History of the First Ten Persecutions, History 2 · Chapter 2
Chap. 2
IN this second Centurie the Bishops of Rome for the most Bishops of Rome.part prooued faithfull and worthy seruants of Christ. A great number of them were baptized with the Baptisme of Christ, & dranke of the cup that Christ drank of, and were drenched with their owne blood, and they watred the Church of Rome with the streames of their blood, as Egypt is watred and made fruitfull with the inundation of Nilus. Men of blessed remembrance. DAMASVS writeth, that from S. PETER to TELESPHORYS all the Bishops of Rome were martyrs. Others added, that vntill the dayes of SYLVESTER who liued in the time of the reigne of CONSTANTINE all the Bishops of Rome had the honour of martyrdome. But in these hyperbolicke speeches, neither hath the distinction betweene a Martyr, and a Consessour beene rightly considered, (albeit well marked by Eus…b. eccl. hist. lib. 5. cap. 2.) neither hath the historie of the reigne of ANTONINVS PIVS bene rightly pondered, in whose dayes HYGINVS and PIVS liued, and were not slaine for the testimony of Christ. Alwayes it is a maleuolous minde that holdeth backe from worthie men their due praise and commendation both in doing of good and patient suffering of euill for Christes sake. In rehearsing the names of the Romaine Bishops, I thought meete to follow IRENEVS and EVSEBIVS rather then PLATINA. In the first Centurie after the martyrdome of PETER and PAVL, LINVS, ANACLETVS and CLEMENS were teachers of the Romaine Church, In the second Centurie followe EVARISTVS, ALEXANDER 1. XISTVS 1. TELESPHORVS, HYGINVS, PIVS 1. ANICETVS, SOTER, ELEVTHERIVS, and VICTOR. This VICTOR must needes bee called the 13. Bishop of Rome, if ELEVTHERIVS be the 12. according to the computation of IRENEVS lib. 3. cap. 3. ONVPHRIVS according to his own custome giueth more credite to olde parchments, that he hath found in the Vatican bibliotheke, then to any ancient father. He beginneth earely to distinguish CLETVS from ANACLETVS, that by taking libertie to thrust in one moe in the first Centurie he may hauehave the greater boldenesse to thrust out another of the feminine sexe in another Centurie. For it grieueth him to the heart to heare this thing so vniuersally affirmed, and to see the penne of PLATINA blushing, when hee writeth of IOANNES the eight, hee maketh litle contradiction to that settled and receiued opinion of the feminine Pope. But I leaue ONVPHRIVS sporting with his owne conceits as a Pleasant doth with his owne fingers when no other body will keepe purpose with him. EVARISTVS finished the course of his ministration in 8. yeres. ALEXANDER who is in expresse words called the fist B. of Martyre.Rome after the death of PETER and PAVL, Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 4. cap. 1. gouerned 10. yeeres, and suffered martyrdome in the dayes of ADRIAN, as PLATINA writeth. After him XISTVS 1. continued 10 yeeres, Euseb. lib. 4 cap 5 and died a M…tyre. Ma…tyremartyr, Platin. TELESPHORVS the 7 Bishop of Rome after the daies of the Apostles liued in that ministration 11. yeeres and was honoured with martyrdome, Euseb. lib. 4. cap 10. HYGINVS An. 4. And PIVS the 1. ministred 11. yeeres. These two suffered not martyrdom, because their lot was to liue in the calme dayes of a meeke Emperour ANTONINVS PIVS. ANICETVS ministred in that office 11. yeeres, with whome Martyre.POLYCARPVS B. of Smyrna conferred at Rome anent the obseruation of the festiuitie of Easter day. He concluded his life with the glorious crowne of martyrdome, Euseb. eccl. hist, lib. 4. cap 14. To him succeeded SOTER An. 9. After him ELEVTHERIVS An. 15. In whose time LVCIVS King of the Britons desired that he and his people should be baptized & recei…ed into the fellowship of Christians to whom ELEVTHERIVS sent FVGATIVS and DAMIANVS, who satisfied the desire of the King, & his people, so they were baptized and counted Christians, Platina de vita Eleutherii. After him VICTOR An. 10. He intended to hauehave excommunicat all the Churches of the East because they kept not the festi The rashnes of Victor.uitic of Pasche day conforme to the custome of the Church of Rome, but rather vponupon the day wherinto the I…wes were accustomed to eat their Paschal lamb. But this rashnes of VICTOR was somewhat abated by the graue & prudent counsell of IRENEVS B. of Lions, who admonished VICTOR, that there was no lesse discrepance of customes anent keeping of Lent then was anent the keeping of Easter day, yet was not the vnitie of the Church violated nor rent asunder for this discrepance. And when POLYCARPVS B. of Smyrna came to Rome, in his conference with ANICETVS neither of them could persuade the other to change the custome of keeping of daves which they had receiued by tradition of their predecessours. Notwithstanding they kept fast the bande of Christian fellowshippe, and ANICETVS admitted POLYCARPVS to the communion of the Romaine Church, and they departed in peace one from another, Euseb. eccl. hist. lib 5. cap. 26.
QVADRATVS B. of Athens liued in the dayes of ADRIAN. This Emperour vponupon a certaine time wintered in Ath…ns, & Of other Doctours and Preach….went to Eleusina, and was foreign ▪ that is to say, initiat into all the mysteries of Grecia. This fact of the Emperour gaue encouragement to those who hat…d Christians without allowance of the Emperoures commandement to vexe the Christians. Concerning his apologie for Christians giuen in to the Emperour together with the apologie of ARISTIDES a learned Philosopher and eloquent Orator in Athens, we hauehave spoken already in the description of the life of ADRIAN, Ierom. Catal script ec…l.
AGRIPPAS CASTOR a very learned man answered to the Agrippas Castor.bookes of the Heretique BASILIDES, who with the noueltie of barbarous and vncouth wordes troubled the hearts of rude and ignorant people, talking of a god whome hee called ARBRAXAS, and of his prophets BARCAB and BARCOB, words inuented by himselfe to terrifie simple people, Euseb. lib 4 cap. 7. Such delusions of Satan Quinti…sts in our dayes an ignorant race of braine-sicke fellowes hauehave vsed. And so the blind led the blind, and both fell into the ditch.
In this age HEGESIPPVS of the nation of the I…wes was connerted vntounto the faith of Christ, and came to Rome in Hegesippus.the dayes of ANICETVS, and continued vntill the dayes of ELEVTHERIVS, Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 11. But for what cause he came to Rome, or in what part of the world hee bestowed the trauels of his ministrie no mention is made, neither by EVSEBIVS, nor by any other ancient writer, no not by IEROM himselfe, a man most accurate explorator of all antiquities.
MELITO B. of Sardis a famous towne in Lydia wrote an apologie for the Christians to the Emperour ANTONINVS Melito.Philosophus, whome EVSEBIVS calleth MARCVS AVRELIVS VERVS, Euseb lib. 4. cap. 13. His apologie was written with Christian freedome and courage: for he is not afraid to declare to the Emperour what good successe AVGVSTVS CESAR had in whose dayes Christe was borne, and what vnprosperous …successe, NERO and DOMITIAN had, who persecuted the Christians, hist. Magdeburg. EVSEBIVS calleth him an Eunuch. lib. 5. cap. 24.
In the fourth persecution died IVSTINVS MARTYR, accused and delated by CRESCENS. He was conuerted to Christs Iustinus Martyr.religion by the trauels of an olde man, whome he supponed for his grauitie to hauehave beene a Philosopher, but hee was a Christian. This ancient man counselled IVSTINVS to be a diligent reader of the doctrine of the Prophets & Apostles, who spake by diuine inspiration, who knew the veritie, and were not couetous of vaine glory, neither were they dashed with feare, whose doctrine also was confirmed with miraculous works, which God wrought by their handes. Aboue all things willed him to make earnest prayers to God to open vntounto him the portes of true light, because the trueth cannot be comprehended, except the father of light, & his sonne Christ Iesus giuegive vntounto vsus an vnderstanding heart, Iustin. dialog cum Troph. Hee wrote two bookes of apologie for Christians to the Emperour ANTONINVS PIVS, and to his sonnes, and the Senat of Rome. In the second booke of his apologie he declareth that Christians were put to death not for any crime they had committed, but onelyonly for their profession. In witnesse whereof, if any of them would denie his Christian profession, straightway hee was absolued, because there was no other thing wherewith he was charged, Iustin. apol 2.
In this same persecution also suffered the holy martyre of PolycarpusChrist, POLYCARPVS B. of Smyrna. He was willing to hauehave remained in the towne of Smyrna, but by the earnest supplications of friendes was mooued to leaue the towne & lurke secretly in the countrie. Three dayes before hee was apprehended by his persecuters, he dreamed that his bed was set on fire and hastely consumed, which hee tooke for a diuine aduertisement that hee behooued to glorifie God by suffering the torment of fire. His conference with the Romane Deputie, and how he refused to deny Christ whom he had serued 80. yeres, and euer found him a gratious Master: also how he refused to sweare by the fortune of CAESAR, and how patiently he suffered death for the Name of Christ, this historie is set downe at length by Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. 16.
IRENEVS B. of Lions in France, and successor to PHOTINVS Ireneus.a martyr & disciple of POLYCARPVS in his youth, Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 5. flourished in the dayes of the Emperour GOMMODVS, whose meeke conuersation & peaceable cariage answering to his name foreign that is peaceable, made his name to be in great account amongst Christians. How he pacified the furie of VICTOR B. of Rome, and the pernicious schisme springing vp in the Church of God vponupon very small occasiō it hath bene alreadie declared. He lacked not his own infirmities & errours, euen in doctrine. He was intangled with the errour of the Chiliasts, lib. 5. contra Valentin. He supponed that as Christ being 30. yeere old, was baptized, so likewise he began to teach when he was 40. yeere olde, and suffered when he was 50. because he came to saue all, & therefore he wold taste of al the ages of mankind, Iren. lib. 2. cap. 34. Yet is this opiniō repugnāt to the narratiō of the 4. Euangelists.
CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS liued in the dayes of the Emperour COMMODVS. He was the disciple of PANTENVS. These Clemens Alexandrinus.two seeme to be the authors of Vniuersities and Colledges: For they taught the grounds of religion, not by sermons & Homilies to the people, but by catechetical doctrine to the learned in the schooles, Bucolc, Chron. Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 11. This CLEMENS esteemed too much of tradition, like as PAPIAS did, of whome we spake in the former Centurie, wherby it came to passe that he fell into many strange & absurde opinions directly repugnant to the written word of God, affirming that after our calling to the knowledge of the truth, possibly God may grant to them that hauehave sinned, foreign, but if we sin ofter then once or twise, there is no more renuing by repentance or pardon for sinne, but a fearful expectation of judgmēt, Strom. li. 2. And in his 4. book of Strom. as it were forgetting his owne rigorous sentence against these who sin ofter then once or twise after their illuminatiō with the light of God he saith, foreign, that is to say, whether here or else where (viz. creatures doe repent) for no place is void or the mercy of God. In which words he wold in sinuat that these who repēt either in this world or else where (that is in the world to come) may possibly obtaine fauour at Gods hande, nothing can bee written more repugnant both to the word of God, and also to his owne fore-mentioned opinion.
Many other worthy preachers and learned men flourished in this Centurie, whose names of purpose are pretermitted. In Athens PVBLIVS and ATHENAGORAS: In Corinth PRIMVS, DIONYSIVS and BACCHILVS: In the Isle of Candie PHILIPPVS and PINYTVS: In Anticchia HIERON, THEOPHILVS, MAXIMVS, SERAPION. hist M…gdeburg. In Jerusalem before the dayes of the Emperour HADRIAN the Bishoppes of Jerusalem were of the nation of the Iewes. But after the dayes of HADRIAN who banished the Iewes from their natiue soile, Christian preachers of other nations were bishops in Jerusalem, such as MARCVS, CASSIANVS, PVBLIVS, MAXIMVSIVLIANVS, CAPITO, VALENS, DOLICHIANVS, NARCISSVS, Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 12. the most part of all these liued in this Centurie, but NARCISSVS with some others, are knowne to hauehave liued in the dayes of SEVERVS the fift persecuter, and some space after him, Euseb lib. 6. cap. 9. But to write of all other worthy preachers and doctours in particular, it were an infinite labour, and far surmounting the habilitie of these ecclesiasticke writers who wrote in ancient times, and much more our habilitie who liue in a posterior age.