took them. When the violence of the storm had in some measure subsided, a pretty copious account of it was drawn up, as is supposed by Iræneus, in the form of an epistle from the churches of Vienne and Lyons to the brethren in Asia and Phrygia. We are indebted to Eusebius for preserving it from oblivion, in his Ecclesiastical History, and I incline to the judgment of Dr. Lardner when he pronounces it "the finest thing of the kind in all antiquity."

Eusebius gives it as a specimen of what was transacted in other places; and that the reader may have some notion of the savage rage with which this persecution was carried on, not only with the connivance, but with the knowledge and approbation of this philosophic emperor, I shall give a copious abridgment of the account. The epistle opens with the following simple address

"The servants of Christ, sojourning in Vienne and Lyons in France, to the brethren in Asia propria and Phrygia, who have the same faith and hope of redemption with us; peace and grace, and glory, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." They then declare themselves unable to express the greatness of the afflic tion which the saints in those cities had recently sustained, or the intense animosity of the heathen against them. Christians were absolutely prohibited from appearing in any house, except their own, in baths, in the market, or in any public place whatever. "The first assault came from the people at large-shouts, blows, the dragging of their bodies, the plundering of their goods, casting of

• Credibility of the Gospel History, part 2. But thongh I bow with great deference to the judgment of Dr. Lardner, I must be allowed to say that the style in which this letter is drawn up does not meet my fancy. It is much too laboured to correspond with the melancholy nature of the subject. It is not the simple, natural, unaffected language of a feeling beart. We must, however, remember that Iræneus was a Greek, and that the Greeks were great admirers of eloquence.

stones, with all the indignities that may be expected from a fierce and outrageous multitude-these were magnanimously sustained. Being then led into the forum by the tribune and the magistrates, they were examined before all the people whether they were Christians; and on pleading guilty, were shut up in prison until the arrival of the governor. Before him they were at length brought, and "he treated us," say they, "with great savageness of manners."

Vettius Epigathus, one of their brethren, a young man full of charity both to God and man-of exemplary conduct—a man ever unwearied in acts of beneficence, was roused at beholding such a manifest perversion of justice, and boldly demanded to be heard in behalf of the brethren, pledging himself to prove that there was nothing atheistic or impious among them. "He was a person of quality"-but however equitable his demand was, it only served to excite the clamour of the mob, and to irritate the governor, who merely asked him if he was a Christian, which he confessed in the most open manner, and for which he was immediately executed. Others imitated his confidence and zeal, and suffered with the same alacrity of mind. In process of time ten of their number lapsed, "whose case," say they, "filled us with great and unmeasurable sorrow." This appears to have much dejected the churches, and to have spread a general alarm, "not that we dreaded the torment," say they, "with which we are threatened, but because we looked forward unto the end, and feared the danger of apostacy." The vilest calumnies were propagated against them at this time-they were accused of eating human flesh, and of various unnatural crimes; "of things," say they, "not fit even to be mentioned or imagined, and such as ought not to be believed of mankind." The rabble became incensed against them even to madness

and the ties of blood, affinity, or friendship, seem to have been wholly disregarded. "Now it was," say they, "that our Lord's word was fulfilled-' the time will come when whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.'" The martyrs sustained tortures which exceed the powers of description. "The whole fury of the multitude, the governor, and the soldiers, was spent in a particular manner on Sanctus, a deacon of the church of Vienne, and on Maturus, a late convert indeed, but a magnanimous wrestler in spiritual things; and on Attalus of Pergamus, a man who had been the pillar and support of our church; and on Blandina, a female who was most barbarously tortured from morning to night, with the intent of extorting from her a confession which should criminate her brethren; but "it was an evident refreshment, support, and an annihilation of all her pains to say, 'I am a Christian, and no evil is committed among us.'"

The most barbarous indignities were inflicted upon Sanctus the deacon, to extort from him something injurious to the gospel, which he sustained in a manner more than human; and such was the firmness with which he resisted the most intense sufferings, that to every question which was put to him by his formentors, he had uniformly one reply, "I am a Christian." This provoked the executioners so much, that they applied red hot plates of iron to the tenderest parts of his body, till he was one wound, and scarcely retained the appearance of the human form. Having left him a few days in this ulcerated condition, they hoped to make him more exquisitely sensible to fresh tortures. But the renewal of these while he was dreadfully swelled, was found to have the effect of reducing him to his former shape, and restoring him to the use of his limbs. Biblias, a female. was one of those who had swerved from her profession the commencement of the persecution. She was no li

VOL. I.

pitched upon, as being one that was likely to accuse the Christians; and the more effectually to extort from her that confession which they wished her to make, this weak and timorous creature was put to the torture. The fact which was pressed upon her to acknowledge was, that the Christians ate their children. "In her torture she recovered herself," it is said, "and awoke as out of á sleep, and in answer to their interrogations, thus remonstrated, "How can we eat infants-we, to whom it is not lawful to eat the blood of beasts."* She now

Nothing can be more ex

A late ecclesiastical historian (Mr. Milner) has the following remark upon this passage. "Hence it appears that the eating of blood was not practised among the Christians at Lyons; and that they understood not Christian liberty in this point." But with all due deference to Mr. Milner, one cannot help wishing that he had shewn us, Who gave Christians the liberty of eating things strangled and blood." press than the prohibition, Acts xv. 28, 29. Can those who plead their "Christian liberty" in regard to this matter, point us to any part of the word of God, in which this prohibition is subsequently annulled? If not, may we be allowed to ask, "By what authority, except his own, can any of the laws of God be repealed?" Mr. M. held that "the church has power to decree rites and ceremonies, and to settle controversies in matters of faith;" and doubtless that church which has power to make new laws in Christ's kingdom, cannot want authority to abolish old ones; but where they obtained this power and authority, we have yet to learn.

The following remark of a sensible writer shews that he is far from agreeing with Mr. Milner in thinking that blood eating is any part of Christian liberty. "This (i. e, eating the blood of animals) being forbidden to Noah, appears also to have been forbidden to all mankind; nor ought this prohibition to be treated as belonging to the ceremonies of the Jewish dispensation. It was not only enjoined before that dispensation existed, but was enforced upon the Gentile Christians by the decrees of the apostles, Acts xv. 20. To allege, as some do, our Lord's words, that it is not that which goeth into a man which defileth him,' would equally justify the practice of cannibals in eating human flesh.-Blood is the life, and God seems to claim it as sacred to himself. Hence, in all the sacrifices, the blood was poured out before the Lord, and in the sacrifice of Christ, be shed his blood, or poured out his soul unto death."

Fuller's Disc. on Genesis, ix. 3, 4.

recovered her fortitude, avowed her Christianity, and "was added to the army of martyrs."

The ten persons who had swerved from their profession in the hour of trial, and denied that they were Christians, not being credited by the magistrates, were refused the benefit of their recantation. They were insulted for their cowardice, and led to punishment along with the rest, as murderers, though not as Christians, on the evidence which had been produced of their eating human flesh. They proceeded with countenances full of shame and dejection, while those who suffered for their attach ment to Christianity, appeared cheerful and courageous, so that the difference between them was perceptible to all the by-standers. After this, no Christian who was apprehended, renounced his profession, but persevered in it to the last.

The populace becoming clamorous to have the Christians thrown to the wild beasts in the amphitheatre, that favourite spectacle was at length provided for them, on this occasion, and Maturus, Sanctus, Blandina, and Attalus, were brought out for this purpose. But previ ous to the wild beasts being produced, Maturus and Sanctus were put to the torture in the amphitheatre, as if it had not been applied to them before; and every thing that an enraged multitude called for having been tried upon them, they were at last roasted in an iron chair, till they sent forth the offensive effluvia of burnt flesh. Upon Sanctus, however, the only effect produced was a declaration of his former confession that he was a Christian; and at length death terminated his sufferings.

Blandina was then produced, and on being fastened to a stake, a wild beast was let loose upon her; but this she bore with the greatest composure; and, by her prayers, encouraged others to bear with fortitude