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76 CrcdihiUUj of the Gospel Ilistorij.
have at length the three synods mentioned by Jeroni, and
the sense' of Eusebius, whom Jerom copied.
There is little certainly known of Cornelius's life, before
he was advanced to this bishopric ; except that Cyprian
says he had passed through all the lower offices in the church,
and behaved well therein.
St. Jerom in his Catalogue, as we have seen already, says
that Cornelius was crowned with martyrdom. He speaks
to the like purpose" elsewhere. St. Cyprian" likewise calls
Cornelius a martyr : but, though Jerom seems to say that
Cornelius died at Rome, it is at present the general!' opinion
that he died at Circumcellfe, now Civita Vecchia, whither
he had been banished by Gallus. Jerom having said of
Cyprian, tliati he died on the same day of the month, though
not hi the same year, with Cornelius, it is concluded that
Cornelius died on the 14th of September, 252.
Jerom says that Cornelius governed the church two years,
under Gallus and Volusian. But those two years must not
be reckoned complete ; for the most learned critics and
chronologers compute that"^ his episcopate was not above
one year, three months, and ten days ; part under Decius,
and part under Gallus : and yet Eusebius gives him^ about
three years. However, he may be supposed to allow him
all the space of time from the death of Fabian, including the
vacancy of the see. But Du Pin* is greatly mistaken in
saying that be died near the end of the year 253, having
been bishop two years and some months.
Cornelius has a place in Jerom's Catalogue of ecclesiastical
Writers, Avho mentions four of his letters sent to Fabius;
though it is" supposed now, by some learned men,
' Euseb. 1. vi. cap. 43. p. 242. B. Conf. eund. p. 245. D.
'" Nam quod ad Corneliuin—non iste ad episcopatum subito pervenit, sed
per omnia ecclesiastica officia promotus, et in divinis administrationibus Dominum
ssepe promeritus, ad sacerdotii sublime fastigiuin cunctis religionis gradibus
ascendit. Cypr. Ep. 55. [al. 52.] p. 103. " Sub Decio et Valeriano
persecutoribus, quo tempore Cornelius Roma, Cyprianus Carthagine, felici
cruore martyrium pertulerunt.—De Vit. Paul. Erem. T. iv. P. ii. Edit. Bened.
" Unde illic repentina persecutio nuper exorta sit, unde contra ecclesiam
Christi et episcopum Cornelium beatum martyrem, vosque omnes secularis
poteslas subito prorupent. Cypr. Ep. 61. [al. 58.] p. 144. Si vero apud Cornelium
I'uit, qui Fabiano cpiscopo legitima ordinatione successit, et quem, prae-
ter sacerdotii honorem, martyrio quoque Dominus gloriticavit. Id. Ep. 69.
[al. 76.] p. 181. P Tillemont, St. Corneille. Art. 16. Pearson.
Annal. Cypr. 252. n. xii. xiii. Pagi 252. n. xii. xiii. Basn. 252. n. x.
1 Passus est—eodem die quo Romae Cornelius, sed non eodem anno. D..
V. I. cap. 67. ^ Vid. Pearson. An. Cypr. 251. n. vi. Pagi
251. n. xix. Tillem. ut supra, Art. 16. p. 70. et note 14.
» II. E. 1. vii. cap. 2.
I Nouv. Bibl. T. i. p. 180. Amstcrd.
" Vid. Basnag. Ana. 252. n. xi.