A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 27
The Twenty-Seventh Plot againſt the Church-Primitive, by the Ten firſt Perſecutions, Defeated by God.
CHAP. XXVII.
SAtans 27th. Plot againſt the Primitive-Church was manag'd by Rome-Heathen, when now Grown Great under her Coeſars, and became the Lady of Kingdoms, and the Imperious Domineering Miſtris of the World: The Provocation was this, 1. The Churches of Aſia were Recover'd from their aforeſaid Apoſtacy, (which, it ſeems, began in Pauls time, 2 Tim. 1. 15, 16. [All they which are in Aſia are turned from me▪] &c. being aſhamed of his Bonds,) by Johns Miniſtry. 2. The Goſpel was ſpread all the World over by the ſcatter'd Apoſtles, at the Deſtruction of Ieruſalem, (until which, (at leaſt) ſome of them had their Reſidence there,) as by Andrew into Scythia, Phillip into P…rygia, by Bartholomew into Judea, by Thomas into Parthia and Perſia, by Matthew into Aethiopia, by Simon Zelotes into Mauritania and Affrica, by Judas (Brother of James) into Edeſſa, by Matthias into Macedonia, &c. but that which provok'd the Devil and his Imps moſt of all, was, 3. that the Goſpel ſhould ſo Prevail and Prosper even in Rome it ſelf, where Satans Principal Throne was, and that by Paul, who was there a Priſoner at large for Two Years, Act. 28. 16. Preaching the Kingdom of God, v. 23, 24, 30, 31. whereby the Roman-Gentiles were brought into the Obedience of Faith, and a Famous Church was Conſtituted there of thoſe called to be Saints, whoſe Fame was ſpread for its Faith all the World over by that Reſort which was to Rome (the Queen of Cities now) from all parts of the Earth, Rom. 1. 5, to 8. and 16. 19. And ſtill that which was of Greateſt Provocation, is that not onelyonly the Beloved of God (therefore Hated of the Devil) were found in Rome it ſelf, Rom. 1. 7. but even in Nero's very Family, Phil. 4. 22. This Curſed Leaven of Chriſtianity (as they call'd it) had not onelyonly Leavened Rome, (the beſt and chiefeſt City in the world) but alſo Caeſars own Royal Pallace, which was the beſt and chiefeſt Building in that beſt and chiefeſt City: All Nero's Court Rang of Paul the Priſoner and the Preacher, Hereby the Lord ordered the Futherance of the Goſpel, Phil. 1. 12. 13. even where Satans Seat or Throne was: what could the Court of ſuch a Curſed Caitiff and Caſt-away (as Nero was) be, but a Barathrum, and Brothel-Houſe, abounding with all Abominations, quite contrary to the Prince of Anhalts, which was call'd Academia, Eccleſia & Curia, a Court, a Church, and an Univerſity. And what was this, but to Depoſe the Devil from his Dignity and Dominion, and to ſet up Chriſt in his Throne: No Wonder if this provok'd him to do, as John had foretold in his Seal-Prophecy that, after the White Horſe, (with Chriſt upon him) to wit, the Goſpel had ſpread it ſelf like a Sun-beam, Conquering every where, and alſo Crowned for its Conqueſts by thoſe Primitive Preachers: Hâc non Succeſſit, aliâ Aggrediendum eſt Viâ: The Devil would then come forth Riding upon his Red Horſe (together with his Black, and with his Pale Horſe) to bring War, Famine, (of the Word eſpecially) yea, Death and Hell too in thoſe 1ſt. Ten Bloody Perſecutions, Revel. 6. 2, 3, 5, 7. This is the 1ſt. Branch of the 2d. part of that Book which Iohn divides into Two parts, 1ſt. an Hiſtory of things then preſent: 2d. a Prophecy of things to come, Ch. 1. 19. Now this Rage of this Mad Rider was the firſt of thoſe things that ſhould be hereafter; the whole of the Prophecy being as a Comedy Repreſented on a Theatre in a Dramatick Dreſs, as in Three Acts; the 1. is the Tragical Miſery of the Church; 2. Her Deliverance; 3. Her Doxology, or Magnifying her Deliverer: So that though the Beginning be the Devils, yet always the End is the Lords, Jam. 5. 11. and that a Good End for his own Glory and the Churches Comfort. As Daniel Aſſured the Church how it ſhould be preſerved to Chriſts firſt Comming: ſo John aſſures no leſs Preſervation to Her from his time to Chriſts 2d. Comming: Indeed all the Ten Primitive Perſecutors were as Red Horſes, whom the Devil Rode upon, (ſo Bloody that for every Day in the Y. (excepting one) 5000 were Murder'd, as Jerom Writes) and the 1. was Bloody Nero, that Monſter of Mankind, notwithſtanding his [Ʋtinam Neſcirem literas,] I wiſh, I could not Write my Name to the Execution of any, during his Plauſible Quinquennium, or Five Y. Reign) whom the Devil ſpurr'd up to burn Rome, (his own Imperial City) Singing upon his Harp (all the Nine Days it was Burning) the Song of Homer, about the Burning of Troy, and then charg'd it upon the Chriſtians, to avoid the Odium of it from himſelf, who had Hired ſeveral Villains to Fire it in ſeveral places, openly caſting Fire-Brands (if not Fire-Balls) amongſt the Oyl-Shops and Drugſters; yea, ſome of his own Bed-Chamber were ſeen to carry Flax, Toe, Torches, &c. to promote it, and his Pretorian Souldiers (or Life-Guard Men, did not onelyonly further it, but even Threaten'd thoſe (that Attempted to Quench it) crying, They knew what they did, they had one to bear them out. * Now the Chriſtians (many of which Paul Salutes in Rom. 16.) goes to the Pot, Yea, Paul himſelf, (as he had foretold, 2 Tim. 4. 6. to be his Free-will offering, Phil 1. 23.) in Rome, and all over the Empire, yea, he cut off alſo many of his richeſt Citizens, meerly to make up his own Wants out of their Wealth, when he had waſted his own Treaſure. but this made him unſufferable, the Senate Condemns him for a Traitor, he ſtole out of the City at Midnight, (having ſeen a Blazing-Star preaching from Heaven his fall, and being Affrighted with an Earth-quake, and with moſt gaſtly Apparitions of thoſe he had Murthered) crying out, Have I neither Friend nor Foe left to Diſpatch me? ſo Drinks a Glaſs of Poyſon, and (as if that had not been enough) he falls upon his own Sword, Dying Miſerably, as he Lived Wickedly. ☞ How eſcaped Peter at Rome, if he ſat Biſhop at Rome? (when Nero Burnt it) as the Romaniſts Affirm: 'tis more probable he Dyed by the Mad Jews in Babylon (literal) where he was at the Writing of his 1ſt. Epiſtle, 1 Pet. 5. 13. and which he fore-tells in his 2d. 2 Pet. 1. 14. Suppoſe this was Babylon, (Myſtical) or Rome, as ſome Romaniſts ſay, (thereby to prove Peter Romes Pope) then this far-fetch'd-Notion grants Rome to be the Babylon that has ſo many Woes againſt it in the Revelation: 'Tis not unlikely that the Jews muſt Murder Peter, for the Devil made them exceeding Mad with Malice againſt the Goſpel, immediately before their final Down-fall, now knowing their time was ſo ſhort) and that in the Caldean Babylon, from whence many (being conveniently ſeated) return'd not at Cyrus Proclamation, as above, in Chap. 20. and there became a great people; yea, and that Babylon was the Metropolis of that Diſperſion, to whom Peter Writes, to wit, Pontus, Galatia, &c. 1 Pet. 1. 1. The 2d. Red Horſe, (Domitian) follows the fore-Horſe of the Team in his Bloody Plowing, Pſal. 129. 3. in whom there was onelyonly this one good, that he puniſh'd Informers, ſaying, That not to Puniſh ſuch, were to Encourage them: he Baniſh'd John, &c. The 3d. was Trajan the Spaniard, who Murder'd many Miniſters, as Magicians, becauſe of their Miracles. The 4th. was Antoninus Verus, or rather Severus, Polycarps ſhining Piety, Juſtin Martyrs Apology, and the Prayers of his Thundring Legion of Chriſtians ſtop'd his Career. The 5th. was Severus, whoſe Name anſwer'd his Nature, this Helliſh Horſe was Dyed Red with the Blood of Chriſtians, he poyſon'd himſelf at York to end the Dolor of his Gout. The 5th. Maximinus, who Eat Fifty pound of Fleſh at a Supper, and for his Drink, he muſt have the Blood of Saints, eſpecially of Miniſters, ſaying, Kill the Captains, and their followers fall too. The 7th. Decius, who Murder'd Millions, yet being beaten by the Goths, leaps into a Whirlpit, where his Body was never found. The 8th. Valerian, whom an Aegyptian Conjurer made Cruel, becauſe he could not Conjure in the preſence of Chriſtians: Sapores takes him Captive, and juſtly made a Foot-ſtool of him. The 9th. Aurelian, who was frighted from it by a Thunder-bolt falling hard by him. The 10th. Diocletian, the Devils laſt Bite was the worſt, yet God Preſerv'd and Increas'd His Church by all, having all along Lucid Intervals, and Teſtimonies from Heaven againſt all thoſe Tygers, none of them Dying a Dry Death, but like the Devils Red Poſt-Horſes, all Poſted away to Death and Hell, (their proper place) the Pale and the Black Horſe muſt follow the Red, the Lord ſaid it, Revel. 6. 5, 7.