Dissertation Concerning the Antiquity of Churches, Section 12
SECT. 12.
Here occurs an Objection, made againſt the Greatneſs and Cruelty of theſe Perſecutions, by Reaſon of the Paucity of the Martyrs comparatively, with the common Opinion of their great Multitudes. Which is eſpecially managed, by my old Friend, the Learned Mr. Dodwel, in's XI. Diſſertation on Cyprian.
But in this he ſeems not only ſingular, but to found his Opinion upon a falſe Foundation; that becauſe we find not ſo many mention'd in Antiquity, therefore they were fewer, than we commonly account them. For ſome Preſidents of Provinces prohibited the reſerving the Records of the Martyrs Tryals: And moſt of thoſe that were recorded, and remained to the Times of Chriſtian Emperors; afterwards by the Irruption of the barbarous Nations into the Empire, were loſt. So that we have little more than what Euſebius had gather'd up, and Publiſhed, in's Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory, and more particularly in two Books of the Martyrs; the former a Collection of the Ancient Martyrs, which is loſt. The latter of thoſe of Palaſtine that had ſuffered in his Time. Beſides, 'tis obſervable, that great numbers were ſlain, both by the Magiſtrates and People without any formal Proceſs of Law, and ſo could not be taken Notice of. Propter Confeſſionem torquetis. Cauſa non judicata ſupplicia infertis, ſaith Juſtin in's Apology, Ʋpon our Confeſſion you Torment us. No Judgment being given of the Cauſe, you puniſh us. And to the ſame Purpoſe, Tertul. in Apologet. c. 37. The Governours of Cities and Provinces, being ſtir'd up by the Prieſts and People; made no great difficulty many Times, to Sacrifice them to the Popular Fury. For Things being carried often by Tumults, many were ſlain quaſi jure Belli, as if it were in War, ſometimes 10, 20, 30, 60, and ſometimes 100, Men and Women with their little ones were Maſſacred in a Day, as Euſebius tells us, l. 3. c. 33. and l. 4. c. 8. and l. 8. c. 9. of his Hiſtory.
Inſomuch that the Emperors were forced to give Orders for reſtaining them, as Hadrian Ne quis poſthac ſine objectu criminis & legitima accuſatione condemnaretur. Let none hereafter be condemned without ſetting forth the Crime, and a legal Accuſation. Nor are we to reckon the Perſecutions, or number of Martyrs, by the Emperors Edicts; for 'tis evident, the Roman Rulers and Governors, waited not for any ſuch Decrees, but when any were Accuſed, they Tryed, Condemn'd and Executed them, according to the Laws made againſt them. This is evident by Pliny's Proceeding, when he was Proconſul in Pontus and Bithynia, without Trajans Order. Yea, under ſome of the Emperors that more favour'd the Chriſtians, as Alexander Severus, through his Mother Mammea's Perſwaſions, though they emitted no Edicts for prohibiting their Perſecution, many Martyrs ſuffered in their Reigns.
But this Queſtion relating to Matter of Fact, cannot be determined otherwiſe, than by having recourſe to the Hiſtorians and Ancient Fathers that have written of thoſe Times. Which whoſoever peruſeth, may ſoon ſee that vaſt Army of glorious Martyrs, which may aſtoniſh him, and ſill him with Admiration of their Chriſtian Fortitude, under ſuch direful Sufferings as they underwent.
It would be endleſs to recite their Sayings, for the great number of Martyrs. In the Third General Perſecution there were innumerable Martyrs. The Menologia Graecorum ſay, Decem millia Chriſtianorum in Monte Ararat cruci ſuffixa ſub Trajano. That there were ten Thouſand Chriſtians Crucified under the Reign of Trajan in the Mountain of Ararat. In the Fourth under Adrian, Paſſim Martyrum millena, there were frequently Thouſands of Martyrs. And ſo in the following, many thouſands in the general, are reckon'd by ſeveral Authors. Chytraeus in's Hiſtorical Kalender, reports from the fore-mention'd Menology, 28 Decembris bis decem millia Martyrum in Nicomedia uſtorum, That on the 28th of December Twenty Thouſand were burnt in Nicomedia. And if ſo many on one Day, what numbers in ſo many Years? And if ſo many in one Place, how great muſt the number be in all Places? But we muſt not ſtay upon Particulars. Euſeb. l. 5. ſaith under the Emperor Antoninus, Innumerabiles prope Martyres per univerſum orbem enituiſſe; That Martyrs almoſt innumerable, were famous throughout the World. And if in the Fifth Perſecution (as that's uſually reckon'd) alone, were ſo many, what were there in all the Ten or Twelve? Prudentius Hymno xi. l. de Coronis, ſaith, In…u…eros Martyres; Rome ignoros fuiſſe; That there were innumerable unknown Martyrs at Rome; and if at Rome alone, what in the whole Empire?
And of them all Cyprian ſaith, l. de Exhort. ad Martyr. Non poſſe numerari Martyres Chriſtianos Novi Teſtamenti; That the Chriſtian Martyrs of the New Teſtament cannot be numbred. And St. Auguſtin often in's Sermons de Temp. mentions the millia Martyrum, Thouſands of Martyrs: And Tract. 113. in Joh. innumerabiles, innumerable.
I ſhall only further recite what Fox, l. 1. p. 44. ſaith from an Ancient Author, Hierom or Heliodorus, where he makes this Calculation. Nullus eſſet Dies, qui non ultra quinque millium numerum Martyrum, reperiri poſſet aſcriptus, excepto die Calendarum Januarii, i. e. There is no Day in the whole Year, unto which more than the number of five Thouſand Martyrs cannot be aſcribed, except only the firſt of January. Which by Computation amounts to a Million and Eight Hundred Twenty five Thouſand.
To animadvert on Dodwels Diſſertation, is not neceſſary; in regard the Conſiderations laid down in the Tenth Section, with what is here added, I ſuppoſe ſufficient. If any deſire further Satisfaction, I muſt refer them to ſuch Authors, as have induſtriouſly anſwered him. As Monſr. Jaquelot, in French, Diſſertation, 4. c. 5. in the general. Pagius in Critica Baroniana, frequently in ſeveral Places. Mabellonius in Itinere Italico. And the Notes of ſeveral on Lactantius de mortibus Perſecutorum. But eſpecially, Theodor. Ruinartius in Praefatione ad acta Martyrum, moſt particularly.
To conclude this Diſcourſe of the Primitive Perſecutions, I ſhall likewiſe refer the Reader to ſuch as have more largely treated thereof, beſides thoſe formerly mention'd. Lactantius de mortibus Perſecutorum cum notis variorum. Ultrajecti, 1693. 8vo. Meiſnerus de Perſecutionibus & Martyriis Chriſtianorum veterum. Witteb. 1654. 4to. Gerhardi Voſſii Commentarius in Epiſt. Plinii & edicta, Caeſ. R. Adverſus Chriſtianos, Amſterd. 1654. Chriſt. Cortholtius de Perſecutionibus Eccleſiae Primirivae ſub Impp. Ethnicis, deque veterum Chriſtianorum Cruciatibus. Jenae. 1660. 8vo. A Table of whoſe ſeveral ſorts of Torments, may alſo be ſeen in Fox's Martyrology.