Abridgment of the Book of Acts and Monuments by Timothy Bright, Volume 1 · Book 1 · Persecution 4
The fourth Perſecution.
IN Antoninus Verus time, ſuffered many Chriſtians with diuerſe kinds of torments: namely at Smyrna, ſome of thē were whipped, that the inward arteries & veines appeared, euen their very intrailes and bowels were ſéene, & after that were ſet vponupon ſharpe ſhels, taken out of the ſea, edged & ſharp, and certain nailes & thorns laid for the martirs to go vpō ſharpned & pointed, called obeliſci. And laſtly were they thrown to beaſts to be deuoured. Among whō one Germanicus Germanicus.very cōſtantly ſuffred, to the admiration of ye enimies. But moſt famous aboue ye reſt, was the martirdom of Polycarpus, Polycarpus,diſciple to the Apoſtles and 86. yéeres of age, & who had ſerued in the miniſtery about the ſpace of 70. yéeres, and was placed of S. Iohn in Smirna, whoſe diſciple he was. He ſuffered about the yéere of our Lord 170. and in the 7. yéere of Antoninus Verus. The manner of his death and martyrdome was thus. Theſe perſecutions being begun in Smyrna, Polycarpus was perſwaded by certaine yt were about him, to conuey himſelfe away, and to hide him in a Village not farre from the Citie, which hee did, and there abiding with a fewe more of his companie, was night and day in ſupplication, for the peace of the Congregation.
Three daies before his apprehenſion, hee ſawe in a viſion by night, the bed ſet on fire vnderunder him, and ſodainly to be conſumed, And when he waked, he interpreted it, that he ſhould ſuffer martirdome by fire. At the laſt (being found by the purſuers, & vnderſtanding yt they were armed) he came frō the chamber where he was, & entertained thē wt chéerful countenaunce, and made them dine, and required that hée might hauehave one houres reſpite to make his prayers: which being grāted him, he did it in ſuch ſort, as they which heard him were aſtonied. His prayers being ended, they brought him to the citie vponupon an Aſſe on a ſolemne feaſt day, there met him Irenarchus, Irenarchus.Herodes, Herodes.and his father Nicetes: Nicetes.which cauſing him to come vp into the chariot where they ſat, perſwaded him to do ſacrifice. Which when he refuſed, wt rough wordes they moleſted him, and thruſt him, going downe the chariot, that he might hurt or breake his legs: but he went merily on to the place appointed. To whome there came a voice from heauen that comforted him, & bad him be of good chéere, as he was going to the place of iudgement. Whither when hee came, the Proconſul diſſwaded him from the faith, and willed him to ſay with him and the reſt, Deſtroy theſe naughty men. Then Polycarpus beholding with conſtant countenance the whole multitude, and giuing a great ſigh, looked vp to heauen and ſaid: Thou thou it is that wilt deſtroy theſe wicked men, meaning the Lord. Then the proconſul thus being earneſt with him ſaid vntounto him, take thine oath, and I will diſcharge thée: Deſte Chriſt Polycarpus anſwered, 86. yéeres hauehave I béen his ſeruant, yet in all this time hath he not ſo much as once hurt me, how then may I ſpeake euil of my ſoueraign Lord and king, which hath thus preſerued me. Then the Proconſul vſed al maner of threatnings againſt him: which when they could not preuaile, Policarpus ſtill denying with great conſtancie, Philip the Gouernor of Aſia, was commaunded to let loſe the Lion to Policarpus: who made anſwere, that he might not ſo doe, becauſe he had his pray alredy. Then the people required wt one voice, that he would burn Policarpus aliue. Which was perfourmed. And hauing made himſelfe readie to the ſtake, they would hauehave nayled him thereto with Iron hoopes, but he ſaid: let me alone as I am, for hee that hath geuen mee ſtrength to ſuffer and abide the fire, ſhall alſo geue power, that wtout this prouiſiō I ſhal abide, and not ſtir in this fire. Which when they heard, they only bound him: who hauing geuen thankes vntounto God, and teſtified his faith, the tormentors put fire vntounto him, which ſeemed to thoſe that were beholders, to compaſſe the bodie like a vaile, which in ye middeſt thereof ſéemed like golde and ſiluer, tried in the fire, and yelded a pleaſant ſmell Thus the fire not conſuming his bodie, one of the Tormentors thruſt him in with a Sworde. Whereafter, ſo great a quantitie of bloud iſſued out of his bodie, that the fire was quenched therewith. The bodie afterwarde was taken and burned, as their manner was to doe. And this was the ende of that worthie man.
At that ſame time ſuffered alſo at Smirna twelue other, that came from Philadelphia, with diuers other: as, Metrodorus, Metrodorus.a miniſter, and another worthy man named Pionius, Pionius.who (after gréeuous torments) were burned.
After theſe, ſuffered Carpus, Carpus.Papylus, Papylus.and Agathonica, Agathonica.a woman, who were put to death at Pergamopolis in Aſia, Euſeb. l. 4. c. 7.
In Rome ſuffered Felicitas wt her ſeuen children:Felicitas with her 7. children. whoſe names were, Ianuarius, Felix, Philip, Siluanus, Alexander, Vitalis and Martialis. Of which companie, Ianuarius (after he was whipped with roddes) was preſt to death with leaden waightes. Felix and Philip had their braines beaten out with maules. Siluanus was caſt downe headlong, and had his neck broken. Alexander, Vitalis, and Martialis, were beheaded. Laſt of all, the mother was ſlaine with the ſworde. Ex Suppl.
VnderUnder this M. Antoninus ſuffred alſo the worthy man, and learned Philoſopher Iuſtinus, Iuſtinus.born at Neapolis in Paleſtina. His father was Priſcus Baicus. He wrote Apologies: Firſt to the Senate of Rome, after to Antonius Pius, the Emperor. He wrote alſo to Vrbinus, Lieftenant of the Citie. He preuayled ſo with Antonius Pius, that hee ſtayed the perſecution in Aſia. This man was accuſed by Creſcens a Cynike philoſopher, whom he had vanquiſhed in diſputation: in reuenge whereof he procured his death, in the yere 154. in the xiij. yere of the Reigne of Antoninus the Emperor.
VnderUnder the ſame Antoninus, ſuffered alſo Ptolomeus, & Lucius, Lucius.for confeſſing Chriſt, in a Citie of Egypt, called Alexandria. Ptolomeus was accuſed by a Centurion, ſubornne thereunto by a vicious Infidel, whoſe wife had béene alſo lewde, but conuerted by Ptolomeus, and thereupon departing from her vicious huſband, hee reuengeth himſelfe vponupon her Inſtructor: who being brought before Vrbinus the Iudge, and condemned to ſuffer death, Lucius a Chriſtian, blaming the Iudge, and iuſtifying the innocencie of Ptolomeus, was with him alſo (without further examination) martired.
In the raigne of this Tirant, ſuffered alſo one Concordus, Concordus.a Miniſter in the Citie of Spoletum, becauſe he would not do ſacrifice to Iupiter, but ſpit in his face: wherefore (after many and ſundrie torments) he was beheaded.
It is reported that diuers other Martirs ſuffered vnderunder this Antoninus Verus: as, Symmetrius, Symmetrius, &c.Florellus, Pontianus, Alexāder, Caius, Epipodus, Victor. Corona, Marcellus, and Valerianus. Who (becauſe they would not doe ſacrifice to Idols) ended their liues by the ſword.
VnderUnder this Tyrant ſuffered diuers Martirs at Vienna, and Lions, two Cities in France. Among whom, Vetius, Vetius.Zacharias, Sanctus, Maturus, Attalus, Blandina, Alexander, and Alcibiades, are chiefly renoumed.
Vetius Epagathus, for reproouing the cruell ſentence of the Iudge, geuen againſt the Chriſtians, and making an Apologie for them, was martyred. He was called by the faithfull (being but a young man) the Aduocate of the Chriſtians.
Sanctus.Sanctus was Deacon of the Congregation at Vienna: Maturus Maturus.was but a little before baptized: Attalus Attalus.was borne at Pergama, who was the foundation and piller of that congregatiō. Blandina Blandina.weried the tormentors with hir patient ſuffering. Likewiſe did Sanctus, who in his tormenting beyng aſked his name, his citie, his kinred, he anſwered to all queſtions, I am a Chriſtian. With theſe ſuffered one Bibledes Bibledes.a woman, who had denied Chriſt, & being tormented to the end ſhe might vtter ſome wickednes of the Chriſtians, ſhée confeſſed Chriſt againe, continued conſtant, and was martyred with the reſt.
At that time Photinus Photinus.deacon to the B. of Lions, about 90. yéeres old, beyng firſt ſore beaten, was caſt into priſon, and there died within two daies after.
Maturus and Sanctus were brought againe to torment, and with them Blandina and Attalus, yet, notwithſtanding exquiſite and ſtrange deuiſed torments, they continued conſtant in the faith. Blandina was faſtened vponupon a ſtake, & caſt to beaſts to be deuoured, but no beaſt woulde touch her: wherevpon they tooke her downe, and put her in priſon till another time.
Attalus was brought foorth againe, with one Alexander Alexander.a Phrygian, and a Phiſition: who becauſe he encouraged the Chriſtians ſtanding before the Iudge, was apprehended, and ſuffered moſt grieuous torments moſt patiently, without change of countenaunce, and died, broyled in an Iron chaire.
After this (being the laſt day of the ſpectacle) Blandina againe, and one Ponticus, Ponticus.a childe of fiftéen yeres olde, was brought foorth. The childe died conſtant, with extremitie of torment. Blandina (after diuers moſt exquiſite tormentes, as whips, gridiron, and wilde beaſtes) was at the laſt, caſt into a net, & throwen to a wilde Bull, and ſo was gored to death. Neither did their rage ceaſe againſt the dead bodies: which they would not ſuffer to be buried, but cauſed them to be watched, leaſt they ſhould be put in graue. The cauſes why theſe perſecutions were the more ſharpe, was becauſe ſome of the Ethnicks being ſeruants to the chriſtians, were compelled by threatnings to fayne againſt them, that they kept the feaſts of Thieſtes and inceſt of Oedipus, with other moſt hainous crimes.
To theſe Emperours did Melito Melito.biſhop of Sardis exhibite Apologies for the Chriſtians, learned and eloquent. So did Claudius Apollinaris Cl. Apollinarisbiſhop of Hierapolis, like as Quadratus Quadratus.and Ariſtides Ariſtides.did before to the Emperour Hadrian. So that whether it were by that means, or through the writing of Athenagoras Athenagoras.a philoſopher, & a Legate of ye Chriſtians, it is certaine yt the perſecutiō the ſame time was ſtaied.Perſecuton ſtayed. Others thinke it came by a miracle wrought in the Emperours campe. For what time the two brethren Emperours ioyned together, and warred againſt the Quades, Vandals, Sarmates, and Germaines, when their ſouldiers wanting water fiue daies together,Miracle. and by meanes thereof were like to periſh: in this diſtreſſe, a legion of the Chriſtian ſouldidiers withdrew themſelues, and praied, whereby they obtained ſhowers and ſwéete raine, and the enimies were terrified with lightnings and haile, and ſo diſcomfited and put to flight. Wherevpon the Emperour wrote to diuers of his Gouernours, that they ſhould giuegive thankes to the Chriſtians, and giuegive them peace: of whom came the victorie and preſeruation to him and all his people.
In the yere 175. ſuccéeded the former Lucius, Antoninus Commodus, Commodus.ſonne to Verus, who raigned xiij. yeares. In whoſe time (as ſome thinke) by the fauour of Martia, Martia.the Emperors Concubine, who fauoured the Chriſtians, perſecution ſlaked. By which meanes, many noble perſonages of Rome, embraced the Goſpel. Among whō was one Apollonius, Apollonius.who being maliciouſly accuſed by Seuerus his ſeruant, (notwithſtanding the falſe accuſation of his Accuſer) being detected, and he for that crime hauing his legs broken, was neuertheleſſe, driuen to make confeſſion of his faith, and for the ſame alſo beheaded by an auncient Law, that no Chriſtian ought to be releaſed without recantation.
This Emperor on his birth day, with the people of Rome aſſembled together, made ſacrifice to Hercules and Iupiter, cauſing it to be cried through out ye citie, that Hercules was the patrone of the citie. At which time there were in the citie Vincentius, Vincentius.Euſebius, Euſebius, &c.Peregrinus, Potentianus, learned men, and inſtructors of the people: who conuerting the Gentils in diuerſe places, and hearing hereof, preached and perſwaded againſt the ſame, and conuerted one Iulius Iulius.a Senator, with others to the faith. Whereof Commodus hearing cauſed them all to be firſt tormented, & then to be preſſed to death with leaden waights, ſauing that Iulius was beaten to death with cuggels, at the commandement of Vitellus the Maiſter of the Souldiers.
Peregrinus Peregrinus.had béene ſent before of Xiſtus B. of Rome into the parts of Fraunce, to ſupply the roome of a teacher, where the horrible perſecutiōs had made waſt. Who hauing there eſtabliſhed the Churches, returned home againe to Rome, and finiſhed his daies with martyrdome.
Xiſtus Xiſtus.or Sixtus was the ſixt biſhop of Rome after Peter, and gouerned that miniſtery ten yéeres.
To Sixtus ſuccéeded Teleſphorus, Teleſphorus.and was biſhop there eleuen yéeres, and died in the firſt yéere of Antoninus Pius, beyng martyred the yéere 138. After him ſuccéeded Hyginus, Hyginus.and died a martyr anno 142. After him followed Pius. Pius, &c.After him ſuccéeded Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherius, about the yéere 180.
About this time of Commodus, among others were martyred Serapion Serapion.B. of Antioch, Egeſippus Egeſippus.a writer of the eccleſiaſticall Hiſtory from Chriſtes paſſion to his time. Alſo Miltiades, Miltiades.who wrote his Apologie for Chriſtian religion, as did Melito, Ariſtides and Quadratus before.
About the ſame time wrote Heraclitus, Heraclitus.who firſt began to write Annotations and Enarrations vponupon the New Teſtament, and Epiſtles of the Apoſtles. Alſo Theophilus Theophilus.biſhop of Ceſarea, Dioniſius Dioniſius.biſhop of Corinth, a man famouſly learned, who wrote diuerſe Epiſtles to diuerſe churches: and among other exhorteth Penitus Penitus.a biſhop that he would lay no yoke of chaſtitie on any neceſſitie vponupon his brethren, but that he would conſider the infirmitie of other, and beare with it.
About the daies of Cōmodus, wrote alſo Clemens Alexandrinus Clemens Alexandrinus.a man of ſingular learning. In that time liued alſo Pantenus, who was the firſt in Alexandria that profeſſed to reade in open ſchoole, of whom is thought firſt to riſe the order of Vniuerſities in chriſtendome. He was ſent to preach to the Indians by Demetrius biſhop of Alexandria.
Now in this tranquillitie of the Church grew contention among themſelues for Eaſter day,Contention among the chriſtians for Eaſter day. which had bin ſtirred before of Polycarpus & Anicetus. For they of the Weſt church pretending the tradition of Paule and Peter, but in déede being of Hermes and Pius, kept the Sunday after the 14. day of the firſt monethmonth. The Church of Aſia following the ordinance of Iohn the Apoſtle, obſerued an other.