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CHAP. III.
The Just Judgments of God that befel some under Officers, and Mini∣sters of state, and others that did execute the several Tyrannical Per∣secutions of the afore said Emperors upon the Christians, for Conscience sake, during the time of the aforesaid Ten Persecutions.
* 1.1 CErtain men of the Jewish Nation Informers, had accused the Martyr Symon (Son of Cleophas, and reputed nephew to Christ) for being a Christian, and one of the Stock of David, against whom Trajanus the Emperor had given forth a Commandment, that who∣soever could be found of the Stock of David,* 1.2 he should be inquired out, and put to death; of which Stock, upon inquiry these his Ac∣cusers were found to be, and so right justly were put to Execution themselves, which sought the destruction of another; though it was not long after, but the good man Simon, after he had been scourg∣ed many dayes, bearing it with singular constancy, when he was a hundred and twenty years old, was Crucified and put to death, finish∣ing his course in the Lord, Acts and Mon. 65, 66.
Three other wicked evil-disposed persons (Informers) seeing the soundness, grave, constancy and vertuous life of Narcissus, then Bishop of Jerusalem, aged an hundred and sixty three years, accused him as being guilty of a hainous crime,* 1.3 that he was clear of, and ha∣ving laid it to his charge, they the better to make their Accusation seem more probable before the People, they bind it with a great Oath, one wishing to be destroyed by Fire, if he said not true; the other to be consumed with a grievous sickness; the third, to loose both his Eyes, if they did Lye: Narcissus, although having his Con∣science clear, yet not able, being but one man, to withsland their Accusation, bound with such Oathes, gave place, and removed him∣self from the Multitude into a solitary Desert by himself, where he continued many years; in the mean time to them which so willing∣ly and wickedly forswore themselves, this happened: The first, by casualty of one little small sparkle of Fire was burnt, with his goods, and all his Family. The Second was taken with a great sickness, from the top to the toe, and devoured with the same. The Third hearing and seeing the punishment of the other, confessed his fault, but through great Repentance poured out such tears that he lost both his Eyes, and thus was their false perjury punished, and Narcissus, after long absence returned home again, was by this means both cleared of the Fact, and received into his Bishoprick again, Acts and Mon. 80.
* 1.4 Antiochus, Tormentor and Executioner of extreame torments (un∣der Alexander Severus the Emperor, and Persecutor of the Christi∣ans) upon a young youth, called Agapitus, of the Age of fifteen years,