upon the emperor told him, that if he did not kneel, he and all the Christians in his dominions should be put to death; but Simeon still rejected the command with disdain. The emperor then ordered him to be sent to prison.

A short time after, Simeon, with his fellow prisoners, was again examined, and commanded to worship the sun, agreeably to the Persian custom; but this they unanimously refused. The emperor then sentenced them to be beheaded, which sentence was accordingly executed.

An aged eunuch, named Usthazares, who had been tutor to the emperor, and was in great estimation at court, meeting Simeon as he was led to prison, saluted him, Simeon, however, (as Usthazares had formerly been a Christian, and had apostatized to oblige the emperor,) would not return his salute, but reproved him for his apostacy. This so affected the eunuch, that he burst into tears, and exclaimed, “Ah! how shall I hereafter look upon my God, whom I have denied, when Simeon, my old companion and familiar acquaintance, disdains to give me a gentle word, or to return my salute!"

The emperor learning that his ancient tutor was greatly afflicted, sent for him, and asked him whether he desired any thing which could be procured for him; to which the eunuch replied, "That there was nothing that he wanted, which this earth could afford; but that his grief was of another kind, and for which he justly mourned, namely," that to oblige his sovereign he had denied his God, and had dissemblingly worshipped the sun, against his own conscience; for which,” continued he, "I am deserving of a double death; first, for denying of Christ, and secondly, for dissembling with my king.".

The emperor, greatly offended at this speech, ordered Usthazares to be beheaded; who therfore requested that it might be proclaimed, "That Usthazares did not die for any crime against the emperor or state; but only that being a Christian, he would not deny his God.” This petition was granted and was a great satisfaction to Usthazares, whose chief reason for desiring it was, because his falling off from Christ had caused many others to follow his example; who now hearing that he died for no crime but his religion, might, like him, return to Christ and the faith. Usthazares then cheerfully yielded his neck to the sword,

Soon after the above execution, an edict was published, ordering that all who confessed themselves Christians, should be put to death; which caused the destruction of multitudes. About this time the empress of Persia talling sick, the sisters of Simeon, the archbishop, were accused by some of the magi of causing this calamity. This report being credited, they were by the emperor's orders sawed in quarters, and their limbs fixed upon poles, between which the empress passed as a charm to effect the restoration of her health.

Acepsimus, and many other ecclesiastics, were seized, and ordered to adore the sun; which refusing, they were scourged, and then tormented to death, or kept in prison till they expired. Athalas, a priest though not put to death, was so miserably racked, that his arms were rendered useless, and he was ever after obliged to be fed like a child. In short, by this edict, above 16,000 persons either suffered horribly by torture, or lost their lives

Constantine writes to the king of Persia in favour of the Christians. When Constantine the Great was informed of the persecutions in Persia, he was much concerned, and began to reflect in what manner he should redress their grievances, when an ambassador arrived from the Persian emperor upon some political business. Constantine. received him courteously, granted his demands, and wrote a letter to the Persian monarch in favour of the Christians, in which he alluded to the vengeance that had fallen on persecutors, and the success that had attended those who had refrained from the persecution; and then referring to the tyrants and persecuting emperors of his own time, he said, "I subdued those solely by faith in Christ; for which God was my helper, who gave me victory in battle, and made me triumph over my enemies, and hath so enlarged to me the bounds of the Roman empire, that it extends from the Western Ocean almost to the uttermost parts of the East: for which purpose I neither offered sacrifices to the ancient deities, nor made use of charm or divination; but only offered up prayers to the Almighty God, and followed the cross of Christ: and how glad should I be to hear that the throne of Persia flourished, by embracing the Christians! that so you with me, and they with you, may enjoy all the felicity your souls could desire; as undoubtedly you would, God, the Almighty Creator of all things, becoming your protector and defender. These men, therefore, I commend to your honour; I commit them unto you, desiring you to embrace them with humanity; for in so doing, you will procure to yourelf grace through faith, and bestow on me a benefit worthy of my thanks."

In consequence of this appeal, the persecution ended during the life of Sapores; but it was renewed under his successors.

SECTION II.

PERSECUTIONS BY THE ARIAN HERETICS.

The sect denominated the Arian heretics, had its origin from Arius.* a native of Lybia, and priest of Alexandria, who, in A. D. 318, began to publish his errors. He was condemned by a council of Lybian and Egyptian bishops, and the sentence was confirmed by the council of Nice, A. D. 325. After the death of Constantine the Great, the Arians found means to ingratiate themselves into the favour of Constantius, his son and successor in the East; and hence a persecution was raised against the orthodox bishops and clergy. The celebrated Athanasius. and other bishops, were banished at this period, and their sees filled with Arians.

In Egypt and Lybia, thirty bishops were martyred, and many other Christians cruelly tormented; and A. D. 336, George, the Arian bishop of Alexandria, under the authority of the emperor, began a persecution in that city and its environs, which was continued with the ut

Arius, the founder of this sect of heretics, and the first cause of the persecutions which are related in this section, died miserably at Constantinople, just as he was about to enter the church in triumph.

most severity. He was assisted by Catophonius, governor of Egypt; Sebastian, general of the Egyptian forces, Faustinus, the treasurer, and a Roman officer, named Heraclius. Indeed, so fierce was this persecution,, that the clergy were driven from Alexandria, their churches were shut, and the severities practised by the Arian heretics were as great as those which had been exercised by the pagan idolaters. If a man accused of being a Christian made his escape, his whole family were massacred, and his effects forfeited. By this means, the orthodox Christians, being deprived of all places of public worship in the city of Alexandria, used to perform their devotions in a desert at some distance from it. Having, one Lord's day, met for worship, George, the Arian bishop, engaged Sebastian, the general, to fall upon them with his soldiers, while they were at prayers: and many were sacrificed to the fury of the troops, while others were reserved for more cruel and lingering deaths; some were beaten on their faces till all their features were disfigured or were lashed with twigs of palmtrees, with such violence, that they expired under the blows, or by the mortification of their wounds. Several, whose lives had been spared, were, however, banished to the deserts of Africa, where, amidst all their sufferings, they passed their time in prayer.

Secundus, an orthodox priest, differing in point of doctrine from a prelate of the same name, the bishop, who had imbibed all the opinions of Arianism, determined to put Secundus to death, for rejecting opinions which he himself had embraced. He therefore went with one Stephen, an Arian also, sought out Secundus privately, fell upon and murdered him; the holy martyr, just before he expired, calling upon Christ to receive his soul, and to forgive his enemies.

At this time, not satisfied with the cruelties exercised upon the orthodox Christians in Alexandria, the principal persecutors applied to the emperor for an order to banish them from Egypt and Lybia, and to give up their churches to the Arians: they obtained their request, and an order was sent for that purpose to Sebastian, who signified the emperor's pleasure to all the sub-governors and officers. Hence a great number of the clergy were seized and imprisoned; and it appearing that they adopted the opinions of Athanasius, an order was signed for their banishment into the desert. While the orthodox clergy were thus used, many of the laity were condemned to the mines, or compelled to work in the quarries. Some few, indeed, escaped to other countries, and several were weak enough to renounce their faith, in order to avoid the severities of the persecutors.

Persecution of Paul.

Paul, the bishop of Constantinople, was a Macedonian, and had been designed, from his birth, for a clerical life. When Alexander, the predecessor of Paul, was on his death-bed, he was consulted by some of the clergy on the choice of a successor; when he told them, "That if they were disposed to choose a person of exemplary life, and thoroughly capable of instructing the people, Paul was the man; but if they had rather have a man acquainted with worldly affairs, and fit for the conversation of a court, they might then choose Macedonius.” This latter was a deacon in the church of Constantinople, in which of fice he had spent many years, and gained great experience; and the dying prelate did both him and Paul justice in their different charac

ters. Nevertheless, the Arians gave out, that Alexander had bestowed great commendations on Macedonius for sanctity, and had only given Paul the reputation of eloquence, and a capacity for business: after.. some struggle, the orthodox party carried their point, and Paul was consecrated. Macedonius, offended at this preference, did his utmost to calumniate the new bishop, but not gaining belief, he dropped the charge, and was reconciled to him. This, however, was not the case with Eusebius of Nicomedia, who accused Paul of having led a disorderly life before his consecration; and of having been placed in the see of Constantinople without the consent of the bishops of Nicomedia and Heraclea, two metropolitans, who ought to have been consulted upon that occasion.

Eusebius, to support these accusations, procured the emperor's authority, by representing, that Paul having been chosen during the absence of Constantius, the imperial dignity had been insulted. This artifice succeeded, and Paul being deposed, Eusebius succeeded him.

Paul having thus lost all authority in the East, retired to the territories of Constans, in the West, where he was well received by the orthodox prelates and clergy. At Rome he visited, Athanasius, and. assisted at a council held there, by Julius, the bishop of that see. Letters being written by this council to the eastern prelates, Paul return ed to Constantinople, but was not restored to his bishopric till the death of Eusebius. The Arians, however, constituting Macedonius their bishop, by the title of bishop of Constantinople, a kind of civil. war, ensued, in which many were put to death.

Constantius, the emperor, who was then at Antioch, hearing of this schism, laid the whole blame upon Paul, and ordered that he should be driven from Constantinople. But Hermogenes, the officer who had received the emperor's order, attempted in vain to put it into execution; being slain by the orthodox Christians, who had risen in defence of Paul. This event greatly exasperated the emperor, who left Antioch in the depth of winter, and returned to Constantinople, with a design to punish the Christians. He, however, contented himself with banishing Paul, and suspending Macedonius. Paul then again retired to the territories of Constans, implored the protection of that emperor, and by his intercession, was again vested in his see. His re-establishment exasperated his enemies, who made many attempts against his life, against which the affections of his people were his only security; and being convinced that the emperor had no other motive for allowing his stay at Constantinople, but the dread of disobliging his brother, Paul could not think himself wholly restored to his bishopric; and being very much concerned at what the orthodox bishops suffered from the power and malice of the Arian faction, he joined Athanasius, who was then in Italy, in soliciting a general council. This council was held at Sardica, in Illyrium, in the year 347, at which were present one hundred bishops of the western, and seventy-three of the eastern empire. But disagreeing in many points, the Arian bishops of the East retired to Philipoppolis, in Thrace; and forming a meeting there, they termed it the council of Sardica, from which place they pretended to issue an excommunicaon against Julius, bishop of Rome, Paul, bishop of Constantinople, Athanasius bishop of Alexandria, and several other prelates. In

the year 350, the Emperor Constans died, which gave the Arians fresh courage, and they applied to the Emperor Constantius, who, being inclined towards the Arians, wrote an order to the prefect Philip, to remove Paul from the bishopric of Constantinople, and to restore Macedonius. Paul was then exiled to Cucucus, confined in a dark dungeon for six days, without food, and then strangled. He met death with uncommon fortitude.

The Arian party now made Gregory of Cappadocia, a very obscure person, bishop of Alexandria, after having deposed Athanasius. In the accomplishment of this affair, they were assisted by Philagerius, the governor of Egypt, who was an apostate, and who authorized them to commit every outrage. Hence, arming themselves with swords, clubs, &c. they broke into one of the principal churches of Alexandria, where great numbers of orthodox Christians were assem bled at their devotions; and falling upon them in a most barbarous manner, without the least respect to sex or age, butchered the greater number. Potamo, a venerable bishop of Heraclea, who had formerly lost one of his eyes in Diocletian's persecution, fell a martyr upon this occasion, being so cruelly scourged and beaten, that he died of his wounds. The Arians also broke into many places, public and pri vate, under a pretence of searching for Athanasius, and committed innumerable barbarities; robbing orphans, plundering the houses of widows, dragging virgins to private places to be the sacrifices of desire, imprisoning the clergy, burning churches and dwelling houses belonging to the orthodox Christians; besides other enormous cruelties.

SECTION III.

PERSECUTIONS UNDER JULIAN THE APOSTATE.

Julian the Apostate was the son of Julius Constantius, and the nephew of Constantine the Great. He studied the rudiments of grammar under the inspection of Mardonius, a eunuch and a heathen. His father sent him afterwards to Nicomedia, to be instructed in the Christian religion, by Eusebius, his kinsman; but his principles were corrupted by the pernicious doctrines of Maximus the magician, and Ecebolius the professor of rhetoric.

Constantius died in the year 361, when Julian sveceeded him; but he had no sooner obtained the imperial dignity, than he renounced Christianity, and embraced paganism. He again restored idolatrous worship, by opening the several temples that had been shut up, rẻ building such as were destroyed, and ordering the magistrates and people to follow his example; but he did not issue any edicts against Christianity. He recalled all banished pagans, allowed the free exercise of religion to every sect, but deprived the Cristians of all offices, civil and military, and the clergy of the privileges granted to them by Constantine the Great. He was chaste, temperate, vigilant, laborious, and apparently pious; so that by his hypocrisy and pretended virtues, he for a time did more mischief to Christianity than the most profligate of his predecessors.