may make use of this copy of my edict, that no one may molest you. And this liberty indeed, which you are now permitted to have, has been long since granted by me. Aurelius Cyrenius, therefore, who has the chief administration of affairs, will observe the copy here given by me." This, that it may be the better understood, we have here presented to our readers, in a translation from the Latin tongue. There is also another ordinance from him, which he addressed to other bishops, in which he grants permission to recover what are called the cemeteries.

CHAPTER XIV.

The bishops that flourished at this time.

At this time the episcopate in the Roman church was yet held by Xystus; but in the church of Antioch, after Fabius, by Demetrianus; of Cesarea in Cappadocia by Firmilianus; of the churches in Pontus, by Gregory, and his brother Athenodorus, both of them familiar friends of Origen. At Cesarea, however, of Palestine, after the death of Theoctistus, the episcopal office was conferred on Domnus, and he not surviving long, was succeeded by Theotecnus our contemporary. He was also of the school of Origen, but in Jerusalam, after the decease of Mazabanus, Hymenæus followed as his successor in the episcopal seat, the same that has obtained much celebrity in our times for many years.

CHAPTER XV.

The martyrdom of Marinus at Cesarea.

ABOUT this time, as peace was every where restored to the churches, Marinus of Cesarea in Palestine, who was one of the army, distinguished for his military honours, and illustrious for his family and wealth, was beheaded for his confession of Christ,

on the following account: "There is a certain honour among the Romans, called the vine, which they who obtain are said to be centurions. A place becoming vacant, Marinus, by the order of succession, was called to this promotion; but when he was on the point of obtaining this, however, another one advancing to the tribunal began to make opposition, by saying that according to the ancient institutions it was not lawful for him to share in the Roman honours, as he was a Christian, and refused to sacrifice to the emperors; but that the office devolved on him. The judge, whose name was Achæus, roused at this, first began to ask what the opinions of Marinus were; and when he saw him constantly affirming that he was a Christian, he granted him three hours for reflection. But as soon as he came out of the prætorium, or judgment hall, Theotecnus, the bishop of the place, coming to him, drew him aside in conversation, and taking him by the hand, conducted him to the church; and having placed him within by the altar, he raised his cloak a little, and pointing to the sword that was attached to his side, at the same time presenting before him the book of the holy gospels, told him to choose either of the two according to his wish. Without hesitation he extended his hand and took, the book. "Hold fast, then, hold fast to God," said Theotecnus, "and strengthened by him, mayest thou obtain what thou hast chosen-go in peace." Immediately upon his return from thence, a crier began to proclaim before the prætorium, for the appointed time had already passed away; and being thus arraigned, after exhibiting a still greater ardour in his faith, he was forthwith led away as he was, and made perfect by martyrdom.

CHAPTER XVI.

Some account of Astyrius.

MENTION is also made in these times of the pious confidence of Astyrius, a man who vas a Roman of senatorial rank, in great

favour with the emperors, and well known to all for his noble birth and his wealth. As he was present at the death of the abovementioned martyr; taking up the corpse, he bore him on his shoulder in a splendid and costly dress, and covering it in a magnificent manner, committed it to a decent burial. Many other facts are stated of the man by his friends, who have lived to the present times.

CHAPTER XVII.

The miracles of our Saviour at Paneas.

AMONG these there was the following remarkable occurrence. At Cesarea Philippi, which is called Paneas by the Phoenicians, they say there are springs that are shown there, at the foot of the mountain called Panius, from which the Jordan rises; and that on a certain festival day there was usually a victim thrown into these, and that this, by the power of the dæmon, in some wonderful manner entirely disappeared. The thing was a famous wonder to all that were there to see it. Astyrius happening to be once present at these rites, and seeing the multitude astonished at the affair, pitied their delusion. Then raising his eyes to heaven, he implored the God over all through Christ, to refute this seducing dæmon, and to restrain the delusion of the people. As soon as he prayed, it is said that the victim floated on the stream, and that thus this miracle vanished, no wonder ever more occurring in this place.

CHAPTER XVIII.

The statue erected by the woman having an hemorrhage.

But as we have mentioned this city, I do not think it right to pass by a narrative that also deserves to be recorded for posterity. They say that the woman who had an issue of blood, mentioned

by the evangelists, and who obtained deliverance from her affliction by our Saviour, was a native of this place, and that her house is shown in the city, and the wonderful monuments of our Saviour's benefit to her are still remaining. At the gates of her. house, on an elevated stone, stands a brazen image of a woman on her bended knee, with her hands stretched out before her like one entreating. Opposite to this there is another image of a man, erect, of the same materials, decently clad in a mantle (diplois,) and stretching out his hand to the woman. Before her feet, and on the same pedestal, there is a certain strange plant growing, which rising as high as the hem of the brazen garment, is a kind of antidote to all kinds of diseases. This statue, they say, is a statue of Jesus Christ, and it has remained even until our times; so that we ourselves saw it whilst tarrying in that city. Nor is it to be wondered at, that those of the Gentiles who were anciently benefited by our Saviour, should have done these things. Since we have also seen representations of the apostles Peter and Paul, and of Christ himself, still preserved in paintings; as it is probable that, according to a practice among the Gentiles, the ancients were accustomed to pay this kind of honour indiscriminately to those who were as saviours or deliverers to them.

CHAPTER XIX.

The episcopal seat of James.

JAMES being the first that received the dignity of the episcopate at Jerusalem, from our Saviour himself, as the sacred Scriptures show that he was generally called the brother of Christ; this see, which has been preserved until the present times, has ever been held in veneration by the brethren that have followed in the succession there, in which they have sufficiently shown what reverence both the ancients and those of our own times exhibited, and still exhibit, towards holy men on account of their piety. But enough of this.

CHAPTER XX.

The epistles of Dionysius, on festivals, in which he gives the canon on the Passover.

BESIDES these epistles, the same Dionysius, about this time also composed others, called his Festival Epistles, in which he discourses much in praise of the festival of the Passover. One of these he addressed to Flavius, another to Domitius and Didymus, in which also he gives the canon for eight years, showing that it is not proper to observe the paschal festival before the vernal equinox was past. Beside these, he composed another epistle, addressed to his compresbyters at Alexandria. Also, to several others, and these during the prevalence of the persecution.

CHAPTER XXI.

The events that occurred at Alexandria.

PEACE having been scarcely established, he returned, indeed, to Alexandria; but as sedition and war again broke out, so that it was impossible for him to superintend all the brethren then divided into different parties, he again addresses them by letter at the passover, as if he were still an exile from Alexandria. He also wrote, after this, another paschal letter to Hierax, a bishop of Egypt, in which he makes mention of the sedition then existing at Alexandria, as follows: "But what cause of wonder is there, if it be difficult for me also to address epistles to those that are so very remote, when I am at a loss to consult for my own life, or to reason with myself. For, indeed, I have great need to send epistolary addresses to those who are as my own bowels, my associates and dearest brethren and members of the same church. But how I shall send these I cannot devise. For it would be more easy for any one, I would not say to go beyond the limits of the province, but even to travel from east to west, than