A General Martyrology, Chapter 14 – Chapter 15
CHAP. XIV. The eighth Primitive Persecution which began An. Christi, 259.
VAlerianus being seduced by the Egyptian Inchanter, as is before related, stirred up the eighth persecution against the Church of Christ;Sin the Forerunner of persecution. concerning which Cyprian writeth thus; We must confess that this great calamity which hath wasted for the most part all our Churches, and still dayly consumes us, ariseth chiefly from our own wickedness, while we walk not in the way of the Lord, nor observe his precepts as we ought, whilst we are full of lucre, pride, emulation, dissention, void of simplicity and faithfull dealing, renouncing the world in word, but not in deed, every man pleasing himself, and displeasing others; and therefore we are thus worthily scourged: For what stripes do we not deserve, when the Confessors themselves do keep no Discipline; &c. Concluding, Non venissent fratribus haec mala, si in unum fraternitas fuisset animata; These evils had not happened to the brethren, if they had joyned together in brotherly unanimity. A little before this persecution began, God by a vision revealed it to Cyprian, saying to him, Be quiet and of good comfort, for peace will come;A Vision. albeit a little stay there is for a while, for that some remain yet to be proved and tried, &c.
The crimes and accusations that were laid to the charge of the Christians,Christians charged as the causes of all plagues. by the Persecutors, were, that they refused to worship Idols, and the Emperors; and that they professed the name of Christ: Yet besides, all the calamities and evils that happened in the world, as wars, famine, pestilence, &c. were imputed only to the Christians: But Cyprian and Tertullian confuting those slanders,Confuted by Cyprian and Tertullian. proved that the special cause of all those miseries which befell the Empire, proceeded from the cruel shedding of the innocent blood of the Christians. In this persecution, Cyprian was at last condemned to have his head cut off,Cyprian Martyr. who patiently and willingly submitted his neck to the stroak of the sword.
Also about this time, Sixtus Bishop of Rome, with his six Deacons, were accused for being Christians,Sixtus and his Deacons. whereupon being brought to the place of Execution, they were all beheaded.
Laurence also another of his Deacons, following Sixtus as he went to his Execution, complained that he might not suffer with him, but that he was secluded, as the son from the father: To whom the Bishop answered, that within three days he should follow him, bidding him in the mean time to go home, and if he had any treasures, to distribute them amongst the poor: The Judge hearing mention of treasures, supposing that Laurence had great store in his custody, commanded him to bring the same to him: Laurence craved three days respite, promising then to declare where the treasure might be had: In the mean time he caused a good number of poor Christians to be gathered together,The courage and constancy of Laurence. and when the day of his answer was come, the persecutor strictly charged him to make good his promise; then valiant Laurence stretching out his arms over the poor, said, These are the precious treasures of the Church, these are the treasure indeed in whom Christ hath his mansion,, &c. But oh! what tongue is able to express the fury and madness of the Tyrants heart! how he stamped, stared, ramped,The rage of Tyrants. and fared like one out of his wits: his eyes glowed like fire, his mouth foamed like a boar, like a hell-hound he grinded his teeth: then he cryed, kindle the fire, make no spare of wood: hath this Villain deluded the Emperor? away with him, whip him with scourges, jerk him with rods, buffet him with fists, brain him with clubs: Jesteth the Traitor with the Emperor? pinch him with fiery tongs, gird him with burning plates, bring out the strongest chains and fire-forks, and the grate of Iron, set it on the fire, bind the Rebell hand and foot, and when the grate is red hot, on with him, rost him, broil him, toss him, turn him upon pain of our high displeasure, do every man his Office, O ye tormentors. Immediately his command was obeyed, and after many cruel handlings, this meek lamb was laid, I will not say upon a bed of fiery iron, but on a soft downbed; so mightily God wrought for his servant, so miraculosly did he temper this Element of fire, that it was not a bed of consuming pain, but of nourishing rest unto Laurence. Not Laurence, but the Emperor seemed to be tormented, the one broiling in the flesh,In all these things we are more then Conquerors. the other burning in his heart: when this triumphant Martyr had been pressed down with fire-forks for a great space, in the mighty Spirit of God he spake to the Tyrant thus;
This side is now rosted enough, turn up▪ O Tyrant great,
Assay, whether rosted or raw thou think'st the better meat?
By the constant confession of this worthy and valiant Deacon, a Roman souldier was converted to the same faith, and desired to be baptized, whereupon he was called before the Judge, scourged, and afterwards beheaded.
About the same time Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria, with his three Deacons, were brought before Emilianus, Dionysia. banished.who told them of the clemency of the Emperor, and therefore required them to sacrifice to his gods, &c. to whom Dionysius answered, Divers men worship divers gods, but we, only that one God who is the Creator of all things, making our prayers to him uncessantly for the health of the Emperor, &c. Then said the President, Why can you not worship your own God and ours also? Dionysius replied. We worship only one God, as we have said; the President said, I see you are ingratefull persons, and regard not the Emperors clemency, therefore I banish you to Cephro in Lybia, and charge you that you convent no more your assemblies, nor be found out of that place at your peril, and though Dionysius was sick, yet would he not grant him one days respite before his departrue.
In Cephro he had a great Congregation, as well of those that followed him in his banishment, as of others that resorted to him out of Egypt; yea, though at first he was persecuted there, and stoned, yet afterwards a great number of the Inhabitants forsook their Idols,The power of the Word of God. and were converted unto God by his Ministry; and having accomplished his Ministry there, the Lord removed him to another place. For (saith Dionysius) Emilianus translated us from thence to a sharper place of Lybia, commanding us to meet all together at the City Mareota; intending to separate us into several villages, or rather to take us by the way; when we came thither, I was commanded to Colluthion, a place which I had never heard of; yet was it some solace to me that the brethren told me it was near to the City Paretonium: for as my being at Cephro gat me the acquaintance of many brethren of Egypt, Gods Providence.so I hoped that the vicinity of that place to the City, might procure me the concourse of certain loving brethren from it, as it came also to pass, &c.
He writeth moreover that the number of those which suffered Martyrdom about that time was great, men, women, young men, maidens, old wives, souldiers, and men of all sorts and ages; of whom some with scourgings,The cruel torments of the Christians. and fire, and some with the sword, obtained the victory, and gat the Crown. Neither (saith he) to this day doth the President cease cruelly murthering such as be brought before him, tearing some with torments, imprisoning others, and commanding that no man should come to them: yet God with the daily resort of the brethren doth comfort the afflicted.
In Palestine, Priscus, Malchus, and Alexander, three godly men, seeing the valiant courage of the Christians so boldly to venture,Priscus, Malchus, Alexander constantly to stand, and patiently to suffer in this persecution, as grieved with themselves,Zeal. began to accuse their own sluggishness and cowardise, to see others so zealovs and valiant, and themselves so cold and faint-hearted, in labouring for the Crown of Martyrdom: whereupon, agreeing amongst themselves, they came to Caesarea, and stepping to the Judge, they declared themselves to be Christians, and so they were sentenced, and given to the wild beasts.
A certain woman also in the same place, formerly a Marcionist, being brought before the President, obtained the same Martyrdom.
In Carthage three hundred Christians being brought before the President,Three hundred Christians put into a lime-kiln. were put to their choice, either to offer sacrifice, or to go into a lime-kiln: whereupon by mutual consent, they all chose the lime-kiln, in which, with the smoak of the lime, they were smothered.
In another part of Africk, three godly Virgins had first vinegar and gall given them to drink,Three Virgins cruelly tormented. then were they scourged, then tormented upon the gibbet, and rubbed with lime, then were they scorched upon the fiery grid-iron, then cast to the wild beasts, which would not touch them, therefore lastly they were beheaded.
In Italy a godly man was first tormented with the rack, then cast to the wild beasts, which not hurting him, he was burned in the fire. Fructuosus a Bishop in Spain, with his two Deacons, having witnessed a good confession, were all of them burned in the fire.Fructuosus. But this cruel Emperor Valerian, who thus persecuted the Saints of God,Valerian Em…peror. shortly after felt the revenging hand of God: for in an expedition that he made against the Persians, he was taken prisoner by Sapores the King, who made a foot-stool of him, every time that he gat upon his horse;Gods Judgement on persecutors. and at last by the command of the King he was flaied alive, powdered with salt, and so ended his wretched life. Also Claudius, a President and Minister of his persecutions, was possessed by the Devil, and biting off his tongue in small pieces, he ended his wretched life. Also there were great & terrible Earth-quakes, and many commotions and Rebellions in sundry parts of the Empire, insomuch as Galienus, the son of Valerian, and his fellow Emperor, began to relent towards the Christians, and set forth some Edicts in their favour: notwithstanding which, some there were that suffered in sundry places; amongst whom was one Marinus, a noble man, and valiant Captain in Caesarea, Marinus.who stood for an honourable office which of right fell to him, but his Competitor to prevent him, accused him to the Judge to be a Christian. Hereupon the Judge examined him of his faith, and finding that indeed he was a Christian, he gave him three hours to advise and deliberate with himself; then the Bishop of the place finding that he stood doubtfull in himself what to do, took him by the hand, and led him into the Church, and laid before him a sword and a New Testament, bidding him take his free choice, which of them he would have. Marinus immediately ran to the New Testament, and chose that, and so being animated by the Bishop, he presented himself boldly before the Judge, by whose sentence he was beheaded.
About the same time there was in Caesarea, Asyrius, Asyrius.a noble Senator of Rome and a Christian, and whereas the Gentiles in that place used to offer sacrifice by a fountain side, which sacrifice by the working of the Devil, used suddenly to vanish out of their sight, to the great admiration of the deluded multitude;Satans subtilty Asyrius pitying their miserable ignorance, came amongst them, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, prayed to God in the name of Christ,Power of prayer. that the people might no longer be thus seduced by the Devil, whereupon the sacrifice was seen to swin upon the fountain, and ever after that false miracle ceased.
After the death of Galienus there succeeded Claudius, a quiet Emperor; and after him Quintilianus his brother,Peace in the Church. both which reigning nineteen years, the Church enjoyed peace in their time.
Here place the third Figure.
CHAP. XV. The ninth Primitive Persecution which began An. Christi, 278.
AFter the death of Quintillian, succeeded Aurelian in the Empire, who was by nature severe and rigorous, and a strict punisher of dissolute manners, so that it grew into a Proverb, That he was a good Physitian, saving that he gave too bitter Medicines. In the beginning of his reign, he was a moderate and discreet Prince, and no great disturber of the Christians, whom he neither molested in their Religion, nor in their Councels. But afterwards, through sinister suggestions of those which were about him, his nature being before inclinable to severity, he was altered to plain Tyranny, which he first shewed in the death of his own sisters son, and afterwards he raised the ninth persecution against the Church of Christ; but when he was about to sign a Proclamation or Edict for that persecution, it pleased God that a thunderbolt fell so near him, that all men thought he had been slain, and the Emperor was so terrified thereby,A special Providence. that he gave over his Tyrannical purpose, so that he rather intended, then moved persecution. Having reigned about six years, he was slain.
After whose death divers other Emperors succeeded, in whose time the Church had peace for about the space of forty four years. During which time it did mightily increase and flourish: Yea, the more the Christians had suffered, the more they were honoured;P…ace causeth the Church to flourish. Insomuch as some of the Emperors did singularly favour them, preferred and made them Governors of Provinces.
Dorotheus, with his Wife, Children, and whole family, were accepted, and highly advanced in the Emperors Court. Yea, Gorgonius, and divers others, for their Doctrine and Learning, were with their Princes in great estimation. The Bishops were also in great favour with the Rulers and Presidents where they lived; so that innumerable multitudes and Congregations assembled together in every City, and there were great concourses of such as daily flocked to the publick places of prayer.
But through this great prosperity, the Christians, by reason of the corruption of their natures, and the temptations of Satan,Sin the Forerunner of persecution. began to degenerate, and to grow idle and delicate, striving and contending amongst themselves, upon every occasion, with railing words bespattering one another in a despitefull manner; Bishops against Bishops, and people against people, moving hatred and sedition each against other: Besides, cursed hypocrisie and dissimulation increased more and more; by reason whereof Gods Judgements brake forth against them, which began first to fall upon those Christians which were souldiers; but that touched the other very little, neither did they seek to appease Gods wrath, nor to call for Mercy, but thinking that they should escape well enough, they heaped iniquities daily more and more,Contention amongst Christians. one upon another. The Pastors being inflamed with mutual contention each against other; Then did the Lord raise up adversaries against his people, that rased their Churches to the ground, burnt the sacred Scriptures in the open Market places, made the Pastors of the Church to hide themselves, and some with great shame were taken Prisoners, and were mocked of their enemies, and put to open reproach.