"I found the religion of Christ to have a majesty in its nature, adapted to terrify those who are in the way of transgression, as well as a sweetness, peace, and serenity for those who are truly conversant with it."

He owns in another place, that the example of christians suffering death so serenely for their faith, moved his mind not a little, "for," said he, "when I saw them meet death, and all that is accounted terrible among men, without dismay, I knew it to be impossible that they should live in sin and lust. I despised the opinion of the multitude; I glory in being called a christian, and take every pains to prove myself worthy of the calling."

His conversion seems to have taken place some time in the reign of Adrian. "I found in the doctrine of Christ," says he, "the only sure and salutary philosophy; for it has in it a power to awe, which restrains those who depart from the right way; and the sweetest peace is the portion of them that practice it. That this doctrine is sweeter than honey, is evident; since we who have been formed by it, refuse to deny his name, even unto death."

After becoming a christian, he still retained the mantle which he had worn as a pagan philosopher and ascetic, availing himself of his former garb and mode of life as a means which enabled him easily to introduce, in his intercourse with men, religious and philosophical subjects, and through these to prepare the way for bringing home the gospel to their hearts. Thus he may be regarded as an itinerant preacher in the garb of a philosopher.

Coming to Rome in the time of Antoninus Pius, he there wrote a confutation of the heretics; particularly of Marcion, the son of a bishop born in Pontus, who was ejected from the church, and fled to Rome.

That holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, and which was the great design of Christ to promote, found in this pretended christian a cordial enemy; and Justin, who hal tasted of the holy nature of the gospel in his own experience, withstood him both in conversation and by his wri tings.

About the year 140, he published his excellent Apology for the Christians, addressed to Antonnius Pius, which may be reasonably supposed to have had a considerable influence on the political conduct of that prudent emperor, with respect to christians. There was nothing in their spirit and conduct to provoke persecution. He describes the customs of the primitive christians in public worship, and in the administration of the sacraments, in order to show the falsity of the charges generally urged against them.

Not long after this, he left Rome, and went to Ephesus, where he had his discourse with Trypho, the Jew, the substance of which he gives us in a Dialogue, the object of which is to prove that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament, and to refute the objections then commonly urged by the Jews against christianity. The philosopher's cloak which Justin wore, led Trypho to accost him as he was taking a solitary walk; and a conversation arose between them about the knowledge of God, which Justin finally turns to the subject of christianity, and this conversation is here supposed to be put down in writing.

On his return to Rome, he had frequent contests with Crescens, the philosopher, a man equally remarkable for malignity to christians, and the most horrid vices. He now presented his Second Apology to M. Antoninus Philosophus, the successor of Pius, and a determined enemy to christians. He was in hopes of softening his mind toward the christians, as he had done that of his predecessor, but in vain.

Marcus was their enemy during his whole reign, and they scarce ever had an enemy more implacable. He was not a man to exercise common justice toward christians.

The philosophic garb was no shield to Justin, even in the eyes of an emperor, who piqued himself on the surname of philosopher. The sincerity of his christian attachments, outweighed every argument and every plausible appearance in his favor. Crescens procured his imprisonment for the crime of being a christian, the greatest evil of which a human being could be guilty in the eyes of this emperor. He and six of his companions having been apprehended.

were brought before Rusticus, the prefect, who, it is supposed, had succeeded Qurbicius, a man famous for his attachment to stoicism, and a person of considerable eminence. He undertook to persuade Justin to obey the gods, and comply with the emperor's edicts. He defended the reasonableness of his religion. Upon which the governor inquired in what kind of learning and discipline he had been educated. He told him, that he had endeavored to understand all kinds of discipline, and tried all methods of learning, but finding satisfaction in none of them, he at last had found rest in the christian doctrine, however fashionable it might be to despise it. "Wretch!" replies the indignant magistrate, "art thou then captivated by that religion?" "I am," says Justin; "I follow the christians, and their doctrine is right." "What is their doctrine?" was asked. "It is this," was the reply: "We believe the one only God to be the Creator of all things visible and invisible, and confess our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, foretold by the prophets of old, and who shall hereafter appear the Judge of mankind, a Saviour, teacher, and master to all those who are duly instructed by him. As for myself, I am too mean to be able to say any thing becoming his infinite Deity; this was the business of the prophets, who many ages ago had foretold the coming of the Son of God into the world." "Where do the christians usually assemble?" "The God of the christians is not confined to any particular place." "In what place do you instruct your scholars?" Justin mentioned the place in which he dwelt, and told him that there he explained christianity to all who resorted to him. The prefect having severally examined his companions, again addressed Justin: "Hear thou, who hast the character of an orator, and imaginest thyself to be in the possession of truth. If I scourge thee from head to foot, thinkest thou that thou shalt go to heaven?" "Although I suffer what you threaten, yet I expect to enjoy the position of all true christians, as I know that the Divine grace and favor is laid up for all such, and shall be so, while the world endures." "Do you think you will go to heaven and receive a reward?" "I not only think so, but I know

it, and have a certainty of it which excludes all doubt." Rusticus insisted that they should all go together, and sacrifice to the gods. "No man, whose understanding is sound," replies Justin, "will desert true religion for the sake of error and impiety." "Unless you comply, you shall be tormented without mercy." "We desire nothing more sincerely than to endure tortures for our Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved. Hence our happiness is promoted, and we shall have confidence before the awful tribunal of our Lord and Saviour, before which, by the Divine appointment, the whole world must appear. Despatch quickly your purpose, we are christians, and can not sacrifice to idols." The governor then pronounced sentence: "As to those who refuse to sacrifice to the gods, and to obey the imperial edicts, let them be first scourged, and then beheaded according to the laws."

The martyrs rejoiced, and blessed God, and being led back to prison, were whipped and afterward beheaded. The dead bodies were taken by christian friends, and decently interred.

Thus slept in Jesus, the christian philosopher, Justin, about the year 163, and about the third or fourth year of the` reign of Marcus

CHAPTER III.

Origen.

EARLY DOMESTIC TEACHING; ENERGY IN THE STUDY OF THEOLOGY; PRODUCES SEVERAL TREATISES; PERSECUTION AND DEATH.

RIGEN, with the surname Adamantios, was born in Alexandria, in the year 185. In connection with his early culture, it is important to remark, that his father Leonides, a devoted christian, and, as it is conjectured, a rhetorician, was in a condition to give him a good literary, as well as a pious christian education.

Both had an abiding influence on the direction of his inner

life; the development of mind and heart proceeded in his case, with equal step; a striving after truth and holiness continued ever to be the actuating tendency of his life.

Leonides made his son commit daily a portion of sacred Scripture to memory. The boy took great delight in his task, and already gave indications of his profoundly inquisitive mind.

Not satisfied with the explanation of the literal sense, which his father gave him, he required the thoughts embod ied in the passages he had committed to be fully opened out, so that Leonides frequently found himself embarassed. The father chided, indeed, his inconsiderate curiosity, and exhorted him to be satisfied, as became his years, with the literal sense; but he secretly rejoiced in the promising talents of the youth, and with a full heart thanked God he had given him such a son.

Often, it is said, when the boy was asleep, he would un cover his breast, kissing it as a temple where the Holy Spirit designed to prepare his dwelling, and congratulated himself that he possessed such a treasure.

When he was a boy, he was a pupil of Clement the catechist; but, it is evident that the education of his father had more influence in giving the first religious direction to his mind, than the instructions of Clement.

A persecution, which befel the christians in Egypt under the reign of Septimius Severus, gave Origen, when a youth of sixteen, an opportunity of displaying the ardor of his faith.

The example of the martyrs fired him with such enthusiasm, that he was ready to avow himself a christian before the pagan authorities, and expose himself to certain death.

Such was the zeal of the enthusiastic christian youth; quite different was the judgment of the prudent christian man, who better understood the nature of the christian system of morality, from the study of that system itself, and from contemplating the life of Christ and the apostles.

When the father of Origen himself was thrown into prison, the son felt impelled, still more than before, to go and meet death along with him. Remonstrance and entreaty having