Beside these Bishops aboue specified, diuers other there were also sent into banishment vnder the forenamed Emperours Gallus and Volusianus, as appeareth by Dionysius writing to Hermāmō, on this wyse: that Gallus not seing the euyl of Decius, nor forseing the occasion of hys seduction and ruine, stumbled also himselfe at the same stone, lying open before hys eyes. MarginaliaBishops banished in the time of Gallus.For at the first beginning when his Empire went prosperouslye forwarde, and al thinges went luckelye with him, afterward he draue out holy men which prayd for his peace and safegarde, and so with them reiected also the prayers which they made for hym. &c. Eusebius. lib. 7. cap. 1. Otherwise of any bloodshed, or any martyrs that in the tyme of this Emperour were put to death, we do not reade.

MarginaliaGallus and Volusianus emperours slayne.After the raygne of which Emperour Gallus and of his sonne Volusianus, being expired, who raygned but. ij. yeares: Emelianus which slewe them both by ciuill sedition, succeeded in their place, who raygned but iij. monethes, and was also slayne. MarginaliaEmelianus emperor. 3. monethes.Next to whom Valerianus, and hys sonne Galienus were aduaunced to the Empyre.

MarginaliaValerianus & Galienus his sonne Emperours
Persecution ceased for a tyme.About the chaunging of these Emperours, the persecution which first beganne at Decius, and afterward slaked in the tyme of Gallus, was nowe extinguished for a tyme, partlye for the great plage raygning in all places, partlye by the chaunge of the Emperours, although it was not verye long. MarginaliaThe good begynning of ValerianFor Valerianus in the first entraunce of the Empire for the space of. iij. or. iiij. yeares, was right courteous and gentle to the people of God, and well accepted to the Senate. Neyther was there anye of all the Emperours before hym, no not of them which openly professed Christe, that shewed hymselfe so louing and familiar towarde the Christians as he dyd: in somuch that (as Dionysius writing to Herman doth testifye) MarginaliaEx Dionysio citāte
Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 10. et Nicep. lib. 6. c. 10.all his whole court was replenished with holy sayntes and seruauntes of Christ, and godly persons, so that his house myght seeme to bee made a church of God. But by the malice of Sathan, throughe wycked counsayle these quiet dayes endured not verye long. MarginaliaWycked counseyle that euyll doth.For in processe of tyme thys Valerianus beyng charmed or incensed by a certayne Egyptian, a chiefe ruler of the Heathen Synagog of the Egiptiās, a maister of the Charmers or inchaunters, who in dede was troubled, for that he could not doo his magicall feates for the Christians, was so farre infatuated and bewitched, that throughe the destestable prouocations of that deuilish Egyptian, he was wholy turned vnto abhominable Idoles, and to execrable impietie, in sacrifisyng young infants, and quartering their bodies, and deuiding the intrals of children newe borne: and so proceeding in his fury, moued the eyght persecution agaynst the Christians, whom the wycked Egyptian coulde not abyde, as beyng the hynderers and destroyers of hys magical enchauntings, about the yeare of the lord. 259

¶ The eight persecution.  

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Eighth persecution down through writings of Cyprian

The Foxe Project was not able to complete the commentary on this section of text by the date by which this online edition was compiled (23 September 2008).

MarginaliaThe 8. persecution.
259.
The chiefe executours of thys persecutionIN the which persecution the chiefe administers and executours were Emilianus President of Egypt, Paternus and Galerius Maximus Proconsuls in Aphrica. Bergomensis also maketh mēcion of Paternus Vicegerent of Rome, & of Perennius. Vincentius speaketh also of Nicetius, and Claudius Presidents. &c.

MarginaliaThe special causes of thys persecutionWhat was the chiefe original cause of this persecution, partly is signified before, wher mēcion was made of the wicked Eyptian. But as this was the outward and political cause: so S. Cyprian sheweth other causes more special, and ecclesiasticall, in his fourth booke, Epistle. 4. MarginaliaCypria. lib 4. epist. 4.whose wordes be these: But we (sayth he) must vnderstand and confesse, that this turbulent oppression and calamitie, which hath wasted for the most part all our whole companye, and doth daylye consume, rysethchieflye of our owne wyckednes and synnes: MarginaliaThe synnes of the Christians cause of persecutionwhyle we walke not in the way of the Lord, nor obserue hys preceptes left vnto vs for our institution. The Lord obserued the wyll of his father in all pointes: but we obserue not the wyl of the Lord, hauing all our mynde and study set vpon lucre and possessions, geuen to pride, full of emulation and discention, voide of simplicity and faithful dealyng, renouncing this world in word onely, but nothing in deede, euery man pleasing himself, & displeasing all other. And therfore are we thus scourged, and worthely. For what stripes and scourges do we not deserue, when the confessours themselues (suche as haue byd the triall of their confession) and suche as ought to be an example to the rest of well doing, do keepe no discipline? And therfore because some such there be, proudly puft vp with this swelling and vnmanerly bragging of their confession, these tormentes come: suche as doo not easely send vs to the crowne, except by the mercy of God, some being taken away by quicknes of death, doo preuent the tediousnes of punishment. These thinges do we suffer for our synnes and desertes, as by the lords censure we haue bene forewarned, saying: If they shall forsake my law, and wil not walke in my iudgements: If they shal prophane my iustifications, and wyll not obserue my preceptes, I wyl visit their iniquities wyth the rod, and their transgressions with scourges. These rods & scourges (saith he) we feele, which neyther please God in our good deedes, nor repent in our euill deedes. Wherfore the sayde Cyprian, adding thys exhortacion with all: exhorteth them to praye and intreate from the bottome of their hart & whole minde, the mercy of God which promiseth, saying: but yet my mercy I will not scatter frō them. &c. Let vs aske, & we shall obtaine, and though (saith Cypriā) it be with tariance, yet forsomuch as we haue grieuously offēded, let vs cōtinue knocking, for to him that knocketh, it shalbe opened, if our praiers sighinges, and weepinges knocke stil at the doore with continuance, and if our prayers be ioyned together with brotherly agreement. &c.

MarginaliaDiscord and diuision amonge the brethren.Moreouer, what vices were then principallye raygning among the Christians, he further specifieth in the sayd epistle: which chiefly were diuision and dissension among the brethren. For whē it was spoken to them in a vision, by these woords: Petite & impetrabilis, that is: Pray, and ye shall obtayne, afterward it was required of the congregacion ther present, to direct their praiers, for certayne persons assygned to them by name: but they could not agree and condescende al together of the names and persons of them whych they shoulde praye for, but were dissonant in their consent and petition: which thing (sayth Cyprian) did greatly displease hym, that spake vnto them: Pray, and ye shall obtayne, for that there was no vniforme equality of voice and hart, nor no simple and ioynt concord among the brethren, wherof it is wrytten in the Psalme. 67. God which maketh to dwel in the house together men of one accord. &c MarginaliaPsal. 67.And so by the occasiō hereof he writeth vnto thē the foresaid Epistle, & moueth thē to praier & mutual agremēt. For (saith he) if it be promised in the Gospel, to be graūted what so euer any two cōsenting together shal aske, what then shall the whole church do agreing together? or what if thys vnanimitie wer among þ^e whole fraternitie? Which vnanimitye (sayth Cyprian) if it had bene then among the brethren, non venissent fratribus hæc mala, si in vnum fraternitas fuisset animata,  

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Eighth persecution down through writings of Cyprian: citation from Cyprian

Foxe text Latin

non venissent fratribus hæc mala, si in vnum fraternitas fuisset animata,

Foxe text translation

these euils had not happened to the brethren, if the brethren had ioyned together in brotherly vnanimity. &c.

MarginaliaA vision foreshewing persecution to come
Cyprian. lib. 4. epist. 4.After the causes thus declared of this or other persecutions, the sayd S. Cyprian moreouer in the forenamed epistle (worthy to be red of all men) describeth likewise a certayne vision, wherin was shewed vnto them by the Lord, before the persecution came, what should