Chapter 3. Martyrs under Alexander Severus

The calendar of the Church has preserved the memory of several martyrs who suffered during the reign of Alexander. The execution of edicts being suspended, they are but few in number; we find them however in the Martyrologies, the persecuting spirit of the empire having more than once broken down the barriers imposed by the tolerance of the emperor.

St. Hesychius, a soldier, was executed with St. Julius, under Maximinus at Dorostoros in Mysia. No other mention is made of martyrs who suffered at this epoch out of Eome; but in the capital itself, during the first year of the reign of Alexander, we find the names of the saintly priest Callipadius, who was beheaded, Palmatius* a personage of elevated rank, and Simplicius a senator, who were massacred with their families; shortly after, Pope Callistus;

• The acts of St. Callistus err, in giving to Palmatius the title of Consul; this qualification should not be taken literally. We frequently find, not only in the acts of the Martyrs and other Saints, but likewise in histories and chronicles which are the foundation of the annals of modern society, that the compilers make many errors with respect to titles, from the fact that they are not familiar with those in use at the time the events took place. This confounding of terms does not detract from the sincerity of the authors, nor from the reliability of the sources whence they derive their facts. Even the most severe critics overlook such trilling errors, which are so frequent in the historical works, written after the fall of the Western Empire.

later, the virgins Martina and Tatiana; and finally, the celebrated martyr whose combats we are going to relate, and who rendered the pontificate of St. Urban forever memorable.

The holy Pope in consequence of numerous acts of violence, was convinced that he would not be permitted to end in peace the ninth year of his courageous episcopacy. The persecutors of the venerable Pontiff were not wanting in pretexts to satisfy their unjust hatred. Without requiring edicts of persecution, the magistrates could easily have recourse to the general laws which condemned to death all those guilty of sacrilege, as well as magicians and disturbers of the public peace.* The head of the Christians of Rome and of the empire, was thus liable at any moment to be led before the magistrates upon some charge of this nature. He was twice summoned to the Prsetorium, where he courageously confessed his faith. f Thenceforth, it was no longer possible for him to live within the city without ex-

• The process directed against Palmatius and Simplicius, and in consequence of which they obtained the crown of martyrdom, was the result of a search after some Christians, accused of witchcraft, on acc&unt of certain omens which had been attributed to them. In cases of this nature, Alexander's governors easily eluded his tolerance towards the Christians. The magistrates knew how to take advantage of an accusation of witchcraft, in the interval of persecution ; and as to the crime of sacrilege a simple pi o vocation addressed to a Christian was often sufficient to obtain a reply that could^easily be metamorphosed into an insult offered the gods and prove a cause of arrest. Finally, it was an easy matter to excite the people of certain districts to attack the faithful, and then accuse the latter as disturbers of the public peace.

f St. Urban merited the title of Verus Confessor, which is given him in the Liber Pontijicalis, by the courage with which he conposing his life : he therefore retired to the catacombs of the Appian Way, near the tombs of the martyrs, where recalling to his mind the example of his predecessors, he strengthened his soul for its last combat. While in this mysterious place of concealment, communications were sent him from the Churches of the East and of the West ; he directed the twenty-five churches which Rome already counted within her walls ; and received with benevolence, the faithful who had recourse to him, or the Pagans, who, touched by grace, earnestly implored to be enlightened by that Admirable Light, which the Prince of the Apostles had brought to the Romans.* Several priests and deacons assisted the Pontiff and shared his labors and perils. Many of the poor, watched like faithful sentinels along the road which led to the dwelling of the Vicar of Christianity. Being well known by the Christians of Rome, they served as agents between the Church and her chief, and thus concealed from the shrewd emissaries of the Pnetorium all traces of the mysterious communications fessed Jesus Christ before the judges of Rome — twice according to the Acts of St. Cecilia, and seven times according to the Acts of other Martyrs, cited by Henschenius. Tillemont considers this antonomasia of the papal chronicle, a sufficient reason to refuse St. Urban the title of martyr, asserting that the martyrdom of this Pope is only based upon acts which have no authority. If Tillemont had taken the trouble to consult the different editions of the Sacramentary of St. Gregory, which represents the official tradition of the Catholic Church respecting the Saints whom she honors, particularly when they have been Pontiffs, he would have found that St. Urban in the VIII. of the calends of June, is always styled Martyr and Pope. * 1 Pet. xi., 9.

2-i LIFE OF SAINT CECILIA.

which preserved life throughout the body of the Church.

The documents which certify the intervention of St. Urban in the affairs of the universal Church, are not now extant, but we see, in some of the fragments relating to Pontiffs who preceded or followed him, that during the first three centuries, the papal prerogative was exercised over the Church with as much calmness and authority from the foot of the scaffold, as in later years, when the apostolical letters emanated from the Lateran palace. The Liber Pontifical is makes no mention of the decrees attributed afterwards to Urban, on the doubtful authority of Mercator, but it particularly specifies that during the course of his pontificate*, the holy Pope consecrated eight bishops, the greater number destined doubtless for an apostolic life and for the foundation of new Churches. At the same time, St. Urban provided for the dignity of divine service in the churches of Borne. There were many Christians at the court of Alexander, in the senate, and among the patricians ; it was bat just that a part of the riches of the disciples of Christ, should be devoted to the suitable celebration of the divine mysteries. Aided by liberal contributions from these wealthy Christians, St. Urban replaced the vases of the altar with silver ones, and among other things ordered twenty-five silver patens for the various churches of the city.f These patens were very large, for they were destined to receive the bread which each one of the

• Anast. de Vitis Pontificum Romanorum. In Urbano. f Hie fecit ministeria sacrata argentea, et patenas argenteaa viginti quinque posuit. Anast. Ibid.

faithful who was to communicate, brought as an offering. Whilst St. Urban was devoting so much attention to the ornaments of material altars, he was exercising his pastoral zeal with still greater ardor in gathering converts to the fold of Christ.

Thirty years before, Tertullian, in addressing the Senate, had exclaimed: "We are but of yesterday; yet already we fill your cities, your islands, your villages, markets, camps, tribes, palaces, and forum ; we leave you nothing but your temples."* Since that time, numerous recruits had reinforced the Christian ranks. It would be well to enumerate here the different ways in which God in His mercy, led the Gentiles to desire baptism. According to Tertullian, who lived under Alexander Severus, the greater number were attracted by the holiness and purity of life so conspicuous in the Christians ; whilst those who witnessed the invincible constancy of the martyrs, were unable to resist the profound impressions made upon their souls.f The wonderful prodigies of which the simple faithful were frequently the instruments, such as curing the sick, casting out devils, etc., added much to the opinion already formed by the pagans, respecting the divinity of the Christian religion.;]; Even the oracles frequently confessed the truth of our dogmas, and Tertullian boldly proposed to the Senate, that, in presence of the magistrates, the Pythons, or even the gods, should

• Hesterni sumus, et vestra omnia implevimus, urbes, insulas, castella, municipia, conciliabula, castra ipsa, tribus, deourias, palatiurn, senatum, forum ; sola vobis relinquinius templa Apologeticus. Cap. xxxvii.

• Ad Scapulam. cap. iv. \ Apolog. cap. xxxvii.

s be interrogated ; promising that the rash Christian who ventured to provoke them, should be punished, if the spirit, speaking through these victims of idolatry, did not openly confess the truth and holiness of the God of the Christians.* Frequently, the infinite goodness of God, triumphed over the resistance of Pagans, by wonderful visions. We learn this by the express testimony of Tertullian.f Later we shall mention numerous conversions of this nature ; at present we will simply cite that of Saint Basilides, who was gained to the faith by an apparition of the holy virgin Potaminia, who placed a crown "upon his head, and told him he would soon follow her to martyrdom $ the learned Arnobius, converted by a similar grace, according to St. Jerome ;§ and many other instances mentioned in the most authentic Acts of the Martyrs. Origen unites with Tertullian in certifying the permanency of these vocations to the faith throughout the third century : " I do not doubt," says this great Christian philosopher, " that Celsus, by the mouth of his Jew, will ridicule me ; but that will not prevent my saying that many persons have embraced Christianity, as it were, in spite of themselves, their hearts being so suddenly changed by some spirit which appeared to them, either in broad daylight, or at night, that their former aversion for our doctrine has been converted into such intense love, that they willingly died in its defence. We have witnessed many such cases.||"

• Apolog. cap. xxiii. f De anima. cap. xlvii. t Euseb. Hist. Eccles. Lib. vi. cap. v. § Appendix ad Chronic. Eusebii. j| Contra Cels. Lib. i. n° 46.

The zeal of the faithful did not permit the allpowerful mercy of the Most High to be the sole agent in these conversions ; for it is in the designs of Godt that the Word of Life, the progress of which, neither man nor hell can restrain, should be spread throughout the world by mortal lips. Not only did the sacred hierarchy plant this fruitful seed; not only did the writings of numerous and eloquent apologists, such as Justin, Athenagoras, Tertullian, frequently prove to the most prejudiced minds, the innocence and happy effects of the Christian doctrine, but on all sides, the love of Christ which consumed so many hearts burning for martyrdom, gave birth to apostles whose eloquence could not be withstood. Without speaking of the innumerable conquests gained in the bosom of families by the sole effect of the powerful example of Christian virtues, how many instances may we not adduce of humble and valiant soldiers, winning to Christ their haughty leaders, who thenceforth considered it a prouder honor to bear on their breasts the proscribed cross, than to command under the Roman eagles? At other times, poor slaves, by their simple and sublime words, suddenly humbled at the foot of the crucifix, the pride of a patrician, or the haughtiness of a stately Roman ladyt who, until then had thought of nothing but sensual vanity, or the cruel pleasures of the amphitheatre. And again, Christian virgins, victorious over tb« world and the flesh, and emulating the purity of angels, seemed to rival those angelic spirits in their zeal for the conquest of souls. But whilst St. Urban guided the Roman Church, none of these spouses of

Christ exceeded in love, fidelity, and ardent zeal, the incomparable virgin Cecilia. Charmed with the marvels of Divine grace in this simple and courageous heart, the holy Pontiff, considering her the most precious flower in the garden of Christ, watched over and cherished her with truly paternal tenderness. God did not permit him, however, to know the sublime degree of glory to which Cecilia was destined. St. Urban lived in continual expectation of martyrdom; but he knew not that his sacrifice would be preceded by that of this youthful virgin.