A General Martyrology, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. The Persecution of the Christians in Persia, under Sapores, about the same time.
THE Idolatrous Magicians in Persia, Magit…a…s st…r up persecution.taking counsell together against the Christians, accused them to Sapores for keeping correspondence with, and favoring the Roman Emperour, which was Constantine the Great.
The King being much moved herewith, took occasion to oppress them with taxes and tributes, to their utter undoing, and killed there Ministers with the sword.Simeon. Then he called before him Simeon their Bishop, who remaining constant and valiant, he commanded him to be led forth to torment, yet did he neither shrink for fear,The Persion King requ…ed Divine worsh…p. nor make any humble suit for pardon, which the King being offended at, required him either to worship him after the countrey manner, or else he would destroy him and all other Christians in his land: But Simeon, neither allured with promises, nor terrified with threatnings, could be induced to the Idolatrous worship, for which cause he was sent away to prison, and as he was going, there was sitting at the Court-gate an Eunuch, an old Tutor of the Kings, named Usthazares, once a Christian, but now fallen from his profession, who seeing Simeon led by,Usthazares. rose up and did him reverence; Simeon on the contrary, rebuked him, crying out against him for revolting from his profession: Whereupon,Zeal. the Eunuch burst forth into tears, layd aside his costly apparell, and put on black mourning weeds, and sitting at the Court-gate weeping, he said to himself, Wo is me, with what face hereafter shall I look upon God, seeing Simeon disdaineth with one gentle word to salute me? Recovery after fall.This being carried to the Kings ears, he was exceeding angry, and sending for him, he first with gentle words and large promises, spake him fair, and asked him why he mourned? Whether there was any thing in his house that was denied him? &c. Whereunto Usthazares answered,Tentation. that there was nothing in that earthly house that was detained from him: Yea▪ said he, O King, would God any other grief or calamity in the world had happened to me, rather then this for which I justly sorrow:Repentance. For this is my grief, that I am alive this day, who should have died long since, and that I see this sun, which dissemblingly, to pleasure you, I have seemed to worship, for which I have deserved a double death: First for dissembling with you; secondly for that thereby I have denied Christ: withall vowing that he would never hereafter forsake the Creator to worship the creature, &c.
Sapores was much astonished hereat, and doubted whether to use him gently or with rigour, but at last in his mood; he commanded him to be beheaded: But as he was going to execution, he requested an Eunuch that attended on the King, to desire him for all the old and faithfull service that he had done to his father and him, that he would cause it to be proclaimed openly at his death, that he was beheaded, not for any treachery against the King or Realm, but for that he was a Christian, and would not deny his God; this the King yielded to, and so it was performed; and this he desired, because by his former Apostacy he dad discouraged many Christians, and therefore he sought by his profession and example to encourage them to the like sufferings.His Martyrdom.
Simeon in prison hearing of his death, much rejoyced and praised God for it,Simeon beheaded. and the very next day, he, with above an hundred more Christians were beheaded likewise. There was present at their Martyrdom one Pusices an officer to the King, who beholding an aged Minister to tremble when he saw the others beheaded before him,Pusices. said unto him, O father! shut thine eys for a little moment, and be strong, and shortly thou shallt see God in glory. Hereupon Pusices was apprehended, and carried before the King,His Martyrdom. in whose presence he made a bold confession of his faith, for which cause they made a hole in his neck, and pulled out his tongue backward, and so he was put to death, together with one of his daughters that was a virgin.
The year after, when the Christians were met together to celebrate the memoriall of Christs passion, Sapores sent forth a cruel Edict, that all they should be put to death that professed the Name of Christ; and this he did at the instigation of the wi…ked Magicians, whereupon an innumerable company of Christians,Magicians authors of persecution. both in Cities and Towns were slain by the sword, some being sought for, others offering themselves willingly least they should seem to deny Christ: In this Persecution many of the Kings own Court and houshold-servants suffered Martyrdom; amongst whom was Azades, an Eunuch, whom the King entirely loved, insomuch as hearing that he was slain, he was so offended and grieved, that he commanded that thenceforth no more Christians should be slain, but only the Doctors and Teachers of the Church.
About this time the Queen fell very sick, upon which occasion the wicked Jews and Magicians accused two of Simeons sisters, which were godly virgins,Simeon sisters. that by charms and enchantments they had procured her sickness to revenge the death of Simeon:Slanders. This accusation being beleived, they were both condemned, and with a Saw cut in sunder by the middle, whose quarters were hung upon stakes, the Queen going betwixt them, thinking thereby to be freed of her sickness.
Then ensued a great Persecution against the Bishops and Ministers, who were daily dragged forth to the slaughter;B…shops and Min…ste…s persecuted. but first they cruelly scourged them, and put them to other great torments, because they would not worship the Sun.
Miserable and almost innumerable were the slaughters under this Sapores, of Bishops, Ministers, Deacons, and other religious men and holy virgins, so that the Persians themselves reckon up above sixteen thousand men and women that suffered Martyrdom.
The report of the miserable condition of the Christians coming to the ears of Constantine the Great, put the good Emperour into great heaviness, who studying how to relieve them, it so fell out, that about that time there came Ambassadors to him to Rome, from Sapores, whom he entertained courteously, and granted all their requests, and then by them wrote his Letters to Sapores in the behalf of the Christians, whereby he did something mitigate the heat of the Persian Persecution: Yet afterwards it was renewed again: at which time suffered Andas the Bishop, and Hormisda a noble mans son of great reputation amongst the Persians, Andas. Hormisda.whom when the King understood to be a Christian, and resolute in his profession, he condemned him to keep his Elephants naked: afterwards the King looking out, and seeing him all swart, and tanned with the sun, he commanded that a shirt should be put upon him, and that he should be brought before him; Then did the King ask him if he would yet deny Christ? Hormisda hearing this, tare off his shirt, and cast it from him, saying▪ if you think that I will deny my faith for a shirt, have here your gift again.Constancy. &c. whereupon he was banished the Countrey.
Also Suenes, a noble man that had under him one hundred servants, because he would not deny his Christian Profession, was so hated by the King, that he made the worst of his servants Lord over him, and over all that he had, and coupled his wife to him, and made Suenes himself to serve him.Suenes.
Also Benjamin a Deacon was thrust into prison, where he was kept two years, but at the length, at the request of the Roman Ambassadors,Benjamin. he was released, yet afterwards, when contrary to the Kings Commandment, he preached and taught every where the Gospel of Christ, he was again apprehended, and miserably tormented, having twenty sharp reeds thrust under the nails of his fingers and toes, but he laughing at it, had a sharper reed thrust into his yard, with horrible pain, and lastly, and a long ragged thorny stalk thrust through his fundament into his bowels, whereof he died.
These Primitive Persecutions are collected out of Eusebius, Socrates Scholast. Evagrius, Nicepho. Theod. the Imperial History, and the Magd. History.