events of these histories are much intermixed, and the concerns of the Christian religion become a prominent object in civil society, and especially in the revolutions of the Roman government. The church, as a visible society formed upon earth, has hitherto been a body totally unconnected with the state; held together by its own laws and discipline, and governed by a spiritual authority, totally distinct from the rule of the civil magistrate. It had, indeed, ever been a maxim inculcated in the church, from the clearest dictates of the oracles of God, that the most entire subjection and conscientious obedience should be rendered to the sovereign authority of the state, as to the ordinance of God; and, in the most trying circumstances, the rule had not been violated: but, in the politics of the world, and in the revolutions of the imperial government, Christians had as yet no other concern than to learn whether they might be permitted, in peace, to enjoy their religious privileges, or must be compelled to endure persecution for Christ, and "all the day long be counted as sheep for the slaughter, for his name sake."

It was in these circumstances that the Christian church had grown to its present extent and greatness, not only without the patronage of the civil government, but generally as an object of its jealousy and bitterest hatred. The persecutions it had endured, had, indeed, at different times, checked its growth; and these persecutions had evidently been directed by a mysterious Providence, to winnow and to purify his floor. For in the church, considered as a visible society on earth, as in every other human society and body politic, there was a perpetual tendency to degenerate, and to fall below the professed standard, both in faith and manners; and this discovered itself especially in those intervals of peace and prosperity, which had been vouchsafed to the Christian community. The more it grew in the estimation of mankind, and increased the number of its professors, the less pure and spiritual was the society. Persecution thinned its numbers; but the trial chastened its genuine surviving members, at the same time that it shewed the apostasy of the unsound. This only prepared the church for new victories; and these again, when achieved, disclosed and nurtured the seeds of corruption within her. Still, however, she was winning her way in the public estimation; her ordinances of a reasonable worship, and the morals of her people, when at the lowest ebb, could not but appear in a favourable light, when contrasted with the abominable idolatries and the dissolute manners of the heathen world around her. The faithfulness of her martyrs and confessors,

forcibly struck the attention of mankind, and her extensive charities to the poor were always a recommending grace in the church; so that the Christian religion had always a tendency, when let alone, to spread its profession far wider than the actual triumphs of her spiritual doctrines over the hearts of men. Hence her prodigious increase, and hence her corresponding corruption, as a body, in times of peace and prosperity.

Such had been the situation of the church in the former part of the last century; much increased in the numbers of her professors, and much deteriorated in the purity of her faith and practice. The Decian persecution came upon her about the middle of the century, and was acknowledged, by her faithful pastors, to be a just punishment for the sins of her priests and her people. There is little doubt that, for a time, this had a good and salutary effect. But a season of longer prosperity and of public favour followed, with little or no interruption, till the end of the century. The church became enlarged beyond all former precedent. A crisis might almost seem to be approaching, between the ancient religion of paganism and the growing profession of Christianity.

The consequence was, one of the most remarkable eras and revolutions recorded in history. We see at first all the powers and constituted authorities of the pagan world combined together, as if it were the last effort of the prince of darkness, to crush, before it should be too late, the new religion which was spreading so widely among mankind. The era of martyrs follows. But it is paganism, and not Christianity, that receives its death-wound in this contest. We perceive, on a sudden, all the powers and authorities of the civilised world, as if dispossessed, by a stronger hand, of the demon of idolatry who actuated them, become subservient to the external peace and honourable maintenance of the religion which they had been combined to destroy.

The Roman world was at this period governed by four princes, who shared the sovereign authority. Dioclesian, who originally possessed the imperial power, had associated with himself in the dignity of Augustus, Maximian; and each of these had nominated one to the dignity of Cæsar: the former nominated Galerius, the latter, Constantius. Dioclesian, in the first part of his reign, had been very favourable to the Christians. Some are described as having employment about his person, and as having access, in the character of teachers, to the members of the imperial families. The bishops of the church are spoken of, at that period, as commanding great respect and reverence from

all classes. The multitudes of people that flocked to their places of worship, are described as being innumerable; so that the former buildings were not sufficient to contain them, and wide and spacious churches were erected in every city. This prosperous state of things had continued for some time," so long," says the contemporary historian Eusebius, " as the heavenly hand of God upheld and visited his people." But this prosperity, he remarks, led to great degeneracy. He notes particularly the dissensions and schisms which arose among the Christians while the world was disposed to honour them, and which deprived them of the good opinion of many. They exposed and abused one another" with the weapons of spite and sharp spears of opprobrious words: so that they raised contentions, bishop against bishop, and people against people."-"Last of all," continues the historian, "when our cursed hypocrisy and dissimulation had reached to the brim of maliciousness, the heavy hand of God's high judgment, after his wonted manner, began softly, by little and little, to visit us." The first symptoms of approaching judgment, it seems, was some ill treatment which the Christians in the army had to endure from their superiors, on account of their religion. "But," says Eusebius, "we were not at all moved by these things; but, instead of seeking to avert the anger of God, we heaped sin on sin, and thinking, like careless Epicureans, that God did not regard, and would never visit us for our sins and they that appeared as our shepherds, laying aside the rule of piety, quarrelled, and promoted divisions one against another, and proceeding in mutual hatred and contention with an ambition that differed little from tyranny itself."

Such was the description of the Chistian church, at least of some of the more conspicuous parts of it, when the last persecution, under Dioclesian, burst forth upon it, and executed the vengeance of God. The old emperor, it is recorded, was incited to this measure by the enmity of the Cæsar Galerius, who was instigated by the idolatrous priests. With some reluctance he yielded to his wishes; but, at length, from the accident of a fire which broke out in his palace, and which was industriously charged upon the Christians, Dioclesian was brought over entirely to the cruel counsels of Galerius'. The great church of Nicomedia, where the emperor resided, which is described as an edifice towering above the imperial palace, was regularly attacked by a body of the guards, who first broke into it, and afterwards

levelled it with the ground. The interior of the church, when laid open by its violators, presented a different scene from Christian churches of a later period; nothing was found but the volumes of the Scriptures..

The first edicts of the government ordered the demolition of the churches, and the burning of the sacred writings; that those who possessed any honour or distinction in society should be degraded, and all freedmen deprived of their liberty. Next followed an edict, that all the pastors should be thrown into prison. It was then ordered that they should be compelled to sacrifice to the heathen gods. Many of the governors of the church," Eusebius tells us, " endured, and that cheerfully, most bitter torments, shewing the examples of most valiant and noble conflicts. Many, indeed, fainted at the first onset, and others were overcome by extremity of sufferings; yet still a goodly company was found more than conquerors through Christ that loved them."

66

"It cannot be told or expressed by the tongue," says our historian," how many and what sort of martyrs were to be seen throughout every city and village." The torture endured by a noble person who had hitherto enjoyed one of the highest offices about the emperor's person, and who was formerly much beloved of him, is given us by Eusebius, as a specimen of this persecution, which raged in every part of the empire. He was publicly brought forth, and commanded to sacrifice. On his boldly refusing, he was ordered to be hoisted up on high, naked, and his whole body to be scourged, and the flesh rent in pieces with the lash of the whip, till he should be compelled to yield. The afflicted victim endured all this till his bones lay all bare." They then poured vinegar mixed with salt into his wounds; still he remained constant in his refusal, and rejoiced in his sufferings. His tormentors then prepared a gridiron, with hot burning coals, and he was laid on it, to be consumed over a slow fire, so that he might be kept lingering as long as possible in the extremity of torture. All was in vain, - he was faithful unto death. "So valiant as you hear," concludes the historian, was, in his martyrdom, one of the emperor's pages, corresponding to his name, for he was called Peter."-" And what happened to others was nothing inferior."

I shall subjoin but one specimen more of the persecution of which Eusebius was himself an eye-witness in Egypt. "No speech can sufficiently declare the punishments and torments endured by the martyrs throughout Thebais. Their bodies were

torn in pieces by shells of sea-fish instead of the claws of wild beasts. Other martyrs were torn asunder by trees bent from their natural position, fastened to their legs, and suddenly let go. Every method of brutal indecency was also had recourse to, to shock the constancy of the Christian women in their martyrdom. All this mischief continued not a few days, or a short time, but for many years. Sometimes more than ten, at other times more than twenty, were executed; at others again thirty, sixty, and even a hundred in one day, of men, women, and very little children, after the bitter taste of various torments, were put to death. I myself, being then present at an execution, saw with my own eyes a great multitude, whereof some were burnt, others beheaded, until the sword became blunt, and the tormentors wearied, so that others took their places in their turns. There I beheld the bright and noble countenances, the heavenly courage and boldness of those who built their faith on Jesus Christ our Saviour. As soon as sentence was pronounced and judgment given upon these, others stood forth and presented themselves at the bar, and made confession of their faith, and, after enduring every species of torture, received with cheerfulness the final sentence of condemnation; and, placing their trust in God, joyfully sung hymns and psalms of thanksgiving, even to the last gasp."

These extracts, from a contemporary and an eye-witness, may serve to give us some idea of that last pagan persecution, which, for the space of ten years successively, raged with more or less violence, in every part of the Roman world, against the followers of Christ. It was a persecution more systematically planned, and more artfully conducted, than those which Christians had ever known. Indeed, victory at first shewed itself in favour of the persecutors, and Christianity seemed to be near at an end1."

But how different was the actual result! God was at this time preparing for himself a protector of his afflicted church, in one of the imperial family. This was Constantine, the son of the Cæsar Constantius, whom God raised up like another Cyrus, and prospered his arms to the conquest of all his competitors, that he might liberate and reinstate his dispersed and persecuted people.

Constantius, at the time of his death, was administering the distant province of Britain; he had ever been favourable, as far

Milner. Clearly symbolised by the Fifth Seal, Rev. vi. 9, &c.