sins assured by the shedding of his blood Lactantius e De Justit l. 5. c. 13. p. 494. mannages this argument with incomparable eloquence and strength of reason his discourse is somewhat long but not unworthy the Readers consideration Since our number says he is always increased from amongst the Votaries of the Heathen deities and is never lessened no not in the hottest Persecution who is so blind and stupid as not to see in which party true Wisdom does reside But they alas are blinded with rage and malice and think all to be fools who when 't is in their power to escape punishment chuse rather to be tortured and to die when as they might perceive by this that that can be no such folly wherein so many thousands throughout the whole world do so unanimously conspire Suppose women through the weakness of their Sex may miscarry and they are pleased sometimes to style this Religion an effeminate and old-wives Superstition yet certainly men are wiser If children and young men may be rash yet at least those of a mature age and old men have a more stable judgment If one City might play the fool yet innumerable others cannot be supposed to be guilty of the same folly If one Province or one Nation should want care and providence yet all the rest cannot lack understanding to judge what is right But now when the Divine Law is entertain'd from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof and every Sex Age Nation and Country serves God with one heart and Soul when there is every where the same patience and contempt of death they ought to consider that there is some reason for it and that it is not without cause that it is maintained even unto death that there is some fixed foundation when a Religion is not only not shattered by injuries and persecutions but always increased and rendred more firm and stable When the very common people see men torn in pieces by various engins of torment and yet maintain a patience unconquerable in the midst of their tir'd tormentors they cannot but think what the truth is that the consent of so many and their perseverance unto death cannot be in vain nor that patience it self without the Divine assistance should be able to overcome such exquisit tortures High-way men and persons of the most robust constitutions are not able to bear such pulling asunder they roar and groan and sink under pain because not furnished with a Divine patience But our very children to say nothing of our men and our tender women do by silence conquer their tormentors nor can the flames extort one sigh from them Let the Romans go now and boast of their Mutius and their Regulus one of which delivered up himself to be put to death by his enemies because he was ashamed to live a prisoner the other thrust his hand into the fire when he saw he could not escape death Behold with us the weaker Sex and the more delicate age suffers the whole body to be torn and burnt not because they could not avoid
with such cunningly-contrived discourses to inveigle and perswade the People and with deceitful miracles to undo the Nation Here lies the crisis of the Controversie Is it like that he should be God who was born of Mary that the maker of the World should be the son of a Carpenter was not Bethlehem the place of his Nativity and Nazareth of his education canst thou imagine him to be God that was born upon Earth who was so poor that he was wrapt up in swadling cloths and thrown into a manger who was forced to fly from the rage of Herod and to wash away his pollution by being baptized in Jordan who was subject to hunger and thirst to sleep and weariness who being bound was not able to escape nor being buffeted to rescue or revenge himself who when he was hanged could not come down from the Cross but underwent a cursed and a shameful death wilt thou make us believe that he is in Heaven whom we know to have been buried in his Grave that he should be the Life of the Dead who is so near akin to Mortality himself Is it likely that God should suffer such things as these would he not rather with an angry breath have struck his adversaries dead at the first approach and set them beyond the reach of making attempts upon his own person either cease therefore to delude the People with these impostures or prepare thy self to undergo the same fate XII IN answer to which we may imagine S. Stephen thus to have replied upon them And why Sirs should these things seem so incredible have you not by you the Writings of the Prophets do you not read the Books of Moses and profess your selves to be his Disciples did not Moses say a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear Have not the Prophets long since foretold that he should be born at Bethlehem and conceived in the womb of a Virgin that he should fly into Egypt that he should bear our griefs and carry our sorrows that they should pierce his hands and his feet and hang him on a tree that he should be buried rise again and ascend up to Heaven with a shout Either now shew me some other in whom all these Prophecies were accomplished or learn with me to adore as God our crucified Saviour Blind and ignorant that you are of the predictions of Moses you thought you crucified a meer man but had you known him you would not have crucified the Lord of Glory you denied the Holy One and the Just and desired a Murderer to be granted to you but put to death the Prince of Life XIII THIS is the sum of what that ingenious and eloquent Father conceives S. Stephen did or might have returned to their Enquiries Which whatever it was was delivered with that life and zeal that evidence and strength of reason that freedom and majesty of elocution that his Antagonists had not one word to say against it they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake So particularly did our Lord make good what he had promised to his Disciples Luke 21.14 15. Setle it in your hearts not to meditate before what you shall answer for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gain-say nor resist Hereupon the men presently began to retreat and departed the Lists equally divided between shame and grief Ashamed they were to be so openly baffled by one single adversary vexed and troubled that they had not carried the day and that the Religion which they opposed had hereby received such signal credit and confirmation Cod. Bezae MS. 2 Codd H. Steph. And now being no longer able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the addition in some very ancient Manuscript Copies does elegantly express it with open face to resist the truth they betake themselves to clancular Arts to sly and sinister Designs hoping to accomplish by craft and subtlety what they could not carry by fairness and force of reason XIV TO this purpose they tamper with men of debauched profligate Consciences to undermine him by false accusations that so he might fall as a Sacrifice to their spight and malice and that by the hand of public Justice Ubi supra pag. 278. S. Chrysostom brings them in with smooth and plausible insinuations encouraging the men to this mischievous attempt Come on worthy and honourable Friends lend your assistance to our declining cause and let your Tongues minister to our Counsels and Contrivances Behold a new Patron and Advocate of the GALILAEAN is started up one that worships a God that was buried and preaches a Creator shut up in a Tomb who thinks that he whom the Souldiers despised and mocked upon Earth is now conversing with the Host of Angels in Heaven and promises that he shall come to judge the World who was not able to vindicate and right himself His Disciples denied him as if they thought him an Impostor and yet this man affirms that every tongue shall confess and do homage to him himself was not able to come down from the Cross and yet he talks of his second coming from Heaven the vilest miscreants reproached him at his death that he could not save either himself or them and yet this man peremptorily proclaims him to be the Saviour of the World Did you ever behold such boldness and impudence or have you ever heard words of so much madness and blasphemy Do you therefore undertake the cause and find out some specious colour and pretence and thereby purchase to your selves glory and renown from the present Generation XV. THE Wretches were easily persuaded to the undertaking and to swear whatever their Tutors should direct them And now the cause is ripe for action the case is divulged the Elders and the Scribes are dealt with and a little Rhetoric would serve to persuade them the people possessed with the horrour of the Fact the Sanhedrim is summoned the Malefactor haled to the Bar the Witnesses produced and the charge given in They suborned men which said we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God the false witnesses said this man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the Law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us that is that we may still proceed with that excellent man in opening the several parts of the charge he has dared to speak against our wise and great Lawgiver and blasphemed that Moses for whom our whole Nation has so just a veneration that Moses who had the whole Creation at his beck who freed our Ancestors from the house of bondage and with his rod turned the Waters into Walls and by his prayer drowned the Egyptian Army in the bottom of the Sea who kindled
entered into Covenant with him to give his posterity the Land of Canaan and that in his seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed he bound it upon him with no other ceremony but onely that of Circumcision as the Badge and Seal of that foederal compact that was between them that without any other fixed Rite but this the succeeding Patriarchs worshipped God for several Ages till the times of Moses a wise learned and prudent person to whom God particularly revealed himself and appointed him Ruler over his People to conduct them out of the House of Bondage a great and famous Prophet and who was continually inculcating this Lesson to their Ancestors A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall ye hear that is that God in the latter days would send amongst them a mighty Prophet who should do as Moses had done introduce new Rites and set up more excellent Institutions and ways of Worship to whom they should yield all diligent attention and ready obedience that when their fore-fathers had frequently lapsed into Idolatry God commanded Moses to set up a Tabernacle as a place of publick and solemn Worship where he would manifest himself and receive the addresses and adorations of his People which yet however was but a transient and temporary ministration and though erected by the immediate order of God himself was yet after some years to give place to a standing Temple designed by David but built by Solomon stately indeed and majestick but not absolutely necessary seeing that infinite Being that made the World who had the heaven for his throne and the earth for his footstool could not be confined within a material Temple nor tied to any particular way of worship and that therefore there could be no such absolute and indispensable necessity for those Mosaical Rites and Ceremonies as they pretended especially when God was resolved to introduce a new and better Scene and state of things But it was the humour of this loose and unruly this refractory and undisciplinable generation as it ever had been of their Ancestors to resist the Holy Ghost and oppose him in all those methods whereby he sought to reform and reclaim them that there were few of the Prophets whom their fore-fathers had not persecuted and slain them that had foretold the Messia's coming the just and the holy Jesus as they their unhappy posterity had actually betrayed and murdered him without any due reverence and regard to that Law which had been solemnly delivered to them by the ministry of Angels and which he came to fulfil and perfect XVIII THE holy man was going on in the Application when the patience of his Auditors which had hitherto holden out at this began to fail that fire which gently warms at a distance scorches when it comes too near their consciences being sensibly stung by the too near approach of the truths he delivered they began to fume and fret and express all the signs of rage and fury But he regardless of what was done below had his eyes and thoughts directed to a higher and a nobler object and looking up saw the heavens opened and some bright and sensible appearances of the divine majesty and the holy Jesus clothed in the robes of our glorified nature not sitting in which sense he is usually described in Scripture but standing as ready to protect and help to crown and reward his suffering servant at the right hand of God So easily can Heaven delight and entertain us in the want of all earthly comforts and divine consolations are then nearest to us when humane assistances are farthest from us The good man was infinitely ravished with the Vision and it inspired his soul with a fresh zeal and courage and made him long to arrive at that happy place and little concerned what use they would make of it he could not but communicate and impart his happiness the Cup was full and it easily overflowed he tells his adversaries what himself beheld Behold I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing on the right hand of God XIX THE Heavenly Vision had very different effects it encouraged Stephen but enraged the Jews who now taking it pro confesso that he was a blasphemer resolved upon his death without any further process How furious and impatient is mis-guided Zeal they did not stand to procure a Warrant from the Roman Governour without whose leave they had not power to put any man to death nay they had not the patience to stay for the judicial sentence of the Sanhedrim but acted the part of Zealots who were wont to execute vengeance upon Capital Offenders without staying for the ordinary formalities of Justice and raising a great noise and clamour and stopping their ears that they might hear no further blasphemies and be deaf to all cries for mercy they unanimously rushed upon him But Zeal is superstitious in its maddest fury they would not execute him within the Walls lest they should pollute the holy City with his blood but hurried him without the City and there fell upon him with a shower of stones Stoning was one of the four Capital punishments among the Jews inflicted upon greater and more enormous crimes especially Blasphemy Idolatry and strange Worship Vid. P. Fag in Exod. 21.16 and the Jews tell us of many particular circumstances used in this sort of punishment The Malefactor was to be led out of the Consistory at the door whereof a person was to stand with a Napkin in his hand and a man on Horse-back at some distance from him that if any one came and said he had something to offer for the deliverance of the Malefactor upon the moving of the Napkin the Horseman might give notice and bring the offender back He had two grave persons to go along with him to exhort him to confession by the way a Crier went before him proclaiming who he was what his crime and who the Witnesses being come near the place of execution which was two cubits from the ground he was first stripped and then stoned and afterwards hanged where he was to continue till Sun-set and then being taken down he and his Gibbet were both buried together XX. SUCH were their customs in ordinary cases but alass their greediness of St. Stephens bloud would not admit these tedious proceedings onely one formality we find them using which the Law required Deut. 17.7 which was that the hands of the Witnesses should be first upon him to put him to death and afterward the hands of all the People a Law surely contrived with great Wisdom and Prudence that so the Witness if forsworn might derive the guilt of the bloud upon himself and the rest be free so thou shalt put the evil away from among you Accordingly here the Witnesses putting off their upper garments which rendred them less nimble and expedite being loose and long according to the mode of those
in awe of the words which thou hearest Thou shalt not remember evil against thy brother Thou shalt not be of a double and instable mind doubting whether thus or thus Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt love thy neighbor above thy life Thou shalt not destroy a child by abortion nor make it away when it is born Thou shalt not with-hold thy hand from thy son or from thy daughter but from their youth shalt teach them the fear of the Lord. Be not desirous of thy neighbours goods nor covet much Neither shalt thou heartily join with the proud but shalt be numbred with the just and the humble Entertain trials and temptations when they happen to thee as instruments of good Thou shalt not be double minded nor of a deceitful tongue for a double tongue is the snare of death Thou shalt be subject to the Lord and to Masters as Gods representatives in reverence and fear Thou shalt not command thy Maid or Man-servant with bitterness and severity those especially that hope in God lest thou thy self prove one that fearest not him who is over both For he came not to call men according to outward appearance but those whom his Spirit did prepare Thou shalt communicate to thy neighbour in all things and shalt not call what thou hast thine own For if ye mutually partake in incorruptible things how much more in things that are corruptible Be not rash with thy tongue for the mouth is the snare of death Keep thy soul as chast as thou canst stretch not forth thy hands to take and shut them when thou shouldst give Love all those that speak to thee the word of the Lord as the apple of thine eye Remember the day of judgment night and day Seâ—k out daily the faces of holy men and searching by the Word go forth to exhort and by it study to save a soul And with thy hands shalt thou labour for the redemption of thy sins Delay not to give nor begrutch when thou art charitable Give to every one that asks thee and thou shalt know who is the good recompenser of the reward Thou shalt keep the things which thou hast received neither adding to them nor taking from them Thou shalt ever hate a wicked person Judge righteously Make no Schism Make peace between those that are at difference reconciling them to each other Confess thy sins and come not to prayer with an evil conscience This is the way of Light XVI BUT now the way of darkness is crooked and full of curses For it is the way of eternal death attended with punishment wherein are things destructive to their souls idolatry audaciousness heighth of domination hypocrisie double-heartedness adultery murder rapine pride transgression deceit malice arrogance witchcraft magic covetousness want of the fear of God Persecuters of good men haters of the truth men who love but do not know the wages of righteousness Persons that adhere not to what is good nor who by righteous judgment regard the case of the Widow and the Orphan watchful not for the fear of God but for what is evil great strangers to meekness and patience Lovers of vanity greedy of revenge who compassionate not the poor nor endeavour to relieve the oppressed prone to detraction not knowing their Maker murderers of children defacers of Gods workmanship such as turn away themselves from the needy add affliction to the afflicted plead for the rich and unjustly judge the poor sinners altogether And having thus described these two different ways he concludes his discourse with a hearty and passionate exhortation that since the time of rewards and punishments was drawing on they would mind these things as those that were taught of God searching after what God required of them and setting themselves to the practice of it that they might be saved at the day of judgment I have no more to remark concerning this excellent person then to add the character given of him by a pen that could not err he was a good man full of faith Act. 11.24 and of the Holy Ghost The End of S. BARNABAS'S Life THE LIFE OF S. TIMOTHY THE APOSTLE and EVANGELIST S. TIMOTHEUS Michael Burghers sulpsit S. Timothies Countrey and Kindred His religious education The great advantages of an early piety Converted to Christianity by S. Paul and made choice of to be his companion Circumcised by S. Paul and why This no contradicting S. Pauls doctrine concerning Circumcision His travels with S. Paul for the propagation of the Faith His return from Thessalonica and S. Pauls two Epistles to that Church S. Timothy consecrated Bishop of Ephesus The consent of antiquity herein Ordination in those times usually done by prophetic designation and the reason of it Timothies age enquired into The importance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let no man despise thy youth the words shewed to be used by the best Writers for a considerable Age. S. Pauls first and second Epistle to him and the importance of them The manners of the Ephesians noted Their festival called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Timothies martyrdom The time of his death place of his burial and translation of his body His weak and infirm constitution His great abstinence and admirable zeal S. Pauls singular affection for him Different from Timotheus in S. Denys the Areopagite Another Timothy S. Pauls Disciple martyred under Antoninus I. S TIMOTHY was as we may probably conceive a Lycaonian born at Lystra a noted City of that Province He was a person in whom the Jew the Gentile and the Christian met altogether His Father was by birth a Greek by Religion a Gentile or if a Proselyte at most but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Proselyte of the Gate who did not oblige themselves to circumcision and the rites of Moses but onely to the observance of the seven precepts of the sons of Noah his Mother Eunice daughter to the devout and pious Lois 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Homil 1. in 2 Tim. p. 1627. was a Jewess who yet scrupled not to marry with this Greek An argument that the partition wall now tottered and was ready to fall when Jew and Gentile began thus to match together His Mother and Grandmother were Women very eminently vertuous and holy and seem to have been amongst the first that were converted to the Christian Faith Nor was it the least instance of their piety the care they took of his education instructing him in the knowledge of divine things and seasoning his tender years with vertuous and sober principles 2 Tim. 3.15 so that from a child he was acquainted with the holy Scriptures whereby he was admirably prepared for the reception of Christianity and furnished for the conduct of a strict pious life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. de liber educ pag. 4. And indeed Religion never thrives more kindly then when 't is planted
of his diet he had weakned his appetite and rendred his stomach unfit to serve the ends of nature Insomuch that S. Paul was forced to impose it as a kind of law upon him 1 Tim. 5.23 that he should no longer drink water but use a little wine for his stomachs sake and his often infirmities And yet in the midst of this weak tottering carcase there dwelt a vigorous and sprightly mind a soul acted by a mighty zeal and inspired with a true love to God he thought no difficulties great no dangers formidable that he might be serviceable to the purposes of Religion and the interest of souls he flew from place to place with a quicker speed and a more unwearied resolution then could have been expected from a stronger and a healthier person now to Ephesus then to Corinth oft into Macedonia then to Italy crossing Sea and Land and surmounting a thousand hazards and oppositions in all which as a Loc. citat pag. 7. Chrysostoms words are the weakness of his body did not prejudice the divine Philosophy of his mind so strangely active and powerful is Zeal for God so nimbly does it wing the soul with the swiftest flight And certainly as he adds as a great and robust body is little better for its health which has nothing but a dull and a heavy soul to inform it so bodily weakness is no great impediment where there is a quick and a generous mind to animate and enliven it X. THESE excellent Vertues infinitely endeared him to S. Paul who seems to have had a very passionate kindness for him never mentioning him without great tenderness and titles of reverence and respect sometimes styling him his son 1 Thess 3.2 his brother his fellow-labourer Timotheus our brother and Minister of God and our fellow-labourer in the Gospel of Christ sometimes with additions of a particular affection and honourable regard 2 Tim. 1.2 Timothy my dearly beloved son Timotheus who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord and to the Church at Philippi more expresly I trust to send Timotheus shortly to you Philip. 2.19 20 c. for I have no man like-minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equally dear to me as my self who will naturally care for your state for all seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christs but ye know the proof of him that as a son with the father he hath served with me in the Gospel And because he knew that he was a young man and of a temper easily capable of harsh and unkind impressions he entered a particular caution on his behalf with the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 16.10 11. If Timotheus come see that he may be with you without fear for he worketh the work of the Lord as I also do let no man therefore despise him but conduct him forth in peace that he may come unto me Instances of a great care and tenderness and which plainly suppose Timothy to have been an extraordinary person His very calling him his dearly beloved son b Homil. 1. in 2 Tim. p. 1626. Chrysostom thinks a sufficient argument of his Vertue For such affection not being founded in Nature can flow from nothing but Vertue and Goodness the lovely and essential ornaments of a divine and a holy soul We love our children not onely because witty or handsom kind and dutiful but because they are ours and very often for no other reason nor can we do otherwise so long as we are subject to the Impressions and the Laws of Nature Whereas true Goodness and Vertue have no other Arts but their own naked worth and beauty to recommend them nor can by any other argument challenge regard and veneration from us XI SOME dispute there has been among the Writers of the Church of Rome whether our S. Timothy was the same with him to whom Dionysius the Areopagite dedicates the books said to be written by him and troops of arguments are mustered on either side But the foundation of the controversie is quite taken away with us who are sufficiently assured that those Books were written some hundreds of years after S. Denys his head was laid in the dust However it may not be improper to remarque that besides ours Bishop of Ephesus we are a Pet. de Natal Hist SS l. 1.24 Naucler Chron. vol. 2. gener 6. confer Adon. Martyr ad XII Kal. Jul. vid. Usser de primord c. 3. p. 31. told of another S. Timothy Disciple also to S. Paul the son of Pudens and Priscilla who is said to have lived unto a great Age till the times of Antoninus the Emperour and Pius Bishop of Rome and that he came over into Britain converted and baptized Lucius King of this Island the first King that ever embraced the Christian Faith Pius Bishop of Rome in a b Concil Tom. 1. col 576. Letter to Justus Bishop of Vienna which though suspected by most is yet owned by c Bar. ad Ann. 166. n. 1.2 Baronius reckons him among the Presbyters that had been educated by the Apostles and had come to Rome and tells us that he had suffered martyrdom accordingly the d Martyrol Rom. ad Mart. 24. p. 190. Roman Martyrology informs us that he obtained the Crown of Martyrdom under Antoninus the Emperour A Story which as I cannot confute so I am not over-forward to believe nor is it of moment enough to my purpose more particularly to enquire about it The End of S. TIMOTHY's Life THE LIFE OF S. TITUS BISHOP of CRETE MICHAEL BURGHERS DIELINE ET SCULP S. Titus His Country enquired into The report of his noble extract His education and conversion to Christianity His acquaintance with and accompanying S. Paul to the Synod at Jerusalem S. Pauls refusing to circumcise him and why His attending S. Paul in his travels Their arrival in Crete Titus constituted by him Bishop of that Island The testimonies of the Ancients to that purpose The intimations of it in S. Pauls Epistle to him S. Pauls censure of the People of Crete justified by the account which Gentile Writers give of their evil manners A short view of the Epistle it self The directions concerning Ecclesiastic persons His charge to exhort and convince gain-sayers Crete abounding with Heretical Teachers Jewish Fables and Genealogies what and whence derived The Aeones and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the ancient Gnostics borrowed from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Heathen Poets This shewn by particular instances Titus commanded to attend S. Paul at Nicopolis His coming to him into Macedonia His following S. Paul to Rome and departure into Dalmatia The Story of Pliny the Youngers being converted by him in Crete censured His age and death The Church erected to his memory I. THE ancient Writers of the Church make little mention of this holy man who and whence he was is not known but by uncertain probabilities a Hâ—riâ— 1. in Tit pag 1693. S. Chrysostom
particularly a Epipâ— loc cit noted of him that besides the Scriptures he traded in certain Apocryphal Writings He wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Euseb H. Eccl. ubi supr de Script Eccl. in Bardes which S. Hierom renders infinite Volumes written indeed for the most part in Syriac but which his Scholars translated into Greek though he himself was sufficiently skilful in that Language as Epiphanius notes In the number of these Books might be the Recognitions plausibly fathered upon S. Clemens who was notoriously known to be S. Peters Companion and Disciple and were but some of his many Books now extant I doubt not but a much greater affinity both in stile and notions would appear between them But this I propose onely as a probable conjecture and leave it at the Readers pleasure either to reject or entertain it I am not ignorant that both c Apol. adv Rufin p. 219. S. Hierom and d Phot. Cod. CXII col 289. Photius charge these Books with haeretical Opinions especially some derogatory to the honour of the Son of God which it may be Rufinus who e Apolog. pro Orig. ap Hieron Tom. 4. p. 195. confesses the same thing and supposes them to have been inserted by some haeretical hand concealed in his Translation Nay f Haeres XXX p. 65. Epiphanius tells us that the Ebionites did so extremely corrupt them that they scarce left any thing of S. Clemens sound and true in them which he observes from their repugnancy to his other Writings those Encyclical Epistles of his as he calls them which were read in the Churches But then its plain he means it onely of those Copies which were in the possession of those haeretics probably not now extant nor do any of those particular adulterations which he says they made in them appear in our Books nor in those large and to be sure uncorrupt fragments of Bardesanes and Origen is there the least considerable variation from those Books which we have at this day But of this enough XII THE Epistle to S. James the brother of our Lord is no doubt of equal date with the rest in the close whereof the Author pretends that he was commanded by S. Peter to give him an account of his Travels Discourses and the success of his Ministry under the title of Clemens his Epitome of Peters popular preachings to which he tells him he would next proceed So that this Epistle originally was nothing but a Praeface to S. Peters Acts or Periods the same in effect with the Recognitions and accordingly in the late Edition of the Clementine Homilies which have the very Title mentioned in that Epistle it is found prefixed before them Loc. supra citat This Epistle as Photius tells us varied according to different Editions sometimes pretending that it and the account of S. Peters Acts annexed to it were written by S. Peter himself and by him sent to S. James sometimes that they were written by Clemens at S. Peters instance and command Whence he conjectures that there was a twofold Edition of S. Peters Acts one said to be written by himself the other by Clemens and that when in time the first was lost that pretending to S. Clemens did remain For so he assures us he constantly found it in those many Copies that he met with notwithstanding that the Epistle and Inscription were sometimes different and various By the Original whereof now published appears the fraud of the Factors of the Romish Church who in all Latine Editions have added an Appendix almost twice as large as the Epistle it self And well had it been had this been the onely instance wherein some men to shore up a tottering Cause have made bold with the Writers of the ancient Church His Writings Genuine Epistola ad Corinthios Doubtful Epistola ad Corinth secunda Supposititious Epistola ad Jacobum Fratrem Domini Recognitionum lib. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu Homiliae Clementinae Constitutionum App. lib. 8. Canones Apostolici The End of S. CLEMENS's Life THE LIFE OF S. SIMEON BISHOP of JERUSALEM Micha burgh deli et sculp S. SYMEON HIEROSOLYMITANUS The heedless confounding him with others of the like name His Parents and near Relation to our Saviour The time of his Birth His strict Education and way of Life The Order and Institution of the Rechabites what His conversion to Christianity The great care about a Successor to S. James Bishop of Jerusalem Simeon chosen to that place when and why The causes of the destruction of the Jewish state The original and progress of those Wars briefly related The miserable state of Jerusalem by Siege Pestilence and Famine Jerusalem stormed The burning of the Temple and the rage of the Fire The number of the Slain and Captives The just accomplishment of our Lords predictions The many Prodigies portending this destruction The Christians forewarned to depart before Jerusalem was shut up Their withdrawment to Pella The admirable care of the Divine Providence over them Their return back to Jerusalem when The flourishing condition of the Christian Church there The occasion of S. Simeons Martyrdom The infinite jealousie of the Roman Emperours concerning the line of David Simeons apprehension and crucifixion His singular torments and patience His great age and the time of his death I. IT cannot be unobserved by any that have but looked into the Antiquities of the Church what confusion the identity or similitude of names has bred among Ecclesiastic Writers especially in the more early Ages where the Records are but short and few An instance whereof Vid. Caron Alexandr Olymp. CCXX Ind. I. Traj VII Ann. sequent p. 594. were there no other we have in the person of whom we write Whom some will have to be the same with S. Simon the Cananite one of the twelve Apostles others confound him with Simon one of the four brethren of our Lord while a third sort make all three to be but one and the same person the sound and similitude of names giving birth to the several mistakes For that Simeon of Jerusalem was a person altogether distinct from Simon the Apostle is undeniably evident from the most ancient Martyrologies both of the Greek and the Latine Church where vastly different accounts are given concerning their persons imployments and the time and places of their death Simon the Apostle being martyred in Britain or as others in Persia while Simeon the Bishop is notoriously known to have suffered in Palestine or in Syria Nor are the testimonies of Dorotheus Sophronius or Isidore considerable enough to be weighed against the Authorities of Hegesippus Eusebius Epiphanius and others But of this enough II. S. Simeon was the son of a Hâ—gesip ap Euseb l. 3. c. 11. p. 87. Epiph. Haeres LXVI p. 274. omnia antiqua Martyrologia Adonis Bedae Notkeri Usuardi apud Bolland de Vit. SS ad diem XVIII Febr. pag. 53 54. Cleophas brother to Joseph husband
Faithful in the whole Church of Antioch and that though it was his utmost ambition yet he did not know whether he was worthy to suffer for Religion I might in the last place enter into a discourse concerning his Epistles the true Indices of the piety and divine temper of his mind those seven I mean enumerated and quoted by Eusebius and collected by S. Polycarp as c Epist Polycar p. 23. edit Usser ap Euseb loc cit p. 108. himself expresly testifies but shall forbear despairing to offer any thing confiderable after so much as has been said by learned men about them onely observing that in the exceptions to the argument from S. Polycarps testimony little more is said even by those who have managed it to the best advantage then what might be urged against the most genuine writing in the World I add S. Polycarps character of these Epistles whereby he recommends them as highly useful and advantagious that they contain in them Instructions and Exhortations to Faith and Patience and whatever is necessary to build us up in the Religion of our Lord and Saviour His Writings Genuine Ad Ephesios Epistola I. Ad Magnesianos I. Ad Trallianos I. Ad Romanos I. Ad Philadelphenos I. Ad Smyrnaeos I. Doubtful Epistola ad Polycarpum Spurious Ad Mariam Cassobolitam I. Ad Tarsenses I. Ad Antiochenos I. Ad Philippenses I. Ad Heronem I. Ad B. Virg. Mariam I. Ad Joannem Apostolum II. The End of S. IGNATIUS'S Life THE LIFE OF S. POLYCARP BISHOP of SMYRNA Miachel Burghers delineavit et sculpsit S. POLYCARPUS The place of his Nativity The honour and eminency of Smyrna His education under S. John By him constituted Bishop of Smyrna Whether the same with the Bishop to whom S. John committed the young man S. Polycarp the Angel of the Church of Symyrna mentioned in the Apocalyps Ignatius his arrival at Smyrna His Letters to that Church and to S. Polycarp His Journey to Rome about the Quartodeciman Controversie The time of it enquired into Anicetus his succession to the See of Rome His reception there by Anicetus Their mutual kindness notwithstanding the difference His stout opposing Heretics at Rome His sharp treatment of Marcion and mighty zeal against those early corrupters of the Christian Doctrinâ— Irenaeus his particular remarques of S. Polycarps actions The Persecution under M. Antoninus The time of Polycarps Martyrdom noted The acts of it written by the Church of Smyrna their great esteem and value S. Polycarp sought for His Martyrdom foretold by a dream His apprehension Conducted to Smyrna Irenarchae who Polycarps rude treatment by Herodes His being brought before the Proconsul Christians refused to swear by the Emperours genius and why His pious and resolute answers His slightings the Proconsuls threatnings His sentence proclaimed Asiarchae who Preparation for his burning His Prayer before his death Miraculously preserved in the fire Dispatched with a Sword The care of the Christians about his Remains this far from a superstitious veneration Their annual meeting at the place of his Martyrdom His great Age at his death The day of his Passion His Tomb how honoured at this day The judgments happening to Smyrna after his death The Faith and Patience of the Primitive Christians noted out of the Preface to the Acts of his Martyrdom His Epistle to the Philippians It s usefulness Highly valued and publicly read in the ancient Church The Epistle it self I. S POLYCARP was born towards the latter end of Nero's reign or it may be a little sooner his great Age at the time of his death with some other circumstances rendring it highly probable if not certain Uncertain it is where he was born and I see no sufficient reason to the contrary why we may not fix his Nativity at Smyrna an eminent City of Ionia in the lesser Asia the first of the seven that entered their claim of being the birth-place of the famous a Strab. Geograph l. 14. p. 646. Homer in memory whereof they had a Library and a four-square Portico called Homereum with a Temple and the Statue of Homer adjoining to it and used a sort of brass Coin which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after his name and probably with his Image stampt upon it A place it was of great honour and renown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oxon. II. p 47. Evdem habâ—t Marm. â—XXVIII p. 129. CXLIII p. 277. Append. XV. p. 296. and has not onely very magnificent titles heaped upon it by the Writers of those Times but in several ancient Inscriptions set up by the public Order of the Senate not long after the time of Adrian it is stiled The chief City of Asia both for beauty and greatness the most splendid the Metropolis of Asia and the Ornament of Ionia But it had a far greater and more honourable Privilege to glory in if it was as we suppose the place of S. Polycarp's Nativity however of his Education the seat of his Episcopal care and charge and the Scene of his Tragoedy and Martyrdom The b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeks in their Menaeon report that he was educated at the charge of a certain noble Matron whose name we are told was Callisto a woman of great Piety and Charity who when she had exhausted all her Cranaries in relieving the Poor had them suddenly filled again by S. Polycarps prayers The circumstances whereof are more particularly related by Pionius who suffered if which I much question it was the same under the Decian Persecution to this a Pion. vit S. Polycarp ex MS. Graec. apud Bolland Januar XXVI p. 696. effect Callisto warned by an Angel in a dream sent and redeemed Polycarp then but a child of some who sold him brought him home took care of his education and finding him a Youth of ripe and pregnant parts as he grew up made him the Major-domo and Steward of her house whose charity it seems he dispenced with a very liberal hand insomuch that during her absence he had emptied all her Barns and Store-houses to the uses of the Poor For which being charged by his Fellow-Servants at her return she not knowing then to what purpose he had imployed them called for the Keys and commanded him to resign his trust which was no sooner done but at her entrance in she found all places full and in as good condition as she had left them which his prayers and intercession with Heaven had again replenished As indeed Heaven can be sometimes content rather to work a Miracle then Charity shall suffer and fare the worse for its kindness and bounty In his younger years he is said to have been instructed in the Christian Faith by Bucolus whom the same b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menaeon elsewhere informs us S. John had consecrated Bishop of Smyrna however c Act. Ignat. p. 5. Hieron de Script in Polycarp E. sib 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 81 Authors of
more unquestionable credit and ancient date tell us that he was S. Johns Disciple and not his onely but as d Adv. â—eres l. 3. c. 3. p. 233. ap Eusth l. 4. c. 14. p. 127. Irenaeus who was his Scholar followed herein by S. Hierom assures us he was taught by the Apostles and familiarly conversed with many who had seen our Lord in the Flesh II. BVCOLVS the vigilant and industrious Bishop of Smyrna being dead by whom S. Polycarp was as we are e Pion. c. 3. n. 12. ubi supr told made Deacon and Catechist of that Church an Office which he discharged with great diligence and success Polycarp was ordained in his room according to Bucolus his own prediction who as the f Men. 23. Febr. â—hi sâ—pr Greeks report had in his life time fortold that he should be his Successor He was constituted by S. John say the g Tirtull de praescript Haeretic c. 32. p. 213. Hieron ubi â—apr vid. Suid. in vo◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 l. 3. c. 2 p. 225. Mâ—â—yr Rom. ad 20. Jan p. â—1 Ancients generally though h 〈…〉 citat Irenaeus followed herein by the i Olâ—â—p CCXXIV. 1. Anton. XXI p. 602. Chronicle of Alexandria affirms it to have been done by the Apostles whether any of the Apostles besides S. John were then alive or whether he means Apostolic persons commonly stiled Apostles in the Writings of the Church who joined with S. John in the consecration k H. Eccl. l. 3. c. 36. p 1â—6 Eusebius says that Polycarp was familiarly conversant with the Apostles and received the Government of the Church of Smyrna from those who had been Eye-witnesses and Ministers of our Lord. It makes not a little for the honour of S. Polycarp and argues his mighty diligence and solicitude for the good of souls that as we shall note more anon Ignatius passing to his Martyrdom wrote to him and particularly recommended to him the inspection and oversight of his Church at Antioch knowing him says l Ib. p. 1â—â— Eusebius to be truly an Apostolical man and being assured that he would use his utmost care and fidelity in that matter The m Ad. Ann. 1. Olynpiad CCXX Indi â— XIII ann Tray 4. p. 594. Author of the Alexandrian Chronicle tells us that it was the Bishop of Smyrna who could not well be any other then S. Polycarp to whom S. John committed the tutorage and education of the young man whom he took up in his Visitation who ran away and became Captain of a Company of loose and debauched High-way men and was afterwards reduced and reclaimed by that Apostle But seeing Clemens Alexandrinus who relates the Story sets down neither the name of the Bishop nor the City though he a Ap. Eusebd 3. c. 23 p. 92. confesses there were some that made mention of it nor is this circumstance taken notice of by any other ancient Writer nor that Bishops neglecting of his charge well consistent with S. Polycarps care and industry I shall leave the Story as I find it Though it cannot be denied but that Smyrna was near to Ephesus as S. Clemens says that City also was and that S. John seems to have had a more then ordinary regard to that Church it being next Ephesus the first of those seven famous Asian Churches to whom he directed his Epistles and S. Polycarp at this time Bishop of it for that he was that Angel of the Church of Smyrna to whom that Apocalyptical Epistle was sent is not onely highly probable but by a b Usser Prolegom ad Ignat. Epist c. 2. p. 9. learned man put past all question I must confess that the character and circumstances ascribed by S. John to the Angel of that Church seem very exactly to agree with Polycarp and with no other Bishop of that Church about those times especially that we read of in the History of the Church And whoever compares the account of S. Polycarps Martyrdom with the notices and intimations which the Apocalypst there gives of that persons sufferings and death will find the prophecy and the event suit together That which may seem to make most against it is the long time of his presidency over that See seeing by this account he must sit at least LXXIV years Bishop of that Church from the latter end of Domitians reign when the Apocalyps was written to the Persecution under M. Aurelius when he suffered To which no other solution needs be given then that his great nay extreme Age at the time of his death renders it not at all improbable especially when we find several Ages after that Remigius Bishop of Rhemes sate LXXIV years Bishop of that place III. IT was not many years after S. Johns death when the Persecution under Trajan began to be reinforced wherein the Eastern parts had a very large share Ann. Chr. CVII Ignatius was condemned by the Emperour at Antioch and sentenced to be transported to Rome in order to his execution In his voyage thither he put in at Smyrna to salute and converse with Polycarp these holy men mutually comforting and encouraging each other and conferring together about the affairs of the Church From Smyrna Ignatius and his company sailed to Troas whence he sent back an Epistle to the Church of Smyrna wherein he endeavours to fortifie them against the errours of the Times which had crept in amongst them especially against those who undermined our Lords humanity and denied his coming in the Flesh affirming him to have suffered onely in an imaginary and phantastic body An opinion which as it deserved he severely censures and strongly refutes He further presses them to a due observance and regard of their Bishop and those spiritual Guides and Ministers which under him were set over them and that they would dispatch a messenger on purpose to the Church of Antioch to congratulate that peace and tranquillity which then began to be restored to them Besides this he wrote particularly to S. Polycarp whom he knew to be a man of an Apostolic temper a person of singular faithfulness and integrity recommending to him the care and superintendency of his disconsolate Church of Antioch In the Epistle it self as extant at this day there are many short and useful rules and precepts of life especially such as concern the Pastoral and Episcopal Office And here again he renews his request concerning Antioch that a messenger might be sent from Smyrna to that Church and that S. Polycarp would write to other Churches to do the like a thing which he would have done himself had not his hasty departure from Troas prevented him And more then this we find not concerning Polycarp for many years after till some unhappy differences in the Church brought him upon the public Stage IV. IT happened that the Quartodeciman controversie about the observation of Easter began to grow very high between the Eastern and Western Churches each standing very
him The Philosopher could not confute him by force of Argument and therefore resolved to attaque him by clancular and ignoble Arts and could think of no surer way to oppress him then by engaging the secular Powers against him Marcus Antoninus the Emperour was a great Philosopher but withall zealous of Pagan Rites to the highest degree of superstition he had from his youth been educated in the a J. Capital in vit M. Anton. c. 4. p. 156. Salian Colledge all the Offices whereof he had gone through in his own person affecting an imitation of Numa Pompilius the first Master of Religious Ceremonies among the Romans from whom he pretended to derive his pedigree and original nay so very strict in his way of Religion says b Excerpt Dion p. 721. Dion that even upon the Dies Nefasti the unlucky and inauspicious days when all public Sacrifices were prohibited he would then privately offer Sacrifices at home What apprehensions he had of the Christians is evident from hence that he ascribes c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 11. §. 3 p. 10◠their ready and resolute undergoing death not to a judicious and deliberate consideration but to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer stubborness and obstinacy which he being so eminent and professed a Stoic had of all men in the world the least reason to charge them with With him it was no hard matter for Crescens to insinuate himself and to procure his particular dis-favour towards Justin a man so able and so active to promote the interest of the Christian Religion Indeed d Apolog. 1 p. 46 Justin himself had publicly told the Emperour what he expected should be his own fate that he looked that Crescens or some of their titular Philosophers should lay snares to undermine torment or crucifie him Nor was he at all mistaken the envious man procuring him to be cast in Prison where if the a Men. Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeks say true he was exercised with many preparatory tortures in order to his martyrdom I confess Eusebius gives us no particular account of his death but the Acts of his Martyrdom are still b Apud Sur. ad XII Jun. p. 382 Baron ad Ann. 165. n. 2. seq extant and as there is reason to believe genuine and uncorrupt the shortness of them being not the least Argument that they are the sincere Transcripts of the Primitive Records and that they have for the main escaped the interpolations of later Ages which most others have been obnoxious to I know 't is doubted by c Sur. loc citat one whether these Acts contain the Martyrdom of ours or another Justin but whoever considers the particulars of them most agreeable to our Justin and especially their fixing his death under the Prefecture of Rusticus which Epiphanius expresly affirms of our S. Justin will see little reason to question whether they belong to him In them then we have this following account XV. JVSTIN and six of his companions having been apprehended were brought before Rusticus Prefect of the City This Rusticus was d J. Capit. ubi ubi supr c. 9. p. 154. Q. Junius Rusticus a man famous both for Court and Camp a wise Statesman and great Philosopher peculiarly addicted to the Sect of the Stoics He was Tutor to the present Emperour M. Aurelius and what remarkable rules and instructions he had given him e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 1. §. 7. p. 1. Antoninus himself sets down at large Above all his Masters he had a particular reverence and regard to him communicated to him all his public and private Counsels shewed him respect before all the great Officers of the Empire and after his death required of the Senate that he might be honoured with a public Statue He had been Consul in the second year of Hadrian and again in the second of the present Emperours and was now Praefect of Rome before whom these good men being brought he persuaded Justin to obey the gods and comply with the Emperours Edicts The Martyr told him that no man could be justly found fault with or condemned that obeyed the commands of our Saviour Jesus Christ Then the Governour enquired in what kind of learning and discipline he had been brought up he told him that he had endeavoured to understand all kinds of Discipline and tried all methods of Learning but had finally taken up his rest in the Christian Discipline how little soever it was esteemed by those who were led by errour and false opinions Wretch that thou art said the Governour art thou then taken with that Discipline I am replied the Martyr for with right doctrine do I follow the Christians And when asked what that Doctrine was he answered the right Doctrine which we Christians piously profess is this We believe the one onely God to be the Creator of all things visible and invisible and confess our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God foretold by the Prophets of old and who shall hereafter come to be the Judge of Mankind a Saviour Preacher and Master to all those who are duly instructed by him that as for himself he thought himself too mean to be able to say any thing becoming his infinite deity that this was the business of the Prophets who had many Ages before foretold the coming of this Son of God into the World XVI THE Praefect next enquired where the Christians were wont to assemble and being told that the God of the Christians was not confined to a particular place he asked in what place Justin was wont to instruct his Disciples who gave him an account of the place where he dwelt and told him that there he preached the Christian Doctrine to all that resorted to him Then having severally examined his companions he again addressed himself to Justin in this manner Hear thou that art noted for thy eloquence and thinkest thou art in the truth if I cause thee to be scourged from head to foot thinkest thou thou shalt go to Heaven He answered that although he should suffer what the other had threatned yet he hoped he should enjoy the portion of all true Christians well knowing that the divine grace and favour was laid up for all such and should be as long as the World endured And when again asked whether he thought he should go to Heaven and receive a reward he replied that he did not think it onely but knew and was so certain of it that there was no cause to doubt it The Governour seeing it was to no purpose to argue came closer to the matter in hand and bad them go together and unanimously sacrifice to the gods No man replied the Martyr that is in his right mind will desert true Religion to fall into errour and impiety And when threatned that unless they complied they should be tormented without mercy There is nothing said Justin which we more earnestly desire then to
endure torments for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and be saved For this is that which will promote our happiness and procure us confidence before that dreadful Tribunal of our Lord and Saviour before which by the divine appointment the whole World must appear To which the rest assented adding Dispatch quickly what thou hast a mind to for we are Christians and cannot sacrifice to Idols Whereupon the Governour pronounced this sentence They who refuse to do sacrifice to the gods and to obey the Imperial Edict let them be first scourged and then beheaded according to the Laws The holy Martyrs rejoiced and blessed God for the sentence passed upon them and being led back to prison were accordingly whipped and afterwards beheaded The a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeks in their Rituals though very briefly give the same account onely they differ in the manner of the Martyrs death Men. Graecor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they tell us was by a draught of poyson while the rest of his companions lost their heads Though there are that by that fatal potion understand no more then the poysonous malice and envy of Crescens the Philosopher by which Justin's death was procured And indeed if literally taken the account of the Greeks in that place will not be very consistent with it self Their dead bodies the Christians took up and decently interred This was done as Baronius conjectures Ann. Chr. CLXV with whom seems to concur the b Ad ann 2. Olymp. 236. M. Aurel. L. Ver. Imp. 6. Indict 3. p 606. Alexandrine Chronicle which says that Justin having presented his second Apology to the Emperours was not long after crowned with Martyrdom This is all the certainty that can be recovered concerning the time of his death the date of it not being consigned by any other ancient Writer 'T is a vast mistake or rather errour of Transcribers of c Haeres XLVI p. 171. Epiphanius who makes him suffer under Adrian when yet he could not be ignorant that he dedicated his first Apology to Antoninus Pius his successor in the close whereof he makes mention of Adrian his illustrious Parent and predecessor and annexes the Letter which he had written to Minucius Fundanus in favour of the Christians and no less his mistake if it was not an errour in the number concerning his age making him but thirty years old at the time of his death a thing no ways consistent with the course of his life and for what he adds of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he died in a firm and consistent age it may be very well applied to many years after that period of his life XVII THUS have we traced the Martyr through the several stages of his life and brought him to his last fatal period And now let us view him a little nearer He was a man of a pious mind and a very vertuous life tenderly sensible of the honour of God and the great interests of Religion He was not elated nor valued himself upon the account of his great abilities but upon every occasion intirely resolved the glory of all into the divine grace and goodness He had a true love to all men and a mighty concern for the good of souls whose happiness he continually prayed for and promoted yea that of their fiercest Enemies From none did he and his Religion receive more bitter affronts and oppositions then from the Jews yet he tells a Dial. cum Tryph. p. 254. Tryphon that they heartily prayed for them and all other Persecutors that they might repent and ceasing to blaspheme Christ might believe in him and be saved from eternal vengeance at his glorious appearing b Ibid. pag. 323 that though they were wont solemnly to curse them in their Synagogues and to join with any that would persecute them to death yet they returned no other answer then that You are our Brethren we beseech you own and embrace the truth of God And in his c Apolog. I. p. 52 Apology to the Emperour and the Senate he thus concludes I have no more to say but that we shall endeavour what in us lies and heartily pray that all men in the World may be blessed with the knowledge and entertainment of the truth In the pursuit of this noble and generous design he feared no dangers but delivered himself with the greatest freedom and impartiality he acquaints the d Apol. II. p. 53. Emperours how much 't was their duty to honour and esteem the truth that he came not to smooth and flatter them but to desire them to pass sentence according to the exactest rules of Justice e Ibid. p. 54. that it was their place and infinitely reasonable when they had heard the cause to discharge the duty of righteous Judges which if they did not they would at length be found inexcusable before God f Ibid. p. 99. nay that if they went on to punish and persecute such innocent persons he tells them before hand 't was impossible they should escape the future judgment of God while they persisted in this evil and unrighteous course In this case he regarded not the persons of men nor was scared with the dangers that attended it and therefore in his conference with the Jew tells g Dial. cum Pyph p. 349. him that he regarded nothing but to speak the truth not caring whom in this matter he disobliged yea though they should presently tear him all in pieces neither fearing nor favouring his own Countrymen the Samaritans whom he had accused in his Apology to the Emperour for being so much bewitched and seduced with the impostures of Simon Magus whom they cried up as a supreme deity above all principality and power XVIII FOR his natural endowments he was a man of acute parts a smart and pleasant wit a judgment able to weigh the differences of things and to adapt and accommodate them to the most useful purposes all which were mightily improved and accomplished by the advantages of Foreign Studies being both in the Christian and Ethnic Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says h Col. CXXV c. l. 304. Photius arrived at the very heighth flowing with abundance of History and all sorts of Learning In one thing indeed he seems to have come short and wherein the first Fathers were generally defective skill in the Hebrew and other Eastern Languages as appears to omit others by one instance his derivation of the word Satanas Sata as he tells * Dialog cum Tryph. p. 331. us in the Hebrew and the Syriac signifying an Apostate and Nas the same with the Hebrew Sata out of the composition of both which arises this one word Satanas A trifling conceit and the less to be pardoned in one that was born and lived among the Samaritans and the Jews every one that has but conversed with those Languages at a distance knowing it to spring from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be an adversary
of Antoninus Caracalla who began his reign Ann. CCXI. though the exact date and manner of his death be lost his memory is preserved in the Roman Calendar on the seventh of July And certainly a just tribute of honour is due to his memory for his admirable zeal and piety his indefatigable pains and industry his exquisit abilities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eusebius truly characters him a man singularly eminent in all kinds of Learning and c Apud Euseb l. 6. c. 19. p. 221. Origen who lived nearer to him and was one of his Successors commends him for his great usefulness and ability both in Philosophical speculations and Theological Studies in the one able to deal with Philosophers in the other to refute Heretics and Seducers In his School he displayed as Eusebius tells us both by word and writing the Treasures of the Sacred Doctrines though he taught says S. Hierom rather viva voce then by Books who mentions onely his Commentaries upon the holy Scripture and of them not the least fragment is remaining at this day The End of S. PANTAENUS 's Life THE LIFE OF S. CLEMENS OF ALEXANDRIA Mic. Burghers sculpsit S. CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS His Countrey The progress of his Studies His instruction in the Christian doctrin His several Masters His impartial enquiry after truth The elective Sect what It s excellent genius Clemens of this Sect. His succeeding Pantaenus in the Catechetic School He is made Presbyter of Alexandria His Stromata published when Lawfulness of flying in time of persecution His journey into the East What Tracts he wrote there His going from Jerusalem to Antioch and return to Alexandria His death The Elogia given of him by the Ancients His admirable learning His Writings His Hypotyposes Photius his account of them corrupted by the Arrians His Books yet extant and the orderly gradation of them His Stromata what the design of it His stile what in this what in his other Books A short Apology for some unwary assertions in his Writings His Writings enumerated I. TITVS Flavius Clemens was probably born at Athens For when a Haeres XXXII p. 96. Epiphanius tells us that some affirmed him to be an Alexandrian others an Athenian he might well be both the one being the place of his nativity as the other was of his constant residence and imployment Nor can I imagine any other account upon which the title of Athenian should be given to him And the conjecture is further countenanced from the course and progress of his Studies the foundations whereof were laid in Greece improved in the East and perfected in Egypt And indeed his incomparable abilities in all parts of Science render it a little more probable that his early years commenced in that great School of Arts and Learning But he staid not here his insatiable thirst after Knowledge made him traverse almost all parts of the World and converse with the Learned of all Nations that he might furnish himself with the knowledge of whatever was useful and excellent especially a thorough acquaintance with the mysteries of the Christian Doctrine He tells us b Stromat l. 1. p. 274. ap Euseb l. 5. c. 11. p. 176. of those lively and powerful Discourses which he had the happiness to hear from blessed and truly worthy and memorable persons who preserving that sincere and excellent doctrine which like children from the hands of their Parents they had immediately received from Peter James John and Paul the holy Apostles were by Gods blessing come down to his time sowing those ancient and Apostolic seeds of Truth A passage which I doubt not c Lib. 6. c. 13. p. 215. Eusebius intended when he says that Clemens speaking concerning himself in the first Book of his Stromata affirms himself to have been of the next succession to the Apostles II. OF these venerable men to whose tuition he committed himself he himself has given d Loc. citat us some though but obscure account The first was Ionicus a Coelo-Syrian whom he heard in Greece and whom e Ad Ann. 185. n. IV. Baronius conjectures to have been Caius or Dionysius Bishop of Corinth a second an Egyptian under whose Discipline he was in that part of Italy called Magna Graecia and since Calabria Hence he travelled into the East where the first of his Masters was an Assyrian supposed by some to have been Bardesanes by others Tatian the Scholar of Justin Martyr the next originally a Jew of a very ancient stock whom he heard in Palestine whom Baronius will have to have been Theophilus Bishop of Caesarea though for his Hebrew descent there be no evidence among the Ancients others f Vales Annot. in Euseb p. 95. more probably Theodotus whence the excerpta out of his Hypotyposes still extant are stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Epitome of Theodotus his Oriental Doctrin that is the Doctrin which he learnt from Theodotus in the East The last of the Masters whom he met with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he says of him but the first and chief in power and vertue was one whom he inquisitively sought out and found in Egypt and in whose institution he fully acquiesced and sought no further This person is generally supposed to have been Pantaenus whom Clemens elsewhere a In lib. Hypot ap Euseb l. 5. c. 11. p. 175. expresly affirms to have been his Master and whom in the forementioned Epitome he stiles b Ad Calc Clem. p. 808. our Pantaenus III. BUT though he put himself under the discipline of so many several Masters yet was it not out of any vain desultory lightness or phantastic curiosity but to make researches after truth with an honest and inquisitive mind He loved what was manly and generous where-ever he met it and therefore tells us c Stromat l. 1. p. 315. he did not simply approve all Philosophy but that of which Socrates in Plato speaks concerning their mysterious Rites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimating as he expresses it in the stile of the Scripture that many are called but few elect or who make the right choice And such adds Socrates and such onely in my opinion are those who embrace the true Philosophy Of which sort says Clemens through my whole life I have to my power approved my self desiring and endeavouring by all means to become one of that number For this purpose he never tied himself to any particular institution of Philosophy but took up in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elective Sect who obliged not themselves to the dictates and sentiments of any one Philosopher but freely made choice of the most excellent principles out of all This Sect as the Philosophic Historian d D. Laert. prooem ad vit Philos p. 14. informs us was begun by Potamon an Alexandrian too who out of every Sect of Philosophy selected what he judged best He gave himself liberty impartially to enquire into the natures of things and what
b Vid. l. de Menogam c. 1. p. 525. c. 3. 4. passim de Jejun c. 12. p. 550 551. more then once particularly tells us Not to say that Montanus his followers as is usual with the after-brood of every Sect asserted many things which their Master himself never dreamt of which yet without distinction are laid at his door and Tertullian too because a favourer of the Party drawn into the guilt and made liable to many improvements to the Hay and Stubble which the successors of that Sect built upon it X. BUT however it was he stomached his excommunication and was highly offended at the looseness and remissness of the Discipline among the Catholics whom with great smartness he persecutes under the name of Psychici or Animal persons as those that took too much liberty in their manners and practices of devotion stiling his own party Spiritales as whom he thought more immediately guided by the Spirit more plentifully endowed with the gifts of it and conversant in a more divine and spiritual life Against these Psychici he presently published a Tract De Jejuniis wherein he defends the Montanists in the observation of their Fasts their abstinence from Flesh and feeding onely upon dried meats their Stationary days and the keeping them till the very evening while the Orthodox broke up theirs about three of the Clock in the afternoon in all which respects he makes many tart and severe reflections upon them Indeed the devotions of those times were brisk and fervent their usages strict and punctual their Ecclesiastic Discipline generally very rigid and extreme seldom admitting persons that had lapsed after Baptism to Penance and the Communion of the Church But this was looked upon by moderate and sober men as making the gate too strait and that which could not but discourage Coverts from entering in Accordingly it began to be relaxed in several places and particularly the Bishop of Rome c Tert. de Pudic cit c. 1. p. 555. had lately published a constitution wherein he admitted persons guilty of Adultery and Fornication and probably other crimes to a place among the Penitents Against this Tertullian storms cries up the severity of the antient Discipline writes his Book De Pudicitia wherein he considers and disputes the case and aggravates the greatness of those offences and undertakes the Arguments that pleaded for remission and indulgence And if in the mentioning this Decree the Bishop of Rome be stiled Episcopus Episcoporum the Champions of that Church before they make such advantage of it should do well to prove it to have been a part of the Decree or if it was that it was mentioned by Tertullian as his just right and priviledge and not rather which is infinitely more probable Tertullians Sarcasm intended by him as an Ironical reflection and a tart upbraiding the pride and ambition of the Bishops of that Church who took too much upon them and began as appears from Pope Victors carriage towards the Asian Churches in the case of Easter to domineer over their Brethren and usurp an insolent authority over the whole Christian Church And that this was his meaning I am abundantly satisfied from a Apud Cyprian p. 282. Cyprians using the phrase in this very sense in the famous Synod at Carthage where reflecting upon the rash and violent proceedings of the Bishops of Rome whom though he particularly names not yet all who are acquainted with the Story know whom he means against those who were engaged in the cause of rebaptizing Heretics he adds that as for themselves the Bishops then in the Synod none of them made himself Bishop of Bishops or by a tyrannical threatning forced his Colleagues into a necessity of Compliance since every Bishop according to the power and liberty granted to him had his proper jurisdiction and could no more be judged by another then he himself could judge others XI WHETHER ever he was reconciled to the Catholic Communion appears not 't is certain that for the main he forsook the b August de Haeres c. 86. Tom. 6. col 31. Cataphrygians and kept his separate meetings at Carthage and his Church was yet remaining till S. Augustins time by whose labours the very reliques of his followers called Tertullianists were dispersed and quite disappeared How long he continued after his departure from the Church is not known S. Hierom c De Script in Tertull. says that he lived to a very decrepit age but whether he died under the reign of Alexander Severus or before the Ancients tell us not as neither whether he died a natural or violent death He seems indeed to have been possessed with a passionate desire of laying down his life for the Faith though had he been a Martyr some mention would without peradventure have been made of it in the Writings of the Church XII HE was a man of a smart and acute wit though a little too much edged with Keeness and Satyrism acris vehementis ingenii as d Loc. citat S. Hierom characters him one that knew not how to treat an adversary without salt and sharpness He was of a stiff and rugged disposition a rigid Censor inclined to choler and impatient of opposition a strict observer of Rites and Discipline and a zealous asserter of the highest rigors and most nice severities of Religion His learning was admirable wherein though many excelled he had no superiours and few equals in the Age he lived in Tertulliano quid eruditius quid acutius says e Epist ad Mag. Grator p. 328. T. 2. S. Hierom who adds that his Apology and Book against the Gentiles took in all the treasures of Humane Learning f Commonit adv Haeres cap. 24 p. 59 60. Vincentius of Lire gives him this notable Elogium He is justly says he to be esteemed the Prince among the Writers of the Latin Church For what more learned who more conversant both in divine and humane Studies who by a strange largeness and capacity of mind had drawn all Philosophy and its several Sects the Authors and Abettors of Heresies with all their Rites and Principles and the whole circumference of History and all kind of Study within the compass of his own breast A man of such quick and weighty parts that there was scarce any thing which he set himself against which he did not either pierce through with the acumen of his Wit or batter down with the strength and solidity of his Arguments Who can sufficiently commend his Discourses so thick set with Troops of Reasons that whom they cannot persuade they are ready to force to an assent who hath almost as many sentences as words and not more periods then victories over those whom he hath to deal with XIII FOR his Books though time has devoured many yet a great number still remain and some of them written after his withdrawment from the Church His stile is for the most part abrupt and
The Apologies written in his behalf Several things noted out of the Ancients to extenuate the charge His assertions not Dogmatical Not intended for public view Generally such as were not determined by the Church His Books corrupted and by whom His own complaints to that purpose The testimonies of Athanasius and Theotimus and Haymo in his vindication Great errours and mistakes acknowledged What things contributed to them His great kindness for the Platonic Principles S. Hierom 's moderate censure of him His repenting of his rash Propositions His Writings enumerated and what now extant I. ORIGEN called also Adamantius either from the unwearied temper of his mind and that strength of reason wherewith he compacted his Discourses or his firmness and constancy in Religion notwithstanding all the assaults made against it was born at Alexandria the known Metropolis of Egypt unless we will suppose that upon some particular Tumult or Persecution raised against the Christians in that City his Parents fled for refuge to the Mountainous parts thereabouts where his Mother was delivered of him and that thence he was called Origenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suid. in voc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 330. T. 2. quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which most conceive to be the Etymology of his name one born in the Mountains But whether that be the proper derivation of the Word or the other the particular occasion of its imposition let the Reader determine as he please However I believe the Reader will think it a much more probable and reasonable conjecture then what one a Halloix not ad Orig. defens c. 1. p. 1. supposes that he was so called because born of holy Parents the Saints in Scripture being as he tells us sometimes metaphorically stiled Mountains The first and the last I dare say that ever made that conjecture A learned man b Voss de Idol l. 2. c. 10. p. 182. supposes him rather and thinks no doubt can be made of it so called from Orus an Egyptian word and with them the title of Apollo or the Sun from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no question which signifies light or fire one of their principal Deities Hence Orus the name of one of the Egyptian Kings as it has been also of many others And thus as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes Diogenes one born of Jupiter so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived Origenes one descended of Or or Orus a Deity solemnly worshipped at Alexandria A conjecture that might have commanded its own entertainment did not one prejudice lie against it that we can hardly conceive so good a man and so severe a Christian as Origens Father would impose a name upon his Child for which he must be beholden to an Heathen Deity and whom he might see every day worshipped with the most sottish Idolatry that he should let him perpetually carry about that remembrance of Pagan Idolatry in his name which they so particularly and so solemnly renounced in their Baptism But to return II. HE was born about the year of our Lord CLXXXVI being seventeen c Euseb H. Eccl. l. 6. c. 2. p. 202. years of age at his Fathers death who suffered Ann. Chr. CCII. Severi X. His Father was Leonides whom Suidas d In voc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 389. Tom. 2. and some others without any authority that I know of from the Ancients make a Bishop to be sure he was a good man and a Martyr for the Faith In his younger years he was brought up under the tutorage of his own e Euseb ibid. p. 202. Father who instructed him in all the grounds of humane literature and together with them took especial care to instill the principles of Religion seasoning his early age with the notices of divine things so that like another Timothy from a child he knew the holy Scriptures and was thoroughly exercised and instructed in them Nor was his Father more diligent to insinuate his instructions then the subject he managed was capable to receive them Part of his daily task was to learn and repeat some parts of the holy Scriptures which he readily discharged But not satisfied with the bare reading or recital of them he began to enquire more narrowly into the more profound sense of them often importuning his Father with questions what such or such a passage of Scripture meant The good man though seemingly reproving his busie forwardness and admonishing him to be content with the plain obvious sense and not to ask questions above his age did yet inwardly rejoice in his own mind and heartily bless God that he had made him the Father of such a child Much ado had the prudent man to keep the exuberance of his love and joy from running over before others but in private he gave it vent frequently going into the Chamber where the Youth lay asleep and reverently kissing his naked brest the treasury of an early piety and a divine spirit reflected upon himself how happy he was in so excellent a Son So great a comfort so invaluable a blessing is it to pious parents to see their children setting out betimes in the way of righteousness and sucking in Religion almost with their Mothers milk III. HAVING passed over his paternal education he was put to perfect his Studies under the Institution of Clemens Alexandrinus then Regent of the Catechist School at Alexandria where according to the acuteness of his parts and the greatness of his industry he made vast improvements in all sorts of learning From him he betook himself to Ammonius who had then newly set up a Platonic School at Alexandria and had reconciled a Hierocl l. 1. de provid Fat. ap Phot. Cod. CCXIV. col 549. Cod. CCLI col 1381. those inveterate feuds and differences that had been between the Schools of Plato and Aristotle and which had reigned among their Disciples till his time which he did says my Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of a divine transport for the truth of Philosophy despising the little opinions and wrangling contentions of peevish men and propounding a more free and generous kind of Philosophy to his Auditors Among whom was our Origen as Porphyry b Apud Euseb iâ—id c. 19. p. 220 vid. Theod. Serm. VI. de Provid p. 96. besides others witnesses who saw Origen when himself but a Youth This Ammonius was called Saccas from his carrying c Vid. Theod. loco citat sacks of Corn upon his back being a Porter by imployment before he betook himself to the Study of Philosophy one of the most learned and eloquent men of those times a great Philosopher and the chief of the Platonic Sect and which was above all a Christian born and brought up among them as d Loc. citat Porphyry himself is forced to confess though when he tells us that afterwards upon maturer consideration and his entering upon Philosophy he renounced Christianity and embraced Paganism and the Religion
Pen. XIX HE was highly honoured while he lived not onely by men consulted and appealed to in all weighty cases by foreign Churches but by frequent visions and divine condescensions as he was wont to call them whereby he was immediately warned and directed in all important affairs and exigences of the Church After his death his memory was had in great veneration the people of Carthage c Vict. de Persec Vandal l. 1. inter Oothod PP p. 801. Tom. 2. erecting two eminent Churches to it one in the place of his Martyrdom the other in the Mappalian way where he was buried The former was stiled Mensa Cypriani Cyprian's Table because there he had been offered up a Sacrifice acceptable unto God And here they had their anniversary commemorations of him Whether this was the Church mentioned by Procopius d De Bell. Vandal l. 1. vid. Niceph l. 17. c. 12. p. 751. I cannot tell who informs us that the Carthaginians above all people in the World honoured S. Cyprian building a magnificent Church to his memory without the City Walls near the Sea side and besides other expressions of honour done to him they kept a yearly festival which they called Cypriana This Church Honoricus King of the Vandals afterwards took from the Catholics casting out the Orthodox Clergy with disgrace and contempt and bestowed it upon the Arrians which XCV years after was recovered by the Emperour Justinian under the conduct of Belisarius who besieged and took Carthage and drove the Vandals out of all those parts His Writings Genuine Epistola ad Donatum statim à Baptismo conscripta Epistolae in Secessu toto biennio conscriptae XXXVIII Epistolae sub Pontificatu Cornelii Lucii XVIII Epistolae Miscellaneae in pace variis temporibus conscriptae VIII Epistolae sub Pontificatu Stephani de rebaptizandis Haereticis X. Epistolae in exilio scriptae sub finem vitae VII De disciplina habitu Virginum De Lapsis De Vnitate Ecclesiae Catholicae De Oratione Dominica Ad Demetrianum De Idolorum vanitate De Mortalitate De Opere Eleemosynis De Bono Patientia De Zelo Livore De exhortatione Martyrii ad Fortunatum Testimoniorum Adversus Judaeos Lib. III. Concilium Carthaginense de baptizandis Haereticis Supposititious De Spectaculis De Disciplina bono pudicitiae De Laude Martyrii ad Mosen c. Ad Novatianum quod Lapsis spes veniae non sit deneganda De Cardinalibus Christi operibus De Nativitate Christi De ratione Circumcisionis De Stella Magis ac innocentium nece De baptismo Christi manifestatione Trinitatis De jejunio tentationibus Christi De Coena Domini De Ablutione pedum De unctione Chrismatis aliis Sacramentis De Passione Christi De Resurrectione Christi De Ascensione Christi De Spiritu Sancto De Aleatoribus De montibus Sina Sion contr Judaeos Carmen Genesis Carmen Sodoma Carmen ad Senatorem Apostatam Hymnus de Pascha Domini Oratio pro Martyribus Oratio in die Passionis suae De singularitate Clericorum In Symbolum Apostolorum Expositio De Judaica incredulitate Adv. Judaeos qui Christum insecuti sunt De revelatione Capitis B. Joan. Baptistae De duplici Martyrio ad Fortunatum De XII Abusionibus Saeculi Dispositio Coenae The End of S. CYPRIAN 's Life THE LIFE OF S. GREGORY BISHOP OF NEOCAESAREA Micha Burgh deli et sculp S. GREGORIUS THAUMATURGUS S. Gregory where born His Kindred and Relations The rank and quality of his Parents His youthful studies His study of the Laws His travels to Alexandria The calumny there fixed upon him and his miraculous vindication His return through Greece His studying the Law at Berytus and upon what occasion His fixing at Caesarea and putting himself under the tutorage of Origen The course of his studies His Panegyric to Origen at his departure Origen 's Letter to him and the importance of it His refusal to stay at Neocaesarea and retirement into the Wilderness His shunning to be made Bishop of Neocaesarea Consecrated Bishop of that City during his absence His acceptance of the charge and the state of that place at his entrance upon it His miraculous instruction in the great mysteries of Christianity His Creed The miracles wrought by him in his return His expelling Daemons out of a Gentile Temple and the success of it His welcome entrance into the City and kind entertainment His diligent preaching to the people His erecting a Church for divine worship and its signal preservation An horrible plague stopped by his prayers The great influence of it upon the minds of the people His judging in civil causes His drying up a Lake by his prayers which had been the cause of an implacable quarrel between two Brothers And his restraining the overflowings of the River Lyeus The signal vengeance inflicted upon two Jews counterfeit beggars The fame and multitude of his miracles and the authorities to justifie the credibility of them The rage and cruelty of the Decian Persecution in the Regions of Pontus and Cappadocia His persuading the Christians to withdraw His own retirement The narrow search made for him and his miraculous escape His betrayer converted His return to Neocaesarea and instituting selemnities to the memories of the Martyrs and the reasons of it The inundations of the Northern Nations upon the Roman Empire His Canonical Epistle to rectifie the disorders committed by occason of those inroads His meeting with others in the Synod at Antioch about the cause of Paulus Samosatenus His return home age and death His solemn thanks to God for the flourishing state of his Church and command concerning his burial The excellent character given of him by S. Basil His Writings The charge of Sabellianism S. Basil 's Apology for him in that behalf Modesty to be used in censuring the ancient Fathers and why I. S GREGORY called originally Theodorus was born at a Greg. Nyss in vit Gr. Thaâ—m p. 969. Tom. 2. Neocaesarea the Metropolis of Cappadocia situate upon the River Lycus His Parents were Gentiles but eminent for their birth and fortunes He had a Brother called Athenodorus his fellow-pupil and afterwards Colleague in the Episcopal Order in his own Countrey and one Sister at least married to a Judge under the Governour of Palestin His Father b Gr. Thaâ—m Panegyr ad Orig p. 182. was a Zealot for his Religion wherein he took care to educate him together with the Learning of the Gentile World When he was fourteen years of age his Father died after which he took a greater liberty of enquiring into things and as his reason grew more quick and manly and was advantaged by the improvements of education he saw more plainly the folly and vanity of that Religion wherein he had been brought up which presently abated his edge and turned his inclinations towards Christianity But though he had lost his Father his Mother c Ibid.
he reasonably presumed it would be no little encouragement to some to desert their superstitions and come over to Christianity if they were suffered to rejoice and use a little more innocent freedom then at other times which could not be better done then at the Memorials of the Martyrs though it cannot be denied but that this custom produced ill effects afterwards XVII IN the reign of the Emperour Gallienus about the year CCLX and for some years before God being as Osorius a Hist l. 7. c. 22. fâ—l 311. truly enough conjectures offended with the cruel usage which the Christians met withall from the present Powers was resolved to punish the World And to that end did not onely suffer Valerian the Emperour friendly enough at first but afterwards a bitter Persecutor of the Christians to be betrayed into the hands of Sapor King of Persia who treated him with the highest instances of scorn and insolence but permitted the Northern b Tâ—â—â— Poll. in viâ— Gallien c. â— 5. p. 717 718. vid. Zosim Hiâ—t lib. 1. p. 352. 〈◊〉 359. Tâ—â—b Pâ—ll in vit Claâ—d c. 8 p. 8â—6 Nations like a mighty inundation to break down the Banks and overflow most parts of the Roman Empire The Germans betook themselves some into Spain others passed the Alps and came through Italy as far as Ravenna the Alemanni forraged France and invaded Italy the Quades and Sarmatae wasted Pannonia the Parthians fell into Mesopotamia and Syria and the Goths broke in upon Pontus Asia and some parts of Greece Intollerable were the outrages which these barbarous people committed where-ever they came but especially upon the Christians whose goods they plundred ravished their Wives and Daughters tortured their persons and compelled them to offer sacrifice and communicate in their Idol-Feasts many of the Renegadoes spoiling their fellow-Christians and some under a pretence of finding stole or at least kept their neighbours goods to their own use In this general confusion a neighbour Bishop of those parts writes to S. Gregory of Neocaesarea to beg his advice what to do in this sad state of affairs Who by Euphrosynus sent back a Canonical Epistle so often cited and magnified by the Ancients and still extant to rectifie these irregularities and disorders wherein he prescribes the several stations and orders of Penitents but especially reproves and censures their inordinate avarice shewing how uncomely it is in it self how unsutable to Christians how abhorrent to God and all good men to covet and grasp what is another mans and how much more barbarous and inhumane in this calamitous time to spoil the oppressed and to enrich themselves by the bloud and ruines of their miserable Brethren And because some might be apt to plead they did not steal but onely take up what they accidentally met with he lets them know that whatever they had found of their neighbours nay though it were their enemies they were bound by Gods Law to restore it much more to their Brethren who were fellow-sufferers with them in the same condition And if any thought it were warrant enough to keep what they had found though belonging to others having been such deep losers themselves he tells them this is to justifie one wickedness with another and because the Goths had been enemies to them they would become Goths and Barbarians unto others Nay many as he tells us joined in with the Barbarians in open persecuting captivating and tormenting of their Brethren In all which cases he pronounces them fit to be excluded the communion of the Saints and not to be readmitted till by a just penance according to the various circumstances of the case they had made public and solemn satisfaction to the Church XVIII NOT long after this Paulus of Samosata Bishop of Antioch began to broach very pernicious Doctrins concerning the person of our blessed Saviour To prevent the infection whereof the most eminent of the Bishops and Clergy of all those parts frequently met in Synod at Antioch the chief of whom a Euseb H. E. l. 7. c. 27. p. 278. were Firmilian Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia our S. Gregory and his brother Athenodorus Bishop also in Pontus and some others The Synod being sate and having canvassed the matter the crafty Heretic saw 't was in vain to contend and therefore dissembling his errours as well as he could he confessed what could not be hid and by a feigned repentance salved his credit for the present and secured his continuance in that honourable place he held in the Church This Council was held Ann. Chr. CCLXIV which our S. Gregory seems not long to have survived dying either this or most probably the following year a Lib. 6. c. 17. p. 408. Nicephorus makes him to have lived to a very great age which he must if as he affirms he died under Dioclesian and b In voc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 628. Suidas by a mistake much more prodigious makes him to decease in the reign of Julian A little before his death being sensible that his time drew near he sent c Gr. Niss ubi supr p. 1006. up and down the City and the Vicinage to make a strict enquiry whether there were any that yet were strangers to the Christian Faith And being told that there were but seventeen in all he sighed and lifting up his eyes to Heaven appealed to God how much it troubled him that he should leave any part of mens salvation incompleat but that withall it was a mercy that challenged the most grateful resentment that when he himself had found but seventeen Christians at his first coming thither he should leave but seventeen Idolaters to his successor Having heartily prayed for the conversion of Infidels and the increase and consummation of those that were converted he calmly and peaceably resigned up his soul to God having first enjoyned his friends to make no trouble about his Funeral nor procure him any proper and peculiar place of burial but that as in his life time he had carried himself as a Pilgrim and Foreigner in the World claiming nothing for himself so after death he might enjoy the portion of a Stranger and be cast into the common lot XIX HE was a man says d De Spir. S. c. 29. p. 359. Tim. 2. S. Basil of a Prophetical and Apostolic temper and who in the whole course of his life expressed the height and accuracy of an Evangelical conversation In all his e Id. ad Cler. Neocaes Epist LXIII p. 97. T. 3. devotions he was wont to shew the greatest reverence never covering his head in prayer as accounting that of the Apostle most proper and rational that every one praying or prophecying with his head covered dishonoureth his head All Oaths he avoided making Yea and Nay the usual measure of his communication Out of regard to our Lords threatning he durst never call his Brother Fool no anger wrath or bitterness proceeded out of his mouth Slandering