was fed of other. Miserable and almost innumerable were the slaughters vnder the raigne of this Sapores, of Bishops, Ministers, Deacons, religious men, holye virgins, and other ecclesiasticall persons, suche as dyd then cleaue to the doctrine of Christ, and suffered for the same. The names of the bishops besides the other multitude taken away in that persecution, is recited in Sozom lib. 2. and in Nicephor. lib. 8. cap. 37. in thys order folowing.MarginaliaEx Sozo.lib. 2. cap. 13. ex Nic. lib. 8. c. 37.
Barbasimes Paulus, Gaddiabes, Sabinus, Mareas Mocius, Io?nes, Hormisdas, Papas, Iacob⁹, Romas, Maares, Agas, Bochres, Abdas, Abies⁹, Ioannes, Abrami⁹, Agdelas, Sabores, Isaac, Dausas, Bicor, Maureanda wyth 250 other Martirs.

Barbasymes, Paulus, Gaddiabes, Sabinus, Mareas, Mocius, Iohannes, Hormisdas, Papas, Iacobus, Romas, Maares, Agas, Bochres, Abdas, Abiesus, Ioannes, Abramius, Agdelas, Sabores, Isa-ac, Dausas. Bicor also, with Maureanda hys fellowbyshop, and the rest of his churches vnder him, to the number of. CC. and. L. persons, which were the same tyme apprehended of the Persians. &c. Briefly to compreh?d the whole multitude of them that suffered in that persecution, the maner of their apprehension, the cruelnes of their tormentes, how and where they suffered, and in what places, it is not possible for anye historye to discharge. Neyther are the Persians themselues (as Sozomenus recordeth) able to recite them. MarginaliaThe n?ber of the martirs that suffered in Persia, were 16 thousand. In summe, the multitude and number of them whom they are able to recite by name, commeth to the summe of. xvi. thousand men and women.

The rumour and noyse of this so miserable afflicti? of the Christians in the kyngdome of Persia, c?myng to the eares of Constantinus the Emperour, put him in great heauynes, studieng and reuoluing with himselfe, how to helpe the matter, whych in dede was very harde for him to do. MarginaliaConstantinus the Emperour writeth to the King of Persia in the behalfe of the afflicted Christians.It so befell the same tyme, that certayne Embassadours were then at Rome from Sapores king of Persia, to whom Constantinus did easelye graunt, & consent, satisfieng all their requestes and demaundes, thinking thereby to obtayne the more friendship at the kinges handes, that at his request he woulde be good to the Christians, to whom he writeth his Epistle in theyr behalfe, and sendeth the same by his messengers, beginning thus:

MarginaliaThe copie & effecte of the epistle of Constantine to Sapores. Diuinam fidem seruans veritatis lucem sortior. Veritatis luce ductus diuinam fidem cognosco. Per ea igitur quibus illa res agendas, confirmat sanctissimam religion? cognitam reddo, & hunc me cultum doctorem cognitionis sancti dei habere confiteor. &c. Euseb. de vita Const?t. lib. 4. The contentes wherof briefly do tend to this effect. Declaring vnto him how he shoulde stand much beholden to him, if at hys request he would shew some quiet & rest to the Christians. In whose religion there was nothing which he could iustly blame. For so muche as in their sacrifices they vse to kyl nothing, nor to shedde no bloud, but onely to offer vp vnbloudy sacrifices, and to make their prayers vnto God, who deliteth not in blood shedding, but onely in the soule that loueth vertue, and foloweth such doctrine and knowledge, which is agreing to true piety. And therfore such m? as do leade hym and learne him so to beleue and to woorship God, are more to be commended. Moreouer he assureth him, to finde God more mercyful to him, if he woulde embrace the godly pietie and truth of the Christians. And for example thereof, bringeth in the stories of Galienus, and Valerianus, MarginaliaOf this Galienus and Valerianus read the pag. 105.who so long as they were fauorers of the Christians, did prosper and floorishe. But as soone as they moued any persecution agaynst them, it happened to them, as it did to all other Emperours before them, that all went backward with them, as especially might appeare by Valerianus, who after he had raged so cruelly agaynst the Christians, was eftsoones ouercome of the Persians, (the reuenging hand of God falling vpon him)wher he led euer after a miserable life, in wretched captiuitie. Farther also, for the more euidence of thesame, inferreth the examples of those Emperours and tyrantes in hys tyme, whom he vanquished and subdued onely by hys fayth in Christ, for the which fayth, god was hys helper, and gaue him the victory in manye battayles, and triumphe ouer great tyrantes, whereby also he hath enlarged the dominion of the Romane monarchie from the west Ocean, to the vttermost partes well neare of all the East. To the doing and working wherof, he neyther called to him the helpe of any charmer or diuination of any Soothsayer, nor vsed the killing of any sacrifice: but onelye the following of the crosse, and prayer made to almighty God, without any other bloody sacrifice, was the armour wherwith he ouercam. &c. And in the ende of the epistle addeth these words: What ioy (sayth he) what gladnes woulde it bee to my hart, to heare the state also of the Persians to floorish, as I wish it to do, by embracing this sort of men, the Christians I meane: so that both you with them, and they wyth you in long prosperity may enioy much felicity together, as your hartes woulde desire: and in so doing, no doubt ye shall. For so shal you haue God, which is the autor and creator of all this vniuersall world to be mercifull and gracious to you. These men therfore I commende vnto you vpon your kyngly honour. And vpon your clemency and piety, wherwith you are indued, I commit them vnto you, desiring you to embrace and receaue them according to your humanitie and benignity agreing and conuenient to your estate: who in so doyng shall nowe both procure to your selfe grace through your fayth, & also shall declare to me a great pleasure and benefyte worthy of much thankes. &c.

MarginaliaThe generall care of godly Constantinus for all Christians in al places.This Epistle wrote Constantinus to king Sapores. Such care had this godly prince for them that beleued in Christ, not onely in his own monarchye, but also in all places of the world. Neither is it to be doubted, but this intercession of the Emperour did something mitigate the heate of the Persians persecution. Althoughe therof we reade no certayne thynge in our histories.

MarginaliaOther forren persecutions in Persia.Of other troubles & persecution we reade of, which happened afterward in the sayd country of Persia, vnder Isdigerdes the king, but these followed long after about the tyme of the Emperor Theodosius. MarginaliaAndas. B.
Martyr.
The storye of Hormisda.
martyr.Ex Theodor. Lib. 5. cap. 9.
At which tyme suffred Andas their bishop, and Hornusda a great noble mans sonne, and of great reputacion among the Persians: whom when the king vnderstood to be a christian, and to deny to turne from his religi?, condemned him to keepe his Elephantes naked. In proces of tyme, the king looking out, and seing hym al swarted & t?ned in the sunne, commaunded him to haue a shiert put on, and to be brought before him. Whom then the king asked, if he would denye Christ. Hormisda hearing thys, tare of hys shiert from his bodye, and cast it from hym, saying: MarginaliaThe faythfull constancie of Hormisda
Hormisda banished the co?trey of Persia.If ye think that I wyll deny my fayth to Christ for a shiert, haue here your gyfte agayn. &c. And so was vpon that expelled the country. Theodor. lib. 5.

MarginaliaSuenes.
Martyr.And other there was the same time, named Suenes, which had vnder him an hundreth seruaunts. The king taking displeasure with him, for that he would not alter fr? hys religion & godly truth, asked who was the worst of all hys seruauntes. And hym the kyng made ruler of all the reast, and coupling hym with hys maisters wife, brought also Suenes vnder hys subiection, thinkyng therby to subdue also the fayth of Suenes, MarginaliaThe constancie of Suenes.but he was builded vpon a sure foundation.

MarginaliaThe storye of Beniamin deacon & Martyr.Of Beniamin the Deacon thus writeth the sayd Theodoret in hys fift booke, that after. ij. yeares of hys imprisonment, as the request of the Romaine Legate he was deliuered, who afterward because contrary to the kinges commaundement he preached and taughte the Gospel of Christ, was most miserably excarnificate, hauing. xx. sharpe prickes of reedes thrust vnder his nailes, but when he dyd but laughe at that, then in his priuye