Abridgment of the Book of Acts and Monuments by Timothy Bright, Volume 1 · Book 1 · Persecution 3
The thirde Perſecution.
The third perſecution.BEtwixt the ſecond perſecution and the third, was but one yere, vnderunder the Emperor Nerua. Nerua.After whom ſuccéeded Traianus, Traianus.who rayſed the thirde perſecution: which was ſo grieuous, that Plinius Secundus Plinius Secundus.(moued with compaſſion) being himſelfe an Infidel, wrote to the Emperour, and certified him that ſo many thouſandes were put to death without cauſe: ſauing that they vſed to gather themſelues together before day, to ſing hymnes to a certaine God, whom they worſhipped, called Chriſt. Whereupon the perſecutions were greatly alaied.
The ſumme of Plinies letters to the Emperor.
Plinies letter for mitigation of the perſecution.THe ſumme of the Epiſtle was, that the Emperour would reſolue how long to inflicte the puniſhment with reſpecte of Age, Sexe, or Degrée. Whether any Pardon might be graunted vntounto ſuch as would denie the faith; or whether that offēce alone ſhould ſo grieuouſly be puniſhed; or if other offences did aggrauate the fault: who (their Religion and excepted, their worſhipping of Chriſt) els cōmitted they nothing againſt the lawes: as euē ſuch that had renoū ced their faith confeſſed, & as he had made proofe by laying 2. chriſtian maids on ye racke, to proue if they could hauehave extorted confeſſion of further crime. And that for aſmuch as ſome (although many of them encreaſed) gaue their names to doo ſacrifice with incēſe vntounto the image of the Emperor, and ſacrifices were more then before brought to be ſold: if ſpace were granted, they might be amended, which elſe by great multitudes might run into daunger of condemnation. To whom the Emperor made anſwere:The Emperours anſwere. yt he would not hauehave the chriſtiās ſought for, but if any were brought & cōuicted, ſuch ſhould ſuffer executiō: & ſuch as vnfainedly denied the faith, & would do ſacrifice in opē place, ſhould be receiued to mercy.
Certaine Sectaries there were of the Iewes that accuſed Simeon Simeon.then B. of Ieruſalem, & ſonne of Cleophas, to come of the ſtocke of Dauid, and that he was a Chriſtian. Wherevpon he was ſcourged by Attalus Attalus.commaundement then Proconſull, during the ſpace of many daies together, being of the age of 120. and with great admiration giuen of his conſtancie, he ended his courſe vponupon the croſſe.
VnderUnder this Traiane which next followed Nerua, amōg others, Phocas Phocas.B. of Pōtus ſuffered, whō Traianus, becauſe he refuſed to do ſacrifice to Neptune, caſt into a hot furnace, and after into a ſcalding bath. Anton. Eginl. faſcic. temporum.
In the ſame perſecutiō ſuffered alſo Sulpitius Sulpitius.& Seruilianus Seruilianus.two Romanes, whoſe wiues are ſaid to be Emphroſina Emphroſina.& Theodora: Theodora.whom Salma Salma.did conuert to the faith, and afterward were alſo martyred. This Salma was beheaded of C. Lepidus, the gouernour, in the mount Auentine, in the daies of Hadrian: vnderunder whom alſo ſuffered Seraphia Seraphia.a virgin of Antioch. Moreouer in this time of Traiane ſuffered Nereus Nereus.and Achilleus Achilleus.at Rome: about which time alſo one Sagaris Sagaris.ſuffered martyrdome in Aſia, Seruius Paulus beyng then Proconſull in that prouince.
In this time ſuffered Ignatius. Ignatius.Some ſay that he being ſent from Syria to Rome, was giuē to wild beaſts to be deuoured: paſſing through Aſia he confirmed the churches, and cōming to Smirna where Polycarpus Polycarpus.was, he wrot diuerſe epiſtles, one to Epheſus, an other to Magneſia Magneſia.being at Meander, another to Trallis. He now being iudged to ye beaſts, & hearing the Lions roare: I am the wheat or graine (ſaid he) of Chriſt, I ſhall be ground with the téeth of wild beaſts, that I may be found pure bread. He ſuffered the 11. yéere of the raigne of Traianus. Euſeb. & Hieronimus.
About this time many thouſands died for the faith: among them one Publius Publius.biſhop of Athens.
Next to Traianus ſuccéeded Hadrian, Hadrian.vnderunder whom ſuffered Alexander biſhop of Rome, with his two Deacons Euentius Euentius.and Theodorus, Theodorus.alſo Hermes Hermes.and Quirinus Quirinus.with their families.
In this time of Hadrian, Zenon, Zenon.a noble man of Rome with 10023 were ſlaine for Chriſt. Henricus de Erfodia & Bergomenſis lib. 8. make mention of 10000. in the daies of this Hadrian, to be crucified in the mount Ararat, crowned with crownes of thorne, & thruſt into the ſides with ſharpe darts, after the example of the Lords paſſiō: whoſe captains were Achaicus, Achaicus. &c.Heliades, Theodorus, and Carcerius, &c.
VnderUnder Hadrian ſuffered alſo Euſtachius, Euſtachius.a captaine whō Traianus had ſent in times paſt againſt the Barbarians, & hauing now ſubdued them, was honorably met in his iorney of Hadrian the Emperor himſelfe: who firſt by ye way would do ſacrifice to Apollo for the victory, willing Euſtachius to do alſo. Which he refuſing (not withſtanding all meanes to draw him to it) was brought to Rome: where with his wife & children he ſuffered martyrdome vnderunder the ſame Hadrian.
Fauſtinus.Fauſtinus & Iobita Iobita.citizens of the citie of Brixia, ſuffered martyrdome with gréeuous torments. At the ſight whereof one Caelocerius Caelocerius.ſeing their ſo great patiēce in ſuch tormēts, cried out with theſe words, Verè magnus Deus chriſtianorum. Verily, great is the God of the Chriſtians. Wherevpon he was preſently apprehended, and ſuffred with them. Ex Ant. Equi.
One Anthia a godly woman (who committed her ſonne Eleutherius to Anicetus Biſhop of Rome, to be brought vp in the faith,) who was afterward B. of Apulia, was there beheaded with her ſonne Eleutherius Nicephorus.
VnderUnder this Hadrian ſuffered alſo Iuſtus, Iuſtus.and Paſtor, Paſtor,twoo brethren in a Citie of Spaine called Complutum.
Likewiſe Symphroniſſa the wife of Getulus the martyr, with her ſeuen children,Symphroniſſa and her ſeuen children. is ſaid about the ſame time to ſuffer: who firſt was much and often beaten and ſcourged, & afterward hanged vp by the haire of the head. At laſt, hauing an huge ſtone faſtned about her necke, was caſt into the riuer. And after that her ſeuen children, with ſundrye and diuers kindes of puniſhments, were martyred by the Tyrants.
Getulus or Getulius was a miniſter or teacher in the Citie of Tibur, who with Cerdelis, Amantius, and Primitiuus, by the commaundement of Adrian, were condemned to the fire. The names of the ſeuen ſonnes of Symphroniſſa were, Creſcens, Iulianus Nemeſius, Primitiuus, Iuſtinus, Stateus, and Eugenius: who by the commaundement of Adrian, were tied to ſeuen ſtakes, and ſo racked with a pulley: and laſt of all, thruſt through, Creſcens in the neck, Iulianus in the breaſt, Nemeſius in the heart, Primitiuus about the nauell, Iuſtinus cut in eueryevery ioynt of his body, Stateus runne through with ſpeares, Eugenius cut aſunder from the breſt to the lower partes, and then caſt into a déepe pit, hauing the name by their idolatrous Prieſts, entituled Ad ſeptem Biothanatos. After the death of whom Symphroniſſa the mother did likewiſe ſuffer.
Getulus
The children of Symphoroſa. Creſcens.
Iulianus.
Nemeſius.
Primitiuus.
Iuſtinus.
Stateas.
Eugenius.
Cerdelis
Amantius
Primitiuus
Sophia and her two children.Sophia with her two children Serapia and Salma did ſuffer vnderunder ſome tyrant about the the yéere 130.
While Hadrian the Emperour was at Athens, he purpoſed to viſite the citie of Elewſina: which he did, where he ſacrificing to the Gentiles gods, gaue frée libertie to kill the Chriſtians whoſoeuer would. Wherevpon Quadratus Quadratus.Biſhoppe of Athens, and Ariſtides Ariſtides.a philoſopher of Athens, and another Serenus Gramus, Serenus.a man of great nobilitie, wrote Apologies for the Chriſtians vntounto the Emperour, with ſuch eloquence and learning, laying out their innocencie, that he directed his letters to Minutius Fundanus Proconſul of Aſia,Perſecution aſſwaged in Aſia. willing him from hencefoorth to exerciſe no more crueltie vponupon the Chriſtians, nor to condemne them for that cauſe. Thus the Chriſtians had ſome quiet for a time.
After Hadrian, ſuccéeded Antoninus Pius, Anton. Pius.who although he moued no perſecution againſt the Chriſtians, yet the tumultuous rage of the heathen did not ceaſſe to diſquiet the people of God. The Emperours affection might appeare by a letter or edict of his to the Commons of Aſia, to ſtay their rage againſt Chriſtians, except they had committed anie thing againſt the lawes of the Empire, willing them to conſider the Chriſtians patience in their tormentes, and boldneſſe in times of Earthquakes,Perſecution ceaſſeth. and tempeſtes, when as other tremble and quake for feare. This edict was proclaimed at Epheſus in the publike aſſemblie of all Aſia. So by this meanes the tempeſt of perſecution in thoſe dayes began to be appeaſed.
After Antoninus Pius, M. Antoninus Verus M. Antoninus verus.ſuccéeded with his brother Lucius, Lucius.about the yéere 162. Theſe were ſharp and fierſe againſt the Chriſtians, and after Nero, moued the fourth perſecution.