A General Martyrology, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. The Persecution of the Church from Christs time to our present Age; and first of those mentioned in the New Testament
HErod the great, hearing by the wise men of one that was born King of the Jews, and being informed by the chief Priests and the Scribes, that the place of his birth should be Bethlehem of Judah, Mat. 2.2, 5, 16.he sent forth souldiers, and slew all the Children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, hoping thereby to have destroyed Christ: for which cruel fact the Lord gave him over to such a spirit of phrensie, that he slew his own wife, his Children,Gods Judgement on Persecutors. and nearest kins-folks, and familiar friends. And shortly after Gods heavy Judgement fell upon him by a grievous sickness, which was a slow and slack fire in his inward parts; and withal, he had a greedy appetite after food, and yet nothing sufficed him; he had also a rotting in his Bowels, and a greivous flux in his fundament; a moist and running humour about his feet,Herods miserable death. and the like malady vexed him about his bladder; his privy members putrified, engendring abundance of worms which continually swarmed out. He had a short and stinking breath, with a great pain in breathing; and through all the parts of his body such a violent cramp, as humane strength was not able to endure. Yet longing after life, he sent for Physitians from all parts, by whose advice he went to the hot bathes of Calliroe; but finding no ease thereby, his torments still encreasing, he sought to lay violent hands upon himself, if he had not been prevented by his friends, and so in extream misery, he ended his wretched life.
Then Herod the less having married the daughter of Aretas, King of Arabia, put her away, and took Herodias, who had forsaken her husband Philip, brother to Herod; for which incestuous and adulterous marriage, John Baptist plainly reproved him; whereupon at the instigation of Herodias, John Baptist behe…ded. Mat. 14.10.Herod first imprisoned him, and afterwards cut off his head: but the Lord left not this murther long unpunished, for Aretas raising an Army against Herod, for that ignominious dealing with his daughter, in a pitched battel wholly overthrew him, and cut off all his hoast,Gods Judgements on Herod for it. not longe after Herod falling into disgrace with the Roman Emperour, he, with his incestuous Herodias were banished to Vienna in France, Caius Caligula.where they ended their wretched lives with much shame and misery.
After the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, Peter and John, having cured a man that was born lame, and preaching Jesus to the people, upon that occasion they were apprehended, and cast into prison by the Priests and Captain of the Temple, who the next day,Act. 4.1, 17. having examined them, threatned to punish them, if they spake any more in that name, and so dismissed them. Yet afterwards the high-Priests and the Sadduces again laid hands on the Apostles, and cast them into the common prison; but in the night time the Angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, and released them, Ast. 5.18, 19. The next day, as they were preaching to the people, they were again apprehended,The Apostles beaten. and carried before the Counsel, ver. 26, 27. at whose command they were beaten, and so dismissed, ver, 40.
Then were false witnesses suborned against Steven, who accused him for speaking blasphemous words against Moses, and against God, Act. 6.11. for which being apprehended and brought before the Councel, he was there condemned, led out of the City, and stoned to death,Steven stoned. chap. 7.58.
After this there was a general persecution raised up against the Church of Christ in Jerusalem, whereby all the faithfull were scattered abroad throughout the Regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles, chap. 8.1. Saul also made great havock of the Church, entring into every house, haling both men and women, and committing them to prison, verse 3.
Then Saul, after his Conversion, preaching Christ boldly, the enraged Jews took Counsel, and lay in wait to kill him,Paul persecuted. watching the Gates of Damascus, where he then was, both day and night; but the Disciples took him by night, and let him down over the wall in a basket, whereby he escaped, Act. 9.23, &c.
Then rose up a third Herod, called also Agrippa, who, not taking warning by his predecessors calamities, fell to persecuting the Church of Christ, and sending for James, the brother of John, before him, he condemned him to be beheaded: Concerning whom Clemens reports,Act. 12.1, 2. that he which drew James before the Tribunal seat, when he saw him so cheerfully embracing the sentence of death, was exceedingly moved therewith, and voluntarily confessed himself to be a Christian, and so was condemned to be beheaded with him:A Persecutor converted. As they went in the way to execution, he requested the Apostle James to pardon him, who after a little pause, turning to him, said, Peace be unto thee; and kissed him, and so they were beheaded both together. Herod seeing that the death of James pleased the Jews, he took Peter also,James beheaded. and delivered him to four quaternions of souldiers to keep him in prison, intending after the passover to put him to death; But the night before he should suffer, as he was sleeping, bound with two chains to tvvo souldiers, and the Keepers watching before the prison doors, an Angel came and awaked him, causing his chains to fall off, and so going before him, he led him out of prison, causing the iron gate to open to them, and having brought him out of danger, left him. But this cruel persecuting Herod scaped no better then his Predecessors had done,Peter escapeth death. for being arraied in glistering and royal apparel, and sitting upon his Throne, he made an Oration to his people, who like flattering Court Parasites, gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a God, and not of a man: Whereupon the Angel of the Lord immediately smote him,Gods Judgement on Herod and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost, verse 21, &c. in the fifty fourth year of his age, and the seventh of his reign, and under Claudius Caesar.
Then the wicked Jews stirred up the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas at Iconium, Paul and Barnabas persecuted.so that being in danger to be stoned to death, they fled into Lycaonia, Act. 14.2, 5▪ 6.
Again at Ly…tra they stirred up the Gentiles against them, whereupon Paul was stoned and drawn out of the City,Paul stoned. and left for dead, but it pleased God that he revived, and so escaped to Derbe, ver. 19.20.
Afterwards Paul and Silas, for casting a spirit of divination out of a Damosel at Philippi, Paul and Silas whipt.were dragged before the Rulers, who caused them to be whipt, and cast into prison. But the Magistrates afterwards hearing that they were Romans, were much afraid, as having done more then they could answer, and therefore they came to them, released them out of prison, and besought them to depart out of their City, Act. 16.2…, 39.
Presently after at Thessalonica, the Jews again stirred up the people against Paul and Silas, Paul and Silas again persecuted.and raising up an uproar, they sought for them in the house of Jason, and not meeting with them there, they drew forth Jason himself, and some brethren before the Rulers, who giving security for their forth-coming,Act. 17.5, 13, 14. were dismissed. Yet these wretched Jews followed Paul to Berea also, and there stirred up a persecution against him, whereby he was forced to depart. At Corinth also they made an insurrection, caught Paul, and brought him before Gallio, Deputy of Achaia, Sosthenes beaten.and when he would be a Judge of no such matters, they took Sosthenes the chief Ruler of the Synagogue, and beat him before the Judgement seat, Acts 18.12, 17.
Afterwards at Ephesus, Demetrius that made silver shrines for Diana, raised an uproar, and having caught Caius and Aristarchus, Pauls companions, they with them rushed into the Theatre; but this tumult being allayed by the wisdom of the Town-Clark, Paul hasted away into Macedonia, cap. 19.29, &c. Paul at last returning to Jerusalem, the Asian Jews finding him in the Temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him; but as they were about to kill him, he was rescued by the chief Captain of the Romans, chap. 21.31, 32. Then being brought forth before the Counsel of the Jews, he was first smitten by the Command of the High-Priest, chap. 23.2. And afterwards being in danger of being pulled to pieces,Paul in danger he was again rescued by the Captain, ver. 10. Then above forty of those desperate Jevvs, bound themselves under a curse, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed him, ver. 12, 13. Hereupon he is sent to Faelix at Caesarea, who kept him in prison till his Accusers came, ver. 24, 35. Then being accused by Tertullus, Acts 24.27.he clears himself; yet because he vvould not bribe Faelix, he is kept prisoner still. Festus succeeding Faelix, the Jews importune him also for sentence against Paul, or that he might be sent for to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him, chap. 25.3. but when that was denied them, they went to Cesarea to accuse him there, whereupon he is forced to appeal to Caesar, ver. 11. Then he was sent to Rome, and there committed Prisoner to the Captain of the Guard, chap. 28.16. where he continued prisoner at large for two years, and then being released, he visited the Churches of Greece and Asia. Afterwads he preached in Spain and France, and at last returning into Italy, he was again apprehended, and imprisoned at Rome, Pauls Martyrdom.where also he suffered Martyrdom, as afterwards you shall hear.
The Jews being much displeased that they could not reak their teen upon Paul, turn themselves against James the brother of Christ: him therefore they bring, and set them in the midst of them, requiring him publickly to renounce the faith of Christ: but he on the contrary made a bold and open confession of Jesus to be the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world. Then did they set him upon a Pinacle of the Temple, again requiring him in the audience of all the people, to tell them which is the way of Jesus crucified; to whom he answered, Why ask you me of Jesus the son of man, when as he sits at the right hand of God in Heaven, and shall again come in the clouds of the air? this so enraged the Scribes and Pharisees, that they threw him down head-long; but he not being dead with the fall, gat upon his knees, and said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do: Then one taking a Fullers Club, struck him on the head, and brained him.The Martyrdom of James.
This James was sirnamed Justus, of whom Aegesippus writes, that his knees were as hard as Camels knees,His constancy in prayer. by reason of his continual kneeling in prayer. But shortly after his death, Vespasian came into Judea, and subdued the Jews: and his son Titus destroyed Jerusalem, and the Temple.
Andrew the brother of Peter, preached the Gospel to the Scythians, Andrews martyrdom.Sogdians, and Aethiopians, and was at last crucified by Aegeas, King of Edessa.
Philip preached the Gospel in Phrygia, and at last was crucified at Hierapolis.Philips Martyrdom.
Bartholemew preached to the Indians, and (as some say) was beaten with Cudgels to death: or as others, he was flaid alive,Bartholemew. and then beheaded.
Thomas preached unto the Parthians, Medes and Persians, &c, and in Indian he was slain with a dart.Thomas.
Mathew preached to the Aethiopians, and at last by the command of the King, was ran thorow with a sword.Matthew.
Simon Zelotes preached in Mauritania and Africk, and at length was crucified under Traian, being above 112 years old.Simon Zel.
Judas the brother of James preached to the Edesseans, and at last was slain by the command of the King.Judas.
Matthias preached first in Macedonia, Matthias.and afterwards coming into Judea, he was by the Jews first stoned, and then beheaded.
Mark the Evangelist preached in Alexandria, and the neighbouring Regions,Mark. and afterwards was burnt by the furious Idolaters.
Nicanor.Nicanor, one of the Deacons, was martyred, together with two thousand other faithful Christians.
Collected out of the New Testament, and Dorotheus.