A.D. 111. ANTIOCH DESTROYED BY AN EARTHQUAKE. 157 A.D. 99. Trajan succeeded to the Roman empire, and reigned nineteen years, six months, and fifteen days. In his time, John the Apostle being ninety-nine years of age, went to Christ, having delivered a discourse to his disciples who were present. A.D. 100. Trajan subdued many nations on the other side of the Danube, and reduced Germany on the other side of the Rhine to its former condition. A.D. 101. Trajan occupied Seleucia, Ctesiphon, and Babylon; and was the first man, since Alexander, who marched as far as the borders of India. A.D. 102. After the death of the blessed Clement, Anacletus sat in the Roman chair, and occupied it nine years and ten months. And the see was vacant thirteen days. A.D. 103. Trajan put in operation a persecution against the Christians, and Simon, the son of Cleophas, bishop of Jerusalem, was crucified, and succeeded by Justus. A.D. 104. Saint Ignatius, bishop of the city of Antioch, was brought to Rome, and given to wild beasts to be devoured, on the first of February. A.D. 105. Alexander, bishop of Rome, received the crown of martyrdom, and is buried at the seventh milestone from the city, on the Numantine road, on the spot where he was beheaded. A.D. 106. The aged Zachariah, bishop of the church at Vienne, received the crown of martyrdom. And his predecessors, of whom the first was Crescens, and the next Martinus, were disciples of the apostles. A.D 107. Pliny the orator and historian, who among other judges had been sent to prosecute the church, inflicted severe death on no one, but, as soon as he was appointed, moderated the original edict by rescripts of a more gentle tenor. A.D. 108. The golden palace at Rome, which had been built by Nero, was burnt by a sudden conflagration. A.D. 109. The Pantheon at Rome, which Domitian had built to the admiration of all men, was burnt by lightning. A.D. 110. An earthquake destroyed almost the whole of the city of Antioch, and many other cities also in different parts of the world. A.D. 111. Evaristus, the sixth pope, succeeded Anacletus, the bishop of the Roman see, and governed the church fourteen years. A.D. 112. The Jews simultaneously, and as if under the influence of frantic rage, rose in insurrection in different nations of the world, and carried on most atrocious wars, until they were put down by deserved slaughter, according to the command of the emperor. A.D. 113. Vetus, bishop of Vienne, who had been one of the disciples and hearers of the apostles, was very eminent for his confessions of faith and doctrine. A.D. 114. Phocas, bishop of the city of Cynops, endured martyrdom most gloriously; and his sacred remains were carried to Vienne, a city of Gaul, and there placed in the church of the Holy Apostles. A.D. 115. Coillus, the king of the Britons, had an only son born to him, whom he called Lucius, and who was born to the great joy and exultation of his father, because he had begotten him in his old age, when he had given up all hope of an heir. A.D. 116. Justus was discharging the office of priest at Alexandria. A.D. 117. Trajan died at Seleucia, a city of Isauria, and the Romans burnt his body, and buried his ashes in a marble column. CH. IV. FROM A.D. 118 TO 284. Hadrian succeeds Trajan-Rebuilds Jerusalem-Lucius king of Britain-Antoninus Pius-The Heresy of Valentinus-Galen -Dispute about the day of Easter-Polycarp-Marcus Antoninus-Two Emperors at a time-Commodus-Irenæus—The Britons are converted to Christianity by Faganus and Deruvianus-Pertinax-Severus-He comes to Britain-Is slain there Tertullian-Bassianus-Macrinus-Alexander-The Heresy of Sabellius-Origen-Maximus--Gordian-Philip-Decius Gallus-Valerian- Gallienus-Cyprian-Claudius—Aurelian ---Tacitus—The Heresy of the Manicheans-Probus-Carus. A.D. 118. Ælius Adrian became master of the Roman empire, and he reigned twenty-one years. He was the son of the cousin of Trajan, a man of industry and discretion, and one who was easily moved to mercy. A.D. 119. Adrian the emperor regulated the republic with most just laws, so that he was called by the senate the "Father of his Country." He was learned in both the Latin and Greek A.D. 126. MARK APPOINTED BISHOP OF JERUSALEM. 159 languages, and built a library at Athens, which was a wonderful building. A.D. 120. Alexander succeeded pope Evaristus, and ruled eighteen years, five months, and two days. He appointed the words of the Lord about the bread and wine to be recited in the canon, and ordered holy water to be sprinkled in the habitations of men. A.D. 121. The emperor Adrian was taught and instructed in the books composed on the subject of the Christian religion, by Quadratus, a disciple of the apostles, and Aristides an Athenian, a man full of faith and wisdom, and by Serenus, his lieutenant. On which account, in a letter addressed to the proconsul of Asia, he enjoined that no one should be allowed to condemn the Christians without accusing them of some crime, and proving it. A.D. 122. The emperor Adrian crushed, with tremendous slaughter, the Jews who had rebelled and were laying waste Palestine, which had formerly been their own province, and he avenged the Christians. A.D. 123. Ælius Adrian rebuilt Jerusalem, and ordered it to be called Ælia, after his own name. He ordered, also, that no Jew should be allowed to enter it, as the city was only open to the Christians. A.D. 124. Coillus, king of the Britons, died, and Lucius, his son, was invested with the crown. He followed all the acts of goodness of his father, and was esteemed by all men as Coillus himself had been. A.D. 125. Mark was appointed bishop of Jerusalem, being the first of the Gentiles who ever was so, as all those were now dead who had been bishops from the time of the Passion of our Lord to the present moment. For the first bishop of Jerusalem was James, the brother of our Lord. The second was Simon, the son of Cleophas. The third, Justus; the fourth, Zaccheus ; the fifth, Tobias; the sixth, Benjamin; the seventh, John; the eighth, Matthias; the ninth, Philip; the tenth, Seneca; the eleventh, Justus; the twelfth, Levi; the thirteenth, Ephraim; the fourteenth, Joseph; the fifteenth and last, Judas. A.D. 126. Aquila the orator, a man of Pontus both by birth and extraction, flourished; and he was the first translator of the divine law since the seventy translators. A.D. 127. Justus, bishop of the church at Vienne, was highly distinguished for his confession of Christ. A.D. 128. Sixtus, the eighth pope, succeeded Alexander, and ruled for ten years, three months, and twenty days. And the see was vacant two days. A.D. 129. Publius, bishop of Athens and a disciple of the apostles, received the crown of martyrdom on account of the faith of Christ, and was succeeded by Quadratus, whom we have mentioned before, who with great industry gathered the church of Christ together again, which had been dispersed in great alarm. A.D. 130. Basilides, the heresiarch, greatly polluted the church of Christ by his treachery; it was from him that the Basilidians, who adhered to his sect, derived their name. These men, among other blasphemies which they have invented about Christ, deny that he suffered. A.D. 131. Cornelius was appointed fourth bishop of Antioch. At the same time the blessed Cuthdrat, a bishop and disciple of the apostles, suffered gloriously. He gathered together, by his faith and energy, the church which had been scattered abroad in great alarm by the persecution of Adrian. A.D. 132. Nicopolis and Cæsarea were destroyed by an earthquake. At the same time, Saint Symphrosia suffered in the city of Tibur, with seven of her sons; first of all, her hands were stricken off, then she was hung up by the hair, and last of all she was thrown into the river. A.D. 133. Hymenæus presided over the church at Alexandria as bishop. At the same time, Saint Sabina, the martyr, suffered most gloriously at Rome, under the emperor Adrian. She was slain with the sword, and so flew to heaven with the palm of martyrdom. A.D. 134. Sylvius Julianus composed a perpetual edict. Adrian having built some beautiful temples at Athens, also built there a library of marvellous grandeur. A.D. 135. The Jews flew to arms, and ravaged Palestine. At the same time the blessed Aristides was deposed, who had offered the emperor Adrian some works on the Christian religion, and made him an elegant address, proving that Jesus was the only God. A.D. 136. The Jewish war which was being carried on in Palestine was terminated. A.D. 145. HERUS APPOINTED BISHOP OF ANTIOCH. 161 A.D. 137. Mark is appointed bishop of Jerusalem, being the first of the Gentiles who was so,' there being an end to all those bishops who had been of the circumcision. A.D. 138. Antoninus, surnamed Pius, was created emperor; he reigned twenty years and not quite three months. He lived in such tranquillity, that he was deservedly called "Pious, and the Father of his country." A.D. 139. Telesphorus was appointed pope, being the ninth who had sat in the Roman chair. He ruled for eleven years, three months, and twenty days, and the see was vacant seven days. A.D. 140. Antoninus, with his sons Aurelius and Lucius, released all men from their debts and burnt their bonds, throughout the whole Roman empire. A.D. 141. Justin the philosopher gave to Antoninus a work which he had composed on the subject of the Christian religion, and rendered him favourable to the Christians. And Justin, not long afterwards, when a persecution was set on foot, was betrayed by Crescens Cinicus, and shed his blood for Christ's sake. 2 A.D. 142. The heresy of Valentinus and Marcion wickedly attacked the Church of Christ, and the inventors of this wickedness set up ones, that is to say, some wickednesses, as the original creator of the world. They also affirmed that Christ did not derive his body from a virgin's, but asserted that he only passed through her as through a pipe. A.D. 143. Galen, the eminent physician, a native of Pergamus, flourished at Rome. About the same time, in the reign of the emperor Antoninus, Saint Alexander the bishop endured martyrdom, and was slain by the sword, after the infliction of many kinds of torture. A.D. 144. Pius was ordained bishop of the Roman Church. About the same time, Saint Concordius, a Presbyter, suffered at Spoletum, and received the crown of martyrdom after the endurance of many kinds of torture, being at last slain with the sword. A.D. 145. Herus was appointed bishop of Antioch. About 1 Our Chronicler has already stated this fact as having happened in the year 125. 2 The theory of ones was asserted by Valentinus, not by Marcion. See Mosheim Eccl. Hist. Cent. II. Part II. §§ vii.—xv. VOL. I. M |