A Looking Glass for Persecutors, Part 3
Gods Judgments upon persecuting Hereticks.
53. Arius the first great disturber of the peace of the Christian Church, was sent for by Constantine the Great, who asked him what the matter was that where-ever he went, still tumults and slaughters followed him. And whether he did really agree with the Nicene Faith? Arius did professedly avow that he did full agree thereto. The Emperor commanded him to set the same down in writing under his hand, which he did in the Emperors presence. Then the Emperor required his Oath to manifest that he was reall in the same: and he readily made Oath, that what he had written, was according to the truth, and that it was his reall Judgment and Opinion. The Emperor now having his Subscription and Oath, was satisfied, and would have him first to communicate with the Orthodox Church at Constantinople, that he might be the better qualified for Communion with the Church at Alexandria, where Athanasius had mightily opposed him: and accordingly he wrote to Alexander the Bishop of Constantinople to receive Arius into Communion.
54. Alexander, laying aside all further Disputes (by which hitherto he had mightily opposed the Arian Party) betook himself wholly to Prayer, wherein he continued fervently for diverse days and nights: but more especially that next day before the Lords Day, wherein Arius was to be admitted to the Sacrament: the Sum of which Prayer was this,
It must needs be thus, O Lord, that Arius must communicate with this People to morrow. Let thy Servant, O Lord, now depart in peace, and never see that day: and destroy not thou the Righteous with the Wicked: But if thou wilt spare thy Church, (as thou wilt spare it) remember the words of Eusebius (an Arian Bishop) and give not over thine inheritance to destruction and contempt, and take Arius out of the way, lest he being admitted into Communion, Heresie should seem also to be received into Communion with the Truth, and wickedness be accounted Godliness.
This Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia at Constantinople had now the whole conduct of the matter concerning Arius, and sent word to Alexander that unless he would receive Arius into Communion, he would banish him from Constantinople, and put another into his place that should do the Work. But Eusebius for all his threats, missed his expectation. For the Lords Day being come, Arius with the Emperors Authority, marched forth in State out of the Emperors Hall, with Eusebius and other Bishops in his train: and passing along the Streets in Pomp (a strange manner of address to the Sacrament) came to the common Market Place, where a sudden fear fell upon him, and therewithal, he was surprised with a Flux, which enforced him to retire into a House appointed for such a purpose, and there suddenly his Speech failed him: his Excrements and Blood ran out, his Belly brake, his Guts fell out, and his Spleen and Liver followed. The people staying long in expectation of him, and he not coming, they entred the house, and found the sad Spectacle of him lying dead in that manner.
Constantius, one of the sons of Constantine was himself an Arian, and a great favourer of diverse Arian Bishops, by whom (by his Countenance and Authority) the Orthodox Christians were grievously persecuted. And thus this Emperor, who would be stiled Eternal Emperor, and yet would not allow Christ to be Eternal God, and instead of being exceeding Great, became odious to all good men, was abhorred by his own Soldiers: and lastly was loathed by himself; he saw his Honour buried before he dyed: became a tormentor to himself by jealousies, fears and vexations, and these brought on a Fear, which soon put a period to his life.
55. In the Reign of Julian, one George an Arian Bishop of Alexandria, having raged exceedingly against the Orthodox: yet would also shew his zeal against the Heathen Temples, which did so vex and exasperate the Gentiles, that they, taking advantage of Julian's coming to the Crown, rose in a tumult, and seized upon Bishop George, tyed him to a Camels tail, and dragged him through the streets of Alexandria, and then they burnt both Bishop and Camel in one fire. And thus God rendred to this Heretical Bishop a recompence for all his villanies, and outrages done to the Orthodox.
56. Valence, another Arian Emperor, was a great countenancer and encourager of the Heresie, and a Persecutor of the Orthodox; insomuch as when Athanasius was dead in Alexandria, the Persecution broke in like a Torrent, so that no man could stand before it: The Orthodox Churches both in City and Country were swallowed up, and destroyed by it. Yet this Flood stopped not there, but brake (as it were) out of the world into the wilderness among the Monks, where this Persecution raged most of all, till the Heathen Goths paid the Debt of the people of God, by the death of the Emperor Valence, somewhat like that of Julian, saving that after his wounds received in the Battle, with much ado he got into a town for succor, wherein, together with the whole town, he was by the pursuing Goths burnt alive.
57. Another Constantine, a Monothelite, being a cruel Persecutor of the Orthodox, was slain by one of his own servants as he was washing himself in a Bath. Hist. Magd.
Gensericus, an Arian King of the Vandals, used a great deal of cruelty against the Orthodox; and in the end, he was possessed by an evil Spirit, and dyed miserably. P. Melan. Chron.
58. Hunricus, a Son to a King of the Vandals, being an Arian, was a merciless Persecutor of the Orthodox, banishing five thousand of them at one time, among whom, some of them being unable to travel, he caused cords to be tyed to their legs, and to drag them through stony and rough places, whereby many of them perished. But not long after, God struck him with venomous Biles all over his Body, and in the end he was consumed by Lice. H. Magd.
Anastasius the Emperor, a Patron of the Eutychian Heresie, was a bloody Persecutor of godly Christians, and was slain by a Thunderbolt.
59. Arcadius the Emperour, having by the perswasion of Eudoxia, his Empress, who was a violent Arian, banished Chrysostom from Constantinople: the very next night there was such a terrible Earthquake, that the Emperor and all the people being extremely frighted, sent one Post after another to fetch him back again.
60. Theodoricus, an Arian King of the Goths, persecuted the sound Christians with all rigor and hostility, among whom he slew two noble Senators, Symmachus, and Boetius; But not long after the Lord stroke him with madness: And as he was sitting at his Table, he had the head of a great Fish set before him, which he imagined to be the head of Symachus, whom he had slain, and thereupon he fell into such fear and astonishment, that he soon after dyed. Evagri.
61. Ehe Arian Vandals in Africk were cruel Persecutors of the Orthodox, whereupon Justinian the Emperor sent against them his brave General Belizarius, who overthrew them in several Battels, took Gilimer their King prisoner, and wholly subverted the Empire of the Vandals in Africk, after they had reigned there by the space of ninety years, wherein, for the most part they had been merciless Persecutors of the true Christians.