The Tragedies of Tyrants Exercised Upon the Church of God, Chapter 4
Of the fourth Tragical Acte or perſecution, in which Saincte Iames the Apoſtle was ſlayne, and Peter caſt into Priſon. Chapter. iiii.
ABout the yeare of Chriſte. 45. Herode ſurnamed Agrippa, ſunne to Herode the great, & brother to Antipas moued ye fourth perſecution againſt theIames Apoſtle ſlayne. Churche, wherof Luke ſpeaketh in the Actes the. 12. Chapter. There he declareth how Herod had decréed to moleſt certen of the Churche, & that he had alredy ſlaine with the ſword Iames the brother of Iohn the Euangeliſt, (who alſo was one of the three whome the lord vſed moſt familiatly, and to whom hee opened his ſecretes) and not content with this cruell déed, procéeded farther, and call Peter into priſon to the intent to put him alſo to death.
And becauſe theſe twaine were the cheefeſt amonge the Apoſtles: the whole Church was ſtrooken in great ſorowe and heauines for this perſecution, and ſpecially Iohn, who was mutch greeued for his brothers death. The Church feared alſo, leaſt they ſhould leaſe their faithfull paſtor Peter, as they had doone Iames, wherfore Luke writeth, that dayly they powred foorth prayers vntounto God for Peter, which prayers were not without effect. For the Angell of the lorde came into the priſon to Peter, and deliuered him out of y• ſouldiours hold, loſed his theines & bandes, opened the iron gate, and ſet him at libertie in the open ſtreete, from whence by• and by hee departed out of Ieruſalem.
This great affliction the Church indured pacientlye, neither murmured againſt Chriſt, expoſtulatyng with hym why he gaue vntounto Herod that wicked verlet, ſutch power againſt his dearly-beloued ones? why he ſuffred his whole Church, and ſpecially Iohn his beſt beloued of all the Diſciples, to be touched with ſuch heaueneſſe? why he deliuered not Iames, as he dyd Peter? they knew that God dyd nothing raſhly nor without cauſe, but eueryevery thīg wel & rightly. Wherfore, the faithfull in perſecutions muſt likewiſe be ſemblably perſuaded. For if euer men had nede to make their complaynt to God: then had they néede, neuertheleſſe there were heard no complaynts, no murmurings, but earneſte and humble praiers. Wherfore in aduerſitie, let the faithful flie vntounto God in praier, requiring his grace y• hée would gouerne al thing to y• glory of his name and vntounto our ſaluation, and whatſoeuer he doth that wée ſubmit our ſelues willingly to his holy will and pleaſure.
Moreouer, no man in the Primitiue Church called the doctrine of y• Apoſtles into queſtion, becauſe Iames was ſlaine with the ſword, and Peter caſt into priſon. For none of them ſaid thus: if the apoſtles doctrine were true & iuſt: God would not hauehave ſuffered them to hauehave bin oppreſſed of y• kings, which erred in the faith, leadyng alſo a filthy, and wicked lyfe. Therefore at this day lykewiſe, the doctrine of the Goſpell is not to be doubted of, for that the teachers and followers therof, are by the Lorde delyuered ouer into the enemies hands of the Goſpell, and miſerably and cruelly by them intreated: for the truth notwithſtandyng is euerlaſting & inuincible. Paul in the ſame cauſe writeth, that he was afflicted for ye goſpel euen vntounto hands, but y• word of god was not boūd.
The cauſe that ſtirred Herod to perſecute ye church, was his owne peruerſe2. Tim. 2. minde, which lothed chriſt, & his word. Moreouer, the Iewes gréedely thirſted the Apoſtles bloud, wherfore Herod to currie fauour with them: ſhed y• bloud of the Apoſtles. This Luke witneſſeth in theſe words: And when he ſaw this (namely when he had ſlain Iames with y• ſwoord) to be acceptable to the Iewes hee proceeded alſo to apprehende Peter, meaning after Eaſter to bringe him forth to the people. Like as in our age, many princes do perſecute the faithfull for none other cauſe, but that with their cruel butcherous Tragedies they might gratefie thoſe Fathers of Rome and their adherentes, who alſo vnſatiably do thirſt all their blood which cleaue only to Chriſte and his Goſpell, and ſet nought by, & abhor their ſuperſtition, and Idolatrye.