The Tragedies of Tyrants Exercised Upon the Church of God, Chapter 10
¶ Of the. 16. Tragicall Acte or perſecution, vnderunder Iulian the Emperour, & of the 17. vnderunder the Emperour Valens, alſo of the. 18. vnderunder Genſerick and Hunerick, Kinges of the Vandales. Chapter. X.
FRom the tenth yéere of the reigne of Conſtantinus Magnus, the church of Chriſte enioyed peace and tranquillity, when as within xxi. yéeres (for ſo many yéeres are accoumpted from the tenth yéere of Conſtantine vntounto the. 31. which was the laſt yere of his reigne) it encreaſed more then at any other time ſince the natiuitie of Chriſte.
But not longe after the death of Conſtantine, Abuſe of peace.the learned teachers, and miniſters of the Churches, vnthankfully abuſed their peace, minglynge many contentions, and cauilles with y• ſimple doctrine of their religion, and mutch diſagréeinge, and contendinge amonge themſelues: they drew the ſimple people from the vnitie of the Church into ſundry ſectes, and pluckyng them from the pureneſſe and plaineſſe of the true faith, with their doubtfull doctrine: they filled their heades with ſundrie altercatiōs. At which time ſprange vp the blaſphemous Arrius hereſye.doctrine of Arrius, who affirmed that our Lorde Ieſus Chriſte the ſunne of God was not of one eſſency or béeinge with the father, nether very, and eternall God. With this poyſon at that time, Conſtantius one of Conſtantinus ſunnes, was infected, for Couſtantinus left béehind him thrée ſunnes, béetwéen whom he deuided the empire: Conſtantinus the ſecond: Conſtantius, & Conſtās This Conſtantius was offended wt the true & faithfull miniſters of y• Churches which withſtood the doctrine of Arrius, and ſent them into exile. But he perſecuted moſt vehemētly Bleſied Athanaſius and with him many m…, wherof ſome he Athanaſius.threw into moſt ſtrait priſons, greuouſly afflicting the faithful, as is declared at large in the eccleſiaſticall hiſtory. This perſecution béegan aboute the yéere of Chriſt: 343. but bicauſe valens y• emperour, who was alſo difiled wt the heréſie of Arrius renued this perſecution: wée will atribute them both to the Arrians comprehendinge them vnderunder the name of Valens perſecution.
God chaſtiſed his Church for contentions, falling out, diſagréements, & ſciſmes, not only in this Arrian perſecution, but alſo in an Ethnick the like wherof it ſuffred many before the reigne of Conſtantinus, as wée hauehave hether to declared. For the emperour Iulian oppoſed himſelf ſharply againſt the Church of Chriſte, laboring to bring it back vntounto the aun…ient ſuperſtitions of the gentiles, about the yéere of Chriſt 366.
This Iulian was at the firſt a Chriſtian, and a reader in the holy Catholick Iulians reuoltyng.Church, but when he had falne into acquaintance and frindſhip with certayne Philoſophers, and chiefly with Libanius the Sophiſt: he began by litle and litle to fall from the Chriſtian faith, and at laſt receiued the relygion of the Gentiles againe, wherin he became ſo blind and hard harted: that he waſhed awaye the Baptiſme of Chriſt: yea he was ſo farre poſſeſſed by the Diuell, that he vſed very much Magicall arts, applying his whole ſtudye vntounto ſutch thinges as were pleſant, & exceptable to the diuell.
But after that he came to the empire, hauing obtained a great victorie againſt the Almaynes nigh to the citie Strauſbrough of whom he ſlew. xxx. M: with all his power hée bent him ſelfe againſt the chriſtian religion. The temples of Idoles which Conſtantinus had ſhutte vp, and in which vponupon paine of death he cōmanded that none ſhould do ſacrifice: Iulian ſet them open agayne, and ſacrificed in them vntounto Idols, and gaue all men leaue to ſacrifice. So y• the Gentile religion and Idolatrie verie mutch increaſed vnderunder him: and ſutch Gentiliſme encreaſed.as in the time of Conſtantinus had hid themſelues, hopyng that ſhortly there would come ſoome change: brake then abroade into light, and violently aſſaulted the Chriſtians. The emperour him ſelfe, ſpoyled the Churches, and the miniſters of the Churches, of all their priuiledges, immunities, liberties, and dignities, which Conſtantinus had giuen them. Hée forbid alſo the Chriſtiās all ſchooles, that they ſhould not learne poetrie, oratorie, nor philoſophie: meaninge therby to make them vnlearned, that they ſhould not bée able to confute the Ethnick relygion, out of the booke of Ethnick writers. Himſelf alſo wroat certen bookes againſt the Chriſtian religion, wherto verie well anſwered. S. Syrillus, byſhop of Alexandria.
Moreouer, he termed Chriſtians diſdaynfully Chriſtians termed Galileans.Galileans, and Chriſt himſelf the Galilean. He dyd not only confiſcate the goods of the Church: but alſo layde great tributes, and exactions vponupon the chriſtians: there withall alſo mockyng, and floutyng them ſaying, that theyr God, y• is to ſay our Lord Ieſus Chriſt forbid them to heape vp treaſure, commaundyng them that whoſo tooke from them their coate: they ſhould giuegive hym their cloak alſo. So y• he both ſpoyled, & flouted the Chriſtians, and whatſoeuer trouble or reproche hée put them vntounto he ſayd how they ought to beare it wyllyngly and patiently, for ſo their Chriſt taught them to doe.
And lyke as Conſtantinus the great, tooke away the Images of the Gentile The Romane Enſigne changed.Gods out of the Romane enſigne or ſtandard, placynge in the ſtead of them a white croſſe: ſo contrarywiſe Iulianus reſtored the Images of Iupiter, Mercurie, and Mars, that the Chriſtians worſhipping th'enſigne, and bowing them ſelues before it, ſhoulde ſéeme to worſhip the Gods. Likewiſe all that were appoyncted to warfarre, and receiued their natiue or rewarde, muſt caſte a grayne of frankincenſe into the fire vppon the Aulter, and ſo worſhippe the Gods.
This thing troubled hym very much A francke confeſſion.For when certen Chriſtian ſouldiours had vnaduiſedly done the ſame, & wayyng the matter more dyllygently, perceued what they had done: of their owne motion they came vntounto the Emperour, and caſting away their donatiue in his preſence, cryed aloude ſaying that they were Chriſtians, and woulde continew in the Chriſtian fayth, that whiche they had done they dyd it vnaduiſedlye, wherein they had gréeuouſlye offended, wherefore they preſented there theyr bodies vntounto hym that they might ſuffer for that, wherein their handes had offended. Then the Emperour commaunded that they ſhoulde all bée lead away to execution, & bée beheaded. But when they were gone out of his preſence: he chaunged his minde, & pardoned their liues: notwithſtāding he made a law, y• thencefoorth no chriſtian ſhould bée admitted to warfare, or into y• Emperours court, or vntounto any bēch of iudgment, or any other kind of preferment.
In eueryevery place alſo of the Roman empire, Chriſtians were reprochefullye dealte withall, pitifullye tormented and ſlaine, amongſt whom is remēbred an antient man, and a notable miniſter of Chriſt, Marcus byſſhop of Artehuſa. The ſame in former, and more happie times, had deſtroied ye temple of y• gods at Arethuſa, by reaſon whereof Iulian hated him, perſuading wt the citizens y• they ſhould conſtrain him to build vp the temple againe, which béeing impoſſible for him to do: they required that at the leaſt wiſe he would contribute ſumwhat to the charges. But when he had anſwered that hée would not giuegive them the valew of one farthinge: hée was by them moſt miſerably, and cruelly, and Although he were very ritche.to their great ſhame tormented, and put to death.
Likewiſe renownied men, and worthie miniſters of Chriſte were martyred, as Gregorie of Alexandria, Euſebius, Nectarius, Zenon, Baſilius Ancyranus, and Cyrillus Deacon of y• church of Ieruſalem. At Heliopolis manie vertuous virgins were brought naked into the Theater, and afterwarde their bellies cut vp and ſtuffed full of oates and barly, and caſt to ſwine to bée torne.
In Meroe a citie of Phrygia, thrée honeſt citizens, Macedonius, Theodulus, & Tacianus, when as the day before, the cheif officer of the citie had ſet open a temple of Idols, whiche had vntyll that time bin ſhutte vp, to th'eintent there ſhould now be ſacrifice done in it, in the night entring into it they plucked down the Idoles, and brake them. But when this iudge and chief officer Amatius began to hauehave tormented ſundry Chriſtians whereby hée might come to knowledge who had broken the Idols: theſe thrée comming vntounto the iudge, deſired him not to torment any man for breakyng the Idols, for they were the doers of it. Wherefore they were taken and roſted a great while, & at length burnt. In the ſame perſecution Artemius lieutenant of egipt, bicauſe he cōſtantly profeſſed y• faith of Chriſt: was ſpoyled of al his goods, & in the end loſt his head: y• like wherof many good, and honeſt men ſuffred. whoſo deſireth a more large deſcription of theſe things: let him read y• 6. booke of y• Tripartite hiſtory, alſo the hiſtories of Ruffi. Theodo. and Sozo. Moreouer, Iulianus to y• intēt he might Iulian ſendeth the Iewes build the Temple at Ieruſalem.moleſt the Chriſtans, whom hée could not compell to the Gentiles religion: he gaue licence to the miſerable Iewes, to returne to Ieruſalem, there to aſſemble themſelues togither and to build a temple, and to frequent their ſacrifice, promiſinge vntounto them his aſiſtance for the better accompliſhinge the ſame. But after that a great multitude of them was gathered togither out of al nations and had prepared ſtuf for their preſent buſines, erected ſcaffoldes to woork vpō and partly had digged their foundations and partly layd them, being buſie about their buildinge: béeholde, a great earthquake ſhooke the foundations, and caſt them downe: there flamed alſo an horrible fier out of the verie foundations, and a ſtrange and terrible tempeſt ouer threwe the ſcaffoldes, ſhakinge downe what euer they had builded, and ſlew a great multitude of the Iewes. There was alſo a terrible boule of fier tūbling there about all the day longe, whiche hindred and indamaged them verye mutch: and wheras béefore the Iewes, and Gentiles triumphed, inſulted ouer, and threatned the Chriſtians, Cyrillus biſhop of Ieruſalem, wt great grauity & conſtancie forewarned them out of Daniell the prophet and the Goſpell, that it Dan. 9. Mat. 24. Luk. 21.was not poſſible y• they ſhould ſacrifice héere, or elſe build vp y• Iewiſh temple. So y• they, which before this diſperſion or ſcattryng, had in deriſion y• miniſter of chriſte: after ſo great miracles of god were altogether quailed & diſcouraged.
But after y• Iulian was ſlayn in battel agaynſt the Perſians, which was in the yéere of chriſt. 367. there was quietnes agayne reſtored to y• Chriſtians, which notwithſtāding cōtinued not long. For Valens, wt his brother Valentinian, obtaining th'empire: was ſeduced by the Arrians: & although his brother Valētinian were ſound in the Chriſtian faith, yet hée neuertheleſſe about the yéere of thriſte. 371 began to perſecute the godly chriſtians, intending to bring them to y• Arrian hereſy. But y• church conſtantly withſtoode him, wherfore the faithfull and Catholicke biſhops, were by him ſent into baniſhment, and many of thē tormented and finally ſlayne.
Since therfore at that time, there reigned ſuch tirranny in eueryevery place, and ye miniſters of the churches & other faithfull men, were nowher in ſalftye, but were commonly reprochefully intreted ſpoyled, plucked out of their houſes and ſtayne: at length the Church decréed to ſend ſome notable embaſſedge vntounto the Emperour, complaynyng of their iniuries, and requiryng his maieſties clemency, helpe, and protection. To which purpoſe were ſent. 80. of the chiefeſt, ye their countinaunce, and credit might be the greater. Who when they were com to Nicomedia to the Emperour, & had exhibited their ſupplication: the Emperour was greuouſly mooued againſt thē yet diſſemblyng his anger, charged priuely Modeſtus one of his ſeruants that he ſhould deſtroy al thoſe byſhops. But becauſe hée doubted, leſt if they ſhoulde be openly executed, the people might chance to raiſe a tumult: they were all imbarked in a Ship, as yf they ſhoulde be ſent into baniſhment. And when the Ship was come into the mideſt of the déepe ſea: the mariners ſetting it on fler thēſelues eſcaped away in boates thus in one Ship were. 80. holy ſeruants of80 Legats miſerably brent. God conſumed with fire. Which moſt cruell tragedie and impious fact, ſtroak the Church of God into moſt greuous, ſorowe and heauineſſe.
But who ſo is delighted to vnderſtand the moſt firce Barbarouſnes, and moſt outragious tragedies, & heinous murthers, which hauehave bin cōmitted againſt the holy faithfull of Chriſt: let him read the. 7, booke of the Tripartite hiſtorye, and the fourth of Socrates, and Theodoretus, where theſe thinges are ſetfoorth at large. I omitte in this place to ſet out the perſecution of Athanaricus Athanaricus King of the Gothes.King of the Gothes, whome others call Athalaricus. Hée perſecuted the Chriſtians about the yéere of Chriſte, 373. whereof ſome he flewe, ſome hée baniſhed. But becauſe ſome reporte, that they whiche ſuffred theſe thinges were Arrians: therefore I thought it not conuenient to recken this among the perſecutions of the holye Catholick Churche.
Howbeit after that the Vandales had poſſeſſed Affrica driuyng the Romans thence, about the yéere of Chriſt. 443. being then peace throughout all the empyre: Genſerick King of Vandales and Lord of Affrica, being infected with theGenſerick King of the vandals. Arrian hereſie, as were Conſtantinus, and Valens the Emperours, intended to enforce the chriſtians to the Arrian hereſie, whervpon there began a bloudy, and butcherly ſlaughter. For he ſhut vp the Churches of the faithful, and ſpoiled the Miniſters, whereof many hée killed with hunger, and to be ſhort: he left nothing vndone whatſoeuer before him Dioclecian, and Maximian the moſt cruell tyrants, had practized againſt ye faithfull. Whom notwithſtanding hée could not enforce to reuoult, for all their moſt greuous, and cruell puniſhments.
After Genſerick, there ſuccéeded him both in his kingdome and tyrrannie, his ſunne Honorius, in the yéere of Chriſte, 476. who perſecuted alſo the Chriſtians moſt cruelly for the profeſſion of the trew faith. The whole ſtorie of this perſecution is deſcribed by Victor byſſhop of vtica, which liued in thoſe bloody times. After Honoricus, there ſucccded in the kingdome Gundamundus, in the yéere of Chriſte, 484. who likewiſe as his prediceſſours did: perſecuted the Chriſtians. The like afterwardTo whome Fulgentius wroat. alſo did Traſimundus the yéere of Chriſte. 503. by whom were at one time. 220. byſſhoppes baniſhed into Sardinia: but Hildericus ſunne to Traſimundus, recallinge them home again out of exile, reſtored them to their churches in the yeere of Chriſte. 523. This Hildericus was a good prince, & ſound in the Chriſtian religion, but in ye yéere of Chriſte. 530. he was by Gilimer takē by a trayn and caſt into priſon, and reprochefully vſed. Howbeit Gilimer enioyed the crowne not longe, but was by Belliſarius (as Procopius reporteth) about the yéere of Chriſte. 535. vanquiſhed and ſtain, with whom the kingdome of Vandales alſo toke his ende. This perſecution vnderunder the Vandales continued in Affrica about fouerſcore yéeres.