veracity, would be inexcufable temerity.-He, repeatedly, speaks of the Lord's directions revealed to him in the manner above mentioned. If fome expreffions in the letter be allowed to favour of epifcopal haughtinefs which was then growing in the Church, the main tenor of it, nevertheless, contains nothing but what Pupian ought to have attended to moft feriously. A readiness to believe ftories, which tend to calumniate the worthieft paftors, is a fnare which Satan has too fuccefsfully laid for the members of the Church in all ages and, doubtless, much greater circumfpection is required on this head, than many are difpofed to pay. The brotherly fellowship of Churches depends, in a great measure, on their endeavours to preferve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Cyprian concludes in this nervous manner: "I have written thefe things with a pure confcience, and in the firm reliance on my God -You have my letters; I have yours; both will be recited in the day of judgment before the tribunal of Chrift*."

A controverfy now arofe among Chriftians, while the pacific fpirit of Valerian continued to protec them, which reflects no honour on any of the parties concerned in it. The queftion was, whether perfons returning from heretics into the Church ought to be re-baptized. The active !pirit of Cyprian was employed, partly by a council in Africa, and partly by his letters, in maintaining that the baptifm of heretics was null and void; and that, even, Novatian baptifm ought to be looked upon in the fame light. Stephen, bithop of Rome, maintained, that, if perfons had been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, impofition

Epif. 69.

of

of hands would then be fufficient for their reception into the Church: The point was left undecided, because no party had power to compel others; moft Chriftians, however, have long fince agreed with Stephen; and, indeed, it is the voice of good fenfe as well as of the Church of England, that the efficacy of a facrament, rightly adminiftered, depends not on the character of him that minifters it. But the refpect which Cyprian, not undefervedly, had acquired by his labours, his fufferings, and his abilities, procured him a much greater degree of ftrength than either the importance of his caufe or the weight of his arguments merited. Even Firmilian of Cappadocia in a long letter fupported his fide of the question.This bifhop, occafionally, adverts to the cafe of a woman, who, about twenty-two years before the date of his letter, had profeffed herfelf a prophetefs, and for a long time had deceived the brethren with her extatic raptures, till one of the exorcifts confuted her pretenfions. It may be worth while juft to have mentioned this fact, as it fhews that delufions have ever been raised by Satan to dif grace the work of God. It appears by the fame letter*,-that Stephen behaved with much violence and afperity in the conteft;-that he did not even admit to a conference the brethren who came to him from diftant parts if they happened to be of Cyprian's opinion;-but that he denied them the common rights of hofpitality. In the courfe of this controverfy Cyprian decided-and certainly with much propriety,-that thofe †, whofe weak flate of health did not permit them to be washed in water, were yet fufficiently baptized by being fprinkled :-He obferves, that the virtue of baptifm ought not to be estimated, in a carnal

Epif. 75.

† Epis. 76.

carnal manner, by the quantity of external apparatus.

How weak, alas, is man!-A peace of three years has fet the members of the Church in a flame among themselves, and for a matter of trifling import!And one of the best and wifeft men of his day, by zeal for unity and by caution against innovations, is betrayed into the fupport of an indefenfible point of mere ceremony, which tends to the encouragement of fuperftition and the weakening of brotherly love! -How foon do we forget that "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteoufnefs, and joy in the Holy Ghost !"-With what difficulty is the real love of Jefus and its fruits preferved among profeffors of Christianity! All this proves in the ftrongest manner,-how mighty and gracious the Lord is in ftill preferving a Church in the earth;-how dark and corrupt is man;-how active and fubtil is Satan;-how precious is that blood which cleanses from all fin; -and how true is that book which contains thete falutary doctrines and faithfully defcribes the mifery of man!-How fafely may we rely on the way of falvation which it teaches; and how pleafing is the profpect which it exhibits of the Church in heaven!

The reader would juftly think the time ill-employed in unravelling the niceties of this trifling controverfy.-Befides, our attention is called to more important matter:--God prepares a fcourge for his froward children: Perfecution lowers again with renewed ftrength; and Chriftians are called on to forget their idle internal fquabbles,-to humble themfelves before HIM,-and to prepare for fresh scenes of horror and defolation.

CHA P. XIV.

THE LAST ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
CYPRIAN.

THE change in the difpofition of Valerian towards the Chriftians, which took place about A. D. the year of our Lord two hundred and fifty-feven, 257 is one of the most memorable inftances of the

The

inftability of human characters. In kindness to them he had furpaffed all his predeceffors. Even from Philip they had not experienced fo much. courtesy and friendship. His palace had, ufually, been full of the followers of Jefus, and was looked on as a fanctuary. But now, after he had reigned three years, he was induced, by his favourite Macrianus to commence a deadly perfecution. This man dealt largely in magical enchantments and abominable facrifices: he flaughtered children, and tore out the inteftines of new-born babes*. perfecution of Chriftians was a cruel employment, worthy of a mind fo fafcinated with diabolical wickednels and folly; and he found in Valerian but too prompt a difciple. This fresh attack on the fervants of Chrift began in the year two hundred and fiftyfeven, and continued during the remainder of the reign of this emperor;-namely, three years and a half. Stephen of Rome appears to have died a natural death about the beginning of it: For, there is no evidence of his martyrdom; and, therefore, we

Dyonyfius of Alex,-Eufeb. B, 7. C. 10,

want

want the proofs which might, in that cafe, have been afforded, whether his turbulent and aspiring fpirit was really combined with genuine Christian affections. He was fucceeded by Sixtus.

Cyprian, who had efcaped two perfecutions, was now made the victim of the third,-though by flow degrees, and with circumstances of comparative lenity. Every thing relating to him is fo interefting, that it may not be amifs to profecute his ftory, in a connected manner, to his death; and to referve the narrative of other objects of this perfecution till afterwards.

He was feized by the fervants of Paternus the proconful of Carthage, and brought into his council-chamber. "The facred emperors, Valerian and Gallienus," fays Paternus, "have done me the honour to direct letters to me, in which they have decreed, that all men ought to adore the gods whom the Romans adore; and on pain of being flain with the fword if they refufe. I have heard that you defpife the worship of the gods;whence I advise you to confult for yourself and to honour them." "I am a Chriftian," replied the prelate," and know no god but the one true God, who created heaven and earth, the fea, and all things in them. This God we Chriftians ferve: To him we pray night and day for all men, and even for the emperors." "You will die the death of a malefactor, if you perfevere in this difpofition of mind*.” "That is a good difpo fition which fears God," anfwered Cyprian, "and therefore it must not be changed." "It is the will, then, of the princes, that, for the prefent, you fhould be banished." "He is no exile," replied the bishop, "who has God in his heart, for the earth

The paffion of Cyprian in Pam. Edit.- Fiucry's Hift. B. 7.