therin all that euer was as well men as goodes that there was not one that escaped Besides there are many other cruell tortures and punishmentes recited in y same boke of Eusebius wherby infinit multitudes of christians wer executed to death made away in Arabia Cappadocia Mesopotamia AlexaÌ„dria Antioche and lykewise in Pontus But after that these bloudthirstie dogges Dioclecianus and Maximianê° departed from the empire there succéeded in their place other tyrantes maxentius sunne to Maximian Galerius Maximinus who persecuted the church nolesse cruelly then theyr predicessours did neither made they any ende or moderation or measure of punishing staynge or sheadinge of blood At Alexandria a noble honest virgin Dorothe was by Maximinus spoyled of all her goods with other virgines also whiche would not consent to his filthie lust tormented and slayne At Rome Sophronia wife to the gouerner of the cittie chose rather to die with her owne hand then to bée defiled by a beastly tirant By this Tyrant very many christians were driuen into exyle punished and slayne as Eusebius copiously declareth in thenéeinth and last booke of his storie Howbeeit the moste famous amongst them all are thrée ministers of Christe and his Churche Syluanus of Tyre Peter of Alexandria and LuciaÌ„ of Antioche who had traueiled very mutch in the scriptures as S. Ierom reporteth These woorthie men not only by their teachinge and writinge but also by their bloud and death haue borne testimony to y christian faith and haue cleaued vnto christ constantly to death This cruell and rare kinde of persecution continued from the yeere of Christe 306 vnto the yere 320. that is to say about .xv. yéere in the whole For in the yeere of Christe 321. Constantinus the emperour in the .x. yéere of his reigne gaue peace and rest to the miserable torne and almost oppressed Church indéede from the time that Christe suffred his passion vnto that present there was no persecution more cruell or that continued longer then this wherin notwithstandinge the Church through faith preueiled ouerthrew and caste downe al false religion and Idolatrie But that I may returne vnto the accustomed talke whiche I haue vsed before this in the discourse of most persecutions is there anie man I béeséech you which dareth avoutch that the Ethnick religion of the Romanes was therefore iust and true bycause the Romane emperours defended and enlarged the same castinge downe and defilinge the faith of the Christians with their owne blood most cruelly bicause theâ— obtained prosperus successe against the Christians the ChristiaÌ„s the mean season tastinge none other but the crosse afflictions miseries and most cruell death And who is hée now that will dispute with God why hée suffred sutch naughtie knaues and wicked varlets with so many and diuerse kyndes of calamities molest and trouble sutch men as were dearely beloued vnto him Who will deâ—aunde whether hée did well or ill since God doth no vniuste thing But hée proueth his seruantes with the crosse and afflictions like as Gold and Siluer are by woorkmen tried in the fier This the faithfull know very well and therfore if our wretched and impatient fleash do mooue any contrary thoughtes as it often chanceth immediatly they suppresse them And Saint Peter saith humble your selues vnto the mightie hand of god and hee will exalt you when hee seeth his time and cast all your cares vpon him for it is hee that is carefull for you ¶ Of the. 16. Tragicall Acte or persecution vnder Iulian the Emperour of the 17. vnder the Emperour Valens also of the. 18. vnder 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 vnto 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 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 altercatioÌ„s At which time sprange vp the blasphemous 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 ConstaÌ„s This Constantius was offended with the true faithfull ministers of y Churches which withstood the doctrine of Arrius and sent them into exile But he persecuted most vehemeÌ„tly Blesied Athanasius and with him many mâ— wherof some he 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 with the herésie of Arrius renued this persecution wée will atribute them both to the Arrians comprehendinge them vnder 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 haue hether to declared For the emperour Iulian opposed himself sharply against the Church of Christe laboring to bring it back vnto the aunâ—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 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 vnto 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 vpon paine of death he coÌ„manded that none should do sacrifice Iulian set them open agayne and sacrificed in them vnto Idols and gaue all men leaue to sacrifice So y the Gentile
Catholicke bishops were by him sent into banishment and many of theÌ„ tormented and finally slayne Since therfore at that time there reigned such tirranny in euery place and the 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 vnto the Emperour complaynyng of their iniuries and requiryng his maiesties clemency helpe and protection To which purpose were sent 80. of the chiefest the 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 theÌ„ 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 theÌ„selues escaped away in boates thus in one Ship were 80. holy seruants of 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 haue bin coÌ„mitted 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 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 the 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 the 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 afterward 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 the yéere of Christe 530. he was by Gilimer takeÌ„ 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 vnder the Vandales continued in Affrica about fouerscore yéeres Of the 19. Tragical acte or persecution which was the longest and most greeuous of all other vnder Machomet which the Sarracens and Turkes haue mantayned agaynst the Churche of Christe Chapter xi BY meanes of these persecutions which wée haue heatherto declared which are to bée accoumpted as certen Chastisement and corrections of God few in the Church were brought to any repentance or amendment but many became rather the worse for sundry heresies and schismes as namely of the Macedonians Nestorians Pelagians with diuerse other arose increasinge more and more the recitall whereof were now to tedious by occasion wherof gréeuous contentions troubles and disagréement fell out not only amongst the learned but also amongst the common people and the vnlearned sort giuinge occasion of great and outragious diuisions in religion ouer all the East Béesides in the west the bysshop of Rome wickedly aduaunced himself and his Church aboue al Churches and ministers of Churches throughout all Christianitie and that expresly against the holy doctrine of the Gospell and the writinges of Gregory the pope Wherfore while matters continued in this state God suffred his Churche to bee touched with most sharpe troubles and oppressed with greeuous persecutions For in the yéere of Christe 613. was first knowne and béecame famous in Arabia the wicked hypocrite and most craftie verlet Machomet whom some terme Muhammat the same from his youth vpward was a merchant but afterward hée boasted that he was a prophet sent from god There had ioyned themselues vnto him certen wicked and stubberne Iewes and also one Sergius a munke an apostata and an heretick â—i whose aduice and ayd he deuised a new lawe which hée called Alcoranus for this woord Alcoran signifieth a mingle-mangle of lawes In whiche hee erred directly from the scriptures of both testamentes wherin are set downe the true lawes prescribed by God béeside whom wée haue no néede of anye other booke of lawes howbeit Machomet hath set foorth a new and peculiar lawe to his Sarracens Turkes and all that shall hereafter béeléeue in him which law of his is in very déede a miserable feined deuise impure false and full of filthy fables that it was great meruell how wise men could giue credite to such absurde and doubtfull trifles Howbeit therin appeareth the dreadfull wrath of God against al such as ar not contented with the doctrine of Christ the holy scriptures for it followeth deseruedly that al the are not contented w the truth to beléeue it afterward they giue credit vnto lies ar shamefully deceued seduced In this his law Machomet the diuellish and false prophet hath instituted and diuised a new religion altogither repugnant to the faith of Christ He acknowledgeth the ther is one God maker of heauen and earth whom onlie we must adore and call vpon and that wée must not worship or honour any other Gods Idols or Images whiche the Sarracens and Turkes doo hate excéedingly But hée doth not acknowledge according to the effect of the holly
tenderly then the restdue Of whose trauile employd to the plesure and furtherance of the pope many thinges might be written At length the state of Christianytie proceeded so farre after the time of the kinges Radulphus and Adulphus vnder Albertus the firste in the yéere of Christe 1300. that the Pope vaunted hymselfe to be Emperour For at the same time Bonifacius the. 8. brought in agayne the yéere of Iubilee which was abrogated by the Apostles Actes the. 15 Chapter promising forgiuenesse of sins vnto all the would come to Rome vpon the first day of which Iubilee being adorned in his pōtificalrobes he came abroad shewing himselfe as Pope to all men blessing the people the next day he came foorth in his Emperiall apparell openly declaring that the Empire and Papacie together with all ciuill and ecclesiastical power were in the popes hands These things are written by Albertus Crantzius in the eight booke 26. Chapter of his Saxonie The same Pope also set foorth Decretals whiche are called the Decretals of Bonifacius the eight where in muche more impudentlye hée challengeth all power to the Popes This power or rather tirannie and intollerable arrogancye not longe after Bonifacius Iohn the twenty and two put in practise and declared towardes Ludouick For he most reprochefully misused him excommunicated him cast him into gréeuous warres causinge an vnspeakable deale of mans bloud to be shead throughout all Germanie These thinges are described dilligently and at large by Iohn Auentine in the seuenth booke of the yeerely recordes of the Boi whiche I declare for this intent that who so desireth to haue an exacte knowledge of these thinges may know wherto finde it Moreouer in the reigne of Ludouick the fourth as also before vnder Friderick the second the Citie of Zurick béecause it tooke part with the Emperours against the Pope keeping alwaies their oth and allegance towardes hym stood many yéeres excommunicated whiche was not withoute great hinderance of the commonwealth although since that time it hath againe bin indued with sundrye priuiledges and honours At which time the first ground and foundation of the Swicers league through the gifte of God was layde most happely Ludouick the Emperour most largely and liberally graunting to the same and fauoring the Swicers whom I pray god to blesse and kéepe and defend moste mercifully Nowe perhaps you wyll aske mée whether these Actes of the Popes and Emperours and the increase of the Popish power and aucthority doo any thing appertaine to the persecutions against the churh wherof at the beginning we purposed to write yea indeede altogether surely most properly they appertaine to the same For in asmuch as the first bisshops of Rome persecuted no man but themselues suffred persecution were Martires and those whiche next followed were most parte of them holye and faithfull doctours subiectes to the Emperours and ciuill Maiestrates and ruled ouer no Prouinces nor Peoples so that none of them were Princes and the later Popes in these laste times stirred vp moste gréeuous persecutions within the circute of Christendome it is expedient to know by what means and maner how why and when the state of the bysshops of Rome was so shamefully deformed and chaunged that the later Popes béecomminge so farre diffrent from the first bysshops béecame Lordes of kinges and emperours and cruell persecuters of them Now therfore so many moste cruell and sharpe warres which the Popes béeing aduanced to so great power haue stirred amōg Christians in which sutch aboundance of Christian blood hath bin shead maye they not rightfully be reckned amongst the persecutions of Christians For like as abroad they haue bin sticklers of most gréeuous warres vnto the Christians against the Sarracens and Turkes as wée haue declared béefore so haue they bin also at home aucthours of persecutions troubles and destruction to Christians Doth not this verie well deserue the name of a persecution when as Christian emperours with such as duetifully obeyd his hestes ar by Popes vexed and wasshed with their own blood discourteously dealt withall with weapons and warlike torments which as we haue shewed béefore out of historys many yéeres with infinite spillinge of blood were most cruelly and tyrannically committed But in the midst of so many calamities the wofull kinges and emperours perpetuallye suffringe affliction and miserie at length they and theirs quayled and gaue ouer and the Popes béeinge conquerours triumphed and althinges hapned accordinge to their desier and so they established their power that they might stand heerafter in awe of no man but rule at their pleasure without all controulement And in very déede these are not vnlike vnto Daniels prophecy wherin hée hath left thus written While the vngodly are a growyng there shall arise a king with an impudent face which shall vnderstand darck sayinges and his power shal encrease but not in his own strēgth and hée shal destroy aboue measure and all that hée goeth about shal prosper and hée shall destroy the valient and holly people And through his craftines deceit shal prosper in his hand and hée shal magnifie himselfe in his hart and in his prosperity hée shall confound many Yea hée shall rise vp against y prince of princes but hée himselfe shalbée destroyed with out hand Daniell the .viii. Chap. But if I would here declare the vnspekable deal of mans blood which by means of Popes hath bin shead in Sicile Naples and Apulia surelye the recitall would bée ouer longe For from the time of Innocentius the. 4. vnto Clemente the vii the space of 284. yéeres sumtime the Germans afterward the Frenchmē again the Spainiards against the Frenchmen then a fresh the Germans against them then againe the Frenchmen and Hungarians were by Popes called to sutch and sutch kingdomes and sutch and sutch peoples were at warre and by them set togither by the eares All which troubles are diligently set downe by historicians Moreouer through the immoderate and vnlawfull power or rather tyranny of y Popes no lesse also by other meanes blooddy persecutions and murthers haue risen For after that as wée haue shewen béefore they had mightely vsurped vpon all Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill iurisdiction and power also ouer counselles then might they afterward institute and ordeine all ordres of the Church the doctrine of faith and religion rites and customes in the Churche at theyr owne will and pleasure And hereof arose persecutions For who so euer resisted those they cried out vppon for heretickes and vnder that pretence persecuted them And this same béesides the warres of the Popes I terme properlye the Papisticall persecution agaynste Christians and the Christian Churche whiche was mooued againste the godlye and faithfull onely for their faithes sake as it was sumtime in the primitiue Church Wherfore like as at the beeginninge the first faithfull were persecuted by the Emperours of Rome euen so towards the ende of the worlde the faithfull of the latter times do suffer persecution by the Popes
more at quiet Yet in respecte of this persecution which was great and lasted longe time 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 vs al likewise now be of good hope in midste of persecutions and sheadinge of miserable innocent Christian blood Of the. 9. Tragical acte or persecution which was vnder Antoninus Verus with his brother Lucius and what worthy men exhibited Apologies of the christian faith vnto the Emperours Chapter vii THe yere of Christ 170. and. 178. the Roman Emperours Marcus Antoninus Verus and his brother Lucius for none other causes then we haue aboue recited sharply persecuted al christians that generallye were vnder the Romane Empire This persecution Historicians call the fourth but I terme it the ninth The exacte description and at large therof whoso desireth to beehold let him reade the fourth and fift bookes of Eusebius ecclesiasticall historie In this persecution were slayn not only many of the Christian Church but also the moste famous and renowmed doctoure of that age who in teaching and writing set frooth the christian relygion enlarged it and defended it commendinge their doctryn with their most holly life and bearinge wytnes therto with theyr owne blood Among whom was Polycarpus Discyple to the apostles an extreme ould father and minister of the congregatyon at Smyrna whom they call the doctor of Asia and father of the Christians also the holye and paynfull Minister of christ Pionius both these with many monotable christians were burnt Lykewyse y most lerned and faythfull mynysters of Christ Iustinius a philosopher and Iraeneus Byshop of Lions in France whose bookes in defence of the christyan fayth agaynste all kyndes of errours and heresies are yet extant were slayne wyth the sword But chifly at Lions and Vienna in France nigh the riuer Rhodanus was very mutch cruelty and extremitie shewen This persecution is described by the ministers of Christe dwellynge at Vienna and Lions in an epistle vnto y brethren of the congregations of Asia and Phrygia let him read that list herof the foure first chapters of the firste booke of Eusebius ecclesiastical historie there among other thyngs they declare how Photinus bishop of Lyons a worthie man learned and holly and aboue foure score and ten yéeres old and therfore féeble of body but valiant of minde and without all feare was brought to the place of iudgement of whom when there was required an accoumpt of his fayth with a wounderfull courage hée professed Christe and the Christian faith wherfore hée was by the rashe furious people stroken buffeted spurned without al regarde of age or callyng reprochefully abused so y he was drawen backe agayne to the prison for dead where not longe after hée yéelded vp the ghost In the same place are singularly described y cruel torments wherwith the holy men were long time tormeÌ„ted as Maturus Sanctus and Blandina a woman of singular courage constancy in the true faith with Attalus borne of a noble race in faith more noble All these were slayne with most cruell and continuall tormentes bicause they would not yéeld one iote from the trueth They write moreouer how that the common raskall multitude in this persecution was so sauedge cruelly pricked foorth with anger and rage y they left nothyng vndone that appertayned to the most cruell and ignominious vsedge of them For they would not permit the bodies of sutch as were slayne in prison to bée honestly buried but cast them to dogges who if they left any thyng that they burned and threwe the asshes into Rhodanus these turmentours in the meane time criyng alowd as it is reported behold the Gods haue reuenged themselues on the enemies of the Ethnicke religion where is now their god what maner of faith and religion is this that spoyleth them thus of their liues Thus thei reioiced triumphed like conquerours y had defended and confirmed their owne religion and on th' other part the Christians remained in great sorow heauines and daunger Whoso desiereth to vnderstande more of this matter let him read it in Eusebius in the epistle aboue recited Moreouer there is set downe by Hermannus Contractus in his chronicles an whole catalogue of principall blessed martirs y suffred in this persecution Wherfore y which I haue often sayd I say againe is there any maÌ„ so simple and deuoyd of iudgment y dareth to say that the doctrine and religion of the holy Martyrs and witnesses of Christe was false bicause God deliuered them ouer into y handes of their enimies gentils and vnfaithful ether y their doctrine religion was tru and righteous bicause as apperteyninge to the body they vanquished slewe and oppressed the faithfull And who is so presumptious that he will dispute with God why hée suffreth his dearly beloued Church to bée cast down and â—roden vnder foote with so many afflictions and calamities But in this age the next following God through his grace raised euen among y gentiles worthie renowmed men learned holy wel disposed who offred vnto y Roman emperours to the Senate lieutenants bookes written with diuine instinct perspicuous and wise wherin they declared the innocencie of Christians confessing the faith of christ praising defendyng it shewinge also how falsly y christians were charged with notorious crimes y were layde against theÌ„ This kinde of writyng they terme Apologies In which apologies thei vttred such constancie and valientnesse of minde y thei durst also to discipher and disproue the errour vanitie of y Ethnick religion I minde to set downe in this place a catalogue and rehersal of al sutch as wrote Apologies I wil note also the time of doyng of al those things out of Eusebius y al men may perceaue how couragiously the Christian religion set foorth herself openly and without all feare in midst of persecutions glisteryng therin as it were the sunne howbéeit there whiles the vnfaythfull persecuted the same as heresy deceite and washing the Christians in their owne blood In the yere of Christ 119. Quadratus a graue and holy man preferred an Apologye or defence of the Christians vnto the Emperour Adrian After whom the yere of our Lord. 122. Seremus Granius one of the nobillytie of Rome wrote also and
studied not onely to defile the innocencie of the christians through dread practice of such punishmeÌ„ts and torturs as y lyke had not bin heard before but also by prouocation of lust and plesure For when they could not ouerthrow them with torments they tempted them with pleasures to cause them to fall offring vnto them bewtifull wemen y should allure them to lechery In which place he sheweth of a certen martir that bit of his toung betwene his teth spet it in his fine miks face y he might be so deliuered from her At the same time Paule the Eremit fled into the wildernesse and liued a solitary life in a certen den vnto whom beefore hée died came Saynct Antonie And these twayne were the first beeginners of Eremites life that is to say of those that lead ther liues in wilde and desert places as though it were out of the worlde a life full of hardnes and shapnes laboringe with their handes and vsinge great abstinencie Saint Ierome writeth that Antony died the yéere of Christe 661. and in the .xv. yeere of his owne age And out of this fountaine in processe of time sprange Monkerie which the holy Church of Christe knew not at all when it was most excellent and pure Béesides that this life hath no warrant nor commaundement from the woorde of God and is nothinge else but an inuention and deuise of men that were a fraide And like as in those former persecutioÌ„s they indeuored to pluck the christians from the trueth through alurementes of pleasure so likewise in our age many are carried awaye from the true faith and confession thereof and after knowledge of the trueth they are wrapped in errours through pleasures honours glory ritches prefermentes gret offices fat benefices as they terme them or great reuenewes of y church The yeare of our Lorde Christ 273. Valerius Aurelianus obtayned the Empire whom Historicians make the Aucthour of y ix persecution which according vnto our accoumpt is the. 14. This Aurelianus at first beginnyng of his raigne was gentle and friendly towards ChristiaÌ„s but towards th' ende he changed his conditions and through perswasion of naughty persons suffred himself to be abused fully determinyng with him selfe to persecute the Church of Christ Eusebius testifieth in the 7. boke and. 26. Chapter of his ecclesiasticall history vnto whom also Orosius agréeeth that he rather intended to execute this persecution then fully accomplished the same Howbeit the Church at that time was in great peril heauenesse but when contrary vnto expectation the Emperour was taken away the persecution ceased and became nothinge Of the greeuous woful and long tragicall Acte or persecution being in number the. 15. vnder the Emperours Dioclecian and Maximian wherein innumerable Christians were martired and slayne Chapter ix NOne hath written more dillygentlye of the persecution of the Emperours Iouius Dioclecian and Herculius Maximian then Eusebius in the laste booke of his ecclesiasticall historye For he lyued at that time behelde the doyng of many things whereof he writeth Wherefore the full and true discourse of these matters muste be borrowed of him which although it be terrible yet is it there withall pleasant profitable to be read As for me I mean but breifly to touch y chiefest poyntes The Christian Churche enioyed peace and tranquillitye a fewe yéeres from the raigne of Aurelian vnto the xix yéere of the raigne of Dioclecian and Maximian about the space of 28. yéeres For the Christians had commonly their Churches and godly congregations and méetinges together professing and exercising their relygion openly without any feare wherein also they had the assistance of lieutenants of prouinces euery where vnto whom the Christian Relygion was knowne â—nd many of great power in the Emperours Court as namely Dortheus and Gorgonius who being Christians aided and defended them of their owne religion The Christians also in the begining of this peace and quietnes agreed very well together were feruent in y worshipping of God and of holy conuersation and therefore the number of the faithful increaced very much so that it was néedefull to enlarge their Churches and places of common prayer But in processe of time that feruent loue of Relygion began to waxe colde and ther arose dissentions contentions cheifly amonge bisshops and doctours who beinge addicted to strife vnquietnesse fell sore at debate amonge themselues handlynge their controuersies whereby the people were nothing edefied wherfore the Lorde taking away his hand from his people suffred y faith lesse Gentiles to lay their handes vpon his Churche to scoure away the ruste which daily increased more and more And this is the .xv. persecution of the Church which Orosius calleth y tenth At the béeginning of this persecution the Lord dealt verie gently not giuyng the reigne and bridle immediatly to the persecution and suffringe the Churches to be destroyd but the onset of the persecution was béegun by the souldiours And doubtles vnto this purpose apperteineth that which is written by Otho Frisingensis in the. 3. book and. 45. chapter speakinge of bleassed Mauritius Who marchyng forward into Germanie vnder Maximian with his legion of men which were all Christians goinge against the Bacharides whome Eutropius termeth Bongarides a troublesome and seditious kinde of people to bring them to dutie and quietnesse when the armie had passed the Alpes and was arriued into the country of the Veragri whiche at this day they cal the lower Vallesia there Maximian commaunded his souldiours to sacrifice to the Gods that they might obtaine good fortune and victorie against their enemies Then Mauritius answered that hée would not so doe nor the residew of Christians that were vnder him franckly professinge himself his company to be Christians for whom it was not lawful to do sacrifice to y gods Wherefore they were first craftely deuided and some sent to SolodoruÌ„ Bonna Colen Santum and abroad vnto other places for defence sake dispersed Last of all the greater part of the legion whiche remayned with Mauritius neare vnto Octodorum whiche is at this day called Martenacum and Agaunum whiche is nowe called by the name of S. Maurice which was slain by y heathen souldiours S. Ierome reporteth that the expedition against the Bagaudae was in the yéere of Christe 290. I cannot nor I ought not in this place let passe to make mencion of Foelix and Regula being Germans who were also of Mauricius companie both these diuers other moe whose seruice it pleased God that he woulde vse to preache Christ to the Gentiles by flight escaped from the slaughter at Octodorum and first they came to Glarona and so along the Lake were brought vnto the most auncient citie of Zuirick in which at y time y Ethnick idolatry florished wher they preached simply the Christian relygion and as wée haue shewed in the beginning of this booke purely faithfully without any aditions of man The same they approued valientlye
religion and Idolatrie verie mutch increased vnder him and sutch 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 Galileans and Christ himself the Galilean He dyd not only confiscate the goods of the Church but also layde great tributes and exactions vpon 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 giue hym their cloak also So y he both spoyled flouted the Christians and whatsoeuer trouble or reproche hée put them vnto 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 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 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 vnto 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 vnto 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 vnto any bēch of iudgment or any other kind of preferment In euery 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 the temple of y gods at Arethusa by reason whereof Iulian hated him persuading with 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 giue them the valew of one farthinge hée was by them most miserably and cruelly and 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 haue tormented sundry Christians whereby hée might come to knowledge who had broken the Idols these thrée comming vnto 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 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 vnto 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 with great grauity constancie forewarned them out of Daniell the prophet and the Gospell that it 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 with 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
in the yéere of Christe MDXIX béeinge the tenth Prince and fourth Emperour of the Turkes The same tooke Bellogradum or Alba Graeca a passing stronge Citie and the key of all Hungary which was in the yéere of Christe MDXXI After this in the yéere of our Lord. 1523 hée béesiedged the I le of Rhodes and compelled it to yéeld Then afterwarde in the yéere of Christe 1526 â–ª hée discomfited and slew Ludouick kinge of Hungarie with all his armie Againe in the yéere of our lorde 1529. hée brought an army into Austria béesiedged vienna the head of the cuntrey which although hée obtayned not yet hée woundrouslye indamaged the Region with fier spoylinges murther and captiuity of many thousand Christians whom hée caryed thence Beesides this in the yéere of Christe 1537. hée ouercame the Christians againe in Hungarie and did them verie mutch harme After whiche in the yéere of our Lorde 1541. hée tooke Buda the Metropolitan Cittie of all Hungarie and also the whole countrey But bicause all these thinges are fressh in the memories of men whiche were done within fiftie yéeres I thought it sufficient only to touch them and repete them For it is not vnknowne what greate harme hée did and what autragies hée committed in Hungarie about the time that he dyed which was in the yeere of oure Lorde M. D. lxvi when he tooke Ligethum where either hee slew or caried awaye as prisoners most part of the Christians whiche in deede were verie manie And now last of all what the Christians haue to looke for at the handes of Selimus the .ii. sonne to Solimannus the xi Prince of the discent of Othomannus and the fift Emperour of the Turkes who bega to reigne in y yeere of Christ M. D. LXVI the experience it selfe hath taught in the yéere of our Lorde M. D. LXX in which he tooke the noble Kingdome of Cypres slaying manye thousand Christians whom he had tormented and then slaine or carying theÌ„ awaye into perpetuall and most cruell seruilitie I suppose that in this place manie will marueile at this rehersall of the Sarracenicall and Turkish persecutions which are not of opinioÌ„ themselues that they should be accompted among persecutions but rather amoÌ„g warres wherof the reason and nature is farre otherwise sions are not excused that were infected with errours Semblably in these Sarracenicall and Turkish warres I haue applied the name of y Christian churche like as I admonished in y béeginning of this booke vnto all those that are called Christians whom the Turks for y names sake do persecute by reason of an hatred which they beare to the christian faith although many do much want of y simplicitie and puritie of the Christian religion neither by any meanes therby are the errours of the Romish Churche excused The thinges which first incensed the Sarracens and Turkes to commit these furious cruell tyranycall Tragedies these warres persecutions was cheifly the Diuell himselfe who is excéedingely delyghted with sheadynge of mans blood secondly the hatred of the trew Christian faith and a gréedye desier to rule farre and wide couetousnes to heaâ—e vp ritches and to liue sumptushoppes theretelye also a zeale and Rome Pope Cache wicked and false which be now at thâ— met with other causes which her after shalbée declared And this mutch I thought bréefly to set downe concerninge the Sarracenical and Turkish persecutions And it is to bée wisshed that all those which are Christians and would so bée named woulde soundly surely acknowledge that this gréeuous tyrany of the Turkes is a very true persecution laid vpon vs from aboue to sée if haply men would bée brought vnto wisdome wherby to embrace ernestlye the pure doctrine of Christe studeinge more to lead a Christian life then hetherto they haue doone for surely vnlesse wée do soe wée must néedes looke for farre woorse But now in these Sarracenicall and Turkish persecutions to returne vnto that whiche wée haue often admonished béefore I aske this question if ther bée any man of so small or froward discretion that dareth avouche that the Machometan religion is true and the Christian false bycause y followers of machomet in euerie place haue â—â— among perâ—â— oppressinge the ChrismoÌ„g warres whermously railinge at nature is farre otherwise And who dareth deney that all these religions and Churches which Saynt Paule the Apostle conuerted to the faith of Christe are now ouerturned and destroyed by that filthie and horrible Machometan beast and that the most impious froward faith of Machomet yea rather that lothesome abhomination is there established And who is so presumptious and deuoyde of all religion that bicause God of his iust iudgement permitteth the Turkes to commit so manie thynges which hée coulde easely prohibite will therefore dispute with God and demaunde of him wherfore hée suffreth so mutch bloud to bée shedde so many thousande Christians to bée slayne How hee can abyde so manie vnspeakable calamities miseries and afflictions of the godly and that so many hundred yéeres And why rather hee distroyeth not with Thundre and lightdiffeâ—â— from Heauen the impure and Churche of â—â—ire of the Turkes or caâ—shoppes thereoâ— â–ª to gape and swallow Rome Pope Carâ— abhomination But which be now at this â—e and great causes why God who is true holy and righteous suffereth and permitteth all these thinges Furthermore long sithens hée foretolde by Daniell the Prophete and Christe himselfe prophiseth in the Gospell that the last persecution before the later Iudgmente shoulde bée so sharpe and great that there was neuer the like vpon the earth ether heard or sene And I am of opinion that the final iudgment and the redemption of all the faithfull glorious clarification and blessed rewarding is not far of from vs Lorde Iesus Christe take pittie vpon thine aflicted Church and vouchsaue to comforte and helpe it in this latter cruell and moste rare kinde of persecution Of the. 20. and last Tragical Act or persecution which the Bishops of Rome haue moued and practized against the Chur 〈…〉 of Christ certen hundred 〈…〉 Chapter 〈…〉 THe Papistical pe 〈…〉 next to the 〈…〉 much the more daungerous how much the lesse it was to bée looked for and so much the more cruell because it is practized by those who of all other oughte moste to bée séekers of peace and quietnes and sutch as would bée accoumpted most soundest in relygion and most hollyest of all other in the Church as vnto whom Christe hath giuen all power in the Church that in matters of faith they may rule all thinges accordinge to their pleasure and to bée the head and vniuersall pastours ouer the Catholick church of Christe For all men knowe what titles the Pope and all his spirituall persons do boaste of But in the béeginninge of this booke wée haue declared that there bée sundrie vnderstandynges and distinctions not onely of faith and Religion but of the Church also ouer which the