SEVERUS. to you, and once designed to erect a temple to Jesus Christ. ALEXANDER In addition to these evidences of a favourable feeling towards Christianity, he adjudged a piece of ground in dispute between some tavern-keepers and the Christians to the latter, saying, "it is better that God be there worshipped in any manner, than that the place should be put to such uses as they (the tavern-keepers) designed it for." Supposing that there was some building upon the spot of ground, we have here the oldest testimony of any edifice publicly consecrated to the worship of our holy religion, known to be such by the Pagans. The early Christians, as we have seen, were accustomed to meet for worship in each other's houses. Council of 122. In this reign, probably about the year 231, the Council of Iconium* was called to determine a controversy concerning the validity of the baptism administered by the A.D. 231. Montanists. Familianus, and fifty Bishops from Phrygia, Galatia, Cilicia, and Cappadocia, were present. It was resolved that all baptism administered out of the Church was to be rejected, as had been done before in Cappadocia by immemorial custom. Before this time, the Montanists, who were not at first schismatics, appear to have refused to join in communion with the other members *A city of Lycaonia, to which | when driven from Antioch. Paul and Barnabas returned able consideration of Christianity. What is the earliest evidence which we possess of the setting apart of buildings for Christian purposes? In what manner were the first Christians accustomed to meet for worship? 122. When and for what purpose was the Council of Iconium called? By whom was it attended? What decision did it come to? Were the Montanists schismatics at this period. SEVERUS. ALEXANDER of the Church. They formed themselves into separate communities, adhering, however, to the outward form of ecclesiastical government which had now been established two centuries. It was the admission of members into the Church by the sacrament of Baptism used by them which led to the decisive step taken against them by the council of Iconium. MAXIMINUS. Maximinus, twenty-sixth Emperor of Rome. A.D. 235. 123. Alexander Severus was slain by his soldiers in his tent, in a campaign against the Germans, in the year 235, and was succeeded by Maximinus, an old soldier who was instrumental in his death. He was a giant in stature, and of a most cruel temper. No sooner was he secure in his high station than he put to death all such as had been intimate with Alexander, and banished those who had been advanced by him. In the midst of so much cruelty and bloodshed, no wonder that the savage included Christians in his persecution: yet the severities they endured were probably to be ascribed more to his displeasure at their attachment to the former emperor, and their having been protected by him, than to their religious principles. The persecution in his reign was directed chiefly against the Bishops and ministers of the Church, as the pillars and propagators of Christianity. Maximinus was slain MAXIMUS after a reign of three years; and his successors Maximus BALBINUS. and Balbinus, who reigned jointly, shared the same fate soon after. and 123. What was the character of the successor of Alexander Severus? To what do you ascribe his cruelty to the Christians ? 124. Gordian succeeded to the GORDIAN. empire in the year 238, at the age Gordian, twenty eighth Emperor of Rome. A.D. 238. Heresy of } of fourteen. He was a youth of excellent disposition; and during his reign the Church enjoyed tranquillity, and Christians used to meet in large assemblies to settle their own affairs without molestation. We have a record of ninety Bishops having met in council at Carthage, upon the heresy of one Privatus, which shows that the Gospel had at this time made very great advance in Africa. 125. In the reign of Gordian, about the year 242, the Church in Arabia was disturbed by Beryllus, Bishop of Bostra, who asserted that our Saviour before His Incarnation had no proper subsistence, no personal deity, but only a derivative divinity from the Father afterwards. Praxeas and Noetus* had already disseminated similar errors, and they were subsequently modified and brought into greater notice by Sabellius. The Bishops of Arabia met, but could not convince Beryllus of his errors; whereupon they requested the assistance of Origen, by whom he was so lucidly confuted that he returned into the bosom of the Chureh. A.D. 242. Philip, twentyninth Emperor of Rome. 126. Gordian was succeeded by Philip, an Arabian of dishonourable parentage, in the year 244. Notwithstanding many unjustifiable actions, he has been held * Noetus was refuted in a trea- | tise by Hippolytus, still extant. 124. What was the state of the Church during Gordian's reign? Show that the Gospel had made considerable advance in Africa during his reign. 125. What was the nature of the heresy which disturbed the Church in Arabia in the reign of Gordian? Who disseminated similar errors? Who confuted this heresy, and what was the consequence? 126. Who has been called the first Christian Emperor of Rome? Was PHILIP. PHILIP. A.D. 244. to have been a Christian, and consequently the first Christian emperor of Rome. That this opinion is fallacious is highly probable; but thus much may be deduced from it, that the clemency of the emperor was favourable to Christianity, and that the doctrines of the Gospel were embraced by many, whom the dread of a persecuting tyrant would have prevented from making an open profession of their faith in Christ. The only disturbance during this reign was occasioned by a popular outbreak at Alexandria, in which many lives were lost. 127. In the year 246, the famous Cyprian, Cyprian.} a teacher of rhetoric at Carthage, was con verted to Christianity, in the 46th year of his A.D. 246. age. He was soon afterwards ordained presbyter; and with the exception of Novatus and four other dissentient presbyters, he was unanimously made Bishop of Carthage in 248. In the Decian persecution, A.D. 250, he secured his safety by a prudent retreat, contriving during his exile to regulate the affairs of his Church, to which he returned at the close of the persecution. He then entered into a spirited controversy with Stephen, Bishop of Rome, concerning the re-baptising of heretics, contending, in opposition to the arrogant Stephen, that baptism by heretics was null. Valerian were fatal to Cyprian. Corubis, about 50 miles from Carthage, and in the following year recalled to Carthage, where he was confined to the The severe edicts of He was first banished to he correctly so called? What inference do you draw from the opinion that he was a Christian ? Was there any disturbances during his reign? 127. Give an account of the life and writings of Cyprian. What schism took place in the Church during his Episcopate? What were the principal controversies in which he was engaged? narrow limits of his own garden. Refusing to purchase life by sacrificing to the gods, he was beheaded in the year 258. Naturally ardent, and attached to the works of Tertullian, he imbibed much of the spirit of that gloomy Montanist: and having high ideas of episcopal power aud great intrepidity of character, he was an energetic prelate and severe disciplinarian. His works, which are nearly all practical, consist of 81 Epistles and 14 Treatises. The Novatian schism took place during his Episcopate. Amongst the chief controversies in which he was engaged were those upon the subject of the lapsed, baptism by heretics, and Novatianism. Decius, thirtieth Emperor of Rome. 128. Philip fell in a mutiny of soldiers, in the year 249, and was succeeded by Decius Trajan. For forty years the Church had enjoyed comparative tranquillity and made proportionate A.D. 249. advances; but prosperity had produced not unusual effects by introducing various corruptions and growing laxity of discipline. The reign of Decius brought with it a fiery trial of Christianity, which Cyprian regarded as a chastisement from Heaven for the corruptions which had grown up with the Church's security. Eusebius ascribes this fearful persecution to the hatred of Decius for his predecessor Philip, whom he accounted a Christian : others attribute it to the triumphant increase of Christianity, and the consequent declension of Paganism. Decius, it is said, was so enraged to see the religion of the empire trodden under foot, and undermined by a novel sect, that 128. What was the state of the Church upon the death of the emperor Philip? What was the conduct of Decius towards the Christians? What in the character or circumstances of the emperor Decius induced his conduct towards the Christ PHILIP. DECIUS. |