The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. More examples of Persecutors.
SAint Bartholomew one of the twelve Apostles, after hee had preached Christ Jesus unto the Indians, and delivered them the Gospell written by Saint Mathew, and had converted many unto the Faith, albeit the miracles which he wrought were strange and supernatural (for hee restored many diseased persons to their health, and clensed King Polemius his daughter from an unclean spirit wherewith she was possessed) yet in Hieron. in Ca….regard that he destroyed their Idoll Astaroth, and bewraied the subtilties of Satan, he was by Astyages, Polemius younger brother, at the instigation of the Idolatrous Priests, first cruell beaten with clubs, after fleyed, and last of all beheaded. But within thirty dayes after, both the wicked King, and the sacrilegious Priests, were poffessed with devills, and brought to a wretched and miserable death.
Aphraats that heavenly Philosopher, going out of his Cloyster towards Theod. l. 4. c. 26.the Temple, to feed the flocke of Christ with some wholesome food of sound Doctrine; and being perceived by the Emperour Valeus, and demanded Tripartit. Hist. lib. 8. cap. 4. Nicl. 11. c. 25.whither he went; he answered, To pray for him and his kingdome. Yea, but said the Emperour, it were more convenient for thee that professest thy selfe a Monke, to remaine at home in contemplation, than to stray abroad: True answered this holy man, if Christs sheep enjoyed peace; but as it becommeth an honest Matron to sit still within doors; nevertheles if her house were on fire, and the flame invi…oned her, should she not stirre to helpe to quench it? And should I lye still, and see my Countrey set on fire by the persecution? Whereat the Emperour being netled, threatned him with death; and one of his chamberlaines taunting him for his boldnesse, used him most currishly. But presently as he went to the Baths, to make them ready for the Emperour, the hand of God stroke him with an Apoplexy, that he fell downe dead into the waters.
Under the Empire of Iulian the Apostate, all they that either conspired T…eod. l. 3. c. 7.or practised the death of Cyrillus a Deacon of Heliopolis, scituate neer to Libanus, came to a miserable end: for after that Constantine was deceased, by whose authority the holy Martyr had broken downe many of their Images and Idoils, the abhominable Idolaters did not onelyonly murther him, but also devoured his liver with bread, as if it had been the sweetest morsell of meat in the world. But the all-seeing eye of God saw their villany, and his revengefull rod bruised them in peeces: for their teeth wherewith they chewed that unnaturall food, fell all out of their heads; and their tongues wherewith they tasted it, rotted and consumed to nothing; and lastly, their eyes which beheld it, failed them, and they became blinde. And thus were they all served, not one excepted, bearing justly the markes of Gods wrath for so inhumane and unnaturall a deed.
At Tyre a City of Phoenicia, under the raigne of Dioclesian, many Christians Euseb. l. 8. c. 7.that stoutly professed and maintained the Faith and Religion of Christ Jesus, were after many tortures and destructions, exposed to wilde beasts to be devoured, as Beares, Libards, wilde Boares, and Buls: the savage basts, though made fierce and furious by fires and swords, yet (I know not by what secret instinct.) resused once to touch them, or to come neere them, but turned their teeth upon the Infidels that were without, and came to set them on upon the Saints, and tore many of them in pieces in their steads. Howbeit, although they escaped the jawes of wilde beasts, yet they escaped not the swords of them that were more savage than any beasts: and though the bowels of Beares refused to entombe them, yet were they intombed in the flouds, and crowned with the Crowne of sacred martyrdome.
Processus and Martianus, Keeper of the Prison wherein the Apostles Peter and Paul were inclosed at Rome, seeing the miracles which were wrought by their hands, believed in Christ, and together with seven and forty other prisoners were baptized. Which when Paulinus the Judge perceived, hee injoyned them to lay aside their conscience, and offer sacrifice to Idols. But they, readier to obey God than man, could neither by threats nor violence bee brought to it; but chose rather to bee beaten with clubs Vincentius, l. 10. c. 56. Petru… de Natalibus.or consumed with fire, or scourged with Scorpions, as they were, than to yeeld to deny their Maker, by doing worship to devilish and monstrous Idols. But that Judge the procurer of their martyrdomes, shortly after became himselfe an object of Gods wrath; when his eye-sight failed him, and an evill spirit so possessed and tormented him, that in the extremity of terrours and griefe, he breathed out ere long his last and miserable breath.
Nicephorus reporteth, How the Emperour Trajan having caused five Lib. 3. c. 21.holy Virgins to be burned, for standing in the profession of the Truth, commanded certaine Vessells to be made of their ashes mingled with brasse, and dedicated them to the service of a publique Bath; but the Bath that before time instilled a wholesome and healthfull vapour into mens bodies, now became pernitious and fatall unto them: for all that washed themselves therein, felt presently such a giddinesse in their braines, and such a dimnesse of sight, that they fell downe dead forthwith: The cause of which mischiefe being perceived by Trajan, he melted againe the Virgin-moulded Vessells, and erected five statues to the honour of them; so choaking as it were one superstition with another, to his owne eternall infamy and disgrace.
Agapitus, a youngman of fifteene yeares of age, being apprehended by Bergom. lib. ….the inhabitants of Preneste, and grievously tormented, for refusing to offer sacrifice to their Idols; and when all would not serve to shake the foundation of his Faith (which was builded upon a Rocke) hee was condemned and executed to death: For, being first scourged with whips, then hanged up by the feet; after having hot scalding water poured upon him, at last hee was cast unto wilde beasts. With all which torments being not terrified, nor yet dispatched, finally had his head cut off. But behold, the Judge called Antiochus, that pronounced the sentence, fell downe from his Throne before the face of the world, even whilst the young man was in the mid'st of his torments; and by his example made knowne to all men, how odious such cruell persecutors are in the sight of Him that judgeth the Earth, and controlleth the mightie Princes and Potentates of the same.
In the Empire of Iulian the Apostate the Lord sene such horrible earthquakes upon the world, that what for the fall of houses, and raptures of fields, neither citie nor countrey was safe to abide in: besides, such an extreame drouth dryed up the moisture of the earth, that victualls were very geason and deare. These plagues Theodoret avoucheth to have fallen upon Lib. 4. cap. 4.the world for the impietie of Iulian, and the miserable persecution of Christians.
The Emperour Gallus had good successe in his affaires whil'st he abstained Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 21. & 2….from shedding the bloud of the Christians; but as soone as hee gave himselfe over unto that villany, his prosperitie, Kingdome, and life diminished and decreased at once: for within two yeares he and his sonne V… lusianus, in the warre against Aemylian, were both slaine, through the defection of his souldiers, who in the point of necessitie forsooke him. Beside, the Lord in his time sent upon the Provinces of Rome a generall and contagious pestilence, which lasted whole ten yeares without intermission, to make satisfaction for the much innocens blood which was spilled amongst them.
Arnolphus the fourescor▪th Emperour, raged like a Tyrant against all men, but especially against those that professed the Religion and name of Philip Melan. Chron. lib. 4. …ebast. Franc. Chron. Pelon.Christ Jesus: for which cause the Lord stirred up a woman the wife of Guid…, to minister unto him the dregs of his wrath in a poysoned cup, by means whereof such a rottennesse possessed all his members, that lice and wormes issuing out continually, he dyed most miserably in Or…nge, a city of Bavary, the twelfth yeare of his raigne.
Bajazet the Turke, to what a miserable and ludibrious end came he, for Philip Mela. Chron. lib. 5.his outragious hatred against all Christendome, but especially against Constantinople, which he had brought to so low an ebbe, that they could scarce have resisted him any longer, had not Tamberlaine the Tartarian revoked him from the siege, and bidden him leave to assayle others, and looke unto his owne? And indeed he welcommed him so kindly, that he soone tooke him prisoner, and binding him with chaines of gold, carried him up Composulus, lib. 9. cap. 5.and downe in a cage for a spectacle, using his backe for a foot-stoole to get upon his horse. And thus God plagueth one Tyrant by another, and all for the comfort of his chosen.
Gensericus King of the Vandales exercised cruell tyranny against the Philip Mela. Chron. lib. 3.professors of the truth. So did Honoricus the second also: but both of them reaped their just deserts: for Gensericus dyed, being possessed with a Spirit; and Honoricus being so rotten and putrified, that one member dropped Greg. Taren. lib. 2. cap. 3.off after another. Some say, that he gnawned off his owne flesh with his teeth.
Authar is the twelfth King of Lombardy forbad children to be baptised Paulus Diaconus, l. 3. c. 18. de Gestis Long… …ard.or instructed in the Christian Faith: seeking by that means to abolish and pluck downe the Kingdome of Christ; but he raigned not long, for ere six yeares were compleat, he dyed with poyson at Pavia: And so he that thought to undermine Christ Jesus, was undermined himselfe most deservedly, in the yeare of our Lord 593.
When Arcadius the Emperonr, through the perswasion of certain envious fellowes, and his wife Eudoxia, had banished Iohn Chrysostome Bishop Evagrius, l. 5. c. 34.of Constantinople into Bosphorus; the next night there arose such a terrible earth-quake, that the Empresse and the whole citie was sore affrighted therewith; so that the next morrow messengers after messengers were sent Mandat. 9. Calumniation lib. 2. c. 44.without ceasing, till they had brought him backe againe out of exile, and his accusers were all punished for their wrongfull accusation. Thus it pleased God to testifie the innocency of his servant, by terrifying his enemies.
Smaragdus an Exarch of Italy was transported by a Devill, for tyrannizing over Christians in the first yeare of the Empire of Mauritius.
Ma…u…ha a Sarasen, being equall to Pharoah in persecuting the Church of God, God made him equall to him also in the manner of his destruction: Paul. Diacon. lib. 3. c. 22. de Gostis Long…. cent. 6. cap. 3. Anton. l. 15. c. 15.for as hee returned from the spoyle of the Monastery of Ca…ime and Mossana, and the Daughter of many Christians, the Lord caused the sea to swallow up his whole army, even an hundred ships, so that few or none escaped.
Another time, even the yeare 719, they were miraculously consumed with famine, sword, pestilence, water, and captivitie, and all for Paul. Diac. l. 21.their infestuous rancour and tyranny towards Christians: for whom the famine spared, the sword devonred; whom both these touched not; the pestilence ate up; and they that escaped all three, yet perished in the waters; and ten ships that escaped the waters, were taken by the Romans and the Syrians: surely an egregious signe of Gods heavie wrath and displeasure.
To conclude, there was never any that set themselves against the Church of God, but God set himselfe against them by some notable judgement: so that some were murthered by their subjects, as Bluso King of the Vandales; others by their enmies, as Vdo Prince of Sclavonia; others by their wives, as Cruco another Sclavonian Prince; others discomfited in warre, as Abbas the King of Hungaria: some destroyed by their owne horses, as Lucius the Emperour, who first cast his owne daughter, because she was a Christian, amongst the same horses. And generally few persecutors escaped Helm. c. 24. Sclavon. & cap. 34. Bonfi…us.without some evident and markable destruction.