been of the circumcision, the church there having been entirely made up of Jewish converts: but Jerusalem being now utterly laid waste, and the Jews dispersed into all other countries, the Gentiles were admitted. not only into the body of that church, but even into the episcopal chair. They are ranged in the following order: 16. Marcus, who sat eight years. 17. Cassianus, eight. 18. Publius, five. 19. Maximus, four. 20. Julanus, two. 21. Caianus, three. 22. Julianus, four. 23. Elius, two. We do not find this bishop mentioned by Eusebius; but he is recorded by Nicephorus of Constantinople. 24. Capito, four. 25. Maximus, four. 26. Antonius, five. 27. Valens, three, 28. Dulichianus, two. 29. Narcissus, four. He was a man of eminent piety, famous for the great miracles which he wrought; but not being able to bear the aspersions which some unjustly cast upon him (though God finally and miraculously vindicated his innocency) he left his church, and retired into desarts and solitary places. In his absence, was chosen, 30. Dius, who sat eight years after him. 31. Germanio, four. 32. Gordius, five. In his time Narcissus as one from the dead, returned from his place of retirement, and was importuned by the people again to take the government of the church upon him; being highly reverenced by them, both for his strict and philosophical course of life, and the signal vengeance which God took of his accusers and in this second administration he continued ten years, suffering martyrdom when he was near an hundred and twenty years old. To relieve the infirmities of his great age, they took in to be his colleague, 33. Alexander, formerly bishop of Cappadocia he was an eminent confessor, and after having sat fifteen years, died in prison, under the Decian persecution. 34. Mazabanes, nine years. Hymenæus, twenty-three, 36. Zabdas, ten. 37. Hermon, nine. He was, as Eusebius tells us, the last bishop of this see, before that fatal persecution that raged even in his time. 38. Marcarius, ordained A. D. three hundred and fifteen: he was present in 35. the great Nicene council. He sat, says Nicephorus of Constantinople, twenty-years: but St. Jerom allows him to have continued a much longer time in the government of the church. THE CHURCH AT CONSTANTINOPLE, Anciently called Byzantium. IT cannot be doubted that this church was first founded by St. Andrew. The succession of it's bishops was as follows: 1. St. Andrew the apostle. He was crucified at Patræ in Achaia. 2. Stachys, whom St. Paul calls his beloved Stachys, ordained bishop by St. Andrew: he sat sixteen years. 4. Onesimus, fourteen. 4. Polycarpus, seventeen. 5. Plutarchus, sixteen. 6. Sedecio, nine. 7. Diogenes, fifteen. Of the last three no mention is made in Nicephorus of Constantinople, but they are delivered by Nicephorus Callistus, lib. viii. c. 6. p. 540. 8. Eleutheris, seven. 9. Felix, five. 10. Polycarpus, seventeen. 11. Athenodorus, four. He erected a church called Elea, afterwards much beautified and enlarged by Constantine the Great. 12. Euzoius, sixteen; though Nicephorus Callistus allows but six. 13. Laurentius, eleven years and six months. 14. Alypius, thirteen. 15. Pertinax, a man of consular dignity: he built another church near the sea side, which he called Peace. He sat nineteen years, which Nicephorus Callistus reduces to nine. 16. Olimpianus, eleven. 17. Marcus, thirteen. 18. Cyriacus, or Cyrillianus, sixteen. 19. Constantinus, seven. In the first year of his bishopric, he built a church in the north part of the city, which he dedicated to the honour of Euphemia, the martyr, who had suffered in that place. In this oratory he spent the remainder of his life, quitting his episcopal chair to 20. Titus, who sat thirty-five years and six months; though Nicephorus Callistus makes it thirty-seven years. After him came 21. Dometius, brother (as they tell us) to the emperor Probus. He was bishop twenty-one years and six months. 22. Probus succeeded his father Dometius, and sat twelve years after him. 23. Metrophanus his brother, who governed that church ten years, And in his time it was that Constantine translated the imperial court hither, enlarged and adorned it, called it after his own name, and made it the seat of the empire. 24. Alexander succeeded; he was a man of great piety and integrity, zealous and constant in maintaining the truth against the blasphemies of Arius. He sat twenty-three years. THE CHURCH AT ALEXANDRIA, ECCLESIASTICAL writers affirm, that the foundations of this church were laid, and a great part of its superstructure raised by St. Mark; who though not strictly and properly an apostle, yet being an apostle at large, and immediately commissioned by St. Peter, it justly obtained the honour of an apostolical church. Its bishops and governors are thus set down. 1. St. Mark the evangelist, of whose travels and martyrdom we have spoken in his life. He sat two years. 2. Aninanus, characterized by Eusebius " A man beloved of God, and admirable in all things." He sat twenty-two years. 3. Avilius, twelve; or, as Eusebius says, thirteen years. 4. Cerdo, who succeeded about the first year of Trajan. He sat ten years; according to Eusebius, eleven. 5. Primus, twelve, 6. Justus, or Justinus, ten. 7. Eumenes, ten, or as Eusebius affirms, thirteen: St. Jerom, in his transla tion, calls him Hymenæus. 8. Marcus, or Marcianus, thirteen; or, as Eusebius states, ten. 9. Celadion, ten; but in Eusebius's computation, fourteen. 10. Agrippinus, fourteen: according to Eusebius, twelve. 11. Julianus, fifteen; though Eusebius allows but ten. 12. Demetrius, twenty-one; according to Eusebius, forty-three. 13. Heraclas, a man of philosophical genius and way of life. He sat sixteen years; though Nicephorus of Constantinople, by a mistake, we suppose, for his predecessor, makes it forty-three. 14 Dionysius, seventeen. He was one of the most eminent bishops of his time. He died in the twelfth year of the emperor Gallineus. 15. Maximus. Of a presbyter he was made bishop of Alexandria. He sat in that chair eighteen years, according to Eusebius's computation; though Nicephorus of Constantinople assigns him but eight. 16. Theonas, seventeen; or according to St. Jerom's version of Eusebius, nineteen. To him succeeded 17. Petrus, twelve. He began his office three years before the last persecution. A man of infinite strictness and accuracy, and of indefatigable industry for the good of the church. He suffered in the ninth year of the persecution, gaining the crown of martyrdom with the loss of his head. 18. Achillas nine; though Nicephorus of Constantinople allows him but one year. By him Arius, upon his submission was ordained presbyter. 19. Alexander, twenty-three. Under him Arius who was at Alexandria, began more openly to broach his heresy. He was justly excommunicated and thrust out of the Church by Alexander; and shortly after condemned by the fathers at the council of Nice. Nevertheless, his abominable tenets have infected the church, more or less, to the present day, and are openly avowed by the enemies of the gospel of JESUS, who is God over all, blessed for ever. Amen. The EVIDENCES upon which CHRISTIANITY is founded; including a Complete Defence of Christianity, together with plain and satisfactory Answers to all Objections made against our Holy Religion by Jews, Atheists, Deists, Infidels, Free-Thinkers, &c. AMONGST other undoubted authorities concerning our Saviour and his miracles, extant amongst Pagan writers, the particulars which follow, are all attested by some one or other of those Heathen authors, who lived in or near the age of our Saviour and his disciples. "That Augustus Cæsar had ordered the whole empire to be censed or taxed," which brought our Saviour's reputed parents to Bethlehem: this is mentioned by several Roman historians, as Tacitus, Suetonius, and Dion. "That a great light, or a new star appeared in the east, which directed the wise men to our Saviour:" this is recorded by Chalcidius. "That Herod, the king of Palestine, so often mentioned in the Roman history, made a great slaughter of innocent children," being so jealous of his successor, that he put to death his own sons on that account; this character of him is given by several historians, and this cruel fact mentioned by Macrobius, a Heathen author, who tells it is a known thing, without any mark or doubt upon it. "That our Saviour had been in Egypt:" this, Celsus, though he raises a monstrous story upon it, is so far from denying, that he tells us our Saviour learned the arts of magic in that country. "That Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; that our Saviour was brought in judgment before him, and by him condemned and crucified :" this is recorded by Tacitus. "That many miraculous cures and works, out of the ordinary course of nature, were wrought by him:" this is confessed by Julian the apostate, Porphyry, and Hierocles, all of them not only Pagans, but professed |