General Biography, or Lives, Critical and Historical, of the Most Eminent Persons of All Ages, Countries, Conditions, and Professions, Vol. 4

Excerpt from General Biography, or Lives, Critical and Historical, of the Most Eminent Persons of All Ages, Countries, Conditions, and Professions, Vol. 4: Arranged According to Alphabetical Order Fabianus, pope, .or bishop of Rome in the third century, was a native of that city, or of some place in the neighbourhood, and chosen to succeeé Anterus in the year 236. He pre sided over the Roman church for fourteen years, and fell a martyr to the christian cause under the Decian persecution, in the year 2 50. His conduct during his episcopate appears to have been highly praise-worthy; and by St. Cyprian he is called an excellent man, the glory of whose death had answered the purity, holiness, and integrity of his life. The following mar vellons tale is related by Eusebius concerning his election: that when the people and clergy were assembled to fill the vacant sec, 'a dove, appearing unexpectedly, settled, to the surprise Of all present, upon the head of Fabianus, who was not so much as thought of, being but a layman at which prodigy the whole assembly cried out with one voice, Fabianus is ourbishop, and, crowding around him, placed him without delay in the episcopal throne. We leave it, without any remark, to the judgment Of our readers. To Fabianus, according to Tillemont and some other learned moderns, a considerable part of Gaul was indebted for its conversion to Christianity, by the care which he took to send able bishops into different parts of that country, who gained numerous proselytes, and established churches at 'toulouse, Arles, Tours, Paris, Narbonne, Clermont, and Limoges. Eureé. Hirt. Etc]. Lid. Vi. Cap. 29. Platina de f/it. Pant. Mareri. Bowen - M. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.