A. D. the Church of Carthage from a state of most de- Decius loft his life in battle in the year two 251. hundred and fifty-one, after having reigned thirty months. A prince-neither deficient in abilities nor in moral virtues, but diftinguifhed, during this whole period, by the moft cruel perfecution of the Church of God; he appears to have been bent on its ruin; but was topped in his career by an over-ruling providence. The Church were now allowed peace for a little time under Gallus, the fucceffor of Decius. There remain a few circumstances to be obferved, which attended this perfecution in the Weft, before we proceed to relate its effects in the Eaftern Church. Cyprian, zealous for the unity of the Church, informed Cornelius, that certain perfons came to Carthage from Novatian, who infifted on being heard as to fome charges which they had to produce against Cornelius:-But,-that as fufficient and ample teftimony had already been given in favour of Cornelius, as a prudent delay had also been - • Epif. 41. made, 1 made, and as the fenfe of the Church of Rome had been authentically exhibited, any further au dience of the NOVATIANS had been refufed.Thefe, he obferves, ftrove then to make a party in Africa; and for this purpofe folicited different towns and private houses. The council of Cartharge informed them that they ought to defift from their obftinacy, and not to relinquish their mother Church; but to own, that a bishop being once conftituted and approved by the teftimony and judgment of his colleagues and of the people, another could not be lawfully fet up in his room: and, that therefore,-if they intended to act peaceably and faithfully, if they pretended to be the affertors of the Gospel of Chrift, they ought to return to the Church. -- Though the ideas contained in this epiftle may appear very repugnant to the habits of thinking contracted by many profeffors of godlinefs in our days, I fee not, I own, on what principles they can be controverted. There is a medium between the defpotifm of idolatrous Rome and the extreme licentioufnefs of modern ecclefiaftical polity.-Are not peace and unity precious things?-and ought not they to be preferved in the Church if poffible? -Then why fhould not the decided fenfe of the majority prevail, where that mode of evangelically fettling a Church has been ufual, and where it is not contrary to the established laws of the country, and laftly, where paftors found in faith and decorous in manners have been appointed?- Can it be right for a fmall number of individuals to diffent-and that, on no better ground, than their own fancy and humour? This is not keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.-Such, however, • The author would, by no means, be understood here to encroach however, was the firfl origin of the Novatian fchifm. Perfons, who have been accustomed to approve the unrestrained, and unfcriptural manner of conducting religious communities, which now founhappily prevails, who feel no pity for the Church of Chrift, nor care how much her members be torn one from another, and who make no more difficulty of changing their paftors than their workmen, will not enter into the beauty of Cyprian's charitable concern for the unity of the Church. It is evident, union at Rome was as much on his heart as UNION at Carthage, because he confidered Chrift's BODY as one. He explains to Cornelius why he was not immediately acknowledged as bishop, and how he was honourably received on full information. He fpeaks of the Roman fchifm with horror; he reprefents the Chriftian fchifma tics, encroach on the right of private judgment; but he laments fincerely that the evil of feparation fhould have been confidered by the Novatians as a trifling matter; and he, further, laments, that a fpirit of the fame kind fhould appear to prevail ftrongly in our own days-Does, then, right and wrong,will any one fay,--depend upon numbers?-Have not the FEW as undoubted a right to their own opinions as the MANY? Such queftions are often afked,-and with an air of triumph.-But, after all,-whoever denied this right of opinion;-this right to think?-It is the right of ACTING according to this right of opinion that is contefted.-Let a man, for example, in his private judgment prefer for his paftor or his bithop fome perfon different from him who has been elected by the majority;-Let him publickly fhew this preference at the time of giving his fuffrage; - but let him remember to acquiefce peaceably in the appointment of the perfon elected; and not endeavour to divide the Church of Chrift by placing a rejected candidate or fome other favourite at the head of a faction in oppofition to the election of,-perhaps, -a truly godly and religious man. But in all this the author fuppofes either the Lex fcripta or the Lex non fcripta of the country to authorize ecclefiaftical appointments by clection, Epif. 42. tics, as refufing the bofom and the embrace of their mother, and as fetting up an adulterous head our of the Church. I attempt not to vindicate expreffions which go to the length of a total condemnation of the perfons of fchifmatics: Schifin is not fo deadly an evil as herefy; nor must we undertake to judge the HEARTS of others. But when all this is allowed,-Does not the zeal of Cyprian call for fimilar candour?-The mifchief, which had just begun to fhew itfelf in Rome and Carthage, was then NEW in the Chriftian world. Before the time of this able and active prelate no inftance had happened of any feparations made from the Church, except in the cafe of damnable herefies: Slight and tolerable inconveniences had not yet been thought fufficient reafons to justify fuch violent meafures;-and, it must be owned, if really good men in all ages had poffeffed the fame confcientious dread of the fin of Schifm, it would have fared much better with vital Chriftianity; and, further, thofe feparations which muft of neceffity be made, when falfe worship and falfe doctrine are prevalent, would have been treated with more refpect in the world. Encouraged with the fuccefs of his pacific labours at home, Cyprian endeavoured to heal the breaches of the Roman Chriftians. He was fenfible that the example of the confeffors, whom Novatian's appearance of fuperior piety in difcipline had feduced, had been attended with a great defection. He wrote refpectfully to his former correfpondents, and affured them that the deepeft fadnefs had poffeffed his breaft on their account: he reminds them of the honour of their faithful fufferings: he intreats them to return to the Church; and points out the inconfiftency of their glorious con on of Chrift with their prefent irregularity. But But fo exactly attentive was Cyprian to order, that he first fent the letter to Cornelius, and ordered it to be read to him, and fubmitted to his confideration before he would fuffer it to be sent to the confeffors*. With the fame cautious charity he explains again to Cornelius fome things which had given umbrage to that prelate with refpect to the delay of the acknowledgement of his ordination t. Thefe tranfactions appear to me to belong to my plan; and to be fingularly inftructive.The conduct of this African bifhop is calculated to admonish Chriftian minifters in all ages to enlarge their views fo as to comprehend the whole Church of Chrift; and never to feel affured that they grow in true zeal and true charity as long as they do not fear the evils of divifion, and do not labour to preferve peace and unity. The progrefs of Chriftian grace will always be much feen in the juft management of matters of this kind. There is the greatest reafon to believe that the authority of Cyprian had a great effect on the minds of Maximus and the other feduced confeffors, whofe undoubted piety gave the chief fupport to Novatian's party. But another cir cumftance happened about the fame time, which contributed to open their eyes effectually. The exceffive eagernefs of the fchifmatics at Rome defeated their own end. With the view of encreafing the Schifm, they were fo fraudulent as to send out frequent letters in the names of thefe confeffors, almoft throughout all the Churches. Maximus and the reft became acquainted with the fact and were exceedingly furprised: they owned they knew not a fyllable of the contents of thefe letters: and they heartily defired a re-union with the Church. The Epif. 43, 44. + Epif. 45. |