unless the cities were distinguished by some civil importance, or the sees by the excellence or martyrdom of their bishops, or by some other special circumstances, no mention is made of them by Eusebius, to whom we are mainly indebted for our information. Among those known by name, are the Apocalyptic Churches; several Churches mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, as Colosse, Miletus, Troas; among them, also, was Hierapolis. Pre-eminent over all, however, was the Church of Ephesus, the metropolis of the proconsulate, the city of the great goddess Diana. It was an apostolical see, having been planted by St. Paul, and also favoured with his residence and special oversight for more than two years. Before his death he had confided it to the care of Timothy, his own son in the faith; and afterwards it is said to have enjoyed the presence of the apostle John. Νο Church, therefore, had been blessed with a more continued apostolical teaching and guidance than the Ephesian, and it had grown and prospered. Our Lord himself had borne witness to its works, and labours, and patience, and its abhorrence of evil persons and heretics. The next in fame was the Church at Smyrna, a city in the proconsulate, second only to Ephesus, and also addressed by our Lord in terms of praise. It had been under the episcopal guidance of Polycarp, one of the brightest names in the early Church. He suffered martyrdom in the city. A * Euseb. Hist. Eccl. iv. 15. letter, said to have been written by him, is still extant. Sardis, another of the Apocalyptic Churches, may be specially named. To this Church, St. John had been commissioned to give a solemn rebuke. It was favoured, a few years afterwards, by having for its bishop, Melito, one of the lights of the second century. He was a voluminous writer; and, judging from the few fragments that are left, the loss of his works is to be regretted. The last Church that I shall especially name was that of Hierapolis, which had numbered among its bishops, Papias and Apollinaris, both celebrated characters in their day; the former a martyr. He had been acquainted with the daughters of Philip the apostle, who is said to have been buried at Hierapolis, and had also been a friend of Polycarp, and perhaps even a disciple of St. John. XIV. ZEPHYRINUS (A.D. 202-219).* Nothing is known of Zephyrinus. Two spurious Isidorian letters are attributed to him. In his episcopate, a very curious circumstance is said to have occurred at Rome, which is thus mentioned by the writer, who combated the heresy of Artemon. This heresy resembled somewhat the heresy of Theodotus, in considering Christ as a Euseb. Eccl. Hist. v. 28. mere man. The writer was apparently a cotemporary. He says, "I will remind many of the brethren of a fact which has occurred in our day, and which, had it occurred in Sodom, would, I think, have been an effectual warning even to them. There was a confessor called Natalis, who lived, not a long while ago, but in our own times. This person suffered himself to be beguiled by Asclepiodotus and another Theodotus, who was a money-changer. They were both disciples of Theodotus the shoemaker. He was the first person who had entertained this opinion, or rather folly, and had been excommunicated by Victor, the then bishop. Natalis was induced, for a monthly salary of 150 denarii, to be ordained the bishop of their heresy. While he was with them, he was frequently warned in visions by the Lord; for Christ, our merciful God and Lord, was unwilling that one who had been a confessor of his sufferings should perish out of the Church. But when, owing to his place of eminence among them, and the love of gain which destroys so many, he paid but slight attention to the visions, he was at length scourged by holy angels, and severely punished during the whole night; so that, when morning came, he arose, and having put on sackcloth, and sprinkled himself with ashes, in haste and with tears he fell down before Zephyrinus the bishop, and placed himself under the feet, not only of the clergy but also of the laity, deeply affecting with his tears the merciful Church of the compassionate Christ. After much entreaty, exhibiting at the same time the marks of the stripes which he had received, he was, with some difficulty, re-admitted to communion."* Caius, said to be a Catholic writer at Rome during this episcopate, enumerates only thirteen epistles as written by St. Paul, the epistle to the Hebrews not being at that time regarded by the Roman Church as Pauline. Eusebius is made to add, that even in his day there were some Romans of the same opinion. Also the Apocalypse is attributed by Caius to Cerinthus the heretic. Similar doubts are expressed respecting the Apocalypse in a letter attributed to Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria.† Origen is said to have visited Rome about this time, from a desire to behold the very ancient Church of the Romans. He did not stay long, and returned to Alexandria.‡ XV. CALLISTUS (A.D. 219-223). § Nothing is known of this prelate, or of the Roman Church during his episcopate. Two spurious Isidorian letters are attributed to him. Laurence, second archbishop of Canterbury, had read this story to some purpose. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. vi. 20.; vii. 25. Ibid. vi. 14. § Ibid. 12. XVI. URBANUS (A. D. 223-230).* Nothing is known of this prelate, or of the Roman Church during his episcopate. One spurious Isidorian letter is attributed to him. XVII. PONTIANUS (A. D. 230–235).† Nothing is known of this prelate, or of the Roman Church during his episcopate. Two spurious Isidorian letters are attributed to him. XVIII. ANTEROS (A.D. 235, 236).‡ Nothing is known of this prelate, or of the Roman Church during his episcopate. One spurious Isidorian letter is attributed to him. XIX. FABIAN (A.D. 236-251). There had now been a long peace to the Churches, and the emperor Philip (A. D. 244-249) was even said to be favourably disposed towards Christianity. But the time had not yet arrived for kings being its nursing fathers and queens its nursing mothers. Many severe trials were first to be undergone, and much blood to be shed. * Euseb. Hist. Eccl. vi. 21. † Ibid. 23. Ibid. 29. |