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fight, if I die: I am not a soldier of this world, but a soldier of God." Dion then said, "Who has persuaded thee to behave thus ?" Maximilian answered, "My own mind, and He who has called me." Dion then spoke to his father, and bade him persuade his son. But his father observed, that his son knew his own mind, and what it was best for him to do.

"I can

After this had passed, Dion addressed Maximilian again in these words: "Take thy arms, and receive the mark." receive," says Maximilian, "no such mark. I have already the mark of Christ." Upon which Dion said, "I will send thee quickly to thy Christ."-"Thou mayest do so," says Maximilian, "but the glory will be mine.'

Dion then bade the officer mark him. But Maximilian still persisted in refusing, and spoke thus: "I cannot receive the mark of this world. And if thou shouldest give me the mark, I will destroy it. It will avail nothing. I am a Christian, and it is not lawful for me to wear such a mark about my neck, when I have received the saving mark of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, whom thou knowest not, who

died to give us life, and whom God gave for our sins. Him all we Christians obey. Him we follow, as the Restorer of our life and the Author of our salvation."

Dion instantly replied to this, "Take thy arms, and receive the mark, or thou shalt suffer a miserable death."-" But I shall

not perish," said Maximilian. My name is already enrolled with Christ. I cannot fight."

Dion said, "Consider, then, thy youth, and bear arms. The profession of arms becomes a young man." Maximilian replied, "My arms are with the Lord. I cannot fight for any earthly consideration. I am now a Christian."

Dion, the proconsul, said, "Among the life-guards of our masters Dioclesian and Maximian, and Constantius and Maximus, there are Christian soldiers, and they fight.' Maximilian answered, "They know best what is expedient for them; but I am a Christian, and it is unlawful to do evil."

Dion said, "Take thy arms. Despise not the profession of a soldier, lest thou perish miserably."-" But I shall not perish," says Maximilian; "and if I should leave this

world,

world, my soul will live with Christ the Lord."

Dion then ordered his name to be struck from the roll; and when this was done he proceeded: "Because out of thy rebellious spirit thou hast refused to bear arms, thou shalt be punished according to thy deserts, for an example to others ;" and then he delivered the following sentence: "Maximilian! because thou hast with a rebellious spirit refused to bear arms, thou art to die by the sword." Maximilian replied,

"Thanks be to God."

He was twenty years three months and seventeen days old; and when he was led to the place of execution he spoke thus: "My dear brethren, endeavour with all your might, that it may be your portion to see the Lord, and that he may give you such a crown." And then with a pleasant countenance he said to his father, "Give the executioner the soldier's coat thou hadst gotten for me; and when I shall receive thee in the company of the blessed martyrs, we may also rejoice together with the Lord."

After this he suffered. His mother Pompeiana obtained his body of the judge, and conveyed

conveyed it to Carthage, and buried it near the place where the body of Cyprian the martyr lay. And thirteen days after this his mother died, and was buried in the same place. And Victor, his father, returned to his habitation, rejoicing and praising God that he had sent before such a gift to the Lord, himself expecting to follow after.

I shall only observe upon this instance, that it is nearly pure and unmixed, or that it is but little connected with idolatrous circumstances; or rather, that the unlawfulness of fighting was principally urged by Maximilian as a reason against entering upon a military life. Let us now find a case where, when a person was converted in the army, he left it, pleading this principle as one among others for his dereliction of it:

Marcellus was a centurion in the legion called "Trajana." On a festival given in honour of the birth-day of Galerius, he threw down his military belt at the head of the legion, and, in the face of the standards, declared with a loud voice, that he would no longer serve in the army, for that "he had become a Christian.--I hold in de

testation,"

testation," says he, addressing himself to all "the worship of your gods,gods which are made of wood and stone,— gods which are deaf and dumb." So far Marcellus, it appears, seems to have been influenced in his desertion of a military life by the idolatry connected with it. But let us hear him further on this subject: "It is not lawful," says he, "for a Christian, who is the servant of Christ the Lord, to bear arms for any earthly consideration." After a delay of more than three months in prison after this transaction, which delay was allowed for the purpose of sparing him, he was brought before the præfect. Here he had an opportunity of correcting his former expressions. But as he persisted in the same sentiments, he suffered. It is remarkable. that, almost immediately after his execution, Cassian, who was the notary to the same legion, refused to serve any longer, by publicly throwing his pen and accompt-book upon the ground, and declaring at the same time that the sentence of Marcellus was unjust. When taken up by the order of Aurelianus Agricolanus, he is described by the record preserved by Ruinart, to have avowed

the soldiers," the worship of

the