THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH DURING THE REIGN OF GALLUS.

HE fucceffor of Decius allowed the Church

Tof Chrift a little tranquillity. During that space the two small treatifes of Cyprian concerning the lapfed and concerning unity, were, doubtlefs, of fome fervice in recovering the lapsed to a state of penitence, and in difpofing the minds of men to preferve the unity of the Church. In the former of these treatifes, indeed, it must be confeffed he carries his cenfure of the Novatians too far. The fin and the danger of rending the body of Chrift might have been ftated in the ftrongeft terms, without pronouncing the evil to be abfolutely damnable: This was carrying the matter beyond all bounds of moderation. But the fame candour which fhould incline one to apprehend that Novatian was influenced by good intentions, in his too rigid scheme, pleads alfo for the motives of Cyprian's zeal in the maintenance of unity.He feems to have confidered the mifchief as most exceedingly deftructive; and he can find no terms fufficiently ftrong to exprefs his detestation of it.

But Gallus foon began to disturb the peace of the Chriftians, though not with the inceffant fury of his predeceffor.-A Roman prefbyter, named Hyppolitus, had been feduced into Novatianisin; but his mind had not been perverted from the

faith and love of Jefus. He was now called on to fuffer martyrdom, which he did with courage and fidelity. Either curiofity or a defire of inftructive information induced fome perfons to ask him in the laft fcene of his fufferings, whether he ftill perfifted in the communion of Novatian? He declared in the moft explicit terms, that he now faw the affair in a new light,-that he repented of having encouraged the fchifin,--and that he died in the communion of the general Church.-Such a teftimony muft have weakened the influence of the fchifm*.

In this perfecution of Gallus it was that Cornelius confeffed the faith of Chrift, and was banished, by the emperor, to Civita Vecchia; which gave occafion to a congratulatory letter from Cyprian. In one part of it he reflects on the Novatians with his ufual vehemence:-The rest breathes a fervent fpirit of piety and charity, and throws a ftrong light on two hiftorical facts;-namely, that the perfecution of Gallus was fevere ;-and, that the Roman Chriftians bore it with becoming and exemplary fortitude.

"We have been made acquainted, deareft brother, with the glorious teftimonics of your faith. and virtue; and we have received the honour of your confeffion with fuch exultation, that, in the praises of your excellent conduct, we reckon ourfelves partners and companions. For, as we have but one Church, united hearts, and indivifible concord, what paftor rejoices not in the honours of his fellow-paftors as his own? Or what brotherhood does not every where exult in the joy of brothers? We cannot exprefs how great was our joy and gladnefs when we heard of your prof

Fleury, B. 7. x.

perous

perous fortitude;-that at Rome You were the leader of the confeffion, and, moreover, that the confeffion of the leader ftrengthened, in the brethren, their difpofition to confefs;-that while you led the way to glory, you incited many to be companions of your glory; fo that we are at a lofs which most to celebrate,-your active and steady faith, or the infeparable love of the brethren. The virtue of the bishop in leading the way was publicly admired; while the union of the brethren in following him was proved beyond contradiction: There was but one mind and one voice among you all. The Apoftle forefaw, in fpirit, this faith and firmnefs of the whole Roman Church, which have fhone fo illuftrioufly; and, in praifing the primitive fathers, he ftirs up their future fons to an imitation of their courage and patience. Your unanimity and perfeverance is a great and an inftructive example to the brethren. Ye have taught largely the important leffon of fearing God, of firmly adhering to Chrift, of uniting pastors with the people, brethren with brethren in one common danger: ye have proved,-that a concord thus formed is invincible; that the God of peace hears and anfwers the joint prayers of the peace-makers. With terrible violence the adverfary rushed to attack the foldiers of Chrift; but was bravely repulfed.

He had hoped to fupplant the fervants of God, by finding them, like raw foldiers, unprepared: He had hoped to circumvent a few individuals; but he found them united for refiftance: and he learnt, that the foldiers of Jefus remain on the watch fober and armed for the battle;-that they cannot be conquered;-that they may die; but that they are invincible on this very account, becaufe they fear not death;-that they refift not

aggreffors,

aggreffors, fince it is not lawful for them, though innocent, to kill the guilty *; and laftly-that they readily give up their life and fhed their blood, in order that they may the more quickly depart from an evil world in which wickednefs and cruelty rages with fo much fiercenefs. What a glorious fpectacle under the immediate eyes of God! What a joy in the fight of Chrift and of his Church, that-not a fingle foldier, but the whole army together, endured the warfare! Every individual, who heard of this proceeding, has joined in it: How many lapfed are reftored by this glorious confeffion! For now they have stood firm; and, by the very grief of their penitence, are made more magnanimous: Their former fall may now be justly confidered as the effect of fudden tremor; but they have returned to their true character: they have collected real faith and strength from the fear of God, and have panted for martyrdom.

As much as poffible we earnestly exhort our people not to ceafe to be prepared for the approaching conteft, by watching, fafting, and prayers. These are our celeftial arms: thefe are our fortreffes and weapons. Let us remember one another in our fupplications: Let us be unanimous and united: and let us relieve our preffures and diftreffes by mutual charity: And whofoever of us fhall firft be called hence, let our mutual love in Chrift continue; and let us never cease to pray to our merciful Father for all our brethren and our fifters.

Thus ardent was the fpirit of Cyprian in the expectation of martyrdom! And fo little account

did

A plain proof of the paffivenefs of Chriftians, ftill continued from the Apoftolic age, under the moft unjust treatment.

did he make of temporal things! And, in this natural and eafy manner, did he efteem the dreadful fcenes of perfecution as matter of joy.

He himself was preferved, for the ufe of the Church, beyond the life of Gallus, as well as of Decius. Cornelius died in exile: His faithfulnefs in fuffering for Chrift evinces all along whose fervant he was;-otherwife, hiftory affords little evidence refpecting his character.-The little fpecimen, which we have of his writings, will induce no one to think highly of his genius or capacity."

It is no wonder that Cyprian, who had feen and known fuch dreadful devaftations under Decius, finding, after a very fhort interval, the perfecution renewed by Gallus, fhould be attempted to imagine the approach of Antichrift,-the end of the world, -and the day of judgment to be at hand. Sagacious and holy men are never more apt to be deceived than when they attempt to look into futurity. God hath made the prefent fo much the exclufive object of our duty, that he will scarce fuffer even his beft and wifeft fervants to gain reputation for skill and forefight by any conjectures concerning the times and the feafons, which he hath referved in his own power. The perfecution of Gallus proved, however, a light one compared with that of Decius. Under very formidable apprehenfions of it Cyprian wrote an animating letter to the people of Thibaris*. The miftaken idea I have mentioned, probably, added fpirit to the epiftle; nevertheless, the reafoning is folid; and his arguments and the Scriptures, which he quotes, deferve attention in all ages. A few extracts may gratify the reader.

"I had intended, moft dear brethren, and wifhed, if circumftances had permitted, agreeably to the defires you have frequently expreffed,-myfelf