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From the schools

discover among their thousands one learned man. they advanced into the senate, and from the senate to the throne; and they had possessed themselves of every other office in society, before they attained the highest. It is important to attend to this fact, that we may not be misled; it is important to observe, that the basis from which the pyramid started up was the faith and constancy of the common people— the spirit of the religion, and the earliest government of the Church, was popular; and it is in its earliest history that we find those proofs of general moral purity on which we now dwell with the more pleasure, because, in the succeeding pages, the picture will never again be presented to us.

We will make one short extract from the writings of a very witty pagan of the second century, which throws great light on the character of the Christians of that age. Lucian, who considered every form of worship as equally an object of ridicule, tells a story of one Peregrinus, who had been expelled from his country, Armenia, for the most horrible crimes; who thence wandered into Palestine, became acquainted with the doctrine of the Christians, and affected to embrace it. Being a man of talents and education, he acquired great influence among their illiterate body; and, in consequence, he soon attracted the notice of the Roman governor, and was thrown into prison for being a Christian. In prison he is represented to have been consoled by the pious charity of the faithful:There came Christians, deputed from many cities in Asia, to relieve, to encourage, and to comfort him, for the care and diligence which the Christians exert on these occasions is incredible-in a word, they spare nothing. They sent, therefore, large sums to Peregrinus, and his confinement was an occasion of amassing great riches; for these poor creatures are firmly persuaded they shall one day enjoy eternal life; therefore they despise death with wonderful courage, and offer themselves voluntarily to punishment. Their first lawgiver has taught them that they are all brethren, when once they have passed over and renounced the gods of the Greeks, and worship that Master of theirs who was crucified, and regulate their manner and conduct by his laws. They despise, therefore, all earthly possessions, and look upon them as common, having received such rules without any certain grounds of faith. Therefore, if any juggler, or cunning fellow, who knows how to make his advantage of opportunity, happens to get into their society, he immediately grows rich; because it is easy to abuse the simplicity of these silly people.' We have no reason to complain of such description from the pen of an adversary; for, on the one hand, it attributes to our ancestors in faith boundless charity, zeal inexhaustible, brotherly love, contempt of death, and of all earthly possessions, and a steady adherence to the faith and precepts of Christ; on the other hand, it lays no charge against them except simplicity, the usual associate of innocence.

There is one quality mentioned in the above passage which we shall take occasion to notice hereafter, without entirely overlooking it now, the suffering courage of the persecuted. We consider it a strong proof of the lively faith of the sufferers in the atoning merits of their Saviour, since it could seldom proceed from any other conviction than that the change which they were about to undergo would lead them to a state of recompense; a confidence which seems scarcely consistent with the consciousness of unrepented sin. Such, at least, we know to have been the impression sometimes produced on the more enlightened, even among the heathen spectators. The ancient author of the Second Apology, attributed

*

; and

to Justin Martyr, urges this proof with much fervour and reason the conversion of Justin himself is, in a great degree, ascribed to the persuasion of Christian excellence and sincerity, wrought in him by those awful spectacles.

We shall conclude this chapter by a quotation from his First Apology (c. xiv.): We who formerly rejoiced in licentiousness, now embrace discretion and chastity; we who rejoiced in magical arts, now devote ourselves to the unbegotten God, the God of goodness; we who set our affections upon wealth and possessions, now bring into the common stock all our property, and share it with the indigent; we, who, owing to the diversity of customs, would not partake of the same hearth with those of a different race, now, since the appearance of Christ, live together, and pray for our enemies, and endeavour to persuade those who unjustly hate us, that, by leading a life conformed to the excellent precepts of Christianity, they may be filled with the good hope of obtaining the same happiness with ourselves from that God, who is Lord above all things t.'

CHAPTER III.

The Progress of Christianity from the year 200, A.D. till the Accession of Constantine, A.D. 313.

Incipient corruption of the Church-Reasons for it-Its extent-External progress of religion in Asia and in Europe-Claims, character, and prosperity of the Church of Rome-That of Alexandria. Origen-His character-Industry-Success-Defect.-The Church of Carthage.-Tertullian-His character-Heresy-Merits.-Cyprian.-Government of the Church-Increase of episcopal power, or, rather, influence-Degeneracy of the Ministers of Religion exaggerated-Institution of inferior orders-Division of the people into Faithful and Catechumens-Corruption of the sacrament of Baptism-Effect of this-The Eucharist-Dæmons-Exorcism-Alliance with philosophy-Its consequences.-Pious frauds-Their origin-Excuses for such corruptions-Eclectic philosophy-Ammonius Saccas-Plotinus-Porphyry-Compromise with certain philosophersThe Millennium-The writings of the early Fathers-Apologies.

RESERVING for subsequent consideration the persecutions and the heresies by which the early Church was disturbed, we shall now pursue its more peaceful annals as far as its establishment by the first Christian emperor. We have found it almost necessary to separate, and indeed widely to distinguish the events of the two first from those of the third century, for nearly at this point are we disposed to place the first crisis in the internal history of the Church. It is true that the first operations of corruption are slow, and generally imperceptible, so that it is not easy to ascertain the precise moment of its commencement. But a candid inquirer cannot avoid perceiving that, about the end of the second and the beginning of the third century, some changes had taken place in the ecclesiastical system which indicated a departure from its primitive purity. Indeed, such a state of society as that which we have recently described could scarcely hope for permanent endurance, unless through a fundamental alteration in human nature and in the necessary course of human affairs. In addition to this, the very principles of Christianity prevented it from remaining stationary; the spirit of the faith is active, penetrating, and progressive; and thus, as it expanded itself in numerical extent as it rose in rank, in learning, in wealth-as it came in contact with the people of all nations, and with all classes of the people, a great variety of human passions and motives was comprehended by it, which had no place * Cap. xii,

+ See also Lactant. Div. Inst., lib. iii., c. 26.

in its early existence. As it increased in the number of converts, the zeal of brotherly love and ardent charity became more contracted, since it could no longer be universally exerted. As it rose in rank, it lost that perfect equality among its members which formed the very essence of its original and best character-false learning corrupted its simplicity, and wealth undermined its morality. If it gained in prosperity and worldly consideration, it resigned the native innocence and freshness of childhood. We are far from intending to assert that any sudden demoralization or violent apostacy from its first principles took place in the Church during the third century-far from it—we feel even strongly assured that it still continued to embrace the great proportion of whatever was truly virtuous and excellent in the Roman empire*. But, in closely attending to its history, we observe that it becomes thenceforward the history of men rather than of things; the body of the Church is not so much in view, but the acts of its ministers and teachers are continually before us. We read little of the clergy of the two first centuries; they appear to have discharged their pastoral duties with silent diligence and disinterested piety. We learn their character, for the most part, from the effects of their labours; and we find its ample and indisputable record in the progress of their religion, and in the virtues of their converts.

The progress of religion, indeed, continued, under easier circumstances, with equal rapidity; and we have reason to believe that, before the time of Constantine, it was deeply rooted in all the eastern † provinces of the Roman, as well as in the Persian empire. Gibbon has candidly acknowledged his error in attributing the conversion of Armenia to the reign of that emperor; and, perhaps, a more impartial reflexion on the mission of Pantænus, which we have no reason to believe fruitless, would have led him to doubt his own accuracy when he makes a similar assertion respecting Ethiopia. The light of Christianity had certainly penetrated, with varying splendour, among the Bactrians, the Parthians, the Scythians, Germans, Gauls, and Britons; the Goths of Mysia and Thrace were converted by missionaries from Asia, and laid aside, on the reception of the faith, the primeval barbarity of their manners §.

While the Church of Antioch retained, after the fall of Jerusalem, a nominal supremacy among the Christians of the east, that of Rome con

*Who will not confess (says Origen to Celsus) that the worst members of the Church, who are few in comparison with the better, are much more virtuous than those who compose the popular assemblies? The Church of God, at Athens, if you will, is tranquil and peaceable, searching only to do God's pleasure: the Assembly of the Athenians is seditious, and bearing no comparison to it. The same is true of the Churches of Corinth and Alexandria, compared to the popular assemblies of those cities. ..... So that, if we compare the senate of the Church with the senate of every city, we shall find the senators of the Church worthy to govern the city of God; while the others have nothing in their morals which fits them for their rank, or places them above the ordinary qualities of citizens. And, if we carry the comparison further, we shall observe the immense moral superiority of the most dissolute and imperfect of the bishops and presbyters over the civil magistrates.-See Fleury, lib. vii., sec. 18.

+ Dionys. ap. Euseb., H. E., vii. 5. Dionysius was Bishop of Alexandria during the middle of the third century. Tillemont (vol. iii. p. 405), on the authority of Origen, asserts that the Christians, before the middle of the second century, not only had built a number of churches, but had ventured in some places an assault upon temples, altars, and idols.

Vindication, p. 74. We give him credit for this admission, because the error was of his own discovery. He adds, "The seeds of the faith were deeply sown here during the last and greatest persecution. Tiridates may dispute with Constantine the honour of being the first Christian sovereign.'

§ Mosh. Gen. Hist., c. iii., p. i., ch. 1. The progress of Christianity in Gaul was not rapid. Even as late as the reign of Decius, we observe that it was necessary to send fresh missionaries from Rome for the complete conversion of that country.

tinued to advance, among the western churches, certain vague assertions of authority. On one occasion indeed, in the conviction of a heretical bishop, Paul of Samosata, its claims appear to have been indirectly encouraged by the Emperor Aurelian; but they were not then acknowledged by any Christian Church, and were very warmly contested by Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage. That prelate maintained with equal zeal and truth the primitive equality of the churches. If the early Christians had for the most part derived the rudiments of their learning † from Alexandria, their charitable exertions had been principally animated by the wealth and munificence of Rome. Those two cities appear still to have maintained their respective advantages. During the suspension of persecution, in the reign of Commodus, many great and opulent families were converted; and we learn from an epistle of Cornelius, Bishop of Rome, that it was among his duties to provide for the maintenance of more than 1500 widows and mourners. The excellencies of the religion contributed to its progress, and so rapid at this period was that progress, that at the synod assembled at Rome in the year 251 to pronounce upon the heresy (or schism) of Novatian,§ sixty bishops, and a greater number of presbyters and deacons were present, though the rustic pastors in the other districts held their separate meetings respecting the same question. Under such of the emperors as were not decidedly opposed to Christianity, a considerable number of its professors were to be found in the army and even at the court, since their profession did not exclude them from public preferment; and their assemblage for divine worship, in certain houses || set apart for that purpose, was permitted by the connivance of the civil magistrate.

The best history of the Church of Alexandria during the first half of the third century, is furnished by the life of Origen. That extraordinary person, the most eminent among the early fathers, was a Origen. native of Egypt, the son of one Leonidas, who suffered martyrdom

in the year 202. When in prison he received an epistle from his son, of which one sentence only is preserved to us. Take heed, father, that you do not change your mind for our sake.' Origen was then about seventeen years old-his religious instructions he had received from Clemens Alexandrinus, his philosophical lore from Ammonius Saccas, and such proficiency had he made in both those studies, that he was called to preside over the Catechetical School of Christianity at the age of eighteen. He filled that office for nearly thirty years, and discharged its duties with zeal and genius so distinguished, with such fruitful diligence of composition, such persuasiveness of oral eloquence, as to make it a question whether our religion was ever so much advanced, in point of numbers, by the mere intellectual

* Euseb. H. E., 1. vii., c. 30. Pagi. ad ann. 271, n. 3, 4.

The Catechetical School there established, was clearly the most important among the early literary institutions of Christianity.

Busia See Semler, vol. i., p. 66. The clergy of Rome then consisted of fortysix presbyters, seven deacons, seven sub-deacons, besides the inferior orders. Euseb. lib. vi., c. 43.

Euseb., H. E., vi. 43. Novatus originated the heresy; Novatian carried it into a schism. See Tillem., vol. iii., p. 433 to 493.

|| Mosh., cent. iii., p. ii., ch. 4.

Mosh. c. iii., p. i., ch. 1. The emperors during this age who were most favourable to Christianity were Caracalla, Heliogabalus, Alexander Severus, Gordian, and his two successors, the Philips. Respecting the first of these two, a great mass of authorities is adduced to prove that he had actually, though secretly, embraced the religion.

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exertions of any other individual.* He merited the honour of persecution, and had the double fortune to be expelled from his chair and country by the jealousy † of the Bishop Demetrius, and to be tortured in his old age by the brutality of a Roman emperor. The works of Origen exhibit the operation of a bold and comprehensive mind, burning with religious warmth, unrestrained by any low prejudices or interests, and sincerely bent on the attainment of truth. In the main plan and outline of his course, he seized the means best calculated to his object, for his principal labours were directed to the collection of correct copies of the Holy Scriptures, to their strict and faithful translation, to the explanation of their numerous difficulties. In the two first of these objects he was singularly successful; but in the accomplishment of the last part of his noble scheme the heat of his imagination and his attachment to philosophical speculation carried him away into error and absurdity: for he applied to the explanation of the Old Testament the same fanciful method of allegory by which the Platonists were accustomed to veil the fabulous history of their gods. This error, so fascinating to the loose imagination of the East, was rapidly propagated by numerous disciples, and became the foundation of that doubtful system of theology, called Philosophical or Scholastic.

The fame of Origen was not confined to his native country, or to the schools of philosophy, or to the professors of the Faith. Mammæa, the mother of the Emperor Alexander, sought a conference with him in Syria; he was held in high repute at Rome; his personal exertions were extended to Greece, and among the most fortunate efforts of his genius we may be allowed to mention, that when a numerous synod was twice convoked in Arabia on two occasions of heresy, Origen, who was present by invitation, was twice successful in convincing his opponents.§ His school gave birth to a number of learned men, Plutarch, Serenus, Heraclides, Heron, who proved the sincerity and multiplied the followers of their religion, by the industry with which they adorned life, and the constancy with which they quitted it.

The Latin Church of Carthage attained little celebrity till the end of the second century, when it was adorned by Tertullian; Tertullian. and we find that, about that period, Christianity, which

had already scattered its blessings along the banks of the Nile, and into the adjacent deserts, also made great progress along the

The diligent distribution of his translation of the Scriptures was among the most certain means of accomplishing that work.

+ Mosheim appears to think that, because Demetrius patronized Origen in his youth, it is not probable that he was jealous of him afterwards.

Decius. The reader may find a satisfactory account of the life and writings of Origen in Tillem. Mem., vol. iii. p. 494, 495. "He was followed by the same fate (says that anthor) after his death as during his life. The saints themselves were divided on that subject. Martyrs have made his defence, and martyrs have written his condemnation. The one party has regarded him as the greatest doctor possessed by the Church since the apostles the other has execrated him as the parent of Arius and every other heresiarch, &c." Tillemont takes the favourable side.

§ Euseb. H. E. vi. 19 and 37. Origen had also the credit of converting various other heretics, especially one Ambrose, whose errors had some celebrity at the moment.

Tertullian in several places indulges in somewhat exaggerated descriptions of the multitude and power of the Christians throughout the empire. But when he tells Scapula, proconsul of Africa, that the effect of continuing the persecution against the Christians would be to decimate the inhabitants of Carthage, he probably does not exceed the truth. Yet Carthage was at that time one of the youngest among the Churches. See Bishop Kaye, p. 92.

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