habitacion and seate of the immortal Gods, and by many examples it appeareth that the same floorisheth, and prospereth by the presence of the celestial Gods. For behold, your Citie not regarding your priuate businesses, nor esteeming that which shoulde haue bene for the special commoditie therof, when it perceaued that cursed vanitie to begyn agayne to creepe, and as a fire negligently quenched, when the dead brandes therof began to kyndle and make a great flame: by and by without delaye ye hauing recourse vnto our pietie, as vnto the Metrapolitan of al diuine worship and religion, craued remedy and helpe, which wholsome mynde for your pities sake, it is most manifest that the Gods haue indued you wyth. MarginaliaWicked blasphemyTherfore he, euen that most mighty Iupiter I say, which preserueth your most famous citie: to that intent he might deliuer and make free your countrye Gods, your wyues and children, your housholde Gods and houses, from al detestable corruptiō, hath inspired you wyth this wholsome and wylling mynde, shewing and declaring how worthye, notable, and healthful a thing it is to worship and do sacrifice to the immortall Gods. For who is so voyde of reason and vnderstanding, that knoweth not that this thing happeneth vnto vs by þ^e careful study of the goodnes of our Gods, MarginaliaThe works of the lyuyng God falsly impuned to dead stockes and Idoles.that the ground denieth not to geue her tymely increase, nor maketh frustrate the husband mans hope, nor that wicked warre dare shewe her face vpon the earth, nor that the corruption of the ayre is nowe cause of pestilence, neyther that sea, swelleth with immoderate windes, neither that sodayn stormes are cause of hurtful tempests. To conclude, that the ground which is as the Nours & mother of all thinges, is not swallowed vp of her deepe chappes and gapinges, by terrible earthquake, neyther that the hyls made leuell with the earth, are not wyth gaping clyftes deuoured, all which euyls and greater then these, before this tyme to haue happened euery mā knoweth. MarginaliaHorrible blasphemy.And all these mischiefes came vpon vs for the pernitious errours sake of the extreame follye of those wycked men the Christians, when fylthines it selfe (as I may call it) so occupied their mindes, and ouer ranne the world. Let them behold the feeldes nowe all about full of corne, and ouerflowen as it were with eares of corne. Let them vew the pleasaunt medowes clothed w^t flowers, and moystned with showers from heauen, and also the pleasaunt and temperat weather. MarginaliaThe lyke argument of weather and corne, and plenty, made the vnfaythfull Iewes, and also make now our faithles papistes.Therefore let all men reioyce, that by your pietie, sacrifices, and worshipping, the maiesty of the most stearne God of battell Mars is appeased, and that therefore we enioy pleasant and firme peace. And how many so euery haue left that blynde errour and straying of the Christians vnfainedly, and be of a better mynde, let them specially reioyce, as mē deliuered out of a sodayn great tempest, and frō a greuous disease, and haue afterward obtayned a delectable and pleasant lyfe. For doubtles, if they had remayned in that execrable vanitie, far of had they bene chased from your Citie and Suburbes of the same (according to your desire) that your Citie by that meanes according to your commendable diligence, clensed frō all impuritie and impietie, maye offer sacrifices according to the meaning of the same, with due reuerence of the immortal Gods. And that you may perceiue in how good part we take your supplication (ye vnasked and desired) we are most wylling and ready to further your honest endeuours, and graunt vnto you for your deuotion, what soeuer ye aske of our magnificence. And that thys thing may be accomplished, foorthwith aske, and haue. And this thing with all speede indeuour ye to obtayne, that shalbe a perpetual testimony of pietye exhibited of your Citie to the immortal Gods, and shalbe a president to your children and posterity, and that you shal obtain of vs for this your wylling desire of reformation, conding & worthy rewards. Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 7.

MarginaliaPersecution renueth a fresh.Thus came it to passe that at the length persecution was as great as euer it was, and the Magistrates of euery prouince were very disdaynful agaynst the Christians, which condemned some to death, and some to exile. MarginaliaSyluanus
byshop.
Lucianus
elder.
Petrus
byshop
Quirinus
byshop.
Marcellus
byshop.
Tymotheus
elder, Martyrs.
The persecution of Maximinus the yōger.Among whom they condemned. 3. Christians at Emisa in Phenicia, with whom Siluanus the bishop a very old man, being. 40. yeares in the ecclesiastical fūction, was condemned to death. At Nicomedia, Lucianus the Elder of Antioch, brought thether, after he had exhibited to the Emperour his apology concerning the doctrine of the Christians, was cast in prison, and after put to death. In Amasea a Citie of Capadocia, Bringes the Lieftenant of Maximinus, had at that time the executing of that persecution. At Alexandria, Petrus a most worthy bishop was beheaded, with whom manye other Egiptian bishops also dyed. Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 7 Niceph. lib. 7. cap. 44.. Quirinus the bishop of Scescanius hauing a hanmyll tied about his necke, was throwne hedlong from the bridge, into the flood, and ther a long whyle fleeted aboue the water, and when he opened his mouth to speake to the lookers on that they shoulde not be dismayde with that his punishment, was with much a do drowned. Chron. Euseb. At Rome died Marcellus the bishop, as sayth Platina, also Timotheus the Elder, with many other bishops and priestes were martyred. To conclude, many in sundry places euery wher were martyred, whose names the book intituled Fasciculus temporum declareth, MarginaliaEx fasciculo temporum.as Victorianus, Symphorianus, Castorius with his wyfe, Castulus, Cesarius, Mēnas, Nobilis, Dorotheus, Gorgonius, Petrus, and other innumerable Martyrs, Erasmus, Bonifacius, Marginalia30000 martyrs.
Colmas,
Damianus,
Dorothea
wyth other Martyrs.& thirty thousand Martyrs more, Iuliana, Cosmas, Damianus, Basilinus with. 7. others, Dorothea, Theophilus, Theodosia, Vitalis, Agricola, Acha, Philemō, Hireneus, Ianuarius, Festus, Desiderius, Gregorius Spoletanus. Agapes, Chionia, Hirenea, Theodora Marginalia270. Martyrs.&. 270. other Martyrs, Florianus, Primus and Felicianus, Vitus and Modestus, Crescentia, Albinus, Rogatianus, Donatianus, Pancratius, Catharina, Margareta, Lucia the Virgin, & Antheas the kyng Marginalia37000. martyrswith 37000. Martyrs, Simplicius, Faustinus, Beatrix, Panthaleon, Georgius, Iustus, Leocandia, Anthonia, and other mo to an infinite number suffered martyrdome in this persecution, whose names God hath writtē in the boke of life. Also Felix, Victor with his parentes, Lucia the wydow, MarginaliaGerminianus wyth. 79. MartyrsGeminianus with. 79. others, Sabinus, Anastasia, Chrisogonus, Felix, & Andactus, Adrianus, Nathalia, Eugenia, Agnes also when she was but. 13. yere olde was martyred. Eusebius in his. 8. booke and. 15. chap. rehearseth these kyndes of torments and punishmentes, that is to say: MarginaliaSeueral kyndes of tormentes.Fyre, wylde beastes, the sworde, crucifienges, the bottom of the sea, the cutting of, and burning of, of members, the thrusting out of eyes, the dismembring of the whole body, hunger, imprisonmēt, and what soeuer other crueltie the Magistrates coulde deuise. Al which notwithstanding the godly ones rather then that they would do sacrifice as they were byd, mā fully endured. Neyther were the women anye thing at all behinde them. For they being entised to the fylthye vse of their bodies, rather suffered banishment, or wyllyngly kylled them selues. Neither yet coulde the Christians liue safely in the wildernes, but were fetched euē from thence to death and torments, insomuch that this was a more greuous persecutiō vnder Maximinus the tyrant, then was the fyrst cruel persecutiō, vnder Maximianus the Prince. Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 6. &. 10.

And forasmuch as ye haue heard the cruel Edict of Maximinus proclaymed agaynst the Christians, grauē in brasse, which he through perpetually shoulde endure to the abolishing of Christ and hys religiō: MarginaliaThe Worke of God against the foresayd edict.Now marke agayne the great handy worke of God, which immediatly fel vpon the same, checkyng the proud presumptiō