The Tragedies of Tyrants Exercised Upon the Church of God, Chapter 6
¶ Of the. 6. Tragicall Acte or perſecutiō, which was vnderunder Nero, and of the ſeuenth which was vnderunder Domitian, and of the eight vnderunder Vlpius Traian, Emperours. Chapter VI.
PAulus Oroſius an olde hiſtorician, who liued in the time of Auſtine, and wrote vntounto hym ſeuene bookes of Storyes, beginneth the recitall of the perſecutyon of the Chriſtian Churche, from the perſecution whiche Nero had moued, which hée accounteth the firſt whoſe order the later Hiſtoricians alſo inſued. And we lykewiſe, in deſcribing the Tragedies & perſecutions committed againſt the Church: wyll follow the ſame order, as conſequently they follow one another. But ſince it is manifeſt, y• the fiue aboue recited perſecutiōs, were before theſe, as the ſcriptures do ſhew, that which Oroſius maketh the firſte, we make the ſixt: although the matter be of no great importāce in this reſpect.
Oroſius writeth, that Nero firſte (that is to ſay among the Roman Emperours) Nero perſecuteth the Chriſtiansgaue forth commaundement, that at Rome, and in al other prouinces belonging to the Roman Empire, the Chriſtians ſhoulde bee moleſted, and ſlayne. And y• this was his determination to roote oute the Chriſtian faith & all Chriſtians whereſoeuer they were.
The cauſes that moued Nero to perſecute y• Chriſtians are not ſo dilygentlye ſet downe by chriſtian hiſtoricians, as they are by prophane writers, Suetonius Tranquillus in the lyfe of Nero and Cornelius Tacitus in the. 15. booke of the lyues of the Emperours. Nero y• emperour was y• ſinke of al beaſtly ſinfulneſſe, fulneſſe, chiefly of lechery, and vnſpeakable inceſt, defilyng himſelfe againſt al courſe of nature, ſo y• in all Hiſtories of you ſhal not finde his match. This horrible wickedneſſe he openly committed at Rome without al ſhame, in ſight of y• Senate, and people. But there was no man that durſte ſpeake againſt hym, mutch leſſe to reproue him, or aſſay to puniſh hym, but eueryevery man winked at hym, the moſt filthy beaſt in the meane time doyng what he liſt.
Wherfore, God being offended with the citie of Rome: puniſhed it with fire, Rome puniſhed with fire as Sodome was.as he did Sodome & Gomorrha euen by Nero himſelf, when as for his Sodomitical beaſtlineſſe, hée deſerued to be burned himſelf. And ſéeing Rome winked at his naughtineſſe, and did not y• which it ought to hauehave done: the horryble Sodomite Nero, cauſed the citie to be ſet on fire. For being certen places in the cittie wherewith Nero miſlyked, and the ſtreates and paſſadges there verye narrow: he cauſed the houſes to be ſette on fire, that after they were brent, they might be builded againe more faire, and ſumptious. He himſelfe beheld the fire out of Mecoenas tower, ſaying: that he much deſired to ſe the burning of Troy which he beheld now ſom what reſembled by that burning of the citie, ſinging therwhiles the deſtruction of Troy, and delighting himſelfe with beholdyng the great fire. Suetonius reporteth, that from that time that Rome was firſte built, it neuer ſuſtayned ſo much hurte by fire: for it continued alwayes burnning the ſpace of ſix dayes and ſo manye nights. The ſame is alſo diligentlye deſcribed by Tacitus.
But when the fire through the wrath of God had brent farther then Nero had Nero imputeth the fire to Chriſtians.thought it ſhoulde, and indamaged the Citie with an vnrepayrable loſſe and hinderaunce, the citizens which had ſuſtained ſo great harme, were very much moued, and …ffended. Wherefore the Emperour Nero, to the intent that hee might put ouer from himſelf the … of the déede, raiſed a rumour among the commons, that this whole miſcheif was long of the Chriſtians, that they were aduerſaries to the Gods and Religon of the Romans, and wicked burners of cities and townes, who alſo in that ſort had defaced the citie. And that this report might ſéeme to carie ſome trueth and auctoritie: hée caſt manie Chriſtians into priſon, and examined them by tortures and tormentes, that they ſhould confeſſe how the citie was ſet on fire by them. And in dede there were ſome fownd, who not beinge able to abide tormentes, but rather wiſſhing to die: falſly accuſed themſelues & other Chriſtians, confeſſinge that they had ſet the citie on fire.
Wherfore immediatly, there was a proclamation publiſhed by the emperour againſt chriſtiās, in which it was commaunded, that in Rome and al prouinces thei ſhould be rooted out, as enemies to the gods and religion of the Romanes, and men practiſed in burning & ſetting on fire. And this was the beginning of y• perſecution, and blouddy tragedie. For ſome in reproche, and for a mockyng ſtocke, were ſowed into the ſkinnes of wild beaſts, as Tacitus writeth & caſt vntounto dogs to be torne. Other were brent, ſome …a…ed and crucified, and ſo deſtroyed with ſundrie and moſt cruel puniſhments, inſo mutch that (as Tacitus writeth) the common people of Rome were mooued wt greate pitie towards them. But with Nero ther was no mercy, no end of torments. In this perſecution were ſlayne, as hiſtoricians do teſtifie, and we alſo hauehave declared before: the Apoſtles Peter & Paul. There be alſo numbred by Chroniclers many notable and godly men, whiche in this perſecution ſuffred gréeuous affliction, reproches, & puniſhment of bitter death not at Rome only, but here & there in other prouinces of the Romane empire.
Since therfore, this perſecution was Wee muſt not diſpute with God.firſt moued by Nero for a filthy & horrible cauſe, who ſhall accuſe God for graunting ſuch power to a wicked, and Sodomiticall perſon, againſt ſo many thouſands of holy and innocēt men, yea freinds of God? or why hee ſuffred the chriſtians to be brent for houſe burners and did not rather hale foorth Nero the true houſe burner and beaſtly Sodomit caſtinge him into the thickeſt of the people to bee torne in peces? when therfore, in our age, the lyke do happen: let all men humbly ſubmit themſelues to the power of God and his mightye hande, beare their croſſe with pacience which the Lord layeth vponupon them, giuegive laud and praiſe vntounto God, and conſtantlye cleaue to his holy worde, whiche at Neroes time was alſo true and iuſt, although it was behouefull that the faithfull ſhould ſuffer afflictions, and Nero ouercome them, and hauehave power ouer them, with his prophane, and ſuperſtitious Relygion.
After this, about the yere of our Lord 97. with intollerable and diuelliſh pride Diuelyſhe pride.Domitian the Emperour ſet foorth him ſelf, ſunne to Veſpaſian, brother to Titus, by whom the Citie of Ieruſalem was deſtroyd, the Iewes vanquiſhed in battle, and opreſſed. The ſame was not aſhamed to boaſt himſelfe to be God & Lord, and would ſo be called and worſhipped of al mē, and y• which no Emperour Note.required before him, he commanded y• they ſhould kiſſe his féete, wherin no Emperour followinge hym dyd the lyke, except Dioclecian onelyonly, a cruell Tyrant, and a murtherer of holy men.
This Dominitia ſet a broch the .vii. perſecutions againſt Chriſtians, in the which many holy men were driuen into baniſhment, many flayne or ſpoyled of their goods, and troubled moſt bitterlye. Iohn the EuangeliſtAmongſt whom Iohn the Apoſtle and Euangeliſt was brought priſoner from Epheſus to Rome vntounto the Emperour, and there tormented. Flauia alſo, and Domicilla of greateſt nobilitie in the citie, with diuers other mo, were by Domitian ſent into baniſhment. But Iohn afterward returned vntounto Epheſus, and there died in the yere of our Lorde. 102. after the paſſion of Chriſte, 68. and the third yéere of the reygne of Traiane the Emperour.
After this, about the yéere of our lord. 110. Vlpius Traiane, a mightie and victorious Emperour, was the cauſe and authour of the eight perſecution againſt the Chriſtians, in Rome, and in other places vnderunder the Romaine Empire. Whiche thynge cheifly prouoked him, and other Emperours that came after him to perſecute the Chriſtians, bicauſe they thought good that there ſhould bee no Schiſme ſuffred in the empire, ſpecially in religion, but that there ſhould bée one only religion receaued, whiche their forefathers had obſerued béefore time. Now that diſagréement in religion nouriſheth cōtentions and hatred a thing not to bée ſuffred in any empire Moreouer, y• they feared gréeuous calamities, and puniſhments, if their gods were not woorſhipped after their accuſtomed maner, and therfore the Chriſtians, bicauſe they hated their temples aulters, ſacrifices, images, and hollydayes, blamyng and diſdaynynge the religion of the Romanes: were in no wiſe to be ſuffred. Wherfore, if any calamities ſhould chaunce to riſe in y• Romane Read Cyp. againſt Demetri.empire, as are troubles, dearth of corne, famine, warre, ſeditions, peſtilence, diſeaſes, with other diſcommodities: by and by y• Romans burthened the Chriſtians with y• cauſe of all theſe anoyances, for contemnyng their gods and religion, and doyng contrarie vntounto the ſame. That they woorſhipped one God, acknowledgyng Chriſt alone the ſunne of God to bée the only ſauiour, openly pronouncyng, that the Romane religion was falſe and of the diuel, that their faith in Chriſte was true & right, nether that God ought to bée worſhipped with images and temples, ſacrifices and hollydayes, but in ſpirite and trueth, accordyng to his woorde.
As for the Romans, and other nations abroad in the worlde, they were altogether addicted to ſuperſtitions, valiently ſheadyng their blood, leeſing their goods, and liues, in defence of their religion, exhortyng other firmely to retain y• ſame. For they boaſted how they receaued y• religion of their elders, which were no fooles but excellent wiſemen: Moreouer that there were many learned men in their collegies of prieſts, & that their beléef was confirmed wt manie notable wounders and miracles, y• whilſt they obſerued that religion they obtayned ſundry great victories, and y• whole empire of al the worlde, attributyng al their good ſucceſſe and ſalftie, to their religion, which had remained manie thouſand yéeres, not béeyng ſo new and but thyrtie yéeres ould as was the chriſtian religion. That their Gods were friendly and liberall vntounto them: helpyng them in ſutche ſorte, that they wanted nothynge, on the otherſide the chriſtians were poore and vnfortunate: wherfore they ſhould doo amiſſe if they erred the breadth of one heare, or ſpared the ſacrilegious enemies of their ancient and victorious religion. Wherfore, theſe cauſes which wee hauehave now recited, prouoked the Romane Emperours to perſecute the Chriſtians. The cauſes of the perſecutions likewiſe in our age are not mutche vnlyke whoſo Traians perſecution.weyeth them both vprightly.
Wherefore, in this perſecution moued by Traiane there was an vnſpeakable deale of Chriſtian bloud ſhed▪ At Ieruſalem Simeon Byſhop of the citie, beinge an hundred and twenty yeares ould, was crucified. S. Ignatius alſo the ſeruant of Chriſte, and Diſciple of the Apoſtles, was brought from Antioche where he was Biſhop vntounto Rome, caſt vntounto wilde beaſtes, and by them torne in péeces. Their Tragedies were ſo cruel, their ſlaughters ſo great, the ſheadinge of Chriſtian blood ſo horrible: that Plinie the ſeconde, a wiſe gentleman, and lieutenant to the emperour, wrate vntounto the emperour, giuinge vntounto the Chriſtians, a ſingulare teſtimonie of their innocencie. This epiſtle is to bée ſéene in the … booke of Plinies epiſtles. By which meanes the ſtate of Chriſtians was ſome deale the more at quiet.
Yet in reſpecte of this perſecution which was great, and laſted longe time God is iuſt and the faith true.wherin were deſtroied many thouſand Chriſtians, y• Chriſtian religion ought not bée iudged falſe or worſe to bée eſtéemed of, or that the gentile and profane religion of the Romanes is righteous and ſownd. For throughout the whole world, and in all ages the Chriſtian religion is only true, righteous, and conſtant: nether hath God doone amiſſe, in giuinge the Ethnickes ſo great power againſt the faithfull. For by meanes therof, the Chriſtian faith is nothinge diminiſhed, nether by puniſhment, nether by ſheadinge of blood: but it is rather increaſed in all partes of the worlde, wherfore it is not without cauſe amonge our forefathers growen into a prouerbe: the field of Chriſt is dungged and made frutefull with Chriſtians innocent bloud. Wherfore let vsus al likewiſe now be of good hope in midſte of perſecutions, and ſheadinge of miſerable, innocent, Chriſtian blood.