we find also a decided increase in the average length of the life of the president for the remainder of the century; as, of the ten individuals in all who were at the head of the Roman Church during its revolution, the five who followed next after Clement lived only forty-two years, whilst their five successors lived fifty-nine years.  Thus, there is at least some ostensible ground for the inquiry whether any arrangement was made, about the time of Hyginus, which may account for these statistics.

The origin of the Church of Rome, like the origin of the city, is buried in obscurity; and a very few facts constitute the whole amount of our information respecting it during the first century of its existence.  About the time of Hyginus the twilight of history begins to dawn upon it.  Guided by the glimmerings of intelligence thus supplied, we shall endeavour to illustrate tins dark passage in its annals.  The following statements may contribute somewhat to the explanation of transactions which have hitherto been rarely noticed by modern ecclesiastical writers.

I. A change in the organization of the Church about the time of Hyginus, will account for the increase in the average length of the lives of the Roman bishops. [539:1] If the alteration, mentioned by Hilary, was now made in the mode of succession to the presidential chair, such a result must have followed.  Under the new regime, the recommendation of large experience would still have much weight in the choice of a bishop, but he would frequently enter on his duties at a somewhat earlier age, and thus the ordinary duration of his official career would be considerably extended. [539:2]

II.  The time of Hyginus exactly answers to the description of the period when, according to the testimony of Jerome, prelacy commenced.  The heretics then exhibited extraordinary zeal, so that “parties in religion” were springing up all over the Empire.  The Church of Rome is said to have hitherto escaped the contagion of false doctrine, [539:3] but now errorists from all quarters began to violate its purity and to disturb its peace.  Valentine, Cerdo, Marcion, and Marcus appeared about this time in the Western capital. [540:1] Some of these men were noted for their genius and learning; and there is every reason to believe that they created no common ferment.  They were assiduous in the dissemination of their principles, and several of them resorted to very extraordinary and unwarrantable expedients for strengthening their respective factions.  An ancient writer represents them as conducting their adherents to water, and as baptizing them “in the name of the Unknown Father of the universe; in the Truth, the mother of all; and in Him who descended on Jesus.”  “Others again,” says the same authority, “repeated Hebrew names to inspire the initiated with the greater awe.” [540:2] These attempts at proselytism were not unsuccessful.  Valentine, in particular, made many converts, and after his death, when Irenaeus wrote a refutation of his heresy, his disciples must still have been numerous. [540:3]