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204 Credibilily of the Gospel History.
* time, the first to be recorded in the monuments of the
' pious is Anthimus, bishop of Niconiedia, a witness of the
' kingdom of Christ, who was beheaded: and" of Antioch,
' Lucian, a presbyter of that church, a man of an unblemished
' character throughout his whole life ; he also suffered at
' Niconiedia, where, in the presence of the emperor, he first
' apologized for the heavenly kingdom of Christ in words,
' and afterwards farther recommended it by deeds.'
Again, in another place, the same ecclesiastical historian,
having related the death of Peter of Alexandria by order of
Maximinus, adds :
' And with him suffered many other
' bishops of Egypt in like manner; as did also "^Lucian,
' presbyter of the church of Antioch, an excellent man in
' all respects, celebrated for his piety and his knowledge of
' the scriptures: he was carried from Antioch to Nicomedia,
' where the emperor then was ; and, having made an apology
' before the governor for the doctrine he professed, he was
' sent to prison, and there put to death.'
At this place Rufinus, in his Latin translation of Eusebius's
Ecclesiastical History, makes a little alteration ; and also
inserts a speech of considerable length, said to be? the same
apology which Lucian made to the Roman governor.
Whereupon, as i Rufinus says, ' the audience being- much
' moved, and almost persuaded, Lucian was commanded
' away to prison, there to be put to death, as if they feared
' a tumult of the people.' Of this apology I intend to take
some farther notice by and by.
There is still extant a panegyrical'' oration or homily of
St. Chrysostom, pronounced on the seventh day of January
387, in honour of this martyr : but it is so oratorical, that
though St. Chrysostom eidargeth upon the sufferings and
fortitude of Lucian, and upon the manner of his death, it is
very