iustice of God vpon these Romaine persecutors: so now we declare their persecutiōs rased vp against the people and seruantes of Christe, within the space of three hundred yeares after Christ. Which persecutions in number cōmonly are counted to be. x. beside the persecutions first moued by the Iewes in Ierusalē and other places against the Apostles. MarginaliaSaint Stephen the first ringleader of all Christes martyrs.In the which first Saint Stephen the deacon was put to death, with diuers other mo, in þ^e same rage of time either slaine, or cast into prison. At the doing wherof, Saule the same time playd the doughtye Pharisie, being not yet conuerted to the fayth of Christ, wherof the historye is playne in the Actes of the Apostle set forth at large by S. Luke.

MarginaliaSaint Iames the apostle, brother of Iohn martyred.
Act. 12.After the martyrdome of thys blessed Stephen, suffered next Iames þ^e holy Apostle of Christ, and brother of Iohn. Of which Iames, mention is made in the Actes of the Apostles, the. xij. chap. Where is declared, how that not longe after the stoning of Stephen, King Herode stretched forth his hand, to take and afflicte certayne of the congregatiō: among whom Iames was one, whom he slewe with the sword, &c. Of this Iames Eusebius also inferreth mention, alledging Clement, thus writyng a memorable story of him. Hypolyp 7. MarginaliaHist. eccles. lib. 2. cap. 9.
Ex Clemente Septima Hypolyposeon.This Iames (sayth Clement) when he was brought to the tribunall seat, he that brought hym (as was the cause of hys trouble,) seing him to be condemned, & that he shoulde suffer death: as he went to the execution, he being moued therwith in hart and conscience, confessed hymselfe also of his owne accord to be a Christian. MarginaliaA notable conversiō of a wicked accuser, & after a Martyr.And so were they both led forth together, where in þ^e way he desired of Iames to forgeue him that he had done. After that Iames had a litle paused with him vpon the matter, turnyng to hym: Peace (sayth he) be to thee brother, and kyssed hym: And both were beheaded together. an. Do. 36.

MarginaliaNicanor one of the seuen deacōs with. 2000. other martired.
Ex Dorotheo in Synops.Dorotheus in his boke named Synopsis testifieth, that Nicanor one of the. vij. Deacōs, with. 2000. other which beleued in Christ, suffred also the same day, whē as Stephen did suffer.

MarginaliaSimon a deacō martyred.The said Dorotheus witnesseth also of Simon, an other of the Deacons, Byshop afterward of Bostrum in Arabie, there to be burned. Parmenias also an other of the Deacons suffered.

MarginaliaS. Thomas the apostle suffred.Thomas preached to the Parthians, Medes, & Persians: Also to the Germans, Hiraconis, Bactris, and Magis. He suffred in Calamina a citie of Iudia, being slayne with a Darte.

MarginaliaSimon Zelotes crucified.Simon Zelotes preached at Mauritania, and in the countrey of Aphrike. And in Brettania he was likewise crucifyed.

MarginaliaThaddeus the apostle slayne.Iudas brother of Iames, called also Thaddeus, and Lebeus, preached to the Edessens, and to all Mesopotamia. He was slayn vnder Augarus King of þ^e Edessens in Beryto.

MarginaliaSimon Cananesis crucified.Simon called Chananeus, which was brother to Iude aboue mentioned, & to Iames the younger, which all were the sonnes of Marye Clepha, and of Alpheus, was Bishop of Ierusalem after Iames, and was crucified in a citie in Egypt in the time of Traianus Emperour, as Dorotheus recordeth. But Abdias writeth that he with hys brother Iude, were both slayne by a tumult of the people in Suanyr a citie of Persidis.

MarginaliaMarke the Euāgelist burned.Marke the Euangelist, and first Bishop of Alexandria, preached the Gospell in Egypt, and there drawen with ropes vnto the fyer, was burned, and afterwarde buried in a place called there Bucolus, vnder the reigne of Traianus Emperour.

MarginaliaBartholomewe the apostle crucified and beheaded.
Ex Ioā de Mōte Regali.Bartholomeus is sayd also to preache to þ^e Iudians, and to haue conuerted the Gospell of S. Mathewe into theyr tounge. Where he continued a great space doing many myracles. At laste in Albania a citie of greater Amenia, after diuerse persecutions, he was beaten down with staues, then crucified, and after being excoriat, hewas at length beheaded. Ioan. De Monte Regali.

MarginaliaAndrew the apostle crucified for the gospel.
Ex Hieronymo in Catalogo scrip. eccle.Of Andrewe the Apostle and brother of Peter thus writeth Ierome, in his booke De catalogo scriptorum Eccles. Andrewe the brother of Peter (in the time and reygne of Vespacianus, as oure aunciters haue reported) did preache in the 80. yeare of our Lord Iesu Christ to the Scythians, Sogdians, to the Saxons, and in a Citie which is called Augustia, where the Ethiopians doo nowe inhabite. He was buried in Patris, a Citye of Achaia, beinge crucified of Egeas the gouernour of the Edessians: hitherto writeth Ierome, although in the number of yeares he seemeth a litle to misse, for Vespacianus reached not to the yeare. 80. after Christe. MarginaliaEx Cipria no. lib. De duplici Martyrio.
Ex Bernardo serm. 2. de Sanct. Andrea.But Barnarde in hys second Sermon, and. S. Ciprian in his booke De duplici Martino, do make mention of the confession and martyrdom of this blessed Apostle, wherof partlye out of these, partlye out of other credible writers wee haue collected after thys maner, that when as Andrewe being conuersaunt in a Citye of Achaia called Patris, through his diligent preaching had brought manye to the faith of Christ: Egeas the gouerner knowing this, resorted thether to the entent he might constrain as many as did beleue Christ to be God, by the whole consent of the Senate, to doo sacrifice vnto the Idoles, and so geue deuine honour vnto thē. Andrew thinking good at the beginning to resiste the wicked counsell, and the doynges of Egeas, went vnto hym saying in this effect vnto hym: MarginaliaThe words of Andrew to the Consull.that it behoued hym which was a Iudge of men, first to know his Iudge which dwelleth in heauen, and then to worshippe him being knowen, And so in worshipping the true God, to reuoke his minde from false gods and blynde Idoles. These wordes spake Andrewe to the Consull.

But he greatlye therewith disconted, demaunded of him, whether he was the same Andrewe that dyd ouerthrowe the Temple of the Goddes, and perswaded men of that superstious secte, whiche the Romaynes of late hadde commaunded to bee abolyshed, and reiected. MarginaliaThe feruētsy of Andrew agaīst idolatry.Andrewe dyd playnly affyrme that the Princes of the Romans dyd not vnderstand the truthe, and that the sonne of God comming from heauen into the world, for mans sake hath taught and declared how these Idoles, whō they so honored as gods, were not onely not gods, but also most cruell Diuels, most enemies to mankind, teachinge the people nothinge els, but that wherewith god is offended, and being offended turneth awaye and regardeth them not, and so by the wicked seruice of the Deuil do fal hedlong into al wickednes, and after theyr departing nothyng remaineth vnto them, but their euil deedes.

But the Proconsull esteeming these thynges to be as vayne, especialy seing the Iewes (as he said) had crucyfied Christ before, therfore charged, and commaūded Andrewe not to teache and preache suche thynges anye more, or if he dyd, that he should be fastened to the crosse with al speede.

Andrewe abiding in his former minde verye constaunt, aunswered thus concernynge the punishment which he threatned: he would not haue preached the honour and glory of the Crosse, if he had feared the death of the crosse. Whervpon sentence of cōdemnation was pronounced, that Andrewe teachyng, and enterprisynge a newe sect, and takinge awaye the relygyon of theyr gods, ought to be crucified. MarginaliaThe constā faith of Andrewe to the endAndrewe commyng to the place and seing a far of the crosse prepared, did chaunge neither countenaunce ne color, as the imbecility of mortal men is wont to do, neither did his blood shrinke, neither dyd he faile in his speche, hys body fainted not, neither was hys mind molested, his vnderstanding did not fayle him, as it is the maner of men to do, but out of the aboundance of his hart hys mouth did speake: And feruent charity dyd appeare in his words, as kindled spar-