fessed, that no woman among them had ever endured sufferings as many and great as these. But not even then was their madness and cruelty to the saints satisfied; for these fierce and barbarous people, stimulated by the savage beast Satan, were in a fury not easy to be assuaged, so that their abuse of the bodies assumed another novel and singular aspect. Not abashed when overcome by the martyrs, but evidently destitute of all reason, the madness both of the governor and the people, as of some savage beast, blazed forth so much the more, to exhibit the same unjust hostility against us. That the Scriptures might be fulfilled, "He that is unjust let him be unjust still, and he that is righteous let him be righteous still," Rev. xxii. 11. For those that were suffocating in the prison, they cast to the dogs, carefully watching them night and day, lest any should be buried by us, and then also cast away the remains left by the beasts and the fire, howsoever they had either been mangled or burnt. They also guarded the heads of the others, together with the trunks of their bodies, with military watches, for many days in succession, in order to prevent them from being buried. Some, indeed, raged and gnashed their teeth against them, anxious to find out some better way of punishment. Others, again, laughed at and insulted them, extolling their idols, and imputing to them the punishment of the martyrs. But others, more moderate, and who in some measure appeared to sympathize, frequently upbraided them, saying, "Where is their God, and what benefit has their religion been to them, which they preferred to their own life?" Such was the variety of disposition among the Gentiles, but among our brethren, matters were in great affliction for want of liberty to commit the bodies to the earth. For neither did the night avail us for this purpose, nor had money any effect to persuade, nor could any prayers or entreaties move them. But they guarded them in every possible way, as if it were a great gain, to prevent them from burial." To these, they afterwards add other ac

counts, saying: "The bodies of the martyrs after being abused in every possible manner, and thus exposed to the open air for six days, were at length burned and reduced to ashes by the wretches, and finally cast into the Rhone that flows near at hand, that there might not be a vestige of them remaining on the land. These things they did as if they were able to overcome God, and destroy their resurrection, as they themselves gave out, 'that they might not have any hope of rising again, in the belief of which, they have introduced a new and strange religion, and contemn the most dreadful punishments, and are prepared to meet death even with joy. Now we shall see, whether they will rise again; and whether their God is able to help them, and rescue them out of our hands.'

CHAPTER II.

THOSE THAT HAD FALLEN AWAY, KINDLY RESTORED BY THE PIOUS MARTYRS.

SUCH were the occurrences that befel the churches of Christ under the above-mentioned emperor, from which it is easy to conjecture what was the probable course of things in the other provinces. It may be well here to add to these accounts, other extracts from the same epistle, in which the moderation and benevolence of these martyrs whom we have mentioned, is recorded in the following words: "They were also so zealous in their imitation of Christ, who, though in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, that though they were esteemed in the same light, and had neither once nor twice, but frequently, endured martyrdom, and had been again taken away from the beasts to prison, and had brands, and scars, and wounds spread over them, they did not proclaim themselves martyrs, for it did not become us to apply this name to them; and if any one of us, either by letter or in conversation, called them martyrs, they seriously reproved us. For they cheerfully yielded the title of martyr to Christ, the true and faithful Martyr,

(witness) the First-begotten from the dead, the Prince of divine life." They also made mention of those martyrs that had already departed, and said: "They now are martyrs whom Christ has thought worthy to be received in their confession, setting the seal to their martyrdom by the issue. But we are but indifferent and mean confessors, and with tears did they entreat the brethren, that they should offer up incessant prayers, that they might be made perfect. They exhibited, indeed, the power of martyrdom in fact, exercising much freedom in declaring themselves to all people, and manifested their noble patience and fearless intrepidity; but the name of martyrs they declined receiving from the brethren, filled as they were with the fear of God." Again, after a little, they said, "They humbled themselves under the mighty hand, by which they were now highly exalted. Then, they defended themselves before all, they accused none, they loosed all, they bound none. They prayed for those that were so bitter in their hostility, like Stephen, the perfect martyr. Lord, impute not this sin to them.' And if he prayed for those that stoned him, how much more should they pray for the brethren!" And again they say, after mentioning other matters, "That their greatest conflict against Satan was on account of the sincerity of their love, that the beast being strangled, might be forced to restore alive those whom he thought he had already devoured. For they did not arrogate any superiority over the backsliders: but in those things wherein they themselves abounded, in this they supplied those that were deficient, exercising the compassion of mothers, and pouring forth many prayers to the Father on their account. They implored life, and he gave it to them, which they also shared with their neighbours; coming off victorious over all, to God: always lovers of peace, they always recommended peace, and with peace they departed to God; not leaving grief to their mother, (the church,) or discord or dissensions to the brethren, `but joy and peace, unanimity and love. This account may

N

be profitably added, respecting the love of those blessed brethren towards those that fell away, on account of those also, who after these events, unsparingly exercised an inhuman and merciless disposition towards the members of Christ."

CHAPTER III.

THE VISION THAT APPEARED TO ATTALUS THE MARTYR, IN

A DREAM.

THE same epistle of the above-mentioned martyrs, also contains another account worthy of record, which no one could regret to be presented to the knowledge of our readers. It is as follows: "A certain Alcibiades, who was one of these, (martyrs,) and who had led a hard and rough kind of life, partook of no food usually eaten, but merely bread and water. When cast into prison, and he attempted to lead the same kind of life, it was revealed to Attalus, after the first conflict which he finished in the amphitheatre, that Alcibiades did not do well in not making use of the creatures of God, and affording an example of offence to others. Alcibiades, therefore, in obedience to this, partook of all kinds of food, and gave thanks to God; for neither were they destitute of divine grace, but the Divine Spirit was their counsellor." But let this suffice concerning these. Now as Montanus, and Alcibiades,* and Theodotus, in Phrygia, then first began to be esteemed by many for their gifts, (as there were many other wonderful powers of divine grace, yet exhibited even at that time in different churches,) they created the belief with many, that they also were endued with prophecy. And as there was a dissension in consequence of these men, the brethren in Gaul again presented their own pious and correct judgment also concerning these, and published several letters of the martyrs that had been put to death among them. These they had written whilst yet in prison, and addressed to the brethren

This is a different Alcibiades from the one before mentioned.

in Asia and Phrygia. And not only to these but likewise to Eleutherus, who was then bishop of Rome, negotiating as it were for the peace of the churches.

CHAPTER IV.

THE MARTYRS COMMEND IRENEUS IN THEIR EPISTLE.

THESE Same martyrs recommending also Irenæus, who was then a presbyter of the church at Lyons, to the bishop of Rome before mentioned, bear abundant testimony in his favour, as the following extracts show: "We pray and desire, father Eleutherus, that you may rejoice in God in all things and always. We have requested our brother and companion Irenæus to carry this epistle to you, and we exhort you to consider him as commended to you as a zealous follower of the testament (covenant) of Christ. For if we knew that any place could confer righteousness upon any one, we would certainly commend him among the first as a presbyter of the church, the station that he holds." Why should we here transcribe the list of those martyrs given in the above-mentioned epistle, of whom some were made perfect by decapitation, some cast to be devoured by wild beasts, and others again fell asleep in prison? Why repeat the number of confessors still living? For whoever wishes to learn these, can more easily obtain the fullest account by consulting the epistle itself, which, as I said, has been inserted by us in our collection of martyrs. Such were the events that happened under Antonine.

CHAPTER V.

GOD SENT RAIN FROM HEAVEN TO MARCUS AURELIUS, THE EMPEROR, AT THE PRAYERS OF OUR BRETHREN.

IT is said that when Marcus Aurelius Cesar, the brother of the former, was about to engage in battle with the Germans and Sarmatians, he and his army were suffering with thirst, and were greatly at a loss on this account. When those soldiers that belonged to the