Vol 02 - ACTS AND MONUMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN MARTYRS.

ACTS AND MONUMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN MARTYRS
IN the following book I commend two special points to the reader; first, to observe the disposition and nature of this world; secondly, the nature and condition of the kingdom of CHRIST; the vanity of the one, and the establishment of the other; the unquiet state of the one, ruled by man's violence and wisdom, and the happy success of the other, ever ruled by God's blessing and providence; the wrath and revenging hand of God in the one, and his mercy upon the other. The world I call all such as are without or against CHRIST; either by ignorance, not knowing him, or by a heathenish life, not following him, or by violence resisting him. On the other side, the kingdom of CHRIST in this world I take to be all them which belong to the faith of CHRIST; the number of whom, although it be much smaller than the other, and always hated and molested of the world; yet it is the number which the Lord does peculiarly bless and prosper, and ever will. And this number of CHRIST's subjects is that which we call the visible church in earth.
In the reign of Tiberius, the Lord JESUS, the son of GOD, in the 34th year of his age, which was the seventeenth of this emperor, by the malice of the Jews suffered his blessed passion for the conquering of sin, death, and SATAN, the prince of this world, and rose again the third day. After whose passion and resurrection, Tiberius lived six years; during which time, no persecution was yet stirring in Rome against the Christians, through the commandment of the emperor.
In the reign also of this emperor, and the year which was next after the passion of our Savior, or somewhat more, St. Paul was converted to the faith. After the death of Tiberius, when he had reigned twenty-three years, succeeded C. Caesar Caligula, Claudius Nero, and Domitius Nero. By Caligula, Herod, the murderer of St. John Baptist, and condemner of CHRIST, was condemned to perpetual banishment, where he died miserably. Caiaphas also, who wickedly sat upon CHRIST, was at the same time removed from the high-priesthood.
Domitius Nero, Succeeding Claudius, reigned fourteen years with such fury and tyranny, that he slew most part of the senators, and destroyed the whole order of knighthood in Rome. Such was his wretched cruelty, that he caused to be put to death his mother, his brother-in-law, his sister, his wife great with child, all his instructers, Seneca, and Lucan, with divers more of his own kindred. Moreover, be commanded Rome to be set on fire in twelve places, which continued six days and seven nights in burning. And to avoid the infamy thereof, he laid the fault upon the Christians, and caused them to be persecuted. And so continued this miserable emperor in his reign fourteen years; until at last the senate proclaiming him a public enemy unto mankind, condemned him to be drawn through the city, and to he whipped to death. For fear whereof, he, fleeing the hands of his enemies, in the night fled to a manor of his servant's in the country, where he was forced to slay himself; complaining that he had neither friend nor enemy left that would do so much for him. In the latter end of this Domitius Nerd,, Peter and Paul were put to death for the testimony and faith of CHRIST, Anno 69.
In the year 73, 40 years after the passion of CHRIST, and the’third year after the suffering of St. Peter and Paul, were destroyed by Titus, and Vespasian, his father, (who succeeded after Nero in the empire,) 1,10O,OOO Jews; besides those which Vespasian slew in subduing the country of Galilee, and those also which vi-ere sold to vile slavery: 2,OOO were brought with Titus in his triumph; of which, part he gave to be devoured by wild beasts, part were otherwise cruelly slain. By whose case all nations may take example, what it is to reject the visitation of God; and much more to persecute them which are sent of God for their salvation.
Now to return. I propose, first, to declare the persecutions raised up against the servants of CHRIST, within 30O years after CHRIST. Which persecutions are commonly called ten; besides those moved by the Jews in Jerusalem, and other places, against the apostles. In which, first, St. Stephen was put to death, and divers others were either slain or cast into prison.
After the martyrdom of St. Stephen, suffered next, James the apostle of CHRIST, and brother of John. Of the death of the other apostles, we know little of a certainty; the common accounts being mostly fabulous.
The first general persecution was stirred up by Nero, about the year of our Lord 67. The rage of which emperor was so fierce against the Christians, that a man might see cities he full of men's bodies; the old there lying together with the young, - and the dead bodies of women cast out naked in the open streets; not only in Rome, but also through all the provinces, Nero thinking to abolish the name of Christians in all places.
In this persecution the apostle Peter was condemned to death. Touching the cause and manner of his death, the words of Jerome are these: `_` Simon Peter, of the province of Galilee, and of the town of Bethsaida, the brother of Andrew, after he had been bishop of the church of Antioch, and had preached to the dispersion of them that believed of the circumcision, in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia; and Bithynia, in the second year of Claudius the emperor, (which was about the year of our Lord 44,) came to Rome to withstand Simon Magus; and there abode until the last year of Nero, which was the 14th year of his reign, by whom he was crucified, his head being down, and his feet upward; himself so requiring, because he was (he said,) unworthy to be crucified after the same manner as the Lord was."
Eusebius a lirmeth, that Peter, seeing his wife going to her martyrdom, (as he was yet hanging upon the cross,) was greatly glad, and cried unto her with a loud voice, " Woman, remember the Lord JESUS." Such was then the blessed bond of marriage among the saints of God.
Paul the apostle, after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting the gospel of CHRIST, suffered also in this first persecution, and was beheaded.
The persecution beginning under Nero, ceased under Vespasian, who gave some rest to the poor Christians. But not long after the second persecution began by the emperor Domitian, brother of Titus. He put to death all the nephews of Jude, called the Lord's brother; and caused to be sought out, and to be slain, all that could be found of the stock of David, for fear lest He were yet to come of the house of David, which should enjoy the kingdom. In the time of this persecutor, Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, after other torments, was crucified.
In this persecution, John the apostle and evangelist, was exiled by Domitian into Patmos. But Domitian being slain, and his acts repealed by the senate, John was released under Pertinax the emperor, and came to Ephesus in the year 10O. Here he continued until the time of Trajan, and governed the churches in Asia, where also he wrote his gospel, and lived till the year after the passion of our Lord 68, which was the year of his age. When St. John was returned to Ephesus, he was desired to resort to the places near unto hint; partly to regulate the matters of the church, partly to ordain such as the Holy Ghost should elect. When he was come to a certain city not far off, and had comforted the brethren, he looked earnestly upon him who was the chief bishop among them, and beholding a young man strong in body, of a beautiful countenance, and of a fervent mind: " I commend this man (says he,) to thee with great diligence, CHRIST and the church being witnesses."
Some time after St. John was sent for to those quarters again. The causes being decided, and his business ended, meeting with the bishop, he required of him the pledge which, before CHRIST and the congregation, he left in his hands. The bishop, something amazed at the words of John, supposing he had meant sonic money committed to his custody, could not tell what to answer. Then John, uttering his mind more plainly, said, " The young man, the soul of our brother, committed to your custody, I require." The bishop, with a loud voice, weeping, said, " He is dead." To whom John said, " How, and by what death" The other said, a He is dead to God for he is become an evil man, and now he does frequent this mountain, with a company of villains and thieves like himself." The apostle rent his garments, and with a great lamentation said, "
1 have left a good keeper of my brother's soul: get me a horse, and let me have a guide." This being done, he hasted as much as he could, and, coming to the same place, was taken of the robbers that watched. But he, neither fleeing nor refusing, said, “I came for this cause; lead me to your captain." So he being brought, the captain all armed, fiercely began to look upon him; and soon coming to the knowledge of him, was stricken with confusion and shame, and began to flee. The old man followed him, forgetting his age, and crying, " My son, why dost you flee from thy fattier An armed man from one naked a young man from an old man Have pity on me, my son, and fear not, for there is yet hope of salvation. I will answer for thee unto CHRIST. I will die for thee if need be; as CHRIST has died for us. I will give my life for thee.
Believe me, CHRIST has sent me." He, hearing these things, first, as in amaze, stood still. After that, he cast down his weapons. By and by he trembled, and wept bitterly; and, coming to the old man, embraced him, and spoke unto him with weeping, (as well as he could,) being baptized afresh with tears; only his right hand being hid and covered. Then the apostle, (after he had ascertained him, that he should obtain remission of our Savior, and also prayed, falling down upon his knees, and kissed his right hand, which for shame he durst not show before,) brought him to the congregation. And when he had prayed for him with continual prayer and daily fastings, and had comforted and confirmed his mind, he went not from him before he had restored him to the congregation again, and made him a great example of faith and holiness.
St. John going to Ephesus to be washed, and seeing Cerinthus in the has, he leaped out unbathed, because he feared the has should have fallen; seeing such an enemy to the truth was within. Such fear had the apostles, (says Irenaus,) that they would not exchange a word with them that adulterate the truth.
In this persecution, besides innumerable other martyrs, suffering for the testimony of the Lord JESUS, was Flavia, the daughter of Flavius Clemens, one of the Roman consuls, who, with many others, was banished out of Rome, into the isle of Pontia.
There were remaining alive at that time certain of the Lord's kindred, which were the nephews of Jude, that was called the Lord's brother; when the lieutenant of Jewry had brought them to Domitian to be slain, the emperor demanded, whether they were of the stock of David Which when they had granted, he asked again, "What possessions and what substance they had" They answered, "That they both had no more between them in all than 39 acres of ground, and that they got their living, and sustained their families with the hard labor of their hands," showing their hands to the emperor, being then hard and rough. Then the emperor inquiring of them concerning the kingdom of CHRIST, " What manner of kingdom it was; how and when it should appear" They answered, " That his kingdom was not a worldly, but an heavenly kingdom, and that it should appear in the end of the world; at..which time He, coming in glory, should judge the quick and the dead." Domitian hearing this, did not condemn them; but despising them, let them go, and also stayed the persecution against the Christians.
In this persecution, every person accused was sworn to declare the truth, whether they were Christians or not: and if they confessed, then, by the law, the sentence of death proceeded. Neither were the tyrants content with their death only, but whatsoever man's invention could devise, was practiced against the Christians. Imprisonment, stripes, and scourgings, tearings, stonings, plates of iron laid unto them burning hot, deep dungeons, racks, the teeth of wild beasts, gridirons, gibbets and gallows, tossing upon the horns of bulls: moreover, when they were thus killed, their bodies were laid in heaps, and dogs left to keep them, that no man might bury them.
And yet, notwithstanding all these continual persecutions, the church of the Christians daily increased, deeply rooted in the doctrine of the apostles, and watered plenteously with the blood of saints. Thus Justin Martyr "That none can terrify or remove us which believe in JESUS, it daily appeareth; for when we are slain, crucified, cast to wild beasts, into the fire, or given to other torments, yet we go not from our confession; but, on the contrary, the more cruelty is wrought against us, the more there are that come to faith in the name of JESUS no otherwise than if a man cut the vine-tree, the better the branches grow."
Between the second persecution and the third was but one year, under the emperor Nerva. Trajan succeeded him, who, in other respects, was a commendable prince but toward the Christians he was impious and cruel. In his persecution, Pliny the Second, a man learned and famous, seeing the lamentable slaughter of Christians, and moved to pity, wrote to Trajan, that there were many thousands daily put to death, of which none did any thing contrary to the Roman laws: whereby the persecution, -by command of the emperor, was greatly diminished.. The epistle of Pliny I thought convenient to set down as follows.