The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories

CAP. XX.

Of the martyrs in Palastina.

IT was the ninetenth yeare of Diocletians raigne and the moneth Zanthicus, the which the Ro∣maynes* 1.1 call Aprill, the feast of Easter thē drawing nigh, Flauianus being gouerner of Palaesti∣na, whē the emperours edicts were euery where proclaimed, in y^t which it was commaunded y^t the churches should be destroyed, that the holy scriptures should be burned, y^t such as were of cre∣ditt should be contemned, y^t such as led a priuate life if they retayned the christian professiō should be depriued of their freedome. & such were the contents of the first Edict. but in the proclamation which immediatly folowed after it was added y^t the pastors throughout all congregations should first be imprisoned, next withall meanes possible constrained to sacrifice. to be short the first of the martyrs in Palaestina was Procopius who before he had bene any while imprisoned, stepping forth* 1.2 at the first iumpe before the tribunall seat of the presidents, & being commaunded to doe sacrifice vnto their gods, made answere: that to his knowledge there was but one only God, to whom, (as y^• selfe same God had cōmaunded) he was bound of duely to sacrifice. And when as they commaū∣ded him to offer sacrifice for y^• prosperous state of the foure emperours, he recited a certaine verse out of a poet which pleased thē not, for the which immediatly he was beheaded the verse was this:

Not many Lordes auayle vs here, let one beare rule and raygne.

This was y^e first spectacle exhibited at Caesarea in Palaestina the eight day of the moneth Desius before the seuenth of the Ides of Iune called of the Romaynes the. 4. day of the sabaoth. After him there suffred many of the inhabiters of the same citie, & of the chief gouernours of y^• ecclesiasticall affayrs, who endured & that cherefully most vitter torments, & gaue the aduenture of most valiāt enterprises. other some fainting for feare were quite discouraged at the first. all the rest tried the experience of sundry torments. one scurged from top toe, an other wrested vntil y^• his ribbs brake a sunder in the squising bonds, by reason whereof it fell out that some had their hands strooke of, & thus together they enioyed such an end as befell vnto them according vnto the secret wisedome & iudgement of God. one was led by the hand & lugged to the altar, & his hands violēt stretched to toutch their detestable sacrifices, & in the end let go for a sacrificer. an other when y^• he had neither approched neither toutched, & such as were present affirmed that he had sacrificed, departed with silence. one being halfe dead was borne away being throwen of them for dead, the same was tor∣mēted with bondes & reckned among the sacrificers. an other lifted his voyce & protested that he had not yelded at all, the same was beaten on the mouth & constrayned to kepe silence, by the force of many hands which stopped his breath & violētly excluded him when he had not sacrificed at al. & so it pleased them well, if at least wise they might seeme to bring their purpose to effect, but for all their mischieuous deuises the blessed martyrs of God only bare away y^• victory. againe y^• seuē∣teenth day of y^• moneth Dius, after the Romaynes the fifteenth of the Calendes of December, Al∣phaeus* 1.3 and Zachaeus, after they had bene lashed with whipps & mangled with rasors, after racking and greuous tormentes therein, after sundry questions demaunded of them, after they had layen in y^• stocks many dayes and many nights, their feet stretched foure spaces asunder, last of all whē they had freely confessed and boldely pronounced that there was but one onely God, & one kinge & captaine ouer all Iesus Christ (as if herein they had vttered blasphemy or treason) they were in like maner beheaded euen as the martyr mētioned a litle before. Moreouer the history toutching Romanus y^• martyr, who suffred the same day at Antioch is worthie of memory. He was borne in Palaestina, he was deacon and exorcist of the church of Caesarea, & as it fell out being in Antioch at the ruyne and desolation of y^• churches, & beholding with his eyes great multituds both of men women and children flocking vnto the altars and offering sacrifices to the Idols, supposed it was

his duety in no wise to winck thereat: wherefore he being moued with singular zeale of the spirit of God, drewe nigh vnto them, exclaimed against them, and sharpely rebuked them. Who, for so bold an enterprise was apprehended, & shewed him selfe a valiāt witnes or testifier (if then there was any such in the world) of the trueth in Christ. For when the iudge threatned him death with flashing fire that consumeth to ashes, he of the contrary embraced his offer most willingly, with cherefull countenance and gladsome courage, and with all, is brought vnto the place of execution. Being bounde to the stake while the officers threwe fagotts about him, and such as were appoin∣ted to kindle the fire, wayted for the emperours watch worde & pleasure (who then was presente) he shouted vnto them from the stake: where I pray you is the fire? The whiche he had no sooner spoken, but the Emperour called him vnto him, to the ende he shoulde suffer a newe and straūge kinde of torment, to wete: that his tongue might be plucked out of his mouth, the which he con∣stantly endured, and thereby declared at large, howe that the deuine power, and grace of God, neuer fayleth them, which suffer for godlines sake, but alwayes ether easeth their labours, & sla∣keth theyr griefs, or els graunteth courage, and might to endure paciently vnto the ende. This blessed sainct as soone as he had vnderstoode of their newe deuised torment, beinge valiantly di∣sposed, neuer staggered thereat, but voluntarily put out his tongue, & yelded the same, which was fully instructed in the word of God, vnto the tormentors hands. After which tormēt he was clapt in prison, and there plagued alonge time, at length, when the twentieth yeare of the Emperours raygne was nowe expired, at what time a generall pardon was proclaimed y^t all prisoners should be sett at liberty, he alone lying in the stockes and his feete stretched fiue spaces asunder, had his necke compassed with a haulter and thus in prison stifled to death, so that hereby according vnto his desire, he was crowned with martyrdome. This man although he suffred out of the bounds of his natiue soyle, yet being a Palaestinian by birth, is worthy to be canonized amōg the martyrs of Palaestina. Such were the tragicall affayrs of the church in Palaestina the first yeare of the perse∣cution, which was chiefly bent against y^• presidents of our doctrine & byshops of y^• church of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Anno Do∣mini. 306.
• * 1.2

  Procopius beheaded.
• * 1.3

  Alphaeus be∣headed. Zachaeus be∣headed. Romanus first had his tongue pul∣led out, next tormented & clapt▪ in pri∣son, last of all in prison sti∣fled to death