Year of Christ 223.
The Acts of Urbanus
fabulous.
All I can find in the Antients concerning Urban, the Successor of Callistus, is, that, during the whole Time of his Pontificate, both Church and State enjoyed a profound Peace under the Emperor Alexander; that he held the Chair near Seven Years, and died about the Middle of the Year 230[[321]]. Great and wonderful Things are related of him in his Acts, and in those of St. Cecilia, but such Acts[[322]] are evidently fabulous, since, in Opposition to all the Antients, they represent the Emperor Alexander as a most cruel Persecutor of the Christian Name. Urban himself is supposed to have suffered under him, and placed accordingly by the Church of Rome among her Martyrs. His Body is now worshiped in an Abbey of his Name in the Diocese of Chalons on the Marne, and in the Church of St. Cæcilia at Rome[[323]].
| Alexander, | PONTIANUS, Seventeenth Bishop of Rome. | Maximinus. |
Year of Christ 230.
Pontianus succeeded Urban in 230. and governed, according to the Pontifical of Bucherius[[N4]], Five Years, Two Months, and Seven Days; that is, from the 22d of July 230. to the 28th of September 235[[324]]. |Origen deposed.| In the Second Year of his Pontificate, the famous Origen was deposed and excommunicated by Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria, and the Sentence approved of by most other Bishops, especially by the Bishop of Rome, who assembled, it seems, his Clergy on that Occasion: For what else could St. Jerom mean, by telling us, that Rome assembled her Senate against Origen[[325]]? |The Persecution
ofMaximinus.| The calm and quiet Days, which the Church had for some Years enjoyed, especially under Alexander, expired almost with the Pontificate of Pontianus; for that excellent Prince being assassinated in the Month of May 235. Maximinus, who succeeded him, out of Hatred to him, began to persecute with great Cruelty the Christians, whom he had so much favoured, especially the Bishops[[326]]. |Pontianus banished
to Sardinia.| Pontianus among the rest was banished Rome, and confined to the unwholsome Island of Sardinia[[327]], where he died the same Year on the 28th of September, but of what Kind of Death is not well known[[328]].