Accompanied by Titus, the Apostle also went into the island of Crete. Taking a long voyage, he next visits Ephesus, passing thence to Macedonia. Titus had remained in Crete to watch over the newly founded Church, and with power to institute bishops and priests, and to him St. Paul writes an Epistle from Nicopolis, counselling him how to watch over the flock committed to his care. In this letter he speaks of remaining during the winter in this city, but he appears to have passed to Corinth, and thence to the Churches of Troas and Miletus, returning to Rome at the close of the year 66. The first general persecution of the Church had commenced by order of Nero. Being disposed to give a spectacle which might rival the celebrated taking of Troy, this tyrant gave command for the city of Rome to be set on fire. {134} Rome was then composed of fourteen divisions, out of which only four escaped the flames of this tremendous conflagration. Nero, to excuse himself from the infamy of this act, laid the blame upon the Christians, and, as a punishment, had them arrested and condemned to the most dreadful torments. Some were sewn up in the skins of wild beasts, and then were hunted by dogs in imitation of a barbarous chase. Many were crucified; others had their clothing smeared with some combustible material, and, fastened to posts in the streets or in the alleys of the imperial garden, were then set on fire. During these horrors Nero walked, or drove in a car, about the gardens, or through the ruined city, enjoying the sufferings which his cruel nature had invented. {135} It was at the very height of this persecution that St. Paul was brought into Rome once more a prisoner, and dragged before the emperor. So great, however, were his courage and his eloquence, that he escaped any severer sentence than that of imprisonment. This time St. Paul was alone--his friends had removed to other parts, and feared to come to him. But, like that dear Saviour, Whose own disciples forsook Him in the hour of peril, St. Paul did not harshly censure his Christian brethren, but rather felt pity for their weakness of heart, and prayed that they might be forgiven for deserting him in his infirm age, with the near prospect of martyrdom before him. {136} While in prison, the Apostle wrote a second letter to Timothy, full of love and holy counsels. In this Epistle he exhorts him to "stir up the grace of God," which he had received at his ordination, and not to be discouraged by suffering. He also utters a warning against those who have gone astray from truth, and concludes by speaking of his approaching death, and desires Timothy to come to him. The trial of St. Paul terminated, as he had expected, with sentence of death.