History of the First Ten Persecutions

CANON 1.

If any person vituperat marriage, and will detest a faithful woman, because the sleepeth with her husband, and counteth her to be culpable, and that she cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, Let him be accursed.

CANON 2.

If any man condemn him who in faith, and religion eateth flesh (that is neither mixed with blood nor sacrificed to idols) as if by such participation of flesh, he wanted hope, Let him be accursed.

CANON 4.

If any man make difference, and will not receive the oblation from a preachers hand when he ministereth it, because he hath a wife, Let him be accursed.

CANON 10.

If any person keeping virginity for the Lord's sake, extol himself above those that are married. Let him be accursed. In all these constitutions of the council of Gangr •… , there is no usurpation of authority over the conscience in matters of marriage and meats. Secondly, because even at that time, when custom without a ratified law had brought in an use in the Church of God, that unmarried men should be admitted unto Bishoprics and spiritual offices rather then others. Yet when such continent men could not be had, GRATIANVS himself witnesseth that a married man was admitted by PELAGIVS I. Ann. 556. to be Bishop of Syracuse, Distinct. 28. Thirdly the fathers of ancient time spake reverently of marriage: but the Papists of late days have called it a work of the flesh, and the error of the Nicolaitanes.

These two doctrines of the prohibition of meats and marriage are called an apostasy from the faith, and endited by the spirit of error. Here it may be objected that the Apostle PAUL himself who writeth this, in another place saith, that the Kingdom of God is neither meat nor drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the holy Spirit, Rom. 14. ver. 17. How then is that thing to be counted an apostasy from the faith wherein no matter is touched that pertaineth to the Kingdom of God? To this I answer, that there is a great difference between abstinence from meats, and prohibition of meats: for these whose conscience is weak will abstain from many meats, and content themselves with herbs, Rom. 14 ver. 2. as it were contenting themselves with the food of the beasts rather then that their mouth should eat that thing that should perturb their conscience: but such men as take upon them authority to forbid to eat meats that are created by God to the use of men, they usurp authority over the conscience of men, binding where God hath loosed, & loosing where God hath bound, and mixing heaven and earth through other, as if men on earth should have such absolute soueraignitie over the conscience, even as the God ofheauen hath. This is called an apostasy from the faith, not because all defection is finished in this, but because all defection is grounded in this one point, to set a mortal man in the chair of God, & to attribute unto him such absolute souerainitie over ourcōscience as God had over the conscience of ADAM, Gen. 3. as miserable experience hath clearly manifested in the Popedom. Doth not the Apostle PAUL crave that the service that we offer to God should be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, a reasonable service, Rom. 12. ver. 1, But when we are led away either with the conceits of our own hearts, or yet when we cast off the yocke of God, and stoop down the neck of our conscience under the laws of mortal men in (matters of religion what equity of reason is kept in such doing to match and equal our selves or others to God.

Moreover the A post. PAUL foretelleth that these backsliders frō the faith should speak lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with an hot iron, 1. Tim. 4 ver. 2. These words cannot be properly applied to the old Heretics of whō we have spoken, who ascribed the institution of matrimony to Satan, & the creatiō & procreatiō of mankindvnto the devil, because they spak not falsehood in hypocrisy but in opē blasphemy: & therefore they might have been easily discerned & avoided yea, in other heads of their doctrine concerning the nativity and death of Christ, they were so blasphemous that in the word putative natus, mamfestatus, mortuus, they were the very aduocats of the devil, lren. lib 3. adversus Valent. cap. 20. & 39. But in the Popish church the laws forbidding marriage to some men, and meats at sometimes are so coloured with appearance of holiness, that the forgers of such laws in hypocrisy had need to be pointed out by the finger of God in his word, to the ende that no mask nor visard put upon ungodliness should pervert the understanding of men. But the more subtle hypocrisy that should be used, the more vigilant and wakrife should the Lord's forewarned people be, that they were not deceived by lies spoken in hypocrisy.

Likewise the Apostle foretelleth that these deceivers should have their 'consuence seared or cut off with an hot iron. In which words the Apostle alludeth to members of a body, first feastered, next senseless, and thirdly cut off with an hot yrone. So are the conscience of those deceivers, f •… st cankered with error, next past feeling, (albeit wholesome admonitions be used for reclaiming them from error) & last of all, their conscience is a rotten thing, and utterly cut off. Wherein it is to be marked that feeling of all senses is most necessary, & a most inseperable companion of the life, begun when the sensitive life beginneth, and ending when it endeth: so that to be past feeling is all one as to be utterly dead in body or conscience. But let us see to whom this can be justly applied. If we call to mind the obstinacy of the old Heretics, true it is that they were sense •… sse men, of whom IRENEVS justly said that they counted themselves not overcome by the power of the truth so long as they adhered fast unto their error. As if an impudent fellow who wrestleth and is overthrown, and is lying on his back on the ground, yet he would deny that he is overthrown, because he sticketh fast by the grip of his adversaries garments, Iren. lib. 5. adversus Valent. But apply this to the Papists of our days, and we shall find them tenfold more senseless & obstinate then the old Heretics were: for they have found out means to harden their harts in error, that when they are a thousand times convicted by the clear shining light of the Gospel, then the authority of their Church, and opinion that it cannot err, doth lock them up so fast in the bands of the devil, that all the travel taken upon them is spent in vain, they remain senseless, having their conscience seared with the hot iron of Satan, as the Apostle speaketh.

In particular the Apostle pointeth out two heads of doctrine, that deceiving teachers should maintain, to wit, they should forbid marriage, and they should command to abstain from meats. Mark these two words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, forbidding and commanding. The word commanding is not in the Greek text: but EPIPHANIVS thinketh this ellipsis must be supplied by the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, commanding to abstain from meats: both these words are imperious, and pointing out men in authority, and practicing their soueraignitie in all things, whereinto the eminent power of a Sovereign is manifested, he biddeth, forbiddeth, he maketh laws and constitutions, the disobedience whereof bringeth the contraueeners under fear of great punishment: even so the deceivers of whom the Apostle speaketh in matters of marriage & meats should not be content to tell their opinion, & to allure by persuasiue reasons others to embrace their opinion but being mounted up in high authority, they should command to abstain from meats and they should enterdite marriage to some persons with authority, adding pains to the commandment, that the contraueeners should be deposed from their office, they should be counted Heretics, they should be condemned to hell: beside all other civil punishments which magistrates addicted to their authority could inflict. These words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, forbidding and bidding cannot be applied to Gnostici, Encratitae, nor yet to the Manicheans of the next Century, because they had no soueraignitie nor power to command. Yea MANES himself was excoriat and put to death by the king of Persia, as SOCRATES writeth lib. 1. cap. 22. and that for a light cause, by reason he could not cure his diseased son. But the words of the Apostle clearly declareth that he speaketh of men furnished with authority to bid abstain from meats, and to forbid marriage, and this agreeth well with the Romaine Antichrist and his usurped authority.

Notwithstanding of all these laws made in the Romaine church and strait prohibition of marriage to the clergy, we ought to follow the example of Christ's disciples, who after that they knew that celestial voice that sounded from heaven in time of Christ's Baptism, This is my well-beloved Son in whw̄ I am well pleased, hear him, Mat. 3. They closed their ears, and locked up their hearts from hearkening to any voice in the earth that spake the contrary, some said that he was ELI AS, other said that he was IEREMIAS or some of the old Prophets, but the disciples hearkening to the voice that came down from heaven, said that he was the Son of the living God, Mat. 16. Even so, whatsoever the men in this world speak of marriage, the trumpet of God sounding in his word alloweth marriage and pronounceth a blessing unto it, Psal, 128. And the Apostle saith, Marriage is honorable in all persons, Heb. 13. ver. 4. but the honor that the Romaine church giveth to marriage calling it an holy sacrament is like unto the purple garment wherewith the soldiers clad Christ, and yet they spared not to buffet his blessed face: even so the church of Rome in one word will call marriage an holy sacrament, in another they will call it a work of the flesh, and a state vncompetent to dispensators of heavenly mysteries. But let them bark against marriage as the dogs bark against the moon until they be weary of barking, this, word standeth fast, Blessed are they that fear God and walk in his ways, Psal. 128. And this is spoken of persons married, yet from my heart I like the words of CHRYSOSTOM who inculcats in our ears the word of fearing God, & declareth, that albe it all that came to the altar without a lawful calling, had an evil success, as CORAH & his retinue, yet not all that came to the altar with a lawful calling had a good success: even so everyone that goeth in unto an harlot, is accursed of God, but everyone that goeth in unto his own wife is not blessed of God, but only he who feareth God, Chrysost in epist Heb. cap. 11. homil. 33.

Followeth now in the words of the Apostle that men should be bold to forbid meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving. No doubt but the Apostle here setteth down as two opposit things God & man, God creating, blessing & permitting the use of created & blessed creatures to man with thanksgiving. And on the other part arrogant fellows starting up & correcting the wisdom of God, & saying, albeit God hath given liberty to eat of such & such meats with thanksgiving, yet for many causes such liberty must be restrained, & eating of flesh on Friday must be as great a sin as the eating of the forbidden tree. What it this but a plain spitting in the face of God? As if he who hath taught us the way to eternal life, could not also in his blessed word reach us how to eat & drink. Truly the whip is meet for the back of the fool, & he who will needs be wiser then God in anything, if it were but in the precepts of eating & drinking he is more worthy to be scourged out of the Temple of God then the buyers, sellers & money changers, John. 2. For the buyers & sellers albeit they made merchandise into a place appointed for another use: yet no unclean beast nor fowl was brought in into the temple to be bought or sold: but these miserable wretches will make the very clean creatures of God unclean at their pleasure, which is no less fault, then to fetch in an unclean beast into the Temple of God.

Next it is to be marked in the words of the Apostle to whom belongeth the use of the creatures of God namely to the belceuers only. Here the Apostle declareth that there is foolishness as well as arrogancy in the questiō of meats. It is arrogancy (as we have already spoken) to be wiser thē God's word in this mater of meats, & it is as great foolishness to fear that we shall be polluted with moderate eating of the creatures of God. It is not eating of flesh that will defile us, but rather fleshly affections of an heart that is not renewed by faith, that defileth a man, as our master Christ speaketh. That thing that entereth into the mouth defileth not the man, but that which cometh out of the heart. Mark 7. ver. 18. As if a corpulent fool sweating and blowing into an hot summer day should take up his staff, and beat his own shadow, yet is not his shadow the cause of his grievance, but the fatness of his own belly: even so foolish men are afraid to be polluted with meats, but indeed it is the foolishness of an unbelieving heart that polluteth a man. It is a custom among men, when they would handle a fine & white linen cloth, they look to their hands, lest their foul and filthy fingers defile the cleanness of the cloth: even so when we meddle with the creatures of God, take heed to our conscience, lest it being polluted with infidelity it make God's creatures unclean unto us, as the Apostle speaketh, Unto the pure all things be pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even the mind and conscience of them is defiled, Tit. 1. ver. 15.

Now consider whether or not the spirit hath spoken evidently and given a clear warning to the last age to beware of false teachers: yet is the last age more senseless then the first age of the world that was drowned with a flood of waters. God spake not in secret but openly to NOE the righteous preacher, Gen. 6. and God spake not only by word, but also in deed by the building of the Ark, Heb. 11. ver. 7. yet would not the first age take warning, but lived in deep security, and was drowned with waters. But the last age of the world is more benumbed then the first age was. In the last age the spirit speaketh evidently, but men will not hear: the spirit ordaineth this prediction to be written, but men will not read nor ponder, nor understand the forewarning of the spirit: the spirit pointeth out by the finger of his word who are the deceivers of whom we should beware, to wit, men who teach a doctrine of devils, forbidding marriage and meats which God hath created for the use of man with thanksgiving. For all this threefold warning, in word, in write, and in particular demonstration, yet the last age cannot hearken to the warnings of God, because God hath determined to destroy the most part of them, as he did the vncorrigible sons of ELI, who would not hearken to the counsel of their father, 1. Sam. 2. ver. 25. The men of this age are like unto a deaf, ignorant and foolish fellow: one cometh to him and crieth loud, but he heareth nothing at all, then he beginneth to set his mind in write, but that also profiteth nothing, because he cannot read: In end he beginneth to sign with his finger, but he taketh no notice that way, because he is a fool, and the last age of the world in not receiving so evident & so clear a warning hath kythed deafness, dullness, ignorance and foolishness.

It may now be objected, hath the Apostle PAUL soretolde only the hypocrisy of the Romaine Antichrist in the matter of marriage and meats? and is there nothing foretold anent these ancient Heretics, specially Encratitae & Manichaei, who uttered and dispersed in the world a doctrine of devils, that it was a sin to eat flesh, that wine was the gall of the Prince of darkness, that marriage was an evil thing, and a mean to bring in captivity a parte of the substance of the good God, namely the soul, within the bands of the substance of the prince of darkness, that is, within the body, hath the Spirit of God (I say) foretold nothing of these vile heresies in this prediction? I answer, That the Spirit hath both foretold the hypocrisy of some, and the open blasphemy of others. And this is insinuated in these words: For eve •… y creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with tha •… kesgiuing. Truly in these words the Apostle would turn our harts both from blaspheming Manicheis, and from hypocrite Papists. The Manicheis say, that it is never lawful to eat flesh, and that the doing of it advanceth the kingdom of the prince of darkness. The Papists again say, that the eating of flesh on Eryday is a grievous sin: but what saith the Apostle guided by the Spirit? Every creature is good, and nothing to be refused, so that both the Manicheis speak blasphemously, and the Papists hypocritically: both willing to abridge Christian liberty, the Manicheis by their opinion, the Papists both by their opinion and authority. The Manicheis will needs have some creatures of God unclean at all times, the Papists will needs have men polluted by eating of flesh at sometimes, both these opinions are cut off in this word, Every creature of God is good. Mark that in this diversity of opinions of Manicheis and Papists, both of them shoot at one mark, to wit that Christ Jesus shall not be the only Lawgiuer in his Church, but something shall be abridged of that liberty that Christ hath given to his Church. Now the aiming and shooting at one mark is more forcible to prove the unity of Manicheis and Papists, then the diversity of opinions whereby either of them laboreth to attain to their intended purpose can prove their diversity, and therefore let the reader the less offend with this fellowship of Manicheis and Papists.

These two diverse opinions shooting at one mark (as said is) are both to be damned, but chiefly that opinion that with greatest subtlety and craft would thrust God out of his chair, and spoil him of his glory, not to be counted the only Lawgiuer in his Church. And I do confidently compare Manicheis and Papists as AUGUSTINE compare •… h APOLLO and HECATE lib. 19. de civit. Det, cap. 23. disapproouing both of them, because both shot at one mark, to hinder people from Christianity, but HECATE more then APOLLO, because in praising of Christ as a just man, whom APOLLO dispraised as an unrighteous man, & justly condemned to death by the Jews, yet she called him only a man, & not God, hindering people after a more subtle manner from adhering to Christianity then APOLLO did. And truly the Manich is by damning flesh at all times, as a creature in it self unclean. did not so great hurt to the Kingdom of God as the Papists, who grant that both flesh and wine are the good creatures of God, and yet they dare be bold to set out laws commanding men under the pain of cursing and condemnation, that they taste not flesh at sometimes. If these times were times of a public calamity, whereinto God by a secret voice latent in the trouble did cali us to fasting & mourning, & abstinence frō fish flesh & wine, Isa. 22. ver. 13. then no new or uncouth yocke should be presented 10 men's consciences, but Christ's own yocke which we are commanded to bear, Mat. 11-but to appoint certain days of fasting and abstinence from this meat, and not from anothe •… meace is a novelty under the Gospel, and not the yocke of Christ, but of the Antichrist.

Whereas mention is made of thanksgiving, the Apostle will not have us to set our hearts upon the creature & upon the gift, but upon the Creator & the giver. Whatsoever delight we have in the creature, there is infinitely greater delight in the face of the reconciled Creator: and therefore lift up our harts, & let our tongues be loosed to praise his blessed name from whose hands we have received the use of his creatures. This if we do, we have both the gift & the giver, and the presence of the giver shall not only sanctify the gift to our use, but also shall turn our water into wine, John 2. when as by the contrary, if we devour and glut up the benefits of God without thanksgiving, we have the gift without the favor of the giver, eating of God's creatures as the carnal I •… wes eated Quails in the wilderness, Numb. 11. ver. 33. and the wrath of God was kindled against them: and assuredly those who have the gift without the giver, some day their wine shall be turned into water. But there is not great controversy in this point, and therefore I pass it over in fewer words.

In end the Apostle leadeth us unto a sure ground that may quiet our consciences, so that we shall not be troubled with the commandments of men, for bidding us to eat of meats which God hath created for our use, namely this, thatGod hath sanctified his creatures to us by his word, Gen. 9. ver. 3. And incase we join with this sanctification of them, prayers proceeding from faith, that we also may be sanctified, & receiueGods creatures with a good conscience, there is not great peril whether we eat this or that meat moderately. Here mark that the Apost. in the very matter of meat & drink & corruptible food will have us to depend vponGods word, & to think that we have not liberty to put one morsel of meat in our mouths, but so far as God giveth us allowance in his word, how much more in matters pertaining unto eternal life, we are to depend absolutely upon the undoubted assurance of God's written word.

In all this discourse it may seem that we loose the rains to licentious living, to eating & drinking. & marrying, and living wantonly as the original world did, when they were drouned with waters, but it is not so indeed. Only in maters of religion we would have the yocke of the commandments of men taken off men's consciences, to the end that the yock of God's commandments only may lie upon the conscience according as Christ speaketh, Take up my yock upon you, Mat. 11. ver. 29. Yea in the very mater of meats & marriage, there is a time whereinto God calleth us to mourning, lamentation, baldness and sackcloth, Isa. 22. ver. 12. and to abstinence from eating of flesh and drinking of wine. Yea the very bridegroom must come out of his chalmer, & fast, and lay aside his costly apparel, to the end he may mourn with the humbled society of God's people, loel 2. ver. 16. And this cometh to pass whensoever the heavy hand of God is laid upon a family, upon a town, or upon a country, in the very calamity hinging over their heads, there is a secret voice of God calling them to humiliation and repentance with fasting and abstinence from all lawful pleasures: & when the Priest bloweth the trumpet in Zion, and sanctifieth a fast unto the Lord, he layeth not the yocke of men's commandments upon the consciences of men, but the yocke of God's commandments. For the Prophet bringeth in the Lord saying, that he calleth them to mourning, lamentation and to abstinence. The Lord is our Sovereign, commander and Lawgiuer, having power to bid & to forbid at his blessed pleasure. Under this yocke will we gladly stoop: but the yocke of bondage that men would lay upon our consciences the Apostle PAUL expressly forbiddeth us to admit, but to stand to our liberty, Galat. 5. ver. 1. And so I conclude this treatise misliking & disaprouing the loose rains of fleshly wantonness, but wishing from my heart that the bit of the Lord may be cast in our jaws, to turn us from the delight of earthly pleasures to the delight of that celestial city that hath a foundation, and whose builder is God.

Seuerus.

A Fter PERTINAX and IVLIAN SEVERVS governed 17, years, 8. months, EVSEBIVS reckoneth only 12. years, lib. 6. cap. 12. He stirred up the fifth persecution against the Christians. The crimes objected against the Christians beside those that were objected in the former persecution were these: Rebellion against the Emperor, sacrilege, murthering of infants, worshipping of the sun, and worshipping the head of an Ass: which last calumny was forged against them by the malice of the Jews. This persecution raged most severely in the towns of Alexandria and Carthage, like as the former persecution had done in Lions and Vienne in France, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 1. LEONIDES the father of ORIGEN was beheaded his son, being but young in years, exhorted his father to persevere in the faith of Christ constantly unto the death. POTAMIEA a young beautiful virgin in Alexandria was by the judge condemned to death, and delivered to a Captain called BASILIDES, who stayed the insolency of the people that followed her to the place of execution with outrage of slanderous and railing word crying out against her: for this cause she prayed to God for the conversion of BASILIDES to the true faith, and was heard of God, in so much, that he was not only converted to the faith of Christ, but also sealed it up with his blood and had the honor of martyrdom, Euseb. lib. 6. cap 5. ALEXANDER who was fellow-laborer with NARCISSVS in Jerusalem, escaped many dangers, yet was he martyred in the days of DECIVS the 7. great persecutor, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 39. Of this Emperor the Senate of Rome said, Aut non nasci, aut non mori debuisse, that is, Either he should never have been borne or else should never have tasted of death. So it pleased the Lord by his wise dispensation to suffer the days of TRAIAN, ANTONINVS Philosophus, & SEVERVS, Emperors renowned in the world to be more cruel against his own people then the days of NERO, DOMITIAN, CALIGVLA or COMMODVS, to the ende the poor Church might learn to be content to be spoiled of all outward comfort, and to lean upon the staff of the consolations of God alanerly. Many that were brought up in the schools of ORIGEN suffered martyrdom, such as PLVTARCHVS, SERENVS, HERACLIDES, HERON, and another having the name of SERENVS also, Euseb. lib, 6. cap. 4. Among women RHAIS was burned with fire for Christ's sake before she was baptized with water in Christ's Name, Euseb. ibid. Innumerable moe martyrs were slain for the faith of Christ, whose names in particular no ecclesiastical writer ever was able to comprehend, therefore it shall suffice to hear the names of a few. The rest whose names are not expressed, enjoy the crowns of incorruptible glory, as well as those do whose names are in all men's mouths. It is the comfort of our hearts to remember that the Apostles and Evangelists sealed up with their blood the doctrine which they taught, and committed to writ, and no other doctrine, and the holy martyrs immediately after the Apostles days sealed up with the glorious testimony of their blood that same faith, which we now profess, & which they received frō the hands of the Apostles, but they were not so prodigal of their lives to give their blood for the doctrine of worshipping of images, invocation of Saints, plurality of mediators, of intercession, the sacrifice of the Mass both propitiatory and unbloody, expressly against the words of the Apostle, Heb. 9. ver. 22. and such other heads of doctrine unknown to antiquity. The Romaine Church in our days is a persecuting and not a persecuted Church, more fruitful in murders then martyrdoms, glorying of antiquity, and follow ing the forgery of new invented religion. This Emperor SEVERVS was slain at Yo •… ke by the Northern men & Scots.

Bassianus & Geta.

SEVERVS who was slain at York left behind him two sons, BASSIANVS and GETA. BASSIANVS slew his brother, & reigned himself alone 6. years, so that the whole time of his government both with his brother and alone was 7. years, 6. months, Euseb. lib: 6. cap, 21. He put to death also PAPINIANVS a worthy lawyer, because he would not plead his cause anent the slaughter of his brother before the people, but said that sin might be more easily committed then it could be defended. Bucolc. He took to wife his own mother in law IVLIA, a woman more beautiful then chaste. In all his time (as he confessed with his own mouth) he never learned to do good, and was slain by MACRINVS.

Macrinus with his son Diadumenus.

MACRINVS and his son reigned one year alanerly. Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 21.

Antoninus Heliogabalus.

ANTONINVS HELIOGABALVS reigned after MACRINVS 4. years, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 21. He was a prodigious belly-god, a libidinous beast, an enemy to all honesty and good order, Func. Chron. So many villanous things are written of him, that scarcely if the Reader can give credit to the history, that ever such a monster was fashioned in the belly of a woman. At his removing in his progress ofttimes followed him 600. chariots laden only with baudes and common harlots. His gluttony, filthiness, & excessive riotousnes are in all men's mouths. He was slain of the soldiers, drawn through the city, and cast into Tiber.

Alexander Seuerus.

ALEXANDER SEVERVS the adopted son of HELIOGABALVS reigned 13. years, Euseb lib. 6. cap. 28. Chron. Func. He delited to have about him wise and learned counselors, such as FABIVS, SABINVS DOMITIVS, VLPIANVS, &c. This renowned Lawyer VLPIANVS was not a friend to Christians but by collecting together a number of laws made against Christians in times bypast, he animated the harts of judges against them. And this is a piece of the rebuke of Christ, that Christians have borne continually to be hated of the wise men of the world. hist. Magdeburg. Cent. 3. Hereof it came to pass that in this Emperors time, albeit he was not so bloody as many others had been before him (and therefore his Empire was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, unbloody) yet not a few suffered martyredome even in the days of ALEXANDER, such as AGAPETVS a young man of 15. year old at Praeneste a town of Italy, He was assayed with many torments, and finally with the sword he was beheaded. The judge who gave out a sentence of death against him, fell out of his judicial seat and suddenly died. The martyredome of CECILIA, if by her travails VALERIAN her espoused husband, and TIBVRTIVS his brother, & 400. moe had been converted to Christ & secretly baptized by VRBANVS B. of Rome immediately before her death, I marvel that no mention should be made by EVSEBIVS of such a rare & miraculous work. Senators and noble men at Rome, such as PAMMACHIVS, SIMPLICIVS, and QVIRITIVS, with their wives and children died for the faith of Christ with many others, Hist. Mag. Cent. 3. The favor that this Emperor shown to Christians against whom the very sloobering cookes did contend challenging unto themselves the right of a place whereinto Christians were accustomed to conueene for exercise of divine service, this favor, I say, seemeth to have proceeded from the coun sell of MAMMEA his Christian mother, rather then from the counseli of VLPIANVS that renowned lawyer an hateful adversary to Christians. But MAMMEA his mother hearing the report of the learning of ORIGEN sent for him and by him was instructed in the grounds of Christian faith. The learned doctor who wrote the book of the martyrs, very judiciously observeth the iniquity of this time, whereinto no Christian Churches were erected, when as yet (notwithstanding of the favor of the Emperor at sometimes) no public house could quietly be obtained for the Christians: so that by reason hereof may appear the decretal epistle of Pope HYGINVS concerning the dedication of Churches is forged & feigned, because the reign of ALEXANDER is a long time posterior to the days of HYGINVS (who lived under the reign of ANTONINVS PIVS) and in the reign of ALEXANDER as yet there was great difficulty to obtain a place whereinto Christians might assemble together. The just deserved punishment of TVRINVS, whom the Emperor caused to be fastened to a stake in the open market place, and there to be killed with smoke, the Herald standing by and crying to the people, Smoke he sold and with smoke he is punished, This punishment I say declareth that this Emperor counted flatterers worthy of great punishment. ALEXANDER and his mother MAMMEA were both slain by his own soldiers, Bucolc: Index Chron.

Maximinus.

AFter ALEXANDER SEVERVS MAXIMINVS was Emperor and reigned 3. years, Euseb lib 6 cap. 28. A man of base parentage, of an huge stature, promoted to honors by ALEXANDER, who nounished a serpent in his own bosom (as the proverb speaketh) when he advanced MAXIMINVS an ingrate foster to great dignities and honors. For by his means the army killed ALEXANDER, and his mother MAMMEA, and saluted him and his son Emperors without advise of the Romaine Senate: a man hated of all good men, beloved of evil men, more grievous to the citizens of Rome then to their enemies, Bucolc. Index Chron. who for hatred of the house of ALEXANDER (as EVSEBIVS recordeth) raised up the sixth persecution against Christians, specially against the teachers and leaders of the Church, thinking the sooner to vanquish the rest if the Captains and guiders of them were made out of the way, Euseb. eccl. hist. lib 6. cap. 28.

ORIGEN at this time wrote a book de martyrio, and dedicated it to AMBROSIVS & PROTECTETVS a preaching elder of the Church of Casarea: because these two under this persecution had sustained great afflictions, and constantly persevered in the true faith, Eusebilib 6. cap. 28. No persecution was more violent, no persecution endured shorter time. In no persecution are the names of suffering martyrs so obscured and covered with silence possibly because the book of Origen de martyrio through injury of time is not to be found, therefore some learned men do refer the martyrdom of such as we have spoken of in the days of ALEXANDER to this time, or to the persecution of DECIVS. I will not dispute of such doubtsome things. Three other things that are more necessary to the edification of the Church I will touch. First the malice of the devil, who hateth the welfare of the sheepfolde of Christ, and laboreth either to spoil it of true Pastors, or to send in among the poor sheep hyrelings, and men not regarding the well of the flock, but their own gain: or clse, if they have true pastors, to move the flock to be disobedient to faithful and vigilant Pastors. The flock that can eschew all these three snares of the devil, and all these three woeful calamities so oft seasing upon the poor sheepesolde, they are in good estate. Read CHRYSOSTOME writing upon the 13. chap Heb. ver. 17. Another thing is worthy to be marked, that in three great persecutions, in the fifth, sixth and seventh, ORIGEN a man more renowned in his lifetime then after his death, God vouchsafed upon him two great honors, but not the third, whereof he was most of all desirous. He encouraged his father LEONIDES, and his disciples, PLVTARCHVS, two SERENI, HERON & HERACLIDES patiently to fuffer martyrdom in the days of SEVERVS. Next he wrote a book de martyrio in the days of MAXIMINVS the sixth persecutor, whereby doubtless many were encouraged patienly to suffer evil for Christ's sake. What remaineth now but the third & principal honor of martyrdom it self, whereunto he had a bent desire in the days of DECIVS the 7 perseter, but then he fainted, as shall be declared hereafter Godwilling? When we call to mind this weakness of ORIGEN, let all the cogitations of our hearts stoop, and think that we are not meet for great things, but if the Lord call us to suffer great things for his Names sake, the Lord perfect his strength in our infirmity and weakness. Thirdly let us mark the great difference that is between the volume of the book of holy canonicke & sacred Scripture, & all other books whatsoever. In Scripture the ouerpassing of maters of great importance and moment is not for ignorance, misknowledge or doubting of those things that are ouerslidden, but for mystery and representation of things more necessary to be known, as namely when MOSES a most accurat writer of the life, death & genealogies of holy Patriarchs, yet he ouerpasseth the description of the genealogy, death & beginning of the life MELCHISEDECK this was done of purpose to bring in MELCHISEDECK: as a type and figure of the true king of peace Christ Icsus, as the Apostle declareth, Heb. 7. but among ecclesiastical writers I find a preterition of the names of these worthy Pastors who were martyred for the cause of Christ in the sixth persecution, and this ouerpassing with silence so weighty a matter, is a secret confession of ignorance in this part of the history, together with a doubting, whether VRBANVS the first, VALERIANVS, TIBVRTIVS, CECILIA, and MARTINA suffered under ALEXANDER, or under MAXIMINVS, or under DECIVS. Yea PLATINA writeth it was the opinion of some men that VRBANVS 1. was martyred in the persecution of DIOCLETIAN. I have insisted at greater length in this purpose to the end that every man may give unto sacred scripture that reverence that is due unto it, but other writings let us read them with judgment, for assuredly there is palpable weakness into them. In ende this wicked persecutor MAXIMINVS and his son were slain by his own soldiers at the siege of Aquileia, Func. Chron.

Gordianus.

THe tyranny of MAXIMINVS enforced both the senate of Rome and likewife their oppressed confederates in Af •… icke to advise by what means the distressed estate of the Commonwell might be supported. And first GORDIANVS a man of noble birth in Rome, and at that time PROCONSVL in Afric, with his son bearing the name of GORDIANVS with his father, these two were declared to be Emperors to resist the tyranny of MAXIMINVS, but they were both cut off by CAPELLIANVS Captain of the Mauritanians. Within a short time the senate of Rome chose MAXIMVS PVPIENVS and BALBINVS to be Emperors, and to resist the tyranny of MAXIMINVS. But this election displeased the people of Rome, therefore they were compelled to associat GORDIANVS a young man of 13. years old in conjunct authority with them. This GORDIANVS was the nephew of him who was Proc •… nfull in Afric: and the soldiers made out of the way, MAX. PVPIENVS and BALBINVS. So GORDIANVS reigned himself alone without associates six years. Chron Func.

Philippus.

PHILIPPVS a man borne in Arabia and his son reigned five years, Chron, Func. Bucolc. EVSEBIVS saith 7. years. He was the first Emperor who became a Christian, and was baptized by FABIANVS B. of Rome He was content to stand among the number of the penitents who made confession of their sins, for his life was reproouable in some things before his conversion, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 34. especially in slaying of GORDIANVS an Emperor inclined to peace. DECIVS one of the Captains, of his army conspired against him, and slew him and his son, and reigned in his stead.

Decius.

DECIVS and his son obteiued the empire 2. years, Chron. Func. Whether for hatred of PHILIP his master, whom he had slain, or for detestation of Christians, or for covetous desire of the treasures of PHILIP left in the custody of FABIAN B. of Rome, or for some other cause, it is not certain. Always he moved a terrible persecution against the Christians. The martyrs who suffered death in the time of this persecution were innumerable. Some few of the principal martyrs I shall rehearse. ALEXANDER Bishop' of Jerusalem died in prison at Casarea. BABYLAS B. of Antiochia died likewise in prison. FABIAN B. of Rome suffered martyrdom. DIONYSIVS ALEXANDRINVS by a wonderful providence of God escaped the hands of persecuting enemies. CYPRIAN B. of Carthage was banished and reserved to the honor of martyrdom until the days of VALERIAN the eight persecutor. ORIGEN who from his childhood was desirous of the honor of martyredome, in this persecution of DECIVS he fainted, and his heart was so oucrset with fear to have his chaste body defiled with an ugly Ethiopian, that he chose rather to offer incense to the Idole, then to be so filthily abused. For this cause he was excommunicate by the Church of Alexardria, and for very shame fled to Judea, where he was not only gladly received, but also requested publicly to preach at Jerusalem. Nevertheless instead of teaching he watered his face with tears, when he read these words of scripture. To the wak d man saith God, What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinancse, that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy month? Ps. 50. ver. 16. These words so deeply wounded his heart with grief, that he closed the book and sat down and wept, & all the congregation wept with him, Hist Mag. Cent. 3. cap. 10. No pity nor compassion was had neither of sex or age. In this persecution, APOLLONIA, a virgins of good years, after they had dashed her face with battons till all her teeth were stricken out of her jaws, they burned her quick at the port of Alexandria. This is that holy martyre whose teeth the Romaine church in our days say that they have them as holy monuments kept in the treasures of their relics until this time. But the trial that was taken of late days by HENRIE the eight king of England, seeking for the teeth of APOLLONIA as a remedy of the toothach clearly proveth that many teeth are supponed to be the teeth of APOLLONIA that were never fastened in her jaw bones, Chemnisius dereliquiis. The death of QVINTA, AMMONARION, MERCVRIA, DIONYSIA, clearly declareth what pity was had of the weaknesses of women. IVLIANVS an old and gowtie man burned with fire testifieth what regard was had to the gray hairs of ancient men. DIOSCORVS a young man not exceeding 15. years of age, albeit they were ashamed to condemn him to death, yet he escaped not many painful torments, & was a glorious Confessor with patient expectation awaiting until the Lord should call him to the honor of martyrdom, NEMESION was accused in Alexandria as a companion of brigants, and was punished with stripes and fire unto the death with greater severity then any brigant, albeit his innocence was sufficiently known. AMMON, ZENON, PTOLEMEVS, INGENWS, THEOPHILVS warriors and knights standing by the tribunal seat beckoned with their hands to a certain weak Christian, who for fear was ready to incline and fall, that he should continue constant, and stepped to the bench, and professed themselves to be Christians. This daily increasing courage of Christians, who were emboldened by the multitude of sufferings astonished and terrified the Judges, Euseb, lib. 6. cap. 41. ISCHYRION was slain by his own master. The number of martyrs in Alexandria and Egypt, of whom DIONYSIVS in his epistle written to FABIVS Bishop of Antiochia maketh mention, clearly testifieth that if the names of all those who suffered martyrdom in the towns of Rome, Carthage, Antiochia, Ephesus and Babylon, were particularly set down, over and beside others who suffered in other towns of Asia, Afric and Europe subject to the dominion of the Romaine Emperor, it were not possible in the volume of a little book to comprehend them all. For mine own part I presume not to do it, but I reverence the painful trauelles of learned men who have dipped deeply into such a fruitful subject, specially the writer of the book of martyrs. Only I find some things in this seventh persecution, which the principal purpose wherefore I have collected this compend will not permit me to pass over with silence. Namely these: first, let no man think that the verity is weak, and hath need to be strengthened by a lie, as NICEPHORVS is accustomed to do. The seven martyrs of Ephesus, whose names were MAXIMIANVS, MALCHVS, MARTINIANVS, DIONYSIVS, IOANNES, SERAPION, and CONSTANTINVS, were lurking in a cave, the entry where of DECIVS commanded to be closed with great heaps of stones, to the end that the forenamed Christians might be killed with famine, which came to pass indeed: Yet famine could not s •… parate these holy. Martyrs from Christ. But NICEPHORVS the father of many other fables also saith, that they fell on sleep, in which they continued till the time of THEODOSIVS, that is, from the 250 until the 379. year of our Lord, and then they did awake out of their sleep saith NICEPHORVS, lib. 5. cap. 27. But he who will give hasty credit to NICEPHORVS fables, writing of the 7. martyrs, who lurked in a cave of mount Caelius and to EVAGRIVS description of BARSANVPHIVS an Egyptian monk, who enclosed himself in a cottage beside Gaza for the space of 50. years, and used no kind of bodily refreshment to sustain his earthly tabernacle, he may be easily led to all kind of error. The second thing worthy to be marked, is, that many persecuted preachers had wives and children, as the history clearly recordeth. CHEREMON B. of a city in Egypt called Nile fled to the mountains of Arabia, accompanied with his wife, and returned not again to Egypt, neither was he seen of those who sought him in the wilderness, Euseb. lib. 6. cap, 42, DIONYSIVS B. of Alexandria, who miraculously escaped the cruelty of persecutors, maketh express mention of his children, Deo mthi ut migrarem praecipiente, viánque mirabiliter aperiente, ego & liberi, & multi fratres egressi sumus, that is, after that God had commanded me to remove, and had miraculously opened a passage unto me, I and my children, and brethren went forth, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 40. If antiquity be regarded, Bishops who do marie, are not Nicolaitan Heretics, but rather such as forbid to marie teach a doctrine of devils, 1, Tim cap. 4. ver. 3. Thirdly it is to be marked, that in time of this vehement persecution; many fainted & fell back from the open profession of Christian faith. Others to provide timeous remedy against such defections, gave out a rigorous sentence against such as had fallen of infirmity, that they should not be received again into the fellowship of the church. In this opinion was NOVATVS, & his complices. And by their example we should learn to beware of such men as under pretence of zeal pertur be the unity of the Church, & invent remedies to cure the maladies of the diseased Church, that are worse then the sickness it self, as the Nicolaitanes did, Euseb, lib. 6 cap. 43. Weaknes at somo time is to be pitied, but devilish rigor pitying no man who falleth of infirmity, is a lesson that hath no allowance in the book of God, Gal. 6. ver. 1. This cruel tyrant, after he had reigned two years, made war against the Scythians (some call them the Goths) by whom he was vanquished in battle, and fearing to be overtaken, and to come under the reverence of barbarous people, he cast himself into a deep pit, where he ended his life, and his body could not be found, Bucolc. Index Chron. Chron Func. The great desolations that were made in the world about this time by the plague of pestilence the Hethnickes imputed the cause of them to the Christians. But CYPRIAN, whose pen the Lord guided better, declared that the cause of all these calamities was the worshipping of Idols, the contempt of God's true service, and the persecuting of innocent Christians. Cypr. ad Demetrianum.

Gallus & Volusian.

AFter DECIVS, GALLVS & VOLVSIAN his son reigned 2 year. He walked in the footsteps of DECIVS. Euseb. lib. 7 cap. 1. He was slain by EMILIAN who presumed to reign, but he was so hastily made out of the way that Euseb. and many other historitians misknow his name in the Catalogue of Emperors.

Valerianus & Gallienus.

VALERIANVS and GALLIENVS his son reigned 15. years Euseb. viz GALLIENVS with his father in coniunct authority 7. years, after his fathers captivity and death he reigned alone 8. years, in the first three or four years of the Empire of VALERIAN he was favorable and friendly to Christians and great numbers of them were found in the Emperors court: But afterward he was seduced by an Egyptian sorcerer, who hated Christians, because that by them he was hindered from practicing his magical charms. So the eight persecution began under VALERIAN. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 10. In this persecution suffered three Bishops of Rome, LVCIVS, STEPHANVS, and SIXTVS 2. and a Deacon Laurence, who was laid upon an hot boiling iron, and patiently endured the torment of fire. This is that Deacon who called the poor the treasure of the Church: for then is the Church rich, when it is rich in good works, and feedeth, clotheth and visiteth Christ in his hungry, naked and diseased members. DIONYSIVS Bishop of Alexandria was banished to Cephro, a place in the wilderness of Lbya. Euseb. lib. 7 cap. xi. PRISCVS, MALCHVS, ALEXANDER were devoured by beasts in Cesarea Palestinae. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 12 CYPRIAN B. of Carthage was beheaded. Nazianz. in laudem Cypriani. MARINVS a Romaine Captain in Cesarea was invied for the dignity & honor he was advanced unto, and he was accused to be a Christian, and consequently to be incapable of great preferments & dignities: he was encouraged by THEOTECNVS B. of Cesarea patiently to suffer death for the cause of Christ by taking him in into a secret chalmer and laying before him a drawn sword and the book of the Gospel, and bidding him take his choice of one of these two which he liked best. MARINVS liked better of the book of the Gospel then of the sword, and was martyred for the faith contained in that sacred book of holy Scripture. Euseb. lib. 7 cap. 15. ASTYRIVS a noble Senator carried the body of this holy martyr MARINVS upon his own shoulders and buried it honourably. Euseb. ibid. cap. 16. In end the Lord delivered this persecuting Tyrant into the hand of SAPOR King of Persia, who not only deteened him in strait captivity, but also abused him most filthelie, and made his body a footstool, & trampled upon his neck at such times as he was about to mount on horseback. Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 7. cap. 13. Bucolc. Index chr.

This fearful captivity of VALERIAN had into it a notable testimony of the wrath of God against persecutors. For like as he trampled under his feet the Church of Christ: so in like manner the Lord gave his neck and back to be trampledvpon by the feet of his enemies. This example of God's heavy indignation somewhat terrified GALLIENVS his son, and he gave out an edict, for the fafe returning of such as were banished, to their own dwelling p aces, and for staying the rage of persecution. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 13. DIONYSIVS B. of Alexandria having liberty granted by the Emperors edict to return from banishment, came back again to Alexandria, wherein he found such terrible desolation by famine & pestilence, that there remained not of men, women & children so many alive as there were wont to be of ancient hoary headed men, walking upon their streets: the Lord was so highly displeased with the unthankful world, that he was determined to cōsum thē who had consumed his people

The good carriage of Christians at this time is worthy to be marked, who were full of charity & love, and visited the sick, & did all offices of humanity to those, who were diseased or dead: whereas the Pagans by the contrary forsook their dearest friends, left them comfortless, and thrust out such as were half dead unto the streets, & left them there vuburied, & to be eaten with dogs. This is written in the letter of DIONYSIVS insert in the history of Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 21 & 22. so great difference is between Christians trained up in the school of Christ, & others, who have not been fed with the sincere milk of the word. Christians in time of sickness were more dutiful to their enemies then others were unto their friends.

If any man would defend worshipping of images, to be an ancient custom in the Church, by the two brazen images, which wer set up in Cesarea Philippi, for a memorial of the miracle that Christ wrought in curing of the woman who had the bloody issue, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 18. the foresaid place of EVSEBIVS will make nothing for him. For these images were not m •… de for adoratiō, neither were they set up in temples nor worshipping places, but in the very street before the door of the womā who had ben cured. The places whereunto Christians were gathered together for divine service at this time are called in the mandat of the Emperor GALLIENVS Coemiteria, Euseb. li. 7. cap. 13. In these places no man readeth that images were set up. Beside this these images were graven or moiten by the hands of Pagans, and not of Christians: and this fact was done by imitation of the Gentiles, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, according to the custom of the Gentiles, he faith not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , according to the custom of her own kindred, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as said is. Yet may we take warning by this place to beware of the small beginnings of error. Images have been like unto a base borne fellow who at the first can have no credit to set his head into the Kings palace, but afterward he getteth ingress into the utter court, & in end, his credit daily increasing by degrees, he getteth favor to lie in the Kings bed chalmer: even so in the first 300. year of our Lord images were not brought in into places of holy conuentions: afterward they were brought in into Churches, but not worshipped, as the Epistle of GREGORIVS the first, written to SEVERVS B. of Marsil clearly testifieth. But in end adoration of images was in so frequent use, as if it had been the principal point of the worship of God.

Claudius & Quintilius.

CLAVDIVS after GALLIENVS reigned 2. years, Euseb. lib 7, cap. 29. And his brother QVINTILIVS 17. days. He is not reckoned by EVSEBIVS in the rol of Emperors.

Aurelianus.

AFter QVINTILIVS AVRELIANVS possessed the crown, 6. years, Euseb. lib. 7. cap 30. In the beginning of his reign he was not a great disturber of Christians. Notwithstanding in continuance of time, his nature somewhat inclinable to severity, was altered to plain tyrannic, which tyranny first he shown beginning with the murder of his own sisters son, as witnesseth EVTROPIVS. After that, he proceedeth to move the ninth persecution against Christians: albeit the merciful working of God did soon overthrow all the wicked purpose of the Emperor. For as the edict and proclamation should have been denounced for the persecuting of Christians the mighty hand of the Lord from above did suddenly stop his purpose: clearly declaring to all men, that there is no power to work any violence against the servants of God, unless his permission do suffer them, and give them lieue, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. Func. Chron. Here I see that D. I. FOXE writer of the book of martyrs taketh lieue of VINCENTIVS martyrology. If others had done the like, they had not heaped up so many martyrs in the days of CLAVDIVS QVINTILIVS, and AVRELIAN as they have done. For EVSEBIVS had assuredly made mention of it, if the number had been so great as VINCENTIVS recordeth. Before the Emperors mind was altered and inclined to tyranme against Christians, he assisted with his authority the Bishops convened at Antiochia for the deposition and excommunication of the Heretic SAMOSATENVS. And so the Emperors authority being interponed, this proud Heretic was compelled to stoop and to give place, and with great ignominy was driven from the town of Antiochia, Euseb. lib. 7, cap. 30. In his place DOMNVS was elected to be Bishop of Antiochia, a man endued with good graces, the son of DEMETRIAN, who immediately before SAMOSATENVS governed the Church of Antiochia. And here again it is to be marked that the Bishops at this time (albeit it was a time of persecution) yet did they not abhor from marriage: for DEMETRIANVS Bishop of Antiochia was a married man and had children, and DOMNVS was his son, so that the prohibition of marriage to men in spiritual offices is not an ancient doctrine.

Annius Tacitus & Florianus.

AFter AVRELIAN was flaine between Bizans and Heraclea the imperial chair was vacant 6. months The Senate of Rome elected ANNIVS TACITVS to be Emperor. He continued but 6. months in his government, EVSEBIVS oue rpasseth his name with sil •… nce, as lik •… wise the name of his brother FLORIANVS who aspired to the imperial dignity, Func. Chron.

Aurelius Probus.

AVRELIVS PROBVS a gentle and peaceable Emperor reigned 6. years 3. months, Euseb. Func. chron. He was inuied by his captains & soldiers, because he appointed them to plant vineyardes and said there was no great need of soldiers where no enemy was to be feared. He was slain by his soldiers, Func. Chron. Bucolc.

Carus, Carinus, Numerianus.

CARVS with his two sons, CARINVS and NVMERIANVS reigned after PROBVS. All these three continued not above the space of 3. years, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. And NVMERIANVS was slain by his own father in law called APER, Func. Chron. CARVS was slain by thunder: and CARINVS was overcome in battle and slain by DIOCLETIAN, whom the Romaine army had declared to be Emperor while CARINVS was yet alive, Bucolc. Index chro.

Diocletianus & Maximianus.

Like as DIOCLETIAN overcame CARINVS the son of CARVS in battle, even so likewise he slew APER the father in law of NVMERIANVS with his own hands, Func. Chron. Whether this was done for detestation of sin, or for desire of government it is uncertain. Always some affirm that his concubine DRVAS had said unto him that he should kill a wild Boar before he should be Emperor. And after the killing of APER (which name by interpretation signifieth a wild Boar) he became Emperor. In the beginning of his reign he chose for his college MAXIMIANVS surnamed HERCVLEVS, father to MAXENTIVS. And these two chose other two, viz. GALERIVS & CONSTANTIVS CHLORVS the father of CONSTANTINE, whō they called Casars: but the honorable title of AVGVSTVS DIOCLETIAN & MAXIMIAN retained to themselves. These two A A. reigned 20 years. CONSTANTIVS CHLORVS CAESAR. continued 15. years. GALERIVS CAESAR 21. years. DIOCLETIAN and MAXIMIANVS HERCVLEVS abstained from persecuting of Christians until the 19 year of their reign. Before I touch the history of the tenth persecution three things are to be premitted. First, that after the persecution of VALERIAN the 8. persecutor, the Church enjoyed great peace, which albeit it was like to be cut off by the altered mind of AVRELIAN, yet the wise dispensation of the wisdom of God provided that all his cruel enterprises were disappointed. The righteous Lord cutted the cords of the wicked, Psal. 129. ver. 4. Secondly Christians were in great favor and credit with Emperors, and to them was committed the government of Provinces and nations, as clearly appeared in the preferment of DOROTHEVS and GORGONIVS. Thirdly they had liberty to build oratories and temples, large and ample in every city, Euseb eccl. hist. lib. 8. cap. 1. All this came to pass in the forty years peace that interueened between the reigning of VALERIAN, and the nineteenth year of the reign of DIOCLETIAN. Yet the Church of Christ in this short time began to be feastered with the corrupt manners of carnal and fleshly people, so that contentions abounded, but charity waxed cold in the Church of God. Euseb. ibid. What wonder was it then that the Lord permitted this tenth and most horrible persecution of DIOCLETIAN to stir and to waken drowsy Christians who were beginning to be fashioned'according to the likeness of the world?

In the 19. year of his imperial authority, and in the month of March this horrible periccution began to arise, DIOCLETIAN in the East, and MAXIMIANVS in the West bending all their forces to root out the profession of Christians out of the world. DIOCLETIAN was puffed up in pride for his manifold victories and triumphs, and would be counted a God, & adorned his shoes with gold & precious stones, & commanded the people to kiss his feet. This persecution continued 10 years, even until the seventh year of the reign of CONSTANTINE the great. So that whatsoever cruelty was practiced by MAXIMIANVS, MAXIMINVS, MAXENTIVS, and LICINIVS algoeth under the name of DIOCLETIAN the author of this tenth persecution. Crnell edicts and proclamations were set forth in the beginning of this persecution, commanding to overthrow & cast to the ground the temples of Christians, to burn the books of holy scripture, to displace all such as were magistrates and were in office, and to cast Christian Bishops into prison, and to compel them with sundry kinds of punishments, to offer unto Idols. Also common people, who would not renounce the profession of Christianity to be spoiled of their liberty, Euseb. lib. 8 cap 3. These edicts were hastily put in execution. Many Christians were scourged, racked, & cruciated with intolerable torments. Some were violently drawn to impure sacrifice, and as though they had sacrificed, when indeed they did not, were let go: some were cast down upon the ground, and drawn by the legs a great space, and the people was made to believe, that they had sacrificed: some stoutly withstood them, and denied with a loud voice that they had been, or ever would be partakers of idolatry. Notwithstanding, of the weak sort many for fear and infirmity gave over even at the first brunt, Euseb lib 8. cap. 3. When the foresaid edicts were proclaimed, both the Emperors happened to be in the town of Nicomedia: notwithstanding a certain Christian being a noble man borne, whose name was JOHN, ran and took down the proclamation, and openly tare and rent it in pieces. For which fact he was put to a most bitter death, which he patiently endured until his last gasp. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 5. The general captain of the army of DIOCLETIAN gave choice to the soldiers, whether they would obey the Emperors commandment in offering sacrifices, and keep still their offices, or else lay away their armor, and be deprived of their offices: but the Christian soldiers were not only content to lay away their armor, but also to offer themselves unto the death, •… ather then to obey such unlawful commandments, Euseb. lib. 8 cap. 4. In Nicomedia the Emperor refrained not from the slaughter and death of the children of Emperors, neither yet from the slaughter of the chiefest princes of his court, such as PETER, whose body being beaten with whips and torn that a man might see the bare bones, and after they had mingled vinegar and salt, they poured it upon the most tender partes of his body, and lastly roasted him at a soft fire as a man would roast flesh to eat, and so this victorious martyre ended his life. DOROTHEVS and GORGONIVS being in great authority and office under the Emperor after diverse torments were strangled with an halter. The torments that PETER suffered, encouraged them to give a worthy confession that they were of that same faith and religion that PETER was of, Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 6. This persecution raged most vehemently in Nicomedia, where the Emperors palace through some occasion being set on fire, the Christians were blamed as authors of that fact: Therefore so many as could be found out, were burned with fire, or drowned in water, or beheaded with the sword, amongst whom was ANTHIMVS Bishop of Antiochia, who was beheaded. The bodies of the sons of Emperors that were buried, th •… y digged out of their graves, and sent them in boates to be buried into the bottom of the sea, lest Christians should have worshipped them as gods, if their sepulchers had been known. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 6. such opinion they had of Christians. The number of twenty thousand burned in one temple of Nicomedia by MAXIMIANVS smelleth of the liberty that NICEPHORVS taketh in adding many things to the verity of the history. The martyrdom of SERENA the Emperor DIOCLETIANS wife is rejected by learned men as a fable, albeit recorded by HERMANNVS GIGAS. The number of Christians cast into prison and appointed for death was so great, that scarcely if a void place could be found in a prison to thrust in a murderer, or an opener of graves, such heaps of Christians were enclosed in dark prisons, Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 6. The martyrs of Palestine, of Tyrus in Phenicia, of Tarsus, of Antioch •… a, of Alexand •… ia, of M •… letina in Armenia, and of Pontus, Cappadocia and Arabia they could not easily be numbered. In Thebaida horrible and unnatural cruelty was used against Christian women, whom they hanged upon gibbetts with their heads down-ward toward the ground, and fastened one of their legs allanerly to the gibbet, the other being free: thus their naked bodies hanging upon trees in manner foresaid presented to the beholders a spectacle of most vile and horrible inhumanity, Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 9. In like manner the branches of trees were artificially bowed down to the earth, and the feet and legs of Christians tied to them, so that by their hasty returning again unto their natural places the bodies of Christians were rent in pieces. This was not a cruelty finished in a short space of time, but of long continuance, some days 20. some 30. some days 60. and at sometimes an hundredth were with sundry kinds of torments excruciated unto the death. And these torments they suffered with joy and gladness, and singing of Psalms until the last breath, Euseb. ibid. In Phrygia a town was set on fire by the Emperors commandment (the name where of EVSEBIVS passeth over with silence) and the whole inhabitants being Christians, men women and children were burned with fire, Euseb lib. 8. cap. 11. TIRANNION Bishop of Tyrus, ZENOBIVS Presbyter of Sidon, SILVANVS Bishop of Gaza, and PAMPHILVS a worthy Presbyter in Casarea, whose life and death EVSEBIVS hath described in a several treatise, all these (I say) were crowned with martyrdom, Euseb lib. 8. cap. 13. MAXIMIANVS Emperor of the West, whose persecution EVSEBIVS describeth not at such length as the persecution of DIOCLETIAN in the East, he was like unto a wild Boar trampling under his feet the vine-yarde of God. He slew MAVRITIVS a noble Captain with a legion of Christian and Thebane soldiers, because they would not consent to offer sacrifice unto idols. This was done beside the river of Rhonne, hist. Magd. Cent. 4. The martyrs of France, Italic and Germany, specially at Colen and Triers, where the blood of Christians was shed in such abundance, that it ran like small brooks, and it coloured great and main rivers, the multitude (I say) of these holy martyrs, and the diversity of torments daily excogitate against them, what memory is able to comprehend, or what tongue is able sufficiently to express? In ende, when these two Emperors were drunken with the blood of the Saints of God, and saw that the numbers of Christians daily increased, they began to relent their forie and madness a little, being at last content that the punishment of Christians should be the thrusting out of their right eyes, and the maiming of their left legs with condemning them to the mines of Mettalles, Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 12. The mercies of the wicked are cruel, saith SALOMON Prov. 12. ver. 10. Before two years were fully compleete after the beginning of this tenth persecution, these two furious persecutors (for what cause God knoweth) gave over their imperial function, and remained not Emperors anymore, but as private persons, Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 13, DIOCLETIAN after he had denuded himself of the imperial dignity, lived almost 9. years. MAXIMIAN within four years after, was slain by the commandment of CONSTANTINE, Bucolc. The imperial dominion then remained with CONSTANTIVS CHLORVS and GALERIVS MAXIMINVS. These two divided the whole monarchy between them. CONSTANTIVS contented himself with France, Spain and Britain: GALERIVS MAXIMINVS had the rest. CONSTANTIVS took CONSTANTINVS his son to be CAESAR under him, and GALERIVS MAXIMINVS chose his two sons, MAXIMINVS & SEVERVS to be CAESARS under him. The Romaine soldiers also set up MAXENTIVS the son of MAXIMIANVS HERCVLEVS to be their Emperor: against whom GALERIVS sent his son SEVERVS, who being slain, he chose LICINIVS in his stead. Of these five, who reigned all at one time (the like whereof came not to pass at any time before) two Emperors and three Caesar's, three of them viz. GALERIVS and MAXIMINVS his son, and LICINIVS prosecuted the persecution, begun by DIOCLETIAN, near the space of 7. or 8. years, which was to the year of our Lord 318. The other two, CONSTANTIVS and his son CONSTANTINE, were favorable to Christians.

Constantius & Galerius Maximinus.

CONSTANTIVS CHLORVS reigned as Emperor 13. years. Others say 16 some say 11 years. He ended his life in peace at York, Hist. Magd. He was not only friendly to Christians, but also he counted them the only faithful subjects to Emperors. And such as he perceived that for love of honor, gain or any worldly commodity would make shipwreck of a good conscience and sacrifice to idols (albeit they had allowance by his own feigned commandment, given out for exploration of the religion of his Captains and soldiers, rather then seriously and from his heart, allowing the worshipping of idols) these (I say) who made no conscience to worship idols for conquessing favor at the Emperors hands, he disauthorized them, removed them from offices and counted them men who were false to God, and would never be true to him, Euseb. de vita Constantini: lib. 1.

MAXIMINVS elder & younger in the East parts of the world were cruel persecutors. Because ecclesiastical writers do not clearly distinguish the cruelty of the father from the cruelty of the son, I shall comprise all under the name of GALERIVS MAXIMINVS the father of the other MAXIMINVS. He was not unlike unto PHARAO, for when the correcting hand of God was upon him, then he relented his fury: but when the plague ceased, he returned again to his wonted malice. First God smote him with a wonderful uncouth disease, so that his flesh began to putrefy & innumerable multitude of vermin swarmed out of his inward parts, then he commanded that the persecution should cease, and that Christians should pray for him, & he published edicts of peace in their favors throughout all his dominions. But scarce continued he in this good resolution 6. months, when as he sent out contrary edicts, and caused them to be engraved in brass (which thing was not done at any time before) & to be set up in every city, Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 7. whereupon ensued grievous persecution. SILVANVS B. of Emisa. LVCIANVS B. of Antiuchia, who suffered martyrdom at Nicomedia after he had given in his apology to the Emperor, and PETER B. of Alexandria, Euseb. lib 9. cap. 6. The martyrdom of king ANTHEAS and 37. thousand moe martyrs with him 1 pass by as a thing uncertain: because EVSEBIVS could not have overpassed with silence such a rare and wonderful cruelty committed in his own time, if it had been of verity done, as some allege. Other thirty thousand are said till have been martyred in sundry places, and this is very probable, because the martyrs who suffered in this tenth persecution were innumerable. QVIRINVS B. of Scescania a town of upper Pannonia was thrown into the flood having an hand mill hanged about his neck, and so was drowned. I leave a recital of the names of all the rest of the martyrs, of whom I read to have suffered martyrdom at this time, like as I have done in all the preceeding persecutions.

Now to speak somewhat of the cruel edict of this Emperor ingraued in brass, and hanged up in all principal cities, specially in Tyrus. In it he gloried, that peace, wealth, prosperity and plenty of all good things were in his time: and he attributed the glory of all this abundance to the devote worshipping of the heathen gods. At this time (saith EVSEBIVS) was that fulfilled which the Lord Jesus foretold that the tribulation of those days should be so great, that except those days had been shortened, no flesh could have been saved: but for the Electes sake those days should be shortened: yea and if it were possible the very Elect should be deceived, Mat. 24. ver. 22. & ver. 24. But the Lord pitying the infirmity of his Saints, and to stop the blasphemous mouths of heathen people, turned suddenly all their joy into mourning and lamentation, with famine, pestilence, warfare and uncouth diseases, whereby the eyes of men and women were blinded, the Lord dantoned the insolent pride of this bloody Tyrant. It is to be noted that in time of this public calamity, Christians and no others but they only, were found to be fraughted with love and full of charity even toward their hateful enemies, Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 8. The second time whereinto MAXIMINVS seemed to change his mind toward Christians was after the victory obtained by CONSTANTINE and LICINIVS against MAXENTIVS. The said two Emperors set forth edictes in favor of the Christians: and MAXIMINVS rather fearing CONSTANTINE then loving God, began in his bounds also to stay the rage of cruel persecution, as the letter written to his Deputy SABINVS clearly declareth, Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 9. But incontinent after he altered his mind and set forth new commandments to persecute the Christians. Yet the Lord pitying the grievous afflictions of his persecuted Church, brought this Tyrant to an ende. For he made war against LICINIVS being counseled thereto by his sorcerers and charmers, who promised unto him good success in his battle against LICINIVS: but the contrary fell out: for he was discomfited, and cast off his imperial ornaments, and fled feeble and naked, and mixed himself with the effeminat multitude, wandering through towns, and lurking in villages, hardly escaped the hands of his enemies. After this he killed and put to death those enchanters and deceivers who had bewitched him all his days, and had put him in esperance of victory in his battle foughten against LICINIVS, and shortly after oppressed with a certain disease, glorified the God of the Christians, and made a most absolute law for the safety and preservation of them. And so the Tyrant of Tyrants by the vehemency of his sickness ended his life, Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 9. cap. 10.

After we have spoken a little of MAXENTIVS who was chosen Emperor by the Praetorian soldiers, resteth nothing but to conclude this short sum of the history of the ten persecutions with the ende and death of that notable hypocrite LICINIVS. MAXENTIVS was so villanous in his behavior, that he abstained not from abusing of the wives of noble senatours, whom he reft violently from their husbands, and contumeliously abused them, and sent them back again, Euseb, lib. 8. cap. 14. The like villainy also he intended till have done to a certain Christian gentlewoman at Rome, called SOPHRONIA, whose husband neither could nor durst make resistance to the vile appetite of the proud Emperor, but this noble woman desiring liberty to go to her chalmer to adorn and decke her self a short while, and after she would go with the messengers to the Emperor, she chose rather to put her self to death in her chalmer then to be abused by him, Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 15. Which lamentable fact being reported to him, he was nothing moved therewith, neither abstained he any white from his wonted sins. The people of Rome being weary of his villainy sent to CONSTANTINE for aide, who gathered an army in France and Britain to repress this Tyrant: to whom when he approached, he feared MAXENTIVS charms (wherewith he was supponed to have vanquished SEVERVS, whom GALERIVS MAXIMINVS had sent against him before) and stood in doubt what to do: and as he was doubting he cast his eyes ofttimes to heaven, and saw about the going down of the sun a brightness in the heaven in the similitude of a Cross, with certain stars of equal bigness giving this inscription like Latin letters, In hoc vince, that is in this overcome, Euseb. lib. 1. de vita Constantini. After this vision his banner was made in the similitude of a Cross, and carried before him in his wars. MAXENTIVS was compelled to issue out of the town against CONSTANTINE, whose force when he was not able to sustain, he fled, and retired in hope to get the city, but was overthrown off his horse about the bridge called Pons Milvius and drowned in the flood.

DIOCLETIAN hearing tell of the prosperous success of CONSTANTINE, and what edicts he had set forth for the peace of Christians, for very grief he died. Others allege that he poisoned himself. Ann. 317.

LICINIVS was made CAESAR by MAXIMINVS, as said is. He was very familiar with CONSTANTINE and was his colleg in the government 7. years, and married CONSTANTIA the s •… er of CONSTANTINE, Euseb. lib. 10. cap. 8. Likewise he concurred with him to subdue the tyrant MAXENTIVS. Also he overcame MAXIMINVS in battle. He purposed likewise to have circumueened and slain the good Emperor CONSTANTINE to whom he was many ways greatly addebted but the Lord disappointed his counsels, & preserved CONSTANTINE to the great benefit and well of his Church. But LICINIVS failing of his purpose converted his rage against the Christians, notwithstanding he had set out edicts before to procure their peace. He pretended this quarrel against them, that they prayed for the welfare of CONSTANTINE and not for his welfare. Euseb. lib. 2. de vita Constantini. He set forth against the Christians three cruel edicts. 1. Inhibiting assemblies and conuentions of Bishops to consult in matters belonging to their religion 2. He discharged women to resort to the assemblies where men were to pray or to be instructed in matters pertaining to religion. 3. He commanded that no man should visit imprisoned Christians or succor them with any relief, threatening against the contraueeners such punishment as the imprisoned persons were to suffer, Euseb. li. 10. ca. 8. After these edicts the mountains, woods & wildernesses began to be the habitation of the Lord's saints, Euseb. lib. 10. cap. 8. The Bishops about Libya and Egypt were taken, cut in pieces, and their flesh cast into the sea to be bait to the fish. And this was done by the flatterers of LICINIVS, supponing to gratify him by the cruel handling of the Lord's servants. In his time were put to death these 40. martyrs of whom BASILIVS writeth, who were set in a pond of water all night lying open to the blasts of the cold Northern winds, and in the morning they being frozen and almost senseless with the extremity of the cold, yet were carried upon carts to be burned with fire, to the ende their poor carkeises might feel by experience whether the extremity of cold or heat were the greater torment Of these 40. noble soldiers of Christ one being stronger then the rest endured the vehemency of the cold better, to whom his mother came, not to desire him to embrace this present life by a filthy denial of Christ, nor to weep for the pains of the tormented body of her son, but rather to exhort •… her son to persevere constantly in the faith of Christ to the ende: for she craved license to lift up her son with her own hands into the cart, admonishing him to accomplish that happy journey he had begun. But whether these were the 40. martyrs who suffered the like punishment in Sebastia a town of Armenia, or not, Sozom. lib. 9. cap. 2. it is not certain, in respect that some circumstances set down by BASIL. do not agree to those of Sebastia, Basil. Magn. in 40 martyrs.

Likewise in this persecution suffered BARLAN a noble man mentioned in a sermon of BASILIVS, who after many torments was in end laid upon the altar, whereupon they used to offer sacrifice to idols, & while there was yet some strength in his hand, they put franckincense into his right hand, thinking that he would have scattered the incense upon the altar, and sacrificed but he endured the torment patiently, saying the words of the Psalm 145. Blessed be the Lord who teacheth mine hands to fight. In end LICINIVS made war against CONSTANTINE and being diverse times overcome both by sea and land, he yielded himself at length, and was sent to Thessalia to live a private life, where he was slain by the soldiers. SO CONSTANTINE obtained the whole empire alone.

Of Heretics.

IVstly did EPIPHANIVS compare an Heretic to a modiwart, a beast in quantity little, lurking in subterraneall holes, and yet working great harm to well labored ground: Nevertheless when it happeneth that this noisome and blind beast creepeth out of her hole, and runneth upon the superfice of the earth, she is a ridiculous, wandering and feeble beast, she cannot see the hole out of which she hath crept forth, & she is easily taken and slain: Even so Heretics, so long as they lurk in secret, they pervert the hearts of many simple and ignorant people: but when they set out their heads, and their-doctrine is examined by the light of God's everlasting word, they are found to be ridiculous and feeble beasts. In the former Centuries by way of preterition I passed by many obscure heresies. The like order I intend God willing to keep in this Century also. The Heretics called Artotyritae who added unto the administration of their sacrament cheese unto the bread. Alogi who rejected the writings of the holy Apostle JOHN, and said they were written by CERINTHVS. Albeit the Evangelist JOHN of purpose wrote the history of his Evangel against EBION and CERINTHVS. Adamiani who had their conventicles in subterraneall places called Hypocausta, because that under the place of their meetings, a furnace of fire was kindled to warm the place of their conuentions: for they unclothed themselves when they entered into it, and stood naked both men and women according to the similitude of ADAM and EVA before their fall. Theodotiani who denied the divinity of Christ, taking the name of their sect from a miserable man in Constantinople called. THEODOTVS, who in time of persecution, for love of temporal life, denied the King of glory Jesus Christ, and when this filthy denial was objected to him as a reproach of a cowardly heart, he answered that he denied not God, but man, by this answer signifying that Christ was man only and not God manifested in our nature. Melchisedeciani magnified MELCHISEDECK above Christ. Bardesianisiae were but a branch of the heresy of the Ualentinians and Gnostici, who denied the resurrection as is already declared in the second Century. Valesii, who gelded themselves. Angelici, whose name was better known to EPIPHANIVS then the original of their sect. Apostolici, who would have no possessions, but rejoiced in voluntary poverty, & detested marriage, giving out a sentence against themselves, that they were unclean, because they were procreated by marriage. Origeniani, & Turpes. These were vile and filthy beasts, not abhorring from whoredom, but from procreation of children, to the end they might seem to be chaste. They were like to ONAN the son of IVDAH whom the Lord destroyed, Gen. 38. ver. 9. 10. All these heresies mentioned by Epiphan. contra heresies, lib. 2. I pass by almost with silence, because they were like unto abortive births, and continued not long to perturb the peace of the Church.

Now concerning other Heretics, by whose venomous doctrine the Church of Christ had greater strife and perturbation. ARTEMON and BERYLLVS B. of Bostra in Arabia denied the divinity of Christ, and affirmed that he was not existent before he took flesh of the Virgin. With BERYLLVS ORIGEN conferred, & reduced him back again to the true faith, and therefore I set not his name in the Catalogue of Heretics, because he added not unto the fault of his bad opinion an obstinate defending of the same, Euseb eccl. hist, lib. 6 cap. 33.

The heresy of Helcesaitae otherwise called Sampsei, because of the short continuance of it is scarce worthy to be reckoned, as I have declared in the treatise of heresy. They mixed the religion of the Jews, Gentiles and Christians together, but were more addicted to the superstition of the Jews then to any one of the other two. Epiphan contra heresies lib. 2. They rejected the writings of the Apostle PAUL and affirmed that a man who denied the Lord with his mouth in the time of persecution, if so be he adhered to the faith in his heart, he had committed no sin. They carried about with them a singular book which they said was sent down from heaven, and they promised remission of sins to every man who would hearken to the words of that book. Comment. Func. in Chronol.

NOVATVS a Presbyter at Rome was a man of a contentious spirit, and men that are humorous, high minded and contentious, they are wise to do evil, but they can do no good. Such a man was NOVATVS, who disquieted with schism, and heresy two of the most notable Churches in the world at that time, viz Carthage and Rome by giving out a rigorous sentence against those who in time of persecution had fallen, albeit they had repented after their fall, and all outward tokens of unfeigned repentance had been seen in them. yet his opinion was that they should not be admitted again to the fellowship of the Church. This opinion was not only repugnant to the words of ISA 1. Ezech. 18. Mat. 11. & to innumerable moe places of sacred scripture, but also it was a foolish opinion advancing the kingdom of the devil and not the kingdom of God. For the two great wheels of the cart of the devil, whereby he carrieth men headlong to hell are presumption and desperation: & merciless NOVATVS taching a doctrine that strengthened not the knees of the weak, he did what in him lay to move sinners to despare. Therefore CYPRIAN B. of Carthage who excommunicated him, and CORNELIVS B. of Rome who did the like with advise of a grave and worthy Council gathered at Rome, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 43. are to be counted wise men, because they endeavored timonsly to suppress those errors that weakened the harts of the children of God. I read of no heresy preceeding the heresy of ARRIVS and EVTYCHES that continued longer time in the Church of God then the heresy of NOVATVS, partly because it crept in under pretence of zeal to the glory of God, and under pretence of a detestation of sin: partly also, because the Novatian Heretics in the question concerning the divinity of Christ were conformable to the opinion of the true Church, Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 12. Thirdly, because in time of the Arian persecution the Novatians were banished and troubled with no Jesse hateful malice and despite then the members of the true Church were: yea and the true Catholics and Novatianes being companions of one and the self-same suffering were content also to give their lives one for another, Socrat. lib. 2. cap. 38. And the foresaid author saith, Parúmque abfuit quin coadunarentur, Socrat, ibid. that is, They were near by united and agreed together, to wit, the true Catholics and Novatians. But what was the impediment that hindered their union? Read the history, and it shall not be found in the true Catholics, but in the obstinacy and willfulness of the Novatians. And so it falleth out at all times that men who are authors of heresies and schisms, are also the principal hinderers of the redintegration of the unity of the Church. The razing and demolishing of the Temple of the Novatians in Cyzicum a famous town of Bithynia together with the calamity of the people of Mantinium a town of Paphlagonia, Socrat. lib. 2. cap. 38, clearly proveth that the Novatian heresy continued until the days of CONSTANTIVS the son of CONSTANTINE an Arian Emperor and persecutor of the true faith. The favor that they obtained in the days of IVLIAN I pass over with silence. But in the days of the reign of THEODOSIVS, the Novatians by the Emperors edict were permitted to have public conuentions in Constantinople, to enjoy such privileges as other Christians had, & to possess the oratories and temples whereinto they were accustomed to serve God. All this toleration and liberty was granted to them by the good Emperor THEODOSIVS, because in the head of doctrine anent the divinity of Christ they damned the Acrians, & agreed with the Homousians, Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 10. The Magdeburg history saith that this heresy continued in Constantinople until the time that it was conquessed by the Turks, Cent. 3. cap. 5. I have written of this heresy at greater length to admonish all true Christians that it is not enough to adhere to some pointes of the true faith, and to suffer persecution for righteousness at sometimes, and to love brotherly fellowship at sometimes, so that we are content 〈◊◊◊〉 life for our brethren: all these things did the Novatians, and were favored by the Emperor THEODOSIVS, as said is, yet were they both sehismatickes and Heretics, because they would be wiser then God, and debarred them from the bosom of Christ's compassions whom Christ inviteth to come unto him, saying, Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden, and I will ease you, Mat. 11. ver. 28, Let the example of the Novatians admonish men, who study to singularity, and to bring in new customs or opinions into the Church of God, to take heed that their opinions be not repugnant unto the written word: lest, after they have continued a long time, in ende they be rejected as opinions, foolish, vain, heretical, and not agreeing with the scriptures of God. His followers were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or puritans, Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 43. Hist. Magd. cent. 3. cap. 5. Let this name rest in the bosom of Heretics. And men who are not guilty of the faults, that were in the Novatians, if they be undeservedly charged with this name given of old to Heretics, let them say with humble hearts, that in one sense they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 because they are purged from sin in the fountain of the blood of Christ, I John 1. ver. 7. But in no other sense & meaning can true Christians be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , except only in this, because their sins are freely forgiven in Christ, and God hath begun the work of sanctification in them, to be a testimony that they are planted in the stock of Christ. In this sense speaketh the Evangelist JOHN, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, Now are ye clean through the word that I have spoken unto you, John. 15. ver. 3.

The heresy of SABELLIVS began to show it self unto the world, about the year of our Lord 257. under the reign of GALLVS. It was first fet forth by NOETVS in Ptolemaida, afterward by HERMOGENES, and PRAZEAS, and last it was propagated by SABFLLIVS the disciple of NOETVS. Always the heresy rather taketh the name from the disciple then from the master. They confessed that there was but one God alanerly, but they denied that there were three distinct persons in this one Godhead, viz. The Father, Son and holy Ghost. By this their opinion they confounded the two Greek words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as if there wer no difference between them. No man dare presume to say that in God there are three distinct substances, therefore SABELLIVS and his adherents said that there were not three distinct subsistences or persons in the Godhead, but the three names of Father, Son and holy Ghost were given to one person allanerly, but pointed not out distinction of persons or subsistences in the Godhead, Ruffin. hist. lib. 1. cap. 29. By this opinion they were compelled to grant that it was the Father who clad himself with our nature, and died for our sins, and therefore they were called Patrispassiani because their opinion imported that the Father suffered.

In the reign of GALLIENVS, and about the year of our Lord 264, a certain Bishop in Egypt called NEPOS began to affirm that at the latter day the godly should rise before the wicked, and should live with Christ here in the earth a thousand years in abundance of all kind of delicate earthly pleasures. The ground of this error was the misunderstanding of the words of the Revelation of JOHN chap. 20. ver. 5. 6. In refuting of this heresy DIONYSIVS Bishoppe of Alexandria bestowed his travels with good success: for he disputed against CORACION a man professing this error in Arsenoitis a place of Egypt, whom he refuted in presence of many brethren, who were auditors of that disputation, for the space of three days from morning till evening. So that in end CORACION yielded, and promised that he should not maintain any such opinion in time to come, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 24.

About that same time, that is, in the time of the reign of GALLIENVS, CLAVDIVS and AVRELIANVS. PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS Bishop of Antiochia, 'a pestilent fellow, denied the divinity of the Son of God, and affirmed that Christ obtained the name of the Son of God through his virtuous behavior & patient suffering, but he was not naturally & truly the Son of God begotten of the substance of the father. His life correspondent to his doctrine was wicked and profane. He was accustomed to walk through the streets of Antiochia accompanied with a number of flattering friends and servants, some going before him and others following after him, and he himselse in the mids, reading or meditating letters to his secretaries, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. Which form of presumptuous and stately behavior was offensive to the people, who thought that pomp and pride was not beseeming to Bishops, who were preachers of the humility, meekness and patient sufferings of Christ. But if the men of Antiochia (saith PLATINA) had been in his days, and had seen the stately train of the Bishop of Rome & his Cardinals, accompanied with so many servants, clothed in silk and sumptuous apparel, and riding upon gallant and lusty horses, richly decked with gold & costly foot-mantles of diverse colors, they would have been more offended, and would have said, that such pride had nothing to do with the simplicity and humility of Christ. Platin. in vit. Sixt. 2. But to return again to PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS, he was so covetous of vain glory, that he built unto himself in the Church a glorious seat according to the similitud of a princely throne, & frō this seat he spake unto the people, whom he was accustomed to reprove with sharp words, if they had not received his words with cheerful acclamations and shoutings, such as were wont to be used in stage places, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. The Psalms also, that were sung in the Church to the praise of God, he abrogated, and was not ashamed to hire women to sing his own praises in the Congregation of the Lord's people. For this his damnable doctrine and lewd life he was most justly deposed by the Council convened at Antiochia, and excommunicated by all Christian Churches in the whole world, and was so detested by all good men that FIRMILIANVS Bishop of Cesarea in Cappadocia, and DIONYSIVS ALEXANDRINVS, who for his old age might not travel and be present at the Council of Antiochia, yet they both damned the Heretic SAMOSATENVS by their letters sent to the Congregation of Antiochia, but not to the Bishop thereof, because he was not worthy that any man should salute him either by word or write, Euseb. ibid.

MANES a Persian, otherwise called MANICHEVS, a man furious and mad, answering well unto his name set forth the venom of his heresy in the time of the reign of DIOCLETIAN, Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 31. a man both in speech and manners rude and barbarous, in inclination deuihsh: yet he durst presume to cal himself the holy spirit, as MONTANVS had done before, and to represent Christ's actions in choosing unto him 12. disciples, whom he sent forth to propagat his errors into diverse parts of the world, Eufeb. ibid. His heresy contained a mass or venomous composition of old extinguished errors, which he renewed and massed together, such as the error of CERDON and MARCION concerning two beginnings: The error of Encratitae in prohibition of meats which God hath appointed for the use of man with thanksgiving, specially flesh and wine: He utterly rejected the old Testament, as many other Heretics had done before him. He ascribed not sin to the free will of man and his voluntary defection from the estate of his first creation, but to necessity, because man's body was made of the substance of the prince of darkness. This was that heresy wherewith AUGUSTINE was infected before his conversion, but the Lord who brought forth light out of darkness, & made PAUL, sometime a persecnter, to be a preacher of his Gospel, and CYPRIAN a sorcerer to be a worthy preacher and martyre: this same gracious Lord (I say) in the multitude of his unspeakable compassions drew AUGUSTINE out of this filthy mire of abominable heresy, and made him like unto a bright star sending forth the beams of light to the comfort of God's house. The opinion of MANES anent the creation of the world, and the creation of man, the manifestation of Christ in our nature rather in show and appearance then in verity, and the horrible abomination of their vile Eucharist, no man can be ignorant of these things who hath read but a little of the books of AUGUSTINE written against the Manicheans. In ende like as MANES exceeded all the rest of the Heretics in madness of foolish opinions: even so the Lord pointed him out among all the rest to be a a spectacle of his wrath and vengeance. For the king of Persia hearing of the fame of MANES, sent for him to cure his son, who was deadly diseased: but when he saw that his son died in his hands, he cast him into prison and was purposed to put him to death: but he escaped out of prison and fled to Mesopotamia. Nevertheless the king of Persia understanding in what place MANES did lurk, sent men who pursued him, took him and excoriated his body, and stopped his skin full of chaff, and set it up before the entry of a certain city of Mesopotamia, Socrat. eccles. hist. lib. 1. cap. 22. If any man be desirous to have greater knowledge of this remarkable Heretic, both in respect of his life and death, he may read the fore. mentioned chapter of the ecclesiastical history of SOCRATES, and he shall find that the first man called MANICHEVS, who renewed the error of two beginnings was a man of Scythia. He had a disciple first called BVDDAS, afterward TEREBYNTHVS who dwelt in Babylon. This man TEREBYNTHVS was the composer of these books which MANES gave out under his own name. MANES was but a slavish boy bought with money by a woman of Babylon, in whose house TEREBYNTHVS had lodged, and she brought up the boy at school: his name was CVRBICVS when he was bought, but when this woman died, she left in legacy to CVRBICVS the money and books of TEREBYNTHVS, and he went from Babylon to Persia, changed his name and called himself MANES, and set forth the books of TEREBYNTHVS as if they had been composed by himself, so that he added unto the rest of his villainies this fault also, that he was from his very youth a dissembled and deceitful fellow, Read the history of Socrat, lib. 1. cap. 22.

After MANES sprang up HIERAX, who spake of the Father, and the Son as of two lights different in substance. He damned marriage, denied the resurrection of the body, & excluded infants from the kingdom of God, Epiph. contrahaeres. Hist, Magd. Mark in this Catalogue of the heresies of the first three hundredth years how many of the devils trumpeters sounded the doctrine of the prohibition of marriage. The Nicolaitans, Gnostici, Encratitae, Montanistae, Apostolici, Origeniani called Turpes, Manichei and Hieracitae. Satan hateth marriage to the end that his kingdom might be advanced by fornication and all kind of uncleanness.

CENT. 3.

A Treatise of Purgatory and prayer for the dead.

IN this Century also the opinion of ORIGEN anent purgatory pains before a man can enter into the kingdom of heaven giveth me manifest occasion to speak of Purgatory. In the beginning of this treatise I protest, that I detest the worshipping of relics, and the conceit of Purgatory fire as two heads of doctrine borrowed from Ethnics and Pagans. The bones of THESEVS (saith PLVTARCH) being transported & placed in the middle part of the town of Athens, they honored his ashes as if he himself had been returned to the town, and gave unto him all these divine honors, calling him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, he who diuerteth evil from them: also they called him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, a patron & a helper: & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, who receiveth the supplications of the humble. What was this else but to honor THESEVS with divine honors? And the excessive honors attributed to the relics of saints in the Popish church, with confidence to be helped and better heard of God, because they were prostrate before the relics of saints, what was it else but a counterfeiting of the superstition of the Pagans? In like manner the opinion of Purgatory is but an Ethnic invention, & PLATO seemeth to be the first author of it, (except any man of greater reading can reduce it to a more ancient beginning) for PLATO in his dialogue called Phedo, vel de anima hath three opinions concerning the souls of men. First, he thinketh that the souls of men who have lived a very honest and vnreproouable life, when they depart out of their bodies, they go to a place of unspeakable happiness. Secondly he thinketh that the souls of men who have continued into incorrigible wickedness, they go to a place called Tartarus there to be punished with endless pains. These two foresaid opinions PLATO by his traveling to Egypt (where the people of the Jews had remained a long time) might have learned, to wit, that the souls of good men go to heaven, and the souls of evil men go to hell. But PLATO thought by Philosophy to mend the want that was in ancient Theology, and he devised a third place whereinto souls should be both tried and purged, and after suffering of pains should be set at liberty, namely the souls of men who had heavily grieved their parents & afterward repented, or had committed filthy murders, and afterward repented, these men's souls (I say) according to the opinion of PLATO, behooved to go through infernal floods, specially through Acheron, C •… ytus, and Phlegeton to be tried & purged, & in end to be set at liberty, providing they had fully satisfied the persons whom they had offended. These beginnings of PLATOES conceits had never hurt Christian religion, if CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS, and after him ORIGEN had not mingled profane Philosophy with Theology. But when the question is riped up to the very ground, the defenders of Purgatory fire & worshipping of relics have cause to be ashamed, as disciples of Pagans, and not of the holy Apostles, in these two points of doctrine.

The foolishness of CLEMENS and ORIGEN hath been very pernicious to the Church of God, because they borrowed not from PLATO silver and gold, as the Iowes borrowed from the Egyptians, by warrant of God's commandment Exod. 11. but they borrowed chaff and dung, lies and fables, which some time spreading, sometime growing, sometime altering the first similitude fashioned in the combes of PLATO, in end became an article of Popish faith, and was so straitly urged, that they who would not believe the feigned fire of Purgatory were burned as Heretics with true flammes of tormenting fire.

AMBROSE and HILARIVS as foolishly followed the opinion of ORIGEN without examining it in the balance of holy scripture. Ambrose. in Psal. 118. saith that all men must go through the fire at the latter day, even JOHN himself the belooued disciple of Christ, of whose death also some doubted, yet no man can doubt of his passing through the fire. Thus AMBROSE suffered this opinion of ORIGEN to sink into his heart, as though it had been the undoubted Oracle of God, which no man should call in question. HILARIVS maketh no exception of the blessed Virgin the mother of our Lord in Psa. 118, but she must also go through this fire at the latter day. And this is a foolish thing to follow any man further then he doth follow Christ, & the warrant of the written word of God, 1. Cor. 11. And therefore the first general Council Ann. 551. (as wise behind the hand) was compelled to examine the books of ORIGEN & to excommunicate himself (albeit dead long afore) & to damn his books and vain opinions specially anent his Purgatory.

This Origenian error before it was seriously impugned, it was changed to the worse, and grew nearer to the original of PLATOES Phlegeton again: for ORIGEN, AMBROSE and HILARIVS spake of a fire that should burn at the latter day which all men behooved to pass through before they could enter into the place of refreshment, but PLATO in his dialogue Phedo spake of a flood of fire whereinto men behooved to be tried and purged immediately after their souls were separated from their bodies, and what souls I pray you? Not the souls of the best men which went to heaven, nor the worst men, for they went to hell, but the souls of men that were not into a mid rank, neither very good nor very evil. This opinion, I say, somewhat nearer to the opinion of PLATO then to the opinion of ORIGEN, began to take place about the four hundredth year of our Lord, as the distinctions of AUGUSTINE clearly witness. Valde bom, valde mali, non valde mali. Augustine enchiridion ad Laurent. Idem de octo Dulcitii quaest. Thus wandering errors once taking place, became like unto a fretting canker every day worse & worse. If any man think strange that so vile an error neither agreeable to scripture, neither yet to itself, but changing the similitude of it, as the Chameleon doth his color, it prevailed wonderfully and was so fastened into the people's hearrts, that scarcely can it be rooted out of their minds in our days. To this I answer, that besides the authority of the fathers above specified, who were entangled with error, even they also who found out the opinion of Purgatory fire to be erroneous and repugnant to scripture, yet did they not fully and in all points impugn this false and lying doctrine, but only in a parte. As namely AUGUSTINE refuteth that part of CLEMENS and ORIGENS opinion wherein they thought that the devils and wicked men after suffering of long torments may possibly be forgiven and find mercy. By one place of scripture he utterly vndoeth that opinion, Depart'unto the cuerlasting fire prepared for Satan and his angels, Mat. 25. ver 4 And in the book of the Revelation. And they shall be tormented night and day forever and ever, Apoc. 20, August. lib. 20. & 21. de civit. Dei. Yet the other parte of the error, that took deep root in his days, AUGUSTINE knew it better then he impugned it, lest he should gain-say the received opinion among all the people, who thought that the souls of many men after their death were tormented with fire for a while, until a full satisfaction were made for the faults that men committed in their life-time. Against this opinion AVGVTINE speaketh but softly. Non valde coarguo, for sitan verum est, that is, I do not greatly reprove it, possibly it is true, August. De civit. De •… lib 21. cap. 26. This was also some strengthening of error, that it was not fully in all points & clearly refuted by godly fathers, whose comporting with the weakness of the people in a parte CHEMNIICIVS himself calleth prudence and wisdom: but serious impugning of erroneous doctrine had been more agreeable to the will of God. Always AUGUSTINE in his doubtsome speech giveth no ground to Papists to make up a new article of faith anent Purgatory For like as Constantinople was a great city, yet when it was shaken with an earthquake three days and three nights, no man tarried in that great town to build a new house during that time: even so AUGUSTINE is a great doctor, yet when he taketh him to forsitan or per •… aps, this is not a sure ground to lean upon.

This unhappy conceit of Purgatory fire had many handmaids waiting upon her, some going before, and others following after her. Before the conceit of Purgatory goeth an opinion of our own satisfactions. For the faults committed by us after Baptism, if we do not perfectly satisfy for them before our death, it resteth that in Purgatory fire we should absolve the rest of our penance that is vnfulsilled. How much this first handmaid derogateth from the glory of Christ, the Apostle witnesseth when he saith, The blood of Christ purgeth us from all sin, I. John. I. making no exception ofsinnes after Baptism committed. The other handmaid preceeding the conceit of Purgatory, is prayer for the dead albeit in all the old and New Testament there be not one example of praying for the dead, or yet offering of sacrifice for the dead. Pardons followed (sometimes called indulgences in another sense then now they are) these pardons, I say, are the handmaids following Purgatory, by which the B. of Rome (as absolute commander of Purgatory) hath made unto himself infinite gain.

Before I proceed any further, I exhort all true Christians, as they detest Paganism, even so to detest all Ethnic errors, when they are creeping in into the sanctuary of God, The golden Eagle of the Romans was more abominable when it was set up in the Temple of Jerusalem by HEROD, Joseph. de bello Iudaico, lib. 1. cap. 21. then when it was set up in the Capitol of Rome. And the image of CAIVS CALIGVLA sent to PETRONIVS his Deputy to be set up in the Temple of Jerusalem made all the Jews agast, and they were more willing to die then to see their Temple so filthily abused with idolatry, Joseph. antiq. lib. 18, cap. 11. It is more seemly then that the golden Eagle and image of CAIVS remain at Rome, where they were first fashioned, then to be brought to the Temple of Jerusalem. And it is more seemly also that the opiniō of Purgatory remain in the school of PLATO at Athens, or in the school of CLEMENS at Alex andria, rather then to send it abroad through all Christian Congregations to be believed. For Christians ought to be like to the forlorn son after he returned home again to his father., Luc. 15. He was so well fed and clothed in his fathers house, that he would not eat any longer of husks and the food of Swine: even so our heavenly father hath fed us with that Manna that. came down from heaven, and it is no time now to us to be fed with the husks of PLATOES school any longer.

The cause wherefore foolish people are so addicted to Purgatory, albeit it be but an Ethnic invention, is this, a carnal affection that men carry toward their defunct, parents or friends: to whom they are so affectionate, that if any action done by living men could help them that are dead, they would do it with all their heart: and of old time it was a custom that when men were recently departed this life, their friends would thrust the sacrament in the mouth of the dead body, meaning thereby to procure some relief to the soul, which custom was damned in the third Council of Carthage, Canon. 6. In respect Christ biddeth give the sacrament with this commandment, Take, eat, but dead bodies can neither take nor eat. Always it was carnal affection not ordered with knowledge that moved friends so to do. And in our days men that are in heaviness and full of affection toward their own friends are both timorous and credulous: so timorous, that they fear that their friends after death should be pined in Purgatory: so credulous that they believe that the prayers and alms deades of the living, their saying of Masses or buying of pardons can help the dead, either to mitigat their pain, or to procure unto them haistie relief out of pain. If these two grounds could be removed, that simple people would not preposterously be both timorous and credulous, the conceit of Purgatory would cease.

Papists themselves that are corrigible I would exhort before I answer to their arguments, that they would do this honor to Jesus Christ, not to make his majesty like unto ADONIIAH, 1. Reg. 1. This proud man called IOAB the Captain of the host, and ABIATHAR the Priest, and the kings sons except SALOMON to banket, and by not inviting to that banket SALOMON and BATHSHEBA his mother, and NATHAN the Prophet, and ZADOCK and BENAIAH, no doubt but he was minded to bring innocent people under the guiltiness of treason, as their speeches to DAVID clearly declare, that they forsawe this inconvenient, But Jesus Christ is not like unto ADONIIAH to seek e a quarrel against innocent people, whom he himself hath purged from all sin in the precious fountain of his blood, 1. John. 1. Will the Lord Jesus after he hath purged us from all spot of sin in the fountain of his own blood, send us to Purgatory when we die, and not call us to that celestial banket of endless pleasure in heaven: seeing the not calling of us to that banket importeth a disliking and casting off of us, as ADONIIAH disliked SALOMON and his mother, and NATHAN the Prophet, & the rest whom he invited not to his banket? Surely whomsoever the Lord hath loved so dearly, that he hath purged them from all spot of sin by his blood, he will not be uncouth to them, by sending them to Purgatory when they should be invited to his banket.

Now in this disputation of Purgatory fire a solid ground is to be laid down, that every man may know of what sort of pains after this life we dispute. All pains are either temporal or eternal. Of eternal pains there is no disputation in this treatise. Temporal pains (say we) are inflicted upon men only in this life for their amendment, if they be of the number of God's elect, or else are forerunning tokens of everlasting wrath, if they be of the number of the reprobate. For this cause the Apostle saith, that there is no chastisement joyous for the present until it bring forth the good fruit of righteousness, Heb. 12. ver 11. And here he declareth clearly that temporal chastisements are inflicted upon the godly for their amendment.

On the other part the prophecy that was in the mouth of ZARESH the wife of HAMAN (albeit grounded only upon experience) yet it declareth that the down-casting of wicked men is a forerunning token of a greater down cast to follow after, Ester chap. 6. ver. 13. And this is a short sum of our opinion anent temporal punishments. But Papists defend that even after this life there is temporal punishments in Purgatory, the suffering where of satisfieth God for off •… nces committed by men when they were aline, and purgeth them that their souls may be meet to go to heaven.

This opinion of theirs is linked with another absurd opinion, that when out sins are freely forgiven, we are not absolved both from guiltiness and pain, but from guiltiness only, but it remaineth still, that we should suffer pains yea such pains, whereby we satisfy for our sins committed after Baptism, what is this else but to make us our own saviors in a part, and manifestly to contradict both scriptures and fathers? for the scripture plainly saith. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, Rom. 8. And AUGUSTINE saith, Culpa est quod injustus es, poena quod mortalis es, Christus suscipiendo panam & non culpam, & poenam debevit & culpam. August. de verbis domini, serm. 37. that is, thy fault is this, that thou art unrighteous, thy punishment that thou art mortal, but Christ by taking upon himself our punishment and not our fault, hath abolished both our fault and our punishment.

Arguments brought in to prove Popish Purgatory are of three ranckes, First, some arguments taken out of the words of Canonicke and Apocryph scripture. Secondly out of the writings of fathers. Thirdly out of visions, dreams and apparitions, where of some are put in write for a memorial to the posterity. In the book of the Psalms it is written. We passed through fire and water into thy rest, Psal. 65. ver. 12. alias Psal. 66. ver. 12. Here say they meńtion is made of Purgatory fire. But AUGUSTINE writing upon this Psalm doth expone it otherwise. The fire, saith he, burneth, the water rotteth, both are to be feared, the burning of trouble, and rotting of water. When there are disasters and unhappy things in this world, they are like unto fire: when we are in prosperity and all things plenteously abound, this is like water. This is the exposition of AUGUSTINE. In the prophecy of ZACHARIE it is written, Thou also shalt be saved through the blood of thy covenant, I have loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Is this also spoken of Purgatory? There is in that chapter a prophecy of Christ of his office, humility, power, love, and the operative virtue of his blood, by which blood being his own blood, & the blood of the everlasting covenant of God, we who were sinners and bond-men of Satan are set at liberty, and we who were heirs of hell and condemnation, are fred from that terrible pit whereinto there is not one drop of consolation, & soChrist hath found out to us by his suffering foresaid 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as the Apostle saith, Heb. 9. ver. 12, that is, everlasting redemption. This is the true sense of that place, for scripture conferred with scripture will find out the right meaning of scripture: but the wresting of scripture to the conceits of our mind is a perpetual deteining of us in blindness and ignorance. To this agreeth well the exposition of August decivit. Dei, lib. 18. cap. 35. and Theodoret. in Zach. cap. 9. In like manner in the prophecy of Malachi. Behold I will send my messinger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seek, shall speedily come to his temple: even the messinger of the covenant whom ye desire: behold he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall endure when he appeareth? for he is like a purging fire, and like fullers sope. And he shall sit down to try & fine the silver: he shall even fine the sons of Levi, and purify them as gold and situer, that they may bring offerings unto the Lord in righteousness, Malac. 3. ver. 1. 2. 3. If we credit the holy Evangelists, this is spoken of Christ's first coming, and of JOHN Baptist his forerunner, and of the effectual ministry of the Gospel in purging sin, Mat 11. ver. 10. Marc. 1. ver. 2 Luc. 1. ver. 76. But Papists not conferring scripture with scripture, wheresoerver they find fire or darkness, or a deep pit and dungeon, or a terrible tempest, there they think mention is made of Purgatory, as I could easily prove by many other places: but let these suffice for examples of the Old Testament wrested and abused.

In the New Testament it is said, And whosoever shall speak a w •… d against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him, but whosoever shall speak against the holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come, Mat. 12. ver. 32. Ofthese words it is inferred that some faults shall be forgiven in the world to come, albeit the sin against the holy Ghost shall never be forgiven. The true sense and meaning of these words is set down by the Evangelist MARKE in these words, But he that blasphemeth against the holy Ghost shall never have forgiveness, but is culpable of eternal damnation, Marc. 3. ver. 29. What needeth further requisition when the spirit of God hath interpreted his own meaning? Again it is is said in the New Testament. For other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid, which is Icsus Christ: And if any man build on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, timber hay or stubble, Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by the fire: and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work that he hath built upon, abide, he shall receive wages. If any man's woe •… keburne, he shall lose, but he shall be saved himself: nevertheless yet as it were by the fire, 1. Cor. 3. ver. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. The last of these verses is brought forth as a testimony of scripture proving Purgatory fire: & so much the rather because S. AMBROSE doeth so expone the foresaid verse. Let us therefore with AMBROSE agree upon all the rest, and contrauert only upon the last verse. The foundation of Christ, the gold, silver and precious stones is true and solid doctrine, the timber, hay, and stubble is frivolous doctrine: the trial by day, and fire is a trial by the word of God, full of light, as the day, and mighty in operation as the fire. In this trial he whose doctrine is authorized and not overthrown by the word, he hath double vantage: first his work standeth, next himself shall be rewarded as a good builder. But if in the trial a man's doctrine be found frivolous, albeit not heretical, he shall sustain double loss: First he shall see his doctrine overthrown by the light and fire, that is, by the word of God, next, albeit himself shall be saved, because he adhereth by faith to the foundation, yet because he hath been a slothful teacher in teaching frivolous things with a glorious show of eloquence of in stead of solid and necessary things, he shall be saved by fire, that is, as we say, he shall be cast into the furnace of temporal troubles to learn repentance and amendment in this life, wherein only is time and place of repentance. But the Papists think that men after their death shall be cast into the fire of Purgatory, there to satisfy for their fault, and after satisfaction to be purged and saved Here first note, that the Apostle uttering by a continuated allegory the estate of those who build upon the right foundation any kind of doctrine either solid or frivolous, in the end he perfiteth his allegory, comparing the chastisements of God sent for our amendment unto a fire. This agreeth better then to interpret all the rest allegorically, and the last words into a simple meaning without any figure, & to father that opinion upon PAUL whereof neither he nor any other Apostle maketh mention in their writings. Next consider that they would seem to be followers of the interpretation of AMBROSE, when as their conscience (I mean of those that are learned amongst them) knoweth the contrary, that AMBROSE meaneth of that fire at the latter day, whereof ORIGEN writeth, but not of that Purgatory fire immediately after the issue of this life, whereof the Papists speak, Indeed if Purgatory fire should be set forth as an article of Christian faith, it should be grounded not upon allegories or obscure places of scripture, but upon clear and plain places, as all the ancient fathers in one voice do consent, but this place of scripture is an allegory and an obscure place. ORIGEN and AMBROSE take it in one sense, the Papists take it in another sense, we take it in the third sense, and some of their own scholasticke doctors are so dashed with the variety of diverse interpretations, that they dare determine nothing certainly, but say that either with the fire of Purgatory, or with the fire of tribulation, or with the fire that goeth before the face of the great Judge men who have committed venial sins shall be purged and saved. THOMAS AQVINAS in 1. Cor. 3. When their own scholasticke Doctors are in such doubts, there was no time to step forward, and to make it an article of their faith.

The chief place cited out of Apocrypha books is Macab. 2. cha 12. frō the 40 ver. to the end of the cha, in these words. Now under the coats of euerte one that was sl •… ine, they found jewels that had been consecrated to the idvles of the Famnites, which thing is forbidden the Jews by the Law. Then every man saw that this was the cause wherefore they were slain. And so eucrie man gave thanks unto the Lord, the righteous Judge, which had opened the things that were hid, And they gave themselves to prayer, and be sought him that they should not be destroyed for thefault committed. Besides that, noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin: for so much as they saw before their eyes the things that came to pass by the sin of those that were slain. And having made a gathering through the company sent to Jerusalem about two thousand drachmes of silver to offer for a sin offering. Hitherto doth the author of that book write the history of that fact, which was done by IVDAS MACCABEVS and his soldiers. First they were about to bury the dead bodies of their brethren who were slain in the battle fighting against GORGIAS. Secondly they found secretly covered under their garments jewels consecrated to idols. Thirdly they acknowledged this to be a sin, and to have been the cause of the destruction of their brethren. Fourthly they thanked God who discovered this secret: for the punishment of their slain brethren was an admonition to them that were alive to abstain frō the like fault. Fifthly they gave themselves to prayer, fearing lest the whole army should be plagued by God for the fault committed by a few number of the army, as the fault of ACHAN troubled the whole host in the days of IOSHVA, Ios. 7. Sixthly to prayer is added an exhortation of IVDAS to abstain from the like faults. Seventhly a collection is gathered to be sent up to Ierusal •… m that a sin-offering might be offered, not for the dead, but for the living, who had not searched out the faults of the host diligently as became them: And therefore there was some guiltiness also in them. The rest that followeth is the opinion of the author of that second book in these words, Doing very well and honestly that he thought of the resurrection: for if he had not hoped that they which were slain should rise again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead. And therefore he perceived that there was great favor laid up for those that died godly. (It was an holy and a good thought) So he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin. When I read this opinion of the author of the second book of the Maccabees I am nothing moved with it: first because it seemeth to be a lie that IVDAS MACCABEVS sent to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice for the dead, He knew the law of God, and fought fo the law of GOD wherein was no sacrifice for the dead, nor yet example in all the Old Testament that any man did offer sacrifice for the dead: but this author bringeth in IVDAS fighting with his sword for the law, and with his alleged sacrifice against the law. And it is less inconvenient to rub this foul spot upon the unwise writer then upon that wise, valiant and godly man IVDAS MACCABEVS. And I am the bolder to rub this fault upon the writer, rather then upon the valiant Captain of whom he writeth, because in other places also he taketh boldness to commend things forb •… dden in the Law of God, as namely the fact of RHASIS in slaying of himself, 2. Macab. cap. 14. ver. 46. Likewise I am emboldened to do it, because I read this same history in other authors more worthy then this man is, who impute no such fault to IVDAS MACCABEVS, as namely Joseph. antiq. lib. 12. cap. 12. If any man shall think me presumptuous in charging the writer of the book rather then the worthy governor with a fault, let him understand that the verity of God is in nothing empared albeit there had been a fault in both, that is, in IVDAS doing a thing repugnant to the Law, and in the author praising a thing done contrary to the law. For like as there was no grace in DAVID, that could grace his adultery▪ even so therewas no gift in IVDAS MACCABEVS that could excuse his offering of a sacrifice for the dead, which no man did before him in the Old Testament, and no man is found to have followed him in the New Testament, as saith CHEMNICIVS.

In the next place arguments are brought out of ancient fathers to prove Purgatory by their prayers for the dead. For after this manner they reason. If souls of men departing from their bodies went straight ways either to heaven or hell, what needed prayers for the dead? for they who are in heaven are in glory and rest, and they who are in hell cannot be supported by prayers. But (say they) the ancient fathers prayed for the dead, whereby it is clear that they believed a third place, to wit, Purgatory, whereinto the souls of some men are tormented, and have need of the support of the living: but the consequence is very false: for they cannot be ignorant that in CYPRIANS days the name •… of holy martyrs were mentioned in prayers atthe ministration of the holy sacrament, lib. 3. epist. 6: yet no man thought that the martyrs were pained in Purgatory. In like manner AMBROSE affirmeth that he will pray for the soul of VaLENTINIAN the second, of whom he said before, aternae vitae fruitur voluptate, that is, he enjoyeth the pleasure of eternal life, Ambrose. de obitu Valentiniani. And NAZIANZEN prayeth for his brother CESARIVS, of whose rest with God he had the like hope, Nazianz. •… rat. 7. All these prayed for the dead without any opinion of Purgatory. And therefore LINDANVS for all his confident assertion that Purgatory is fully proved by the testimonies of AUGUSTINE and CHRYSOSTOME, who make mentiō of the prayers for the dead, the one calling it a custom used by the whole Church. August. serm. 32. de verbis Apostolt. the other calling it a traditiō of the Apostles, Chrysost. homil. 3. ad Philippenses, yet I say, neither of these two believed Purgatory. AUGUSTINE doubted of it as said is, and CHRYSOSTOME knew it not, as shall be declared Godwilling, Lindan. lib. 4. cap. 63.

But now let us examine these two places whereunto LINDANVS leaneth as infallible grounds, and surer then that any exception can be taken against them, August. serm. 32. de verbis Apostolt. It is not to be doubted that the dead are helped by the prayers of the holyChurch & by the healthful sacrifice & alms deeds that are bestowed for their spirits, in such ways, that God dealeth more gently with them then their sins have d •… served First, I doubt if this be a sermon of AVGVSVINE. It seemeth rather to be a sermon of BEDA, who lived long after AUGUSTINE, because all this sermon is found in BEDA writing vpō 1 Thess Next, like as AUGUSTINE doubted of Purgatory, so likewise he doubted if it was lawful to pray for the dead, as his own words testify, August, Confess. lib, 9. cap. 12. after that he had prayed for the soul of his mother MONICA he subjoineth this: If any think I have done wrong in praying in few words for her who prayed so ofi for me, let him not mock •… me, but if he hath great charity, let him weep for my sins to the common father of •… l Christ's brethren. If AUGUSTINE speak so doubtsomely of Purgatory, de civit. dei. lib. 21. cap. 26. and of prayer for the dead, Confess. 9, cap. 12. LINDANVS had no great ground to proclaim the triumph of victory for this alleged sermon of AUGUSTINE.

The place cited out of CHRYSOSTOME writing upon the first chapter of the Epistle of PAUL to the Philippians, homil 3, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, It was not in vain that the Apostles constituted this as a law, that in the reverent mysteries a remembrance should be made of those that are departed. For answer. First, I demand of LINDANVS, if all these of his religion believe this that CHRYSOSTOME speaketh, that prayer for the dead in time of celebration of the holy communion is an Apostolic tradition? IS GREGORIVS 1. in that opinion, who affirmeth that the Apostles in ministering that holy sacrament used no other prayer but only the Lord's prayer? Gregor. in regist. lib. 7. epist. 63 IS PLTAINA in that opiniō, who writing the life of XISTVS 1. saith thus, Petrus enimubi consecr auerat oratione Pater noster usus est? This being the opiniō of the most part of the Romaine Church that the Apostles used no other prayer but only the Lord's prayer before the ministration of the holy communion, howe can they adhere to this place of CHRYSOSTOME, who calleth it an Apostolic institution to make mention of the dead in these prayers? Secondly I demand of LINDANVS (if the passages in that same homily be not excused by the figure hyperbole) howe doth CHRYSOSTOME agree with himself when he speaketh of them that are departed this life without Baptism, he saith that they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, They are without the palace with them who are appointed for pain, and with them who are condemned. Which opinion, or rather hard and merciless sentence he would confirm by testimony of scripture, Except a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. John 3. ver. 5. and yet a little after, for such he biddeth distribute alms to the poor, and this distribution of alms saith he 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is it worketh some refreshment unto them. What is this that CHRYSOSTOM speaketh, persons whō he calleth condemned & perpetually excluded from the kingdom of heaven may have some refreshment by the alms deeds done by their friends on earth? In this CHRYSOSTOME neither agreeth with scripture nor with him self: he ag •… eeth not with scripture, because it is plainly said that not so much as a drop of cold water can be ministered to those that are condemned, Luc. 16. He agreeth not with himself, in one word counting them perpetually excluded from the kingdom of heaven, and soon after speaking of some refreshment, that they may get by actions done by the living. Are we more loving, kind and merciful then ABRAHAM, in whom love and all true virtues are perfected: yet he saw no refreshment to a condemned man? Thirdly I demand of LINDANVS and those that be of his opinion if CHRYSOSTOME was as deep in the opinion of Purgatory as in the opinion of prayer for the dead? CHRYSOSTOME never knew what Popish Purgatory meaned, because in his time men who died in the faith, albeit not altogether faultless, yet they were conveyed to the burial places with torches and hymns and spiritual songs. And wherefore were these funeral rites used, saith CHRYSOSTOME. Do we not convey them (saith he) as victorious warriors? Do we not praise God, because he hath crowned with glory him who is departed? Chrysost. in cap. 2 epist ad Heb. homil. 4 The funeral Psalm that was usually sung was the 116. Psalm (the 7. verse whereof is this) Return my soul unto thy rest: for the Lord hath been beneficial unto thee: This was not to Purgatory, but to endless rest. But to speak freely what I think of that ancient father CHRYSOSTOME in calling prayer for the dead an Apostolic tradition, I think he hath spoken hyperbolically calling all these opinions, Apostolic traditions, which were delivered to him by good men, who kept the chief heads of Apostolic faith, and this amongst the rest (albeit no article of faith) yet being delivered to him by Christians more ancient then himself, he calleth it by a figure an Apostolic tradition. But the conceit of Popish Purgatory never entered into the hearts of NAZIANZENVS, BASILIVS, ATHANASIVS, (albeit DAMASCENE falsely alledgeth his testimony) THEODORETVS, CHRYSOSTOMVS and the ancient learned fathers of the Greek Church, as clearly appeareth by the first protestation given in at the Council of Florence by the G •… ecians there convened Ann. 1439.. How socuer weak r •… en for hope of help from the West were feeble defenders of the truth, yet they clearly knew that the opiniō of Popish Purgatorywas unknown to their ancient orthodox fathers.

In end, Purgatory finding no sure allowance in scripture, nor yet in the writings of ancient fathers began to creep under the skirts of apparitions of dead men & by dreams, fables, apparitions and foolish inventions it was so strengthened, that the verity of the Gospel was not so much regarded by a foolish bewitched people as the fables confirming Purgatory. It were tedious to rehearse all the fables of DAMASCENE in his sermons de defunctis. Yet all are not to be past over with silence: He saith that THECLA one of the first feminine mattyrs prayed for FALCONILLA after her death, and obtained pardon to her, albeit she was an Ethnic idolattesse, and died without the knowledge of Christ. This woman behooved to be delivered out of hell, and not out of Purgatory. But who should lend his ears once to hearken to fables so repugnant to scripture, Luc. 16. In like manner he saith that holy MACARIVS prayed night and day for the dead, and in end he demanded at the dry pow or head of a dead man if he felt any comfort by the prayers of the living, and the dry pow or brain pan answered that they found some little refreshment. Likewise he bringeth in the fable of an ancient teacher (whose name he expresseth not, because fables delight to have their head lapped up in darkness of shadows and silence) who had a disciple that lived licentiously in excess and •… jot all his days, and so without repentance concluded his life: the teacher made prayers night and day for his disciple, and in end the Lord opened his eyes to see his disciple burning in flames of fire to the neck: after this he increased the earnestness of his prayers, & afterward he saw his disciple burning in fire unto the middle part of his body. Finally by the fervency of multiplied prayers he was fully delivered. The fable of GREGORIVS 1. cited also by DAMASCENE goeth beyond all the rest in absurdity, that he prayed for the soul of TRAIAN the third persecuting Emperor, and obtained pardon to it as a voice that came down from heaven, witnessed, saying, I have heard thy prayers and granted pardon to TRAIANVS, but in time to come make no prayers for wicked men. All these fables are like unto the gourd of IONAS, that had a worm within it, which smote it, so that it withered incontinent, Ion. 4. even so in all these fables there are circumstances declaring that God would not hear the prayers made for impenitent sinners after they had died in sin.

Hear I leave Papists dreaming upon Purgatory and confirming it with dreams, & yet uncertain where it is. As for us, we will lean alanerly upon the blood of Christ, which purgeth us from all sins, 1. Loh. 1. and we know certainly that our high Priest the Lord Jesus with his own finger sprinkleth his own blood upon our souls, that we may be found a pure virgins to Christ, 2. Cor. 11. that being purged from all sin, we may enter into that holy celestial Jerusalem whereinto no foul and unclean thing getteth entresse, Apocal. 21. Now he who hath prepared this holy mansion for us, prepare us also for it, to whom be praise and glory forever.

CENT. 3. A Treatise of Relics of Saints.