II. QUADRATUS. There was also another Quadratus, an Apologist for the Christian Religion, under the Emperor Adrian. He had been instructed by the Euseb. Chronic. an. 127.Apostles, and was a Prophet, and full of the Holy Ghost. Many of the modern Interpreters will have him to be the Angel of Philadelphia, to whom Jesus Christ addresses himself in the Revelations. But it is not easy to reconcile this Opinion with the Chronology and History of this holy Man. Eusebius says, he was already become famous in the Church in the time of Trajan. He was of the Number of those Apostolical Men, who following the Zeal of their Masters, built up the Edifice of the Church, and sow’d every where the Seed of the Word of the Gospel. They began by distributing their Substance to the Poor, and then went from Province to Province, preaching Jesus Christ to them that had not yet heard of him. Their Preaching was generally attended with Miracles, and with the Power of the Holy Ghost; and they sometimes converted a whole Nation at once.
Quadratus is the first that composed an Apology for the Christian Religion. He presented it himself to Adrian, in the Year 126, according to the Chronicon of Eusebius.Hieron. de Vir. illust. c. 19. St. Jerom calls this Apology a very useful Work, full of strong Reasoning, replenished with the Light of Faith, and worthy of a Disciple of the Apostles. This Piece had Power enough to extinguish the Persecution, which was then raised against Hieron. Ep. 84.the Church. We have only a few Fragments remaining of it. St. Jerom and the Latin Martyrologies make Quadratus Bishop of Athens, under Marcus Aurelius, and will have him to have suffered Martyrdom in the Persecution of those Times. a But others think that Quadratus Bishop of Athens, was very different from the Apologist. See M. de Tillemont t. 2. Persecution under Adrian, art. 7. p. 237. and not. 7. upon this Persecution.