infatuating, deceitful, and seducing spirit.' It is likely the author refers to Matt. xxiv. 11, "And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many." See also chap.

vii. 15.

III. Eusebius informs us, that in the second book of his treatise the author writes to this purpose: • Whereas then they call us also murderers of the prophets, because we did not receive their prating prophets, (for these, they say, are those which the Lord promised to send to the people,) let them tell us, in the name of God, who of their people, since the time that Montanus and his women began to prate, have been persecuted by the Jews, or put to death by the wicked Gentiles? Not one: nor have any of them been apprehended and crucified for the name of Jesus; nor have any of their women been whipped in the Jewish synagogues, nor stoned; no, no where, not one.' Here is a plain reference to Matt. xxiii. 34.

IV. He goes on: But P it is said that Montanus and Maximilla had quite another kind of death. For it is reported that, at the same instigation of that mad spirit, they hanged themselves; though not both together, or at the same time. And so they ended their days in the same manner that the traitor Judas did.' Here is undoubtedly a confirmation of the fact of Judas's making away with himself: and probably a reference to the history of it in Matt. xxvii. 5, Acts i. 18. However, afterwards this good man says modestly and charitably, that though this is reported of Montanus and the fore-mentioned woman,' yet it is not certain, nor does he know it to be true. Perhaps they died in that manner, perhaps in some other.' Nevertheless this shows, that even in those days there were some orthodox christians who gave out stories without ground against such as were reputed heretics. The author likewise mentions one Theodotus, another zealous Montanist, as he says, of whom there was a report, that giving himself up entirely to that spirit of error, he was by it taken up into the air, and perished miserably. But this writer does not own the truth of this, any more than of the other stories.

V. Afterwards Eusebius says, that this author reckons up all the prophets of the New covenant or Testament, showing that they did not prophecy in ecstasy: They Ibid. p. 181. B. C.

• Αλλῳ δε θανατῳ τελευτησαι λεγονται Μοντανος τε και Μαξιμίλλα. Τετες γαρ ύπο πνευματος βλαψιφρονος ἑκατέρες ὑποκινήσαντος λογος αναρτησαι ἑαυτος. και ούτω τελευτησαι και τον βιον κατατρέψαι Ιεδα

προδοτες δίκην. p. 181. C.

4 Τέτον δε τον τρόπον, ε τε τινα των κατά την παλαιαν, ετε των κατά την

will not be able to show,' says he, neither under the old nor the new covenant, [or dispensation,] any inspired prophet speaking after this manner; neither Agabus, nor Judas, nor Silas, nor the daughters of Philip.' Here are references to Acts xi. 27, 28, and xxi. 11, where Agabus is called a prophet, and his prophecies are related; and to ch. xv. 32, where Judas and Silas are called prophets; and to ch. xxi. 9, 10, where Philip is said to have four daughters which did prophecy.' The author does not confine himself here to prophets mentioned in the scriptures of the New Testament; be instances likewise in Quadratus, and Ammias of Philadelphia: and says he could mention others, whose example gave no encouragement to the way of prophesying used by the Montanists.

r

VI. Once more he argues against Montanists, that they had no succession, of prophets among them; and that, though Maximilla had been dead above thirteen years, no other had appeared: But yet,' says he, the apostle expected [or, gives us ground to expect] that the gift of prophecy should continue in every church till the last advent of the Lord.' I cannot say what particular text he here refers to by the apostle I suppose him to mean Paul; and possibly he refers to 1 Cor. xii. 8, " Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail.” Perhaps some concluded hence, that though prophecies should fail in the end, yet they were to continue in the church so long as the world lasts.

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So far of this treatise against the Montanists, whether written by Asterius Urbanus, or by some other.

CHAP. XXXIV.

ST. ALEXANDER, BISHOP OF JERUSALEM.

a

ALEXANDER, whom we have already mentioned more than once, at first bishop of some place in Cappadocia, afterwards of Jerusalem, is placed by Cave as flourishing in

καινην [διαθηκην] πνευματοφορηθεντα προφήτην δειξαι δυνησονται ούτε Αγαβον, ουτε Ιεδαν, ούτε Σίλαν, ούτε τας Φιλιππε θυγατέρας. Ib. c. 17. p. 183. C. r Δειν γαρ είναι το προφητικόν χαρισμα εν παση τη εκκλησία μέχρι της Τελειας παρεσίας ὁ αποτολος αξιοι. p. 183. D. a P. 223, 326.

the year of Christ 212, because he was then chosen bishop of Jerusalem, as we learn from Eusebius's Chronicle.

I choose to give, as often as may be done conveniently, the history of my authors in the very words of other ancient writers, who were their contemporaries, or lived near their time. Eusebius's account of Alexander lying scattered in several chapters of his Ecclesiastical History, it might be tedious to put down at length all his passages relating to this person. I shall therefore begin with transcribing St. Jerom's account in his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers; which when I have done, I shall add some things out of Eusebius and others, confirming what St. Jerom says, or supplying his defects.

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Alexander,' says Jerom, bishop of Cappadocia, going 'to Jerusalem to visit the sacred places, when Narcissus, 'then of a great age, governed the church of that city, it was revealed both to Narcissus, and to many of his clergy, 'that the next day in the morning would come into that 'church a bishop, who should be a helper of the sacerdotal chair. This coming to pass as it had been foretold, in an 'assembly of all the bishops of Palestine, Narcissus him'self consenting, and even promoting it above any one else, 'Alexander took upon him the government of the church ' of Jerusalem. This person, at the conclusion of a letter 'to the Antinoites, [the people of Antinopolis in Egypt,"] speaks of the peace of the church in this manner: Nar'cissus salutes you, who before me filled the episcopal seat ' of this place, and now governs it together with me by his prayers, being an hundred and sixteen years old, and with me earnestly exhorts you to think the same things." He wrote another letter to the Antiochians, by Clement, pres'byter of Alexandria, of whom we spoke before. He also wrote to Origen and for Origen against Demetrius, pleading that, in respect to the testimony given him by Demetrius himself, he had ordained him presbyter. There are 'likewise extant others of his to divers persons. In the 'seventh persecution, under Decius, at which time Babylas 'suffered at Antioch, he was apprehended and carried to Cæsarea, and being put in prison was crowned with martyrdom for his confession of the name of Christ.' Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History, confirms what

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Alexander, tricesimus quintus Ierosolymarum episcopus, ordinatur adhuc vivente Narcisso, et cum eo pariter ecclesiam regit. Eus. Chr. p. 172.

De Vir. Ill. cap. 62. d Εκ της των Καππαδοκων γης, ενθα το πρωτον της επισκοπης ηξίωτο, την πορείαν επι τα Ιεροσολυμα ευχης και των τόπων ἱτορίας ένεκεν πεποιημενον. Eus. Η. Ε. 1. vi. cap. 11. p. 222. Α.

Jerom says of Alexander's having been first bishop in Cappadocia, and his coming to Jerusalem for the sake of 'prayer, and to visit the [sacred] places,' or out of devotion and that there were several revelations from God to encourage the choosing him bishop in that city, and, as it seems, one to Alexander himself; and likewise a voice heard distinctly by some eminent for piety [or understanding]. The brethren therefore of that church, 'would by no means consent to his return home, but de⚫tained him with them.' Beside these revelations and visions, Eusebius mentions another reason of this choice; which was, the fortitude with which Alexander had suffered in the late persecution under Severus. For in Jerom's Latin version of Eusebius's Chronicle, at the twelfth year of that emperor, of our Lord 204, it is said: · Alexander is in esteem for the confession of the name of the 'Lord.' And in his Ecclesiastical History, having mentioned the death of Severus, and the accession of his son Antoninus, called Caracalla, in the year of Christ 211, he adds: At that time Alexander, one of those who had signalized themselves by their fortitude in the persecution, and by the favour of Divine Providence survived 'the combats they had sustained in their confessions,being famous for his confessions of the christian faith in the time of the persecution, was promoted to the fore' mentioned bishopric of Jerusalem; Narcissus, his prede'cessor, being yet alive.'

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Alexander was a great admirer of Origen. There was, as Eusebius says in his Ecclesiastical History, a great disturbance at Alexandria: so that Origen, not thinking it 'safe to stay there, nor yet in any other part of Egypt, went into Palestine, and took up his residence at Cæsarea, [about the year of our Lord 216,] where he was desired by the bishops of that country to discourse and expound the scriptures publicly in the church, though he was not yet 'ordained presbyter. This may be made evident from what Alexander bishop of Jerusalem, and Theoctistus bishop of Cæsarea, write by way of apology in their letter 'to Demetrius.' Afterwards, about the year 228, as Eusebius expresses it, the two most approved and eminent

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• Φιλοφρονέσατα οἱ τῇδε ὑπολαβοντες αδελφοι εκετ' οικαδε αυτῷ παλινο ειν επιτρέπωσι, καθ' έτεραν αποκαλυψιν και αυτοις νυκτωρ οφθείσαν, μιαν τε φωνην σαφετατην τοις μάλιςα αυτων σπεδαιοις χρησασαν. Ibid.

Alexander ob confessionem dominici nominis insignis habetur. Euseb. Chr. p. 172. H. E. l. vi. c. 8. p. 210. A. Ibid. c. 8. p. 209. C.

Ibid. c. 19. p. 222. A.

bishops of Palestine, I mean those of Cæsarea and Jerusalem, judging Origen worthy of the highest dignity and 'office, ordained him presbyter by imposition of their ⚫hands.' And so writes Jerom after Eusebius. Photius' says, Origen was ordained by Theoctetus [or Theoctistus] bishop of Casarea, with the approbation of Alexander bishop of Jerusalem.'

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Eusebius, having given an account of Alexander's promotion to the bishopric of Jerusalem, and of the letter to the Antinotes, as before in Jerom, proceeds: Serapion m being dead at Antioch, [in the year 211,] Asclepiades 'succeeded him in the bishopric of that place, who also was famous for his confessions in the late persecution. Of this ordination Alexander makes mention, in letter to "the Antiochians, in this manner: " Alexander," the servant ⚫ and prisoner of Jesus Christ, sendeth greeting in the Lord to the blessed church of the Antiochians. The Lord made my bonds light and easy in my imprisonment, when I heard that Asclepiades, so fit and worthy on ' account of the eminence of his faith, was by Divine • Providence intrusted with the care of your holy church of the Antiochians." This letter he sent by Clement, as appears from the conclusion of it, which is thus: "This epistle, my lords and brethren, I have sent you by Clement, a blessed presbyter, a virtuous and approved man, whom you know already, and will know better: who, ' whilst he was here, confirmed and increased the church of 'the Lord." The conclusion of this letter St. Jerom likewise has inserted in his book of Illustrious Men, in the chapter of Clement of Alexandria.

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Asclepiades was ordained bishop of Antioch in the year 211, in the beginning of the reign of Caracalla: at which time, as appears by this letter, Alexander was in prison. If therefore he was put in prison so soon as the 12th of Severus, of our Lord 204, as is intimated in Eusebius's Chronicle, he must have continued there seven or eight years, or else have been imprisoned more than once in the reign of Severus. This is an observation of Tillemont. The church of the Lord, which Clement had confirmed and increased,' is the church in Cappadocia, of which Alexander was then bishop.

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Eusebius has left us a fragment of Alexander's letter to * De Vir. Ill. cap. 54.

1

Εχων συνευδοκόντα και τον

Tεporovμov Aλežavopov. Cod. 118. col. 297. ver. 38, &c. m Euseb. ibid. p. 212. D. 213. A.

n Ibid.

⚫ Tillem. Mem. Ecc. T. iii. P. ii. p. 314. St. Alexandre.