A General Martyrology, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Persecution of the Church in the first Ages of the World, and so forward till the Incarnation of Christ.
THE first Murtherer and Persecutor that was in the World, was the Devil, and the first method and means that he made use of to carry on this persecution, was by subtilty and large promises, that by eating the forbidden fruit, they should have their eyes opened, Gen. 3.5.and should be as gods knowing good and evil: and hereby he drew our first Parents from their Obedience unto God, and cheated them of that blessed and happy estate which God had created them in. Since which time his enmity against the Church and Children of God hath never ceased: but by his effectual working in the Children of disobedience, he hath provoked and stirred up one man to be the Persecutor and Devourer of another: Thus he provoked Cain to rise up against, and to slay his brother Abel, Gen. 4.8. Abel.and though the Scripture be silent how the wicked Cainites, the sons of men, behaved themselves towards the sons of God; yet doubtless they persecuted them with the tongue, if they proceeded no further. Can we imagine that Noah, Noah.that was a Preacher of Righteousness in the midst of a perverse generation, could escape without hatred, scorn and contempt? How many jeers (think ye) had he whilest he was building the Ark, as doting and dreaming (not of a dry Summer, but) of a wet winter? the earth in his days was said to be corrupt and filled with violence, Gen. 6.11.which violence certainly was principally exercised against the Church of God: And afterwards when the world was reduced to a very small number, yet then Satan had his cursed Ham that persecuted and mocked his own father,Gen. 9.22. Lot. Isaac.the righteous Noah. Was not Lot also persecuted and scoffed at in Sodom? Gen. 19.9. Isaac in Abrahams house mocked by Ismael? Jacob.Gen. 21.9. Was not Jacob hated and persecuted by his brother Esau? Joseph.Gen. 27.41. Joseph by his brethren? Gen. 37.4. and that because he brought unto his father their evil report, verse 2. Was he not afterwards cast into a pit by them? ver. 24. Then sold to the Ishmaelitish Merchants, who carried him into Egypt, ver. 28. There he was persecuted by his whorish Mistriss, Gen. 39.17, 18. Cast into prison, where his feet were hurt with fetters, and he was laid in irons, Psal. 105.18. But these were but small persecutions in comparison of those which followed.
Th… Israelites in Egypt.For when the Children of Israel were multiplied in Egypt, Pharaoh King of Egypt set over them Task-masters to afflict them with their burdens, Exod. 1.11▪ thinking thereby to eat up, and wear them out; and when that prevailed not, they made them serve with rigour, and they made their lives bitter with the hard bondage in Mortar, and in Brick, and in all manner of service in the field; all the service wherein they made them serve, was with rigour, ver. 13, 14. And when this prevailed not, the King commanded the Midwives, Siphrah and Puah, when they did the office of a Midwife to the Hebrew women, and saw them upon the stools, if they were delivered of a son, they should presently kill him, ver. 15, 16. and when these Midwives neglected his commands, he charged all his people that every son that was born to the Israelites, should be cast into the river Nilus, v. 22.
Moses.Moses was persecuted by Pharaoh, who sought to slay him; which caused him to fly into the Land of Midian, Exodus 2.15. And when God sent him back into Egypt to deliver his people from the house of bondage, how did Pharaoh persevere and proceed in his persecuting the people of God: he caused straw to be taken from them, and yet the number of Bricks to be continued; and when the task was not done, the Officers of the Children of Israel were cruelly beaten, ver. 14. And when God had brought out his people with an high hand from under the Tyranny of the Egyptians, and carried them into the wilderness, how did Satan stir up some sons of Belial against Moses and Aaron, even Korah, and his complicies, two hundred and fifty Princes, who cried out against them,Moses and Aaron. Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the Congregation are holy, even every one of them, Numb. 16.3. Afterwards when the children of Israel were setled in the land of Canaan, they were often grievously oppressed, and persecuted by the wicked and Idolatrous nations that lived amongst them, and round about them; as first by Chushan-Rishathaim, King of Mesopotamia, who tyrannized over them eight years Judg. 3.8. Then by Eglon King of Moab, who slew many of them,Israel in the time of the Judges. and oppressed them eighteen years, v. 13, 14. Then by the Philistines, v. 32. Then were they mightily oppressed for twenty years together, by Jabin, King of Canaan, Judg. 4.2, 3. Then did the Midianites persecute them with so much cruelty, that they were forced to forsake their houses, and to make them Dens and Caves in the Mountains, to shelter and hide themselves from them, Judg. 6.2. yea for seven years together they tyrannized over them; and when the Israelits had sowen their land, they came up in such multitudes, that they destroyed the increase of the earth, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor oxe, nor asse, ver. 3, 4. Then the Philistines again, and the Ammonites Lorded it over Israel, and brought them into great distresse for eighteen years, Judg. 10.…. After that the Philistines yet againe oppressed them for forty years together, Judg. 13.1. And afterwards they slew of them in two battels thirty four thousand, and carried away the Ark of God also, 1 Sam. 4.2, 10, 11. Then in Sauls time, these Philistines so distressed Israel, Jsrael in Saul's time.that the people were forced to hide themselves in caves and thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits; yea some of them forsook their own country, and fled beyond Jordan, 1 Sam. 13.6, 7. and the land was so enslaved to them, that there was not a Smith to be found in Israel, but the Philistines either slew them, or carried them away captives, so that the Israelites were fain to go to the Philistines to have their instruments of husbandry set in order, ver. 19, 20.
How David was persecuted by Saul all his time,David. the Scripture doth amply set forth, 1 Sam 19. &c. and was not he persecuted grievously, when cursed and railed upon by Shimei, 2 Sam. 16.5, 6, &c. The Church of God was afterward persecuted under Rehoboams reign, by Shishak King of Egypt, who took Jerusalem, 1 King. 14.25, 26.and carried away the Treasures of the Lords house, and of the Kings house into Egypt. And again under Asa, by Baasha King of Israel, 1 King. 15.16. and by Zerah the Ethiopian, Judah under the Kings.who came against Judah with an Army of a thousand thousand men, and three hundred chariots, 2 Chron. 14.9. Yea so malicious and subtile is Satan that he sometimes stirs up one Saint to persecute another; as he stirred up good King Asa to persecute the Prophet of the Lord who dealt plainly and faithfully with him, by casting him into prison,Asa persecutes a Prophet. 2 Chron. 16.10.
Michaiah also was persecuted and imprisoned by Ahab, Michaiah.2 Chron. 18.25, 26. Under Jehosaphat the Church of God was persecuted by the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites, Gods judgement on Persecutors. Elijah. Elisha.whom God destroyed by setting of them one against another, 2 Chron. 20.23.
Elijah was persecuted by Ahab and Jesabel, 1 King. 18.10. and 19.2. The Prophets of the Lord were slain by Jesabel, 1 King. 18.13. Elisha was hated and persecuted by Jehoram. 2 King. 6.31. in the reign of this Jehoram, the Philistines and Arabians mightily oppressed Judah, 2 Chro. 21.16, 17. Then Athaliah by murthering the Kings seed, usurpeth the Kingdom, and tyrannizeth five years, 2 Chro. 22.10. Joash in his reign slayeth Zechariah for reproving him, 2 Chron. 24.21.Zechariah. The Church was oppressed at the same time by the Syrians, ver. 23. and afterwards also in the reign of Ahaz, 2 Chron. 28.5. and about the same time the King of Israel slew of Judah a hundred and twenty thousand, and carried away captive two hundred thousand men, women and children.2 Chron. 28.8. Judah was also oppressed by the Edomites, ver. 17. and by the Philistines, ver. 18. and by the King of Assyria, ver. 20. and chap. 32.1. Manasses persecuted the Prophet Isaiah for reproving him,Isaiah. and caused him to be sawn a sunder with a wooden saw. Josephus. Afterwards Pharaoh Necho tyrannized over Judah, 2 Chron. 36.3. and after him Nebuchad…ezzar ▪ v 6; &c. and so the sins of Judah being come to the full, the good figgs were carried away captive to Babylon, Jer. 24.1, &c.and the land afterwards was wholly laid waste and destroyed: which being foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah, the wicked Jews, Jeremiah.first persecuted him with the tongue, Jer. 18.18. then was he smitten, and put into the stocks, Jer. 20.2. then was he indanger of death by the Preists and false Prophets, Jer. 26.8. then was he imprisoned by Zedekiah, Jer. 32.2, 3. then he is beaten, and again put into prison, Jer. 37.15. and after that cast into a dungeon, where he stuck in the mire, Jer. 38 6. then by the wicked Captains he was carried into Egypt, Jer. 43.6, 7. What grievous afflictions the Church and people of God endured about this time, see it set forth to the life in the book of the Lamentations.
The 3 Children.In the time of the Captivity, the three Children were persecuted by Nebuchadnezzar, and thrown into the fiery fornace, for refusing to worship his golden Image,Daniel. Dan. 3.23. Daniel was persecuted by Darius his Courtiers, and cast into the Lions den, Dan. 6.16. Mordecai was hated and persecuted by Haman, Mordecai.and a Decree procured for the murthering of all the people of God in one day, Esth. 3.13.
Israel after the Captivity.After the return of the Jews from captivity, the people of the Land laboured to weaken the hands of the men of Judah, and troubled them in the building of the Temple, and hired Counsellors against them to accuse them to Cyrus, and Ahasuerus: they wrote also against them to Artaxerxes, that they were a rebellious people, and that if they should be suffered to build Jerusalem, they would neither pay toll, tribute, nor custom to the King, Ezra. 4.4, &c. and having by this malicious suggestion gotten authority, they came upon the poor people of God, and enforced them to give over th…ir worke. Yea▪ and afterwards, when by the command of the Lord, the Jews had again set upon the building, Tatnai and Shether-Bosnai came up to discourage and discharge them from it; and when this prevailed not, they wrote against them to King Darius. Again, when Nehemiah came to Jerusalem, and began to build the wall of the City, how were they scorned and jeered by Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem? Nehe. 2.19. and …. 2 3▪8.And when the work prospered in their hands, and jeers would not prevaile to stop it, they then conspired to fight against Jerusalem, and so to hinder it; but neither that prevailing, by reason of the prudent carriage of Nehemiah, Nehemiah.they then sought to entrap him, and by destroying him, to hinder the work, Nehe. 6.2. Then they accused the people of God of treason and rebellion, ver. 6, &c. Then they hired a false Prophet to terrefie Nehemiah, ver. 10, 12. Then they corrupted, and held intelligence with some of the Nobles of Judah to betray him; notwithstanding all which designes, God preserveth Nehemiah, and the building of Jerusalem is finished. And thus farre the sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament have given us a certain Register of the Persecutions, Martyrdomes and sufferings of the Church and children of God for the space of about three thousand five hundred years; from the creation of the world, to the Restauration of the Jewish Polity under Nehemiah.