the heathens themselves. Some were sewed up in the skins of wild beasts, and worried to death by dogs; others were dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, then suspended on poles and set on fire, in the gardens of the palace. This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire; but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity. Beside St. Peter and St. Paul, many of their most distinguished converts, whose names have not been handed down to posterity, were among the sufferers. We shall therefore notice only those whose history is well authenticated.

Erastus, the chamberlain of Corinth, was converted by St. Paul, and determined to follow the fortunes of that apostle. For this purpose he resigned his office, and accompanied him in his voyages and travels, till he was left by the apostle in Macedonia; where he was first made bishop of that province, and afterward suffered martyrdom, being tortured to death by the pagaus at Philippi.

Aristarchus, the Macedonian, was born in Thessalonien, and being converted by Paul, became his constant companion. He was with that apostle at Ephesus, during the commotion raised by Demetrius, the silversmith. He also accompanied him into Greece, where they were very successful in prepagating the gospel, and bringing over many to Christianity. Having left Greece, they traversed a great portion of Asia Minor and Judea. After this he accompanied St. Paul to Rome, where he suffered the same fate as that apostle, being beheaded with a sword.

Trophinus, an Ephesian by birth, and a Gentile by religion, was converted by St. Paul to christianity, and accompanied him in his travels. On his account, the Jews raised a great disturbance in the temple at Jerusalem, the last time he was in that city, because the apostle introduced him into the temple. But being rescued by the centurion, he accompanied his master to Rome, and afterwards into Gaul; where he was made bishop, and left in the city of Airus. On the following year he visited St. Paul, at Rome, and accompanied him into Asia, but on his return to that city he was beheaded, a few days after the death of his master.

Joseph commonly called Barsabas, was a primitive disciple, and by some is supposed to have been one of the

seventy. He was a distant relation of the Redeemer ; and was a candidate, together with Matthias, for the apostleship, left vacant by Judas Iscariot. He was, during his life, a very zealous preacher of the gospel, and having suffered many insults from the Jews, was at length put to death by the Pagans in Judea.

Ananias, bishop of Damascus, is celebrated in scripture for being the person who cured St. Paul of his blindness, occasioned by the brightness of the vision at the time of his conversion. He was one of the seventy disciples, and was martyred in the city of Damascus. After his death, a Christian church was erected over the place of his burial, which is now converted into a Turkish Mosque.

Persecution under Domitian.

The Emperor Domitian was naturally cruel, and after having slain his brother, he raised a persecution against the Christians. He commanded all the lineage of David to be slain; hoping, by this means, to stop the progress of Christ's kingdom, which he was taught to consider as a temporal kingdom.

Among the numerous martyrs who suffered during his persecution, was Simon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified. St. John, who was cast into a caldron of oil, and afterward banished to the island of Patmos; and Flavia, the daughter of a Roman Senator, who was banished to Pontus. A law, was also enacted, that no Christians once brought before the tribunal should be exempted from punishment, without renouncing their religion.

During this reign, there were a variety of tales invented, for the purpose of injuring the reputation of the Christians. Among other things they were accused of meeting together for the grossest immorality, of murdering their children, and even of eating them. They were also accused of being rebellious, and opposed to the Roman Government. And when any calamity befel any portion of the Roman Empire, such as earthquakes, pestilence, or famine, it was imputed solely to their impiety.

These persecutions increased the number of informers. who, for the sake of gain, swore away the lives of many eminent persons. When Christians were brought before

a magistrate on the charge of being such, they were commanded to take the attest oath, which if they refused, sentence of death was immediately passed on them, and if they confessed themselves to be Christians, the result was the same.

The various kinds of punishment inflicted were im prisonment, confiscation of property, banishment, I roiling them upon slow fires, racking, burning, scourging, stoning, hanging, and worrying with dogs and wild beasts. Many were torn piecemeal with red hot pincers, and others were thrown upon the horns of furious bulls.

After having suffered these cruelties, the friends of the deceased were even forbidden to burn or bury their remains. The following are the most remarkable of the numerous martyrs who suffered during this persecution.

Dionysins the Areopagite, was an Athenian by birth. and educated in all the useful and ornamental branches of Grecian literature. He travelled into Egypt, to study astronomy, and made very particular observations on the supernatural eclipse that occurred at the time of our Saviour's crucifixion. On his return to Athens Le was highly honoured by the people, and at length premoted to the dignity of senator in that celebrated city. Becoming a convert to the gospel, he changed from a worthy Pagan magistrate to a faithful Christian pastor, for even while involved in the darkness of idolatry, he was highly honoured for his just and benevolent principles. After Lis conversion, the sanctity of his life was such as recenmended him strongly to the love and honour of the Christian brethren, and he was accordingly appointed bishop of Athens. He discharged his duty with the utmost diligence, till the second year of this persecution, viz.: a. D. €9, when ke received the crown of martyrdom by being beheaded.

Nicomedeo, a Christian of some distinction at Rome, during the reign of Domitian, made great efforts to serve the afflicted, by comforting the poor, visiting those confined, exhorting the wavering, and confirming the faithful. For those and other pious actions, he was seized as a Christian, and being sentenced was scourged to death.

Protatius and Gievusius were martyred at Milan, but the particular circumstances attending their deaths are not recorded.

Timothy the celebrated disciple of St. Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, was born at Lystra, in the province of Lycaonia. His father was a Gentile, and his mother a Jewess, but both his parents and his grandmother embraced Christianity, by which means he was taught from his infancy the precepts of the gospel. When St. Paul arrived at Lycaonia, he ordained Timothy, and made him the companion of his labours. He mentions him with peculiar respect, and declares that he could find no one so truly united to him, both in heart and mind. Timothy attended St. Paul to Macedonia, where, with that apostle and Silas, he laboured in propagating the gospel. St. Paul went from thence to Achaia, but he was left behind to strengthen the faith of those already converted. St. Paul at length sent for him to Athens, and thence despatched him to Thessalonica, to preach to the suffering Christians there, against the terrors of the persecution that then prevailed. Having performed his mission, he returned to Athens, and, there assisted St. Paul and Silas in composing the two Epistles to the Thessalonians. He then accompanied St. Paul to Corinth, Jerusalem, and Ephesus. After performing several other commissions for St. Paul, and attending him on various journeys, the apostle constituted him bishop of Ephesus, though he was only thirty years of age, and in two admirable epistles gave him proper instructions for his conduct. He was so very temperate in his living, that St. Paul blamed him for being too abstemious, and recommended to him the moderate use of wine, to recruit his strength and spirits.

While that great apostle was in his last confinement at Rome, he desired Timothy to come to him. He afterward returned to Ephesus, where he zealously governed the church, till A. D. 97. At this period the Pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, the principal ceremonies of which were, that the people should carry sticks in their hands, go masked, and bear about the streets, the images of their Gods. Timothy met the procession, and severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated them, that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him in so dreadful a manner, that he expired of the bruises two days after.

Persecution under Trajan.

Between the second and third Roman persecutions was but one year. Upon Nerva succeeding Domitian, he showed respect to the Christians, but reigned only ten months. His successor, Trajan, in the tenth year of his reign, and in the year of our Lord 108, began the third persecution against them. While this persecution raged, Plinius Secundus a heathen philosopher, wrote to the Emperor in favour of the Christians, stating that he found nothing objectionable in their conduct, and that the whole sum of their errors consisted in this, that they were wont at certain times appointed to meet before day, in the morning, to worship one Christ, their God, and to confederate among themselves to abstain from all theft, murder, and adultery, to keep their faith, and to defraud no man, which done, they departed for that time, and having agreed to come together again to commune one with another, and yet without any act of evil. To this epistle, Trajan returned the following indecisive answer: "That Christians ought not to be sought after, but when brought before the magistracy they should be punished." Provoked by this an swer, Tertullian exclaimed, "Oh! confused sentence, he would not have them sought for, as innocent men, and yet would have them punished as guilty." The Emperor's incoherent answer, however, occasioned the persecution, in some measure, to abate; as his officers were uncertain, if they carried it on with severity, how he might choose to explain his own meaning. Trajan, however, soon wrote to Jerusalem, and gave orders to exterminate the stock of David; in consequence of which, all that could be found of that race were put to death.

About this period, the Emperor Trajan, was succeeded by Adrian, who continued the persecution with the greatest rigour.

Phocas, bishop of Pontus, refusing to sacrifice to Neptune, was, by the immediate order of Trajan, cast first into a hot lime kiln, and being drawn from thence, was thrown into a scalding bath, till he expired.

Trajan likewise commanded the martyrdom of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. This holy man was the person whom, when an infant, Christ took into his arms, and showed